How to Make Friends and Influence People (US Style)
<a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/cgi-bin/radio4/today/listen/audiosearch.pl?ProgID=1044956954"; target="_blank">Have you heard this?</a>
This a US congressman interviewed on the BBC where he spouts unbelievable racist crap about Europe. The interviewer clearly can't believe what he's hearing. It would be funny if it weren't frightening. No way for a government to behave.
What's interesting is that this sort of bullshit, which seems to sum up how the US administration thinks about any nation that won't do what it's told, goes unremarked these days.
WANKER.
This a US congressman interviewed on the BBC where he spouts unbelievable racist crap about Europe. The interviewer clearly can't believe what he's hearing. It would be funny if it weren't frightening. No way for a government to behave.
What's interesting is that this sort of bullshit, which seems to sum up how the US administration thinks about any nation that won't do what it's told, goes unremarked these days.
WANKER.
Comments
- The same emperial ambitions when he shows readiness to conquer the whole world.
- The same threats to other countries whose laws differ from American ones.
- The same idea of American people's superiority.
- Propagating the same mass paranoia.
Too greedy politics, too obvious lies, too easy crosswords...That's how it looks from outside the USA. It's frightening. I remember living in Russia in 80s when I felt a sort of shame for the government and its politics because I could imagine how it looked from outside Russia. And I'm telling you Bush is now not better than Brezhnev was at the start of the Afghanistan war.
My question that I'd like you answer is, "Do you think I've got a right to be angry about this as a European or not?"
(A member of the US government going on national radio to espouse anti-European racism and juvenile propoganda, so ludicrous even an BBC journo is lost for words?)
This, my friends, is the shock that is in store for US citizens after they awake and find themselves sitting in a seedy basement, their hands covered with blood, the walls covered with the heads of innocent muslim children.
But what can you do? Preaching to the stupid is as efficient as shedding your seed on a rock. Only reality will provide the US with the fist in the face it needs to wake up.
("... and smell the maple nut crunch" to say it with some Dennis Leary).
[ 02-14-2003: Message edited by: der Kopf ]</p>
[QB]When I see Bush spread his arm before a crowd, he reminds me of Hitler.
I was thinking the same thing. I keep expecting Bush to say in one of his speeches that he has, "The final solution to the Arab question." He is one scary beatch.
<strong>I find the anti-American rhetoric to be boring and unintelligent. So I yawn.</strong><hr></blockquote>
Yes, I also post a lot on threads that bore me to tears ... but NEVER EVER on the ones that interest me!
In the meantime, 'Yawn' is not a particularly good defence for American racism.
(For future reference, neither are 'yee haw', 'chaaaaaarge', or 'dagnabbit I hates dem sandniggers'. And neither is calling France 'Frogland').
[ 02-14-2003: Message edited by: BuonRotto ]</p>
<strong>Meh, don't let one idiot politician tell you what all of America thinks of Europe or France or whoever. I don't like my local representative in Congress either, his views don't represent mine. Obviously he represents some Americans' views, but this place is much too heterogeneous to lump all of us in with his constiuents. And of course, he's allowed to say what he wants, right or wrong or stupid.
[ 02-14-2003: Message edited by: BuonRotto ]</strong><hr></blockquote>
Buon, you speak words of wisdom.
But I disagree with one point: your man is NOT allowed to say what he wants if he's racist. Surely that's against the ideals of the Constitution?
And I can add -- if a UK MP or MEP said equivalent things about the US he would be FIRED. It would be an international incident. But no-one bats an eyelid at the seeming right of US popular representatives to say these incredible things. Have a listen man. Link in the first post.
<strong>
Buon, you speak words of wisdom.
But I disagree with one point: your man is NOT allowed to say what he wants if he's racist. Surely that's against the ideals of the Constitution?</strong><hr></blockquote>
Unfortunatey, no, he is allowed to spew crap like that as much as he wants. Unless he is directly inciting violence (essentially giving orders like, "go kill so-and-so"), he is protected under the First Amendment.
Does the notion that they are there to listen to, and act upon, our views never occur to them?
<strong>
Unfortunatey, no, he is allowed to spew crap like that as much as he wants. Unless he is directly inciting violence (essentially giving orders like, "go kill so-and-so"), he is protected under the First Amendment.</strong><hr></blockquote>
Damn.
Well, you'd think there was some mechanism, like his boss saying "Oh well done, you just made the world a more dangerous place. Have a bollocking" to sort it out.
I know if a government official in Yurrip said things about the US of the manner he said about us, it would be a serious diplomatic incident ... think about those remarks by that German junior minister that earned a rebuke from on high from the US and caused a resignation. Let's be clear, what this guy said is MUCH MUCH MUCH worse. Racism.
