| User | DavidHirt | | Topic | What do you want? | | Message | So I have a question. What does the rest of the World want from the USA? Do you want us to leave you alone? Do you want us to step in and solve problems? Do you want us to let everyone into our country who wants to be there? I live in the USA, yes, and I’m the last person to say the USA is perfect or always knows what it’s doing.
When I Was in Moscow after the attack on the world trade center, I remember talking to a moscovite who said his first reaction was ’YES! they finally know what it feels like.’ and then he was sorry for the people who died.
So here’s a thread... here’s a forum. Talk. |
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| User | DavidHirt | 2006-05-14 | | | Subject | untitled | | Message | Joey, why is it hippocrisy? |
| User | realpoet | 2006-05-12 | | | Subject | untitled | | Message | America being hippocrite. Who are you kidding! Look at that goon in hiding somewhere in those Near East mountains. He believes in a God of Goodness yet he sets himself up as a god of evilness. It is written,"The Devils also believe and they tremble." |
| User | joeyalphabet | 2006-05-10 | | | Subject | untitled | | Message | Yeah, we told the Palestinians to go get Democracy and then when they voted in Hamas in free & fair elections we tell them they’re terrorists and we won’t deal with them. What f---ing hypocrisy! |
| User | tZar | 2006-05-10 | | | Subject | untitled | | Message | I am afraid that a new thing that I call democratic fundamentalism is developing. We cannot think of any thing greater then democracy, therefore we have the right to superimpose the idea onto all others. Being a part of the western world, we should not lose track on what democracy is. The way we go about bombing despotic countries into becoming democratic is a clear sign that we only have sight for one half of what this really is. Democracy is a machine, but it is also a way of thinking – we can only implement the machine, but how to think democratic, is an evolution that the citizens in a country must experience first hand. Also back to the fundamentalism, it is very dangerous to think that all means can be excused, because of the ends. That we have seen the light and all that says something else can therefore be handled as we deem fit. Then we are just turning into yet another crusading country. |
| User | alteredlife | 2006-05-09 | | | Subject | untitled | | Message | Yea, puppets seem to survive... I wonder why? |
| User | DavidHirt | 2006-05-09 | | | Subject | untitled | | Message | It’s called pragmatism, Altered. I would argue the average american is very pragmatic. |
| User | mae | 2006-05-09 | | | Subject | untitled | | Message | If we got a Golden Boy, some idiot would come along and assassinate him. mae |
| User | Th_Plonk | 2006-05-09 | | | Subject | untitled | | Message | Well, yes. But my point is that no matter WHO we got, he would fall short. America’s got the Golden Boy image, but only manages to elect human presidents.
...and if they DID find a Golden Boy, we’d probably still complain about it. At least Canadians would. Canadians love to complain about things they really don’t mind _that_ much and don’t expect to change. It’s a Winter Survival |
| User | onetruesmartass | 2006-05-09 | | | Subject | untitled | | Message | And boy did we get screwed. |
| User | Th_Plonk | 2006-05-09 | | | Subject | untitled | | Message | The problem with the US is not that it’s a horrible, ignorant, arrogant and violent country, because (judging from history) it really isn’t. The _problem_ is that the United States of America is a nation that has shown such incredible promise, and we expect great things from it. I seem to remember someone talking about the Land of the Free and the Home of the Brave, about the Champion Of Democracy. Give Me Your Poor, Your Huddled Masses, etc. We’ve all heard a bit about the American Dream, One Nation Under God with Freedom and Justice For All. Actually, we’ve heard a _lot_ about it.
That’s why people get so upset when America fails to meet the (vastly overblown) expectations everyone has of it. America is a victim of it’s own mythos. We want Honest Abe, and the Founding Fathers, and Universal Imancipation, and, well, Freedom and Justice for All.
We got Dubya. |
| User | alteredlife | 2006-05-09 | | | Subject | untitled | | Message | There’s ignorant people in every country David. That’s just the state of the world and how things like this can go on without a lot of people realizing... because they don’t bother to educate themselves... or they just don’t care enough to. Lethargic attitudes and turning a blind eye... always a winning formula, don’t you think? |
| User | DavidHirt | 2006-05-09 | | | Subject | untitled | | Message | I’ve heard it stated before that American citizens are kept from knowledge of outside politics and the state of the world. My response to that is probably that they just don’t care, not that they are kept from it. When you are trying to make a living, take care of your family, and such, the economy of Australia or the wars somewhere else in the world mean nothing. How many of your average citizens would say the same thing in the bulk of your countries? |
| User | alteredlife | 2006-05-08 | | | Subject | untitled | | Message | According to the information from the U.S. EIA, Chinese energy-related usage produced 3.541 billion metric tons of CO2, while the U.S. produced 5.796 billion metric tons.
