Snowman[QUOTE=John Boyle]
My point is, that it is very tough for people in another country to understand why the U.S. has the policies it does. Lets face it, the coverage of the U.S. in Europe is often slanted by the political bent of whatever newspaper you read. After a steady diet of filtered news for years, it’s easy to get into namecalling (i.e. calling Mr. Bush “Shrub”) and taking a one-sided view of the issue.
John,
I take your point about criticism. I do think that it serves little purpose to reduce situations and people to caricatures. There are people on this board who are a bit overexcited, and express their anti-US feelings, or at leats anti-Bush administration quite vocally, and sometimes simplistically.
I personally have little time for that kind of attitude. If you want to criticize Bush, Blair, Chirac, etc. fine, but it is more productive to keep to facts rather than childish name-calling or two-dimensional statements. To be fair though, some people here ahve been able to get their point across eloquently, clearly and politely, so it’s not all a bunch of raving manicacs.
And it cuts both ways; some transatlantic posters have been guilty of using offensive phrases about the French for instance, or worse, offensive, derisive and misleadingly simplistic opinions about other nationalities.
Good point about the media, but once again, some posters have apparently only been fed a diet of partisan newsreports (Fox news from what I can gather was not exactly objective last year). And not every European paper or TV Channel has a rabid US-bashing agenda. We still have very good press organs and TV programmes, which, together with the Internet, help you get a fuller picture, if one only bothers.
Finally, on a broader scale, I do think that whatever goes on in the States is an Amercan issue ultimately, no matter how strongly we might feel about them. When American decisions have a bearing on the life of millions around the world however, people outside of the US do feel they have a right to discuss these issues.
I don’t think everybody hates the US in Europe. But building bridges between the USA and most of Europe might be a good thing to aim towards. Can’t be good for anyone if the rift is allowed to fester. And maybe it is time for diplomatic debaters and politicians to regain centre stage and to tell the crazed fanatics on both sides of the Atlantic to pipe down.
Snowmanthe U.S. did some underhanded things to fight communism…but it fought it and today, largely to U.S. actions (and money) Eastern Europe is free. The ends justify the means…sometimes. If not, how does the U.K. justify all the dead German civilians killed in Bomber Command raids against population centers?
Yes and the world’s a really stable place nowadays, isn’t it? If terrorism doesn’t get us, global pollution and climate changes will. Or maybe it’ll be obesity. Or possibly lifestyle-induced cancer, or another scourge of our wonderful modern capitalist societies… :rolleyes:
I don’t mean to sound flippant John, but I don’t think oversimplifying things is going to get this topic very far… BTW I’m not anti US in any way shape or form. I don’t side with rabid antiamericanism. We can’t tar everyone with the same brush and I think it’s dishonest to say or imply that all Americans are bigoted or narrow-minded or selfish or ignorant, or anything else critics say.
That said, I do think it’s important for US supporters to take on board some of the concerns voiced by observers. I can see why you would get very defensive when someone criticises your country; I’d do the same and it’s hard to keep discussions to the facts (rathr than the insults) when you feel somebody’s having a gratuitous or ignorant dig.
But the USA are in a unique position at the moment in many respects, including their military, cultural and economic might. They also had a massive amount of goodwill after 9/11. The question is where did that go? Why are allies distanced themselves? It’s no good using cheap insults about foreign countries who a few years ago were part of joint operations.
Something’s changed, and it is crucial to try and understand what and why. If you can’t keep the peace with your allies, what chance have you got against your enemies….
SnowmanBest one so far: Zatoichi. Superb in every respect. A masterpiece I thought. Saw it 3 times at the cinema in a week (this happens once in a blue moon for me nowadays).
Worst: The Foreigner (I used to really like Seagal’s early stuff (Above the Law, Marked for Death, etc.) but this one was a huge disappointement (the directing, acting, storyline, were all hugely disapointing. Maybe it was meant as a parody…
And Lost in Translation: completely vacuous, hugeley overrated. I’m normally a big fan of Murray’s, but he didn’t do it for me in this one. A really damp squid.
SnowmanIn Dutch there’s a word called “komkommertijd”, which means nothing is really hapenning. OK, still thousands get killed in wars, from deseases, gas explosions but it’s summer. 🙂 However, world war I also started 90 years ago during a nice vacation so we can be optimistic.
Maybe that’s why people are not posting eh?
And just because it’s summer doesn’t mean everyone is on holiday. Some of us aren’t students.
Typical kid! Young people these days, blabla, rant, moan, grumble.
SnowmanWe didn’t started the whole problem in the Balkans
And I expect you didn’t learned how to talk proper either, eh?
