Originally posted by Yeager
But IMHO we need to try to change how we're perceived, and that's something you can't "force", only "encourage".
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It would help alot if we started lowering our standard of living. If we weakened (or destroyed) or economy by adhering to a punitive kyoto accord many would rejoice (pathetically, many americans would rejoice too). If more of us started riding bicycles because we couldn't afford gas, those people in oil rich/people poor countries would sympathize with us. If more of us died because we didnt have enough food to feed ourselves or medicine to heal ourselves, then the rest of the world would feel better about us. If we got rid of our military and opened ourselves up to attack, much of the world would be happier. We are hated by many because we are successfull. We are hated by others because our way of life threatens their monopoly on religious ignorance.
Yes, lets make the rest of this rather pathetic world want us to be like them.
I hear simplistic terms like "they hate our freedom", but not one member of my wife's Iranian born & raised family has ever mentioned that. Its actually the opposite, they wanted to come here because of our freedoms.
Muslims don't care too much about international lines separating countries, they consider fellow Muslim like thinkers to be brothers regardless... for 1000s of years they have taken up arms and rallied to support each other.
They bring up issues like the US installing a puppet .gov in Iran, the Shah, then supporting his brutal secret police who made 1000s vanish, torturing 1000's of others. Then our support for Saddam attacking Iran which cost untold 1000s of Iranian lives, which included Saddam using "WMDs" (gas) with the help of US intelligence.
These aren't just Iranian issues, many Muslims see it as a "big picture", a very long history of failed US policy that's resulted in untold 100,000's if not millions Muslim deaths.
Americans simply can't relate IMO, we have never had a foreign country come along and overthrow our .gov with "we know whats best for you people" arrogance, then turn a blind eye to blatant atrocities that followed. We don't know what its like to have a foreign country (the USA) support our neighbor in attacking us, on our soil, killing untold 1000's of our friends / relatives.
They have 50 years of reasons to hate on us.
