Sunday, July 24, 2005
european history x
a very nice american blog kindly replied to my post on violence and Iraq war. basically she states that there is a different understanding of that war between americans and europeans: 9/11 affected u.s. citizens in a way europeans cannot understand.
what she says is true and i would like to point it out from my point of view.
1. europeans have experienced the cruelty of 2 world wars fought just in front of their houses. millions died, houses were destroyed, famines and diseases widespread. the absolute evilness of the war has become social consciousness rooted not just in history books or in ancient fascist buildings but in the memories of our grandparents. i'm living in a small town in the alps, where you could find the walls of a former concentration camp, where jews, gypsies and political opponents have been collected, killed or sent to auschwitz.
after such bloodshed "never again!" was the common outcry of european people. the refusal of every war is carved in our constitutions and even now many europeans hate their state using violence. let's add that this feelings are strongest in germany and italy, the countries which caused the IIWW.
2. europeans are used to terrorism. in the 70s left and rights terrorists blasted our towns and killed our politicians, journalists and unionists. the fight against left terrorism is italy is not over yet: 2 years ago a professor has been killed by the new red brigades. it is a never ending nightmare and, sadly, terror as usual.
3. nobody wants to deny the u.s. right to self-defense. the harsh critics towards the american foreign policy are due to the idea that bombing Iraq is not the right and most effective way to do it. the lies over the hidden wmd added further mistrust and suspects over a u.s. hidden agenda.
4. nevertheless the europeans believing that europe should challenge the american hegemony are increasing in number after the end of the cold war. they say to be sick of the "american sheriff". i think that an european challenge to the american hegemony is pure wishful thinking and i don't wish it. u.s. are taking charge of our defense (even if not in the way we would like) and allow eu to save on military and to spend in welfare.
why should we change it?
// posted by luca @ 9:38 PM 
Comments:
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I can appreciate Euros desire for a peaceful state...I wish it for my own country.
Something else to consider is that America is still a very young nation...we're just a couple decades over 200 years - which by European standards, would be a fairly young nation. The only wars we have fought on our own land in the last couple hundred years has been against our own people (civil war, race segregations flares). When we were attacked by a foreign force, we felt we must respond. WMD or no, we had to fight back.
I would liken the situation to when you fight and argue with your brother - you can say the most awful things and throw the hardest punch. But when a stranger comes up and punches your brother, you turn your attention to the stranger and begin to fight back on behalf of your brother. Does that make any sense?
Thanks for the visits to my blog - I appreciate your comments. :)
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Something else to consider is that America is still a very young nation...we're just a couple decades over 200 years - which by European standards, would be a fairly young nation. The only wars we have fought on our own land in the last couple hundred years has been against our own people (civil war, race segregations flares). When we were attacked by a foreign force, we felt we must respond. WMD or no, we had to fight back.
I would liken the situation to when you fight and argue with your brother - you can say the most awful things and throw the hardest punch. But when a stranger comes up and punches your brother, you turn your attention to the stranger and begin to fight back on behalf of your brother. Does that make any sense?
Thanks for the visits to my blog - I appreciate your comments. :)
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