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Will everyone please stop with the blind Anti-Americanism? |
scotsboyuk
Joined: Jun 02, 2003
Posts: > 500
From: UK
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@Sage
I think your view is somewhat reactionary, but also understandable too. I think the issue can be broken down into the following points;
It does indeed appear fashionable in certain circles to criticise America based upon little or no facts; rather generalisations regarding President Bush, a supposed lack of American culture, alleged stupidity and ignorance, historical U.S. mistakes and opposition to right wing values and beliefs.
There is undeniably a certain degree of arrogance amongst many Americans with regards to their place in the world, namely that America is the centre of it. This isn't an insult, merely an observation through having spent time with a number of Americans. There seems to be a sense of America and its people being somehow better than others. However, having said this, such a sense of superiority is not uncommon. Many 19th century Britons held the view that the British people were somehow chosen to lead the world and that Britain was special, greater than all other nations. To be fair these feelings are often reinforced by world events, Britain was the most powerful nation in the world as America is today, but Britain does also have a very long history of that sort of thing too; that is a long story and it's probably best not to go into it here.
I don't have any particular problem with America or Americans any more than I have a problem with France or Italy or Canada or any other nation. The tendency to blame the world's problems on America is both wrong and foolish; the world's problems are caused by the world's people as a whole, not just America. There was war, famine, disease and religious hatred long before the U.S.A. existed and I am quite sure, sadly, that there will continue to be such problems for some time to come. To imagine that America is somehow responsible for all the world's evils, even most of them, is erroneous; America merely filled a power vacuum at the end of WWII and continued in the same vien as every other world power since recorded history began.
P.S. On the topic of American inventions, most of them would not be possible without earlier British inventions. 
P.P.S. The computer was not invented by an American.
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"I may be drunk my dear woman, but in the morning I will be sober, and you will still be ugly." WSC
[ This Message was edited by: scotsboyuk on 2004-10-17 21:51 ]
[ This Message was edited by: scotsboyuk on 2004-10-17 21:56 ] |
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Sage
Joined: Apr 17, 2003
Posts: 233
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thats why i said computer... So please, stop watching American movies, listening to american music, eating/drinking american food (coke etc.), smoking american cigarettes.
Oh yeah, the LCD screen you are using is an American invention (and i believe the microwave, car and tv are ones too).
[ This Message was edited by: Sage on 2004-10-17 21:52 ] |
scotsboyuk
Joined: Jun 02, 2003
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From: UK
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Quote:
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On 2004-10-17 22:51:10, Sage wrote:
thats why i said computer... So please, stop watching American movies, listening to american music, eating/drinking american food (coke etc.), smoking american cigarettes.
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Is watching British films on the British invented television ok?  Sorry I'm just joshing with you, but this is rather fun.
"I may be drunk my dear woman, but in the morning I will be sober, and you will still be ugly." WSC |
Vlammetje
Joined: Mar 01, 2003
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From: Den Haag
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i fail to see why somebody who is interested (or was interested) in knowing what ppl may have against his nation, gets to order around citizens of other countires not to use any stuff made in the USA.
If none of us did use any american stuff my dear Sage, do you realize where that will leave your economy? And therefore... you? 
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Sage
Joined: Apr 17, 2003
Posts: 233
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tv wasnt british or american made. Somewhat internationally made i just looked it up:
inventors.about.com/library/ inventors/bl_television_timeline.htm
and thats fine. BUT WHAT ABOUT URE CHAIR?!?!?! lol
@ Vlam
I live in Paris/Geneva (i move around). lol. And I'm just saying, if he thunks wE Rz Os StUpiD he shouldn't be using/consuming our stuff.
Anyway, do you know what would happen if America would collapse? Do you realise in what kind of a state the world would be in? There would be a pretty huge recession.
[ This Message was edited by: Sage on 2004-10-17 21:57 ]
[ This Message was edited by: Sage on 2004-10-17 21:59 ] |
scotsboyuk
Joined: Jun 02, 2003
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@Sage
I was being sarcastic. (I don't think we invented that either, but we do use it a lot. )
Chair? What about the measurements of the tracks on the vehicle that transports the space shuttle to the launch pad, you have the Romans to thank for that!
"I may be drunk my dear woman, but in the morning I will be sober, and you will still be ugly." WSC |
Vlammetje
Joined: Mar 01, 2003
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From: Den Haag
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Travel 5 hours northwards my friend and you will find recession anyway 
So far we've doen pretty good at killing locql economies without much help from the americans in that way...
Oh wait! I forgot the JSF debacle did in fact help bring us down a bit 
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thisisme
Joined: Oct 17, 2004
Posts: 16
From: The United Kingdom Of Great Br
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Thered be a pretty huge celebration too.
[addsig] |
scotsboyuk
Joined: Jun 02, 2003
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From: UK
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Quote:
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On 2004-10-17 22:55:59, Sage wrote:
@ Vlam
Anyway, do you know what would happen if America would collapse? Do you realise in what kind of a state the world would be in? There would be a pretty huge recession.
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1929
"I may be drunk my dear woman, but in the morning I will be sober, and you will still be ugly." WSC |
Sage
Joined: Apr 17, 2003
Posts: 233
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Ah and btw Scotsboy, i agree with alot of what you said in your original post.
What about your light bulb?!?!
And ure super powers! You were made in an American lab right? |
Sage
Joined: Apr 17, 2003
Posts: 233
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Quote:
| Thered be a pretty huge celebration too. |
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lets think. Now, this may be entirely wrong, but heres what i think would happen.
The world economy collapses, most countries rely on our imports/exports and the money we give them. Countless people lose their jobs and the world goes into darkness... Riots happens, revolutions, general chaos.
North Korea invades South Korea with the aid of China (south korea having lost its support (the US)). Due to the current tangle of alliances we would have another world war. Because of new weapons advancements we would possible have the end of the world. Have fun with that.
Thats just one possibility.
One hell of a celebration.
[ This Message was edited by: Sage on 2004-10-17 22:12 ] |
scotsboyuk
Joined: Jun 02, 2003
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@Sage
The lightbulb was invented by an American, but he was using ideas other people had formulated as the basis of his work; we can probably trace every invention in history back to a few people; mostly of Middle and Far Eastern origin.
As for my superpowers, they are entirely British, hence the reason they tend not to work very well and cost a fortune to use.
"I may be drunk my dear woman, but in the morning I will be sober, and you will still be ugly." WSC |
Sage
Joined: Apr 17, 2003
Posts: 233
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ahhh by those standards nothing is american or british or whatever made . |
scotsboyuk
Joined: Jun 02, 2003
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@Sage
Regarding the apocalyptic scenario you envisage; after the Wall Street crash of 1929 the world went into recession and as an indirect result there was another world war. However, the world coped and things got back to normal; the situation is very different today, not the least because the U.S. is being overtaken as the dominant economic power e.g. the EU already has a larger combined economy than the U.S. and both China and India look set to become larger economies than the U.S. in the very near future.
_________________
"I may be drunk my dear woman, but in the morning I will be sober, and you will still be ugly." WSC
[ This Message was edited by: scotsboyuk on 2004-10-17 22:16 ] |
Sage
Joined: Apr 17, 2003
Posts: 233
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ah but where would all our weapons go? we would sell them to the highest bidder.
Anyway, you are porbably right, but my scenario is a possible one. |
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Posted: 2004-10-17 22:49
