COMMENTS:
I feel they need to wake up, their gov't, their precious entertainment and fashion industry has such power over them, and in denial they shout "America rules", because the Pledge of Allegiance,Jerry Bruckheimer movies, American "heroes", and that stupid new kiddy show "Liberty Kids" or something is a good example of what I mean, in the constant loyalty brainwashing your given.
But their full of bigots still and it compromises with the flow of immigrants who want to be in "the greatest country in the world".
But I'm Canadaian, I know what freedom is, and it is here, so I'm not fucking with their shit, I don't know or think I'll ever go to America, it's too contradicted and biased in every way.
The cool ones are in Washington state though, shout out to them.
Wake up fools!
I hate American politics...I mean conveniently forgotting about the reason they went to war...the weapons of mass destruction...if another country embarked upon the same course as America, i.e. not going to the UN etc...the leaders would be up for war crimes...Power and Justice are inextricably bound, and unfortunately America has the power.
Most american i no are nice people, but like everyware els, theres a few idiots.
You can't judge an entire nation of people just because of the policies that the government uses.Most Americans i have came across are polite, intelligent and not racist.I will admit however, that there are quite a few idiots in the U.S.A but it is a country of almost 300 million people!
I agree. To say something like, "I dislike Americans," is pretty ignorant, close-minded, shallow, and xenophobic, IMHO. Every last country has had politicians put its people in positions that should have been avoided. That says nothing of the worth or likeability of the people.
You criticze the United States, but you love everything about us. You watch our crappy movies and TV shows in droves, you eat our junk food almost as much as we do, you buy our weapons to protect yourselves from each other, you wear the silliest of our trendy clothes, you drive our reject cars, you listen to the worst of our music everyday, you buy our CD's by the millions, and you attend our colleges almost as much as you visit Disneyworld. Admit it - you love us! The numbers don't lie.
Bostonian
SYFL101, i like your comment. I am an american and i totally agree with you, but all countries have idiots, our president is a HUGE one, i dont support him in any way. Ill be dammed if i vote for him in the next election. I am just glad to see that some people arent so narrow minded. I just wanted to say thanks. Honestly until lately i didnt realize exactly how much the world hated me just because i was born american!
by Tae on Tue Jan 06, 04 7:02am
[+]
American people are generally nice, but they seem to live in there own ittle bubble at times, and your government sucks, dont vote bush in again.
I've lived in US and I will never want to live there ever...guess I'm part of the 10%
Tae your an idiot, I've been to America, to Minneapolis, and every single American I've met that recognized me as a Canadian, gave me native jokes, Canadian jokes, questions about whether or not we live in igloos.
Fuck Americans!
Their too ignorant!
Hey doen5167, you descended from England, Americans are just traitors of England who didn't want to pay taxes.
And guess what? You still do!
Hey, do you ride horses and play with ropes. And shoot injuns for no reason?
I like American (beside the rasist bitches and G.B.) and HATE they're politics!
http: // www. bestandworst. com / pages / vote / vote-11712. html remoove spases and so on, go o bottem, see my comments on america, i cant be botherd to retype this shit over n over, we should have a ballot on wich poll is the oficail "i hate america" poll aredy
Hey Doen, first of all you didn't beat the British, they went broke sending army of men after army of men across the sea to control you treacherous dogs.
And your army is only powerful because that's where all your money goes. In the taxes you once wanted to avoid.
Don't lecture me about the fall of the nazi's, you bitches simply waited until both sides of the war were in lesser numbers, but that meant shit until the Japanese pulled you into the war by doing that sneak attack early.
What civil war are you talking about? Yours?
That happened well after you gained independance, isn't Lincoln your 17th president or something.
Your civil war happened because someone wanted to abolish your one means of saving money... slavery.
The north was cool, but the Southern bigots were too comfy to let no work go. You obviously only took American History in your life.
Doen, are there more than three locks on your door?
Americans think they are so good.
Just because they are the richest country in the world
and the smartest - No they fucking aren't
and the strongest - No they fucking aren't
and the most feared - Americans or America is neither the most feared. Terrorists states who have aquired nuclear weapons programs like North Korea have more reason to be feared.
and the most victorious - no they fucking aren't and never will be.
and the best looking - What?, they have the largest percentage of fat people. Of course they have some lookers but all countries do. Stop paying attention to their media.
and the most successful - fair point
and the leader of the free world - Their media is greatly influenced by their government. Their army and Secret service is in charge, not what I would call a free country.
and the enforcers of human rights - they abuse more rights than they protect
and the best dressed - maybe
Winniethepooh why do you hate us so much. We aren't what you think. First of all in ww2 the only power to succesfully fight a two front war was: the u.s. what a big surprise. Now on to the real question, why do you hate us so much? My answer is that the world is changing and is shifting away from teh politics that you like, the kind that rotates around old european politics and to a new world made of eastern european countries and the middle east and you sorry bitches are being left out. The other reason is that america is finally doing something to prevent global incidents of of tragedies. Instead of appeasement to hostiles such was the case with hitler and chezslovakia we are rwmoving them before the problem. and you never answered my question, DO YOU LIVE IN AN IGLOO
oh yeah on the cicil war it wasn't really slavery but sectionalism that caused teh war to begin, the north and teh south had become to distant.
and teh battle of yorktown was what, a bake sale? or place of surrrender? since you know more about american history and a cowardish wasy thatn a real american winniethe pooh, plus do you live in an igloo?
Don't lecture me about the fall of the nazi's, you bitches simply waited until both sides of the war were in lesser numbers, another great line from winnie the pooh, the real answer is that the Nazi's were still in full strength, fortress europe wasn't invaded yet and the turn in the east against teh soviets didn't take place until the battles of leningrad and more importantly stalingrad. The actual turn of the war happened in summer of 1943, and if i can recount my american history that was after 1941 when we entered the war, he jumps back to shoot and scores another win for me, another lose for you Igloo liver.
Felix
You wanker.
Fish and Chips kickass.
You can't claim any food of your own. SHITHEADS.
Yes my wife is a welsh sheep but she wants a divorce. Apprantely someone called felix does it better than I do and if I ever catch him, I'll twat him.
The Royal family bring in more money (tourists) per annum than they are worth in total so they are a valuble asset and in case you didn't know they have little power left these days so they don't run us.
Like americans, most of em, hate your polotics, and thinnk you all live in a bubble, blinding you to the evil oyur state carrys out beyond you national borders.
Yeah winnie, go back to your teepee and give the maker's of "Winnie the Pooh" that name back. YOu aren't worthy of it, you useless Canadian. Be proud that you're an Indian Canadian and I'll be proud I'm American Jew.
You criticze the United States, but you love everything about us. You watch our crappy movies and TV shows in droves, you eat our junk food almost as much as we do, you buy our weapons to protect yourselves from each other, you wear the silliest of our trendy clothes, you drive our reject cars, you listen to the worst of our music everyday, you buy our CD's by the millions, and you attend our colleges almost as much as you visit Disneyworld. Admit it - you love us! The numbers don't lie.
I'm sorry doen, your typing is shitty say that all again?
Oh, and why do Americans use the fact that they invaded Iraq to save it as their biggest excuse for why their cool!
Oh, we liberated Iraq!
So what!
You'll do it to any country if it lets the UN give you international jurisdiction, the one thing America's secret organizations have dreamed of for forty years! The second world war started in 1939. And yes you did join at 1941, but didn't hit Europe until 1942, and the russians, the British, and the Canadians were all that stood in their way. Besides, the entire German tank effort was busy in Russia, same as their infantry, they were busy conquering Russia when you came. It didn't take you as long as they did to get to France and Russia as it took for your army to get to Berlin.
And from 1939 to 1941, America's weapons makers made a lot of ammo, as if expecting or waiting to start war.
I go with waiting!
He sets Winnie up, swoosh!
How do you basketball freaks spell allyoop?
