---------------------------------------------------------- Commander-List Digest Archive --- Total Messages Posted Mon 02/10/03: 3 ---------------------------------------------------------- Today's Message Index: ---------------------- 1. 03:00 PM - The Englishman and Reality (Nico van Niekerk) 2. 10:43 PM - (no subject) (YOURTCFG@aol.com) 3. 11:24 PM - MEMBERS BUYING (YOURTCFG@aol.com) ________________________________ Message 1 _____________________________________ Time: 03:00:11 PM PST US From: "Nico van Niekerk" Subject: Commander-List: The Englishman and Reality --> Commander-List message posted by: "Nico van Niekerk" I apologize for posting this here, folks, it's just that this kind of thing cannot really be expressed too often, especially now. And coming from an Englishman writing in a liberal paper, it is all the more rare. Perhaps we ought to give Tony Parsons more exposure by sending this around a little. There is hope yet. Nico > Message From England > > No matter what your views on President Bush's statement of > upcoming war, this, from an English journalist, is very interesting. > Just a word of background, for those of you who aren't familiar with > the UK's Daily Mirror. This is a notoriously left-wing daily > that is normally not supportive of the Colonials across the > Atlantic. > > > ******************************************************************* > > Tony Parsons Daily Mirror September 11, 2002 > > > One year ago, the world witnessed a unique kind of broadcasting-- > the mass murder of thousands, live on television. As a lesson in the > pitiless cruelty of the human race, September 11 was up there with Pol > Pot's Mountain of Skulls in Cambodia, or the skeletal bodies stacked like > garbage in the Nazi concentration camps. > > An unspeakable act so cruel, so calculated and so utterly > merciless that surely the world could agree on one thing - > nobody deserves this fate. > Surely there could be consensus: The victims were truly > innocent, the perpetrators truly evil. > > But to the world's eternal shame, 9/11 is increasingly seen as > America's comeuppance. Incredibly, anti-Americanism has increased over the > last year. > > There has always been a simmering resentment to the USA in this > country; too loud, too rich, too full of themselves, and so much happier > than Europeans - but it has become an epidemic. And it seems > incredible to me. > More than that, it turns my stomach. > > America is this country's greatest friend and our staunchest > ally. We are bonded to the US by culture, language and blood. A little > over > half a century ago, around half a million Americans died for our > freedoms, as well as their own. Have we forgotten so soon? And exactly a > year ago, thousands of ordinary men, women and children - not just > Americans, but from dozens of countries, were butchered by a small group > of religious fanatics. Are we so quick to betray them? > > What touched the heart about those who died in the Twin Towers > and on the planes, was that we recognized them. Young fathers and mothers, > somebody's son and somebody's daughter, husbands, wives, and children, > some > unborn. > > And these people brought it on themselves? Their nation is to > blame for their meticulously planned slaughter? > > These days you don't have to be some dust-encrusted nut job in > Kabul or Karachi or Finsbury Park to see America as the Great Satan. The > anti-American alliance is made up of self-loathing liberals who > blame the Americans for every ill in the Third World, and conservatives > suffering from power-envy, bitter that the world's only superpower can do > what it likes without having to ask permission. > > The truth is that America has behaved with enormous restraint > since September 11. > > Remember, remember - > > Remember the gut-wrenching tapes of weeping men phoning their > wives to say, "I love you," before they were burned alive. > > Remember those people leaping to their deaths from the top of > Burning skyscrapers. > > Remember the hundreds of firemen buried alive. > > Remember the smiling face of that beautiful little girl who was > on one of the planes with her mum. > > Remember, remember - > > And realize that America has never retaliated for 9/11 in > anything like the way it could have. > > So a few al-Qaeda tourists got locked without a trial in Camp > X-ray? Pass the Kleenex . . . > > So some Afghan wedding receptions were shot up after they > merrily Fired their semi-automatics in a sky full of