And the Strongest Ally Award Goes to...

[Louis VI the Fat]

Barack Obama calls France America's strongest ally.

The Obama administration is not known (http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/nilegardiner/100027838/barack-obama%E2%80%99s-top-10-insults-against-britain/)for its pro-British track record, but this is by far the strongest indication yet that the current White House has little regard for the Special Relationship and its unique role in modern American history. At a White House photo opportunity with French President Nicolas Sarkozy today, recorded by C-Span (view the video at 2:45 for the remark), President Obama had this to say (http://www.c-span.org/Events/President-Obama-meets-with-French-President/10737418775-1/):
“We don’t have a stronger friend and stronger ally than Nicolas Sarkozy, and the French people.”
Quite what the French have done to merit this kind of high praise from the US president is difficult to fathom, and if the White House means what it says this represents an extraordinary sea change in US foreign policy. Nicolas Sarkozy is a distinctly more pro-American president than any of his predecessors, and has been an important ally over issues such as Iran and the War on Terror. But to suggest that Paris and not London is Washington’s strongest partner is simply ludicrous. And rather hypocritical after it was recently revealed that the US Ambassador to France had described Sarkozy (http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/nov/30/nicolas-sarkozy-personality-embassy-cables)as “thin-skinned and authoritarian”.


The French president himself is no doubt bemused by President Obama’s warm embrace, not least after making clear his own less than flattering views of his US counterpart in the past. As The Times reported (http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/europe/article6106250.ece)in the early months of the Obama presidency, Sarkozy clearly sees Obama as lacking experience and suffering from delusions of grandeur.
On the US President, Mr Sarkozy said: “Obama has a subtle mind, very clever and very charismatic. But he was elected two months ago and had never run a ministry. There are a certain number of things on which he has no position. And he is not always up to standard on decision-making and efficiency.”
In another swipe at the American leader, Mr Sarkozy was quoted… making a dubious joke about the Obamania sweeping the European media. According to L’Express news magazine, Mr Sarkozy talked to another set of visitors about Mr Obama’s planned visit to the Normandy beaches in June, Mr Sarkozy said: “I am going to ask him to walk on the Channel and he’ll do it, you’ll see.”
There is of course no comparison between the extremely close-knit relationship between the United States and Great Britain, from defence and intelligence ties to economic investment and cultural exchange. It is an alliance forged over the course of 70 years, from the beaches of Normandy to the battlefields of Afghanistan. Today in the war against the Taliban there are more than 10,000 British troops fighting alongside their US allies, compared to 3,850 Frenchmen. Nearly 350 British soldiers (http://icasualties.org/oef/)have laid down their lives in Afghanistan in contrast to French losses of 53 (http://icasualties.org/oef/).
These kinds of presidential statements matter. No US president in modern times has described France as America’s closest ally, and such a remark is not only factually wrong but also insulting to Britain, not least coming just a few years after the French famously knifed Washington in the back over the war in Iraq.


Perhaps the White House would like to confirm that this is what the President of the United States firmly believes, or clarify the comments? Either way, this latest remark from Barack Obama will only further strengthen the impression of a president who is both woefully out of his depth on the world stage, as well as contemptuous of traditional friends and alliances.
Twisted knickers: http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/nilegardiner/100071241/barack-obama-france-is-americas-strongest-ally-the-president-gives-britain-the-boot-again/

[Louis VI the Fat]

https://img199.imageshack.us/img199/4549/43581258.jpg

A revolutionary hero, for centuries a republican inspiration for all Frenchmen, proudly domineering five prestigious avenues in the heart of Paris: George Washington.




https://img714.imageshack.us/img714/3659/southafricagoalies640x4.jpg



Robert Greene, the United Kingdom football team goalkeeper, left humiliated. Kneeling before his Yank overlords, who defeated him 1-1. On the left the UK left winger (=socialist) Brian Giggs.

[The Stranger]

isnt that lampard?

[Louis VI the Fat]

Nah, pretty sure it's Brian Giggs. Or maybe Raul Ferdinand.

[drone]

https://img714.imageshack.us/img714/3659/southafricagoalies640x4.jpg
June 12, 2010 - The adhān comes at an unfortunate time for the English national team. ~D

[HoreTore]

Brian Giggs is welsh, Rio Ferdinand is of african ancestry, that man is John Terry and Louis wins the prize for "Best Forum Troll of 2011" for that feat.

Edit: And Robert Green is named "Green", without the e.

Edit2: And I still don't know why I'm talking Louis' deliberately playing dumb to make some point seriously....

Edit3: oh my gawd.... I just realized I wrote "Brian" instead of Ryan. Curse you Louis!!!

Edit4: Ryan Giggs was my first ever football hero. He was the first one I learned the name of. The first name I had on my shirt. The last name I had on a shirt. This relationship, this idolation, my role model, is now desecrated. I feel like crying. I feel violated and dirty. May you rot in the lowwest level of Hell, Louis, there is no earthly punishment hqrd enough for this.

[gaelic cowboy]

Thats John Terry (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Terry)

Mr Terry is the most French guy on that English team seeing as he likes to go all French with his partners.

therefore Terry = Socialist

[Rhyfelwyr]

Nah Terry and his Chelsea crew are neo-Nazis, everyone knows Chelsea are the far-right team in England. They have a big connection with Rangers are their far-right crew in that sense.

You'll often see Rangers/Chelsea/Linfield (Norn Iron team) badges displayed together on matches at each of their grounds, each in different corners of either a St. Georges' Cross or the Ulster Banner.

