Yes, negative jibes don't help. Governments have to do their best. 9/11 was an awful attrocity and that should not be forgotten either. Long live free speech
From what I see here and elsewhere most Americans are nice decent people. My only complaint is that a lot of you seem to equate disagreement with enmity. A lot of the so-called "US-bashing" is just expressing a different point of view about world events and about what causes them.
I read posts here that disagree with US policy and I see Americans saying that the authors are "pink" or "red" or supporters of Osama or of terrorism....simply because they express a different, often thoughtful, point of view.
I read attacks on Michael Moore here (he's only a film-maker after all) which imply he is some kind of antichrist!! He mightn't be the most accurate guy in the world but denigrating him is an easy way out of dealing with the answers to the questions he asks.
"Stanford was founded by railroad magnate and California Governor Leland Stanford and his wife, Jane Stanford. It is named in honor of their only child, Leland Stanford, Jr., who died of typhoid just before his 16th birthday.
The story that a lady in "faded gingham" and a man in a "homespun threadbare suit" went to visit the president of Harvard about making a donation, were rebuffed, and then founded Stanford is untrue. "
You are both right. I think a lot of things would be better if people just READ history a bit. They may interpret it differently but at least they would have some context for things.
I know it wasn't. I was joking you know. It just seemed to me an example of how empires can convince themselves of the rightness of what they choose to do in following their own interests. In the case of Grenada it was just so ridiculous that it damaged the US interests long-term by making them look foolish as well as rapacious. It was shameful to attack a small island like that...it was also a shame.
I'm worried about what "news" says to Americans about what happens abroad. A lot of people here seem to think that the US is a major no-strings giver of aid to the rest of the world. As I understand it that isn't really the case. Where there is aid it has many strings attached that pursue various US policy agendas. Also many other countries - Scandinavian and others, including my own country Ireland - give much more aid per capita and don't have a military agenda behind it. I still think we could all give a lot more.
In truth, the "help, justice, peace and democracy" are all pushed because it is in the US's interests to do so. If tyranny were seen to be in their interests, as in South and Central America from time to time, then that would be pushed too. In fairness, the US are not alone in this approach and I am sure there are far worse offenders. It is silly to pretend it is done out of entirely altruistic motives though!!! Elvis is still the king though. lol
The interesting thing about this debate is that the "American bashers" aren't usually bashing America they are unhappy about the US Government. You might say it is none of our business but if Sweden elects a government we don't like it doesn't affect us too much whereas what Washington does affects us all because you are the only world power at the moment.
It is sad that so much of this debate is conducted in schoolyard terms. Half of the US voted against Bush after all so presumably they would have preferred a different policy and a different approach. It is irritating that many Americans on here seem to think they know best and that nobody else's opinion counts but in fairness that can be said of some of the critics of the US too.
Fallingman Forum Posts (11,436)
RE: What did we do to you?
Yes, negative jibes don't help. Governments have to do their best. 9/11 was an awful attrocity and that should not be forgotten either. Long live free speech