Views of a complete outsider on why the world hates America

Submitted by Hennie Coetzee (South Africa), Jan 18, 2003 at 19:52

As a South African who's far removed from all of the hoo hah surrounding the US/Iraq debacle I'd say I am fairly objective about this issue. I for one find it hard to believe that Iraq can pose such a huge threat. America has bombed Iraq more than once, and more than once was it a crushing defeat to Iraq. I honestly don't see how they can still be a threat as big as Bush and Powell are making out. America has completely destroyed Iraq's armies, their planes and their ammunition stockpiles. The previous weapons inspectors to Iraq testified that all Iraq's long range missiles were destroyed. Why on earth would you want to put that country's poor, innocent people through another war? The whole of the western world was up in arms over September 11 and rightly so. But has the American government taken stock of the innocent (just as innocent as the people in the World Trade Centre) who have died because of their trigger happy attitude?! I honestly don't see a difference between the hijackers of the 9/11 planes and George Bush and Colin Powell. They're all trying to make a point through violence and innocent people gets hurt. And it is wrong.

As for your Universities... Perhaps the so called "left wing lecturers" are only trying to undo the damage that the American media is doing. Day in and day out I see on CNN how evil Iraq is. There definetaly is something wrong, but in my opinion its not the Universities.

I think in the long run America is going to learn a very harsh lesson from all of this. Violence begets violence, and you might bomb the crap out of them. But one day another 9/11 is going to happen. And it will be because your government alienates the world through sheer ruthlessness. I think going to war is the furthest from being right that Bush can get. The world hates you America, and it's your own fault.

---

Note: Opinions expressed in comments are those of the authors alone and not necessarily those of Daniel Pipes. Original writing only, please. Comments are screened and in some cases edited before posting. Reasoned disagreement is welcome but not comments that are scurrilous, off-topic, commercial, disparaging religions, or otherwise inappropriate. For complete regulations, see the "Guidelines for Reader Comments".