Re: LOTR and 20th Century Western European Prejudices

On Mon, 24 Nov 2003 23:12:46 +0100, Öjevind Lång <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
>  Yes, America helped Britain survive; but it never lost sight of its own
>hegemonic goals while doing so. A surviving Britain and a democratic,
>capitalist western Europe were very much in America's own interests, which
>is why Europeans tend to be slightly less grateful to America over its
>actions in WWII than some Americans apparently would like. America did,
>however, neglect to be sufficiently on its guard towards the Soviet Union,
>apparently because it underestimated that country.

America wasn't sufficiently on its guard towards the Soviet Union because
the were many on the left, including many in government, who had yet
to come to grips with the evil that Communism represented.  And some,
in influential positions within the government, who were paid agents of
the Soviet Union.

-- 
I've known a few poor devils, afraid to let others defend - even
possess the means to defend - themselves, unable to stand being alone
more than minutes at a time, frightened their own shadows will betray
them, projecting their fear onto others, interpreting every gesture as
a threat.  Or are you the other kind, who can't tolerate independence,
who secretly burns to control people's lives and suffers their desire
for self-defense with a twinge of guilty conscience?  That first type,
the poor wretch, battles every minute of his life against the temptation
to blow his own unhappy brains out.  He hates weapons - not because of
others, but because of what he might do to himself!  The second type,
he's simply afraid he'll get what he deserves!
                - L. Neil Smith