First, sorry for the typing, now, let me ask you a question. If America remained out of the war would the others of beaten Hitler, no. And if you believe that they would of your an idea, plan and simple. Second, the U.S. wasn't given international jurisdiction by the U.N. we took matters into our own hands because that organization is weak wristed and get's respect from no one and the basis behing collective securtity is gone. Third what secret organization? if it's so secret than why does a a person likeyourself know about. You don't its easier for people like you to blame america and make up bull shit instead of actually coming up for a solution. but let's hear it winnie, what is your solution to the problem to a dictator that committed mass genocide to his own people cause a whole part of teh globe to be in a crossfires of a war at any time? the last thing, I don't have a locks on my doors, i'm not a indian canuck so i'm not hated, winnie, Touchdown the crowd goes wild.
My main issue with americans is they seem unable to openly question their govt. It's not democracy if you don't question your chosen leaders, it's not lack of patriotism if you do.
I don't care if the fucking nazi's won the goddam war!
It's no different than the situation native people have now, the only difference the nazi's would've made was putting those human gas rooms and ovens on the reserves!
You think I give a shit if white people are trying to conquer the world, they've always been trying to!
Obviously I can't make a point with these bigots around.
Oh well.
Ghest 43af2, is an idiot, do I mean literally, NO!
Of course conquering takes time:
Romans, took them 70-80 years to make the final stretch of their Empire.
The Spaniards, come to South America in 1492 and conquer the aboriginals down there and bring horses to North America.
The French, trying to take over the native people from the day they landed to the day the British took them over too, in the 1700's.
The British, always trying to conquer the Irish and the Scottish.
Conquered the French and overthrew their monarchy.
The German's, starting their bullshit in the 1900's, tried to wipe out the Jews in the forties.
The British again, trying to conquer the Indians, (India stupid) Gandhi stopped them after a high death toll.
British again, Americans won't pay a tax, the British try to control the Americans but go broke.
And now America is trying to take over politically.
Using their excuse of liberating a country as their means to raid it for goods.
Your right, it does take time, but thank God the white people have failed every time one of their races thought they could conquer.
If it's not the American's then, what is the next power to try to conquer a continent or the globe?
Oh and therapy didn't work, that's why I smoke pot, dork bitch!
And No, you stupid bitch, it's America's own soldiers and bombs that also add to the terrorists death counts!
Your fucking army isn't as wonderful as your news media makes them out to be!
Their as gun crazy as the terrorists and your state militia's.
Only care about their kill counts.
Fuck your "powerful" army.
You'd all feel and probably be lost if something happened to them.
And your country should be the one to drop their WMD, your the only country that ever used them!
How about...
"Well then, if your not going indulge in my history lesson, that shows you your right about conquering taking time, and that you shouldn't have taken me so literally, then you obviously are an example of ADD, you seem to only have read my last three sentences, the same way Peter Jackson read the books before he filmed LOTR, the same way facts were smudged when the lost Bible scrolls were dug and re-written, your only mocking me for what the rest of these neanderthals can accumulate.
Say something important?
What's important to you?
I made my comment for this poll, it's the third one down, go read that!
And please stop being a dingleberry trying to make me look dumb.
Why do the stupid always have to mock the wonderfully smart?
Guest_8c7fb is now american_soldier
Winnie you're points are being made but they have no facts around them and are based on only hatred to the U.S. and the "White Man"
I like SOME Americans, and SOME American Politics.
(sigh) morons.
It's like talking to my annoying brother, all he does is snap back with bullshit.
I hope it feels good making the both of us keep saying the same shit over and over.
And your still being like Dingleberry, your taking what I'm saying and interpreting it your way so these people think me a fool.
Well Fuck You!
That's all I can say, you honestly aren't listening.
successfull + righteousness = resented, envied
That was good.
The US goverment? Don't get me started!
Detest the place & the people. They're a bunch of loud-mouthed bragging wankers with no class whatsoever.
I'm beginning to love this site, so comical. I see so much American bashing, but no one says where they're from, besides our Canadian friends.
What bullshit? i'm giving facts, your them one talking about "secret organizations" winnie why can't you just say that your blaming the U.S. for the worlds problems because its in easy target. So what is your solution to the world's problems? winnie.
My solution is simple, everyone smoke weed every day, it makes you all more peaceful and friendly!
i live an hr away from the american border, i dont ever remember meating one of them, but i hear there all assholes
like to know more about your tribe getting kicked outta canada
if the usa did not get involved in ww2, then alot of allied soldiers would still be alive,so you`re right
Karsten, you're a yank. Now shut up whining, fatso.
yeah that was me above forgot to log in... i was to high
And finally once again Operator you are addressed: What exactly do you mean by that stupid suggestion that there would be more "Allied" alive had the US just stayed home? Come on, I really want to know just how superior to me you are!
by karsten on Jan 15, 2004
ITS THAT OLD USA HABIT OF BOMBING THE FUCK OUTTA THIER FRIENDS.AND I`AM REALLY SORRY YOUR TRIBE GOT THE BOOT BUT AT LEAST THIS PART OF NORTH AMERICA DIDN`TR WAGE A WAR AGIANST YOUR PEOPLE LIKE THE GOOD OLE USA.
I couldn't give a toss whether you're male or female, yank, you're still a yank.
As for this alias, I stole it from another ignorant yank who did nothing but brag about his nation the whole time. I bet he loved ramming shit.
According to recent surveys, there is a greater than evens chance you're overweight.
Re. smart: I'm dumbing it down so an intellectual midget like you can keep up.
And Karsten is a man's name in Germany. Do you take hormone replacements, or are you just a lesbian?
Good points karsten, like most canadians they can never leave facts that come with there thoughts
Reading all this is funny yet sad. It's after reading this that I feel even better about America. So many idiots blind with hate towards us, which leads to irrational thought. They focus so intently on us that they pay no attention to events in their own country. I can name all US presidents in order. So can you probably, but can you name all your previous leaders. LOL nope none of you can probably. Do you even know what their stances on key issues are? Nope. I'm stationed in Germany. My ex-girlfriend, German, didn't even know Schroeder's past but she knew Bush's. Don't worry Americans the rest of the world is blind from the light we shine.
neutral_observer,
bravo! Nice to see someone thinking objectly on this site.
neutral_observer,
As a soldier I'm sure you've seen the good, bad, and the ugly of many cultures. It's important to separate those three when forming an opinion about a culture. I know in Germany, I receive mixed feelings about Americans, in Austria my opinion is that not many like Americans, while Hungary I get along great. Even in Austria though I try to keep an open-mind thinking I'll meet someone who will prove my first impression wrong. Here in Baghdad I laugh, joke, take pictures, give kids toys, and other things with many Iraqis. Then my friend gets hit with an IED. I don't let that affect my relations with my Iraqi friends though. I think too many people do blindly hate us just to take out anger in their own life, especially 3rd world, because we are an easy, big target to hate. Why not blame the Americans? Has to be their fault!
I do agree that their life is tough and it's a much shorter fall into depression, opperssion, and hate for them. If this is the case though, we didn't we, as a world united, step in to help these countries, especially Iraq? We aren't we doing more to resolve the Israeli, Palestinian problem? Why aren't we too concerned with human rights in North Korea? Why do we not care when Muslims massacre each other like in Yemen and Pakistan? It's not our problem is what the world says. When will it become our problem though? When it's too late? What do you think?
Another thing I do not understand is the Arab world. Their pride will be the end of them and many others if something doesn't change. When Israel attacks Palestine to try to take out a terrorist who just killed litlle kids and other innocents, the Arab world goes crazy. Kuwaitis once ethnically cleansed their country of Palestinians, now they express hatred towards America because of our stance towards Palestine, and we helped them regain their country only 13 years ago!
