Hi - it's Pete's other half Jenny here for a change. I'm also sorry to hear about the problems you have been having. People are angry and don't know how to express their anger appropriately. I am also angry, and not just with the US government, but i try to act in somewhat more constructive ways.

Here is a letter written by a Buddhist peace activist and sent to George W Bush more than three years ago - before the second Iraq war. This is only a partial list but I think it probably answers your question about why the US is a little out of favour at the moment.....


Dear President Bush

Why? Why? Why? Why do people around the world hate America so much? Tens of millions of your citizens are asking themselves this question. May I be permitted to respond to that profound concern?

In the space of two generations, US foreign policy has:
Maintained itself as the world’s biggest arms dealer
Dropped two atomic bombs on Japanese men, women and children killing more than 100,000 people
Waged war on Korea splitting the country in two
Waged war for a decade on the peasant army and villages of Vietnam killing more than 1.5 million people
Bombed Cambodia, another Buddhist country, precipitating a national holocaust
Conducted a secret war in neighbouring Buddhist Laos
Supported numerous repressive regimes like Chile, El Salvador, Argentina, Philippines
Manipulated the economies and debts of African nations through supporting World Bank and IMF
Ordered a fatal helicopter raid on Iran and ignored diplomacy
Conducted an aerial attack on the Libyan president and his family
Made total war upon a plimsolled army and infrastructure of poverty stricken Iraq
Supported the Israel army’s invasion of Lebanon costing the lives of 17,000 people
Ignored rights of Palestinians for nationhood, ignored assassinations and shooting of Palestinian children
Ignored countless UN resolutions concerning human rights and international law
Bombed Kosovo and Chinese Embassy in Belgrade; launched attack on Wako cult in Texas, USA.
Destroyed half of Sudan’s tiny pharmaceutical industry by bombing their main factory
Sold billions of $$$ of weaponry to corrupt, undemocratic regimes in the Arab world to secure cheap oil
Demonised the Muslim world as fanatics. Are Catholics all fanatics because of the IRA?
Pushed through global capitalism that exploits people and environment of poor nations
Mercilessly cut off aid for years to poor nations, if they do not agree to US demands
Rejected the Kyoto agreement to help protect people and the environment
Rejected well-established international treaties on nuclear weapons

The death toll, suffering and sorrow heaped upon people and environment around the world, including the loss of countless lives of American soldiers and civilians, through US foreign policy, is incalculable. Isn’t the USA the leading rogue nation? Has the USA consistently supported freedom, justice, security and basic needs for people or pursued the politics of ruthless self-interest?
There is much that is great and beautiful about the USA, but, sadly, such a list of fine attributes would not include soul-searching. We must all take responsibility for international conflict. Or else, in Buddhist terms, the vicious cycle of co-dependent arising continues. We, the West, do not need to make War on Terrorism but we do need to start compassionate Acts of Reconciliation with the rest of the world.

Yours Respectfully,
Christopher Titmuss
International Advisory Board Member
Buddhist Peace Fellowship

__________________
Cheers,
Peter.

Europe to NZ 2006-10