Yeah, I have to say its true that people don't give the US props like they should, but that don't mean its right. And in my traveling I've got to say that I've had more people than I could have imagined tell me they looked to the US to make things right in the world. And I take that the same way other Americans do, I'm damn proud we are a beacon of hope for millions, maybe billions of people. And make no mistake, we are a beacon of what life can be. You can be a pundit or a social critic, and you can point out this mistake or that, but the facts are clear. The tired and the poor and the downtrodden still look to the US, and they still hope that someday they can see our golden shores, or live life as we do here. And those that don't say it probably think it. And those that don't think it are either in denial or rich. When was the last time the US took over territory and occupied it? This is silly. If people think we're still out militarily colonizing other parts of the world, I'm not sure what we're supposed to do about that. Even the few places we've left troops after interventions, they are not RUNNING the country. Saudi is the only real place we've substantial number of troops where there is any controversy and they are there not to run Saudi Arabia but because of a real viable threat to Saudi Arabia from their (supposedly) Muslim neighbor, Iraq. This is simply another red herring thrown out by those who want THEIR OWN (insert: country/culture/religion/race) in charge of not only their own territory but of the rest of the world. In some cases, like China, its the 'middle kingdom complex,' and probably somewhat to the same extent in the Middle East. The men there feel emasculated because they are so feeble and powerless and we are the world's superpower. But we're the most benign Motherfreakin superpower in the history of the world, so I think they need to chill out and get in touch with their inner feminine selves. And why would the people support the Taliban over the US? They know the Taliban sucks. At least they DON'T know about the US. They DO know that the US helped them before and during the Soviet occupation. They KNOW the US doesn't have any territorial designs on that part of the world (unlike Turkey, any of the -stans, Russia, India, or Iran). They know we are after bin laden. And yet there is still enough support for them to stay in power. So as my original post pointed out, they're getting what they're dishing out. Those that have fled ought to be pissed at those still supporting the Taliban, not the US. And the US has intervened previously to save Muslim governments, so what is the beef?
Oooooooooooooooooooookay. HayesSt, please don't take my comments beyond their orignal intent. I was questioning the statement that the Afghanis should be welcoming the Americans if they are really being oppressed by the Taliban. I simply was trying to point out some reasons why Afghanis might be fearful enough of us to cling to the known evil than to invite in the unknown. The reality of whether the US is benign or even helpful isn't too relevant in a discussion of the Afghan perception. Their reasoning may be completely erroneous, but it will still determine their behavior.
