What's so great about America? (1554 hits)
Category: PoliticsRating: -0.39 on 104 reviews (Rate this item) (V)
Submitted by Eric Kinneary <eric_d_crackpot.at.yahoo.com> (View user info) at 2003-06-07 18:35:44 EDT
Here's an editorial I ran across while reading www.rightwingnews.com. It's written by John Hawkings, and, quite frankly, it's something that should have been written a long time ago. And by the way, please leave all of the "america is teh sux0r cuz dhey blewed up irak!" statements.
"There are plenty of people out there who believe that America is the root of all evil and they can reel off a list of our faults as long as your arm. Indeed, plenty of things have happened in this country that we shouldn't be proud of. Off the top of my head, I can come up with slavery, slaughtering the Indians, goading the Mexicans into a war and taking their land, killing tens of thousands of people in the Philippines, slavery, segregation, Jim Crow laws, not allowing women to vote for quite a bit our history, and all sorts of dirty deeds that we engaged in while fighting the Soviets in the Cold War.
So, given that all of this is true, how is it that I can look you straight in the eye and tell you that, "America stands head and shoulders above any other country that exists or has ever existed?"
Simple -- I compare our country not to some theoretical model of perfection, but to the other nations that have existed in the past and that exist today. Certainly the US looks horribly flawed when it is compared to what the IDEAL nation would be -- but compared to say, France, Britain, Spain, Italy, etc, we look pretty good. In fact, our history looks better than that of many other nations, if only because most other nations have been around hundreds of years longer than we have and thus have had a longer period of time to abuse their own populations and their weaker neighbors.
Of course, just being one nation among many to have a checkered past is not what makes the US notable. Our nation's greatness comes not only from our military might, and the prosperity and freedom our citizens enjoy, but from all the good we've done in the world. Just in the last century we saved Europe in WW1 and WW2 and then rebuilt it with the Marshall Plan. Then, when the Soviet Union menaced Western Europe, it was the United States that again took the lead in fighting against Communism worldwide. We had help, but without us, the Soviets may very well have united the world under a hammer and sickle by now. Not only did we win the Cold War with NATO's help, we caused the Soviet Union itself to collapse in a futile attempt to keep up with us. Because of that, much of Eastern Europe is free today. Then there's the 15 billion dollars we're giving to fight AIDS in Africa, the 60% of world food aid that we provide, and the countless times that we've been called upon across the world to help out during natural disasters and negotiate an end to conflicts. You also have to consider what we've done for South Korea, Taiwan, Israel, Bosnia, Kuwait, & Saudi Arabia among others.
Now I'm not saying that we didn't have help or that there aren't any other nations of note out there. But, if the United States hadn't been willing to play the role that it has over the last century, what other nation would have had the heart, the will, and the muscle to replace us? Obviously, we've been indispensable and we still are although many people loathe to admit it.
I know some of you are probably thinking, "Hawkins, what you're saying may very well be true, but it's bad form to just come out and say it." Well, I'm going to have to disagree. You see in this country and around the world, we have a lot of people who will not hesitate to tell you what they think is wrong with America. But quite frankly, there aren't enough people who're willing to tell you what's right with our country. Talking about all the good things this nation has done shouldn't be something that's left to a few editorial columnists on July the 4th. The people who detest America certainly don't limit their criticism to one day a year, so why should those of us who love this country do the same?
No matter what anyone else thinks -- I'm proud of what this country stands for -- I'm proud of what we have achieved -- I'm proud of what we've done and are still doing in the world -- & and I'm proud to be an American. If you're an American, you should be proud too... "
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Submitted by loki (user info) at 2003-06-10 13:59:22 EDT (#)
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What I hear you saying is that you have nothing to say.
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Submitted by dasteve (user info) at 2003-06-10 01:50:53 EDT (#)
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Still sucks...
Submitted by bart (user info) at 2003-06-10 01:38:51 EDT (#)
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I think I found the original author of this editorial:
http://www.theonion.com/onion3921/fictional_character.html
Submitted by loki (user info) at 2003-06-09 21:50:00 EDT (#)
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I used to like the English and then one of them tricked me into buying a movie that won't play on my vcr.