Another thing that doesn't make sense about the Arab world. Syria occupies Lebanon even today and no one wails about the "occupation." Iraq invades Kuwait and it is easily forgiven and forgotten. Shiites in Saudi Arabia are second-class citizens, to say the least. But Israel, ah Israel; if Israel kills even a single civilian by accident in pursuit of terrorists who blow up children, the charges of "genocide" go up like flags on a football field. The temporary Iraqi occupation by Americans, which we give control back on July 1st, only one year after winning the major war, that's an outrage that we could even think of doing such a thing as helping Iraq out of a downward spiral so that it doesn't become a oversized Palestine.
One more fact about unjust hatred to Israel and the US.
The inhuman brutality of Muslim to fellow Muslim--800,000 Pakistanis killed by Pakistan in 8 months in 1971, 20,000 Syrians killed in a week by Syria in 1982, 1.5 million Afghans killed by the Taliban in 5 years, 200,000 Iraqis killed by Saddam in 1988, 5,000 Palestinians killed by Jordan in one month in 1970, 300,000 Palestinians ethnically cleansed by Kuwait in 1991--all this dwarfs anything done by Israel where 3,000 Palestinians were killed in eight years of intifada or the U.S. Those blaming Israel and America forget this, revealing their indignation as hollow.
natural_observer,
If you'd like I have a poll on Iraq, vote-13123.
Feel free to drop some knowledge on it at anytime. I'd like to talk to someone worth discussing with on many issues. Later.
Quote from American Soldier:
"Another thing I do not understand is the Arab world. Their pride will be the end of them and many others if something doesn't change."
And what about you Americans & *your* pride?
Yes we as Americans do have a strong sense of pride for being the leading nation in the free world. We try and succeed in everything, well except the World Cup, even that will change in 2006. Our pride doesn't extend to mass murdering one another over our differnces in religion. We aren't suffering from oppresion and are too proud to take help from a "Christian" nation as they like to call us.
The Patriot Act I and II. I'm free to still do as I'm pleased. I'm free to be investigated too if what I please supports terrorism.
I do think there needs to be more control and guidelines on the Patriot Acts.
We are still a free nation with the Patriot Acts. Under these trying times, it becomes harder to protect citizens from terrorists embedded in our nation. I believe the Patriot Act is a move to protect us citizens. Isn't that what our nation is founded on anyways, John Locke's philosophy. Locke: "Government has no other end than the preservation of property." Locke: "Where there is no law there is no freedom." "New opinions are always suspected, and usually opposed, without any other reason but because they are not already common."
I think the biggest issue is the usage of the word freedom. Freedom isn't free, any soldier knows that. Freedom is the ability to do whatever the hell you'd like to do. What our nation is based on, and modeled after is the freedom of man united under a government. "Freedom of men under government is to have a standing rule to live by, common to every one of that society and made by the legislative power vested in it and not to be subject to the inconstant, uncertain, arbitrary will of another man."
Freedom to make your own rules as a community and abide by them. Freedom to change those rules. Freedom to elect those who will enforce those rules. Freedom to choose what rights your nation will have. That is freedom. That is America.
Typo above: Freedom ISN'T the ability to do whatever the hell you want.
Hey "user named Truth" because I won't call you "truth", you're far from it.
You started to make a point and totally left it. All I heard is "free world" and about questioning the governmet, a valid discussion. Then you jumped straight into oil companies profits.
What the hell does that have to do with freedom?
Nothing at all, which proves your main topic, America bashing. LOL You couldn't even finish a valid subject that's worth talking about.
Your closing??? Classic. Bravo. Can you back it up, or do you just regurgitate hate lines out your ass?
"user named truth" I will respond to the first part you stated that wasn't a waste of computer bits and keystrokes. The great thing about America is we get to elect a new president every four years. Also all laws are made in Congress accoring to the Constitution. No president can make laws. Therefore if we are having rights taken away, it seems we need to elect a new Congress first, not president. Either way, it's up to the majority of the people in our nation to decide that. Like I said, freedom is "Freedom of men under government is to have a standing rule to live by, common to every one of that society and made by the legislative power vested in it and not to be subject to the inconstant, uncertain, arbitrary will of another man"
We are free because we can change the rules we live by, and who enforces them.
LOL, you wish! I'm not going anywhere.
fuck ukrainians fuck russians fuck soviet union fuck comunists
hey american soldier did you fight me
DJ, don't be an idiot, What that poll said was, Why do guy's label women as sluts if they like to have sex or blowing guys, yet we expect to get laid with whoever we want anytime we should want!
That's the question, one of 'em, I love women, why would I want to downsize their image, and above all, their self-esteem?
Not me buddy, well some women here have been rude, And sorry to Lil Marlene, I never read through that whole thing to catch on what you meant.
But me and women, it's a great thing.
Every women I 've met loves it when I flurt.
And no, their not sluts!
You just gotta show women that you have respect for them, and that's where I come in.
So if you boys don't treat your women well, playah's like me are always around and ready to make them feel great again.
I love women.
And doen and American soldier should give this up, I am.
adolf_hitler,
nope I didn't fight you, but my grandfather kicked your ass, and you got pinapples shoved up your ass in Little Nicky, you fag.
Guest_f35f5,
What amuses me is none of you want me on this poll, so now all my "comrades" will put what they have to say on it too. Have a nice day!!!!
Keep hating on us. I hope for you this poll expires soon, because I was willing to speak my opinion by myself. You want to hate, act like kids, and give no discussion to why you hate me and my fellow Americans, that's fine with me. Don't read my comments, but me and my brothers(soldiers) will tactfully post until this poll ends. My suggestions, if you don't want a true open poll, then make a private one.
Guest_h66f5,
If you don't like our postings, then don't read them. We even made it easy for you to recognize our names. We did that just for you! Aww, you should feel special.
IF ANYONE decides to give an opinion that's worth discuss, I'll be glad to talk. Until then I'll just deflect all the hate posts coming my way. ;-)
HaHa! What happened? Come on punks, I was just getting started. Keep feeding me fuel to use for my fire.
No?
america: an childe with an granade. grow up please. no jok
I was an American solider. In fact, I was an officer. Then I realized that my fellow Americans are all stupid enough to let themselves be bought by the highest bidder. If they are willing to give up their constitutional rights for Dubya's idea of security, they do not deserve my defense.
Cakeboy,
No one believes you were a soldier, much less an officer. No soldier or decent man would call himself a cupcake. You just try to identify with something you never could be.
As far American politics concern, I have no problem with Bush. The economy is on a rise, economic experts predict 2004 will be a record year for the US and Asia. Europe will have a tough year economically, even with the strong euro. In fact the strong euro will be the downfall of the economy in Europe. Unemployment is set to go up to 11% in Germany, compared to 7% in the US. Things look very good in the US and a lot of it is due to the Bush economic stragedy. Yes, the one everyone criticized and made fun of.
As far as constitutional rights everyone keeps speaking of, don't say anything if you don't know what you are talking about...yes that means you Cakeboy. You make yourself look like an idiots to those who know better, and you misinform those who do not. The Constitution states that ONLY Congress has the right to make laws and make amendments to the Constitution. So if you think rights are being taken, please address the concern that it's Congress that's taking them. It cannot be the President and will never be the President.
It's really cut and dry, there's no gray area. Congress and Congress alone has that power. Then the president has the power to sign it in or veto it. Even if he vetoes it Congress can overturn that veto with 2/3 majority vote.
Guest_beb0f and Anonymous,
I have no problem with your comments. I would like to see some facts to back your opnions. It seems everyone likes to say "You suck, he sucks, she sucks!", but you never show why? Throw a few facts in and maybe someone will take you seriously. Show how Bush closed down a company and dumped jobs, do something. This poll is like a fight, I keep hitting people with facts and they just say "You suck!" while I punch them.
I agree, for once with winnie.
