Last night, again while watching CNN International, I saw South African President Nelson Mandela comment that no nation is as oppressive as the U.S. is. I was quite surprised at this statement, seeing that Mandela himself was a political prisoner for over twenty years when South Africa was oppressive under apartheid. It also surprised me since South Africa itself has many problems, including being one of the most crime filled countries in the world, with a crime rate per capita second to only Colombia. Yet Mr. Mandela, with all of his country’s problems, saw to it to mention how oppressive the U.S. is.
That led me to think further. Some of these same countries criticizing President Bush have themselves quite a sordid past.
Most recently, where was this so called European Union when Yugoslavia was being torn apart by Slobodan Milosevic just a short decade ago? Many were slaughtered by the “Butcher of the Blakans” in this barbarism while the rest of Europe stood by idly until it was too late.
While we’re on the subject of Europe, how about jolly 'ol England’s treatment of Northern Ireland? Talk about murder and tyrrany. One need only look at the British government’s treatment of Northern Ireland over the last several decades to see real oppression.
And how about Russia? (yes she’s part of Europe). The Russian military has murdered tens of thousands of innocent men, women and children in Chechnya over the last decade, all in the name of oppression.
And finally, if one would go back several decades, one would see oppressive regimes in charge of Germany and Italy.
So please, my foreign friends, if you’re going to attack U.S. policy, or call us oppressive, please, before doing so, take a look at your own barbaric past before speaking about us.