I think that the problem is simply that the US is the only Superpower left from the cold war. When the old Soviet Union was in power, we could divide the world neatly into us vs. them like two big snarly pit bulls sniffing each other's asses.
Now where are we?
The entire middle east hates us because they hated the way our culture seeped into theirs and corrupted the "old ways" and now they think that at any time, we could just decide to overthrow their government. There is good reason for them to think that too. They are not exactly getting unbiased news coverage so who the hell knows what they've heard about Afghanistan and now this Iraq thing on top of it. I mean for the love of all that's holy, now they are saying that Bush never had any proof at all of any WMD and without UN sanctions or the will of the majority of the US alias he marched right up Mesopotamia and took over. We're not even pretending that it's not an occupation anymore and look who's old frat buddies are given the task of rebuilding.
He's also done a fucking brilliant job of dealing with North Korea. Here again, you have a dictator who is a known megalomaniac but his real problem is that his country is falling apart and his people are starving. They have no cash crop so what does he have to bargain with other than nuclear weapons. He can't even get Dubbya to sit down and talk to him without this suicidal saber rattling. Dubbya's brilliant strategy is going to get us into another land war in Asia.
This guy is doing such a blow job of running the country that it's like having a character out of a bad spy novel for a president.
Submitted by Agent_FUBAR (user info) at 2003-06-09 08:53:04 EDT (#)
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No the ENGLISH are hated, it was your lot that fucked up Africa/India/ evrywhere else you invaded. the SCottish and welsh were just cannon fodder who dodnt have a choice in the matter. you assholes.
Submitted by momanlad (user info) at 2003-06-09 08:37:14 EDT (#)
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interesting that article came from rightwingnews.com
i like that and feel that it's very telling. The fact for is, you are the world's hegemon, and you are going to get shat on all the time. I think every nation that has been a superpower was hated, i know the Brits were (and still are in half the world) and we did some rather nasty stuff. However, we always had a cup of tea and a crumpet afterwards. We were gentleman butchers.
Be proud, why not, there is alot to be proud of. But, just remember some person in Outer Mongolia or Poland or something, isn't so well off, see's America as a reason, a target for that.
Submitted by Agent_FUBAR (user info) at 2003-06-09 07:39:52 EDT (#)
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Hows this for an opinion: yawn you bore me, now shut up.
Americans will always think theyre great, everyone else will always think they are arogant fucks, this will never change until the world is turned into a nulear wasteland by American Arrogance and foreign hatred.or the Daleks invade, whichever comes first.
Submitted by yidele (user info) at 2003-06-09 04:56:21 EDT (#)
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Just ion case you missed the point:
Rosencrantz: It could have been.....It didn't have to be obscene. I was prepared. But it's this, is it? No enigma... no dignity,nothing classical or poetic...only this...a comic pornographer and a rabble of prostitutes.
Submitted by legi0ns (user info) at 2003-06-08 22:05:04 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
America, Kicker of all Ass +2.
Submitted by SantonioSpur (user info) at 2003-06-08 21:08:31 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Damn right I'm proud, 25¢ hotdogs and the Discovery Channel
Submitted by catscradle (user info) at 2003-06-08 20:19:05 EDT (#)
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Well, the US has done some good things, and some were mentioned in the essay, but what it fails to mention is at whose expense were these tasks accomplished? Who suffered so that Americans or America's upper crust could profit?
And what's worse, the essay drips altruism as if it's the sole motivator for US actions such as the Marshall Plan and the Cold War - it isn't.
It also fails to address the current shortcomings of America - no things are not as they should be now, and although things are not as bad as many make it out to be, they could be a lot better, and the current administration is not helping that. Not yet anyhow.
Being patriotic doesn't mean you have to be naive.
Submitted by El_Guapo (user info) at 2003-06-08 16:43:57 EDT (#)
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damn fleury, your second to last post was great! i try and explain shit like that to people all the time. the problem being that most people are deathly afraid to look at things objectively, especially when it comes to US foreign policy. the fear is that if they question the way things are then they're being "unpatriotic". which is utter bullshit, because questioning "the way it is" is the MOST patriotic thing you can do.
