Cantr Regional Development
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Meh
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XBL
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Well, i dunno how old the book is, probably very old (1994 i think, mabe even older). I've got it with... erm... what's that called in english. Lessons about geographic... when i used www.freetranslation.com, it told me it was "earth realm knowledge"... yea, right... Anyways, we have to do a project, where we have to contact people from other continents. Or at least people that do not live in the European Union.
So I ask you (just to find out what i will get, when we are going to this project for real), how do you think of holland? What's the most famous thing you know about it? And what's the first thing you can think of when you hear Amsterdam...
Everybody may answer it... allthough it doesn't really belong in this topic... sorry
Jochem
So I ask you (just to find out what i will get, when we are going to this project for real), how do you think of holland? What's the most famous thing you know about it? And what's the first thing you can think of when you hear Amsterdam...
Everybody may answer it... allthough it doesn't really belong in this topic... sorry
Jochem
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rklenseth
- Posts: 4736
- Joined: Fri Aug 22, 2003 12:46 am
I think of Holland of being a small country that was once big in shipbuilding and seafaring. The Famous thing that comes to mind for me are their dams. When I think of Amsterdam, right away, I think of the sex capitol of the world.
Anyways, back to who is an American. A scientific definition of what an American is would be that they are an American Citizen but I'm not asking for that. I'm asking in a sense what makes an American. Their ideals, their lifestyle, their ethnicity. In other words, their identity. What makes them who they are and what they are?
I think Americans have a lot of knowledge. I take you have never been to America nor really met an American other than stupid tourists.
About those so called horror stories you have heard about the American courts, I believe they are untrue. American public servants see their job as an honor and privelege. Many of these people are in there as public defenders because their ancestors had done the same. I'm sure there are always those that don't live by honor and their duty but they are few.
I never heard of any law that says America can invade Holland. In fact, I don't think a law exist because it wouldn't be a law. A resolution perhaps allowing the president to attack and even that I can't believe.
Personally, I think the US shold pull out of the UN. The UN is nothing but a refuge for dictators and mass murderers. Furthermore, the UN is just another League of Nations that thinks it is powerful. The UN will far apart and I for one won't be sad to see it go. I would support an organization that invloved the real democratic nations of the world. I think things would start to get done. Plus the only real reason why the UN was created was to prevent a war between American and USSR during the Cold War. It gave a place for American and the USSR to get together and come to compromise to prevent war. Now that the USSR is gone, the UN has become a disfunctional organization that doesn't even back up its own resolutions that they create. In other words, they speak loudly and carry no stick.
And reason why we care for more ourselves than the rest of the world is because we are the refuge of the rest of world. We are the people no one wanted or was trying to get rid. Many of our ancestors came to America to build their own country and a new home because the rest of the world did not care about us. When America won the revolution and create the republic, most of the world thought that it wouldn't last but ten years. They kept saying that every decade and they thought they were finally right when the American Civil War broke out but unlike other civil wars, our civil war only made us stronger and more united than we were before. We went from there to keep building this nation stronger and this nation is base solely on change. American Culture has changed more times in 200 years than has China in a thousand. In World War I, when the Americans entered the war and the Germans had heard about many of the German generals laughed at us. Their laughter choked them when the Americans said fuck sitting in a trench and charged the German lines and drove them from the doorstep of Paris all the way back to the Rhine. The Spanish had done the same about 15 years early but they stopped laughing long before the Germans after the Rough Riders, Buffalo Soldiers, and other American forces crushed the Spanish in Cuba. Hitler also laughed when he declared war on the Americans (because we declared war on Japan after Pearl Harbor). It is safe to say that he isn't laughing