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I posted an item entitled The Americans And The Vagina a couple of weeks back following which the comments wandered off topic a bit and I said some things about Las Vegas and the image the USA ‘exports’ of itself through Hollywood and TV shows. It was in response to just such a remark that someone calling themselves Foehammer sent the following:
The answer is simple really — the USA is practically a continent unto itself. The scope of the people, dialects, geography, languages and cultures is comparable to the rest of the world as a whole. It is not possible to sum up the USA or its people in the context of what you see overseas on television, what you believe you know of us from movies or even books. I’ve been to almost every state in this country and still can’t hope to ever see everything in my lifetime.
Let’s be honest, it’s almost impossible to let a statement like that go unchallenged. I have no intention here of insulting Foehammer or of getting into his personal politics and attitudes. He is not alone in the USA to think and truly believe the words he wrote. I bet I can add some more things he truly believes and will happily quote - secure in that ironclad knowledge that seems reserved especially for the American. They are, surely, unique in the world in that while other nations and people may believe they are superior to everyone else, the American knows it for a fact - reinforced daily by their appalling media outpourings of sickly patriotism and the world stage that their politicians seem to believe is theirs to strut by birthright.
The curiosity, of course, is why Americans in general have absolutely no or little conception of the world outside of their borders and their place within it. So this is a sort of open letter to Foehammer and the millions of others who share his dream.
The USA is not even ‘practically’ close to being a continent unto itself. It may well be the worlds third largest country but it is only just slightly larger than say, Brazil. It is less than a third the size of Africa which is a continent, and smaller than your own neighbour, Canada. You come third in size of population as well, out-gunned by India and China. If you want to see a continent - visit a proper one; Asia or Africa perhaps.
There is some diversity in your peoples - different accents and dialects - but with about 82% of you being white and about the same percentage having English as your first language the other 18% must be pretty scattered. My own travels through states like New York, New Jersey, Oregon, Washington, Florida, Tennessee, Virginia, Delaware, Colorado and California suggests that the vast majority of Americans are pretty similar. America has absorbed the great migrations from England, central Europe and Ireland who bought their culture with them. They have spread far and wide and intermixed - theirs is the ‘American’ culture now. There is greater diversity to be enjoyed in the considerably smaller Europe than in the USA - from the Scot to the Greek or the Dane to the Turk.
America does enjoy a rich and diverse geography but no more than any other part of the world. Your mountains are matched by many others around the globe - they are not the biggest; your rivers can be stunning - they are not the longest or the widest; your deserts are filled with wonder - they are not the most awesome. One of the things I personally like best about the USA is the fact that you have such a wide range of geography in such a relatively small, compact package.
The problem, of course, is that the vast majority of Americans do not travel. Estimates suggest that only about 20% of Americans actually have a passport. In the false and arrogant belief that nowhere can be as good as the USA, you stay at home. And the rest of the world - it’s glory, it’s beauty and it’s magnificence, passes you by - available only to the few who watch it second-hand on PBS documentaries. And this lack of knowledge and understanding is ultimately both the comedy and the tragedy of the USA in the world today, for the rest of the world knows more about you than you know about them - yet you profess to know so much and to be the guardians of the globe.
On a simplistic level, I would make a wager that if I asked the average Englishman, Frenchman, Indian or Kiwi to name the states of the USA he would, with thought, be able to name most. Yet I have sat in an American diner and been told by the waitress that New Mexico is not one of them. How many Americans could name more than a couple of English county names? The countries that comprise the European Union? The provinces of Australia? Even, perhaps, the provinces of Canada. How many Americans can place Afghanistan on the world map?
This is all interwoven with the attitude to the rest of the world that has led to so much mistrust and hatred. It’s not, as your media and politicians are always so keen to claim, that they are envious of your eroding freedom, it is because you profess to know what is best for them while at the same time knowing nothing about their culture and history.
There are other myths that abound in the USA that have become so ingrained they are quoted like mantras - or like old-style USSR propaganda posters. How many times have I heard an American claim that the USA is the worlds largest democracy? It is set in stone and rolls out of the mouths of politicians and the media until everyone believes it. But that honour, as the rest of us know, goes to India. Nor are you, I believe the worlds oldest surviving democracy. That, surely, has to be the Isle of Man who recently celebrated 1000 years of their continous political system which to this day stands them in good stead. As to the USA being the worlds only Superpower, that is even something you hear on British media. But by all traditional measures of what ’superpower’ actually means, the EU is running neck and neck with the USA and Russia still retains much that really counts. China is coming up fast and even India could achieve that status in a few short years. The real major difference however, is that because the USA believes its own propaganda so completely, it feels it has the right to meddle just about everywhere. I could do on.
And finally, just to get it off my chest, two of my favourites. For the record, the USA did not win the Second World War single-handed. You came into it reluctantly late and fresh because you were under attack and admittedly our backs were against the wall but to claim the victory as yours is an insult to the rest of Europe and in particular to the Russians. Likewise, you did not defeat the old USSR and communism. Strangely, the old Soviet bloc flourished in part because of the way America insisted Europe was carved up after the war, ignoring protestations from the old countries who understood the political situation far better. But Ronald Reagan did not cause the USSR to fall apart. It was imploding from the inside before he came on the scene, caused by political, social and economic bankruptcy. The people of the USSR itself take the honour for it’s dismantling. Ronnie just gave it a small prod.