More genius comments. You guys really show Americans how ignorant most of the world is. LOL--no I don't take idiots like you and generalize that all of the wolrd is like you, that's your job to do to us.
hey american_soldier how do you know that the kwaitis killed 200 000 palestinian
I thought the USA was the best until I moved to Japan. The differences are amazing. The people here are so helpful, so polite, I'm not scared to walk down an alley at night, etc...Americans in general are good, but in a nation with so many people, we are bound to have our share of idiots and psychopaths. And unfortunatly, firearms and the like are very easy to come by. I wish our policy on privately owned weapons could be like Canada and Japan and other countries who are like them. I wish Americans would get off their asses and work out. I wish McDonalds and Burger King would go away. I wish Americans would stop worrying about "Bennifer" and start thinking about their own lives and families. I wish the millions of dollars it takes to make a movie would instead be used to clean up ghettos and bad neighborhoods, and help the homeless get on their feet. But, alas, I am but one American girl, and I can't make this happen. I can't stop the ignorant and superficial people out there from poisoning future generations with their endless coverage of how skinny Lara Flynn-Boyle is getting, and how Ben and J-Lo are over, and how Alec Baldwin has a big beer belly now "OH NO, my life's over because that idiot got fat" Whatever. And dear God, please let Americans rediscover the dictionary and spell-check. When did "because" become "bcz", and "please" become "plz"? This is why the rest of the world thinks we are illiterate. You might think I'm a square or something, but I'm not. I'm a cheerleader, swimmer, dancer, musician, and oh yeah, Literate. Seriously. Do you even realize how stupid and uneducated it looks when you are too lazy to write PLEASE? Come on, now. Thank God I live in Japan now, and I will move to other countries, but I doubt I will ever be able to stand living in the USA again, as much as I love my country. I just can't see it happening. And it's sad.
americans are dum fuks who managed to let bush take power
Their army is trained just for freindly fire
Mel Gibson's new movie "The Passion" will open and be shown in the the US. What's being banned?
After the Gulf War in 1991, Kuwait began ethnically cleansing there country. This meant getting rid of the some 300,000 Palestinians there, many who had worked there whole lives as honest citizens there. Many were tortured, imprisoned, slaved, executed. Some where lucky enough to escape country. Within the next two years there were only 60,000 left.
Japan is a nice country, but do not act as if crime doesn't exist there too. In fact the crime rate is soaring in Japan and has the country worried, while the US crime rate was the lowest since they began statistics in 1973.
Bennifer makes me sick too, sad thing is there some people, Americans and the rest of the world, that buy into it.
Computer shorthand???
Sounds a little anal too think that people are ignorant to use shorthand on the internet. When chatting online, does any care to type everything out? Should I have to type "laughing out loud" everytime I laugh so that you know I thought it was funny? What's wrong with internet shorthand? I'm not turning in a term paper or addressing an audience. Besides, when did spell check become the grading tool for intelligence?
american soldier~
I was exaggerating a bit, I realize, but when EVERY WORD, even one that's short enough, is shorthand, it just looks retarded. I'm actually not talking about using it here, as much, since it would be pretty tedious, but I guess I am a little anal about it. I don't even really know why I wrote that, I think I was jusst getting a little carried away at how pissed I was at the time. I was just thinking about when I was in high school last year and I got tasked with correcting papers...it was ridiculous. On the computer is one thing, but for an essay paper, it is totally a different ball game. about 70% of the papers were written like friggin pc shorthand. I'm also majoring in English and music, and I am a perfectionist, not my favorite trait. But oh well. I apologize to shorthand people, you aren't dumb. Well, some of you aren't.
And believe me, I know there is crime in Japan. I live here, remember? But in my area, it very few and far between that an incident occurs where at least one of the parties involved isnt American or Russian or something. It's becoming more common here among the younger people. Guess what? Those are the people that have grown up influenced by the western world the most. But whatever.
khrista usa
Yes, it is sad to see someone write in such terrible grammar when it's on paper, or they really write that way all the time.
I'm a grammar hawk also.
I had a teacher in HS who called me her grammar king.
What bothered me was that in HS, grammar should be well known to everyone by then.
Computers though, I'm the first to admit, once I start typing I go for speed and ease.
Japan is still one of the leaders in the world in low crime rate.
To suggest it's the Western world influence, good point.
Although, I point to US crime rate being at a all time low in 2003.
Should Japan once again look to the Western world, but this time to fix it's crime?
american_soldier where did you get this information? i am "trained" as an historyan so i have to chek my sourses. and what you are sayng is not an notorios fact. not for me anyway.
Which information? Crime rate or Kuwaiti Palestinians?
I'll give both I guess.
Crime rates are easy to find if you go to the justice department. Or just read from newspaper.
Crime rate falls by more than 50 percent in decade
U.S. violent, property incidents at lowest.
Curt Anderson
of The Associated Press
WASHINGTON - Violent and property crimes dipped in 2002 to their lowest levels since records started being compiled 30 years ago, and have dropped more than 50 percent in the last decade, the Justice Department reported Sunday.
2003 it dropped some more.
***Kuwaitis and Palestinians***
A google search of ***palestinians ethnically cleansed in kuwait***
will turn up any answers you need. Basically what happened was the POL supported and cheered Saddam in the first Gulf War. Once Saddam was pushed out of Kuwait, the Kuwaiti government decided they had enough of the POL and Palestinians in general. So they stripped citizenship, deported many, tortured, and even executed many. No one cries the atrocities Muslims do to each other. Only when someone who's not Muslim does anything to them.
Hey American girl,
Yes I'm in the 1st Armored Division, stationed out of Weisbaden, Germany, currently deployed to Baghdad, Iraq. Been here since April and leaving here around May. What's up? Where are you at?
to adolf, LOL it feels weird talking to hitler j/k I'm not a trained as an historian, but I am a history buff like yourself. I've always loved history, just doesn't pay well.
To adolf hitler, I'm not trained as a historian, but I am a history buff. I've always loved it but felt it doesn't pay enough. I love studying politics too.
My bad for the duplicate post. It looked as if the first didn't go through.
American girl,
I believe you are in the Navy. Stationed out of Yokosuka Japan. I can tell from your IP npmoc.navy.mil I'm a net admin in the Army.
Ouch, night shift huh? It's about to hit 11pm here in Baghdad. LOL I believe you about the stupid weather poll. ;-)
I work day shift 12am-12pm everyday. So ready to go back to the states. When's the last time you've been back? It's been 2 years for me.
American Girl,
Speaking of gayness, I'm getting so sick of AFN commericials, lol. I've been back to the states twice since in April 2001 and I love to watch regular commercials when I get back, lol. Sad but true, my family laughs.
american_soldier : your sources are not reliable.
Better try historical links, not political essays written by obscure people...
MR hat like to feel americas big round black booty
adolf hitler- to which are you refering????
If referring to the Kuwaiti/Palestinian incident, look further than the first search from google. You'll see numerous newspapers and news agencies from all over the world, i.e. (Vancouver, BBC, Netherland Press, Aman, Jordan Aman Daliy News, etc) plus college sites with studies, plus numerous respected sites like Palestine Remembered Encyclopedia, Palestine Media Watch, etc. I'm going to check now in the NSA Digital Library if there are any official US documents related to it. I don't know or think the US made any official statements regarding it.
adolf hitler,
Here's a source you may prefer.
ENCYCLOPEDIA dot COM slash H T M L slash SECTION slash KUWAIT underscore HISTORY dot ASP
or
INOPLEASE dot COM slash CE6 slash WORLD slash A0859150 dot H T M L
or
find all these doing a simple google search for ***kuwait history palestinians*** I figure these encyclopedia sites and history sites can't be wrong.
I´ve never been there, so I can´t say that I hate every american on earth.
'fraid to say but the best thing about america is the T.V, and 80% of the time, that's shite anyway. I don't know any americans personally, even though one of my great grandparents was american, but i've met a few. Special hello to scott and his family in florida. but, honestly, most think their country's the centre of the universe and are so narcisistic it's sad. Really america, all of the litlle land masses around you exist too, and have people who are not american, yes, it's true, you're not the only one's on the planet, and as you can guess from some of the comment on this pole, you're not exactly the most popular in the world either. sorry.
