COMMENTS:
Okay, now if you'd just return the $55,000 that it cost to educate you (albeit poorly) we'd be happy to see you leave for say, Albania? and by all means, don't let the Door smack your pathetic ass on the way out.
Voted : Ireland.
Warden I’ll start off by stating that I’m Irish, which makes me European and Europe has had and still has its fair share of problems too. America is a great country, with a rich past filled with numerous things which you should be proud of. For the most part the American people are good, honest, hard working and friendly. It's not America's fault, or the American people's fault that the US is currently percieved in such a negative way in so many places. It’s the American governments fault and not just this current government either. To the majority of people outside of America the closest contact we have with America stems from US governments foreign policies and it has been well documented that US foreign policy sucks. Just look at South America, Venezuela, Cuba, Chile, Panama, Honduras, Nicaragua all places where successive US government’s foreign policies have caused great suffering to the local populations. Look at Palestine, Syria, Iraq, Iran, Saudi Arabia and most other Muslim nation’s again successive US government’s foreign policies of unwavering support for Israel and the fact that the US has bases in what Muslims regard as holy lands causes outrage among Muslim’s, which in turn is deflected back as outrage against the American people. It would seem that the biggest threat to the hard working, honest, decent American people is the American government. Don’t hate your country Warden, hate your government.
by B_P on Fri May 04, 07 2:05am
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^Just to play devils advocate a little..
I often hear the argument that its the American government, not the people, who are the cause and, maybe deserve, the negative image much of the world ahs of America as a whole.
However, I ask you, in a democratic country, surely the government represents the people? The American people voted the Bush government in, after all. Not just once either, so ti cant be put down to mistake, rectified at the first possible juncture allowed by the constitution.
Convenient as it is, how do you justify your seperation of the actions of the American government from the actions of the American people?
Voted : United States of America
I like America, and Americans, i just dont like the guy they put in office. Just because I dont like their politics, it doesn't mean I dont like the people. Look at what they have done for the world. They gave us denim jeans people!!! Who gives a fuck about the space shuttle or electricity when you have a nicely fitting pair of 501's? So for the sake of Denim wearing people everywhere; I salute you America and will cast my vote in your direction.
The fact that Bush got elected does not mean that all American’s support him or his government. If I recall Karl Rove orchestrated an election win through intelligent focusing on what could be percieved as the flaws in the US electoral system i.e. the majority vote winner does not necessarily carry the election, case in point Gore v Bush.
Do you hold all peoples responsible for the actions of their governments? Are the people of Iraq responsible for the actions of Saddam? Are the people of Britain responsible and should they be held accountable for Blair taking them to war?
Yes Bush was elected twice but couldn’t that be put down to lack of a viable alternative and voter apathy rather than clear support for Bush.
by B_P on Fri May 04, 07 5:03am
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How is the U.S. immoral?
by aya on Fri May 04, 07 8:22am
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"Look at Palestine, Syria, Iraq, Iran, Saudi Arabia and most other Muslim nation’s again successive US government’s foreign policies of unwavering support for Israel and the fact that the US has bases in what Muslims regard as holy lands causes outrage among Muslim’s, which in turn is deflected back as outrage against the American people."
BP, about the bases, when the Americans try to leave, the ppl cry for them to stay. I don't think that the bases are the real problem. Muslims will find some other reason to hate the west. And as for Isreal..oh, hold on, i'll finish this later
by aya on Fri May 04, 07 8:24am
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have a great trip and be sure to write us! buh-bye now.
"The fact that Bush got elected does not mean that all American’s support him or his government. If I recall Karl Rove orchestrated an election win through intelligent focusing on what could be percieved as the flaws in the US electoral system i.e. the majority vote winner does not necessarily carry the election, case in point Gore v Bush."
Then the "democracy" we supposedly have in the Western world is, in fact, no such thing. Which is surely something that needs to be addressed.
"Are the people of Iraq responsible for the actions of Saddam?"
Th actions of a dictator are hardly comparable to the actions of an elected leader, as we supposedly have in the Western World. Do I blame the British people for Blair taking us to war? Well, the ones who voted fro him, yes. To a degree. Again, its not like people made a mistake and then rectified it, they voted him in more than once.
"Yes Bush was elected twice but couldn’t that be put down to LACK OF A VIABLE ALTERNATIVE and voter apathy rather than clear support for Bush."
Democracy with no real alteratives is not democracy at all. More than one viable choice is required to create a democratic election, otherwise what you have is a kangaroo election.
These are the questions im asking, the questions that decide the state of play of one of our most cherished constitutions, that of democracy.
The United States is unusual in that we are very young but also became the world's preeminent superpower through a combination of elements in the 20th century, most notably the Industrial Revolution, World War II, and globalization. But this also means that irresponsible behavior in government can have global consequences. Fundamentalist nationalists such as Ronald Reagan and Bush II have brought themes of American exceptionalism (the idea that the United States represents the archetype of human progress) and manifest destiny (that Americanism is sanctioned by God) together with strength through military and economic power into a globalizing world. The result? Our proxy war with the former Soviet Union in Afghanistan includes employment not only of the mujahideen but of Osama Bin Laden in 1986 as a major contractor for the Khost tunnel complex, which was an arms depot/training and medical center which helped supply and sustain the mujahideen. Clinton bombed this very complex in 1998.
The space chimp and his cadre of freedom fighters are "elected" in 2000, bringing with them a now-public agenda to reimplement Reaganite policies of international military 'influence'. So Bin Laden and al Qaeda attack us in 2001 using novel and spectacularly effective terrorist tactics, which brings an understandable retaliation via another incursion into Afghanistan. Effective propaganda and the manipulation of a fearful public brought us into Iraq without many people asking questions, like: "Wait, why are we invading Iraq now?"
which brings us to today. I'm patriotic but anti-nationalist.
The fact that the US isn't perfect is reason to try to make it better. I'd like to visit Europe, though.
The US is no more immoral than Europe. Maybe because you live in the US our problems are more visible to you. Europe has plenty of problems.
You are invited to Europe only if you are white...That's the feeling we Europeans have..And I hate that!
I can't believe you gave me negative karma for my comment david. You're as ugly on the inside as you are on the outside. No wonder you're so nasty. Go ahead and give me as much negative karma as you want.
You only scratched the surface of those countries. Get back to me in 10 years.
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