Bill Sykes' Newsletter
from America.
(November 2002)
An ex-Brit gives his views-(without fear
or favor)---of the American Scene
Different subject.
Another letter comes to mind, on a different but enlightening
subject never the less.
I think that this letter is possible in reply to a subject
that I introduced dealing with certain cases of American
arrogance and corrupt corporate practices.
John writes from Canada.
 The
September 11th 2001 terrorist actions on American soil have
coined the phrase, “The world will never be the same
again”. American arrogance in the form of their media
has propagated the continuous portrayal of this event to
such an extent that it will remain long after the American
people have placed the terrible events of that day into
some appropriate context which can relate to the sad and
joyous events of mortal life.
I am fully aware of the 3,000 people, American and other
nationalities, who lost their lives in this terrible event
but find it pointless in trying to come up with some ranking
of horror based upon numbers, degree of cruelty, or intent.
 I
would like for the readers to recall a disaster that struck
the city of Bhopal, (a city in central India---Capital of
Madhyya Pradesh State), where, in December 1984 a deadly
cloud of methyl isocyanate gas leaked from a chemical plant
causing the worst industrial accident in history and the
deaths of 3,300 people. I question the number of American
people that realize, and remember that the chemical plant
where the disaster occurred was financed by an American
corporation. The American Company, which was charged with
lack of responsibility for what was stated to be poor building
code practices, and inadequate safety precautions, tried
to avoid responsibility and the payment of reasonable compensation
to the bereaved. In 1989 after five years of litigation
the American company agreed to pay the Indian Government
a sum of $470M in return for the Indian Government dropping
criminal charges against the company and its former chairman.
Perhaps this is one instance of American arrogance that
went astray.
On a different subject, the new laws that have been instituted
by the American Government since the September 11th terrorist
actions have stripped away the rights and privacy which
the American people have enjoyed for over two hundred years,
so perhaps it is time for the American public to look at
what is happening at home before starting a war with some
other country in order to satisfy the paranoia of a President
and his hawkish supporters.
.John.
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