Hey ciril. america want's equality?! huh?! you're the one's off 'killing people because of who they are'. I mean honestly, look around, salem witch trials, native americans in fenced off bits of land like animals, the civil war, and now bush. You've not got a great history of 'people getting along'.
and i thought the pole said 'non-americans only'. What's with 'american soldier', sure express your views, but you've commented, how many times now? just hog the whole page.
Shut up Ferrit! Go stare at your Johnny Depp poster. I don't care what the poll is titled; it's a public poll. I'll post however many times I want and about whatever I want. Just bug off or I'll start posting recipes on this poll.
Hey American Girl,
Two days off, must be nice, good stuff. So where is home in the States? It's 9:17pm here. I might be going to Qatar for a few days R&R soon. That'll be nice.
Guest_7f1a7
now this american " soldier " asshole has a friend
More than you have on all of Prince Edward Island put together.
I love america moved here about 3 yrs ago with my parents I hate Everything about england and im glad to get rid of it England = My depression USA = enjoying life and being happy for me anyway long live traitors to England down with piss poor queen
well get a room,you`re taking up space here.
Guest_7f1a7 now this american " soldier " asshole has a friend More than you have on all of Prince Edward Island put together.
by american_soldier on Jan 29, 2004
Who cares if I'm taking up room. No one is posting anything worth talking about anyways.
great then won`t mind leaving.
Who cares if I'm taking up room. No one is posting anything worth talking about anyways.
by american_soldier on Jan 29, 2004
Bye then!!! Maybe if you had something to post worth discussing I'd have something worthwhile, instead we post each other telling the other to shut up.
Bye then!!! Maybe if you had something to post worth discussing I'd have something worthwhile, instead we post each other telling the other to shut up.
by american_soldier on Jan 29, 2004
way you go.
i'm not going anywhere
I'm not going anywhere.
I'm not going anywhere
i'm not going anywhere
by american_soldier on Jan 29, 2004
thats too bad.
Here's a recipe from the Savoy region of France.
(serves 6)
12 oz. Emmental cheese, shredded
12 oz. Beaufort (or other Gruyere) cheese, shredded
12 oz. Tomme cheese (if you can't find this, substitute with Beaufort), shredded
6 glasses dry white wine (from the Savoy if possible)
1/2 glass kirsch liqueur
1 clove garlic, peeled and crushed
white pepper
1 or 2 loaves French bread, wholewheat or white
(amount of bread depends on how hungry you are, figure a large handful per
person. Better too much than not enough)
1 egg
On the day before or the morning of the meal, cube the bread, and leave it
out to let it dry a little.
Rub the bottom and sides of an earthenware pot or cast iron saucepan with the
garlic. Pour wine into pot and place on stove over medium-high heat. Bring
wine to boil, add cheese and stir slowly with a wooden spoon. Before cheese
is fully melted, take pot off the stove and place on a lighted fondue burner.
Season with pepper and add kirsch while stirring. Once cheese has entirely
melted. Serve with bread and fondue forks, stirring occasionally. If cheese
bubbles rapidly, turn down heat.
When cheese is almost gone (maybe 3/4 cup left), break a raw egg into the
pot and stir rapidly with the cheese. After a minute, dump remaining
bread into pot and stir together with cheese and egg. Then turn off the
burner and enjoy what's left.
Options: Wear a beret and listen to a Jacques Brel album. Assess penalties
for losing bread in the fondue.
Remember you're dressed like the French and cry.
how to make an american float.
two scoops of ice cream,half a bottle of 7 up and 1 dead american.shake well.
Ottawa will honour Canadians who took part in a little-known battle
MICHAEL SNIDER with SEAN M. MALONEY
In September, 1993, Canadian troops stationed in an area of Croatia known as Vojna Krajina engaged in a fierce battle with Croatian forces attacking a predominantly Serb enclave. The engagement, little known outside of military circles, was not publicized by the Canadian government, which was hesitant to draw attention to the increasing dangers the country's troops were facing abroad. But this December, Ottawa will finally honour the soldiers who took part in that firefight by presenting them with a unit commendation. Maclean's tells the story of the battle:
PTE. SCOTT LeBLANC'S machine gun jackhammered against his shoulder as he fired at the Croatian troops dug in 150 metres away. Grenades exploded around him; bullets and orange tracer-fire screamed through the smoky air. The Croatians hammered the Canadians for 15 hours straight -- thinking the 30 soldiers from the Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry would buckle and run like other UN peacekeepers had often done. But the Canadians, members of one of three platoons making up the Patricia's Charlie Company, held their ground. "They're trying to flank us," LeBlanc's section leader barked, sending a jolt of adrenalin through LeBlanc's exhausted body. Standing halfway out of his trench, the 19-year-old reservist swung his gun around and opened fire on the Croatians. "We could see muzzle flashes and threw everything we had at them," recalls LeBlanc, now a 28-year-old lieutenant who has just returned from Afghanistan. "After that, everything got real quiet."
The fierce battle took place in September, 1993, about a year and a half after Canadian peacekeepers had first arrived in the former Yugoslavia. Vicious fighting and appalling acts of ethnic cleansing made their task of disarming and separating the various combatants nearly impossible. Especially volatile was one mountainous region of Croatia called Vojna Krajina, or Military Frontier, home to an isolated pocket of some 500,000 Serbs. Fiercely nationalistic, the Krajina Serbs began to drive out Croats. But on Sept. 9, Croatian Commander Rahim Ademi launched an attack to capture an area of Serb-controlled territory in Krajina called the Medak Pocket. The UN, fearing that 400 Serbs living in four unprotected villages in the area were at risk of being slaughtered by Croatian troops, ordered the Patricia's into the area -- and into the biggest firefight Canadian forces had been involved in since Korea.
Five months into a six-month tour of duty, the Canadians were led by Lt.-Col. James Calvin, 41. The 875-man battle group was a patchwork of regular and reserve soldiers. In fact, 70 per cent of the front line soldiers were reservists -- a makeup that, Calvin says, could prove dangerous in a war zone. "Reservists are just as long on valour and courage," the now-retired Calvin told Maclean's from his home on Wolfe Island, Ont., near Kingston. "But you can't expect one to do the same things you expect from a regular soldier."
Still, after four months in the region, Calvin considered his force seasoned, especially with his hand-picked group of platoon leaders, including reservist Lt. Tyrone Green. The morning of Sept. 9 started nicely enough for the Vancouver native in charge of 9 Platoon, Charlie Company, with sunshine poking through the cracks in the boarded windows of the platoon's quarters, a two-storey concrete building on the outskirts of the Serb-held town of Medak.
But as Green dragged a razor across his chin, his morning shave was interrupted by incoming artillery shells. With soap still clinging to his face, Green, who is now a captain in charge of a Canadian Forces recruiting office in Vancouver, grabbed his helmet and raced to his M-113 armoured personnel carrier. At one point he was knocked down when a shell landed in a nearby ditch. He wasn't hurt, but four Canadians were injured in the shelling. "We counted 500 or more shells by the end of the first day," says Green. "About a dozen fell in our compound and one landed about 10 metres from the front door."
Not knowing where the shells were coming from, Green sent Sgt. Rudy Bajema to establish an observation post. For the next five days, Bajema watched as the Medak Pocket was attacked by more than 2,500 Croat troops, backed by tanks, rocket launchers and artillery. The Serbs finally slowed the Croatian advance on Sept. 12, but it was not until they launched rockets into a suburb of Zagreb, Croatia's capital, that the Croats relented and accepted a UN ceasefire.