I am a big fan of the USA. With the exception of the redneck who threatened to blow my head off with a shotgun just outside Golden, Colorado, I have liked the vast majority of Americans I have met and known. I love their country and much of their culture and diversity. If they had a better understanding of the rest of the world, they could be a dynamic and worthy force for good around the globe yet for reasons that escape me they so often seem to prefer the role of spoilt brat when it comes to dealing with their planets partners.
[Update] In his comments below, Foehammer has disputed some of the statistics I have used above. In particular those on the size of the white population and the comparable size of the USA and Brazil. The statistics may well be incorrect but with the exception of the percentage of US passport holders (for which official figures do not seem to exist) they were all quoted from the CIA website, an organisation that purports to know these things. And the phrase ’slightly larger than Brazil’ is also the CIA’a own written description. Plus I apologise for using a similar image as his web page does. This was entirely subliminal.
It is not only US people that think like that, my friend.
I’m almost 50 years old (29.03) and I grew up in communist country (Bulgaria).
They put lots of efforts to brain-wash us, telling us that communism is the best.
But we knew that it is not true.
The “democracy” made all of you believe that democracy is best.
From that point on, you all believe what ever they want you to believe.
What ever you doubt, is what they want you to think that must be doubt.
You don’t even know how fine people are manipulated.
You should feel very lucky if you have the privilege of being able to travel to different countries. It’s not like you can just run to another country whenever you want, it costs a lot of money and time.
Andy a very good article of which I agree that many Americans seem to fall into this category, and longer term you can see America going into more of a decline as the rest of the world gets on with living together without them.
However as Truden points out, it is not only Americans who often believe what they grow up with in their insular worlds. The world would be a much better place if more people accepted and celebrated the differences we all share, and learned to tolerate one another.
I have to respond to you AND Truden here really. Truden said it himself
That’s not the case with the USA. It is that very surety and belief that is staggering. Sure they dont trust their politicians… but they ‘believe’…
This is a very good point. And, of course, from the USA to just about anywhere is a long trip. Yes, I’ve been fortunate and that does need to be factored in.
I’m American, and a flag-waving, tears in my eyes on the 4th of July, hand over my heart as the Veterans Parade marches by, Patriot. I don’t think I’m “sickly patriotic,” although I’m sure that there are a lot of Americans who are. Just as I’m sure there are lots of people in other countries who are, as well. It’s natural to love your homeland, natural to believe your country is the most beautiful, the people the best, the scenery the most…um…scenic.
But I think you are correct in implying that Americans tend to be insulated from the rest of the world. We do not travel as much as Europeans. It’s been noted that in the case of Europeans, the proximity to other countries makes it easier for Europeans (at least) to be able to travel more easily. For instance, I’m in Utah…it would take at least 15-18 hours to reach Canada and two days to reach Mexico - my nearest neighbors. It would take 10 hours to reach even California…
I don’t know WHY we, as Americans (as a whole) are so ignorant of the rest of the world - its cultures, art, economics, government…perhaps we ARE arrogant in our perception of our own importance. I don’t like thinking that…but the evidence points in that direction.
What would be nice would be a shift in thinking…not just for Americans…but for the world to think of itself as a world community. With technology we have instant access to information from every country, our transportation has advanced so that travel (while still somewhat time-consuming) is eons beyond the 2-3 month voyages across The Pond…or anywhere else, for that matter.
As far as “meddling” in the affairs of other nations (invited or not), I personally would like to see that reigned in…it’s not that I don’t care about other countries, but sometimes I think we need to deal with the problems at HOME first. What’s the adage? Put YOUR house in order first???
Anyway, I just wanted to put in my two cents, to illustrate that not EVERY American walks around in a blissfully-ignorant state of their own importance and feels that there is no other country than their own. I’m proud to be American…but I appreciate that American is not all there is…
I think part of the problem is the things that are taught in public schools. We learn A LOT about world history but virtually nothing about world cultures. I remember when I was in like 4th grade we had “Japan week” or something like that but throughout high school there was no required curriculum for learning about other cultures. Americans just aren’t really exposed to the rest of the world when they’re young.
Interestingly enough my son here in the UK did at least a year at school on North American History…
[...] web site for the wonderful forum-plugin he made for Word Press. There I read the article The Comedy And The Tragedy Of The USA, which reminded me for a discussion I had with friends in Truden Web [...]
I’m sorry, but having come here to reflect on some changes I’m making to Simple Forum, I have to admit I was quite surprised to see such a lengthy topic written in response to what I considered a very objective comment I made.
If you seriously believe that I made such a remark earlier based on lack of life experience or knowledge of the rest of the world, you have not visited my website. Indeed, I get visitors from all over the world every day.
I simply will not comment further on this subject other than to say, from the tone of the response and of many of the comments from others, you might try reflecting a little on the “air of superiority” you believe comes from the United States. What I see here is quite the opposite. Unfortunately, because I did not come here seeking a confrontation, nor do I need more. I deal with grim tidings every day as it is.
Hi Andy - I’ve maintained for years that all high school kids in the US ought to have to spend at least a month in S. America/Africa/Asia. Don’t know how we’d swing that cost-wise but it certainly would open up some eyes!!