anymore and thank God for that. We built everything here on our sweat and blood and never complained once about the rest of the world but we did take action when the rest of world stepped on our toes. Europe and most of the rest of world complains now that we don't share enough, that we don't do enough and when we do do something they complain about it. America at the end of World War II spilled billions of dollars into Europe to rebuild from the war's devastation as well as protect their weak democracies from being overrun by the Soviets. We have forgiven those debts as well as any that were owed during World War II. The Europeans still have to forgive the debts owed to them by us but I guess that will never happen. When a natural diaster occurs anywhere in the world, America sends money and aid to that country to rebuild and recover from such a thing. When a tornado wipes out whole communities, or when a hurricane slams our coasts, or when a earthquake brings down our home, or a flood washes them away where are the Europeans or the rest of world then. I have never seen or heard of one instance and if I am wrong, I hope you will bring it to my attention. But Americans rebuild everything. We have no choice but we are use to tragedy. Living on frontiers have made us hardened though we are still the most compassionate people on Earth. We have had our times where we should be ashamed of as does anyone but we try, no, strive everyday to make ourselves better. I'm sure America would be more than happy to give up their status as a world power. We don't want it. All we want is to protect our interests and unlike some people will not wait around until our enemies occupy our country. We would prefer if the rest of the world was to leave us alone and we could if we wanted to live without the rest of world. But alas, the rest of world does not give us the chance to do this. We Americans have no homes but the ones we built here with our own hands and if we sound proud of it then you didn't mishear because we are pretty damn proud of ourselves. And you can be sure that Americans will defend their homes at any cost. Don't think because of Vietnam that we are afraid to fight. We aren't afraid to defend our homes or go to war over them. I think it is that kind of pride that makes us look arrogant to foreigners.
Anyways, I would like to know why most Europeans believe it is an insult to call Americans cowboy. I would just like to let them know that Americans don't consider it an insult. Cowboys were trustworthy, loyal, and honorable men. They led cows or other herds across a frontier full of dangers. Some would say they are like the herders of ancient times that are revered during those times as cowboys were during the Wild West. They were always the best damn gunsmen and horsemen than anywhere in the world. They lived off the land and had no boundaries other than the horizon. Next time before you call an American a cowboy remember that Americans don't consider that an insult so there is no real point in calling us that unless you want to compliment us.
I'm done for now.
Anyways, back to who is an American. A scientific definition of what an American is would be that they are an American Citizen but I'm not asking for that. I'm asking in a sense what makes an American. Their ideals, their lifestyle, their ethnicity. In other words, their identity. What makes them who they are and what they are?
I think Americans have a lot of knowledge. I take you have never been to America nor really met an American other than stupid tourists.
About those so called horror stories you have heard about the American courts, I believe they are untrue. American public servants see their job as an honor and privelege. Many of these people are in there as public defenders because their ancestors had done the same. I'm sure there are always those that don't live by honor and their duty but they are few.
I never heard of any law that says America can invade Holland. In fact, I don't think a law exist because it wouldn't be a law. A resolution perhaps allowing the president to attack and even that I can't believe.
Personally, I think the US shold pull out of the UN. The UN is nothing but a refuge for dictators and mass murderers. Furthermore, the UN is just another League of Nations that thinks it is powerful. The UN will far apart and I for one won't be sad to see it go. I would support an organization that invloved the real democratic nations of the world. I think things would start to get done. Plus the only real reason why the UN was created was to prevent a war between American and USSR during the Cold War. It gave a place for American and the USSR to get together and come to compromise to prevent war. Now that the USSR is gone, the UN has become a disfunctional organization that doesn't even back up its own resolutions that they create. In other words, they speak loudly and carry no stick.
