Is everyone laughing at the US?

Originally posted by Pyros
we will never consider any world citizen who bows down before a monarch to be "as free" as we are.

- What's this "bows down" crap?

Until Europeans discard the vestiges of kings and queens, we will always gaze at your politcal systems with the "hairy eyeball".

- Clearly you have little clue as to how utterly irrelevant Monarchy is to the people's lives in almost all European countries.

Even in the UK (the least 'modern' or 'progressive' Euro) Monarchy the vast majority of the people barely give them a thought and their 'power' is utterly ceremonial (were they to attempt to actually use their - theoretical - 'power' in defiance of the peoples' elected Parliament they probably would survive with their heads intact these days but be sent on their way with a loud definite and resounding "Feck off!" or very similar.

There is undoubtedly some sort of 'fondness' for the remaining Monarchs in Europe but to imagine they have any day to day relevance or that anyone is "bowing down" to anyone is sheer ignorant fantasy.

[edit on 5-11-2004 by sminkeypinkey]

Originally posted by Pyros
Until Europeans discard the vestiges of kings and queens, we will always gaze at your politcal systems with the "hairy eyeball".

Finland doesn't have a king, Germany doesn't have a king, Austria doesn't have king, Switzerland doesn't have king, France doesn't have a king, Italy doesn't have a king, Poland doesn't have a king, Czech doesn't have a king, Hungary doesn't have a king, Estonia doesn't have a king... In fact 300 million people in europe live without having anything to do with any king, that is already more than the US population. And those who have king...their lives are not controlled by the king any more than American lives are controlled by Disneyland, they're just tourist attractions.

Originally posted by moneymaker
All of the other countries are jealous of what Americans have: Freedom, Money, Houses, Jobs, Religon, ect..... If America was heaven on earth, people would still hate us, that's how it has always been and always will be!!

Get real, what are you free to do in US that you're not free to do in Finland or other European countries? OK, in Finland you're not free to get death penalty, but in US you're not free to become a prime minister. So I quess it's a draw.

And I don't think the world hates americans in general, but some individuals probably do hate your president despite their freedom, houses, jobs and religions...

quote: Originally posted by dparrish
Other countries do understand that we have more freedoms than they do and they don't like it.

I don't laugh at your elections, but this comment is somewhat amusing. No offense.

quote: Originally posted by cargo
Apparently it depends where you are taught. In Europe, students are taught that there are 6 continents where N. America and S. America are combined to form 1 continent. In the US it is 7 continents with the obvious seperation of N. and S. America.

Probably depends where on europe. It did say so in about.com, and it may be true in some european countries. But at least in Finland we are taught about Africa, Antarctica, Asia, Australia, Europe, North America, South america = 7 continents. In addition India is considered a subcontinent but not counted separately as it's firmly in contact with asia. It however does rest on its own tectonic plate so it would be basically correct to say there are even 8 continents...

quote: Originally posted by FlyersFan
#2 - Even IF european countries gave more of their GNP
in aid (which I highly doubt is true) - it doesn't matter one
bit. The truth of the matter is that America gives trillions
upon trillions to foreign countries. If we spent that at
home on education, health care, housing for the poor ...
we would have a lot less. That's just a fact of life.

Please take your time and pick your least 'radical left' source
If you don't like any of them just google more or visit a library:
occawlonline.pearsoned.com...
www.oecd.org...
en.wikipedia.org...
www.globalissues.org...
www.keepmedia.com...

It's not free money for anyone to share. US isn't suffering under enormous burden any more than other countries.

quote: Originally posted by FlyersFan
#1 - caltech.edu is radical left. I don't believe their figures.
They have an agenda. What they consider aid and giving
doesn't encompass what America REALLY gives - through
the government AND through faith based and good will
private organizations.

There are plenty of volunteer organizations in other countries as well. At least in Finland we have. Many people donate even their not so old clothes that are then given forward to those in need elsewhere. I don't think US is any more helpful by faith or volunteerism than many other countries if calculated per capita.

The fact that 64% of americans want to cut the foreign aid even more doesn't sound like they're willing to give voluntarily:
www.pipa.org...
It's true that in many places the gov. foreign aid does more harm than good
so I admit that the previous poll doesn't tap in to the american generosity in general.