I’ve been lucky to have traveled alot outside the USA. And I actually hang out with mostly people who’ve traveled & have a broader view.
I agree with most of what you said. We as a country are way too insular, and act like a herd most of the time!
I find this a remarkably sad comment. Why does serious debate have to be confrontational? I made it clear that I was not seeking confrontation and that I was not issuing an insult. And finally, no comments received so far have either. Indeed the most interesting are from Americans.
I was in fact asking a serious question the answer to which eludes me.
And if I am going to be personaly critical it is only to say that getting visitors from all over the world does not constitute an understanding. Truden below, hails (I believe) from Bulgaria but I know nothing of his country or his culture by his visits here.
It’s a shame you are unable to discuss a serious issue without being confrontational.
If anything we are not ‘insular’ enough. Europe is being destroyed by its own multiculturalism as I type this, and the United States could very well be next if we don’t wake up soon.
Better to spend time here discussing the tragedy and comedy of Islam and Eurabia if you want to really delve into a subject worth sinking teeth into. I’m willing to bet that such an attempt would go over like a brick balloon though.
Hi Jeanine. I was talking to someone else today and the notion - that is so widely used in the USA - of being branded as ‘Un-American’ came up. With the exception of perhaps old communist regimes and religious led countries, that’s something else that may be more or less unique. We certainly have no equivalent of that here in the UK which allows me to be far more critical of my country,openly and publicly, without being so branded.
As you can see below, Foehammer, who made the original remark, has decided that I was being confrontational andm waht’s more, suggests that if he discussed it he would also. Which is a shame as I would have welcomed a healthy debate.
[...] couldn’t not post a link to this thread that has erupted around a single comment I harmlessly (I thought) posted on a completely unrelated [...]
I often discuss Islam and the huge mistake of multi-culturalism. I have absolutely no belief that Europe and indeed the UK handle the problem well and I fear for the future. I think we can all do without the childish tagnames (Eurabia for example) but this is not a brick balloon subject by any means. But I see it has bought out your stance - although I have visited your website so I already knew that.
It just doesn’t happen to be the subject under discussion. One you obviously dont feel comfortable with. If you don’t wish to discuss that rationally, then please stop leaving comments.
You think what I’ve typed here so far is ‘confrontational’?
I’m sorry, I find that very amusing. And here I thought I was being quite level-headed and avoiding confrontation.
I have chosen not to dip into more detailed responses to your more outrageous claims about Americans because of several factors, not the least of which being I’m extremely tired from working all day and that only overshadows to a small degree that I debate far too often as it is.
But, as you can see from the pingback, you’ll get more than your share of responses here soon enough, I would not be at all surprised. And my readers know what I’m like when I am confrontational — especially the ones that have attended Jihad Watch comments for any part of the last 4 years. I don’t see any reason to go into that gear here, insults to my country or not.
You said - ‘I did not come here seeking a confrontation’. Well as I had no intention of being confrontational then it would have had to come from you. And what else would you call ‘you’ll get more than your share of responses here soon enough’? if not an attempt to foster confrontation? It’s not a mature response.
The really sad thing is that you feel I have ‘insulted your country’ although it was, I suppose, to be expected and in many repects that alone endorses my original post. You are unable to have a constructive debate on the question I asked and you feel indignant that I used the word ’superior’ - yet you have already, in previous comments, made it clear that you believe America is superior to Europe and actually have used insulting language about my own homeland. And you also obviously believe yourself and America to be superior to Islamic states. So quite clearly the description was accurate.
If you feel like coming back here and discussing the issues this started with then I welcome that.
Rife anti-Americanism and attempts to disguise it are not working. Continuous condescension all the way around, and despite the fact that Americans are self-eroding by believing far less in themselves and our nation than any other time in our history except perhaps the Great Depression, still I’m witnessing a European-driven bias here that shouldn’t even exist. On my own site I uphold WESTERN culture, not just American, nor do I ever try to infer that the United States doesn’t owe a great debt to its predominantly European heritage. I uplift it.
Here, you’re doing the opposite. You’re seeking Americans to fall down and beg for forgiveness for our “arrogance” and “jingoism”. You’ve even gotten it, quite predictably, from most. You will not get it from me. I know better.
Just look at this post. It names me, it quotes me, it even emulates my avatar, and yet you think I’m not going to see that you’re looking for a ‘confrontation’ rather than a debate. That is psychological reflection at its height.
I didn’t want to even debate here earlier but, I’m still myself, so with some dinner in my belly and new found energy I’m going to tear this thread apart a little. Fasten your seat belts.
Let’s get right to it then, and I won’t even delve into the “off-topic” —
Where to even begin? American’s know their own superiority? Do you even watch Hollywood movies? Countless movies like ‘Syrian’ and the ‘Good Shepard’ are poorly veiled anti-Americanism from out wonderful Far Left contingent in Tinsel Town. Even the science fiction show ‘Battlestar Galatica’ has had Iraq War subtext in it that portrays the ‘insurgents’ as the goodguys. This is not the World War II generation. Half the country reviles itself thanks in no small part to the incessant attacks from within and without upon everythin it is to be an American. American History is hardly even taught in our schools anymore. Instead they have required courses in things like African Studies. Forget our own heritgage — apparently it’s not worth knowing in such a mutli-cultural pot of luck called the USA today.
