From: adam@endor.uucp (Adam Shostack)
Subject: Re: An answer to bob Valentine
Organization: Aiken Computation Lab, Harvard University
Date: Sat, 26 Sep 1992 04:03:43 GMT

In article <1992Sep25.001002.24665@trl.oz.au> a.Faris@trl.oz.au  writes:
>In article <1992Sep23.001230.53096@ilx018.intel.com>, bval@ilws61 (Valentine Bob) writes:
>|> 
>|> I haven't seen your articles before but they're
>|> purty strange as we say in the states.

>You are entitled to your opinion, from my experience living in the states, to
>the average american any thing is strange unless you have seen it on
>television. 

If I said something similar about (group X) I'd be called  racist.


>|> You  say Israel is at war with greater Syria and
>|> that the "so-called Arabs" are blamed to make Israels
>|> plitght look worse (I guess).

>What I am saying is the following:
>
>1. All the wars and conflicts that have taken place so far between Israel
>is a land that once was called Greater Syria that was divided by the French
>and British into the following countries:
>  a. Syria
>  b. Lebanon
>  c. Palestine
>  d. Jordan
>  e. The mighty Iraq

How does Egypt figure into this scheme of things?

>Am also saying that the Arab countries, more specifically the Saudi Arabia and
>the gulf states could have provided enough funds to buy armies to
>fight Israel. 

Why should they have?

>The Arabs are not unified in any form or shape. Israels' propaganda has been
>aimed at making the rabs to look they are unified and they are facing a 
>population of over 125 million people.

There were Armies from 6 countires facing Israel in 48.  The arab
states all give lip service to the boycott (except Egypt).  The only
thing they unify on at all is dislike for Israel.

>I lived in the US during the 70s, 80s,
>and part of the 90s. I have seen it change and shift to accomudate the view
>of the average american. To sum it up, Israel is not facing the arabs,
>quite the opposite, The palestinians, the Lebanese, the syrians, and
>the jordanians have had to face Israel and have lost most or part of their
>land to Israel, and are fighting not lose any more.

Were they ever fighting to lose?  Although, I am glad to see that you
acknowledge it is the Arabs being confrontational.

>I don't know whether you are American or Jewish in being sarcastic. However, I
>will ask you this question to test your intelligence and the intelligence
>of people like you:

It is quite possible, to the great dismay of Jack Schmilding, to be
American, Jewish, and Patriotic, all at the same time.

>There are 125 Million Arabic speaking people scattered over 15 countries, 
>that could form a huge market for american goods and services. Would it not
>be wise to have a more friendly relation with them instead of portraying them
>as stupid, ignorant, and arming Israel to the teeth against them?.

No.  The only countires that have a signiicant market are the oil
states, who tend to import from Europe and Asia anyway, simply because
shipping costs are lower.  The majority of those Arabs are,
unfortunately, kept in poverty by their governments war on Israel.  A
democratic revolution that cut the military budget, and started to
create investment and sales opportunities would change my answer, but
for now those 125 million arabs are not much larger a market than the
billion Chinese.

Adam


Adam Shostack 					adam@das.harvard.edu

What a terrible thing to have lost one's .sig.  Or not to have a .sig
at all.  How true that is.      
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