[edit on 5-11-2004 by vibetic]

Being Canadian, I can honestly say that most of us here were as disappointed in the results of this election as 49% of the people living in the USA. From up here the "right" decision seemed so crystal clear, and yet Bush was still elected despite.

Laughing at you? No way. Although my opinion of the people in the US has dropped considerably, I still must remember that almost half of you were against this. My condolences to that half of your great country.

As your closest neighbour and ally, we stand by you no matter what, but IMO you don't have to look very far for your next "Regime Change"

---Evil---

Let me start off by saying i like Bush and what he is doing in the world and support him 100%. What i don't like is people who think that America single-handedly won WW2. We were fighting in WW2 years before the US with the UK as our only major ally left standing for quite a while. Not only did my grandfather fight against Germany but he also fought against Japan. Before the US was in the war we were fighting on two fronts and many died. When the US did eventually join the war we continued fighting until the "allies" won and i stress the word "allies" because Russia the UK and many other countries were very much involved in winning the war. Also there isn't one war in the last 100 years where the US has been involved and Australia was not. We have also recently lead operations in East Timor at the risk of angering the largest muslim nation on earth so the people there could have independence and of course have been involved in Iraq and Afganistan from the begining. So don't bundle the entire world under one big banner and show some respect for those that died fighting for freedom, even if they weren't from your country.

First of all I did not say anything about Austraila, I know they are great allies of the US and always have been. No we did'nt single handedly win WWII but if we did'nt step in when we did France would be speaking German now. And don't make it like I'm disrespecting those who died in WWII, I was just making a point on France.

I was just making a point on France.

Then send the french home from helping you to catch Osama Bin Laden...

After 9/11 the French promised to give US unlimited assistance in war on terror in Afghanistan and were ready to commit french troops to Sudan, Somalia etc. And the french are right now helping you in Afghanistan, trying to capture the man who's behind al-qaida.

They just disagree with you on Iraq and suddenly everyone want's to make a point on france.

Nobody helped you in Vietnam, but you didn't break alliances because of that. Just as well there's no point breaking alliances over Iraq.

Originally posted by moneymaker
I was just making a point on France.

- Well considering it was this .....

we did'nt single handedly win WWII but if we did'nt step in when we did France would be speaking German now.

- Let's just agree it was a very stupid "point" and one not only completely incorrect but uncalled for and (the, now sadly, usual for some Americans) gratuitously insulting (did it feel good for you? ).

Here's the truth for you.....America's involvement in WW2 didn't win the war, it shortened the war.

Thanks (really) and all but there you have it.

Without America Germany would have still have attacked and failed to defeat the UK (as she actually did do before the USA got involved) and then turned her attentions to a disasterous war with the USSR (as she actually did do before the USA got involved), which she would still ultimately have lost. If only on the basis of the never-changing fundamental truth that Germany didn't have the necessary resources where as the USSR did.

The war in the east would have dragged on longer (due to much lower aid to the USSR) but the end would still have been identicle.

France would, most likely, still have been liberated from the west by UK and commonwealth forces together with the Free French forces that had escaped in 1940......you do know British and Canadian forces outnumbered the American forces on D-Day don't you?

Germany would either have forceably removed the nazi leadership (as they actually did attempt to in 1944) or imploded as she again faced utter defeat (as actually did happen in 1918) or just simply have been completely militarily defeated again (as actually did happen 1945) .





[edit on 5-11-2004 by sminkeypinkey]

First of all I did not say anything about Austraila, I know they are great allies of the US and always have been. No we did'nt single handedly win WWII but if we did'nt step in when we did France would be speaking German now. And don't make it like I'm disrespecting those who died in WWII, I was just making a point on France

No they wouldn't...I can exaplin if you so wish, but rest assured, they would still be speaking French.

Originally posted by edsinger
I know quite a few UK folks who like working in the states because they actually get to keep some of the wages instead of just giving to the Government.

What we do pay, goes towards healthcare anf Education, whereas you may well pay less tax in the states, but you also have to pay for healthcare and the like.

