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You misinterpreted my post, which was in response to the Scot who claimed that the US wasn't really on the radar for him. It is omnipresent in the media of every European country for the very reasons that I listed. If you want to have a political debate, start another thread. I'm not trying to justify the invasion of Iraq. I do think that you're showing true colors by comparing the US with Russia and China. That's silly. A good example would be Vietnam, which has every reason to be horribly aggrieved with US foreign policy. Vietnam is more pro-US involvement in their region because they are all scared of China. THere's nowhere near the amount of anti-US sentiment in former French Indochina than there is in France! And then you've got Russian annexing the Crimea. THis is exactly why NATO should be disbanded. Let the Russians march west while you claim moral equivalence!
Obama's election must have been a shock for much of the world. Up to election day I used to read letters in the Aussie press claiming that a black man would never be elected in racist America. Obama exposed the people who claimed during the Bush administration "We don't hate the people. We hate your President." The lie has well been put to that statement. Nobody's saying that now - because you hate the people. You even state yourself that it's not the case, but then you view current events through an anti-US lens without a hint of cognitive dissonance. It's fascinating.
Only the part below the quote was an answer to your post.
But I don't know how you could compare the US with Vietnam ? I was not talking about countries which had reason to dislike the US foreign policy.. But similar countries to the US about foreign policy. And Vietnam and the US have nothing in common. Vietnam is totally dependent of foreign powers. Russia and China are the only totally independent and relevant diplomatic powers. But Russia is a bit more brutal than the US, and China softer.
Your last sentence is exactly what I meat in the first part of my post. Some people take any criticism of their country as hate or anti-<mycountry>. What anti-US lens do I use ? I just try to be objective and avoid blind patriotism. My own country is not so different about foreign policy, the main difference is that we are not the biggest military and economical power so our government simply can't be as careless as yours.
And you are using one experience about Australians to make a judgement about the whole world.. When Obama was elected French - and Europeans - went crazy about Americans, saying that a black president could not happen here right now because we are still retrograde. And everyone was amazed as how fast the US went from segregation to a black president. But do you expect us to love a foreign government spying every of our moves ?
Bashing other nations is a national sport here. We bash English, Swedes, Norwegians, French, Germans, Russians, Estonians, Latvians, Lithuanians, Spaniards, Italians, Portuguese, Greeks, Serbians, Israelis, Belgians, Turks, Americans, Chinese, Indians, Mexicans, Poles, Ukrainians, Romanians, Bulgarians... well, at least those. Almost everyone but a few countries that we have a crush on. Welcome to the club.
Why? Because it's fun, politically incorrect and we have an inferiority complex.
Bashing other nations is a national sport here. We bash English, Swedes, Norwegians, French, Germans, Russians, Estonians, Latvians, Lithuanians, Spaniards, Italians, Portuguese, Greeks, Serbians, Israelis, Belgians, Turks, Americans, Chinese, Indians, Mexicans, Poles, Ukrainians, Romanians, Bulgarians... well, at least those. Almost everyone but a few countries that we have a crush on. Welcome to the club.
Why? Because it's fun, politically incorrect and we have an inferiority complex.
You guys thrive on negativity...well I guess it gives you something to do during those old, dark winters, while you drink your vodka.
You guys thrive on negativity...well I guess it gives you something to do during those old, dark winters, while you drink your vodka.
Well, actually some people, like Icelanders and Serbians have taught us that it's better to be cheerful in winter. And it's true. Actually, I don't find us very negative, maybe a bit passive-aggressive, but always tongue-in-cheek. But it's good to thrive on all emotions, gives spice and variety to life.
Bashing other nations is a national sport here. We bash English, Swedes, Norwegians, French, Germans, Russians, Estonians, Latvians, Lithuanians, Spaniards, Italians, Portuguese, Greeks, Serbians, Israelis, Belgians, Turks, Americans, Chinese, Indians, Mexicans, Poles, Ukrainians, Romanians, Bulgarians... well, at least those. Almost everyone but a few countries that we have a crush on. Welcome to the club.
Why? Because it's fun, politically incorrect and we have an inferiority complex.