‘Sickly patriotism’ — disgusting choice of words there, but fine. Since seeking to diminish faith in Americana is the order of the day, I’ll accept that as just another notch on the hilt. But know this — if not for these ’sickly patriots’ the world would be in the hands of far worse than us Yanks. In fact, if it wasn’t for us, it might even be in the hands of a British Empire if you really want to get into ‘What If’s and I wonder sometimes if this isn’t what motivates Brits that lash out so easily at Americans.
I’m glad that I know plenty of Euros that do not disparage against the United States, so I have a level playing field to work from.
Apparently you believe that all Americans are illiterate white trash or a mixture of the like from the way you make such assumptions about how much most of us know. Sad to say, fewer know enough of the history of the world than probably any generation preceding this one, but there are still an amazing number out of the 300 million plus Americans that actually travel, study and understand great portions of this globe. I happen to be quite well versed in Roman, English, Irish, Italian history, as well as having more than a rudimentary understanding of the Middle East and Japan.
I’m sorry that we haven’t stomped around the world making colonies, but we’ve only been around 250 years. Give us some time and maybe we’ll ‘revert to form’.
Wow, size really matters to you, doesn’t it? Here I sit, in the state of Texas, a single state of the Union larger than France itself and you’re acting as if the U.S.A. doesn’t comprise the greater part of the North American continent. Oh, sure, we can quibble over the actual square footage of Canada, but if you want to go up and live in icy wastes that make up much of those ‘feet’ or should I say ‘meters’ (!), then go right ahead.
This country that is “less than a third the size of Africa” as you so try to reduce us by, is in fact, the third largest nation in the world, larger in size than China, not only Brazil. If only ’slightly’ larger than Brazil even holds water, since the U.S.A. is more than 400,000 square miles larger than Brazil.
82% white? LOL. Whites don’t even make up 50% of the population of Texas any longer.
Not culturally diverse in excess of Europe? You must be joking. There is no more culturally diverse city in the world than New York City. Even in my own neighborhood, I’ve met the following beyond the overly-simplified ‘white’ that everyone loves to paint with: Korean, Japanese, Haitian, Indian, Native American, Hispanic, Persian, Chinese. If we break down the ‘white’ folks we’ve easily got bloodlines tracing back to every nation of Europe and Scandinavia, Australia and New Zealand, Russia and Iceland. And that’s just in one little neighborhood.
“The Melting Pot” is not just one more overblown American euphemism. It’s reality.
Um…no more geography than the entire world obviously, but more diversity than any other place in the world from shore to shore without question. In California alone you can travel from ocean to desert to mountain, ski, surf and land-rove all in the same day if you’re fast and eat your Wheaties. You end up getting my original point, but you still can’t resist doing size comparisons again. Hmmm.
Everything is bigger in Texas. You might like it here.
Sigh. Americans work harder and longer on average than any other nation on earth. Fact, or my geography teacher back at the old university better get new textbooks. Americans take shorter vacations on average and fewer ones, too. And Americans, in case you don’t get the big picture, are targets. You want to know why we don’t travel as much as Europeans, there you have it.
But there’s another big reason — so many people are trying to get into the United States, we probably subconsciously worry that if we leave for too long, someone will replace us. But I kid — a little.
While you criticize Americans for not traveling enough, even though 20% of 300 million is a very large chunk of cheese, you overlook the reality. Americans aren’t at the lowest birth rate in their history — we have kids to take care of. The opposite is true of Europe. You want to reflect on that for a bit? Parental responsibilities do not make for 1,600+ mile jaunts across oceans to other parts of the world very likely or very often.
And Islamic terrorism makes our best tourists the ones in uniform now.
We are the United States. I just answered your question and refuted your reasoning. Presto! When you become the United Counties, let me know. Our average state size is larger than the entire UK. And it’s a wonder why people know the names of the States like they do other countries. The state I’m sitting in once WAS a country of its own — the Republic of Texas.
Merde. If they are so hateful of us, why are so many trying to sneak across our borders? Come in off the boats and planes and applying for the road to citizenship. Your own editorial here is a testimony to jealously and rank Euro-centrist attitudes.
We spill blood on foreign shores for the better part of 100 years, and still you toss stones at us, and you expect us to falter. It must drive you crazy to run into an equal like me that has red, white and blue flowing through his veins and not a “Union Jack tatoo’d on me arse”.
I can’t defend the idiocy of the Americans you speak to. You must be hanging out in too many ski resorts in Colorado. If you want to get into a dialogue, go to Upstate New York, or Boston, or Chicago or close to any major university. We have more of those, too, by the way. But you know this…
Yes, perhaps a postage stamp like the Isle is an older democracy, but only because it barely ever weighed in the minds of the British royal houses to even be considered. Good for the Manx.
China, India — we really don’t care how prosperous anyone is — what the world can’t seem to get is that Americans want to live, let live and be left alone. Instead we get wakeup calls like 9-11 on sunny mornings when we hadn’t even had a negative thought of a Muslim running through any of our heads for months, even years. And now we’re into the thick of it again, and eventually we’ll end up spilling more American blood on more foreign shores. Thank God we have the strength to protect our democracy. I can’t say that for the Manx, who are under your governments protections. You’ve got your own issues and peoples that you can hardly protect now. What about those Iranians anyway. Hmm. They don’t have the cheek to drag it out though and test the mettle of Britain. It’s almost a shame really. I still remember the Falklands.