I don't know about anyone else, but I am on the equivalent of (jeez, didn't think it was that much!!) $38660/year which is �20850. And that is still nowhere near a really well paid job over here..

After paying tax, rent, bills etc, I am still left with �4-500 a month disposable, which is up to nearly $1000 a month to do with as I please! So perhaps you may wish to retract your statement about you have more money, as I quite clearly have plenty.

OK I am so tired of the crying and whining going on about other countries not liking us (USA). They never have liked us and they never will!! Who cares? All of the other countries are jealous of what Americans have: Freedom, Money, Houses, Jobs, Religon, ect..... If America was heaven on earth, people would still hate us, that's how it has always been and always will be!!

I have more freedom to do more things (except own a gun) than you Americans. I can drink easier( I can drink 2 pints without getting bugged by police as they think I am a drunk), smoke dope, get free healthcare, get free education, I can get porn without the church getting uppity, I dont have religion shoved down my throat, people are more tolerant, I have easy access to my leaders (unlike the states where he is in a little bubble)... I could go on for ever, and have already covered this earlier in the thread but people never read the whole thread before posting their idiotic comments.

But rest assured, I may live on a small, wet, windy little isle known as the UK, but I would choose it (and any "socialist","evil", "liberal" (lol) European country) over the states any day. Until you start to live up to your claims of being a free society, then you will not be seeing my tourist dollars, or many others for that matter.

Originally posted by Pyros
Amelia, correct me if I am wrong, but isn't the Canadian Head of State a British monarch?

Don't get me wrong, I know Canadians are as free as anybody else, but you must understand one thing: Americans have a deep-rooted distrust of anything having to do with a monarchy, and we will never consider any world citizen who bows down before a monarch to be "as free" as we are. It is our own, distinct American paradigm.



Until Europeans discard the vestiges of kings and queens, we will always gaze at your politcal systems with the "hairy eyeball".

What difference does it makes?????????????We have the queen on the 20$ bill and a little representant of england that nobody ever hear of! We don't have a government who want to control everything, we don't have to prove anything to anybody......We don have signs on the highway saying "if you see suspicious activities call 888-8888" or trooper lookin like freaks stoping us to check up the car....we are not afraid of terror and we don't have nothing to do with war.... When I go to the states, I feel trapped and observed and I hate it!!!!!!!!!!!!Big brother society

This is my first post; thanks for having me.

I've read the entire thread and there's certainly enough angst so I'll put my two cents in nicely.

The U.S., in historical terms, is still young. Our Republic is only 228 years old, give or take a few years. We are still trying to find an identity and unfortunately most of our "growing up" has come from times of war. Most of our advances in technology and the sciences have come from the pressures of trying to win a war. We've been jumping from war to war since the Revolution with relatively little time to breathe in between.

What does this have to do with the world laughing at us? I think, and it's just an idea, that we are going through another growth spurt with the current war and much like a stubborn teenager we are telling anyone who gets around us to "feck off". More established nations are looking at us and saying, "what is the matter with you all?!" We scowl back and tell them to mind their own business.

Just my two cents, please flame gently; I'm new.

Welcome Katolu, hope to see you around on the boards...more to ATS than just politics etc, check out some of the more funkier forums

I think you have hit it on the head there, there is alot of growing up to do on the American side of things, and you really should listen to those of us who have expierienced all this before.

Us in the UK under went 30 yrs of terrorism from the Irish, but we never attacked them back, it was always a judicial (ie law enforcement) matter, not a military matter. In the end, we have managed to negotiate a lasting peace and reach a settlement as we understood their grievences, but we had valid points of our own.

Some of your more right wing friends may say that we are weak for negotiating, but nothing ever gets achieved by "shooting things and blowing stuff up" (to quote an American marine when asked by the BBC why he was in Iraq). Only when people sit down and discuss what it is that is causing the problem, does a lasting solution ever come out.

Now just to clarify, i am not advocating sitting down with OBL, but perhaps if you took a less partisan approach to the ME, say, and dealt with everyone on an even keel, then maybe OBL will have less and less support, and you won't be a target.

Killing Iraqis for bogus reasons for example does nothing to help your cause, however just you think it is.

