American rage is real, and growing [Archives:2002/45/Focus]

Paula Coviello
[email protected]
Regarding “Has America learned a lesson” I would like to say that, other than President George Bush, I have never heard one American ask “Why do they hate us?”Muslim extremists have been killing and kidnapping our civilians for 30 years, so no one here was surprised on September 11 that Muslims were behind it. Europeans have been trying to put together a rival superpower for some time so again, no surprises there that we have received almost total opposition from them.
I will shed some light on the way most Americans I know are feeling right now: Our government gives more humanitarian aid to developing countries than any other in the world: $10.9 billion dollars, $1.3 billion of which goes to the Middle East.
Americans contribute roughly $34 billion of their own money to foreign charities each year and perform an average of six hours per week in unpaid, charitable service.
We are constantly being called upon by the world to send our sons and daughters to die in UN mandated “peace-keeping” missions and often have to pay the bill.
We are then expected to spend more of our money to help re-build the nation we have defeated. In addition, the US provides 27 per cent of the UN budget. All for the privilege of seeing Egyptians and Palestinians dance in the streets when the World Trade Center came down on US citizens.
Our tax dollars supply $800 million a year to feed Egypt’s poor.
The question has never been “Why do they hate us” the question is “Why do we keep sending them money?”
The Bush administration is submitting a budget for Fiscal 2003 which drastically reduces the amount of humanitarian aid to developing countries in order to fund Homeland Defense. It has received overwhelming popular support.
Yes, I would say the Americans have learned many valuable lessons. We have learned that some people will never be your friends no matter what you do.
We have learned that we are the only people that no one is obliged to respect or understand, but we are expected to bow always to the feelings of others. We have learned that we are the only nation that is not allowed to act in its own self-interest without being criticized, insulted, robbed and even killed.
We have learned that whenever we make any move that is critical of any Muslim group or nation the so-called “Arab street” can simply fall back on its fabled “Muslim rage” as its knee-jerk reaction.
Muslims are not the only ones who feel rage, Americans feel it too. It is a quiet, simmering rage that has been building for years and is expressing itself in burgeoning support for Israel, for war in Iraq, for stricter immigration laws, for decreased humanitarian aid in favor of military spending.
American rage is real and it is growing and it is no less lethal for its restrained nature.

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