Calvin, who didn't really expect the Croatians to live up to the agreement, ordered his troops to occupy the Croat positions. "We started taking fire almost immediately from the Croats," recalls LeBlanc. The battle raged for the next 15 hours. It was so intense that at night the light from burning buildings reflected off the soldiers' blue UN helmets, prompting them to wrap them in khaki-coloured T-shirts. Finally realizing the Canadians would not back down, the Croats sent word to Calvin that they wanted to talk. They had good reason to call a truce: the Canadians had killed 27 Croats while not taking a single casualty.
Joined by Col. Michel Maisonneuve, a Canadian officer from the UN headquarters in Zagreb, Calvin met with Ademi at his headquarters in a town near the fighting. Ademi sat on one side of the table, blustering and yelling at the Canadians. "He looked like he was enjoying the role he was playing," says Calvin. "Emotions were very high and I was irate my men were getting shot at." But after an hour and a half, Ademi finally relented and promised to pull his troops out at noon the next day.
The Croatian commander, however, was determined to terrorize the Serb civilians living in the area before he left. By 10 a.m. the next morning, a thick umbrella of smoke covered all four towns in the Medak Pocket as the Croats tried to kill or destroy everything in their wake. The Canadians witnessed scenes that still haunt many of them. "They could see what was happening from their foxholes," says Calvin. "My soldiers knew their role was to protect the weak and the innocent and they were absolutely incensed." But fearing the ceasefire agreement with Ademi would collapse if they advanced, the Canadians could do nothing but hold their ground.
Finally, when the noon deadline passed, the Canadians raced ahead, but immediately encountered a company of Croat troops behind a barricade -- and supported by missiles launchers and an ominous Soviet-era T-72 tank. Calvin approached the senior Croat brigadier; their conversation quickly became heated. The large, bearded Croat ordered his men to cock their weapons and point them at the Canadians. "We knew they were stalling so they could clean up evidence of their ethnic cleansing," Calvin recalls.
Calvin did not order his troops to fight, and instead tried another gambit. With the Medak attack almost a week old, the international media had converged on the area. As negotiations with his bearded counterpart deteriorated, Calvin held a news conference in front of the barricade and bluntly described the atrocities he believed were being committed by the Croatians. Realizing his country's reputation was in jeopardy, the Croat commander suddenly stepped aside. "The transformation was instantaneous," says Calvin. "He made a big show of removing the barriers."
The Patricia's then pushed on. Every building in their path had been demolished and many were still smouldering. Corpses lay by the side of the road, some badly mutilated and others burned beyond recognition. "We knew it was going to be bad," says Green, "but the things we found there were worse than anything we expected."
The Canadians documented everything they saw. Calvin's subsequent report helped convince the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia to issue an indictment in 2001 against Ademi, charging him with crimes against humanity. Made public one year ago, the report is a brutal list of murder and torture. Among the victims: Sara Krickovic, female, 71, throat cut; Pera Krajnovic, female, 86, burned to death; Andja Jovic, female, 74, beaten and shot. In all, the Patricia's found 16 mutilated corpses -- some with their eyes cut out.
The soldiers rotated home four weeks later, but there was no hero's welcome. At the time, Canadians were focused on the disturbing revelations that a teenager named Shidane Arone had been tortured and killed by Canadian peacekeepers in Somalia. Kim Campbell's Conservative government was also facing a federal election and didn't want the increasing dangers Canadian troops were facing in the Balkans raised as an issue. "When we got back to Canada a couple of weeks later, the first thing I did was call home," says LeBlanc. "My folks hadn't heard anything about the battle."
The force did receive high honours from the United Nations in 1994, when its members were given the United Nations Force Commanders' Commendation -- the first of its kind and only one of three ever awarded. And, this December, the Canadian government finally plans to honour the troops by presenting them with a unit commendation. But the honours only go so far. With vivid memories of the battle, many of the soldiers still suffer from post-traumatic stress syndrome.
As for Ademi, his case rests in legal limbo. After the indictment, he voluntarily turned himself over to the war crimes tribunal, proclaiming he had a clear conscience because "I did not order any atrocities." Last February, the UN granted him a provisional release on condition he return to The Hague when the trial proceeds, likely next year. Calvin may be called to testify. "Ademi should be called to account," he says. "No soldier should be able to get away with that."
HOME - BACK
This web site, intended for research purposes, contains copyright material included "for fair use only"
The history of Canadian readiness and execution in the face of danger during wartime conflicts and battles is legendary. Due to the exceptional training and discipline instilled in every Canadian soldier they have been considered the best infantrymen of the world. Although the formation of Canada as a country is relatively recent compared to America and other European nations, Canada has assembled a track record for ourselves as second to none in both competent wartime endeavors as well as peace keeping missions to preserve the balance of power on a global scale. Perhaps this was no better illustrated than with the Canadian involvement during World War II.
Originally brought into global conflicts on the whims of mother Britain, as evident during World War I, Canada would eventually form a voice of its own and decide the direction of which she would take in regards to wartime efforts. It was on September 10, 1939 that Canada began her first steps as a nation capable of proposing independent decisions (Gieseler, 2). It was on September 10, 1939 that Canada thrust itself onto the world scene as she declared war on the Nazi Germany and the rest of the Axis powers. Even though the decision to become involved with the second World War was done on her own accord, Canada still had deep rooted relations with Britain that still in part influenced our entering the greatest conflict in history.
With the initiation of the Canloan project, Canada began to supply the British army and air force with many of their best trained soldiers to combat the massive loss of life suffered by the British throughout the early stages of the War. Canadians would supply the depleted Allied forces with an infusion of 673 Lieutenants and Captains. Of the 673 Canadian commanders that became part of the Canloan project, 127 would fight to their death and an addition 338 would be wounded in the line of duty or captured in the various theaters and taken prisoner. A testament to the amazing courage and determination displayed by the Canadian commanders of the Canloan project was that of the 673 recruits, 41 were singled out as going above and beyond the call of duty, and for their efforts were awarded the distinguishing military cross (Readers Digest, 441).
For many of the Canadian soldiers embarking on the long and treacherous journey across the Atlantic Ocean to the battle fields of Europe, this would be the first military engagement that they would be involved with apart from the basic training exercises received at home. Beginning in Halifax harbor, dozens of ships containing young Canadian soldiers set forth on a journey that would mold them as individuals, as well as help to establish the reputation that still endures to this day concerning Canadian military competence. Despite being hastily prepared and shipped off to fight in a war that would take the world's stage, Canadian troops would learn quickly and force themselves out of being pigeon holed as role players into a role of command and technical know how.
One of the many young Canadians who would give up some of the best years of their early lives to serve their country was Ronald Walsh of Avonport, Nova Scotia; a man who saw action throughout the war, lasting from the initial raid on Normandy to the final days of the war. The first step to becoming an officer in the Canadian army was to first enlist; enlistment procedures took place in Halifax and lasted in the case of Walsh for one month. After the initial enlistment procedures had been taken care of, Walsh was shipped off to Yarmouth to receive basic training for a time period of three months. Once basic training had finished, and anyone who could not meet the expectations set by the Canadian armed forces, the remaining infantry men were sent to Camp Aldershot for advanced training.
At Camp Aldershot the North Nova Scotia Highlanders, commonly referred to as the North Novies, received additional training to better prepare them for conditions that may await them on the battle fields of Europe. Training would be extended for three more months until the members of the North Novies boarded the ships in Halifax harbor to begin the journey across the Atlantic Ocean to England. For the next five days the H.M.S. Louis Pasteur would be their home as they crossed the turbulent seas of the Atlantic. Unlike previous troop transport missions, the H.M.S. Louis Pasteur would cross the ocean on her own, not in a convoy of ships, as had been the practice earlier in the war. As it crossed, the H.M.S. Louis Pasteur continued on a zigzag course that helped to conceal its navigational route from the numerous German U-boats that patrolled the Atlantic and sunk hundreds of Allied supply ships. The conditions on the ships were very congested as over 12 000 men crowded onto the ship in order to reach Europe as quickly as possible. Conditions were so cramped that stacked hammocks had to be used to save space on the ship. Landing in Southampton, the Canadian North Novies then boarded a train that would take them to a small town near the Scottish border. Held in reserve, the North Novies engaged in vigorous training exercises that were designed to keep them in fighting condition for a large-scale invasion.
