Bill Bartlett wrote:

Bill, I think you got me all wrong.

> >Martin, another comment. One can think it is a way of making NATO
> >look bad. One can also think that maybe it is a way of asserting what
> >little national pride and independence they have left. In other words,
> >it's their only way to fight back!
>
> That's the standard defense for wife-bashers too isn't it? - The boss gave
> me a hard time at work so I'll go home and bash the missus.

No no no......the analogy doesn't work Bill. The wife basher is the
one who has the power. He is the agressor...this action of throwing out
the Albanians reminds me more of the abused wife in the movie: "Color Purple".
Do you remember?....She used to spit in her husband's lemonade when he
wasn't watching? I think this analogy fits a little better. :-)

>Let's get one thing straight, the wife basher in this analogy is *not* the
>injured party. Its no use trying to drum up sympathy for patheti
>inadequate bullies by saying "Everyone does it, why pick on him?"

No Martin....let's drum up a little sympathy if it's possible
for abused women, countries, animals, children etc.....by
those who have the power. In this case, the U.S., England,
and other first world countries who like to intervene in
foreign affairs under the pretense of humanitarian reasons.

> but I'm not willing to
> accept that crimes against humanity are none of my business.

Great!....Then one should start by taking care of one's own garden!
The U.S. should stop invading other countries!
It should begin by stopping the crime against it's own people!
The U.S. has one of the highest crime rates in the world!....Why?....
It has one of the highest rates of drug addiction. Why?.....
THIS should interest the U.S. not the crimes that other
countries are commiting against their own people.

If the U.S. truly had such wonderful itentions at heart they would put all their
effort and energy into solving their own problems....Are you telling me that
the U.S. has such "altruistic" reasons behind it's foreign policy that it
"sacrifices"
money so that it can be used to save the downtrodden people of the world?
Oh Please!......Maybe the American people do... and those who actually run
the country use the people's good intentions to obtain support for their own
selfish interests.
Silvia