Dear Da Jan Jing,

Many thanks for your reconsidered response to my somewhat shocked and anguished reaction to what I read, to wit:

> I see your point, yes, and it is not very feasible to compare the
> Americans to the Nazis...

Now, as for the remainder of your commentary, please allow me to address each section individually.
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> However, any way you look at it, America should not be there. For any
> reason. Revenge ( for 9-11, though 9-11 was revenge on the States for
> other things that were inevitably coming anyway... ) war on
> terrorism, search for weapons or oil. They should not be there.

Like so many other Americans, I would be inclined to basically agree with that statement. These days, the psychological, political, and financial aspects of invasion and/or war are so far beyond the average dude's comprehension that one, save a specialist in the field, usually has no choice but to accept ALL he is told by the media. Reason: He usually has little or no opportunity to take off from making a living or tending to his personal/family needs to render the degree of interest required -- that is, unless he is SHAMED into doing so. This, I'll admit, is unacceptable, albeit it is most indicative of Capitalism in this 21st century.

> America has always been the big bully of the playground, no matter
> how they try to justify it. I don't hate Americans, I really don't.
> However, I do not agree with their idea of saving the world through
> assimilation.

Perhaps some of America's actions in the past may have APPEARED to you as the work of "bullies" and "assimilators," but I'll gladly join the tumultuous chorus of the millions of victims and witnesses of WWI and WWII who are THANKFUL for the USA's having ventured into someone else's playground!

> There was an article recently in the newspaper, saying that Chinese
> schools are opting more for Canadian English text books now. It said
> that the Chinese feel that Canadians don't try to assimilate another
> culture, and that the Chinese don't want to become American. There
> are actual kindergarten books for Chinese students with a unit on
> MacDonalds. ( Shentong ) Canadian books would not have those kind of
> things. With Canadian text books, the worst would be a Tim Hortons
> logo on the coffee picture. Or the policeman might be riding a horse.

For my money, you seem to be using that term, "assimilation" a wee bit much, Laddie. I think you are on the wrong track by mistaking that for EXPERIENCING A CULTURE IN ORDER TO FULLY COMPREHEND SAME. Criminy, Bro', why then is it that so many foreigners have immediately taken to identifying themselves with such American institutions as McDonalds, Starbucks coffee, and Coca-Cola. GRANTED, these also represent business in the billions of dollars, yet, without universal approval (including scads of visitors from the PRC, mind you!), I dare say there would currently be a far greater number of kids sitting on their gluteus maximi worrying about how to save money for a college education. C'mon, Da Ja ... as EVEN YOU have admitted, there's both an upside and downside to EVERYTHING on this earth ... not to forget those terrific fillet-of-fish sandwiches and fries at Ronald McDonald's H.Q.!

> I read another article before in Reader's Digest, about a year ago,
> how America was planning to educate the poor, poor children in Iraq
> by bringing them Sesame Street! What in the world does Iraq need
> Sesame street for???!!! Maybe it's a good thing right now in the Iraq
> culture that their children are not being raised by a television. Why
> not help them to re - settle their own culture? Why not focus on
> improving and strengthening ( did I spell that correctly???? ) their
> own style of education and curriculums? Yes, by all means, it is a
> wonderful thing to rebuild schools, but it also matters what you are
> putting in them. Iraq is not a state.

C'mon, Man, let's not carry the Sesame Street thing TOO far. For many years now, young kids the world over have found that particular TV program QUITE stimulating ... NOT in the sense of mind takeover, but as a source of constructive ideas. OF COURSE, the scenes and examples on the show will be typically American, albeit I assure you that there is no attempt whatsover to control anyone's mind. As a matter of fact, my own son, now 28 and a successful prosecuting attorney, spent many hours of his childhood watching that show and emulating the creative concepts it offered. I think it would be safe to assume that the show had no adverse effects whatsoever on his future determination, scholarship, and subsequent accomplishment.

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Yes, my friend, inevitably it's all in the eyes of the beholder. If you have been brainwashed into regarding ANYTHING stemming from this land aplenty with utmost suspicion ... OF COURSE, you will blindly follow that directive. But, I have always believed that it takes EXPERIENCE to form such irreversible conclusions, while, notwithstanding, I'm happy to report that, despite its many faults, the USA still ranks as NUMERO UNO in the world's "approval department."

Peace to all,
Ellis