And reason why we care for more ourselves than the rest of the world is because we are the refuge of the rest of world. We are the people no one wanted or was trying to get rid. Many of our ancestors came to America to build their own country and a new home because the rest of the world did not care about us. When America won the revolution and create the republic, most of the world thought that it wouldn't last but ten years. They kept saying that every decade and they thought they were finally right when the American Civil War broke out but unlike other civil wars, our civil war only made us stronger and more united than we were before. We went from there to keep building this nation stronger and this nation is base solely on change. American Culture has changed more times in 200 years than has China in a thousand. In World War I, when the Americans entered the war and the Germans had heard about many of the German generals laughed at us. Their laughter choked them when the Americans said fuck sitting in a trench and charged the German lines and drove them from the doorstep of Paris all the way back to the Rhine. The Spanish had done the same about 15 years early but they stopped laughing long before the Germans after the Rough Riders, Buffalo Soldiers, and other American forces crushed the Spanish in Cuba. Hitler also laughed when he declared war on the Americans (because we declared war on Japan after Pearl Harbor). It is safe to say that he isn't laughing anymore and thank God for that. We built everything here on our sweat and blood and never complained once about the rest of the world but we did take action when the rest of world stepped on our toes. Europe and most of the rest of world complains now that we don't share enough, that we don't do enough and when we do do something they complain about it. America at the end of World War II spilled billions of dollars into Europe to rebuild from the war's devastation as well as protect their weak democracies from being overrun by the Soviets. We have forgiven those debts as well as any that were owed during World War II. The Europeans still have to forgive the debts owed to them by us but I guess that will never happen. When a natural diaster occurs anywhere in the world, America sends money and aid to that country to rebuild and recover from such a thing. When a tornado wipes out whole communities, or when a hurricane slams our coasts, or when a earthquake brings down our home, or a flood washes them away where are the Europeans or the rest of world then. I have never seen or heard of one instance and if I am wrong, I hope you will bring it to my attention. But Americans rebuild everything. We have no choice but we are use to tragedy. Living on frontiers have made us hardened though we are still the most compassionate people on Earth. We have had our times where we should be ashamed of as does anyone but we try, no, strive everyday to make ourselves better. I'm sure America would be more than happy to give up their status as a world power. We don't want it. All we want is to protect our interests and unlike some people will not wait around until our enemies occupy our country. We would prefer if the rest of the world was to leave us alone and we could if we wanted to live without the rest of world. But alas, the rest of world does not give us the chance to do this. We Americans have no homes but the ones we built here with our own hands and if we sound proud of it then you didn't mishear because we are pretty damn proud of ourselves. And you can be sure that Americans will defend their homes at any cost. Don't think because of Vietnam that we are afraid to fight. We aren't afraid to defend our homes or go to war over them. I think it is that kind of pride that makes us look arrogant to foreigners.
Anyways, I would like to know why most Europeans believe it is an insult to call Americans cowboy. I would just like to let them know that Americans don't consider it an insult. Cowboys were trustworthy, loyal, and honorable men. They led cows or other herds across a frontier full of dangers. Some would say they are like the herders of ancient times that are revered during those times as cowboys were during the Wild West. They were always the best damn gunsmen and horsemen than anywhere in the world. They lived off the land and had no boundaries other than the horizon. Next time before you call an American a cowboy remember that Americans don't consider that an insult so there is no real point in calling us that unless you want to compliment us.
I'm done for now.
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swymir
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Pirate Lass
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My ribs hurt just thinking about ti again.-
Jos Elkink
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About the Netherlands (I refuse to use the name Holland, since I am not from that province): the text really is not that bad, I think 
... The fact that there is still place to live and the Netherlands is not full, does not mean it is not densily populated, which the text says ... The fact that most area has been freed for farmers is also true, even though parts are used for cities and industry. There's nothing wrong with farmers, you know 
... And the dikes still protect for floods. The fact that the last disaster was in 1953 (forgetting the river problems a couple of years ago) means that the dikes do a good job, not that they are not important anymore ... So, I really don't see that many problems with the textbook.
I notice here, now that I am living abroad and meeting a lot of foreigners, that people have strong associations between the Netherlands and drugs. The Netherlands = Amsterdam = drugs and Red Light District. Some don't even believe that I never used drugs, or that none of my friends ever did ... I don't really care, though. It is true after all that we have rather liberal drug policies and that postitution is accepted as a legal occupation, and I am proud of those laws ...
