Dan Wye: Where would the world be without the United States? RESPONSE to Timothy Bancroft-Hinchey

Mr. Bancroft-Hinchey's  extremely negative views of both the United States and Israel is disturbing. First of all, to compare the US to to Nazi Germany is appalling. Yes, the United States has been pro-acitive in its  attempts to bring peace to the world, and has blundered badly at times, but where would the world be without the United States Mr. Hinchley? How would you like living in such a world?. Who but the United States to stand up to Eastern Bloc Communism and oppression? Who but the United States to kick Saddam and his army out of Kuwait?. Who but the US to protect Muslims by leading the way against Slobodan Milosevic? And yes, who but the US to take out one of the worst dictators on the planet who was believed by many respectable leaders in the world to be in possession of biological weapons. It is Saddam and Slobodan, and the leader of North Korea who are the "Nazis" Mr. Hinchley.
       
As for the Israeli-Palestinian situation, there isn't a more complicated issue of the last 50 years  and yet you turn it into Israelis=bad, Palestinians=good. Have you forgotten that the Palestinian leadership has turned down every deal that has ever been laid before it? Have you forgotten that the Arab governments have used the Palestinian people and the issue of the refugees to fight Israel and to undermine peace? Have you forgotten the abominable history of Palestinian terrorism and that Hamas and Islamic Jihad still call for the destruction of Israel, not just a return to the green line borders?
    
Like the United States, the Israelis want peace, but have they too have  blundered badly  at times and  suffer from  some of the same social ills that have infected other democracies. But after 9/11, the US people and its government have no patience for those -  even with legitimate gripes - who voice their anger through the use of suicide bombers. The Palestinians who were dancing in the streets on 9/11, the American officials who last year were blown up by a Palestinian faction a during a diplomatic mission, the double-crossing and double-talk of Yasser Arafat, the lack of democratic institutions in Palestine, the squandering of millions in aid by the Palestinian leadership? And you wonder why the US has come full circle in its'  its preference for the Israeli side?
     
Bush's rhetoric is at times, questionable, and maybe John Kerry will be the answer, but in the post 9/11 world,  there is no more pretending who our friends are.

Sincerely

Dan Wye
The Juilliard School