Submitted by Fleury75 (user info) at 2003-06-08 13:38:31 EDT (#)
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Cellar_door,
that was one of the most reasonable reply ive ever gotten. I would be proud to have you defend my country. Kudos to you.
Submitted by cellar_door (user info) at 2003-06-08 13:28:46 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
Ouch. After reading the comments to this post, I realized I am one of the stubborn ignorant. Being in the military, you don't want to believe that what you're doing is wrong or hurtful. Like Fleury said, we really do feel like we're there to help. After hearing the consequences of our actions, we block it out like, "No. We were there to free those people. I wasn't a part of that." Thanks for the wake up call.
I am sticking with my original "I agree" comment. I do agree that more people need to stand up for their country, and not be afraid to do so. However, we also need to not be afraid to try to change it for the better. In every country I've been to, people have bitched and moaned about their government. If we want to be as great as some claim us to be, then let's shut the hell up and do something about it.
Submitted by Random Joe at 2003-06-08 11:57:22 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
loki- yes i am very scared of what people will think of me over the computer. I love how everyone has pride in there country. And what is there to bitch and moan about?
Submitted by Fleury75 (user info) at 2003-06-08 11:56:59 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
Unbelieveable, yet totally predictable. Thats what i think of this (what could i call it? Editorial? Journal Scribblings? Accidental Etch n Sketch Message?) uneducated attempt to justify and nullify acts of the US in it's brief yet brutal history. No offense against the author (Hawkins/Kineary) for writing it; if you don't have faith and patriotism in ANY country you live in, you should consider living abroad. However, when writing articles to boost your national pride, you might want to chose another topic besides "U.S.: How Much We HELP Other Countries not as Fortunate as Us"
Im not saying there arent good things to be said about Americans, surely there are. But certainly, in it's brief history, it would be absurd to give the US much praise. Whenever US 'aids' other countries, it is ALWAYS intheir best interest, and almost ALWAYS for economical gain.
Moreover, here's a few little facts about how much you 'help' other countries
- (Searching for WMD?) The United States were the only nation in history to drop nuclear bombs upon other nations;
- United States was the ONLY other nation (besides Nazi Germany) condemned for "illegitimate use of force" by the International Justice Tribunal;
- American forces trained and armed extremist islamic fundamentalists
(including Bin Laden) under the pretext of overthrowing the Russian invaders in Afghanistan;
- Saddam Hussein's regime was being SUPPORTED by the USA (we haven't forgotten, have we?) while committing it's worst atrocities against Iraqis (including the gassing of kurds in 1988);
- As many other legitimate leaders, the African Patrice Lumumba was murdered by the CIA. After being arrested, tortured and shot in the head and his body dissolved in cloridric acid; 17 ex-CIA agents testified to this in the World Court, including William "the Cleaner" McDermitt. (2-DSA's)
- As many other puppets, Mobutu Seseseko was one of your agents you put in a country in exchange for help for the American espionage: the CIA office in Zaire became the larger in Africa. The brutal dictatorship by this man was never condemned by the USA until he became inconvenient, in 1992;
- The invasion of East Timor by the Indonesian military was supported by the USA. When the atrocities were made public, the Clinton administration's reply was "it's a matter of the Indonesian government's responsibility and we do not wish to take that responsibility away from them";
- Your country harbored criminals like Emmanuel Constant, one of Haiti's most blood thirsty leaders whose paramilitary slaughtered thousands of innocents. Constant was tried "in absentia" and the new authorities requested his extradition back to Haiti for sentencing. The American government has so far declined the request;
- On August 1998 the USAF bombed a medicine factory in Sudan called
Al-Shifa. A mistake? No, it was a retaliation for the bombings of Nairobi and Dar-es-Saalam;
- In December 1987, the United States were the only country (along with Israel) to vote AGAINST a motion condemning international terrorism. (You may need to read the previous sentence twice, I did.) Still, the motion was accepted with the favorable vote of 153 countries;
- In 1953, the CIA helped preparing a coup against Iran following which thousands of communists from Tudeh were massacred. The list of CIA sponsored coups is quite long;
- Since World War Two the USA have bombed: China (1945-46), Korea and China (1950-53), Guatemala (1954), Indonesia (1958), Cuba (1959-1961), Guatemala (1960), Congo (1964), Peru (1965), Laos (1961-1973), Vietnam (1961-1973), Cambodia (1969-1970), Guatemala (1967-1973), Grenada (1983), Lebanon (1983-1984), Libya (1986), El Salvador (1980), Nicaragua (1980), Iran (1987), Panama (1989), Iraq (1990-2001), Kuwait (1991), Somalia (1993), Bosnia (1994-95), Sudan (1998), Afghanistan (1998), Yugoslavia (1999); obviously we dont need to remind ourselves of Japan (hundreds of thousands in two shots) and Iraq.
