Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1exp 11/4/83; site ihuxm.UUCP
Path: utzoo!linus!decvax!harpo!floyd!clyde!ihnp4!ihuxm!cwa
From: cwa@ihuxm.UUCP (Carl W. Amport)
Newsgroups: net.politics
Subject: RE: Re: Grenada
Message-ID: <700@ihuxm.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 11-Nov-83 17:55:42 EST
Article-I.D.: ihuxm.700
Posted: Fri Nov 11 17:55:42 1983
Date-Received: Sun, 13-Nov-83 08:16:25 EST
Organization: AT&T Bell Labs, Naperville, Il
Lines: 35


Sorry Martin, I can't agree with you completely.  I don't think the differences
between US opinion on Grenada and the opinions of other free world nations on 
Grenada are based on misleading information.  Whose opinion should the US be 
concerned with?

The British, who rallied behind their own Falkland incident and naturally
expected the US to be on 'their side', the West Germans, who expect the US to 
be their line of defense and pay for it, the good old Japanese, who admit
they can't defend their own crucial shipping lanes and likewise have a
'MADE and PAID FOR IN USA' defense program, the French, who have their noses
in almost as much of the world as the US does and also sell arms and nuclear
technology to anyone for a price - including their allies' enimies?

Other countries only support US actions when they are in THEIR interests.
Don't kid yourself into thinking that other nations have more un-biased
media coverage or more objective public opinion.

I do, however, agree that other countries in the world must be sick of
the bilateral power balance in the world.  Everything is either US or USSR,
with little room in between.  That, I am afraid, is mostly the fault of
the US.  As I pointed out in an earlier article, after WWII, we disarmed
Japan and W. Germany and took responsibility for protecting Europe and the
rest of the free world.  Now, we must try to act and counteract every little
move the Soviets (or the countires aligned with them) make.  If the balance
of power was divided among more than 2 countries and 1 tended to be too
aggressive, counteraction by different equals at different times would be
more acceptable, and less dangerous, to the rest of the world.

I also would like to add that although some people in the US have extreme views
about the behavior of the US government, I feel the majority thinks that al-
though their country is the best one in which to live, there is still much room
for improvement.  I would not exactly call this extremism.

Carl W. Amport		Naperville, IL.