Not All Europeans Are Anti American

Bigotry stinks whether it's against the US or against France and Germany.

 

I don;t think that opposition to the Iraq war is anti-American - do you?

 

Yep.

 

My president, right or wrong*!


*unless, of course, he's a Democrat, then it's my duty to thwart his every move as he is utterly wrong and undoubtedly depraved and probably in league with the devil.

 

The problem is that you have to go back forty years to find a Demo[...] president who wasn't any of these things and when you take his family's history into account, we can't even be sure of that.
[Let's keep the temperature down on the rhetoric, ehh.]

[ August 20, 2003, 02:54 PM: Message edited by: Squire Robertsson ]

 

It's not anti-american so long as you support the soldiers regardless.

 

It's not anti-american so long as you support the soldiers regardless. </font>[/QUOTE]I do not support what the United States Military is doing in Iraq, and I oppose the United States Military being in Iraq, and the United States needs to get out of Iraq and should have never been there, and that is not anti-American whether you think so or not.

 

One thing you must learn to appreciate, the anti-American sentiment that is global, is not against the individual American. It is against American policy.

American policy developers fail to understand the various peoples of the world. They certainly don't understand the Arab world. They wish-washy switch sides of support depending on who is the current enemy. Russia vs USA, therefore, support Iraq and Bin Laden. When Russia had a turnabout, the enemy changed, and the friends became the enemy.

Cuba has been a victim of each succeeding president, and I wonder if any of them, with the exception of maybe Mr. Carter, have even attempted to understand Cuba and stopped punishing the common people of Cuba.

The excuses for invading the sovereign country of Iraq have been collapsing day by day and the soldiers, who only serve their country, are paying the supreme sacrifice for this stupidity.

I am behind the men and women who serve. That does not make the invasion right. We cannot right all the wrongs in the world by aggression. The empires will crash...remember the mighty British Empire? What is it now?

Cheers,

Jim

 

Jim,
It is easy to sit in Canada or many other places in the world and know that untimately the US will defend you, no matter how critical you are of American policy. You say Americans don't understand the world (generalization), I say most the world, including Canadians don't understand Americans (generalization). We discuss, argue and fight with each other over policy, but we defend each others back. Once a policy is put in place, it is our policy. Even if we don't agree with it, so when you attack our policy, you attack the United States , you attack us, because, whether it is true or not, we believe our nation is "We, the people".

 

then would you say that america is as much a brand as a country?

 

I am afraid I don't understand your question/statement.

 

sorry I wasn't clearer

what I mean is if it is impossible for Americans to seperate their government and the policies of their government from themselves then America is not simply a country it is a brand that people live - does that make it any clearer?

For example I am British, but I do not think that critism of the UK government is equal to critism of me.

 

Ever seen a sign in someone's establishment: "We reserve the right to refuse service to anyone for any reason"?

I guess the Netherlands don't allow for this like in America.

I'm not saying I agree with the guy. But it does give you some perspective.

 

given that your foreign policy effects the rest of world do you think that is a reasonable stance?

 

Now it's my turn to agree with squire. Adding to that, I would say InHim is correct in his observation. When I see an anti-American demonstration on TV I feel personally attacked and would not feel safe. This part is too bad, but I think the reverse is true as well, you, as a Brit, would be welcomed with open arms and people would be very very warm to you... why? because of YOUR governnment's support. The French on the other hand, would not face hostility, but rather a polite disregard. I am NOT proud of my behavior , but i was in a store in Des Moines the other day and a young man, obviously foreign was trying to figure something out on a package so I offered to help, when we figured out what he needed I asked where he was from and replaied "Paris". I would have normally stood and chatted, asked about his travel, etc., but instead I said, , "well, have a nice day" and turned and walked away. I wasn't rude, but I (we) have a hard time seperating a man's government from himself. We make the assumption if most of a people didn't agree with a policy, then they should have done something about it. Our president keeps telling us the fight is with Saddam's government, the Iraqi people and with Al Queida (spelling), not muslims. I have a hard time seperating the two.