My wife and I visited the game parks in Kenya and Tanzania in 1999, tenting near each park with our group. We’d never had the experience previously of AK-47-toting guards patrolling the camping area while we slept, but such is the world we live in; a world of dichotomy where we rich Westerners and the Oil-Potentates, carry cameras that can be pawned for what a Third-Worlder lives on for an entire year. Now we have an American President who was elected under very questionable means planning to send young American men and women into combat in Iraq using very questionable logic to do so. The current policy of this administration is erecting ever more definable walls between Americans and the rest of the world. Rather than reaching out in understanding and searching for ways to ease the sufferings of the millions of poor and ignorant, our country’s leaders are moving to use our military might to kill thousands of innocent Iraqi citizens (and who knows how many of our own military people) in search of the evil-doer who morphed from Osama to Saddam. The current resident of our White House has used the tragedy of 9/11 for his own crass political purposes: to deflect criticism from his inept handling of our economy; to reduce the Democrats to cowering butt-kissers, and to hide from the public that our Saudi Arabian “friends” were complicit in the 9/11 tragedy (a tragedy where no part of our government has been held accountable). The current resident of our White House has no policy to rid us of foreign oil addiction other than drilling in everything except someone’s teeth. Like his father, there is no “vision thing”. This US vs. the World will result in increased terrorism. The next time you take a vacation outside of North America, check on security arrangements. Better yet, see if you can hire the cowboy at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.

Bob Klaput
RPCV/ Gr. 12, Afghanistan

By Neil Jones on Wednesday, April 09, 2003 - 5:06 pm: Edit Post

I totally agree with Bob Klaputs message. This is a time for we citizens of the world to come together to work out solutions for our common problems. It is not a time to begin shooting. For that is what we are, citizens of the world. We need to look at ourselves in that way. We need to come together and to work together. The planet on which we live is being destroyed by our way of living. We need solutions for water and power(not guns & not oil). There are alternatives to oil and guns and we need to explore together a lasting and peaceful solution.
Neil Jones
Thailand VIII

By RHall (cpe-24-165-63-157.hawaii.rr.com - 24.165.63.157) on Thursday, September 30, 2004 - 3:43 pm: Edit Post

Then I suggest both of you get together and talk with the terrorists, warlords, and corrupt politicians for whom peace is not in their best interests. Peace spells an end to their power, and that is the problem. Remove them and peace has a chance. There is nothing illogical about that.

The issue isn't whether or not America will participate in peace building in the Middle East and around the world. The question is if the opposition to peace will put down their weapons and stop killing innocents, oppressing their people, and blaming all of that on America.