Provided by Joe Galloway, author of We Were Soldiers and is posted as an
item of possible
interest.

This one is definitely NOT tongue in cheek. Sig, the author, was a
teen-aged Marine who marched and fought as a
rifleman to and from the Chosin reservoir in Korea in 1950. He switched to
the Army, and served as a Special
Forces officer in Vietnam. After Vietnam he joined the CIA, and went back
to Korea.

He's been there, done it, and has some specific thoughts on countries that
don't "like" us.

If you aren't interested in the ramblings of an old man, please delete
now.If you're still there, pull up a chair and listen.

Is there anyone else out there who's sick and tired of all the polls being
taken in foreign countries as to whether or not they "like" us? The last time I
looked, the word "like" had nothing to do with foreign policy. I prefer
'respect' or 'fear'. They worked for Rome, which civilized and kept the peace in
the known world a hell of a lot longer than our
puny two centuries-plus.

I see a left-wing German got elected to office recently by campaigning
against the foreign policy of the United
States. Yeah, that's what I want, to be lectured about war and being a
"good neighbor" by a German. Their head
honcho said they wouldn't take part in a war against Iraq. Kind of nice, to
see them taking a pass on a war once in
while. Perhaps we needed to have the word "World" in front of War. I think
it's time to bring our boys home from
Germany. Outside of the money we'd save, we'd make the Germans "like" us a
lot more, after they started paying
the bills for their own defense.

Last time I checked, France isn't too fond of us either. They sort of liked
us back on June 6th, 1944, though, didn't
they? If you don't think so, see how nicely they take care of the enormous
American cemeteries up above the
Normandy beaches. For those of you who've studied history, we also have a
few cemeteries in places like Belleau
Woods and Chateau Thierry also. For those of you who haven't studied it,
that was from World War One, the first
time Europe screwed up and we bailed out the French.

That's where the US Marines got the title 'Devil Dogs' or, if you still
care about what the Germans think,
"Teufelhunde". I hope I spelled that right; sure wouldn't want to offend
anyone, least of all a German.

Come to think of it, when Europe couldn't take care of their Bosnian
problem recently, guess who had to help out
there also. Last time I checked, our kids are still there. I sort of
remember they said they would be out in a year.
Gee, how time flies when you're having fun.

Now we hear that the South Koreans aren't too happy with us either. They
"liked" us a lot better, of course, in
June, 1950. It took more than 50,000 Americans killed in Korea to help give
them the lifestyle they currently
enjoy, but then who's counting? I think it's also time to bring the boys
home from there. There are about 37,000
young Americans on the DMZ separating the South Koreans from their
"brothers" up North. Maybe if we leave,
they can begin to participate in the "good life" that North Korea currently
enjoys. Uh huh. Sure.

I also understand that a good portion of the Arab/Moslem world now doesn't
"like" us either. Did anyone ever sit
down and determine what we would have to do to get them to like us? Ask
them what they would like us to do.
Die?. Commit ritual suicide? Bend over? Maybe we should follow the advice
of our dimwitted, dullest knife in the
drawer, Senator Patty Murray, and build more roads, hospitals, day care
centers, and orphanages like Osama bin
Laden does. What with all the orphans Osama has created, the least he can
do is build some places to put them.
Senator Stupid says if we would only "emulate" Osama, the Arab world would
love us.

Sorry Patty; in addition to the fact that we already do all of those things
around the world and have been doing
them for over sixty years, I don't take public transportation, and I
certainly wouldn't take it with a bomb strapped
to the guy next to me.

Don't get me wrong: I'm not in favor of going to war. Been there, done
that. Several times, in fact. But I think we
ought to have some polls in this country about other countries, and see if
we "like" THEM. Problem is, if you listed
the countries, not only wouldn't the average American know if he liked them
or not, he wouldn't be able to find
them. If we're supposed to worry about them, how about them worrying about
us?

We were nice to the North Koreans in 1994, as we followed the policies of
Neville Clinton. And it seemed to work;
they didn't re-start nuclear weapons program for a whole year or so. In the
meantime, we fed them when they
were starving, and put oil in their stoves when they were freezing.

