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Politics : Foreign Affairs Discussion Group -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Dennis O'Bell who wrote (32854)	6/21/2002 12:40:32 PM
From: epsteinbd	Respond to of 281500

Interesting parallel between the French and US perception on their war. As a follow up on my quest of Arab mentality on the hate scale, I almost always managed to ask the Algerians I met in France in the last twenty some year : " During your independence war, your people killed fifty thousand Frenchmen, and the French, mainly the army, killed about a million of yours. How come you seem not to hate the French ?" Most answers, from old to young (out of the Harkis, fighting on the French side since WWII,150K) looked surprised, as if these ideas had to be recalled from far away. They confessed to no hate, and were genuine enough, more so after a few more question, on torture and so, as to warm them up. It'ze understandable that the "natives" understand that the 'whities' create wealth and hospitals, which is good, but they also funnel most of the wealth outside. So, most want the fruits of capitalism, but more want independence, even if they mismanage it afterwards, like in Algeria, a country blessed by Allah for sure, as it has lots of agricultural land, rains, geology, people and an administration with all typewriters and forms. The best bet to wealth, fast! France even signed 15 years contracts with them on huge gaz quantities garanteed some 20 % above world price. And all in all, they f....d it all. Not only politically, but economically. They played Krouchtchev and co first, because you just got to be revolutionary! If you are Arab, and want to make it with a decent chick, not Jane Fonda, but who knows, you are revolutionay. I remember quite a few cuties who refused anything if I did not first laudate Che Guevara. Even before he died. Imagine afterwards... These were the days. Then, the Algerian leaders pretended,with some success, to be the leaders of the third world, a bit ahead of India and Egypt. And now they cut throats around in total confusion, while no one cares, possibly not even their elected 'Secretary General' who lectures the Beyrouth summit about what the Israelis have to do. These are the days... Will, after the peace, the Palestinians behave in the same manner than the Algerians do versus their "occupier" ? I hope so, but doubt it.

To: Dennis O'Bell who wrote (32854)	6/22/2002 9:51:15 PM
From: epsteinbd	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 281500

The average Palestinians should not be different from the Arabs I know on they point that they know that they have always be lied to by their authorities, so they follow to a point. As it appears clear to them that they will never get to split all Israel among their families - rooms to Kids, suicides families get the swimming pool villas first -, they realize that their economic future is in the hands of Sharon etc and not Arafat. Thus, as soon as Bottleneck is out of the picture, thing should go fast. Now I don't know what to make of this Arafat speech to Haaretz on him signing the Clinton draft now ? Is he throwing the towel or just spitting ?