I’m not even going to merit this paragraph with a reply. You reduce the memory of too many good Americans who still dot the shores of Normandy in pretty white rows of Crosses and Stars of David. If someone can find a Crescent in that lot, snap me a digital photo and email it. Thanks.
You’d be stomping around in knee high boots or speaking Russian if not for the United States. I can’t recall ever hearing an American veteran claim “we won the wars” — but if you want to continue in that notion, I can’t stop you.
Just kills you to say “thanks”, I guess.
Goddamn.
Enough. No more mud for me. There’s your on-topic “debate”. Revel in it. Learn something from it. I’d say something more, but I’m a gentleman.
Well, Andy @ YellowSwordfish, it’s sad to see yet another disgruntled Brit who’s very nation plus past generations through 2 world wars were saved by the United States of America, complain about my country, America. At one time, 400 years ago actually, my family was residing in your country at Reading, and for the sake of FREEDOM, they left that island nation and settled in the USA as FREEMEN. Back in those times and earlier, too, there were two names used to distinguish the FREE world from the Stuck-in-the-mud-world, the former known even to this day as the NEW world and England plus the rest of Europe known as the OLD world. I found myself interested in these two dissimilar worlds while still in upper grade school studying World History as well as Charles Dickens, etc. Very telling, what one is able to learn at a young age before one has actually visited the OLD world tied up in hopeless knots by government tapes of all sorts…one cannot even choose one’s own physician, nor one’s own employment, or has the OLD world maneuvered on past that antiquated state? One would hope so. As an artist, one of your countrymen posted several of my watercolors at Cambridge University, by the way, and wasn’t that the very site of Thomas A’Beckett’s execution by King Henry - or am I confused here among your Royalty’s historical skills in such frequent acts?
Perhaps a suggestion may soothe your misunderstanding regarding America? “Know thou of that which ye speak or forever maintain thy silence.”
Foehammer, wake up, my friend!
If an article like this was written about England, it would be self criticism.
But because is about USA it is anti-Americanism
Looking at you and your fellow citizens I see communism as preschool boy in brain-washing.
Wake up and see that your “spilled blood on foreign shores” is mixed with petrol, your “democracy” broth the hell for the people of that shores, and see that people, cultures and places are different and don’t fit to your American point of view. They have their own point of view, and they want the freedom to experience their life from their point of view.
You have to know that from the school.
It is written in your constitution.
What is good for you is not good for me.
You like hamburger, I like bean soup.
Don’t put in my nose your hamburger, because its “aroma” is making me vomit.
I think that this article is more about how American point of view differs from the rest of the world, and how it affects you and the rest of the world.
And Truden - this hits the problem with both the comments posted above. I am branded as hating America which is so off the truth. America is my second favourite country (my first being New Zealand.)
And they both enjoy themselves being highly critical of the UK and Europe yet feel agrieved and swollen with bile when anyone criticises their own country.
The simple fact - as far as I can see - is that they both prove my point magnificiently.
Unfortunately, in these days it is normal to see such self-centered attitude, Andy.
I would recommend to all internet users, before to comment anything to take their time and get closer to the author, which they will comment.
Don’t get one article, extract sentences out of the context and spit out your comment.
You are taking the risk to be wrong.
If you read The Applegate house, you would know that Andy is not anti-American.
Speaking of knowing about things before opening one’s mouth, there’s a distance of approximately a hundred miles (by road) between any of Cambridge university and Canterbury Cathedral, where Thomas Becket was actually murdered. To my knowledge the archbishop of Cambridge university has to date never been murdered at the dubious order of royalty.
(Speaking of which; your ancestors left significantly after Becket’s time, so it’s your royalty just as much as it is mine. ;-))
Last I heard I couldn’t even enter the US without giving up what I consider a fundamental human right, just for being foreign. Not to mention that I’d get fingerprinted on entry, it’s probably only a matter of time before that gets upgraded to a DNA swab. And with all this talk of freedom, as well!
I was going to leave Becket until tomorrow.
But I may as well mention one other thing which is an extrememly ill-informed comment. I am 56 years of age and in all that time I have always managed to choose my own physician and decide what employment I do or do not want to take. As did my father. As did my grandfather. Actually that goes back as far as I have family records for. Where on earth that bit of nonsense came from I can’t imagine.
You have these problems entering the USA Jake because as these two guys have made clear - us Europeans (and especially the English) are obviously suspect. Like I said in the first place, they have scant understanding of the world outside their borders.
The one regret I have in that post is that I was somewhat wooley when I said ‘millions’. I know, of course, from my own regular travels in the US that this does not apply to everyone by a long way. But several million of going on for 300 or whatever the population size is (as they tell me the CIA are wrong with their stats) is still a huge number.
@Truden:
I suggest you take your own advice, visit my site, learn who your real enemies are and quit wasting time sniping at me and other Americans.
Yellow Swordfish’s first mistake was quoting me and not expecting a lesson. But apparently there are some extremely slow learners around here. I’m not surprised. I deal with the like every single day, but I don’t stop blogging because of it. I blog harder.
