What is all the fuss about again?
I canīt seem to escape this Iraq thing. Right now, I am near the tip of South America in Puerto Natales, Chile. I am here to see some mountain scenery (Torres del Paine) before I head up on a cruise through the Chilean straits. Yesterday, I saw a large glacier called Perito Moreno. Quite scenic. Largest piece of ice not coming down a mountain that I have ever seen. It made me really think about the Ice Age that the world was supposedly under many moons ago. Iīve read about it, but really believing the world was once covered in ice is another story. Iīm alot closer to believing it now.
Anyways -- about this Iraq thing. A few days ago in Buenos Aires I walked into a cell phone store. After a few questions the salesman started asking me about Bush and Iraq. I gave him my opinion. It happened in Paraguay too, the city tour guide asked me (I was the only tourist). In El Calafate, my first stop in Patagonia, Argentina, there were signs on stores saying in Spanish - No War. As I walked in a store here in Puerto Natales offering Shiatsu massage the masseuse said in a combination of Spanish and English (Mostly Spanish) that today was a big day - referring to the Bush ultimatum, which I have only read a little about. Iīve seen one too many snippets on CNN and BBC in hotel rooms that Iīd rather ignore it now. So, I signed up for a 1.5 hour massage. She playfully commented that a massage is relaxing and can promote peace. I laughed. 15,000 Chilean pesos / $20US. Maybe our friends in the US government need a massage? If they flew down here they could get alot of them, without putting the US too much further into debt. Itīs so easy to get caught up in a one track mindset....
The first thing I think about is -- why do people down here care about a war so far away from them that doesnīt directly involve them? Media hype? Oil prices? The warīs effect on the US economy which affects them? I donīt know...probably a combination of things. Maybe they just pay too much attention to American politics in Chile and Argentina. While in Brazil for Carnaval, everyone was so happy having fun, war was the last thing anyone was thinking about. It was the furthest thing from my mind. Amazing, the different atmosphere that one can be under going from place to place, country to country.
Iraq could be another planet for all I know. You might think so too if you were down here, far away from the rest of the world. In fact, alot of things could be like this if you arenīt DIRECTLY impacted (Like a spouse-son-daughter over there, your job directly involves the war, etc...) in a significant manner or have first hand knowledge. Do you think it is a big deal personally? I donīt mean that it is insignificant - it is notable, but not as much as you might be led to believe. Ask yourself -- have you changed your long term behavior or even just your everyday routine because of it?
Was September 11th a big deal personally? It almost could have been on another planet for me if I didnīt go see it for myself exactly 2 months after (Heck, I was in Australia when it happened). After all, most of the events around that time were on the US East Coast. The US is a big country. Waiting in an airport security line a little longer doesnīt count, nor does losing money in the stock market -- it would have dropped anyway, all the corporate scandals putting emphasis on this point. So, I ask if your behavior has changed, not your reactions to ripple effects, but your proactive behavior. I hope I make sense. Or was it just another story (Perhaps a little more notable) like the dozens of stories that cross our minds everyday on television and newspapers? Maybe an easier question now that it has passed quite some time ago -- did you change your behavior after the "war in Kuwait to liberate the democracies (Monarchies?) of the Middle East?" Why do America and other nations care so much about the Middle East in the first place? I didnīt change my behavior then because I was too ignorant of why the Kuwait war happened. Iīm changing now though.
Live with conviction.
Navimag cruise line - Chilean straits (W)
Anyways -- about this Iraq thing. A few days ago in Buenos Aires I walked into a cell phone store. After a few questions the salesman started asking me about Bush and Iraq. I gave him my opinion. It happened in Paraguay too, the city tour guide asked me (I was the only tourist). In El Calafate, my first stop in Patagonia, Argentina, there were signs on stores saying in Spanish - No War. As I walked in a store here in Puerto Natales offering Shiatsu massage the masseuse said in a combination of Spanish and English (Mostly Spanish) that today was a big day - referring to the Bush ultimatum, which I have only read a little about. Iīve seen one too many snippets on CNN and BBC in hotel rooms that Iīd rather ignore it now. So, I signed up for a 1.5 hour massage. She playfully commented that a massage is relaxing and can promote peace. I laughed. 15,000 Chilean pesos / $20US. Maybe our friends in the US government need a massage? If they flew down here they could get alot of them, without putting the US too much further into debt. Itīs so easy to get caught up in a one track mindset....
The first thing I think about is -- why do people down here care about a war so far away from them that doesnīt directly involve them? Media hype? Oil prices? The warīs effect on the US economy which affects them? I donīt know...probably a combination of things. Maybe they just pay too much attention to American politics in Chile and Argentina. While in Brazil for Carnaval, everyone was so happy having fun, war was the last thing anyone was thinking about. It was the furthest thing from my mind. Amazing, the different atmosphere that one can be under going from place to place, country to country.
Iraq could be another planet for all I know. You might think so too if you were down here, far away from the rest of the world. In fact, alot of things could be like this if you arenīt DIRECTLY impacted (Like a spouse-son-daughter over there, your job directly involves the war, etc...) in a significant manner or have first hand knowledge. Do you think it is a big deal personally? I donīt mean that it is insignificant - it is notable, but not as much as you might be led to believe. Ask yourself -- have you changed your long term behavior or even just your everyday routine because of it?
Was September 11th a big deal personally? It almost could have been on another planet for me if I didnīt go see it for myself exactly 2 months after (Heck, I was in Australia when it happened). After all, most of the events around that time were on the US East Coast. The US is a big country. Waiting in an airport security line a little longer doesnīt count, nor does losing money in the stock market -- it would have dropped anyway, all the corporate scandals putting emphasis on this point. So, I ask if your behavior has changed, not your reactions to ripple effects, but your proactive behavior. I hope I make sense. Or was it just another story (Perhaps a little more notable) like the dozens of stories that cross our minds everyday on television and newspapers? Maybe an easier question now that it has passed quite some time ago -- did you change your behavior after the "war in Kuwait to liberate the democracies (Monarchies?) of the Middle East?" Why do America and other nations care so much about the Middle East in the first place? I didnīt change my behavior then because I was too ignorant of why the Kuwait war happened. Iīm changing now though.
Live with conviction.
Navimag cruise line - Chilean straits (W)
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