- Biological and chemical terrorism was carried out by the USA: the Agent Orange in Vietnam, a plague virus in Cuba which for years devastated the pig production there;
- The Wall Street Journal published a report announcing that 500.000
Vietnamese children were born with deformations due to the chemical warfare carried out by the American troops.
So.
Have you ever been to Korea? How was it your country 'helped' them? Vietnam? Eastern Block Countries? Liberating them and then carefully deciding who gets what 'chunk' of their land. How noble. I mean, honestly, you cant tell me you believe that garbage about 'helping'. Even if you live in the United States, theres no way you can believe that propoganda.
There is an important point to be made here though. Even though the United States has been atrocious and aggressive in its brief and destructive history, I dont blame americans singularly. When American troops went over seas with Canadian troops (where I am from) the soldiers themselves DID want to help. DID want to end the slaughter, and DID want to genuinely 'liberate' the countries they were sent to help. They were just good ol boys going to war, with doing something good for the world on their minds. It is the fact that Americans see the result of their actions, and, either turn a blind eye, or even worse, in what seems to be a stubborn ignorance, celebrate their achievements while being led blindly by their government.
I know this article is long winded, but a few ore things here:
It is a horrible mistake for your President to use the word 'terrorism' when eradicating humans as it sees fit. (this reflects his intelligence, and he gets a D- for comprehension skills) As we all know, terrorism means: the systematic use of *terror* especially as a means of coercion.
Terrorist
2 a : one that inspires fear : SCOURGE b : a frightening aspect <the terrors of invasion> c : a cause of anxiety : WORRY
3 : REIGN OF TERROR
4 : violence (as bombing) committed by groups in order to intimidate a population or government into granting their demands <insurrection and revolutionary terror>
Hmmm. Sounds familiar. Anyways, i could rant forever here. Basically, i wouldnt be so proud if i were you when talking about helping other countries. To extend on one of the replies, i would say that if your country was situated in Europe, it would have fallen many years ago, as the old countries wouldnt tolerate such atrocious behaviour.
Yes, as I said I am from Canada, and i work with Americans 10 hours a day and 5 days a week. I do tech support, and i have to say 9/10 americans i talk to (in my opinion, from the hour or so long conversations i have with them) are reasonalble educated people. Not at all unlike the people of my country. Lately, however, there has been some tension between my country and yours because we didnt support Uncle Bush; americans who used to call canada 'the other california', like we were some puppet used as a resort for noble americans, are all of a sudden angry that we didnt support them. If you want to help other countries, help them, dont invade them.
Anyways, if you want to know what it is to help, LEARN from the Canadians instead of berating and belittling them. (laugh at our military, adn then get angry when we dont support your war? i digress).
Fleury75
below was written by a respected bishop in the US.
"We claim the USA are the target of terrorism because we defend democracy, freedom and human rights. What an absurd President! We are the target of terrorists because in most places in the world our government, which we elect, supported dictatorship, slavery and exploitation. We are the target because we are hated.
And we are hated because our government has done hateful things. In how many countries did we use our agents to replace democratically elected leaders and replacing them for military dictators willing to to sell their own people to the American multinational corporations?"
And the bishop concludes by saying: "The Canadian people enjoys democracy, freedom and human rights as well as the people of Norway and Sweden. Have you ever heard of any attacks on Canadian, Norwegian or Swedish embassies? We are not hated for having democracy, freedom or human rights. We are hated because our government denies that to the people of the third world countries whose resources are wanted by our multinationals".