And for the record, because I’ve read it multiple times, if it isn’t obvious that I’m far more pro-England than anti, point out why that might be. I seem to have no end of visitors to my site that have never pointed such a thing out to me and if there’s to be anything constructive as a result of the time I spent here, feel free to show me.
But, if you think for one minute that the UK isn’t in the mess of Sharia Law purveyors and the like because your leaders are slacking even worse than ours in the United States, all you have to do is look around you and compare Merry Old England of today to that of 20 years ago, and the epiphany should slap you in the forehead. It’s all of Europe that’s pushing itself off the brink into dhimmitude. France is drowning in it. The Netherlands are awash in it. Scandinavian nations can’t seem to remember themselves and even historically nationalist Germany doesn’t seem to know when to stop draping enough rope to hang herself with.
I’m critical of Europe where it deserves because I want to preserve your futures second only to those of my own countrymen. You’d be well off delving into that because you’re going to see the fruits born of Muslim immigration run hugely amok soon enough, if not already.
Funny that, though, that I’m concerned about a European tendency to foment internal problems that has already dragged my nation into 2 previous world wars. Damn me for caring and having an ounce of wisdom in my skull — I’d like to avoid a third but it’s already too late, imho.
As for the other affairs of Europe, those are entirely your business and frankly couldn’t care less how you run them. I wish the same was true of how you folks thought about the United States.
I have no enemies, Foehammer and I did visit your web site (shame).
About the learners - how do you learn?
I have no idea how to respond to any man or woman foolish enough to believe that they have no enemies.
But then, I’ve visited your site also, so I know who lives in the real world and who wishes they did not.
Must I consider you enemy, just because you don’t agree with me?
To have an enemy you must point one.
I don’t point, therefor I don’t have.
If some one points me as enemy,it is his problem - he has an enemy, I don’t.
And which one is the REAL world - your world, or my world?
I think that this article is very much about that - how an American see the world and how I (none American) see the world.
So, except enemies, what else do you see my friend?
Oh, I’m SO glad I selected the email notification on this topic….my inbox hasn’t been this full in weeks!
I guess there’s no way we can all cordially agree to disagree…??? So perhaps my hope that everyone think of themselves as a WORLD COMMUNITY first before nationalistic fervor is foolish…
Hi Jansy. You and I have discussed some of these issues before I recall.
As much as it would be nice to think of myself as a member of a World Community first and foremost, it’s something the world makes it very difficult to do. But I can assure you that you will get no nationalistic fervour from me. Not for England, not for Britain and certainly not for Europe. Foehammer and his mates are quite right that we are in a politcal mess currently and political will is flapping in the wind although there are signs that is slowly changing perhaps. Any defence I make of Europe is simply to point out that these guys are so free and vitriolic in their insults towards my homeland (even digging back into English history prior to the existance of the USA which seems rather pointless), yet one word against their own precious piece of turf and they are ready for war. I guess this is because they feel superior even if they claim they don’t like having that pointed out to them. Besides, they really did miss the point I was making whilst at the same time proving it spectacularly with their responses. Just remember that this started with the idiotic statement that the breadth and depth (of people/culture/geography etc) of the USA was ‘comparable to the rest of the world as a whole’. I doubt you have to travel far outside of your borders to disprove that one.
I don’t think there are many countries any more in the modern world that have these large numbers of flag-waving die-hards. Oddly though, another that comes to mind is France (although not as bad as they used to be) - and my bet is your guys detest the French! At least, they usually do. I mean, have people started to use the term ‘french fries’ again? Probably, but I do know they haven’t apologised to the insults are vitriol that was hurled towards the French.. who were quite right of course.
I suppose you think the French didn’t get the USA into Vietnam either. Or that they weren’t doing back-room dealings for oil with S. Hussein, right alongside the Germans despite UN sanctions. Yes, everyone is so innocent next to the United States. There couldn’t possibly be any reason why all negotiations were stonewalled by many parts of the UN and principally Germany and France prior to the U.S. finally invading Iraq. How quickly people forget the ‘little’ things that create history.
You folks amaze me with how much tripe you confuse with what’s really going on, how many absolutes you concoct out of your own political bent and how much you can’t take criticism while snidely dishing it out liberally. It’s really nothing short of contemptible. And on that note, I’d better mange the subscription on this thread so I’m no longer taking part.
While you are all hashing dirt here, I’m still trying to help save your behinds.
Well, I never STOPPED using the term “french fries” (LOL) because I thought it was a STUPID IDEA.
I can understand, partially, their point on the breadth and depth of our culture. We are fairly diverse…after all, it was immigrants from nearly every nation that built up this country (although originally it was predominantly English and European). I’m American by birth (well, Californian - are those mutually exclusive???) but my ancestry is English, Danish and French. I have a lot to thank England for…and Rome…and Greece…and Egypt - who all helped the lay the foundation for civilization. (Oops, forgot China…fireworks, gundpowder!) Anyway, I’m certainly NOT advocating the dissolution of nations in favor of a world community…far from it. I’m still a patriot, I still love my country. But I don’t HATE other countries. My hope for a world community mindset, however, is precisely because of the debate going on here. We ARE in effect, a world community, because we all depend upon the earth for sustenance. I realize that doing away with borders is simplistic and a huge pipe dream…but this strident factionalism (inside countries and out) can do nothing but cause harm. We are brothers and sisters under the skin, because we’re all HUMAN (some less so than others).
