It's not for me to speak for my countrymen, but personally, apology heartily
accepted. I admit to being surprised and heartened by your response. I
usually stay right out of the political debates in this and other fora, in
part because advise is always easier from outside, and it is Americans that
have the responsibility and cost (politically, and in all other regards) for
American policy, (not to say that the rest of the world may not take
collateral damage when you get it wrong). However in the current
circumstance, I'd like the American majority in the group to know we (our
family, in any case) have been concerned and rivetted by the events
unfolding, probably in a way that is not too different from your own
reactions. I was relieved that the Canadian Prime Minister was prompt in
offering any help that Canada could provide. I understand that the pride of
the US administration will only cause them to accept that help, if they
ireally/i feel that it will be material.

On the subject under debate I'm pretty much on both sides: I share the
reaction of many along the lines of "where is the personal responsibility"?
But I also know that we all want mercy for ourselves, even as we call for
justice for others. I can easily imagine making the (stupid) decision to
stay with my house, (I love the home I'm sitting in as I type this, which
was hard-won). It would be great if the rescue effort can arrange for the
stupid decision of many, to be fatal for the irreducible minimum.

I don't like to offer gratuitous advice, and do so seldom, but I will weigh
in with this: the people of the US should make this a uniting force rather
than a dividing one, if they can. It was partially the use of "liberal" as
an epithet in your post that I was responding to. There has been so much
demonization of the other side in recent US politics, that the public
officials have gotten off easy. I'm a conservative, in the tradition of
Edmund Burke, and a liberal in the tradition of John Mills. I'll admit to
some socialism, of the school of Tommy Douglas (a Canadian you won't have
heard of, but whose values you esposed in the first couple of sentances
quoted below. A "balanced books" socialist.) I'll admit to a dash of
Anarchism, of the schools of Kropotkin, Godwin, and Tucker (call it
"libertarian" if you prefer). 9-11 brought all Americans together, albeit
briefly, this current disaster is probably a bigger show than 9-11. Your
public officials may be too venal and self-serving to call you to pull
together in the same harness, but you should collectively call one another
to do so (and the rest of your allies, including us, as well). It is way too
easy for both of your parties to play you off against one another. I've
travelled a lot in your country, and done a fair bit of business there. I
know for a fact that Republicans and Democrats love the US, almost to a
person. It is time for conservatives to drop "liberal" as an epithet, and
for liberals to drop all the myriad epithets they have for conservatives.
And for both to condemn vigorously the public figures that divide rather
than unite you.

That is my political post for the year.

Our best wishes for you all, and especially for those in the effected
region.


Adam Smith
Midland, ON


"Pedro" wrote in message
news:fE2Se.306000$_o.219270@attbi_s71...
OK, I'm sorry to the Canadians for the slap in the face. Your country IS
an
excellent example of how the US should be taking care of our citizens with
health care and overall support for the welfare of their citizens. The
misguided reference to Canada was simply that lawlessness in ANY society
should and must not be tolerated and if you feel that in the current
situation the victims are facing down south that "anything goes" then
please
leave our US society to some other place on the earth. SORRY CANADA your
are
Great Neighbors.

Store owners who open their doors and give away the food, water etc or
even
who are victims themselves of people who have removed fro cm their store
the
necessities to live should simply be thankful for the opportunity to have
the store in the first place. We should open our hearts and resources to
help the people suffering in any way possible.

I stand firm in my conviction that what goes around comes around in the
end.
If people are looting anything except the elements needed to survive then
they are stealing. That is very simple to understand and because some
young
thugs are abusing the opportunity AND certain liberal media outlets are
sensationalizing these poor people's suffering I went off the deep-end
when
I said move to Canada. Again my apologies to our friends up north.

Pedroman

"Adam Smith" wrote in message
...
I don't suppose you'll give a damn, but just to note that I'm probably
only
one of several hundreds (maybe thousands?) of Canadians you've offended
the
hell out of. Canadians of both/all political stripes, I'd guess.

Adam Smith,
Midland, ON

"Pedro" wrote in message
news:el1Se.323742$xm3.33699@attbi_s21...
snip

accountable for their mis-deeds? Give me a break you liberal ****. MOVE
TO
CANADA
END OF RANT

snip