In a recent visit to Norway, I engaged in a really fun debate with my
cousin's son, a student at a Norwegian
University. I was lectured to by this thankless squirt about the American
"Empire", and scolded about dropping the
atomic bomb on the Japanese. I reminded him that empires usually keep the
stuff they take; we don't, and back in
1945 most Norwegians thought dropping ANY kind of bomb on Germany or Japan
was a good idea. I also reminded
him that my uncle, his grandfather, and others in our family spent a
significant time in Sachsenhausen
concentration camp, courtesy of the Germans, and they didn't all survive. I
further reminded him that if it wasn't
for the "American Empire" he would probably be speaking German or Russian.

Sorry about the rambling, but I just took an unofficial poll here at our
house, and we don't seem to like anyone.

RDC,
Where did you find this? I have had some correspondence with Mr. Galloway and didn't know he was still writing anywhere.
Thanks.
M

divnmyk,

I got it this morning from a neighbor. I do not know where he got it or how recently it was written.

Interesting... thanks for posting it. Joe is truly a neat guy and Gen. Harold Moore is a real man's man. I was lucky enough to meet Gen. Moore on the set of the movie of the same name. The entire cast and crew had nothing but respect for both men.

People tend to forget everything we do for this world and I feel duty bound to remind people.

I will try and find out where and when this was written.

GO U.S.A.!!

If history has taught us anything,it's that countries usually bite the hand that feeds them and in time forget that it was ever fed. X

RDC, good post. This country has been "Used then Abused" by everyone weve helped. What other country fights an enemies military while supplying food to their poor? No other! What other country rebuilds an enemies cities after war. No other.

My father fought in the Korean War. He wasnt drafted, he enlisted with 3 friends. Two of them survived it.
What other country has Brave men & women that will enlist voluntarily to help fight for other countries? No other!

We should rethink some of our policies in place. If we go into Iraq, a country that definately would destroy us if they could(without any regrets), and risk our men & women. We should take it over, take their oil, put a government in place that is ours.
That would make any of the other loser countries, rethink their ways. They only respect our power not us, and never will. It would stablize the middle east.

Other countries wouldnt want the treatment they would witness. They can fake that they like us, I dont care.

We then would have oil for less, helping our economy for a change instead of sucking off of it. Isreal wouldnt be surrounded by those blood suckers all alone. I could go on & on but I wont. Just some of my thoughts, on the matter.

Mag

I wholeheartedly agree. All of these countries that don't "like" us may not know exactly how much they depend on us. Maybe we should just withdraw all of our people (troops, and aide workers) from their countries, and then see how well they fair. In my opinion, we need to concentrate more on our domestic situation and less on foreign policy.

As I read the post, I felt like someone had recently been standing behind me taking notes. He is right, right, and right again. If the Japanese had given up after the first BOMB, we would not have delivered another! Then they wanted conditions. Almost got a third dropped on them. If the S.Koreans are upset with us, they can deal with the North themselves. And no fair bailing them out later! The French as a country have always been effete and weak willed. They are opportunists of the worst sort. Who needs 'em?

JUST READ IT TODAY AND I MUST SAY YOU HIT THE NAIL ON THE HEAD , WE ALL SHOULD HAVE YOUR SAME THOUGHTS!!!!!!!!!!!

Did any of you ever stop to consider the reason many of these countries that "depend on us" don't like us for exactly that reason. We show up, tell them how to run the show, and then stick around forever to make sure they get it right. If you were in their shoes I doubt you would like america very much either.

"We should take it over, take their oil, put a government in place that is ours.
That would make any of the other loser countries, rethink their ways. They only respect our power not us, and never will. It would stablize the middle east. "

Good idea, you know what would make the rest of the world love us, if we just took over everyone who doesnt like us. That is possibly the worst idea i have ever heard. For your sake i hope that was sarcasm

Jon,

What country have we "taken over"? There have been occupations, and justifiably so. What country have we planted the American flag into and sent the citizens running?

If you want to blame us for spreading democracy or capitalism then that's totally different. It's more profitable than Communism(just ask Hong Kong!), it's less taxed than a Monarchy. There's restrictions to it yes, but really tell me a Socialistic country that really has it better than us? Perhaps you'd like to live under an Islamic regime or under some military Fascist?