And not a peep from the US or Europe, like this is the way things are.
I guess what I'm pointing out is that this IS the way things are. This shows a part of US / world relations; while our governments seem to accept these abrasions the general public is getting seriously pissed off in all the major Euopean countries.
And we're supposed to be your friends ...
So I just don't believe my eyes and tell myself that the majority of Americans are against the war, that they laugh in the face of their president and so on. Silly? No. What does the mass media tells you about Saddam and life in Iraq? What proofs of mass destruction weapons do they show? A satellite photo with 1mm squares marked by someone knowledgeable? Is that a proof? If they say it's rocket launchers, do you agree? If they said it's schools instead? What do you see on the photos?
This is propaganda. The brilliant guys who lead the show think we all are crazy and don't understand a thing. If you see your wife/husband/child/father lies to you looking straight in your face, what would you do?
By the way, Euronews said the Pentagon bought 6000 coffins and many thousands of plastic bags. Just think about it. Just think.
Scott, this is not an anti-American rhetoric. Some people simply don't like the idea of war. And if anti-war means anti-American, I am really sorry.
<strong>I find the anti-American rhetoric to be boring and unintelligent. So I yawn.</strong><hr></blockquote>
I agree. But I subsequently fart, too.
Remember that John Ashcroft lost to a dead man in his last run for the Senate.
<strong><a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/cgi-bin/radio4/today/listen/audiosearch.pl?ProgID=1044956954"; target="_blank">Have you heard this?</a>
This a US congressman interviewed on the BBC where he spouts unbelievable racist crap about Europe. The interviewer clearly can't believe what he's hearing. It would be funny if it weren't frightening. No way for a government to behave.
What's interesting is that this sort of bullshit, which seems to sum up how the US administration thinks about any nation that won't do what it's told, goes unremarked these days.
WANKER.</strong><hr></blockquote>
I just listened to that entire interview and I don't see what is racist at all about it.
You have a U.S. congressman being a bit blunt but very truthful in my opinion. He may not be the most articulate guy out there but his points are completely valid.
There are (in my opinion) three things he is mention that are all valid in determining the present and future strength of a country. He mentions economic strength, population size and growth, and finally military strength.
Many European countries are suffering depopulation. Unless they allow immigration, there simply won't be enough kids to replace the folks there today. Simple fact and nothing racist about it.
The second issue is economic strength. Germany is in the economic toilet right now with 11% unemployment. The economy of France is smaller than the economy of the state of Caliornia in the U.S. One of the reasons the E.U. was formed was to try to make Europe more competitive globally in economic terms. It isn't racist, it is a fact. It is so expensive to originate jobs in Germany that people simply don't do it.
Lastly you have military might as a measure. France and Germany have been reducing their spending in this area for years. Then they turn around and expect the same treatment as someone who is a power who can contribute militarily.
As the congressmen said, aside from purely cultural attributes, which in my opinion would be a racist way by which to judge a country, what have they got over say the emerging economies and populations of less developed countries?
It is a valid question and one that deserves an answer if France and Germany are going to expect major role player status but then have second tier economies, militaries and populations.
Nick
<strong>
I just listened to that entire interview and I don't see what is racist at all about it.</strong><hr></blockquote>
Uh Nick, I was really referring to the stuff the interviewer was calling "crude" ... umm the bits about how the French were cowards who could "go and teach the Iraqis how to surrender" -- at a stroke forgetting who spearheaded several attacks in 1991 -- and how the Germans were basically useless at anything but "starting world wars."
That and a whole bunch of other stuff. Did you not hear that, or did it not register?
Fighting stupid with stupid, as it were.
Comparing Bush to Hitler... from a European... wow. That's just funny on a few different levels. Well it would be funny if it weren't so pathetic.
[quote]This, my friends, is the shock that is in store for US citizens after they awake and find themselves sitting in a seedy basement, their hands covered with blood, the walls covered with the heads of innocent muslim children.<hr></blockquote>
And as tens of thousands of Iraqi children die because of the sanctions your nation supports what about the blood on YOUR hands?
Hear no evil, speak no evil, see no evil.
Or are sanctions the U.S.'s fault?
What's your suggestion, der Kopf, what's your idea?
<strong> He mentions economic strength, population size and growth, and finally military strength.</strong><hr></blockquote>
France and Germany are among the largest economies in the world. Top five. Or do you have to be as large as the US before your opinions are "relevant"?
France is a nuclear power, as is Britain. How large does your army have to be, relative to the US, before you are "relevant"?
The countries are <a href="http://history.wisc.edu/archdeacon/404tja/popex.html"; target="_blank">not depopulating</a>
Next.
[ 02-14-2003: Message edited by: Harald ]
[ 02-14-2003: Message edited by: Harald ]</p>