"From the gut (and the heart)" Editorials by Paul Olivier European Wining! The complains and objections as expressed by European groups and individuals, in particular from Great Britain are annoying, but should not divert the work at hand for US Government, at Guantanamo or anywhere in the World. Understanding who and why are wining should help to motivate rejection of these objections, without just ignoring. The objections of prisoner (detainees) treatment are not welling up just from the Europeans, they too come from the idealistic dreaming and also of a decadent segment of American society, the elitist Left Coast journalists and the from reality removed clergy or the with self (group) interest motivated (Arab-Muslim) discrimination screaming. It is also characteristic for the soft hearted, such as soccer mams and in particular inexperienced youth who have not any tested view of what life and the World are about. There are also different motivations according the group the objections derive from.  These divisions are pretty well universal for the Western World. Young people have political reason such as to get attention, being counted, to become known and standing out among their peers, mixed with their fill of idealism of youth;  a large number might have gotten their ideas influenced by educators with particular political views.  These views are not always positive and helpful for developing open-mindedness.  From these circles develop also the so called human rights advocates or political activists. For the Europeans there are some other conditions causing this sense of cultural superior authority of what is humane treatment. Traveling the World is supposed to open the mind. But although traveling has exponentially increased for residents of the Western World after WW2, for most of the European public, it is limited to a small number of times during during their lifetime. And this travels are mostly only to civilized parts of the World. Vacation to Italy or Spain, a cruise in the Caribbean,  The European nations are from the viewpoint of civilization quite homogeneous, even though they might have different languages. Religion is a important factor. Achievements in all forms of art and culture where appreciated whether in own or other country. Some countries have been handicapped by Nationalistic chauvinism for their language, as strongly for France, Germany and Spain. But it did not diminish the appreciation for artists, architects literati's, from any of the Old World countries. The America's are not that homogeneous. US citizen might think they live in the most civilized nation. They need to take a second look at multy culturalism and sub cultures they accept, just as ignorant Europeans accepted Marxist Communism as just an other political system and not as the evil of the Twentieth Century, with its killing of 30 to 60 million of its own subjects, worse than National Socialism of Germany did to other peoples. Borrowing from Marxist dialectics the term bourgeoisie (as the term "capitalism" is; we should always use the words "free enterprise"), the bourgeoisie of Europe has groups in their own society, much less contact with lesser civilized cultures, (in the US called communities) and minimal interaction with subcultures and criminal groups; they experience decadence, just like we in the the US. What is different for the US? The American bourgeoisie "sails among the islands" of more or less cultural primitive groups, interacts when it is required and is coerced, by action groups and law to tolerate this multy culturalism. They know at least from experience decadence as well as degrees of barbarism. The Europeans in general, have no clear and objective qualifications for judging the save management of captured suicidal fanatics of the Al Qaeda Taliban sort. Not while they are wearing the rosy colored glass spectacles of their gentle Christian culture, being no match for the realities of the Middle Eastern danger. They need to understand that the World is still a place with very dangerous uncivilized individuals and groups. And It was not their homestead that was attacked on 9/11/2001. Email Paul Your Comments Past Editorials   Date