1/4     If Washington wants to boost America's image in the Muslim world, why
        didn't Powell go directly to Indonesia instead of Thailand?  Better
        yet, why didn't Bush send someone higher like Chaney or even go there
        himself?  That would've been a big boost if Bush show himself there
        even if he leaves the real work to someone else.  (The prime minister
        of Singapore went to Indonesia himself, for example, not that
        Singapore has an image problem.)
        \_ Powell got sent because they're building him up for something big
           later on-- it's pretty much the same reason he presided over the
           NYC New Year's Eve apple-dropping.  Thailand is a strong US ally,
           and BushCo have a pattern of recognizing allies first, potential
           allies second; it's their way of rewarding loyalty.
           \_ OK.  I'll bite.  What are they building Powell up big for
              later on?  Is he running for U.S. President in 08?  Or the
              U.N. Secretary General in 06?  I thought Clinton wanted that
              position?
           \_ I'll bite too. What could they build him up for, since he
              has vowed to leave politics?
              \_ Pope.
        \_ Because our image can't be changed in the Muslim world until the
           Mullahs stop preaching hatred of the USA, or the people have enough
           freedom to learn for themselves that we're not the great Satan.
        \_ If Washington wants to change their image in the middle east,
           they should simply not overthrow any more mossadeghs, not
           support israel, and not invade any more iraqs.
           \_ You've never spent much time with Arabs have you?
              \_ You mean "crazed, fundamentalist Arabs". Lots of Arabs
                 are perfectly rational people.
                 \_ In my small experiance, most of the ones who come to
                    the states are perectly rational people.  The ones
                    stuck in fascist hellholes are nuts because all they
                    hear is propoganda 24-7.  It's hard to be rational
                    when your whole life experiance is insane.  That's
                    what I was trying to get at above.
        \_ you forgot that 53% of the Americans don't really care about what
           the world thinks about U.S. Only sissy peacenik gay liberals
           care what other people think about themselves.       -conservative