Harold Pinter speaks up. Is he right?

I don't think that these gentlemen are well advised to publish their addresses online . . . some of the more rabid "Tico" types in this world might pay them a visit to do them an injury . . . what's up with all this rage to publish one's address, anyway?

Hi McTag

Where are you? In the cyber cafe?

From the country of "The Gettysburg Address", eh?

Hi Steve, sorry, I didn't see you there...yes, I'm in the cybercafe with a fan working overhead to keep me cool...but it's not succeeding too well. It's well hot here in Bombay.

So its about half past seven?

Been reading you and Clary's posts with great interest. Many thanks. When do you actually land back in UK?

Need any help?

No, mate, (I get in on Thursday morning around 07:10)...if the plane's on time. I should make the transfer LHR Terminal 4 to Terminal 1 okay (I think it's T1). I have about 1 hour 50 minutes between flights. If they run to schedule (a big "if", I know), I should be okay. But I can't ticket my baggage through (different airline) so I have to collect it and check-in again at the other terminal.

Hi, McT!

I knew you had lots of fans...

Well, let's see now.

He's said that the U.S. deserved 9/11. He calls the president a "mass murderer". He said there's only one comparison for the U.S. - Nazi Germany.

Hmmmm. Call me crazy, but I'm just not feelin' the love LOL.

JW - As I stated before I'm not going to debate. The reasons are that I'm not so skillful in English language that I can use the appropriated terms in a relevant way.

However, it's a common feeling here that most Americans are really upset that France didn't follow the US in their expeditionary entreprise in Iraq.

Even though I have a personal opinion on this subject, I still think it's off topic.

My point is that to speak about "hate" when a criticism arises about US foreign policy is largely exagerated.

I really dont know the guy who won the Nobel price. I even dont care that much. But from all Nobel prizes, just a few of them had a grip on the US as others had about other nations.

So, it's my firm belief that the too easy connection some make about Nobel prize jury and "hating America" is less than significant and obviously wrong.

And, again obviously, to think that everything which is going wrong is the rest of the world's fault can be very comfortable to some Americans.

But YOU, JW, used to political thought, can't you just see that? (or, at least, try)...

Francis - You may be correct that the "NOBEL JUDGES" don't hate America, but it is quite obvious that this person HAROLD PINTOR hates America. Or is it maybe he is looking to extend his 15 minutes of fame by "America BAshing".

Either way, he is just another fruitcake looking for attention and the media is giving it to him.

Hi, Francis - I wasn't inviting debate either, but rather posting that I agree with Tico that Pinter does seem to "hate".

He's admitted that even he thinks he was awarded the Nobel for his "political activism" (saying he hasn't written a play for years, but now concentrates mainly on his "anti-war" poems).

In my opinion he's almost not worthy of comment. He's just another old coot worshiping at the alter of the 60's (he's never really gotten over Vietnam, I don't think) and if hating the U.S. or calling the people of Great Britain "stupid" helps him get through his last days, so be it.

anybody care to dispute this remark by Mr. Pinter?



either that's factual, or there's a counter-example, such as a right-wing dictatorship not mentioned in Pinter's list, or a right-wing dictatorship the US opposed. i hope someone who disagrees with Pinter will provide a counter-example. conversely, if a US critic can substantiate this comment in some way, say by citing historians that share Pinter's assessment, i would be obliged as well.

i will say that Pinter should have acknowledged the US role in establishing democracy in Japan, and reconstructing post-war Western Europe through the Marshall plan. it also seems that Pinter left out the militarists in Spain and Portugal; is that an oversight, or did the US have nothing to do with those regimes?

Just want to say that Pinter writes a mean play!

I too yit would like some examples of the US subverting right wing/militarist regimes around the world. But I can't think of any. When Pinter said the US supported all such regimes, he was probably including Franco's Spain and Portugal, but couldn't name them all for reasons of brevity.

Here are some sweethearts who were supported by our American friends

http://www.thirdworldtraveler.com/US_ThirdWorld/dictators.html

that was an interesting summary of American supported rogues and criminals. Surprised to see Adolf Hitler among them, but then again I wasnt really..

Did you even look at the list? American supported... what a joke. It's unfortunate our friends to the north have such little impact on the events of the world. I wonder if they are just jealous sometimes.

The contention that Adolf Hitler was ever supported by the United States is specious. Certainly there were Americans who admired Hitler--just as there were Canadians and Englishmen who admired Hitler. That is a far cry from government support. It is worth adding the caveat here that Detano Inipo is almost hysterically critical of the United States. The page he links is supported by Eclipse Enterprises, Inc. Originally a publisher of "comic books" and "graphic novels," the tradename and intellectual property rights were acquired by one Todd McFarlane in the early 1990's. The story of Mr. McFarlane, his "comic book" enterprises and his eventual bankruptcy, after losing two law suits is not germane here, because the only connection of Eclipse Enterprises with the page linked is that one money making scheme in which Mr. McFarlane indulged was to print, for third parties named in a lawsuit by Nassau County, New York (which the county lost on appeal), "trading cards" which listed dictators and mass murders.

The page is maintained by Third World Travelers. That organization is extremely anti-American. While that is not necessarily as basis upon which to dismiss their claims out of hand, they notoriously do not provide substantiation for their claims (see the Hitler nonsense as a good example). Anyone familiar with my contributions here will know that i have frequently alluded to the military bullying and the hegomonic ativities of the United States. In fact, there's a lot that Third World Traveler misses--although i'm not inclined to enlighten them. However, a good deal of what they peddle is plain, old-fashioned bullshit, and the tone is consistently hysterical.

Take what you read at that page with a very large grain of salt. Keep in mind that this member has done little since arriving at this site other than rant, usually without reliable substantiation, against the United States as great Satan.

I wonder the same thing sometimes, McG. Seems they have this need to tear us down in order to build themselves up.

As Martin says in his latest round of US bashing...c'est la vie.

Maybe he's trying to get the attention of the Nobel prize committee.