RE: GOV: US Reputation (RE: Arab World Stunned by Baghdad's Fall)

From: Lee Corbin (lcorbin@tsoft.com)
Date: Thu Apr 17 2003 - 16:29:58 MDT

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    Samantha writes

    > > > do it, but they were blamed anyway. (It did happen while they were in
    > > > charge, soon after the conquest of Alexandria.) Now Bagdad's library
    > > > wasn't as significant, but it wasn't minor. Especially if Arabic is your
    > > > native tongue. Whatever our reputation was, it's now worse.
    > >
    > > Some people care about what others think more than others do.
    > > There are many occasions when one has to worry about what one
    > > will think of himself, rather than be concerned about what
    > > others will think.
    >
    > I don't see how this generality is germane to the particular
    > situation. The topic is about US reputation.

    It's the same with nations, of course: a nation can be so
    disposed that it cares less, or more, about public opinion
    than others.

    At the same time, I wonder if Americans who in general are
    more concerned with what others think about them as individuals
    tend to be those who worry about what other nations think. In
    other words, is there a correlation?

    > > The deeper issue, alas, as always, is the predictability of
    > > your making a statement like that. Have any thoughts on this
    > > more fundamental issue of why in general you and others are
    > > on one side and so many other people are clearly on the other?
    > > What truly distinguishes you from them?
    >
    > This is in my opinion uncalled for. Either the statement is
    > reasonable and raises reasonable issues or it does not. That X
    > is more likely to make such a statement is irrelevant to this
    > particular thread. That one is in a minority says nothing for
    > or against the validity of the minority position.

    Rather than continue to exchange emails venting our opinions,
    I'm always for trying to understand how it can be that people
    so fundamentally disagree. But we've been here before, and
    I know that you and many others are not particularly interested
    in exploring the "conflict of visions", nor in attempting to
    determine if personality or environmental factors decide.

    Lee

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