Tell me now. I want to know why European governments and certain people in Europe are so goddamned concerned about The United States of America? A nation that lies several thousands of miles away from European territory. Enlighten me. The plethora of “ The United States of America sucks“ threads at the moment is mind-boggling - I haven't seen anything about The United States of America on the TV for a while so I can only imagine that European TV is bombarding its citizens with propaganda to legitimize more Anti-American action. Let's remember that The United States of America is a democracy in North America which whilst being an Multi Cultural Society is remarkably progressive, with female politicians, doctors, lawyers, a highly educated middle class and the freedom to practice any religions and none are enshrined in their legal systems. Before you post please scan your response for any inherent double standards please. Notable things to keep in mind: Any country that can match The United States of America’s contributions to the world.
Since the economy of the world is currently tied to America, I'd say Europe and everyone else has a good reason to keep up with what we're doing.
We're just too big of a power player to ignore.
We're just too big of a power player to ignore.
It is a major population center that influences many aspects of world news. No country of this magnitude exists so we can compare how much news about it is recieved here as it is in other countries about the US of A.
Crap, Turq and I tied
Also, many Americans aren't as well versed in world affairs as it appears other country folk are. We have a multinational discussion on American elections, congressional actions, and things of that nature, but I sure as hell don't know what's going on in any other country with those sort of matters.
Crap, Turq and I tied
Also, many Americans aren't as well versed in world affairs as it appears other country folk are. We have a multinational discussion on American elections, congressional actions, and things of that nature, but I sure as hell don't know what's going on in any other country with those sort of matters.
Last edited by DesertFox- (2007-07-04 13:09:17)
Tony was pretty much married to Bush, but I don't think Brown will be in too much of a rush to became mates.Hunter/Jumper wrote:
Let's remember that [ENTER EUROPEAN COUNTRY] is a democracy in EUROPE which whilst being an Multi Cultural Society is remarkably progressive, with female politicians, doctors, lawyers, a highly educated middle class and the freedom to practice any religions and none are enshrined in their legal systems. Before you post please scan your response for any inherent double standards please.
If the war in Iraq wasn't going on would this even be a topic?
Last edited by buLLet_t00th (2007-07-04 13:08:53)
It boggles my mind also at the amount of Europeans talking smack about the U.S.
Pretty much sums it up. Also interventionist US foreign policy pisses lots of people off, not just in Europe.Turquoise wrote:
Since the economy of the world is currently tied to America
Get over yourself. Nobody is obsessed with the US, except the US.
Wtf have the female politicians to do in here? Angela Merkel anyone. Europe is way ahead in that matter. Happy birthday, but remember Europe has thousands of years of history.
Wtf have the female politicians to do in here? Angela Merkel anyone. Europe is way ahead in that matter. Happy birthday, but remember Europe has thousands of years of history.
Cos your bullshit effects the rest of the world.
Example? Iraq war, terrorism up by 7X...gee thanks a bunch.
Example? Iraq war, terrorism up by 7X...gee thanks a bunch.
Blackbelts are just whitebelts who have never quit.
ummmm..... everywhere has thousands of years of history. We all just have a point at which we'd like to stop remembering......sergeriver wrote:
Get over yourself. Nobody is obsessed with the US, except the US.
Wtf have the female politicians to do in here? Angela Merkel anyone. Europe is way ahead in that matter. Happy birthday, but remember Europe has thousands of years of history.
And while I would agree that few Europeans/world citizens are obsessed with the US, I would say that the comments of foreign governmental officials on the internal matters of the US are much more common than vice versa. I would also go on to say that, as the cornerstone of the world economy, those comments are sometimes warranted.
However, there are some officials that go too far.
People like this tend to poison the well for the US. The press makes this comment news, as well as the chancellor's non-apology, and Americans look at Germans as assholes. I know my grandfather was ready to get back in his P-38J and strafe Berlin. It is monsterously offensive to compare any American official to Hitler. It is even worse for a GERMAN governmental official to do it, especially because most Americans consider the cost (in lives and dollars) to remove Hitler and the Nazis money well spent.German Justice Minister Herta Daubler-Gmelin wrote:
Bush wants to distract attention from his domestic problems. This is a popular method. Hitler also used it....We have known this debate since 'Adolf Nazi...