And how many more people are there in China? China is second to America in polluting. Great stuff. |
| User | onetruesmartass | 2006-05-08 | | | Subject | untitled | | Message | As for what other countries want, I have no idea. But I do know for the first time in my life, I am utterly embarrassed to admit I’m an American citizen. I used to be proud of my country and it’s actions, then W came into office and now we are the bullies of the world, but instead of stealing lunch money, we’re stealing their way of life.
Having family that still lives in other countries, I feel so humiliated to hear what’s being said about us abroad..mostly because it’s true. We used to be the peacekeepers, the ones that could be counted on if help was needed. Now countries don’t want our help because in "helping" them, our gov’t is trying to take them over.
So, what do other countries want from us? I’m going to guess that they would like us to calm down, be reasonable, and try to open our minds enough to understand not everywhere in the world is going to be a Christian Democracy. And that’s okay.
*onetruesmartass* |
| User | DavidHirt | 2006-05-08 | | | Subject | untitled | | Message | Chell, nice is an awfully general word. What do you consider nice? Benevolence? Protection? What? |
| User | Chell | 2006-05-08 | | | Subject | untitled | | Message | It’s not a matter of IF we run out of room, it’s a matter of WHEN we run out of room.
Here’s what I want to know. Why is it ok for America to have The Bomb but no one else is allowed? I’ve asked this before and have been told it’s because if other countries go nuclear then they’ll attack us. (Kind of like us going into Iraq...)
Iran has made it very clear that part of the reason they are working on a nuclear program is to protect themselves from invasion. I wonder why they’d be worried about anyone invading them. I mean, as long as someone doesn’t declare war on the U.S. or one of it’s allies, then we leave them alone, right? (And yes, that was sarcasm.)
When did the U.S. decide that a one world government was the right way to go? Because it seems that if you are democratic and get in line to genuflect at America’s feet, then you are safe. But if you want to have a non-democratic form of government you are labeled terrorists and the States will work to take you down.
It’s not nice. America needs to learn to be nice. |
| User | joeyalphabet | 2006-05-08 | | | Subject | untitled | | Message | China and India are big polluters too. |
| User | insphered soul | 2006-05-08 | | | Subject | untitled | | Message | America definitely polluts more than anyone else (not sure on the China thing). atleast, that’s what I think with all the nuclear power plants and factories and all that. now, to get rid of the nuclear waste they all create, we all know that the nuclear waste needs to be deposited in deep underground salt deposits and rock formations.
so what happens if we were to run out of room? |
| User | alteredlife | 2006-05-08 | | | Subject | untitled | | Message | Sarcasm in your last question? Perish the though Mae!
To answer that anyway, I would be a disgruntled citizen of any country your military has bombed, raped or otherwise committed atrocities on in the name of war. Please don’t let me bring up separate incidents... but you know what I mean.
"You also mentioned ’constant war-mongering’. There are many in this country who would agree with you, at least about the war in Iraq. I don’t care to get in that discussion on this thread."
That’s fine, but then I don’t know why you brought it up... and why you wouldn’t want to discuss it since it’s one of the main reasons America has such a ’bully’ image. Hmmm... but then ignorance is bliss, right?
Now... onto pollution... America is one of the biggest polluters in the world (not sure if your output is more or less than China, but whatever). Vetoing the Kyoto Protocol anyone? That’s a sore point, a very sore one... care to discuss that or is that something else to be swept under the carpet? |
| User | mae | 2006-05-08 | | | Subject | untitled | | Message | Well, actually, altered, I wasn’t advocating nuclear power, I was simply asking a question, so the sarcasm is unwarranted. I’m not a big fan of nuclear power, myself. There may be no emissions, but there’s all that left over ’stuff’ that lasts practically forever.
As far as our aid being public relations, well, it certainly hasn’t won you over, has it? It isn’t a matter of public relations, because, frankly, it doesn’t work and for all Americans are, they aren’t fools. We’re not going to spend billions in a pursuit that is so obviously failing. America and Americans are wealthy by world standards, even those of us who are not so by our own standards. I honestly don’t know what strings, if any, are attached to our government’s aid, but for all the private agencies, and there are many, that respond to needs throughout the world, there are no strings. They and the Americans who contribute to them or work for them do it because of generous hearts and natures. There are no public relations considerations or political pressures.
You also mentioned ’constant war-mongering’. There are many in this country who would agree with you, at least about the war in Iraq. I don’t care to get in that discussion on this thread. The U.S. is party to several treaties and treaty organizations. We are bound by those treaties to defend and prosecute against hostile actions taken against our treaty partners. That’s at least part of the cause of our military actions. We have also been requested to be the policeman for other nations (Kuwait in 1989 is an example). Are we to turn away from those requests or those obligations? Even so, I, too, wish we were not so often engaged in other people’s fights.
I’m certainly glad you’re not anti-American, altered. My, what would it sound like if you were? mae
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