Harry Veeder wrote:
> I doubt we can accomplish that. 95% of the men in Saudi Arabia consider Bin
> Laden a national hero because he attacked us, and I expect a similar
> proportion support him in the UAE.
Did you take a poll?
No, the government of Saudi Arabia did. This is described in the book
"Imperial Hubris," which was written by the top CIA expert in middle
east terrorism. I have not seen a poll for the UAE. I think the
number was 95%, but I cannot find the page in this book where it is described.
> These people hate our guts as violently as
> we hated the Nazis, because they feel that we supported
tyrannical governments
> for the past 50 years.
Most people in North America were able to hate the German government
without hating the German people . . .
Okay, make that the Japanese. In the U.S. at the end of WWII, 13% of
the U.S. favored exterminating every remaining Japanese man, woman
and child. A much larger fraction was in favor of severely punishing
Japan by destroying all of their remaining industry and leaving them
to starve. Huge billboard were erected in many Pacific Naval bases
saying, "Kill Japs. Kill More Japs. Kill The Yellow Bastards. -
Admiral Bull Halsey, 7th Fleet Commander." In December 1945, 23% of
U.S. respondents to a public opinion poll said it was a shame U.S.
did not have time "to use many more atomic bombs before Japan had a
chance to surrender." In 1943 bestseller said the fight against
Japan must continue "until not alone the body but the soul . . . is
annihilated, until the land . . . is plowed with salt, it's men dead
and its women and children divided and lost among other people." See:
J. Dower, "War Without Mercy.
Needless to say, the Japanese felt the same way about the U.S. Many
on both sides still do feel that way. It will take generations for
this to heal. For that matter, there are still large numbers of white
people in the US South who hate the north, and have never forgiven
them for the Civil War. (I have never heard of a black person who
feels this way.) I know one woman who will not accept a five dollar
bill because it has Lincoln on it.
- Jed