I did not want to get into the Americans debate, as it is most about prejudices anyway, and if America is one thing, is it diverse, so it is almost impossible to speak about Americans without falling into unfair prejudices traps, but I cannot but respond to Richards text, at least briefly: to what extent does this American history you describe still influence American attitudes. I mean, thinking of yourself as 'building our homes with our hands' and being refugees etc. really sounds a bit arrogant to me, especially if you consider that people that live in the US these days probably did as little work to build their houses as contemporary people in Europe. In Europe there are also a lot of refugees .. Hugenots in the Netherlands, for example, or if you go far enough back, you'll probably find whole populations moving from one area to the other. Does that make contemporary Europeans refugees? The same holds for the Americans - they might descend from refugees, but it is now generations later, and one should respect their ancestors, not take their effort as one of their own. If you see my point.
If you describe Americans as those people fighting for their ideals against this bad outside world, you simply confirm all those prejudices about the Americans.
... The fact that there is still place to live and the Netherlands is not full, does not mean it is not densily populated, which the text says ... The fact that most area has been freed for farmers is also true, even though parts are used for cities and industry. There's nothing wrong with farmers, you know ... And the dikes still protect for floods. The fact that the last disaster was in 1953 (forgetting the river problems a couple of years ago) means that the dikes do a good job, not that they are not important anymore ... So, I really don't see that many problems with the textbook.
I notice here, now that I am living abroad and meeting a lot of foreigners, that people have strong associations between the Netherlands and drugs. The Netherlands = Amsterdam = drugs and Red Light District. Some don't even believe that I never used drugs, or that none of my friends ever did
... I don't really care, though. It is true after all that we have rather liberal drug policies and that postitution is accepted as a legal occupation, and I am proud of those laws ...
I did not want to get into the Americans debate, as it is most about prejudices anyway, and if America is one thing, is it diverse, so it is almost impossible to speak about Americans without falling into unfair prejudices traps, but I cannot but respond to Richards text, at least briefly: to what extent does this American history you describe still influence American attitudes. I mean, thinking of yourself as 'building our homes with our hands' and being refugees etc. really sounds a bit arrogant to me, especially if you consider that people that live in the US these days probably did as little work to build their houses as contemporary people in Europe. In Europe there are also a lot of refugees .. Hugenots in the Netherlands, for example, or if you go far enough back, you'll probably find whole populations moving from one area to the other. Does that make contemporary Europeans refugees? The same holds for the Americans - they might descend from refugees, but it is now generations later, and one should respect their ancestors, not take their effort as one of their own. If you see my point.
If you describe Americans as those people fighting for their ideals against this bad outside world, you simply confirm all those prejudices about the Americans.
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Meh
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Pirog
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- Location: Gothenburg, Sweden
rklenseth>
Really now...that was more than a little arrogant.
Let's break it down in fractions...
The world wars>
It is kind of tragic that you Americans have been taught that you were the sole saviors in the wars, when you have been so incredibly dependant on others.
(And here comes the irony of you Americans back-talking the French for being cowards and so on, since you probably still would have been a part of the British Empire if the French hadn't helped you in your liberation war...so saving the French from the Nazis should just be considered pay back really.)
American troops in WW1 faced opponents who were weakened and tired of fighting without gaining more than metres while facing heavy losses.
Don't for a second think that you would have driven the germans back like that if you had been on the frontiers from the beginning.
You were really a helping hand in the end, but England and France were the ones who stopped the germans with their blood and sweat.
The same thing happened in WW2.
You Americans were kicking back, making HUGE money on selling war suplies to the desperate countries who tried to defend themselves against the Germans.
You wouldn't even had entered the war unless the Japanese had attacked you and the Germans started to torpedoe your supply ships.