As far as complaints against manifest destiny (as the term is used today), I readily admit that I’m a little tired of providing assistance and relief (and I don’t necessarily mean MILITARY assistance here!) to other countries that so obviously HATE us. I don’t burn the flag of Afghanistan in effigy, for instance…nor have I hanged a dummy with Tony Blair’s face on it recently…or um, ever, for that matter. But my irritation is largely due to the fact (as I mentioned) that a lot of MY tax dollars are going to foreign aid - that (evidently, according to some of your readers) the countries don’t want anyway. And that is the policy of my government doing that, not MY policy. I don’t mind giving to others, I support lots of worthwhile causes…but quite frankly, the lower-middle class in the USA is rapidly BECOMING a charitable cause…we’re sinking lower and lower economically (toward the poverty classification), and I wonder WHERE the tax base this country relies on will come from when the middle class has been pounded out of existence? (Oh, sorry, personal rant….)
I wish then, if my country is not as desirable as I like to believe, that everyone would STOP COMING HERE for a while, and we would stop sending assistance to everyone, and stay home. (I’d also like to request the return of all the Levi’s and McDonald’s hamburgers that have been purchased throughout the world…oh and the CD’s from American bands and all the DVD’s of American movies that have been distributed, and the college degrees that have been awarded to international students…if that wouldn’t be too much to ask…)
Being a bit facetious here…because it’s obvious that there have been SOME worthwhile contributions made by the USA abroad. But conversely, we’ve benefited a lot from contributions from other countries as well…french fries, probably, being the first to come to mind…LOL.
Look, I don’t want to add fuel to your fire, Foehammer…but have you read a LOT of Andy’s blogs??? He is quite willing to take a few swipes at his own government. As I take a few at mine. I happened to have voted for the current incumbent, but that doesn’t mean I blindly agree with everything he stands for…nor do I always agree with the legislation passed by Congress. (Means I have a brain.) Public debate and public questioning of our officials is our privilege. So, I suppose, is lashing out publicly toward anyone who disagrees with us…
Thanks for the support Jansy! There is a little bit of selective history going on above as well. I didn’t see any mention, for example, of who put Saddam Hussein on the throne in the first place and propped his regime up with milions uf US tax dollars, weapons and ammunition. Ask Don Rumsfeld - he knows. As to immigration, I assure you they are not all coming to you. We and western Europe are overwhelmed and some of that is the price we are paying for the old Empire days.
Two quickies: If you got all of the US product back that was sold abroad you’d lose one hell of lot of revenue. And you’ve forgotten what we discussed a year or so ago about US aid abroad - it all gets back to the US economy in one form or another so it’s not, as such, ‘lost’ money.
Oh, Andy! I’m sorry I’m laughing here…I know you were serious. But the idea of US aid coming back to the economy cracks me up…because I sure as H*LL am not seeing any of it!!!! It may be so, and yes, wouldn’t want to lose all that Levi/McDonald’s revenue…but as I said, I am no longer an affluent American….I’m rapidly being squeezed from the bottom of the heap and oppressed by the top…LOL.
”They are, surely, unique in the world in that while other nations and people may believe they are superior to everyone else, the American knows it for a fact - reinforced daily by their appalling media outpourings of sickly patriotism and the world stage that their politicians seem to believe is theirs to strut by birthright.”
You do awsome work with PHP, but your not to nice a person it sounds like to me.
Judgement of a race of people as a whole, it’s what hitler did. Look where that kind of thinking brought the world. I’m american, sometimes proud .. sometimes not so proud, I am also a american indian 1/2. I don’t hold anything any against england or france for exploiting my peoples land or people century’s ago.
I tend to wish people would stay where there born and not move around to be honest. Travel and visit but keep your home among your own people. I don’t like the way my government represents me, I hate how moronic people with ignorance can group a entire country together and insult them.
It would be like say all germans during WWII where nationalistic nazis, Andy you write well but the content is scuewed, there are good people in Iran, China , USA, Mexico and so on, having the belief that all people from a nation are the same is extremely ignorant. I’m dissappointed to read this crap to be honest, I really love your work and it makes me think maybe I should not use your work for the reason maybe you will use it in a malicous mannor just like the note above. More money goes over seas here then any other country, personally I’m sick of seeing hard earned tax dollars going to other countrys while things here are in decay and inflation is on a amazing incline.
I suggest you maybe write something people can really benifit from like the earth falling apart in front of are eyes. Or is that media global hype as well?
good luck with your site, I won’t post again, sincerly wish you the best.
also who are to to quote what I think? , your not any better then the idiots on capitol hill and parliment if thats what you think. I went to UK for 2 months once, in that time I met one person I really had no use for rest were pleasent to me as well as not political either, I stayed in peoples houses as well so I got a good taste of people and places not enough to be a expert but enough to know there are people similar there as to here, and neither people here or there driving around in fancy BMW’S good hard working folks that love there familys both here and there with similiar common goals, live in peace and put a safe rook over there familys head and square 3 meals a day.