Submitted by Helpertin (user info) at 2003-06-08 11:25:24 EDT (#)
Ranking: 1
It's as though America is the held as the ONLY country to be held up to any standards... I never hear anyone bad mouthing the brits or Spainards.
When the pilgrims left (or as I think it more likely they were kicked out of) England they were sent with no farming quipment but they were given guns and bibles... THANKS FOR SENDING THE BEST AND BRIGHTEST YOU BRITISH TWITS.
But regardless, it isn't as though America is the only country with a drug problem, I'm certain that those same drugs are abused in every nation everywhere... it's not like you ever here any bad mouthing the Colombians, anyone remember Pablo Escobar? I mean he was only the most ruthless drug baron the world has ever seen, who knows how many people in Colombia and abroad have died as a direct & indirect result of his actions. When the Colombians finally 'captured' Pablo and sent him to 'prison' they let him design it and it was designed more to keep his enemies out. When he killed a man on the prison grounds the 'Government' of Colombia sent a group of men to the prison and asked very nicely that he please submit to their authority... start bad mouthing Colombia if you hate the drug problem.
What about the Russians, the Russian Mob basically controls all of Russia and is perhaps one of the most ruthless groups of hardass psychos the world has ever seen, bad mouth Russia.
You want to talk about the past and how we fucked over the indians...
Lets also not forget the evils of France, Marie Antionette (sp?) anyone? While the royalty enojoyed a lavish life of luxury and privilege eating with nought but gold and silver wroght spoons, the people were starving to death by the thousands, they had no bread... well let them eat cake, and we know where that goes.
Anyway people can bad mouth us all they want but it doesn't do a shits worth of good to anyone. What we need to do, and this is the god honest truth, is somehow set up barriers between every nation on the planet... a HUGE 3 MILE HIGH WALL BETWEEN THE BORDER OF EVERY NATION. Trade we be accomplished through robots, and while at it's first construction people might hate it, the long term benefits are the goal. Over time the people in any given nation would forget about whats on the other side, the wall would represent security, they would grow to love it and would gladly sacrafice themselves to defend it. Imagine a less twisted 1984 minus the Thought Po and telescreens and all the other crazy jazz and you basically have it. Then slap in place the wall and bingo. Everyone would grow up safe and secure with only their nation to bitch about, and then surprise surprise they could have a chance to change it.
Because could some French jack-a-nape bitching about America sucked really change a damn thing? All he would end up doing would be wasting his breath.
damn it I forget where this was going and I lost my point, hell with this I've typed a little to much to just delete it all.
Submitted by yidele (user info) at 2003-06-08 10:40:41 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
Why I like America
by
Yidele Shwantzenwald
America is a great place. When I went there for my summer vacation, I had an opportunity to see that for myself. Below is a short list detailing the things that I like about America.
1) american girls / women
American girls are very cool. Living in a democratic, consumption oriented culture can be quite helpfull to those poorly endowed by nature. Plastic surgery is an attractive & affordable alternative to looking like a pug nosed,flat chested dog; as are the many, many products of the cosmetic industry of which american girls are the single largest customer. Who need natural beauty? It is true; scar tissue is ever so much better a canvas for makeup ( no unsightly pores,creases, wrinkles, laugh lines - in fact an immobile porcelain mask would be ideal ). American women are wonderfull mothers & mates. The are sexy, winsome & willowy, except when they're morbidly obese, anorexic or nuts.
2) cars
American cars rule! Nothing says freedom like an SUV and that most practical of urban vehicles - the 4x4 truck. Of course they are overpriced, failure prone, dangerous to both driver & environment and expensive to boot, but what price freedom?
3) Drugs
In a society designed for mass consumption, the availability of high quality, inexpensive drugs is a basic requirement. American enterpreneurs have been consistently providing high quality products at reasonable prices for nearly 200 years. Starting with Shay's Whiskhey rebellion, the essential freedom to self medicate & hallucinate at will has been defended & excersized despite occasional difficulties. Yes, nothing shouts !america! like a pildo loaded with a regional favourite - Northern lights, Humbold county, Oxaca, crack or heroin ...