The D-day was a huge historical event, but it wasn't in any way the Americans that saved Europe from the nazis...the heroic charge against Germany was not a fight against the nazis, it was a desperate attempt to stop the Russians from liberating Europe and thus spreading communism.
I'm seeing all this very objective, since I'm from Sweden...and we really didn't do shit in any of the wars.
About America as a country>
First of all...making yourselves victims by saying you were outcasts from Europe and so on kind of loses it's purpose when you consider that you guys stole the land from the native Americans.
You haven't founded your homes on the sweat and tears of hard labor...it is on the blood and corpses of native Americans, who were either tricked from their lands or killed.
(And this isn't a anti-American thing, because this started back when you were still technically Europeans...this is just a correction.)
I also can't figure out how you can say that you Americans are always on the frontier...you live very isolated on your continent and when you wage war against other countries there has NEVER been battles on American soil...
About my knowledge of Americans>
It is true that I haven't been in USA myself, but many of my friends and relatives have been there, so thru them I have a pretty good insight.
(I also have some close friends who are American citizens.)
About American vs European foreign aid>
You are actually saying that you in America aren't aware of other countries helping out during catastrohies and so on?!?
You Americans are often on the location first, mainly because you have military bases all over the world, thus giving you a "head start" in setting up functioning communications and so on, but you are in no way alone in helping the rest of the world...or even dominant in that help, if you put your foreign aid in comparison to your economy and population size.
A lot of the American foreign aid is also very shady...like sending genetically altered seeds to starving Africans, and when they plant that seed in their fields they have to buy additional seeds from you, since it is changed so that the crops only grow for one year...and that is a way of making these poor countries dependant of you forever, not a very noble thing.
Fact is, many African countries (like Zimbabwe) are refusing to use the aid you send, since they are scared of American agricultural corporations taking total control over their food production.
(The support from Europe is accepted, since it is not altered.)
Really now...that was more than a little arrogant.
Let's break it down in fractions...
The world wars>
It is kind of tragic that you Americans have been taught that you were the sole saviors in the wars, when you have been so incredibly dependant on others.
(And here comes the irony of you Americans back-talking the French for being cowards and so on, since you probably still would have been a part of the British Empire if the French hadn't helped you in your liberation war...so saving the French from the Nazis should just be considered pay back really.)
American troops in WW1 faced opponents who were weakened and tired of fighting without gaining more than metres while facing heavy losses.
Don't for a second think that you would have driven the germans back like that if you had been on the frontiers from the beginning.
You were really a helping hand in the end, but England and France were the ones who stopped the germans with their blood and sweat.
The same thing happened in WW2.
You Americans were kicking back, making HUGE money on selling war suplies to the desperate countries who tried to defend themselves against the Germans.
You wouldn't even had entered the war unless the Japanese had attacked you and the Germans started to torpedoe your supply ships.
The D-day was a huge historical event, but it wasn't in any way the Americans that saved Europe from the nazis...the heroic charge against Germany was not a fight against the nazis, it was a desperate attempt to stop the Russians from liberating Europe and thus spreading communism.
I'm seeing all this very objective, since I'm from Sweden...and we really didn't do shit in any of the wars.
About America as a country>
First of all...making yourselves victims by saying you were outcasts from Europe and so on kind of loses it's purpose when you consider that you guys stole the land from the native Americans.
You haven't founded your homes on the sweat and tears of hard labor...it is on the blood and corpses of native Americans, who were either tricked from their lands or killed.
(And this isn't a anti-American thing, because this started back when you were still technically Europeans...this is just a correction.)
I also can't figure out how you can say that you Americans are always on the frontier...you live very isolated on your continent and when you wage war against other countries there has NEVER been battles on American soil...
About my knowledge of Americans>
It is true that I haven't been in USA myself, but many of my friends and relatives have been there, so thru them I have a pretty good insight.
(I also have some close friends who are American citizens.)
About American vs European foreign aid>
You are actually saying that you in America aren't aware of other countries helping out during catastrohies and so on?!?
