America: love it, or.....uh,...suck my dick!!! (long)

The BBQ Pit
1

On The morning of September 11th, I was on my way to work, listening to the unfolding developments in disbelief. I arrived at the parking garage about 5 minutes after the Pentagon (do we now call it “The Rectangle”?) was hit. A co-worker arrived at the same time, and I could tell by her calm demeanor that she was unaware of what was happening.

“Did you hear?” I asked.
She admitted that she had been listening to music, so I brought her up to speed on the World Trade Towers and Pentagon attacks.

“Was this some sort of accident?” She replied, proving once again, that while you can always tell a PhD., you just can’t tell them much. I said that as far as I could tell, this was a deliberate attack, an act of war on the United States.

" The US kills…The United States has killed Iraqis," she spat, and continued on about the evils of this country. I was too stunned by what I had heard on the radio to respond to her venomous remarks, and too polite to bitch-slap her. I mumbled something about the good we do outweighing our sins and left it at that.

For weeks now, this scenario has festered in my mind, and I have only now been able to come up with the proper response. Please bear in mind that this rant is directed solely towards this one person, and is not meant as a blanket indictment of those of similar background or circumstances. I am also aware that it is riddled with logical inconsistencies and disingenuous logic. Fuck it, I don’t care…

(Taking 3 deep, cleansing breaths…)

Fuck you.
Fuck you, fuck you in a box. Fuck you, fuck you with a fox.

How many Iraqis do you supposed Saddam Hussein has killed, starting with the legitimate Hashemite rulers of Iraq? How many Kurds-men, women and children-were gassed as human guinea pigs?

Well, I donÕt know either…but I bet itÕs lots.

Sure, we killed Iraqis. We killed Iraqi soldiers when we went in to save Kuwait’s sorry, worthless asses. Guess the elite Republican Guards backed the wrong horse. Too fucking bad. What’s that? We were only acting in our own self-interest? So what. Every country does, including yours. Tell me, when Muslim women were being raped in Croatia, and their husbands, brothers and sons were being exterminated, who was at the sharp end of the stick? What was our strategic interest there, or in Serbia, Somalia, Haiti, or any number of pestilential shit-hole country-manques? Hey,! When you had that earthquake last year, where do you think the food and assistance came from, Equador?

Ok…so we’re a Godless, materialistic group of mongrels without any sense of history. But ya know something? We do all right by ourselves and our friends. What the fuck have you brought to the international table in the past, oh couple of centuries, besides floods, famine and dysentery? Who do you think developed the technological underpinnings which have allowed half of your population to become computer programmers? Who brought you the ‘green revolution’, allowing you to feed your multitudes? Who has unraveled the secrets of biology, enabling new life-saving medicines? In these fields, as well as the other sciences, we fucking rock! And ya know what? We’ll teach you how to do it too!!! Come on over!!! Do you know of any American (or French, or German or Japanese or…) high school kids who are cramming so they can get into Mumbai State?

As distasteful as we are, it hasn’t stopped you from coming over, getting a job, a nice house in the 'burbs, and that sensible Volvo that you drive. Look me in the eye and tell me that every man Jack, Jill and Jugdish back home doesn’t want what you have:the gifts of prosperity, freedom and opportunity that your Uncle Sam has showered you with, free of charge. And if things get rough, rest assured that you won’t even have to get your hands dirty. No, it will be young American men and woman who will die to preserve your right to piss and moan about the horrors of your adopted country. Pretty sweet, eh?

I have never been so mad in my life. Just stay the fuck away from me and avoid eye contact for the rest of your miserable life… You are on my permanent shit list for now and for ever.

2

Hmm. Would it be possible to send your statement (rant) to the coworker anonymously? You haven’t argued, so how could they determine you sent it? Maybe have it mailed from another city? Just a thought since it festered so long in your mind, & sometimes a letter makes a more captive audience. Just a thought for what it’s worth (maybe nothing)…

I’ve decided to avoid such arguments because no one’s going to change their mind IMHO.

3

My favorite part.

4

Actually, it would probably be better to call it the quadragon.

5

[Double-Barrel hijack]

that reminds me…
did anyone ever see that “dr. seuss with tourettes” webpage? funny stuff…

[/Double-Barrel hijack]

6

I would think we’ll call it the Trapezoid or the Rhombus now.

Erek

7

Actually, IIRC and I don’t have a cite because this was a couple years ago, I read some articles about American companies that had an interest in rebuilding the Kosovo reason. There is the self-interest aspect in that one.

Erek

8

Well, Mswas, I always thought that Rhombi and Trapezoids had to be closed shapes. The quadragon is open, hence I didn’t choose “Quadrilateral.”