4) Politics
I love american politics. These people are so disciplined! they are so patriotic & unanimous in their support for their leaders! It is amazing to me that most european countries, some with less than 1/10 of america's population, need a dozen or so parties to express their various socio-political agendas. Yes, old europe still suffers in the cold clutches of that most insidious of european vices - compromise. America, on the other hand, has managed to shuffle off the shackles of consesnus governance & is the world's only nation composed of fierce, pioneering defenders of individual liberty who somehow have managed to form a single monolithic political platform, the Repulicrats.
To date I've found only a few texts which exemplify my greatfull & adoring attitude towards american politicians & the system the've helped to create. This is one of them:
Player: For a handful of coins I happen to have...a private and uncut performance of the Rape of the Sabine Women...or rather woman...rather Alfred...and for eight you can participate.
Rosencrantz: It could have been.....It didn't have to be obscene. I was prepared. But it's this, is it? No enigma... no dignity,nothing classical or poetic...only this...a comic pornographer and a rabble of prostitutes.
Player: You should have caught us in better times.We were purists then.
Guildenstern: Excuse me!
Player: Alfred.
Guildenstern: You're not, ah, exclusively players, then?
Player: We're inclusively players, sir.
Guildenstern: I had no idea--I mean I've heard of--,but I've never actually seen...I mean, what exactly do you do?
Player: We keep to our usual stuff,more or less, only inside out. We do on stage the things|that are supposed to happen off. Which is a kind of integrity, if you look on every exit as an entrance somewhere else.
Guildenstern: Wait a minute. What will you do for that?
Rosencrantz: Do you know any good plays?
Player: Plays? Oh, yes.
Rosencrantz: One of the Greeks, perhaps? You're familiar with the tragedies of Antiquity, are you?The great homicidal classics? Maidens aspiring to Godheads', or vice versa? That's your kind of thing, is it?
Player: I can't say it is, really....Eh we're more of the love, blood and rhetoric school. Well, we can do you blood and love without the rhetoric and we can do you blood & rhetoric without the love... and we can do you all three concurrent or consecutive. But we can't do you love and rhetoric without the blood. Blood is compulsory. They're all blood, you see.
Rosencrantz: Is that what people want?
Player: It's what we do.
Submitted by loki (user info) at 2003-06-08 10:37:53 EDT (#)
Ranking: -2
I'll bitch about the fact that you think so highly of your own opinions yet won't even log in with a screen name. What are you afraid of?
Submitted by Random Joe at 2003-06-08 10:22:47 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Than why bitch about it?
Submitted by Nator (user info) at 2003-06-08 10:10:08 EDT (#)
Ranking: -2
I don't live there.
Submitted by loki (user info) at 2003-06-08 09:16:51 EDT (#)
Ranking: -2
It's just that simple is it Random Joe? Either fall lockstep in with all the Jesus Loves the USA we're the best fucking thing since sliced bread or move. No option to say that I was born here too, this is my country as much as it is anyone's and I don't like the direction it's going. Congratulations, not only did you swallow the blue pill but you would make a wonderful Hitler youth commander.
Submitted by Random Joe at 2003-06-08 09:08:36 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
If people don't like the US, why live here? You have a choice, move.
Submitted by Random Joe at 2003-06-08 09:06:08 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
No Comment
Submitted by Random Joe at 2003-06-08 09:06:00 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
No Comment
Submitted by Random Joe at 2003-06-08 09:05:50 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
No Comment
Submitted by Random Joe at 2003-06-08 09:05:40 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
No Comment
Submitted by Random Joe at 2003-06-08 09:05:31 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
No Comment
Submitted by Random Joe at 2003-06-08 09:05:16 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
No Comment
Submitted by Random Joe at 2003-06-08 09:04:59 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
No Comment
Submitted by Random Joe at 2003-06-08 09:04:44 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
No Comment
Submitted by psychogerbil (user info) at 2003-06-08 07:10:51 EDT (#)
Ranking: -2
you have a good looking history because you have none worth looking up and you are the most powerful country because you have a huge ocean between you and anywhere and you have a load of bombs which you threaten everyone with if they don't agree with you.
