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From: mc68020@gilbbs.UUCP (Tom Keller)
Newsgroups: net.politics
Subject: Re: Goodbye
Message-ID: <72@gilbbs.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 12-Mar-86 14:03:11 EST
Article-I.D.: gilbbs.72
Posted: Wed Mar 12 14:03:11 1986
Date-Received: Sat, 15-Mar-86 23:11:58 EST
References: <1466@decwrl.DEC.COM> <34@gilbbs.UUCP> <1694@ihlpg.UUCP>
Organization: Gil's Place, Santa Rosa CA
Lines: 44
Summary: B. Tanenbaum scores a good one on me...

In article <1694@ihlpg.UUCP>, tan@ihlpg.UUCP (Bill Tanenbaum) writes:
> Leo Simon's error was to label such views as "pro-Soviet".  Tom Keller is
> correct on that point.  If Leo had just stuck to terms such as "idiotic"
> (to those who compare human rights abuses in the U. S. to those in the
> Soviet Union), all would have been well.
> 	On foreign policy, I have a question for Tom Keller:
> Do U. S. actions in Viet Nam and Grenada (assuming for the sake of argument
> that they were wrong) mean that the U. S. as a nation
> has no right to help the Afghan guerrillas?  I mean, if the U. S. cannot
> even CRITICIZE the Soviet Union for Afghanistan, how can we possibly aid
> the Afghan guerrillas?  
> 	Translation:  If the U. S. does anything wrong, we must therefore
> shut up when the Soviets do the same or much worse.
> 	One does not have to be "pro-Soviet" to be an idiot.

  Touche`, Bill.  I was not clear enough in making my point.  What I *OUGHT*
to have said, was:

   *IF* we are going to criticise the Soviets for actions such as Afghanistan,
then we must, as a society and a nation, begin to truly accept responsibility
for what we have done and are doing, geo-politically.


   We *ARE* directly supporting terrorism in many places around the globe.  It
makes no difference what govenrment is currently in power in these places, to
support groups like th Contras or Savimbe's guerillas is to support terrorism.
I do not necessarily support the Sandinista regime, nor the current government
of Angola.  I also do not support the campaign of terrorism against them that
is currently being waged **BY THE UNITED STATES**.  I will also not tolerate
being labelled a "pro-Soviet"  or a "commie-sympathizer".  

   No, Bill, one need not be pro-Soviet in order to be an idiot.  I don't
*THINK* I am an idiot either (though there *ARE* times...).

-- 

====================================

Disclaimer:  I hereby disclaim any and all responsibility for disclaimers.

tom keller
{ihnp4, dual}!ptsfa!gilbbs!mc68020

(* we may not be big, but we're small! *)