Thousands of years of repeating historysergeriver wrote:
thousands of years of history.
You know, the Europeans did a lot worse in the 19th century. To some degree I find it hypocritical.Bertster7 wrote:
Pretty much sums it up. Also interventionist US foreign policy pisses lots of people off, not just in Europe.Turquoise wrote:
Since the economy of the world is currently tied to America
We did tie... LOL...DesertFox- wrote:
It is a major population center that influences many aspects of world news. No country of this magnitude exists so we can compare how much news about it is recieved here as it is in other countries about the US of A.
Crap, Turq and I tied
Also, many Americans aren't as well versed in world affairs as it appears other country folk are. We have a multinational discussion on American elections, congressional actions, and things of that nature, but I sure as hell don't know what's going on in any other country with those sort of matters.
That last part is a good point. I've tried to break the stereotype by studying some of the politics in Canada, Mexico, and the U.K.
That was the 19th century though, the age of empires. Then after WWI we all sat down and decided it was all a big mistake. Then got rid of them.The_Mac wrote:
You know, the Europeans did a lot worse in the 19th century. To some degree I find it hypocritical.Bertster7 wrote:
Pretty much sums it up. Also interventionist US foreign policy pisses lots of people off, not just in Europe.Turquoise wrote:
Since the economy of the world is currently tied to America
They did far worse things, just no-one cares about that anymore.The_Mac wrote:
You know, the Europeans did a lot worse in the 19th century. To some degree I find it hypocritical.Bertster7 wrote:
Pretty much sums it up. Also interventionist US foreign policy pisses lots of people off, not just in Europe.Turquoise wrote:
Since the economy of the world is currently tied to America
Thats just stupid, that was then and this is now. None of us were alive when that whole Empire thing was in its infancy, we're alive now and the US has adopted a slightly different type of policy. How can your point be valid in any way?The_Mac wrote:
You know, the Europeans did a lot worse in the 19th century. To some degree I find it hypocritical.Bertster7 wrote:
Pretty much sums it up. Also interventionist US foreign policy pisses lots of people off, not just in Europe.Turquoise wrote:
Since the economy of the world is currently tied to America
One could argue that some of that was the result of how expensive maintaining an empire had become. As a global economy developed due to quicker forms of communication and transportation, it became more cost effective to basically rule countries from afar through corporations.Bertster7 wrote:
That was the 19th century though, the age of empires. Then after WWI we all sat down and decided it was all a big mistake. Then got rid of them.The_Mac wrote:
You know, the Europeans did a lot worse in the 19th century. To some degree I find it hypocritical.Bertster7 wrote:
Pretty much sums it up. Also interventionist US foreign policy pisses lots of people off, not just in Europe.
Having to officially administrate various poor nations was proving to be very expensive. It's much cheaper to maintain trade connections while supposedly giving these countries "independence" governmentally. Of course, such independence is rather hollow if they still heavily depend on your trade to maintain economic growth.
No one had nukes back then....The_Mac wrote:
You know, the Europeans did a lot worse in the 19th century. To some degree I find it hypocritical.Bertster7 wrote:
Pretty much sums it up. Also interventionist US foreign policy pisses lots of people off, not just in Europe.Turquoise wrote:
Since the economy of the world is currently tied to America
Blackbelts are just whitebelts who have never quit.
Bertster7 wrote:
That was the 19th century though, the age of empires. Then after WWI we all sat down and decided it was all a big mistake. Then got rid of them.
M.O.A.B wrote:
They did far worse things, just no-one cares about that anymore.
Pretty much sums up my thoughts on the subject. I don't care what happened in the past. (with regards to debating current world issues (generally speaking)) What matters is what's going on at the moment.buLLet_t00th wrote:
Thats just stupid, that was then and this is now. None of us were alive when that whole Empire thing was in its infancy, we're alive now and the US has adopted a slightly different type of policy. How can your point be valid in any way?
I'm enclined to agree. US foreign policy sucks hard.m3thod wrote:
Cos your bullshit effects the rest of the world.
Example? Iraq war, terrorism up by 7X...gee thanks a bunch.
GJ in Africa Europe....Larkin wrote:
I'm enclined to agree. US foreign policy sucks hard.m3thod wrote:
Cos your bullshit effects the rest of the world.
