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Patricia,

It is rare that the United States "turns it head and pretends not to know". In fact, of all the countries in the world, the United States gets involved in trying to help the little guy more than any other country. Why must it always be OUR soldiers that must be put at risk, and our money that must pay for it.
Why can't some of the other industrialized nations do something significant to help fledgling countries. The last time this country stepped in to remove a tyrant and a torturer and a threat to civilization, the whole world and half the people in this country turned against our leaders. Why would we want to go through that again?

You also mention the President asking us to reduce oil consumption. That's a noble idea, but I remember Jimmy Carter getting on national TV many years ago and asking people to turn their heat down to the 50's at night. Not many people bought in to that idea. Perhaps the reason the President isn't asking people to reduce oil consumption is because he knows it wouldn't work. Besides, why should he even have to ask? Isn't that pretty much common sense anyway?

Besides, Bush has past connections with the oil industry. Do you think it is in the best interest of the oil industry for him to tell everyone to stop using oil? Probably not. And he isn't the only one. Nobody on capitol hill seems to be working to get rid of these gas guzzling SUV's and trucks. Even the sedans and other cars are more inefficient than they were several years ago. My Honda CRX from 1989 gets better gas mileage than any car Honda makes now? That goes for American cars too? Do you really want to put the blame for that at the feet of our President, too?

Perhaps Jimmy Carter was ungraceful at times in his efforts to lower our dependence on foreign energy but the fact is that during his term and for several years after, cars and houses became more efficient users of energy. We would be in even worse shape today were it not for his leadership on the matter. The fact is that all leaders focus on those things that are important to them and effective leaders sometimes ask people to do things they don't want to do but are good for our nation. Mr. Bush has chosen not to ask America to be disiplined in its energy usage. I suspect the market will enforce disipline on us soon enough. Better leadership would have us better prepared.

On the larger question that the letter writer poses, of course we turn a blind eye to many human tragedys. Mostly because it's a messy business. We remember how good intentions turned deadly in Somolia & Beirut and we are naturally reticient to commit to a situation where the getting in is a lot easier than the getting out. That's common sense and that's human nature.

That said we are the most important and powerful country in the world and our leadership sets a tone for world behavior. As a people who see ourselves as a moral people it is proper that we use our resources and influence to take try to stabilize humanitarian crisis' whether they are in our interest as a nation or not. Yes, I would like to see other countries take a more agressive role in these matters and if we had better leadership I suspect we would.

Not many people in the world see Iraq as a humanitarian mission. One reason is that our government didn't try to put the liberation face on it until the other justifications proved false. As bad as Saddam was the argument that our invasion has made life better isn't a slam dunk, to steal a term from George Tenet. The Lancet estimates more than 100,000 Iraqi civilians have died as a result of the invasion. That's a lot of human misery that we have inflicted. We've relieved some to by taking out Saddam so there are winners and losers there and we won't know where the balance lies for many years.

On the whole I believe most folks in the world see the US as an 800 pound gorilla that is out of control and right now are reticient to help us in any way because they are happy to see our military pinned down in Iraq so we won't be causing trouble elsewhere.

Poor Jimmy Carter. While being one of the nicest people that you will ever know, he was undoubtedly one of the worst presidents we have ever had. He had little to nothing to do with cars improving fuel mileage , it was the demand brought about by the huge influx of imported vehicles whose mileage was far greater than any US built car.(ie it was the market) His fiscal agenda was a disaster bringing about interest rates capping out near 21%. His ineptness of understanding the need for a strong military and intelligence service brought disaster to both as was evidenced during the hostage crisis and his disastrous attempt of rescue. Because of his administrations disdain for the military and intelligence, brought about by anti-war groups during the Vietnam war we were ill prepared to even attempt such a mission. His lack of intestinal fortitude in taking a stand against the terrorist holding our hostages was the beginning of the war on terrorism . They perceived us, and rightly so, as weak and with no will to oppose anything they did. We are seeing the results of his administrations failings today.

Your claim that if we had better leadership today that the countries of the world would step up and intervene in situations like Togo and Dufar. That is nothing more than a low level swipe at the current President. I dare you to offer into evidence any time that any country has successfully intervened into any situation similar to Togo and Dufar. You will not find one. Instead you may find some failed attempts by the UN to intervene only to fail and then call on, no demand , that the US get involved and clean up their sorry mess.

To quote anything from the Lancet, the most anti-American rag in the world only proves that you have absolutely no clue about what you are writing about. You have simply made innuendos, accusations , with no factual basis to back up what you have said. You have chosen instead to use an attempt to show pity for Mr Issifou to take feeble slaps at the current President.
Take it from someone who has lived what you are only guessing about or quoting from some far left rag, that you are totally wrong. Living and being part of the military and intel world during the Carter administration and afterward has given me a much greater insight than you will ever get from websites and rags that you have quoted.
An 800 lb gorilla out of control. Stop reading those left wing rags. Our military and government is being hamstung once again by the farleft loonies , anti-American groups, the ACLU and other Soros back groups and in the end it will be all of us, and that includes you, who will suffer from these misguided and blinded to reality groups.

Thanks for demonstrating how useless these forums can be. Everything is reduced to (in this case right wing) soundbites without substance. An amateur Foxnews screamfest. If you have special insight because of your experience please share it with us in an intelligent and thoughtful manner.

I believe my characterazation of how America is seen in at least large parts of the world and I suspect most of the world is accurate and is harmful to our country. I don't believe other countries are as willing to follow our lead. Read foreign papers sometimes. You'd be surprised how unlike Fox-News they are.

If you have problems with the Lancets methodology lay them out. If you have a better figure enlighten us. There are too many places on the web where I can find equally pointless (and certainly more clever) name calling already to waste time here.

If this is an example of the military and intel help that President Carter had to depend on then perhaps that may help explain some of the problems in his term.

Take care,

Mr. Produce, Marshall is right. Your whole letter is "the truth according to mr. produce". In rereading your post I can find no reference to any "proof" of what you are saying, only your personal opinion. If you had not attacked Marshall's sources, then supplying your own source would not be necessary. After all, everyone is entitled to their own opinions and the freedom of expressing them. However, since you ask for more reliable sources from him, should you not be held to the same level of accountability?