Because in today’s world influence is the same as military power. As there’s no military power in Europe, we can not have influence on America’s decision. Why are the American picking on the Europeans, but not on the Chinese? Because China has some muscles and hence it has influence.

If China would have resisted in this war like the French have done, nobody would be talking about anti-Americanism. The US would respect China, because they darm know they can’t afford to have a conflict with them. What else can France or Europe do than raising taxes on imported steal or McDonnald burgers? Rien.

You see Phantom, you can also ask a question gently and have a response in return. It ain’t that difficult. It’s all about respect.

I need to find information on a French Halifax navigator, based in Yorkshire. I tried the RAF-veterans website, but they don’t give information to non-relatives. It’s for my history project.

Originally posted by IsaacNewton
I’m not racist, nor politically correct, but why is it okay to be anti-American?

I detest the word anti-Americanism. I think this is the easiest, cheapest way to find arguments on anyone who’s criticising the USA. Let’s just stick to the word “multilateral”. Everytime I read the Economist, I have to laugh at the opinions (especially Charlemagne), because France is still portraited as a country of arrogant-Gaullist chauvenists. During the 19th century, France, and many French writers were indeed anti-US. Baudelaire for example thought of France as the defender of the Old World to the cruel New World which was America. But many new French philopshers like Sartre, do not consider the US as an enemy. If I read “Le Figaro” I don’t read the same anti-US crap, but the Economist still continues with its “Europe”-bashing. I don’t like Chirac that much, but he’s no Gaullist, that’s for sure. De Gaulle wanted France to become number one in Europe, Chirac wouldn’t have dared to voice his opinion, if it wasn’t of Schroeder and Putain backing him. I think we are being unfair to Chirac if we call him anti-American. And I’m disappointed in Americans who do not consider France as an ally anymore. I think there are no more anti-Americanists in France than there are in Britain.

The reason why France is doing so difficult according to America is probably because many French philosophers and intellectuels see the USA still as a product of their own ideas, but now, these neocons (Perle-Fukuyama-Huntington-Kagan, all Harvard-professorts so I’m not talking about GWB-dumbasses) try to change America into a new “res publica”, loose from their European heritage.

42? Jesus! Congratulations!

Isaac, the human being is very selfish. We have to be honest here. The more important you are, the more people who will envy or detest you. Why do people in Europe are so anti-American? Because we hate their culture? Hollywood production movies (unfortunatelly) are still more popular than our own stuff. People still go to McDonnalds. It’s because – and this is the nature of the human being – we see a competitor in the US. I won’t deny this, and maybe we should focus more on countries like Congo and Zimbabwe. Especially my country who wants to be a “moral superpower” (Anyone read the article in the Economist on the Belgian genocide law? :D). I also think this last is BS, Belgium is no moral superpower.

How can we get over this problem? Building up defences would be a start. I think if we would have a decent army in Europe, there would have been a lot less anti-war protestors. We need a defence, to compete against the US. Not because we want to openly fight against them, cause that would destroy us both, but to keep everything balanced. The only way to get over this frustration which is infecting Europe (including Britain, most of all Britain!!) is to – finally – start thinking about a European defence policy. Paradox: building up defences to maintain peace. I’m sure a Europe with one strong army could have prevented this war and save lifes. And it seems like the people are also beginning to understand this. If we want to have a say in today’s world, we must put some efforts in defence!!! Europe is too small to be divided. These European summits make me cry :'(. The EU is becoming like Switzerland.

What, women are allowed to vote? Damn :).

Actually it took us two world wars to realise women should also have political rights. And guess who didn’t like the idea that women would have votes : the socialists 😎 . So Elp, it’s most likely my pupils would turn into conservative *******s instead of socialists.

But my intention is to become a journalist, not a teacher. And I’m not one of those US-bashers who just take on the US without any previous knowledge. In fact, if I’m talking with my fellow students here, they blame me for being too pro-American. This is no BS! I’m not the guy in real life that I am on the forum, a lot more carefull when expressing myself. But some a$$holes here just make me angry, and hence, I can come up with some BS. But you’re not one of them, Eric ;).

The main difference between the Belgian and the American constitution is that the Belgian one changes all the time (a couple of times a year), which I detest, because it makes it extra difficult, and even our own ministers sometimes don’t understand what is state and what is federal matter. Very confusing.

And another example of continental influence: Lousiana (Louis XIV’s state). The court in Nouvelle Orléans (New Orleans) still uses the civil law instead of the Anglo-Saxon common law system.;) 😉

Lourdes?

Rabie,

The American war of independence happened more than 130 years after the English civil war. I don’t think one can consider this war to be a new English war for more democracy. Actually, since the Act of Union in 1702 (correct me if I’m wrong), not much has changed in the UK. (constitutionally).

The American war of independence would never make it into the history books if it weren’t that the USA is a superpower today. For Europe, the 7-year war (1756-1763) was a lot more important, because here the Britons finally beated the French as the number one colonial superpower in the world (in North-America and the Indies). Therefor, the French insisted on American Independence, to take revenge on the Britons. However, the American Revolution has also influenced the more important French Revolution. Voltaire, Rousseau, Montesqieu, Kant (Kritik der Reinen vernunft/Kritik der Praktischer vernunft) … these philosophers of the Aufklarung have all influenced the American constitution, a lot more than the British. And since the American constitution hasn’t changed a bit since 1783, how can people still claim the US has nothing to do with (continental) Europe. America was the dream of the 18th century French philosophers. Bear that in mind! Montesqieu and Benjamin Franklin were friends. Currently, America looks a lot more like Leviathan (The Hobbesian world) than the land of liberty, once inspired by Montesqieu and Kant.

The second nation that gained independence, taking over most of the American constitution … was, indeed … Belgium, in 1830!

Snapper, Oscar Wilde also said that “Women are a decorative sex”. You should actually read “a portret of Dorian Gray”. It’s not that long. The dialogues between the painter and Dorian Gray are just superb! Great literature.

Keltic, did you know that my city (Antwerp) was one of the starting points of the trips to Santiago? There’s even a museum here. The Architecture and paintings of that time were all unfluenced by the trip to Santiago. Santiago was for Europe during the middle ages what Mekka is for the Islam world today. It’s a shame so many people have forgotten this.