American > planes? A shame, but maybe next time they should stick to confetti. > > AMERICA could have turned a large chunk of the world into a > parking lot. That it didn't is a sign of strength. American voices > are already being raised against attacking Iraq - that's what a > democracy is for. How many in the Islamic world will have a > minute's silence for the slaughtered innocents of 9/11? > How many Islamic leaders will have the guts to say that > the mass murder of 9/11 was an abomination? > > When the news of 9/11 broke on the West Bank, those freedom-loving > Palestinians were dancing in the street. America watched all of > that - and didn't push the button. We should thank the stars that > America is the most powerful nation in the world. I still > find it incredible that 9/11 did not provoke all-out war. Not > a "war on terrorism." A real war. > > The fundamentalist dudes are talking about "opening the gates of > hell," if America attacks Iraq. Well, America could have opened > the gates of hell like you wouldn't believe. > > The US is the most militarily powerful nation that ever strode > the face of the earth. The campaign in Afghanistan may have > been less than perfect and the planned war on Iraq may be > misconceived. > > But don't blame America for not bringing peace and light to > these wretched countries. How many democracies are there in > the Middle East, or in the Muslim world? You can count them > on the fingers of one hand -assuming you > haven't had any chopped off for minor shoplifting. > > I love America, yet America is hated. I guess that makes me > Bush's poodle. > > But I would rather be a dog in New York City than a Prince in > Riyadh. > > Above all, America is hated because it is what every country > wants to be - rich, free, strong, open, optimistic. Not ground > down by the past, or religion, or some caste system. America is > the best friend this country ever had and we should start > remembering that. > > Or do you really think the USA is the root of all evil? Tell it > to the loved ones of the men and women who leaped to their death > from the burning towers. > > Tell it to the nursing mothers whose husbands died on one of the > hijacked planes, or were ripped apart in a collapsing skyscraper. > And tell it to the hundreds of young widows whose husbands worked > for the New York Fire Department. > > To our shame, George Bush gets a worse press than Saddam > Hussein. Once we were told that Saddam gassed the Kurds, tortured > his own people and set up rape-camps in Kuwait. Now we are told > he likes Quality Street. Save me the orange center, Oh Mighty One! > > Remember, remember, September 11 - > > One of the greatest atrocities in human history was committed > against America. > > No, do more than remember. Never forget. > ________________________________ Message 2 _____________________________________ Time: 10:43:45 PM PST US From: YOURTCFG@aol.com Subject: Commander-List: (no subject) --> Commander-List message posted by: YOURTCFG@aol.com HI KIDS. Pretty quite out there. Not a Commander, but for those of you who can find the mag In flight USA at your local FBO, I was lucky enough to be on the cover again, this time flying the Sherpa. jb ________________________________ Message 3 _____________________________________ Time: 11:24:27 PM PST US From: YOURTCFG@aol.com Subject: Commander-List: MEMBERS BUYING --> Commander-List message posted by: YOURTCFG@aol.com HI KIDS. A couple of changes going on. TCFG member Jimmy Rorrequiez is the proud new owner of the first 500B ever made, N108RG. It is now at Morris' place getting an annual. Also, it is rumored that TCFG member John Mcdonalod has sold his 500B?? And last, TCFG member Gary Giesler is hot on the trial of a 500S that is parked across the river at PDX It has a replacement spar (no AD) Hope he can get it bought, I think it would be a really nice airplane for him and he has been looking super hard to find just the right Commander. Flew triple two the other day. Did a couple of practice approaches, a VOR/DME and a LOC/DME. Just practicing procedures for now. Great to fly again. I will be taking the old gal to Olympia Thursday for a meeting wit the State Legislature regarding the raising of pilot fees, A/C registration and the gas tax, yuck!! I am working on the annual of a Stearman now (the guy owns 9 of them), trying to keep my IA current. I am planing to go to CA and inspect Jimmies new 500B, hope it works out. Hope all is well in your Commanderland. jb