Returning to a town outside of London, the North Novies were informed that they would be taking part in a large-scale invasion on Hitler's fortress Europe (Interview). On June 2, 1944, after boarding a ship in Liverpool, England, the ship sailed out into the English Channel where it remained until June 5, 1944. Arguably the most infamous date in history, June 6,1944 was the day that Allied forces launched an assault on the beaches of Normandy to reclaim the unjust annexation of France and other European countries from the control of Nazi Germany. The location of Normandy had been chosen as the point of invasion due to the fact that it was within air cover range, and was less heavily defended than the more obvious Pas de Calais (Valour and Horror).
Divided into five main beach assault units code named, Juno, Sword, Gold, Utah and Omaha, the North Novies were right in the middle of the Operation Overlord. Carrying a sixty pound pack on their back, and carrying a 303, bolt action rifle, the men of the North Novies and other Canadian regiments faced the full force of the German machine guns and artillery shells that were directly aimed at their heads. Despite all of the training and preparation instilled in the Canadians before they landed on the beaches of Normandy, the landing did not proceed as initially planned as the amphibious assault vessel became lodged on a sand bar that required the North Novies to wade through the water until they reached the beach. Even though the barb wire fences had been cut on the beaches the night before by amazingly brave special forces divers, the North Novies still had to avoid the machine gun fire of the Germans as well as the sixteen inch guns mounted on the hillside. Once off the beach, the nerves of the North Novies were tested as an Allied bomber flew over head dropping bombs that ignited, and destroyed an German oil truck parked only a few hundred feet away from them (Interview).
For one month after the invasion of Normandy, the Canadians established a beachhead and engaged in shellings of the Germans only a couple kilometers off in the distance. Canadians would pay a serious price for their acquisition as 18 444 were wounded and 5 021 gave their lives. As many deaths to Canadians occurred in two and one half months of fighting in Normandy than occurred in over eleven months in Italy (A Taste of Canada). Finally, on July 4, the North Novies started out on an advance to the city of Caen. The progress would be slow as the Canadians ran up against some of the fiercest fighting of the War, and the legendary Panzer divisions of the German tank army. After intense fighting that resulted in heavy casualties on both sides, the city of Caen would fall on July 10 (Gieseler 27-28).
Perhaps the greatest contribution by the Canadians throughout the war, Caen signified that the Canadian army was on par with the other militaries of the world. Operation ATLANTIC as it was to be referred to was the code name for the Canadian part in the invasion of Caen. Although Canadians had gained the vast majority of the territory, they were still disappointed in the poor operational preparations that had been assigned to them, and the relatively limited roles allowed to them in the larger operation known as GOODWOOD (Hasting). It has been recorded that once Caen fell, Hitler himself began to feel the squeeze of the Allied forces and became concerned by the direction the war was taking for the Germans (Man, 109).
The invasion of Normandy, and the capture of Caen were not the only conflicts that Canadians experienced in France. The operation that developed a pocket to encircle the Germans at the Falaise Gap united the American forces to the south with the Canadians in the north, among them the North Nova Scotia Highlanders. An incredible 50 000 Germans were taken prisoner by the successful completion of the Falaise Gap, and once again displayed the great skill and ability of the Canadian army (Gieseler, 28). Once Paris had been liberated on August 25, the Canadians turned their attentions to the liberation of both Belgium and Holland. Stationed in the city of Nijmegen, directly on the border with Germany, the North Novies engaged in several border wars and patrols along the immense stretches of dikes. Every night in the dead of winter, a small group of North Novies would crawl on their bellies into enemy territory to conduct surveillance operations in an attempt to discover any weakness in the German resistance before the advancing assault. When the orders came to advance into the country of Germany the fighting was so intense that the experience has been described as ''walk all night, and fight all day'' (Interview).
Another demonstration of the courage and readiness of the Canadian army, and the North Novies in particular is the fact that they were the first regiment to cross into the German territory and settle into the town of Oldenburg. Canadians were utilized in several more key- and decisive battles and operations that greatly increased the effectiveness of the Allied invasions. Canadians played an integral part in the liberation of Antwerp and the battle of the Scheldt. Not all of the battles involving Canadians resulted in triumphant victories however, perhaps the most disastrous of all occurred on August 19, 1942 on the raid of Dieppe. With an invading force of 6000 of whom 5000 were Canadian, the Dieppe assault was doomed even before the force made land fall. A small German convoy intersected the Dieppe invasion force and engaged them in open water alerting the coastal forces, this all but destroyed any hope for success. Many of the landing crafts never made it to shore and those that did were quickly overwhelmed by German forces. Pinned down by machine gun fire, evacuation was impossible, of those who landed 220 were killed, the heaviest toll suffered by a Canadian battalion in a single day of fighting throughout the entire war (Gieseler 13-14).
Due to unforeseen circumstances and bad luck, Dieppe was seen as a failure for the Canadians and may have lost them respect for a while. Despite the set back of Dieppe, Canadians rebounded triumphantly and restored themselves to a level of unmatched proficiency. Several opinions can be formulated on the subject of Canadian effectiveness during the Second World War. Some believe that they were extremely competent in their actions, while others believe that the Canadians played a minor role in shaping the outcome of the war. It can be argued that in comparison to the numbers of British and American soldiers fighting in Europe, the number of Canadians formed a relatively small percentage of the Allied forces. Despite accounting for a small percentage of the Allied forces, Canadians received more than their fair share of life threatening assignments. Initially the Canadians were thrust into what were thought to be lost causes that if they were able to hold their own, or somehow gain some territory would be viewed as a major victory. Apart from the skill and readiness that the Canadians displayed during their defense of Europe, they simultaneously managed to conduct their actions with the greatest of class and distinction. To this day the efforts of Canadians in Belgium and the Netherlands is viewed as legendary and immeasurable.
Canadians managed to make friends wherever they served throughout the war, something that many of the other Allied countries cannot claim. Numerous stories of Canadians being invited into the homes of the Dutch to share in their dinners and be provided a place to sleep occurred during the war (Lotz, 134). Through their great courage and loyalty to the people they protected the Canadians developed a reputation for themselves that still exists today. For all of the reasons proposed in the paper, and for the thousands of stories that no one will ever hear about, it can be said that the Canadian army represented Canada without a blemish of shame, and strengthened a reputation of military preparedness and excellence that we uphold and feel so strongly about to this very day. Perhaps that is why it has been said that, "The Canadian regimental soldier at his best had no superior" (Readers Digest, 488).
When one's head is filled with the facts and figures of Canadian involvement during the war, and is trying to compose an opinion of Canadian exploits, perhaps the Canadian experience of World War II can be summarized by the following: "The Canadian Army began as a group of amateurs who became highly skilled and professionals in the crucible of war. They fought and defeated tough, skilled, experienced German regulars. But the price of their learning came high. From D-Day to VE Day, Canadians suffered just under 48,000 casualties, including 12,579 dead" (Lotz, 135).
Bibliography
Kapyong
In a heroic action in the spring of 1951, a cut-off Canadian unit held out at a hill called Kapyong, after units from other armies on surrounding hills abandoned their positions. The Canadians did not and -- it is argued -- saved the front from collapsing.
Don Hibbs was there.
"I'd say more than 7,000 troops were against us, We were outnumbered seven or 10 to one," he says.
The Canadians -- surrounded and alone -- were supplied by air drop.
"I remember the planes," Hibbs says. "I wasn't really thinking at that time, gee, are we out of ammunition, are we out of food? I knew we were out of food.