SnowmanActually I don’t really like the current trend of prohibiting cigarettes in all pubs. I don’t smoke myself, but in pubs people should have the opportunity to smoke cigarettes and drink alcohol. I already think the gov’t warned enough.
Fine as long as people who DON’T want to smoke have the ‘opportunity’ of enjoying a drink without having their lungs filled with smoke and their clothes and hair reeking of a 3-day old ashtray.
It works well as long as the two are kept apart.
I have no problem with peple smoking, none at all, as long as they don’t pollute non-smokers’ environement. I have very little respect (call it none) for selfish *@#=~ who smoke on buses for instance.
I like cigarettes and the smokers.
They pay a lot of taxes (Marlboro’s cost 5€ here now) and therefore non-smokers pay LESS taxes.Keep on smoking folks ….
I’m surprised that you would say something like this. If it’s a joke, it’s not in fantastic taste. If it’s what you really think, it’s odd because you are normally quite sensible.
Did you stop to think how mluch money smokers cost the state in health-care because of smoking-related diseases and deaths?
Keep on smoking? Until what? Sorry Hand, I don’t think this is a light-hearted topic…
One last word: if you would like to kick the habit, I recommand Allen Carr’s books/video/clinics. He has branches in a lot of countries around the world and has devised a method to stop smoking. No will power necessary, no fuss, no bother. He destroys almost all of modern societies’s clichés about tabacco. Even if you are not a smoker, I highly recommand his books, especially “The Only Way to Stop Smoking Permanently”, which contains wonderful insights into his take on life (It really opened my eyes).
Best of all, he is a ex-chain smoker. So he is not like people who have never smoked and pretend they know it all and he doesn’t lecture you as in “Oh, it’s sooo bad for you; you should stop, you naughty person”.
SnowmanI wouldn’t know to be honest, but that reminds me of an article in Jets magazine where a pilot explains the various tribulations associated with flying a combat aircraft fromthe UK to Paris for an airshow.
SnowmanI wouldn’t know to be honest, but that reminds me of an article in Jets magazine where a pilot explains the various tribulations associated with flying a combat aircraft fromthe UK to Paris for an airshow.
SnowmanRe: Frenchwoman marries a corpse
Originally posted by Sauron
Apparently a woman in France has married her dead boyfriend who died in 2002. The story is that she had to get approval from the French President. The boyfriend didn’t attend.If this is true, it sure beats the hell out of queer marriage.
Sauron
Well done sauron.
This post truly encapsulates your sensitive and intelligent nature.
You either have the sense of humour of a very lame teenager or you are completely lacking in insight into human decency. Either way, your posts are as pleasant as a stranger’s flatulence in a crowded lift.
Futher to the reasons given above, the woman in question also said that she wanted to bear her late boyfriend’s surname for personal and emotional resaons and that this ceremony was what he would have wanted.
As Hand pointed out, apparently, this case is so special you need a dispensation from the French President.
SnowmanRe: Frenchwoman marries a corpse
Originally posted by Sauron
Apparently a woman in France has married her dead boyfriend who died in 2002. The story is that she had to get approval from the French President. The boyfriend didn’t attend.If this is true, it sure beats the hell out of queer marriage.
Sauron
Well done sauron.
This post truly encapsulates your sensitive and intelligent nature.
You either have the sense of humour of a very lame teenager or you are completely lacking in insight into human decency. Either way, your posts are as pleasant as a stranger’s flatulence in a crowded lift.
Futher to the reasons given above, the woman in question also said that she wanted to bear her late boyfriend’s surname for personal and emotional resaons and that this ceremony was what he would have wanted.
As Hand pointed out, apparently, this case is so special you need a dispensation from the French President.
SnowmanWouldn’t the Finns give the Brits a run for their money?
SnowmanWouldn’t the Finns give the Brits a run for their money?
SnowmanOriginally posted by tenthije
But I’ll stop as it does take to much time.
“Too” much, you mean.
perverted their normal English that abdly that foreigners
Surely that should be “badly”.
Reinstating these boards will be the best thing you can do to save the English language!
“is the best thing you could do”
The words pot, kettle and black spring to mind.
SnowmanOriginally posted by tenthije
But I’ll stop as it does take to much time.
“Too” much, you mean.
perverted their normal English that abdly that foreigners
Surely that should be “badly”.
Reinstating these boards will be the best thing you can do to save the English language!
“is the best thing you could do”
The words pot, kettle and black spring to mind.
SnowmanYou little so-and-so! I know where you live! I’m phoning the council! Grumble, grumble…
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