You Americans are often on the location first, mainly because you have military bases all over the world, thus giving you a "head start" in setting up functioning communications and so on, but you are in no way alone in helping the rest of the world...or even dominant in that help, if you put your foreign aid in comparison to your economy and population size.
A lot of the American foreign aid is also very shady...like sending genetically altered seeds to starving Africans, and when they plant that seed in their fields they have to buy additional seeds from you, since it is changed so that the crops only grow for one year...and that is a way of making these poor countries dependant of you forever, not a very noble thing.
Fact is, many African countries (like Zimbabwe) are refusing to use the aid you send, since they are scared of American agricultural corporations taking total control over their food production.
(The support from Europe is accepted, since it is not altered.)
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Pirog
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- Location: Gothenburg, Sweden
I want to point out that I have nothing against ordinary American citizens.
You aren't aware of the manipulation from your government.
But I really hate the way USA as a country acts against the rest of the world...it is really disgracing.
And I'm not saying that Europe is perfect...we have a really dark background in the colonialistic era and have built our fortune on weaker countries suffering, but we have learned a lot from old mistakes and it is a pain seeing USA acting in the same way as Europe did during those dark times...
You aren't aware of the manipulation from your government.
But I really hate the way USA as a country acts against the rest of the world...it is really disgracing.
And I'm not saying that Europe is perfect...we have a really dark background in the colonialistic era and have built our fortune on weaker countries suffering, but we have learned a lot from old mistakes and it is a pain seeing USA acting in the same way as Europe did during those dark times...
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Pirog
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- Location: Gothenburg, Sweden
**Why the rest if the world see Americans as arrogant **
The fact that a huge amount of people around the world dislikes the way USA is acting should be obvious to all.
You wrote some stuff about that, but here MY reason:
When you Americans are confronting this very problem you don't stop up and ask yourselves "I wonder what it is we are doing that is causing this much hate?"...you just think "What the F*UCK is their problem?" or dismiss the whole thing by saying that the hatred depends on people being jealous. (This is very obvious in American minds, that they think that eveyone on this planet secretly wants to be an American...)
During the war against the talibans in Afghanistan...or was it Iraq? (I wonder why the American government is so very concerned with saving people who live in countries with enormous oil deposits?) there was an interview with ordinary Americans on their feelings about the war.
One of the interviewed said "if they kill 10.000 of our people, we should respond with killing 100.000 of theirs!"
And the scariest thing wasn't that an idiot like that can say such a thing even in front of the camera...it was that the people around him (he was in some sort of a bar or restaurant) nodded their heads in agreement.
The fact that a huge amount of people around the world dislikes the way USA is acting should be obvious to all.
You wrote some stuff about that, but here MY reason:
When you Americans are confronting this very problem you don't stop up and ask yourselves "I wonder what it is we are doing that is causing this much hate?"...you just think "What the F*UCK is their problem?" or dismiss the whole thing by saying that the hatred depends on people being jealous. (This is very obvious in American minds, that they think that eveyone on this planet secretly wants to be an American...)
During the war against the talibans in Afghanistan...or was it Iraq? (I wonder why the American government is so very concerned with saving people who live in countries with enormous oil deposits?) there was an interview with ordinary Americans on their feelings about the war.
One of the interviewed said "if they kill 10.000 of our people, we should respond with killing 100.000 of theirs!"
And the scariest thing wasn't that an idiot like that can say such a thing even in front of the camera...it was that the people around him (he was in some sort of a bar or restaurant) nodded their heads in agreement.
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Meh
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Meh
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Thomas Pickert
- Programmer Emeritus
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Ok, before this develops further into an Europe vs. America gang war, I'll put an end to this. This forum is named General Discussion, but related to Cantr. And no, this won't go further in the forum Non-Cantr-related discussion either.
If you want to discuss how democracy in the US and democracy in European countries differ, that's fine. But there won't be any 'You are biased!', 'No, YOU are biased!, 'NO, YOU ARE BIASED!' battle here.
