Dear King,
I read your sorrow.
While not apologizing for Geneva violations on the part of the West, they are pale and thin, compared to the mass murders of Saddam and the Taliban.
Is the world a better place with Saddam dead? Is the Taliban what we would call a humane administrator of human rights? The war atrocities which may be laid at the feet of American soldiers, from WW2, Korea, and even now, do not bear comparison to the outright barbarism of the foes we have faced.
I know you to be an exemplar of civil belief and behavior. However, as an empire, this country is pretty half-hearted about exercising true Imperial behavior.
Perhaps had we exercised the ruthlessness necessary to attain the title and keep it, then there would be a Pax Americana where raising the flag of agression or force anywhere in the world would be known as the assured beginning of the end for those provacateurs.
But we are not ruthless enought in character, much preferring to mind out own biz, normally. Unless, of course one has the political beliefs of our subject, Mr Simpson, for whom utter wasting of our political structure is of little account in obtaining his utopia. Our friend Sholzynytsin documented very well the actions and consequences of having such 'compotent authorities' run the nation.
I submit that this is going to be a very messy century, with unheard of civilian casualites, internal strife, and completely unforseen mass apocalyptic events -- much like the 20th century, but less Eurocentric in it's historical counter-forces. It will be well if the Genevea convention may be adhered to, but given such sweet moments as Bosnia and what has followed, I have really pondered if fate will not see obliterations of populaces and places, in a madness that will rival the combined deaths of the master murders: Stalin, Hitler, and Mao-Tsung.
Peace upon you friend, but I do not see it coming from the declaration of Civil War issued by Simpson, nor by a small fringe of extremists for whom a martyr's death is the highest good, while slaying mass quantites of infidels.
"Why do Canadians and Australians oil their gardens?"
"So their guns don't rust."
Bada-boom.
