Posted by Phil on April 9, 2003, at 22:36:18
In reply to Re: No comment » Phil, posted by bluedog on April 9, 2003, at 10:48:16
> Phil
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> No disrespect intended but do you realize that like myself Alara is Australian and do you also realise that Australia, considering it's limited military might in comparison to the USA and the UK has made a HUGE committment to the war to free Iraq.Inanswer to your first question, I really didn't know where either of you were from..my memory is shot, if I ever even knew where you were from, I forgot.
And yes, I knew Australia made a major commitment when most didn't.>
> The Australians have comitted ground troops (special forces), Navy and air support (including FA-18 Hornets) to the coalition forces since day one of this war and continues to make a signigificant contribution to the liberation effort. Even now Australian Navy divers are in the port of Umm Quasar putting their lives at risk in the continued effort to clear the port of mines to make way for the huge humanitarian effort that will be required following this war.I know what is going on. I know you're armed forces are not to be tangled with. but i didn't know where you were from.
Sure we can't match the American might but we are a small nation of only 20 million people and I just wanted to make people aware of this so that this contribution is not overlooked and to emphasize that relatively speaking the Aussie effort is no less than the US or UK contribution.
I don't fault you at all for that and I agree, the coverage from the American media is sickening I'm sure, on TV. I don't watch TV because I don't like TV. When Alara talked about the press focusing too much on her, the POW, I had not known that because on the news sites I go to, BBC and others, it's not a circus like American media. My thing was that maybe Alara had OD'd on coverage about this 19 year old war hero. But when she said that one precious American life doesn't offset what we are doing in the war, I thought and still think that was a cold shot. We value life just like you do: Saddam has no value for human life.
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> I don't see Alara's post as America bashing at all but was merely her personal opinion and I personally find it offensive that considering the Australians' REAL military support that it has provided the coalition forces that anyone would consider her post as America bashing. If that were the case she would also be bashing (her own country)Australia at the same time as a member of the coalition forces with our own troops who are on the ground as we speak putting their lives at risk to free the Iraqi people.That's right but I did not know where she was from. As far as I knew, she was American. Accents don't come across the net.
> I don't mean to offend but maybe in the American media they focus on the US forces only and it is not generally well known of the Australians contribution and support.No offense taken, the American press, mostly TV is awful.
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> I am not saying whether I personally support the war or not but I agree that war is war and that it is always bloody and horrible and I suppport our Australian troops with all my heart just like you support your American troops. I am certain that Alara also supports the Australian troops with all her heart.
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Of course she does, I do too....that you don't want to make any comment.
>>The reason I wasn't commenting anymore was because I was and still am very angry about what's been said. Australia had nothing to do with my answer. If an American said it, which is what I thought, I would have responded the same way. I took hours on that post just trying to be calm but I wasn't going to let it go unchallenged either.
Plus, America has taken a beating over this. For instance, a few Canadian posters can hardly hide their contempt for America lately and you even said America's not the only country in the world. It seems that many people in other very friendly countries don't like us much. I know America is not perfect but I don't know of any ill will towards Canada or Australia from our people, yet so many dislike us. We don't deserve it.
As a side note..every Australian I've met and every Canadian I've met, I've liked. I would love to live in either country. I've met a lot of both nationalities from selling Danish and Italian furniture. Most of our customer base was from all parts of the world, which made selling a lot more fun.
Canada has offered refuge for the CO's during Vietnam and now have pot smokers hiding from a way too aggressive Federal drug task force that will override state law illegally and bust you for med. marijuana.
I think it's like pulling for your favorite band, they hit the big time and suddenly you start hearing complaints about their music, etc.> From one very proud Aussie who also supports the US and UK troops on the ground in Iraq.
And I support and will include all nations in my prayers tonight. The world needs hope.
I'm a nice person by nature. I harbor no ill feelings towards anyone. I can't afford anger, that's why I backed out of the conversation.
I'll hang around a few minutes to see how long it takes to be blocked for something I said here that I didn't want to say in the first place. : )
Kindest regards to you and Alara. It's not just us 3 right now, war scares everyone and people say hurtful things when they are angry or scared. If I misinterpreted and hurt feelings, I sincerely apologize but I won't say I'm sorry for the way I feel. People feel what they feel and don't need to say they are sorry for feeling that way.
I'm exhausted.
Siezure.
> regards
> bluedog
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poster:Phil
thread:216112
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/social/20030407/msgs/218055.html