(on that note, I was scared earlier today, when watching the news, that an American marine in Fallujah said he was going to bring Gods wrath and righteous fury on those in city.... is that a balanced view to have? Go figure)

Originally posted by dparrish
If everyone hates us we must be doing something right!

There is no logic in that statement at all. Quite the opposite applies.

The Bush administration is all about the politics of hate and divisiveness.

Remember it was this great "Commander In Chief" himself who said:

"You are either with us or against us".

"Bring it on".


Ignorance denied.

Originally posted by MaskedAvatar
The Bush administration is all about the politics of hate and divisiveness.

- Yeah, 4 years in office, polling 51% - 49% and wondering how this division is still there. Some 'healing' he managed in his first term!

I wonder how he imagines doing it now.....from the sound of his drones so far he isn't even going to bother.

Remember it was this great "Commander In Chief" himself who said:

"You are either with us or against us".

"Bring it on".

- Mere idiotic garbage for the 'less thinking' to spout to each other, IMO.


Ignorance denied. Indeed.

[edit on 6-11-2004 by sminkeypinkey]

Countries have been laughing at the US for years why would now be any different.

you think you have the number one democrocy?? HA HA Dillustional doesnt even cover that statement.

The only people that truly hate the US are terrorests. every one else hates specific people, not the county as a whole.

Does anyone else think it would be great to dismantle the statue of liberty and send it back to France?

I would love to see those little slimeballs squirm

Originally posted by DrHoracid
To all you Bush haters out there...............HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA! The only thing terrorist understand is "DEATH". Yours or theirs. I would prefer theirs. You "Euro-trash" can stay stupid if you wish and die. Especially France who took "Blood money" from Saddam in the oil for food scam. Your time is coming and I hope it is soon. OK "Mods" bash me again..................I'm waiting...........

Come one, be fair here.

USA is the on who create BIN LADIN in first place.

Ofcourse there is business everywhere, and where busienss is there is no moral. Just as USA is doin it all over the world.

We all knows that your curent min. Of def. also visit Sadam in past and they also help him in many ways when there was a iraq-iran war and even later.

Just say it, USA is in IRAQ cause of the WAR off interest, and not to secure the PEACE for USA.

Say this, and we are cool.

Would be nice that BUSH say for a change, look guys, we are there cause of the our intrest, oil, etc....

But no, we have to hear so many lies.....

That's what upset us at Europ, cause you cant figure that out, you in USA mostly BLINDLY belive what your president say to you.

We dont.

You dont question your president. We do ours. Man look-alike BUSH (and I am not talking about him in privat way, cause he can even be really nice man - person), would never be a president in Europ country, cause we are just not so close-minded to see simple things, and BUSH is all about POWER-MONEY-CONTROL-MONEY-OIL-POWER-CONTROL take your pick.

We dont take everything 100% as fact, but 52% of you do

My regards to other 48%

I.

This thread isn't even worth a comment from me.

I voted for Bush, need I say more?

The days of the good people of the world justifying there anti-american feelings by saying, "we like americans, we just don't like your president", are over.

Resistance to the American Empire will get more violent, and the American people have only themselves to blame.

As for the "we didn't vote for him, don't blame us" arguement, one question, how does it feel to live in a country with a non-representative government? When next America makes a moral judgement of another nation, the world will respond only with laughter.

As for decent Americans...................ever thought of emigration, you could claim political asylum.

Um... we did vote for him, whats your point?

Originally posted by LostSailor
Does anyone else think it would be great to dismantle the statue of liberty and send it back to France?

I would love to see those little slimeballs squirm

- ....and this would cause French people to squirm.....er....how, exactly?

I think more than half of Americans (like any resonable people anywhere) would just feel deep embarrassment at such petty small and nasty-minded-ness.

In fact how embarrassing you actually said that.

I sometimes think that the saving grace of America lies in the fact that the overwhelming majority of Americans are possessed of two great qualities- a sense of humor and a sense of proportion.

Franklin D. Roosevelt
32nd president of US (1882 - 1945)

Obviously you didn't catch my American wit

I was laying it n pretty thick

[edit on 6-11-2004 by LostSailor]