In the small town of Montpellier in the south of France, I ran across Philippe from Belgium. We were in the breakfast courtyard of the rustic hotel, and seated across each other. Perhaps the tranquillity of this quaint town led to the breaking of the ice between strangers, and soon we were indulging in a wide-ranging conversation.
After exchanging some useful tips on the town and its surroundings, we soon got into the political arena. Philippe was very curious to find out how Saudis were reacting to the foreign policies of the current US administration led by Bush.
After providing him with an insight of our perception of Bush and his administration, I was just as curious as Philippe to hear what he had to say on the subject. Philippe, a network analyst whose company services many outlets throughout Europe had this to say.
“Tariq, in my travels within the European community, I find one significant factor that seems to be dominant, and that is that the US is pursuing a very antagonistic role in many countries and maybe even within, and that is very much contrary to what that country once stood for.”
“The events of Sept. 11 have long been overshadowed by far more hostile acts against the people of Afghanistan and Iraq by the US military machine. And that has contributed to far more deaths. If numbers alone are a measuring base, then the victims of the World Trade Center bombings are insignificant when compared to the death toll that Bush’s administration has caused and against people who played no part in that event. If this is the new kind of American justice, it should set us all at unease.”
As I nodded my head in agreement, Philippe continued. “And another thing. You notice how often Bush uses the terror alert inside his country. Is he trying to fool the people into submission? Every so often we hear of this threat to destroy the US and from whom? Al-Qaeda — a band of cave men living in the mountains of Afghanistan? Or could it be that these alerts succeed in projecting him as a savior to his people.”
“Mon ami, we felt very deep sorrow for the victims of Sept. 11 at the time, but we feel much more sorrow for the daily loss of lives that have resulted by US actions. That is something that cannot be excused. And if Americans want to believe the world is against them, then I feel sorry for them.”
“But I can tell you this. They are losing friends rapidly, and will continue to do so as long as they remain set on this course of aggression. And power in the hands of an irrational government can be a dangerous thing. We have seen what happened in Europe before.”
“The world is like a small town. And when one neighbor, and a powerful one at that embarks on a course of aggression, it does not fare well for the rest of us.”