AnalPhilosopher

“[I]t is ambition enough to be employed as an under-labourer in clearing the ground a little,
and removing some of the rubbish that lies in the way to knowledge.” —John Locke, 1689

“[P]hilosophy can no more show a man what he should attach importance to
than geometry can show a man where he should stand.” —Peter Winch, 1968

From Today's New York Times

To the Editor:

Re "Saudi Women Have Message for U.S. Envoy" (front page, Sept. 28):

I treasure the vote and the other rights and privileges that American women and the men supporting them have fought for and won. Yet I'm appalled that Karen P. Hughes, the American under secretary of state for public diplomacy, is telling Saudi women that they should want these same rights and privileges.

People wonder why some people in other countries "hate America." Isn't such arrogance an irritant? Why can't we let the women in other countries fight for their own democratic rights just as we did, rather than telling them what's good for them?

Has it ever occurred to the administration that unless we're invited to do so, we shouldn't be going around telling people what they should want?

Kathy Seal
Santa Monica, Calif., Sept. 28, 2005

Xmas (www):
I'm confused.

Is this letter full of hypocrisy or simple ignorance or sarcasm?

I'm picking sarcasm, since the other two choices make me sad to be an American.
9.30.2005 4:12pm
Kevin Stroup (mail):
I have mixed feelings on this one. I feel that we Americans go around the world lecturing people in the most pompous way just as Kathy Seal does. However, you can change the world to your way of thinking if you work at it, and have results to back your talk up. What do I offer as proof? Imperial Japan and Nazi Germany are far different countries today than they were in the mid 1930's. We conquered them completely and then lead (initially forced) them on to better futures than they could have imagined. You can lead a horse to water and you can make the horse drink too. Just be prepared to do an incredible amount of work, and bleed alot, to accomplish this. In the case of the Middle East, this may be a matter of our very survival in a nuclear era with totalitarian religious fanatics.
9.30.2005 10:14pm
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