It is very heartening to read a lot of reactions to the recent attacks on America. I think malaysiakini has the most lively discussion compared to the mainstream media. That's how it should be, as no one really knows or has the right to answer everything.

MGG Pillai's comments generated the most response, although many did not agree with him but I find him to have taken the more balanced perspective to the whole incident. And just because he has taken a more balanced attitude, he has been interpreted as condoning the attacks.

I think most people, including MGG condemn the attacks as it involved the loss of so many innocent lives, not only Americans but others as well.

What disturbs most people is the way the loss of American lives are highlighted and discussed so thoroughly yet the loss of other lives are somehow pushed and swept aside as not so important.

But then again, if we look back on history, this is what the Americans have always done.

One striking example is the treatment of native Americans by the immigrants to the New World at that time. Native Americans were always portrayed as savages. There have been many battles between the natives and the immigrants, and there were instances when the natives massacred a township of immigrants, including women and children, mainly in retaliation.

You can imagine the response of the leaders at that time - savages have killed our society we must declare war, we will hunt everyone of them 'dead or alive', we will smoke them out of the hole etc...

Were the native Americans savages as they were portrayed or were they the victims of probably the most successful ethnic cleansing in history. History has judged this incident and we know today how badly they were treated and it is impossible to correct it now.

It is too late! In many ways these so-called savage were so much ahead of their time as they were the first people to talk about preserving the environment and how mankind must learn to live with the environment and not destroy each other.

Another example is slavery and the treatment of those African slaves. It took a long and strenuous struggle to overcome this injustice. Again history has made the judgement.

There are other examples which are closer to home, the Vietnam war for instance. The Vietnamese people just wanted what was rightfully theirs and not to take over the whole of Southeast Asia. They had to go to the communists for support to oppose the great superpower. They had no other choice.

Pinochet in Chile, and again, the loss of innocent lives. I am sure we would have heard more about this if only he had been extradited to Spain to face a trial. But this was not to be.

What all these incidents tell us is that the Americans are not always right and it might be too late if we wait for history to deliver its judgement. We should look at the recent incident in the correct perspective to make a proper decision.

We are told and asked to believe that Taliban and Afghans are evil and they must be taught a lesson. It is either them or us, you must choose sides. No middle path, no negotiation, no mention of solving the root problem.

However, we must give credit to some of the Americans. Even today there are many sane voices but somehow they are shut out. Do we hear of the many anti-war demonstrations taking place in the US and the rest of Europe?

CNN will never feature them, not at the present moment. They are more concerned about mainstream public opinion.

What is needed is for America to put more thought into the whole issue before taking any action and avoid loss of more innocent lives. It might be too late if we again allow history to judge the whole episode.