Klarinet Archive - Posting 000573.txt from 2002/11

From: LeliaLoban@-----.com
Subj: [kl] Re Tony Pay's comments
Date: Mon, 25 Nov 2002 23:56:41 -0500

Tony Pay wrote,
>I hope that no-one believes that I actually *think* anything
>like that about Americans. How could I? I might have
>reservations, even very grave reservations, about some of
>your government's policies, but that's quite a different thing.
>After all, many of your countrymen have similar reservations,
>because quite a lot of them, who I count as my friends, tell me so.

Thanks for the clarification. Rationally, I thought Dan Leeson's assessment
must be right, and I'm relieved to hear that's the case. Two years ago, it
never would have occurred to me to worry that your reservations about U. S.
foreign policy (I have serious reservations myself, BTW, but will leave that
topic for political forums) might have mutated into a genuine anti-American
hatred. But these days, I've reluctantly concluded, as have many Americans
in the light of recent events, that we'd better assume that people mean what
they say, unless they make a jocular intent unmistakably obvious.

And welcome to the USA--where we're really not as humorlessly paranoid
(yet...) as this exchange might have indicated. Hope you have a great visit.

Lelia

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