Submitted by Nator (user info) at 2003-06-08 05:41:12 EDT (#)
Ranking: -2
>Of course, just being one nation among many to have a checkered past is not what makes the US
>notable. Our nation's greatness comes not only from our military might, and the prosperity and
>freedom our citizens enjoy,
HANDS UP FOR PATRIOT ACT!!!!!
>but from all the good we've done in the world. Just in the last century we saved Europe in WW1
Try not selling WMD to our enemies in war before helping us, then I might actually feel grateful. If 'helping Europe win the war' wasn't apparently beneath the objective to 'profit as much from the war as you can before intervening', that would have helped as well.
>and WW2 and then rebuilt it with the Marshall Plan.
Of course, the Marshall Plan wasn't devised by ambassadors,it was devised by economical experts. The US profited humongously from the Marshall Plan. That alone doesn't mean we shouldn't be grateful though, I am. But the massive profits played a possible bigger role in that decision.
>Then, when the Soviet Union menaced Western Europe, it was the United States that again took the
>lead in fighting against Communism worldwide.
THANKS. Commies all over the world were killing babies everywhere, thanks for decimating governments, economies and populations to save your own income of Capitalistic cash. (I'm not saying communism is better then capitalism, just that you had no right to invade and rape countries who made a conscious choice of a 'communist' government.)
>We had help, but without us, the Soviets may very well have united the world under a hammer and
>sickle by now.
Please.
>Not only did we win the Cold War with NATO's help, we caused the Soviet Union itself to collapse
>in a futile attempt to keep up with us.
I'm sure that did wonders for their population. I hope your really proud you came out top in a senseless money-, and lives-wasting 'war' which you didn't fight yourself, and which created only more enemies of the US and Western World. The US achieved it's major goals by refusing diplomacy, and. Your only true concern in this matter were to keep the incomparable energy resources of the MIddle East under your control, to make sure the enormous profits they produce help support the econonmy of the US.
>Because of that, much of Eastern Europe is free today.
Have you been there? Believe me: it's not.
>Then there's the 15 billion dollars we're giving to fight AIDS in Africa, the 60% of world food
>aid that we provide, and the countless times that we've been called upon across the world to help
>out during natural disasters and negotiate an end to conflicts.
That's... brilliant. While I commend your governments effort to fight AIDS, and provide 60% of thw world food AID, please realise you have 50% of the worlds wealth, and 6% of it's population. If you compare 'wealth/food aid' of America to that of other countries, America most certainly doesn't come out on top.
>You also have to consider what we've done for South Korea, Taiwan, Israel, Bosnia, Kuwait, & Saudi >Arabia among others.
You totally fucked that up. Go there. Try it. Is it better now? Fuck no. America seems to have a very short attention span when it comes to rebuilding and supporting countries maimed and destroyed in their warpath.
This editorial sucks. Like drink said, it seems to be written for an eight grade history class.
Hey, I didn't even mention Iraq!
Submitted by crisko (user info) at 2003-06-07 23:41:49 EDT (#)
Ranking: -2
No Comment
Submitted by MickGinny (user info) at 2003-06-07 23:37:24 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
America is the best at being the best, and the worst at being the worst.
MickGinny.
Submitted by Insanethemind (user info) at 2003-06-07 23:30:27 EDT (#)
Ranking: -2
No Comment
Submitted by drink_DDT (user info) at 2003-06-07 20:33:45 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
+2 for having pride in your country and being patriotic
-2 for expressing it through an editorial written for an 8th grade history class
Submitted by dasteve (user info) at 2003-06-07 20:18:50 EDT (#)
Ranking: -2
I like wasting your time.
Submitted by dasteve (user info) at 2003-06-07 20:17:36 EDT (#)
Ranking: -2
It's still negative.
