Tired of the America bashing on this site

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I don't really understand the anti-American vitriol on this site. Frankly, I am frustrated with it.
First of all, I am the first to recognize that my country is not a paradise. It never claimed to be. Every country has its issues. The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan were never widely popular here. We would never engaged in these wars had we not been attacked by cowardly terrorists who devastated lower Manhattan and the Pentagon. We were dragged into two world wars we wanted no part because Europeans couldn't seem to play nice with each other. I would also remind you, gentle readers, that Iraq possesses the second largest oil reserves in the Middle East. If Iraq's major export was tulip bulbs, I guarantee you that we would never have invaded. We don't import much oil from the Persian Gulf. We already pump lots of our own plus import from Canada and Mexico. Our allies do import a lot of oil from the Middle East. Before anyone starts moralizing about petroleum, let us face one fact. Without petroleum the world economy would come to a complete halt. Millions would starve, freeze, and die. Billions of people would die, in fact.
We are not an empire. America is fifty states and commonwealths bound together by a common culture and a common language. We take millions of immigrants and turn them into Americans. What other country does that? We have taken millions of destitute immigrants from every country in Europe as well as Asia, Africa, and Latin America. Our overseas possessions only consist of Puerto Rico, Guam, the Virgin Islands, and Western Samoa. Hardly an empire. However, several European countries had vast overseas empires and were known for their brutality towards the people they ruled. Japan tried to create an empire by force as did Germany.
Obviously, a lot of you non-Americans love our culture. There are Disneylands in France and Japan. Japanese play baseball. The most widely spoken second language on the planet is English. There's a McDonald's right across from the Pantheon in Rome. Our movies and television shows are watched globally.
We have advanced far in civil rights. When I was born, the Civil Rights Act was passed. Today, America has an African-American president. Homosexuality was considered a mental disorder up to 1973. Today, samesex marriage is soon to be legal nationwide. We have hundreds of thousands of people who dress in 19th century clothes and speak a German dialect. We leave the Amish alone and respect their different culture.
We have outstanding colleges and universities. Students flock from all over the world to attend our universities.
Like it or not, we aren't going away anytime soon.

I'm not too keen on MacDonald's to be honest. And I've never liked Micky Mouse either.

I like the US. They make great stuff.

I guess that us English people owe our language to Americans.

I detest Disnleyland and McD but do like a number of your TV series. Can't say I dislike America as such. I dated an American girl when I was a student and she was great. I do dislike some of your international political policies which are often governed by corporate greed and self interest rather than international concerns, and that is definitely going to attract bashing.

In summary there are some things I like about your country and some I dislike. I'm sure others feel pretty much the same.

Its out of Jealousy for the most part also stay clear of thomas81s threads 99.9% of them are about America bashing and such! He tends to sympathize with groups such as Hamas, Alqaeda and Hezbollah as well as Isis and the Taliban.

Maybe it's some kind of national inferiority complex?

False. read PNAC: Rebuilding America's Defences for proof that the Bush administration planned a large scale invasion of the middle east prior to 9/11 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Project_fo ... an_Century


LOL



No he doesn't, and that's not funny.

Last edited by Stannis on 16 Aug 2014, 3:51 am, edited 1 time in total.

Envy

Well, things would be way worse if the Soviets/Communists or the Nazis are ruling the world now; I give you that.

I'm sure people didn't say very nice things about the Romans either.

Some liberals compared Bush Administration to the Third Reich or the Sith.
I got a kick out of that.

Are you aware that Mickey Mouse isn't an actual mouse, he's a cartoon character?

Well, if that's how you speak English, then you have my apology in the name of my entire country.

Seriously, though, although I agree with about 95% of the points made by the OP, I wish Americans would not post such complaints. I don't believe the US is being unfairly maligned by posters from any other country EXCEPT the US. I do get annoyed by people in the US who complain about a certain aspect of life and assume their problem wouldn't exist in any other country. For example, someone who whines that a TV show like "Here Comes Honey Boo-Boo" couldn't exist in any other country, despite the fact that this sort of programming mostly originated in Asia, Europe, and Latin America and was eventually imitated by US producers, motivated by a perplexing desire to produce more income.

I'm also tired of a lot of the anti-English stuff. Not so much on WP but generally. Especially stuff that is based on a false impressions and stereotypes. I also find odd that people argue from the position that makes out that the English still culminate the views of the 18/19th centuries and before, while positioning everyone else in the modern world. There is a poor sense of moral relativism like the English were the only powerful aggressor or colonists in history. People also forget that is was the British Empire. There were plenty of Scots in the the East India Company.

No I'm not a member of group like EDL nor do I agree with what they believe. I'm not even much of a nationalist, but I don't get why English is becoming such a dirty word.

Thing is you can be tired of it, but people will find a forum for their views. You can't ignore it entirely, you have to read between the lines. What is the real issue.

I think America, and by that I mean your administration, is often confused about what it role is in foreign policy. It has a lot of power in one sense but on the other hand it doesn't realize how powerless it is, some things cannot be solved with resources alone. For instance I think Kerry is a useless diplomat. You could say that at least he is trying to be a diplomat, which is more than some administrations did. However the ego project to try an force a peace process, when the two side would do anything to kill talks and did, played a role in kick starting the Gaza situation. Rule 1: Never push for negations without establishing incentive.

The middle east need more negotiators, and mediators, like it need a hole int he head. This part of the problem not the solution.

And Conservatives, especially Tea Party idiots, routinely have pictures of Obama portrayed as Hitler. Obama is always called a Socialist by people who would have a bullet in their ear by now if Obama actually were a Socialist

That's incorrect,everyone knows that Nancy Reagan is a Sith Lord.

You know what is "America bashing?" Deliberately destabilizing our economy in order to make political brownie points as this Congress has repeatedly done since Obama took office. Corporations moving jobs to third world countries and giving American jobs to those countries instead of paying American workers for the value of their labor. Hiding income in foreign financial establishments in order to avoid paying taxes in the country where the money is made. All anti American. All American bashing. Sabotaging our political system for personal gain. Attempts at secession by anti American states. All America bashing. Pointing out flaws in our systems is NOT "bashing America."

Trying to guilt trip people into not exercising their 1st Amendment rights to speak out against flaws with our country (by accusing them of "America bashing"),... now THAT is anti-American.