Machine gun at Kapyong
"I believed that that night that maybe we weren't gonna be here tomorrow. I believed that we had to go down fighting, you know the old gung-ho but I wasn't gung-ho, I was praying that I could survive the day, and I believe that most of the fellas in the battle were not going to go down without a fight, 'cause that may be more sensible. We weren't going down without a fight but if we're gonna go down, we're not gonna go alone."
In the end, they didn't go down. The Chinese finally abandoned the attack The front held. Seoul was saved.
For their valor, the unit -- The Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry -- was honoured not by their own country but by the United States.
The Patricia's received a presidential citation, a decoration rarely awarded to non-American troops.
"We were the first Canadian troops ever to be honoured by an American organization as a battalion," Hibbs says.
"One thing that seemed to come through in spite of the horrible conditions and the senselessness of the war was a sense of commitment," Barris says. "They signed up for their 18 months of duty, felt obliged to do it and through thick and thin, better or worse, they would do it and they did. It's amazing. I don't have any information in the research I did that there was, you know, too many absent without leave problems, that there were desertions, that people ran from the front in the face of the enemy. "
Canadian Army Snipers Gain From Afghanistan Experience
by Roxana Tiron
Drawing from their combat experience in Afghanistan, Canadian Army snipers are taking steps to improve their organization and equipment.
Canada has approximately 2,000 soldiers in Afghanistan, as part of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization stabilization force. In support of the U.S.-led ground war, Canada deployed a 750-member infantry battalion from January to July 2002.
Canadian snipers unofficially were credited with killing 20 Al-Qaeda members during Operation Anaconda in the Shahi Kot Valley. Two sniper teams also were recommended for the U.S. Bronze Star.
The Canadian Army has a total of 317 qualified snipers, but not all of them are employed as such, Warrant Officer George Williams told National Defense. There are nine battalions in the Army, and each has eight snipers, he said. That number is poised to grow in the future, according to Williams.
The missions of the snipers depend on what the battalion does, explained Williams. If our battalion is exercising a defensive role, then we employ our snipers in a defensive role, whether with an actual unit, forward or behind, he said. We may send them forward to secure a place in advance, put them behind friendly troops to protect them.
Before becoming snipers, Canadian soldiers have to score well on their annual weapons test, and also have to be physically fit, Williams said.
The biggest prerequisite, however, is that you have to be a basic reconnaissance patrolman, he said. Its practically a guarantee that the candidates will be highly qualified, because reconnaissance troops already have received specialized training, he said. The skills that they learn on the course also help them in the sniper course.
In the past, however, the fact that snipers already were trained as reconnaissance patrolmen made sustaining their sniper skills problematic, because their battalion would employ them as scouts instead of sharpshooters.
In Afghanistan, our snipers proved how they can influence the battlefield, said Williams. For that reason, commanders now look at it differently and allow the snipers to do their own thing.
The basic sniper course lasts nine weeks, compared to the five-week U.S. Army course, said Williams.
We cover conventional shooting. We cover field firing shooting, which is unknown distance, and the sniper has to judge the distance to the target, said Williams. Students have to judge distance to a target within 5 percentfrom 100 meters to 1,000 meters, he explained.
Another element of the course is tracking, which means the snipers have to find the clues that the enemy leaves behind. At a higher level, snipers learn to track the enemy over distances of 1,500 meters.
We teach concealment. ... Then, we take that up to the next step, which is stalking, said Williams.
Stalking requires a sniper to cover a certain area and shoot at an observation post undetected, hit the target within five meters, while remaining covert.
A key factor in training is observation. We hide 12 objects in an area, and the snipers have to be able to locate the objects and identify what they are, Williams said. It is important for a sniper, when he is on the battlefield, to remember what he has seen, come back and accurately report , he said.
Exercising the memory is part of the training regimen.
We could have a scenario where you have an enemy soldier walk by and they have to tell what items he has, he said. We may not even tell them that they are going through this game.
Once a soldier becomes a basic sniper, he goes through the six-week detachment planners course. We will teach them how to instruct, how to advise commanders on the use of snipers, said Williams. We will get pretty heavy and thick into the shooting of our .50 caliber sniper rifle where we take into account factors like barometric pressure, shooting uphill, downhill, air temperature, ammo temperature.
Next is the advanced course, where students learn how to be a sniper section commander. Now, he has to be able to advise the commander of a battalion on how to employ his sniper section, Williams said. We also discuss conducting missions against material targets such as aircraft sitting on the ground, vehicle convoys.
The Canadian sniper cells are introducing a new element to the advanced course, based on the soldiers experience in Afghanistan, said Williams. We learned the value of calling in direct fire and close air support, which is something we have not done a lot of, he said. We are going to teach them how to call fire.
Much like their Special Forces colleagues in the United States, the Canadian snipers now are reorganizing in four-men teams, instead of two-men teams. The main reason for the change is security, according to Williams.
They need at least another person watching their back, he said. Depending on the mission, they could choose to add either a third or fourth sniper to the team.
When operating in a three-or four-man team, snipers also may prefer a short-range rifle, said Williams. The Canadian Army is looking into procuring a 5.56 mm M-16 type rifle. The service also is testing a new version of the 7.62 mm sniper rifle, similar to the AR-10. Sharpshooters in Afghanistan are using that weapon, said Williams.
The Parker-Hale 7.62 mm sniper rifle has reached the end of its lifecycle, said Williams. The service is trying to replace it with a rifle than can fire .338 caliber rounds. That rifle is pretty much the same weight . The recoil is the same, but we have farther distances. We hope to get out to 1,200-1,500 meters with this new round, said Williams. The main sniper weapon currently is the McMillan .50 caliber rifle.
Another factor determining the new team setup is the weight of the equipment.
In Afghanistan, the Canadian snipers each had to haul loads in excess of 160 pounds, said a sharp shooter who asked not to be identified by name. We did not know how long we got to go, he said. One, time we went on a 38-hour mission, and we came 32 days later. It varies from mission to mission.
OEF taught them the importance of carefully selecting every item that goes into the backpack, the sniper said. We could have quite easily made our rucksacks so heavy that we could not have carried them, he added.
Although their equipment in Afghanistan was adequate, its been reported in the Canadian press that the snipers resorted to the U.S. .50 caliber ammunition, because it performs better than the Canadian round.
According to Williams, wind is the biggest problem we face. The solution to that is an automatic ballistic computer that can calculate factors such as barometric pressure, air temperature, ammunition temperature, slant angle and spin drift. This computer has not yet been issued to all snipers, said Williams.
The Army is working on issuing a new sniper suit that would have padding and straps on both the elbows and knees, and special loops to tie in the camouflage material the snipers choose, depending on their missions. The suit is designed with pockets on the side and back, and has padding on the shoulder where the butt of the rifle usually lies.
The following story is reprinted with permission from Soldier of Fortune Magazine. I want to thank Robert K. Brown for allowing me to reprint their story. Please click on the magazine cover above to visit their site and read other stories about our military.
Bolt Actions Speak Louder Than Words:
Canadian Soldiers Take Out Taliban!
by Rob Krott
The abilities of Canadian snipers are well known in the international sniping community. Four Canadian Army teams won top honors at the U.S. Army Sniper Schools first international sniping competition at Fort Benning, Georgia. Canadian Army snipers have seen limited deployment on recent peacekeeping operations in the Balkans, but in Afghanistan they got the chance to go live.
Two teams of Canadian snipers from the 3rd Princess Patricias Canadian Light Infantry Battle Group deployed in support of U.S. infantrymen from two U.S. Army light infantry battalions (2nd Battalion, 3rd Brigade, 101st Airborne Division , and 1st Battalion, 2nd Brigade, 10th Mountain Division), during Operation Anaconda in March 2002. The snipers are part of the 3rd PPCLI battalion reconnaissance platoon, stationed in Edmonton, Alberta.
|
