True or False?
 

Do you people agree with this, or disagree?

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It is probably hard for people in the States to realize just how much jingoism about alleged American imperialism, blood for oil, etc. is constantly pumped out by the British and European media. It's uncanny how little dispassionate analysis and giving of a fair hearing to all sides in the debate is apparent on this issue as compared to the way debate is usually approached, at least in the UK.

With apologies to our British cousins, I'm going to lump the Brits and Continental Europeans together as "Europeans" below, for the sake of brevity. (Most Brits dislike being referred to as "Europeans." They're British, not European.):

1) Most Europeans are completely unaware of how threatened Americans feel, and they have not realized how seriously we take the viscous language of Osama bin Laden and other Wahabbists against us. They are not aware, either, of the venomous content of Islamist sermons against America that have been spewing from the mouths of imams and mullahs for years.

2) Most Europeans cannot conceive how traumatic 9/11 was to us. Many of them expected us to "get over it" by now and see us as wallowing in self-pity and prone to paranoia and childish temper tantrums now.

3) Many Europeans do not believe America is really at war. They think the phrase "War on Terrorism" is figurative language. They often even put it in quotation marks.

4) Since the end of the cold war, many Europeans seem to be in denial about the simple and, IMO, indisputable fact that America is still the leader and protector of the free world. They think they can do very well for themselves without us now. Therefore they no longer see America's interests as concomitant with their own.

5) Most Europeans are completely enamored of the UN and don't realize that many Americans disdain it as a barking dog with no teeth or the boy who cried "Wolf!" Therefore they don't see that by not following through on 1441 they are simply confirming the belief of many Americans - and beasts like Saddam - that the UN is not to be taken all that seriously.

6) Most Europeans don't know that, if America simply wanted more and cheaper oil from Iraq, we could just have the UN sanctions lifted.

7) Many Europeans are very cynical about the integrity of their own politicians and they look at our leaders through those same, jaded eyes. They don't hold their own politicians to very high moral and ethical standards so they don't seem able to believe we do. This is evident in their skepticism of Colin Powell's presentation at the UN.

Tony Blair's Labour party, for instance, is notorious for its shameless use of spin and it has little credibility with the British public these days. (They have stayed in power largely by being the lesser of two evils, the Tories being seen as even more hypocritical and corrupt.)

8. Many, if not most, Europeans believe that America is so biased in Israel's favor that the U.S. is part of the problem in the Middle East, instead of part of the solution. (Also, the European media disseminates a lot more information about the unsavory activities of the Israeli military in the disputed/occupied territories than the American media does.)

9) Many Europeans don't seem to realize how dangerous chemical and biological weapons are in the hands of men like Saddam. They don't see him as a threat to their security (or anyone else's, except maybe Israel's, whom they don't like anyway). They aren't afraid of him, so they don't want to pay the price of disarming him. They seem to think the Bush administration is simply using scare tactics to raise support for its "imperialist aggression" against Iraq. (Can you say "asleep at the wheel" boys and girls?)

10) Again projecting the cynicism they have about their own politicians onto our leaders, they don't trust Bush at all and believe he is both ignorant and unthinking. They also seem convinced that the U.S. is simply seeking to extend our hegemony in the world. (IMO, they're projecting the motives of their own imperialist histories onto us.)


***What's that about propaganda again?!?!

Re: True or False?
 

I believe that Britain is a part of Europe.

Re: True or False?
 

I don't have time to analyze every point but here are some things off of the top of my head....

That's because of the propaganda that the US media spreads.

We've had terrorism for years and years.... get over it. Actually, you deserved 911. I was willing those towers to fall and they did... but don't get me started on that LOL.

You haven't caught Bin Laden yet, you seemd to have got bored with that now that you don't know where the tarets are. Iraq on the other hand.... there's still sh1t to blow up without looking too hard....

Can't you finish that "war" before starting another one?

Many countries prefer to put priority on their own problems rather than interfering in other places.

So kill first and ask questions later eh?

But being in *control* of the oil would be much more beneficial...

What's Gary Conditt (sp?) up to recently? Maybe he is double teaming a hooker with Bill Clinton.

And the US is perfect? (see previous point)

How much money has the mayor of New York got? Billions?

Only America cares about Isreal. It is your problem. Deal with it.

I'm not afraid of him. He isn't going to come up to me in the street and shoot me. Being afraid is caused by propaganda....

He isn't the sharpest tool in the box.

You know what KRB, look my former landlords in the eye and tell them you are happy that both of their kids are dead.

Look my brother in the eye and tell him that all of his firefighter friends deserved to die.

Look in the face of my student at school, who is now without a father, and tell him you were willing the towers to fall.

You can sit on here and spew your propoganda about us deserving 911. But in fact, you are a coward. How easy it is to post this on a messageboard.

I am not saying that other people around the world don't suffer, but a tragedy like this, regardless of where it has occurred, is not deserved.

I won't debate this issue because that is exactly what you thrive on.

Please save your "You deserve a taste of your own medicine" lecture. I have heard it too many times before, and it is getting old along with a bit boring.

They'll have to get in line behind the families from Afghanistan and Iraq who I wish to speak to about their lost loved ones.

They'll also have to wait behind up to 10% of the inmates in Guantanamo bay who are innocent civilians caught up in the "War On Terrorism", who are being held without being charged with any crime, or classified as prisoners of war. I want to speak to them too...

Guess you didn't read my post thoroughly as I have already answered that. Keep those blinders on KRB....(You are more like the stereotypical "American" than you think)

You you think that too? Great.

Your losing your touch KRB. I am surprised...actually not really.

So you think America desrves to get away murdering and bullying different populations of the world?

READ my post!!! :shock:

Been there, answered that. Can we move on?