9

Ah yes. Keeping Kuwait safe for democracy…except they don’t let women vote or drive cars and stuff.

Pick up the last issue of the Progressive. You’ll find a story on how the United States has systematically targeted the water systems of Iraq, in violation of international law, leading to the deaths of some 5,000 Iraqi children per month. Not to mention the children and adults who have died as a result of the sanctions imposed and enforced by the United States.

Does this excuse her response? Having only your report, I don’t know. But her response was factually correct.

10

Thanks, Otto. I had heard the same thing (about targeting the Iraqi water supply and it leading to the death of children) on NPR about a week-and-a-half ago, but didn’t want to use it as a cite as “NPR a week or so ago” seemed too vague. Nothing excuses the terrorist attack on America, but it’s naive at best to pretend we’ve only ever gone after military targets and always acted ethically in battle situations.

11

I would like you to provide a cite for that. Otherwise I think you’re talking out of your ass. :wink:

Take it to those straw men

Erek

12

Bizzwire I think you should tell her, at the very least, the very inspired FUCK YOU couplet.
After she saw the pics of what the Terrorists did, perhaps she will A) think a bit deeper before she disrespects you right off, (as she absolutely did) and B) realize that it was not a specific country which perpetrated this attack.
If she still doesn’t get it, tell her the rest. And then the FUCK YOU part again.

I for one, am getting very tired of being lied to from the bottom to the top. I think no matter what the ink or (haha) the TV says, certain countries better start towing the line and quit with the blame the USA game. Iraq creates it’s own deaths. China creates it’s own too. We can lead the world to democracy as a concept, but some countries still make up their dirty lies. And they resent us for helping and challenging their power. whatever:rolleyes: I want to see the USA doing more in terms of humanitarian work worldwide, especially in Africa and South America, and at home. We need to spend our time and energy on creating positive returns, not putting out fires and watching our backs.

13

I don’t know this person, but I would be reluctant to condemn her for those statements alone. What happened on the 11th was so horrible, so unbelievable, everyone responded in different ways. She had just heard about this; I can imagine that she might have been thinking out loud, trying to make sense of it. I know that I behaved completely out of character, though in a very different way. If she continued with this after she had a chance to reorient herself, it is a different story, but judging a person for what they did right when they found out seems unfair.

14

C’mon and grovel for the nice native-born American, now.

15

At last we find out what happens when you piss off Dr Seuss.

16

Preach on. Tell the world. Unfortunately, Violet is also correct. People don’t change their minds about these issues, because they don’t think about them. Anything that I say about this is ‘playing the blame the USA game’ or else simply a ‘dirty lie.’ US policies can’t be held responsible for anything because other countries ‘create their own deaths.’ What a load of crap. But what can you do.

17

Otto and MSWAS:

I’ll be the first to admit that I was ‘economical with the truth’ in the OP. However, one can be factually correct and still miss the point, which was not to exonerate the US of all sin. I purposely avoided mentioning the embargo because I didn’t want to get drawn down a rat-hole, but FWIW, Hussein bears some culpability in this too.

The intent was a Walter Mitty-esque excercise in flaming a co-worker. I am not particularly jingoistic nor xenophobic (being the proud father of two little half-breeds), but have heard nothing but criticism or execration from my foreign co-workers, many of whom, like you, had valid arguments. I realize that she is not obliged to be grateful, and has a constitutional right to bite the hand that feeds her. Still, speaking as someone who has lived and worked in a foreign country, she should at least had the decorum to keep her pie-hole shut under the circumstances.

18

So obviously since they are undemocratic and behind on womens’ rights they deserved to be invaded by Iraq, tortured, and murdered. After hearing a Kuwaiti’s story firsthand, I really have no fucking regrets about our actions against Iraq.

And the Progressive is gleefully using figures supplied to them by the Iraqi regime. I trust the National Enquirer more.

19

While there is room for debate on the Iraq embargo, to use that to legitimize the WTC/Pentagon disasters is despicable.
The co-worker should remember that the boats go both ways.

Wel, acording to CNN, the sanctions were imposed by the United Nations, not as a unilateral move by the US.

All Saddam Hussein has to do to end the embargo is to comply with UN weapons inspections. Of course, Saddam has been selling oil to raise money under the oil for food agreement, but the money has gone to build new palaces and security bunkers for himself and his cronies. But, we won’t hear about that from Otto and friends because, to them, the United States and its people are pure evil, and every problem in the world is directly the fault of Americans.

20

Can someone post a cite for this Iraqi water system thing? I hadn’t heard it and I would like to know the story.