Stardate 20011012.0850 (On Screen via long range sensors): According to this report, after Mayor Giuliani
declined to accept a contribution of $10 million from Saudi Prince bin Talal, evidently the Prince returned to his hotel suite and hurredly packed and left New York. Which makes me wonder: how could he make such an incredibly inept faux pas? Does he understand us so little? I think maybe he does, and he may not be alone. There's a tendency in the world to think of the people of the US as being effete, wordy and perhaps a bit corrupt, willing to do or accept anything for money. In times of peace there is a lot of truth to that, but the flaw is to assume that we cannot be any different. That's merely what we're like when we're relaxed. It's been two generations since the last time that the United States was truly angered, and few left alive recall what that was like. The assumption, I think, was that this was what the US used to be like but no longer is -- which is not true. It is very difficult to anger the people of the US, but once that happens we have always had a steel resolve, and once again that has happened. We can be bought, but only in unimportant ways. There isn't enough money in all of Saudi Arabia to buy the things we think are truly important. Prince bin Talal thought that with a check for $10 million he could purchase a platform to deliver a political statement. I think he was completely surprised when he got told to get stuffed. But a lot of people are going to learn the true character of the United States now.
(discuss)