It was very tempting not to bother replying to this (and the one below) as neither seem to have any relation to what I wrote in this item and what I have written in the past about the USA. I can only assume the commenter did not actually read it properly, and it is quite obvious they have not checked out my own attitude to the USA from other items I have posted.
So… if you were ‘disappointed to read this crap’ you know how I feel about your ridiculous comments. Do your homework. Oh - and I am a very nice person. Ask my many American friends.
your quote…”If they had a better understanding of the rest of the world, they could be a dynamic and worthy force for good around the globe yet for reasons that escape me
they
so often seem to prefer the role of spoilt brat when it comes to dealing with their planets partners.”
who is ””they”” andy? Again you love to group people together then disclaim it by saying you have american friends.
Is ”’they” the american government? Is ”’they”’ the us military? Is they the Millions of people that go to africa and other places to build hospitals and schools and housing for the poor?
Is ”they” my family members who gathered boxes and boxes of close for there irish cousins living in english during ww2, even though they where so poor they used card- board inside there shoes because ”they” had holes in there soles. ”They” would have to pre-wear they close because even during WW2 the wonderful british government would tax the items if they looked brand new. Talk about pathetic.
Yes, you now know alot about ”they”.
”They” is a pretty incompassing word. Wouldn’t you agree? Problem in this world is theres to many ”those people”, ”there kind”, ”you know how they are”, thought patterns in this world, part of why my people must have been slaughtered by your people, because ”they” thought we were all savages and killers. Not to mention other races your country slaughtered. Hey its okay though… ”THEY DID IT”.
Yes - you are quite right - ‘they’ is a diabolical word and I could and should have been more precise. ‘They’ are also a different ‘they’ under different circumstances. So first let’s come up with a rough definition of who the ‘US they’ are that I was referring to and it has to be rough as it changes all the time. Let’s call ‘they’ all the Americans who were gung-ho to wage war in Iraq. That’s a pretty big percentage (at the time). It can stand as a rough guide.
I didn’t at any time suggest that (1) this attitude had always been prevalent in the USA - we all know it hasn’t. Nor (2) did I suggest at any time that other nations have not had the same attitudes. Nor (3) have I ever suggested - anywhere - that Great Britain is whiter than white. We have done some appalling things in our past and so have most of any nations that once had an ‘empire’. And I dare say we too had our fair share of the arrogant. One thing I do believe though is that I am not aware of any period in modern history where the British have preferred insularity.
By the way - like a few other comments on this thread that seek to just denigrate my homeland instead of discuss the issues - you show an uninformed knowledge of our history. Where on earth did you come up with the bizarre notion that ‘…even during WW2 the wonderful british government would tax the items if they looked brand new‘. If you are going to make bold statements like this I do suggest you verify if they are true as this one, like some of the others, certainly isn’t.
If you want to know why American Policy and actions, not Americans, are hated so much abroad, I have two books to recommend; The Bush Agenda: Invading the World One Economy at a time, and, Confessions of an Economic Hit Man. Both are available on Amazon. I would classify these two books as true horror novels. You are right about the erosion of the middle class, but trust me, it is not confined only to the US, it is happening right here in Canada, and in many other countries around the globe.
”even during WW2 the wonderful british government would tax the items if they looked brand new‘. If you are going to make bold statements like this I do suggest you verify if they are true as this one, like some of the others, certainly isn’t.” I came buy to view your wonderful site, and it is beautiful. I wish I had a thimble full of such talent. I decided while I was present to revisit this thread and glad I did. Just for the above quoted piece. Im american indian only half. Other half 100% irish, and I know its a odd mix. 1st of all I apologize for jumping down your throat like i did. I think it just hit me wrong and maybe or your probly rite that I read what I wanted and not all of the comments . But what i’ve quoted above it 100% truth. My grandfather who was irish would buy clothes for irish cousins living in england. This was during depression and ww2, now he had no money, and 3 kids and wife in hospital on death bed but was able to rummage new clothes for his irish cousins. Because they would tax the clothes if they looked new or had tags on them they were charged a tax. Very true story, and my aunts who are still living will vouch on stack of bibles that this sir is a true story. Why? because they would wear the clothes for a week to make them look worn before my grandfather would send them abroad. As they were piss empty pocket poor and could not afford any fees period.
@Sigh breath out: Nice to see you back. Oh this was a difficult conversation wasn’t it?!
I think I probably misunderstood what you meant about ‘taxing things that looked new’. I rather suspect what we are talking about here is plain and simple ‘import tax’ and we still have to pay that today. Any ‘new’ items either purchased or sent from abroad is subject to import tax except for a few exempt items. And, you know, you pay that in the US as well. We regularly send gifts and packages to US friends and have to fill in the customs duty form.
Having said that, the English history with the Irish is not a good one. The bad relationship started some 400 years ago and they have never forgiven us - hence almost a century of terrorism, bombs and bullets.
But I do very much like the story of wearing the clothes for a little while! I assume this was Northern Ireland as England had no jurisdiction in Eire by the time WW2 started.
Thanks for coming back!
o yes sunday bloody sunday, woooo, now theres another whole thread id say.
lets face it man kind is not the most peaceful being is it? No matter the color or race. Such a crying shame to see the world and the land all over going downhill to so called improvements.
Relitives lived are spread threw ireland and england, at the time they we’re in england though. Specific places don’t know with out inquiring.