If anyone wants to continue that, do it via mail.
If you want to discuss how democracy in the US and democracy in European countries differ, that's fine. But there won't be any 'You are biased!', 'No, YOU are biased!, 'NO, YOU ARE BIASED!' battle here.
If anyone wants to continue that, do it via mail.
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Meh
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rklenseth
- Posts: 4736
- Joined: Fri Aug 22, 2003 12:46 am
Pirog wrote:rklenseth>
Really now...that was more than a little arrogant.
Let's break it down in fractions...
The world wars>
It is kind of tragic that you Americans have been taught that you were the sole saviors in the wars, when you have been so incredibly dependant on others.
(And here comes the irony of you Americans back-talking the French for being cowards and so on, since you probably still would have been a part of the British Empire if the French hadn't helped you in your liberation war...so saving the French from the Nazis should just be considered pay back really.)
American troops in WW1 faced opponents who were weakened and tired of fighting without gaining more than metres while facing heavy losses.
Don't for a second think that you would have driven the germans back like that if you had been on the frontiers from the beginning.
You were really a helping hand in the end, but England and France were the ones who stopped the germans with their blood and sweat.
The same thing happened in WW2.
You Americans were kicking back, making HUGE money on selling war suplies to the desperate countries who tried to defend themselves against the Germans.
You wouldn't even had entered the war unless the Japanese had attacked you and the Germans started to torpedoe your supply ships.
The D-day was a huge historical event, but it wasn't in any way the Americans that saved Europe from the nazis...the heroic charge against Germany was not a fight against the nazis, it was a desperate attempt to stop the Russians from liberating Europe and thus spreading communism.
I'm seeing all this very objective, since I'm from Sweden...and we really didn't do shit in any of the wars.
About America as a country>
First of all...making yourselves victims by saying you were outcasts from Europe and so on kind of loses it's purpose when you consider that you guys stole the land from the native Americans.
You haven't founded your homes on the sweat and tears of hard labor...it is on the blood and corpses of native Americans, who were either tricked from their lands or killed.
(And this isn't a anti-American thing, because this started back when you were still technically Europeans...this is just a correction.)
I also can't figure out how you can say that you Americans are always on the frontier...you live very isolated on your continent and when you wage war against other countries there has NEVER been battles on American soil...
About my knowledge of Americans>
It is true that I haven't been in USA myself, but many of my friends and relatives have been there, so thru them I have a pretty good insight.
(I also have some close friends who are American citizens.)
About American vs European foreign aid>
You are actually saying that you in America aren't aware of other countries helping out during catastrohies and so on?!?
You Americans are often on the location first, mainly because you have military bases all over the world, thus giving you a "head start" in setting up functioning communications and so on, but you are in no way alone in helping the rest of the world...or even dominant in that help, if you put your foreign aid in comparison to your economy and population size.
A lot of the American foreign aid is also very shady...like sending genetically altered seeds to starving Africans, and when they plant that seed in their fields they have to buy additional seeds from you, since it is changed so that the crops only grow for one year...and that is a way of making these poor countries dependant of you forever, not a very noble thing.
Fact is, many African countries (like Zimbabwe) are refusing to use the aid you send, since they are scared of American agricultural corporations taking total control over their food production.
(The support from Europe is accepted, since it is not altered.)
