War on terrorism may find few supporters, Annan says

[NNN0LHI]

http://canada.com/national/story.asp?id=6C27FC02-9BE2-4624-A34B-0A44D7BBEDDA

Comments likely to raise eyebrows in Washington

UNITED NATIONS - Kofi Annan, the UN Secretary-General, questioned yesterday whether Washington will succeed in convincing other countries to make the war on terrorism an international priority, saying most believe pervasive poverty poses a bigger threat to global stability.

"The United States has decided that terrorism is the key, which is fair," Mr. Annan said, but tackling the problems of the Third World are more important to people who live there.

He also asked whether the "hard threat" of terrorism is caused by the "soft threat" of poverty.

"Soft threats ... have an impact on stability and security around the world," Mr. Annan said. "And if you were to deal with the soft threats ... you might be able to make the world a safer place."

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[hang a left]

1. I am convinced Kofi is right

Globalization at it's finest. It is the positions and actions of the multinationals and the support of and from the US that causes the hatred of America. Thoughtful statement. We won't see any progress in this area though. Unfortunately, for the globe, the conspiracy is bigger than anyone could possibly imagine.

[RC]

2. The poor don't have any money. "Who cares what they think."

Kofi Annan is correct. Do we start at the bottom and fix whats wrong on the way up or do we have to cut the read off the monster first?

[sventvkg]

3. We are the Major cause of Terrorism..US backed IMF and Worldbank

Practices and throwing our weight around the globe in support of Multination interests and Globalism....We caused much of what is directed towards us at this time..And it will surely get worse..Especially with the right wing "Intellectuals" in charge..And they will do everything possible, ILLEGAL, and against the constitution to assure that they remain in power in 2004...

[Q]

4. And let's not forget about the hundreds of military bases...

...the US has around the world. Many countries...especially in the middle east...resent the oppressive military on their soil.

[NNN0LHI]

5. I might be a little bit upset...

...having another countries military bases in USA too. Might even drive me to violence when I think about it.

Don

[JPace]

6. I'm sick of our military being everywhere.....

and I'll bet they are too. AWOL is finding
out how limited in power he really is....
The military can only do so much, everything
else must rely on diplomacy, somehting AWOL
knows nothing about.

[0007]

8. Yes we are -

Why can't we help instead of raping?

[Democat]

7. Do poor people outside the U.S. donate to the Bush campaign?

Do they buy weapons? Do they have oil?

No?

Then why would Bush care what they think?

[lindashaw]

9. This thread is so important --the difference between...

being powerful and being great. When John Kennedy was president, the US spent 1 percent of our GDP in foreign aid. I remember complaining about it. (sigh) Now, under shrub, our foreign aid is .02. I'm sorry, but in choosing between whether to be feared or to be appreciated, I would rather be appreciated.

[tedzbear]

10. Annan is right on!

* wants Americans to think its all his way or the highway. Annan's proposal is what * doesn't want us to think about.
:kick:

[Paschall]

11. Kick

:kick:

[sandnsea]

12. And focusing people on Iraq

I am watching the Senate Armed Services, Wolfowitz and Myers. This is really scary. These people lie with absolutely straight, serious faces. The war isn't over and Bush never said it was over. They planned for the peace and the fact that the Turks didn't invade and the Iraqi's didn't fight prove it, and they have a very long list of things the prepared for. This is the central fight in the war on terror. It goes on and on.

Bush may be looking like a deer in the headlights, but when you hear the rest of these maniacs, you might not be so convinced this Administration is on its way out. I really don't know how you argue with liars. And when the circumstances change, the lies change, the people believe it, and on we go. I'm really getting discouraged after listening to this.

[dudeness]

13. smedley butler as relevant today as it was when written

War is just a racket. A racket is best described, I believe, as something that is not what it seems to the majority of people. Only a small inside group knows what it is about. It is conducted for the benefit of the very few at the expense of the masses.

I believe in adequate defense at the coastline and nothing else. If a nation comes over here to fight, then we'll fight. The trouble with America is that when the dollar only earns 6 percent over here, then it gets restless and goes overseas to get 100 percent. Then the flag follows the dollar and the soldiers follow the flag.

I wouldn't go to war again as I have done to protect some lousy investment of the bankers. There are only two things we should fight for. One is the defense of our homes and the other is the Bill of Rights. War for any other reason is simply a racket.

There isn't a trick in the racketeering bag that the military gang is blind to. It has its "finger men" to point out enemies, its "muscle men" to destroy enemies, its "brain men" to plan war preparations, and a "Big Boss" Super-Nationalistic-Capitalism.

It may seem odd for me, a military man to adopt such a comparison. Truthfulness compels me to. I spent thirty- three years and four months in active military service as a member of this country's most agile military force, the Marine Corps. I served in all commissioned ranks from Second Lieutenant to Major-General. And during that period, I spent most of my time being a high class muscle- man for Big Business, for Wall Street and for the Bankers. In short, I was a racketeer, a gangster for capitalism.

I suspected I was just part of a racket at the time. Now I am sure of it. Like all the members of the military profession, I never had a thought of my own until I left the service. My mental faculties remained in suspended animation while I obeyed the orders of higher-ups. This is typical with everyone in the military service.

I helped make Mexico, especially Tampico, safe for American oil interests in 1914. I helped make Haiti and Cuba a decent place for the National City Bank boys to collect revenues in. I helped in the raping of half a dozen Central American republics for the benefits of Wall Street. The record of racketeering is long. I helped purify Nicaragua for the international banking house of Brown Brothers in 1909-1912 (where have I heard that name before?). I brought light to the Dominican Republic for American sugar interests in 1916. In China I helped to see to it that Standard Oil went its way unmolested.

During those years, I had, as the boys in the back room would say, a swell racket. Looking back on it, I feel that I could have given Al Capone a few hints. The best he could do was to operate his racket in three districts. I operated on three continents.