Foreign Correspondence

[Amaunet]

You had made a well taken point previously in that we have failed to understand the mindset of the different factions of which Iraq is composed. This shortcoming I would attribute to the ‘Gawd is on our side’ syndrome or in other words we are the ones who count how another culture thinks is relatively unimportant.

I submit we are making the very same mistake with China. This administration, the myopic quintessential Western mind, is failing to take into account the philosophy of the Eastern mind. China will not respond as we would respond. For example, we are secure in the knowledge that we have 30 missiles they have 15. This is irrelevant, the Chinese will use what weapons they have with a greater discrimination and a better planned strategy. Thus their 15 missiles will be worth 30 or more of ours.

Bush has been brilliant in that he has succeeded in getting the American people to focus on a little lawn spider (bin Laden and terrorism) while a nine foot grasshopper is sneaking up behind us. The rest of the world sees the grasshopper, the Americans do not. That is how Bush will get reelected.