World War II>
You're wrong. If the American hadn't entered World War II then Europe would be under Hitler's regime right now. It was the Americans who sold our military and food supplies to Britian so that they could survive the siege they were under. And at that moment in time we were in a depression. If President Franklin Roosevelt had decided to enter World War II before we were attacked than this country would have broken out in riots. Some would say that FDR knew that Pearl Harbor was going to happen and thus allowed so he would have a good reason to enter war. And I'm sure Hitler's armies were not weakened and if America hadn't entered World War II then Hitler could concentrate his forces in Russia and then the Russians would have been crushed. It was because of the Americans opening up a two front war that (actually three front; Russia in the east, France in the west, Africa in the south into southern Europe by D-Day) made Hitler have to concentrate his forces in other places. The British had their hands in things and help greatly in this effort but it was mostly Americans forces that were involved. And your thing about Americans being afraid of Communism taking over Europe has no evidence to support that. The Russians were hunkered down in Leningrad and Stalingrad when the Americans entered and were barely surviving. Plus why did we let the Russians take over Berlin if we were so afraid of a communist take over? We let them take Berlin because it meant less forces lost on the American and British side than on the Russian side.
World War I>
The Germans were on the doorstep of Paris when the Americans came. Actually I believe it was the Americans that rallied the French and the British who were just routed when the Americans got there. The Germans were also better armed, better equiped, more of them, and better fed compare to the Americans. All of military logic said that Germans should have easily defeated the 100,000 American Soldiers set over. But they didn't. And the Americans charged through the German lines and pushed all the way to the Rhine.
French and the American Revolution>
The only reason why the French did anything during our revolution was because they hated the British and wanted to do anything that would hurt them. And the French did not do much. They sent over 'some' military advisors but most of them would have come over anyways whether or not the French sent. They also sent some of their navy that was able to blockade Yorktown to keep General Cornwallis from escaping by the sea. But by that time the British were defeated and were more concerned with fighting wars in Europe then worrying about the Americans. The British ended the war because it was costing them more to fight it than they were making there. Plus most of their troops were in Europe fighting wars there so they couldn't send any reinforcements to their defeated forces in America. So by the time the French did anything the war was pretty much over. Plus if we repaid any debt to them for the Revolution than we repaid it during World War I and we didn't have to coem for World War II.
Native Americans>
I'll admit that some of the land was taken from the Native Americans and the atrocities were wrong. As I said before that some of my ancestors did things that I am ashamed of but those were my ancestors and not me. Since then the Federal Government has paid back for these crimes. Much of the Native American ancestral land has been given back where they now build huge casinos and make billions of dollars. I think much of what happened to the the Native Americans has since been paid back.
America>
America has always been on the frontier. We tamed a wild land. The West was once lawless but that was tamed. Most of my ancestors live in the wilderness and that has been tamed. Much of Americans of the past lived dangerous lives to stay alive and to provide for their families. The most devastating war in American History was fought on American soil. I think that is why Americans don't ever to have a war here because they know what will happen. And Pearl Harbor was fought on American soil and over 2,000 Americans died there.
Foreign Aid>
I know other countries contribute to foreign aid in foreign countries but never to America. When was the last time that foreign aid came for when tornadoes, hurricanes, flooding, blizzards, and earthquakes came and destroyed parts of America. If there has, I have never heard of it. Our food is genetically altered so that it can grow faster, grown with more nutritions and grown to be more healthy. If you think it is a plot by Americans so that people are dependent upon us than you got to be crazy. As I said before, America doesn't want to be a world power and would much rather be isolated from the rest of the world. The only problem is that after World War II there were only two world powers, the US and the USSR, and America could not allow democracy to vanish from most of the rest of world because of Stalin and his evil empire. Since those days now all the rest of the world expects to be the world power whether or not we want. 9/11 taught us that people hate us for our ideals and who we are. I believe in going after those that would do harm to America and I think its about time that it is done. Afghanistan and Irag have been freed though they still have great hardships to under go. America wasn't built in a day. But now Saddam is on the run, Osama is on the run, and the Taliban is on the run. I think the same will happen to Iran but through American hands because many Iranians want to have a free and democratice government and see now that it could be possible. And when Americans wage war today we do it by going out of our to not to harm innocent people. Mistakes still happen and many of these dicators and regimes use their people as human shields. But America is the first nation to go out of its way not to kill innocent people in war and have developed technology to do this.
And maybe being arrogant is an American trait.
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