h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Greetings Charlotte, as a Brit, and more so as a fellow human being, I can only offer my most heartfelt sorrow at the tragedy you are experiencing. Beyond politics, its harrowing to see such grief. And now, on a different tack... Welcome to the guide to life, the universe and everything (Earth Edition). I'm an ace here, a community volunteer who pops over to help newbies settle in. :-) So, if you have any questions, just hit reply and I'll try to help. Weirdly this tragedy has brought a lot of new users to our happy home here at h2g2. h2g2 is a place to share ideas and enjoy meeting others. You can find entries and discussion on everything here from politics to music to astronomy, marmite and gardening. Since you have joined to comment on the recent terrorism in the US, you may wish to visit the book of Condolence at http://www.bbc.co.uk/h2g2/guide/F76594?thread=140830 The guide is a collaborative effort to learn from each other, and I hope you get as much from it as I do, kind regards, and love, purplejenny :-) PS - click the smile to find out about smileys, click on a username to go to thier page, or click here for a surprise http://www.bbc.co.uk/h2g2/guide/RandomEditedEntry

Thank you so much Jenny for the kind Welcome. I came to the BBC site to get a European perspective on the WTC tragedy. Our press here can be rather selective with what angle they put forth. I found h2g2 quite by accident but have been very impressed with the level of discussion and the general atmosphere of courtesy.

Thank you again,
Charlotte

Why thank you

As for a European Perspective, I think that side from some very sweeping generalisations you will find as varied opinion over here as you will anywhere.

Opinion is mixed, and you will find views varying from unwavering support to friendly concern that the US state is sometimes misguided, to out and out hatred. It has surprised me a little how many Americans seem to have been totally unaware of how their foreign policy is viewed overseas.

My own opinion, for what its worth, is that the terrorism was appalling, and I can see that it has come to a terrible shock to an island republic unused to terrorism and warfare, which haven't much troubled its native territory in generations. I live in London, a city which has many parralells and links with New York, yet unlike New York has survived ariel bombardment during WWII and IRA bombings over the past twenty years. For a citys first experience of such violence to be two planes crashing into its tallest buildings must have been utterly shocking and terrifying.

My concern is that the US risks repeating some of the mistakes made by the British Empire in the nineteenth century. Namely cultural insensitivity, and an unspoken assumption that it is right and proper for this state to rule the world and control economic and mineral interests outside its territory. In this I'm comparing the British Empires use of India's wealth with the US influence in the middle east regarding oil.

My opinion is that countries as a rule should leave other countries alone, and only with the full sanction of the United Nations and International Law should they impose thier will on other states by force. The history of all countries - including the states - falls far short of that ideal.

No one yet knows who was behind the terrorism, the truth may yet surprise us all. Yet if it is Osama Bin Laden, as Colin Powell seems to think, then the politics become ever more complex and the implications more severe. The last thing that will help is what could be seen as a war waged on Islamic Extremists - which will only further polarise the globe along religious and economic lines, and ultimatley cause a cycle of violence where terroist bombs lead to retaliatory airstrikes which rouse more anger which makes for more terrorism.

This is quite long and scary enough for now, and I would very much like to hear what you make of the above musings,

best wishes and prayers for peace,

purplejenny

Jenny,

Actually, our thoughts don't seem to be too far apart.

"It has surprised me a little how many Americans seem to have been totally unaware of how their foreign policy is viewed overseas.
"

I shudder to think of how naive this is going to make us sound as a Nation, but...I honestly don't think that many Americans have the vaguest idea *what* our foreign policy is. I *still* don't know why the hell we invaded Granada, I'm pushing 32 and it still looks to me like Reagan just wanted to play with some missles.

I've never had a good grasp on why we were in different countries. I've heard the word "Peacekeepers" thrown around a lot, but I've never know what we were peacekeeping or why we were the ones doing it.

America is so vast and has so many things going on in it that the government has a laughably easy time covering its ass. Indeed, the only things that seem to come out in glorious detail are sex scandals, when the fundies try to whip the populace up into a majestic swivet over who's penis touched whom.

Half the country shakes our head wondering why anyone gives a tinker's damn about it, and the other half is screaming about godliness. But ask a single American why we were in Somalia? You'll get head scratching and blank looks.

Its disgraceful how much our government gets away with without true accountability to the electorate. We desperately need election and campaign reform. Our system is too old fashioned. But such reform isn't going to come any time soon. And with this tragedy I fear that people will decide that the smirking idiot we have in the white house is actually qualified to run the country.

Honestly Jenny, Bush is a perfect example of how far an idiot can go when he's back by cash.

"My concern is that the US risks repeating some of the mistakes made by the British Empire in the nineteenth century. Namely cultural insensitivity, and an unspoken assumption that it is right and proper for this state to rule the world and control economic and mineral interests outside its territory. In this I'm comparing the British Empires use of India's wealth with the US influence in the middle east regarding oil."

I think this is a risk too. Most Americans don't really have a sense of "globalness". We are so geographically isolated that it is easy for us to forget or even never to learn that there is anyone else out there.

I went to Italy last summer, my first time in Europe, and fell madly in love with every stone of the place. Myself being an overachiever I made an effort to learn the language as much as possible before I went, and to read up on local customs and manners, but I saw some American tourists who just made me blush with shame.

If it wouldn't have gotten me deported I'd have slapped a rock upside the head of an American in a McDonald's who was arguing with the counter girl that "McDonald's is an American restaurant, so you should take American money!"

I was inches from hauling the idiot onto the carpet when my roommate dragged me out to catch our train. (We'd gone in for an orange juice before heading to Pisa for the day and she said an OJ wasn't worth watching me pick a fight ) Or as my husband likes to say "Baby, don't let your mouth write checks my body can't cash."

I really love my country, but I see it going down the toilet in political imperialism and I think the only way to fight it is in our education system. American kids need to be taught about the whole world, not just that "In 1492 Columbus sailed the ocean blue". Jesus, most kids think Columbus was Spanish and that Plymouth Rock was the first American settlement. *sigh*

There has to be hope for us to improve.

XO
Charlotte