C'mon, really don't we have it good? Don't you like to share these great freedoms we enjoy?

Jon, it wasnt sarcasm.
And it being the worst idea you ever heard? Thats OK, its your opinion. Do you think you could have your own opinion, and state it publicly like I just did, if it wasnt policy in Iraq? No! You would have your tongue cut out of your head, or maybe worse your head cut off!

I didnt say, "if we just took over everyone who doesnt like us", you did. I meant Iraq. This country would destroy us if they could. They are in violation of so many resolutions that we should have done this years ago! They are a criminal run country.

Do you want to wait to do something, after Isreal or the US are attacked? I dont, and I bet if you took a poll, you would be in the minority.

They are already in violation! They will never give up trying to think of ways to harm us and Isreal, even if we go to war & win it. If the country continues to be run by the same type of people as Saddam. It will eventually get out of hand again in the future.


Mag

My intent wasn't to imply that democracy is not the best system of government currently in existence, i believe that it is and wholeheartedly agree that it should be spread and totalitarian regimes should and will with time fall. What I disagree with is that it is america's job to bring about these changes. Without american aid many of these countries would be unable to provide for their people, and thus the people would overtake their country in a revolution as has happened many times in the past.

America has aided many countries in revolutions in the past and installed leaders that were friendly to our nation, by now i would think we would understand that this only creates more hostility and leads to an anti american backlash.

I do not doubt that we are one of the greatest, if not the greatest, country to live in and I highly value my right to freedom of expression. I however do not believe that our country should make decisions as to what is for the best for other peoples of the world. America was founded on the principle of self government, and our involvement in deciding who is fit to rule other countries doesn't agree with that principle.

Well Jon, I agree with some of what you say. The US has on occasion been a bit Highhanded. Often we try to dictate to our lesser "friends" in order to further our own agenda. We want oil. So we are being pushy in the middle east. We maintain a presence in Japan because we don't trust them. And perhaps they cannot be trusted. Give them a chance and they will try and revive the Empire. You have to be careful of a country that teaches revisionist history to it's children. But Korea? Am I supposed to believe Korea is China's Jumping off point to the Pacific? Nonsense! Let them stand or fall on their own. The old "Red Menace" is dead.

Okay listen here , America will always be in the position " Damned if we do / Damned if we don't " . Hell we can't even get this cigar forum to agree totally on anything. My suggestion is if we are going to be the " Police Force " of the world let all the countries that sit on their collective asses pay us tribute. Also once we out a countries regime do like Atila the Hun , leave 3 of our men to govern and tell the people of the country that if any harm comes to our men we will come back and totally destroy their cities. JonR

Dog, where did you hear that we dont trust Japan? I havent heard that one before. Just curious.

Also, where did you hear, that we are going after Iraq based on oil? You didnt hear it from Bush! He is commander & chief, and until given a reason not to believe him, I will. I want facts, not opinions on this question.

Mag

Mag, I will try to enlighten you. Why have we been involved in the Gulf region since WWII? To protect our interests. Our interests are economic(oil). I am not speaking of the Iraq problem. That is fairly recent. When I was on a ship in the Gulf in the late 80's during the Iraq/Iran war, we escorted oil tankers. Lots of them. The oil must flow! Yes protecting Israel is tied up in there too. But without the oil, Why would we bother meddling? Japan. After WWII Japan was occupied. By treaty they are not allowed certain weapons. They can have a defense force only so large. We put them back on their feet and let them go about their business. To a certain degree. The lesson was learned after WWI with Germany that you have to make sure the treaty is enforced. Given their attitude towards history and the rest of the world in general, I think it's very likely that given opportunity, Japan would rearm. That is one reason we maintain a force there to this day. The Japanese sure don't want us there!

Thanks Dog, I will look into what you have said. I respect your opinion, but also prefer to research this myself. I will check it out.
If things didnt change in the middle east at this time. Meaning Saddam building up his arms up & disregarding the resolutions,I dont think we would go into this for oil alone. I dont mean to say that it has no bearing at all on our actions, but in my opinion oil isnt the main reason for the invasion.

Mag

Hey!Always check things for yourself. I often make conjectures based on what I believe to be the facts. And I agree with you on the current state of affairs. Understanding the history tells you how we got here.