Example? Iraq war, terrorism up by 7X...gee thanks a bunch.
We did loads of really horrible things. The opium wars are a great example of the British acting like complete and utter cunts. We turned up in China and said "Buy our drugs! That we illegally smuggle into your country", they said "No", so we killed them until they did (basically) - then the French said "Oolala! Zat loooks like a verie lucerative ideare" and they joined in - just an example, one of many.M.O.A.B wrote:
They did far worse things, just no-one cares about that anymore.The_Mac wrote:
You know, the Europeans did a lot worse in the 19th century. To some degree I find it hypocritical.Bertster7 wrote:
Pretty much sums it up. Also interventionist US foreign policy pisses lots of people off, not just in Europe.
Most countries did some pretty bad shit at one point or another, the point is we've learnt from our mistakes. I don't see a lot of European imperialism lately.
I wouldn't limit it to Europe. I'd say most of the world outside of the United Stats are goddamned concerned by the US. The reasons include the following:Hunter/Jumper wrote:
Tell me now. I want to know why European governments and certain people in Europe are so goddamned concerned about The United States of America? A nation that lies several thousands of miles away from European territory. Enlighten me. The plethora of “ The United States of America sucks“ threads at the moment is mind-boggling - I haven't seen anything about The United States of America on the TV for a while so I can only imagine that European TV is bombarding its citizens with propaganda to legitimize more Anti-American action. Let's remember that The United States of America is a democracy in North America which whilst being an Multi Cultural Society is remarkably progressive, with female politicians, doctors, lawyers, a highly educated middle class and the freedom to practice any religions and none are enshrined in their legal systems. Before you post please scan your response for any inherent double standards please. Notable things to keep in mind: Any country that can match The United States of America’s contributions to the world.
USA doesn't mind its own fucking business internationally and projects its power - politically, financially and militarily - unnecessarily, unwantedly, and very often hypocritically, into the affairs of countries far, far away from the US. If it minded its own business and stuck to fair principles of global capitalism and toned down the unnecessary violence and economic imperialism/rape then the world wouldn't be half as concerned as it is with the US.
Think the USSR. The world used to fear them projecting their power unwantedly across the globe. The world now fears the US in this regard, especially since the counter balance is gone. When the US fades into obscurity we'll begin to fear China I'm sure (circa 30 years from now).
I hope this answers your question. I don't think there are any double standards in there but check for yourself...
Last edited by CameronPoe (2007-07-04 14:20:36)
I am worried about the future cuz the US keeps fighting in Iraq
You could argue that, you'd have a pretty strong case too.Turquoise wrote:
One could argue that some of that was the result of how expensive maintaining an empire had become. As a global economy developed due to quicker forms of communication and transportation, it became more cost effective to basically rule countries from afar through corporations.Bertster7 wrote:
That was the 19th century though, the age of empires. Then after WWI we all sat down and decided it was all a big mistake. Then got rid of them.The_Mac wrote:
You know, the Europeans did a lot worse in the 19th century. To some degree I find it hypocritical.
Having to officially administrate various poor nations was proving to be very expensive. It's much cheaper to maintain trade connections while supposedly giving these countries "independence" governmentally. Of course, such independence is rather hollow if they still heavily depend on your trade to maintain economic growth.
But European foreign policy on the whole, at least over the last half century, has been a lot less provocative than the US'.
yes the past does matter. no one moment can be un-influenced by the past. every country that has been a world power has been criticized for god knows what during their "reign of power" and this is the US turn in that spot. This time will end eventualy as it has for every other country and we will all move on to be complaing about some other country. So just dont worry yourselves so much about what we do and worry about what you do.ghettoperson wrote:
Bertster7 wrote:
That was the 19th century though, the age of empires. Then after WWI we all sat down and decided it was all a big mistake. Then got rid of them.M.O.A.B wrote:
They did far worse things, just no-one cares about that anymore.Pretty much sums up my thoughts on the subject. I don't care what happened in the past. (with regards to debating current world issues (generally speaking)) What matters is what's going on at the moment.buLLet_t00th wrote:
Thats just stupid, that was then and this is now. None of us were alive when that whole Empire thing was in its infancy, we're alive now and the US has adopted a slightly different type of policy. How can your point be valid in any way?