RE: Third class countries?

From:"Jasper, Thomas"

Very well said, Fred. I happen to have worked with and met some people from
3rd world countries and overall I would say the biggest surprise to most of
them is that we are NOT as portrayed by their governments. By the same token
all Americans do not necessarily agree with foreign policy decisions made by
our government. That is just an example of the beauty of democracy, we can
disagree and freely do so.
I believe Glen Dawson restated a maxim not long ago on this posting about
Americans, "I may not agree with you but I will defend your right to
disagree with me to the end!" That was the jist anyway(sorry if I wasn't
exact Glen)but I digress. The 3rd world people I've been fortunate enough to
meet have all been extremely intelligent, English often being a second or
third language and the reason they were in America was due to this
intelligence. More than a sharing of scientific information with these
people I was fortunate receive unique perspectives on world issues.
The other big surprise to many of these people is that there are poor and
uneducated people in this country, obviously not comparable to other places,
however the streets are not paved with gold and it is not all milk and honey
flowing everywhere. America is not perfect...far from it, but as Fred
pointed out there are a lot of people in this country that give a damn about
the rest of the world that is not so fortunate.
Here's one for the Brits out there too, I've always loved what Winston
Churchill said about democracy, "Indeed it has been said that democracy is
the worst form of government except all those other forms that have been
tried from time to time." I salute people everywhere like Augustin and pray
for their health and prosperity. To work and live as they do takes great
fortitude and dignity!
P.S. to the Brits I love watching your government at work on C-span, it is
totally enlightening and high quality entertainment!
> -----Original Message-----
> From:	Monson, Frederick C. [SMTP:fmonson@wcupa.edu]
> Sent:	Monday, April 29, 2002 12:50 PM
> To:	'=?UNKNOWN?Q?Agust=EDn?= Venzano'
> Cc:	'List-HistoPath'
> Subject:	RE: Third class countries?
> 
> Dear Augustin,
> 
> 	If I remember correctly, when I first learned Cell Biology, it was
> from a "de Robertis", and when I first taught Cell biology, it was again
> with a text by a "de Robertis".  If we do things correctly, we are sad to
> see a neighbor in trouble and hope he survives.  If we do things without
> thinking, sometimes we don't use the best terms to express that concern.  
> 
> 	Most of us in the USA  who are alive have not really experienced a
> day of true want, much less a week or a year, so we tend to be somewhat
> dispassionate about such things.  
> 
> 	The third world may exist, and it may include some of our neighbors,
> but we do not take pleasure or comfort from that.  The biggest surprise I
> had in my life was the outburst of passionate desire for liberty from the
> peoples of the USSR and China barely a decade ago.  After 70 years, one
> thought that such passion would have been eliminated.  It is obvious that
> WE, in the USA, have evolved something,  both politically and economically
> special, that most people in the world would like to emulate in some
> manner
> compatible with their culture and history.  It is unfortunate that so few
> succeed.
> 
> 	We of the USA have made many mistakes while trying to insure the our
> life, liberty and happiness in a world that is 'shrinking' every day.  We
> have power, because sooner or later, every person or group that comes to
> join us gets the opportunity to contribute to and benefit from the system
> of
> government that we have developed.  It is apparent, after two hundred
> years,
> that one reason for our success is that our 'ruling aristocracy' rises
> from
> the people, not the military or the landed rich.   Furthermore, we have
> been
> fortunate that our laws do not permit our military to be used against our
> own people, that in addition to a stabilizing constitution we have a Bill
> of
> Rights that is brief and, for the most part, unassailable.      
> 
> 	Tell us how to get it right, and if we can, we will!  Did you know
> that when I was young, grain sent to Northern African states, like Egypt
> and
> Libya, had the statement "From the People of the United States" removed
> and
> replaced by something that diminished our contribution.  Yet, we continued
> to send the grain.  After we had supported the revolution in Cuba, Castro
> formed a dictatorship.  We have not always been at fault.  How many
> nations
> in trouble have come to us and said, "Help us to get it right"?  Usually
> they say, "Give us the money, and leave us alone!"
> 
> Respectful Regards and a Continuing Wish for Friendship,
> 
> Fred Monson
> 
> Frederick C. Monson, PhD   
> Center for Advanced Scientific Imaging
> Schmucker II Science Center
> West Chester University
> South Church Street and Rosedale
> West Chester, Pennsylvania, USA, 19383
> Phone:  610-738-0437
> FAX:  610-738-0437
> fmonson@wcupa.edu
> CASI URL:  http://darwin.wcupa.edu/casi/
> WCUPA URL:  http://www.wcupa.edu/
> Visitors URL:  http://www.wcupa.edu/_visitors/
> 
> 
> 
> > ----------
> > From: 	=?UNKNOWN?Q?Agust=EDn?= Venzano
> > Sent: 	Monday, April 29, 2002 8:16 AM
> > To: 	HistoNet Server
> > Subject: 	Third class countries?
> > 
> > Dear Histonetters: My dear fatherland, the Argentine Republic, belongs
> to
> > the South American "Third World" a rather despective topic referred to
> in
> > a
> > recent
> > Digest. You are right, we belong to the Third World, but just as to our
> > awful economic status. Don't you ever make the mistake to judge a
> foreign
> > country on the basis of material aspects, leaving aside its human
> being's
> > spiritual value!
> > Many Argentine cytizens are as valuable as First World's people and they
> > are
> > certainly as clever as, or even more intelligent than them!
> > We Argentine researchers form part of the Argentine Republic, so the
> above
> > mentioned principles should be applied to us as well. Do you know what's
> > the
> > major difference between Argentine and American, European or Japanese
> > researchers?
> > Just one= The budget they have at their disposition, including their
> > wages'
> > level. Let's put  forth an example :Our Institute, the National
> Institute
> > of
> > Agricultural Research (INTA) is
> > formed by top level specialists ( Please make a proper interpretation of
> > the
> > term "Specialists" as this one is meant for both scientists and
> technics)
> > in
> > Agronomic,
> > Veterinary, Biological, etc. Sciences. Most of us have achieved a MSc or
> > PhD
> > degree
> > or attended training courses abroad.  All of us do love our job, but due
> > to
> > our spoiled economy
> > the funds of all Argentine federal Institutions such as INTA have been
> > severely restricted,
> > so we often have to perform miracles to carry out our duties. The
> current
> > INTA's budget is hardly enough to pay salaries and basic operating
> > services
> > such as electric power, gas, telephone and Internet. There are no funds
> > for
> > Investigation! All research groups get financial support through
> > cooperation
> > agreements with private companies or with fully developed foreign
> > countries,
> > or
> > instead by performing charged analysis.
> > I'm sure that my country's situation will improve in the future,
> > otherwise all of us should commit suicide! But there are the love of our
> > wives and children, the love of people suffering hunger and misery, the
> > love
> > for our jobs, the love for our fatherland and many other values, which
> > help
> > us keeping up with Argentina's economic disaster.
> > 
> > Sincerely yours Histonetters
> > 
> > Agustin Jose Venzano Halliburton
> > DVM-Pathology Group
> > INTA Castelar, Argentina
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > 




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