-----Original Message----- From: Max Sawicky <sawicky at bellatlantic.net>
>Insofar as you excoriate the prevailing regime
>to breathing people, rather than in front of a mirror,
>it's hard to avoid the question of how a regime
>that did not deserve excoriation would act. So
>I don't think you can escape that obligation ...
Well, since you put it that way, I suppose it would start with cutting off all aid to Israel, discontinuing the blockade of Iraq, and removing all troops from the land of the two holy places (i.e. Arabia).
It is true that this could be phrased as 'meeting Osama bin Laden's demands', but these would be good things to do in any case. The riposte "But that's what Osama bin Laden wants us to do!" can perhaps be met with the counter-riposte "Oh, and I suppose if he told you not to jump off a cliff you'd go and do it?"
At some point it is probably worth pointing out that we in the US are apparently facing a war of unknown length with al-Qaeda (or whoever) FOR THE PRIVILEGE of having bases in the "land of the two holy places", repressing the Palestinians, and murdering Iraqis. How much is this privilege worth to workers in tall buildings?
lp