The Ticking Bomb

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DATE \ "MMMM d , yyyy " October 11 , 2006

Recipient 's Address Goes Here

AUTOTEXTLIST Dear Mr . Davis

I found myself at turns cheering and booing while reading your piece The Ticking Bomb ' I agree with the underlying premise of the article that the United States is guilty of habitually evaluating all events , people , and circumstances through American eyes however parts of your rhetoric imply that it is the United States alone whose perception is self-centered and /or culturally influenced . This is simply not the case , and

at times the logic you use to support the idea of American-centrism is blatantly flawed

I do agree that the events of September 11 , 2001 represent the most successful act of asymmetrical warfare since the Trojan horse further , I believe the United States should evaluate with great care the degree to which we presume or power and level of safety . We have made this mistake before . The Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor was due , in part , to the United States ' failing to consider two important things its actions (or lack thereof ) as they might be viewed by outside sources , and what might occur based on the impressions those outside sources had of the U .S

Unfortunately , your following up the Trojan horse analysis by implying that individuals who do not posses a passport are somehow less capable of understanding the world is ludicrous . Plenty of worldly ' people lack any sense about cultures that are not their own - travel does not ensure sensitivity and /or good judgment

Wealth may blind people , but again , to act as if having money equates to a lack of

understanding of the plight of others any more than lacking money leads to deep-driven desires of

altruism simply isn 't rational . Wealth is as great a power of good as it is of evil , and while I agree that

far too many wealthy people fail to understand the plight of the poor America cannot be held

responsible for the ills of the less-fortunate throughout the world The money that America possesses

is often the very money that is sent to aid those who despise the United States , but in most cases , even

those who denigrate America for its wealth are happy to accept a small portion of it

The issue of lack of community in the United States is a powerful one and America could certainly stand to comprehend that the destiny of the individual remains inextricably linked to the fate of the collective however , this is another point that is not solely attributable to the United States . Other nations are certainly placing a great emphasis on individual success at the detriment of the collective . China is presently building the kind of nation many of its citizens have dreamed of although , the cost in natural resources , air quality , and cultural degradation is astronomical . North Korea is determined to produce , test , and possess nuclear arms , and it seems that no matter the danger and no matter the feelings...