Canadians have a huge inferiority complex as well, but the only place outside the country that they significantly bash on is the U.S. They are generally quite nice and respectful of other countries - or perhaps it's just a generalized indifference to any foreign country except for the U.S.
Canadians have a huge inferiority complex as well, but the only place outside the country that they significantly bash on is the U.S. They are generally quite nice and respectful of other countries - or perhaps it's just a generalized indifference to any foreign country except for the U.S.
The geographical situation might be the reason. And it's "safe" to bash an entity or a abstract thing called a "country". Of course nobody would dare to bash a Indian individual for example, that would be racism.
For some reason, Canada is one of the countries that anybody rarely have anything bad to say about. Maybe the "good Americans" stereotype is too strong.
The geographical situation might be the reason. And it's "safe" to bash an entity or a abstract thing called a "country". Of course nobody would dare to bash a Indian individual for example, that would be racism.
For some reason, Canada is one of the countries that anybody rarely have anything bad to say about. Maybe the "good Americans" stereotype is too strong.
I don't personally think Canadians have gotten *very* bad, but I forgot to mention that there is a change in the Canadian mindset that seems to be taking place right now. Canada overall has been doing rather well lately (especially relative to the US - which is all that really counts in the minds of most Canadians), and so this has made people here a bit more cocky than they used to be. Canada has long had a myth about it being "a better America, with all the good stuff but without all the problems" (especially since the 1950s and 60s), but this myth seems to be getting stronger and stronger these days.
Canadians aren't Americans. But what happened since Obama was elected?
Quote:
Originally Posted by number1curmudgeon
"America" doesn't include Canada, as it's a nickname for the US. North America is the geographic entity that includes Canada and surprisingly for many, Mexico. And did you know that Mexico is called the United Mexican States? By your logic, you should be calling Mexico the "US". What it does reveal is that your nomenclature is based on emotion rather than intellect.
Like to many Europeans America is the continent to me (just one, we don't use the plural like in English). So Canada is America just like Brazil is and Mexico etc. Canadians and Brazilians are also Americans to me, not US Americans, though.
What happened since Obama was elected? Not much, unfortunately. I guess for most people who had thought the US would become a better country he has been quite a disappointment.
Quote:
Originally Posted by number1curmudgeon
This is puerile anti-Americanism. It's antipathy based on delusion and that delusion I have to believe is based on antipathy since it has no basis in fact. The US makes most of the world's semiconductors, semi cap equipment, hardware and software, pharmaceuticals, medical devices and dozens of other categories. At least the intellectual property is owned by US companies and split into little shares that are listed on the stock market, which is the largest in the world. It's not boasting, people. It's a counterpoint to the garbage that the "only thing left is the military".
American-made products play hardly any role outside the US. When I look around me, there is nothing that was made in the US. All kinds of Asian stuff from Taiwan, Korea, China, Japan, but also European stuff from Portugal, Spain, Germany etc. But not a single American product. My computer is the only thing where there is some American stuff inside, the AMD CPU (though made in Germany) and the hard drive (might as well have been an Asian one, though) and Windows. CPU's is basically the only area where the US is still leading, although the development takes place around the world, often in development centers in Bangalore etc.
Medical devices, pharmaceuticals, etc. is all European here, there is no need for American alternatives.
The stock market does not mean much because in other countries even big companies are not traded at the stock exchange, but family-run, for instance Miele.
3 or 4 decades ago things were different, there were products that were still made in the US. Since I am into music-making, for instance synthesizers (Moog, Oberheim, etc.), but that market is dominated by Japan now. Music software is dominated by Germany. Hardly anyone wants to drive American cars here. I could go on and on.
Development in the US is also often done by Chinese and Indian immigrants, Silicon Valley would collapse immediately if only Americans were allowed to work there.
You are confusing patriotism with nationalism which is what the conservatives demand Americans live by.
And you're confusing American nationalism with 1940's German nationalism. One raped, pillaged, enslaved, and genocided Europe the other one saved Europe from being raped, pillaged, enslaved and genocided.
News for ya ......... you are just another country to us.
So we are kind of like Chad? Or Liechtenstein?
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But it's good to thrive on all emotions, gives spice and variety to life.
