#s 2112, 2113, 2114

[RRSounds at aol.com]

Interesting how my favorite Mac Digital Video forum has turned into some kind of chaotic discussion of War, Freedom, Rights and Ethnic history.

It is a fair question to ask whether our wonderful, beautiful precious America is becoming more and more isolated from the rest of the world. And while many among us feel that this a positive development, I ask, is this really a good thing?

Most of us Americans are already isolated to the point they rarely see world news, and have little knowledge of anything outside the USA. Our own President had never been anywhere outside North America, and had trouble even naming world leaders (never mind understanding their agendas) before his inauguration.

I would guess that most Americans know France is led by Chirac only because he is our latest Fox News enemy. The media is quick to remind us that we gave ungrateful France its freedom after WWII, but somehow the same media always seems to forget that without France's help securing our own freedom in the Revolutionary War, Tony Blair would be *our* Prime Minister, and that upon the Centennial of our Independence France presented us with a beautiful gift which is now our very symbol of Freedom, the Statue of Liberty. But here in America, "you're only as good as your last hit record." So France is the bad guy du jour.

Mention Rwanda, and our eyes glaze over.

As a traveler who has been to more than just my home state, I can tell you that our ego-driven view that 'the USA knows all the answers; my way or the highway' is not shared by quite a few people. And for good reason. It is one thing to be a home of wonderful freedoms and quite another to claim that the only way to get there is through our good graces, thank you very much.

Worldwide resentment grows daily. And many among us are not only *not* bothered by this development, we are further empowered by it. It is into this somewhat scary environment the Goering quote comes in.

What Goering said is an ironic warning that could at least be considered by fair-minded individuals, even if it should (hopefully) turn out to be false in our present case. Just because he was a despicable murderous Son-of-a-Bitch doesn't automatically mean his statement can't in some way be a useful warning against the possiblity of it hitting closer to home. They say a frog put into a hot pan jumps out, but a frog in a pot of water slowly brought to boil is cooked. Those bubbles we're swimming in may not be a jacuzzi after all.


Personally, I think that belligerent threats, intimidation, violence and War are perverse, antiquated ways to deal with problems between disagreeing societies (no matter whose 'side' one is on), an approach that is better suited to insects than humans, and that if all the money, effort and lives devoted to battle were instead spent on enforced promotion of goodwill (which is not an oxymoron) and free discussion of how to alleviate tensions through discourse, the world would be a better place.

The optimist in me quotes from a Brit, John Lennon:
"You may say I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one."

The cynic in me quotes from another German, Albert Einstein:
"There are only two truly infinite things, the universe and stupidity. And I am not sure about the universe."


I, for one am open to further thoughtful discussion, though admittedly this Forum is not really the appropriate place for it.

Thank you for your time.


David P. Reaves, III
TransLanTech Sound, LLC
New York City USA/Recklinghausen, Germany