Submitted by Quartermain (user info) at 2003-06-07 20:05:48 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
No Comment
Submitted by Quartermain (user info) at 2003-06-07 20:05:37 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
No Comment
Submitted by Quartermain (user info) at 2003-06-07 20:05:25 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
No Comment
Submitted by dasteve (user info) at 2003-06-07 19:55:06 EDT (#)
Ranking: -2
I think we know the drill.
Submitted by dasteve (user info) at 2003-06-07 19:54:34 EDT (#)
Ranking: -2
No, this sucks.
Submitted by Quartermain (user info) at 2003-06-07 19:45:04 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
And another one for good measure
Submitted by Quartermain (user info) at 2003-06-07 19:44:39 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
This post kicked a whole great multitude of ass. America may not be a perfect place to live, but its better than just about anywhere else.
Submitted by loki (user info) at 2003-06-07 19:31:17 EDT (#)
Ranking: -2
good choice, you took the blue pill.
Submitted by bart (user info) at 2003-06-07 19:21:55 EDT (#)
Ranking: -2
"I can tell Bart is just a great little democrat."
How? Because I think you're an idiot? I forgot about your dream world where there are only two points of view and if people disagree with your cheerleader bullshit, they must be democrats. Or terrorists. Or both. You have the same child-like mentality of our president.
Things are a bit more complex than good and bad. Your beautiful little "Go USA!" fairytale leaves out things like Vietnam, Korea, Cuba, Nixon, J. Edgar Hoover, Herbert Hoover, Enron, Microsoft, and Ishtar. Those were not socially historical problems that were addressed and overcome.
This entire thing is foolish, not because I think America is "evil", it's because it's written with a complete ignorance of a majority of American history and even the things that are mentioned are so slanted as to sound like WWII "Buy War Bonds" government propaganda.
Stupid people always feel the need to take very complex situations and reduce them to black and white. Maybe it's easier than actually educating themselves or just admitting that there are actually more opinions in the world than their own.
Submitted by Daegus (user info) at 2003-06-07 19:06:12 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
I believe this guys statement. Very noticeable when America does something wrong and then people pick us apart on it till the worlds end, but different when we do something good and it really goes unnoticed.
Now I may not be for some of the things we have done but atleast, in most cases, they have general affected things in a positive way or can lead to positive way. Given we follow through with things we set out to do and said we would do.
Like someone said a while back; America seems to forget to easily, but the world seems to also just as much. Something goes wrong, man, everyone is on that topic bashing so and so. We're to quick to judge in what we know nothing about other than probabilities.
Now I don't agree with Iraq, but in general its for the greater good of our country and everyone as a whole.
Also there is the 1st amendment blah blah blah. We all know someone will flame me because they have freedom of speech to bash our country to the worlds end. There's a point when its acceptable and there's a time when its down right mean and out of hand. Little thing called common courtesy, but usually the media that seems to make things into something bigger than they really are.
Submitted by DarthAwesome (user info) at 2003-06-07 19:02:15 EDT (#)
Ranking: -2
America happened to be in a great location. We had the vast oceans protecting the mainland through all world wars and the reason we are so fucking rich is because after the WW2, most of the worlds working factories were American controlled.
Submitted by BerZerK (user info) at 2003-06-07 18:57:37 EDT (#)
Ranking: -2
Why can't you write your own editorial instead of copy pasting
someone elses?
Minus two for being an unoriginal bastard.
-BerZ
Submitted by DP (user info) at 2003-06-07 18:52:43 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
Wow... So anti-US topics get a plethora of 'this kicks ass!' and 'damn straight, america sucks!' replies, but one detailing the good things that America does is greeted with 'Give me a break.' I can tell Bart is just a great little democrat.
Submitted by dasteve (user info) at 2003-06-07 18:52:22 EDT (#)
Ranking: -2
How about if I mentally insert the words "This sucks" after every sentence in your post.
Submitted by cellar_door (user info) at 2003-06-07 18:48:19 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
I agree.
Submitted by bart (user info) at 2003-06-07 18:45:45 EDT (#)
Ranking: -2
Give me a fucking break. Go bake an American flag cake.
Submitted by DP (user info) at 2003-06-07 18:38:18 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
Mentally enter the word 'out' right after 'statements' on my pre-editorial paragraph.