[Greyblades]

Uh guys america's president is making an arse of himself and you're debating over the identity of a poxy footballer?

[Rhyfelwyr]

Uh guys america's president is making an arse of himself

racist

[Beskar]

Another reason to pull out of the 'Special Relationship, and simply another demonstration that the US has no respect in regards to the Sovereignty of the United Kingdom.

[gaelic cowboy]

Another reason to pull out of the 'Special Relationship, and simply another demonstration that the US has no respect in regards to the Sovereignty of the United Kingdom.

:laugh: shades of the Skibbereen Eagle

[The Stranger]

eh terry... thats who i meant. both chelsea players hence the mixup XD

[PanzerJaeger]

Uh guys america's president is making an arse of himself and you're debating over the identity of a poxy footballer?

Don't worry, this kind of aggrandizement is just an Obama thing. Everything is a "top priority", the "first x" or the "greatest y". Next time he's doing a presser with Cameron the relationship will not only be reaffirmed, but the two countries will be closer than they ever have!

[The Stranger]

the article is a bit biased though... but has a point.

though im not sure if wether stronger friend is a subsitute for better or closer friend. though in terms of strength perhaps germany would take the lead.

[Yoyoma1910]

They did sell the U.S. a giant block of land and my ancestors for dirt cheep, and Americans are really proud of their consumerist nature...

[gaelic cowboy]

Don't worry, this kind of aggrandizement is just an American Presidential thing. Everything is a "top priority", the "first x" or the "greatest y". Next time he's doing a presser with Whoever the relationship will not only be reaffirmed, but the two countries will be closer than they ever have!

fixed it for you

[Centurion1]

hey i appreciate britian and the block of allied commonwealths who come with her. (canada, australia, the list goes on and on.)

yeah obama sounds stupid. The french are no ones friends but their own. no offense louis but they still think they are the center of the world...... id take britian over france any day at least they have proved to us they will give their damndnest and really commit to helping us. some people remember old favors....... god bless the queen

[a completely inoffensive name]

I don't see why we are still sitting around talking as if it is 1800 all over again and we must choose either France or England. Friendships wax and wane, same goes for countries. England has been with us through thick and thin for the past 10+ years and they still are, just preoccupied with their own budget problems at the moment. Our relationship was weakened with France because they disagreed with our foreign policy, it doesn't mean that they are not still our ally. You don't have to sign an aggression pact in order to be allies. Now Obama is repairing our relationship with them because it should be repaired after all of us Americans acted like little children about France. Freedom fries? Really? Talk about pettiness. I'm glad he is strengthening our ties.

[Centurion1]

acin is right of course...... no reason you cant be allied with both france and britian. it is just sort of silly to attach value to allyhood (not a word i know) though lets all be honest britian and america are certainly good allies compared to france and america. the support britian has given america in the war is quite laudable.

[Lemur]

Britain should become the 51st state and stop lurking in our doorway, kicking its feet while looking all bashful and shy. Enough already. We'll take good care of you, Brits. You'll be almost as important as California or Texas.

[ajaxfetish]

We don’t have a stronger friend and stronger ally than Nicolas Sarkozy, and the French people
Well, technically, that doesn't necessarily mean that France is our strongest ally. If we had other friends/allies of equal strength, there'd still be none stronger than the French, yet neither would the French be stronger than those others. Of course, the whole thing sounds like fairly empty political rhetoric anyhow.

Ajax

[Tellos Athenaios]

Britain should become the 51st state and stop lurking in our doorway, kicking its feet while looking all bashful and shy. Enough already. We'll take good care of you, Brits. You'll be almost as important as California or Texas.

Almost? Why, the USA will simply be reverting to the days of the colonies when England still paid for the cost of war.

[Furunculus]

Another reason to pull out of the 'Special Relationship, and simply another demonstration that the US has no respect in regards to the Sovereignty of the United Kingdom.

^ someone who has no idea what the sr REALLY is ^

it is a technology and intelligence sharing relationship without parallel in the rest of the world, where a junior partner gets wide access to material that it would cost a stupendous fortune to replicate on its own.

that fact that the "0" man is being a bit of a knob doesn't really come into it.

[InsaneApache]

Britain should become the 51st state and stop lurking in our doorway, kicking its feet while looking all bashful and shy. Enough already. We'll take good care of you, Brits. You'll be almost as important as California or Texas.

It also has the laudable effect of ensuring that under your electoral system every POTUS will in future be a brit . That'll show those Frenchies a thing or two.

Did you know that the bounders can't even play cricket? :inquisitive:

Great post Louis BTW. :2thumbsup:

[rory_20_uk]

There's no need to flatter the UK as we're already obsessed with making the US happy. France is intransigent and self absorbed and so are likely to respond to flattery in the short term. And flattery is free after all.

~:smoking:

[Justiciar]

France is pretty bloody awesome, though.

[rory_20_uk]

France is pretty bloody awesome, though.

Yeah. Shame about the French...

~:smoking:

[Greyblades]

racist

I'm not racist, black, white, yellow or green I hate them all equally, there's no prejudice in it.

[Louis VI the Fat]

Yeah. Shame about the French...

~:smoking:



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GmtKJN-XTKc&feature=related




https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ui4YT_VROJg

[Fisherking]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GmtKJN-XTKc&feature=related




https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ui4YT_VROJg

Are they practicing to work on nuclear reactors, or what?

Nah, right it is a game show...while you show the advantages of alliance with Frenchwomen I remain unconvinced about Frenchmen.

Political rhetoric aside, France has always been a good ally, except for the times they weren’t.

[Strike For The South]

I was trailblazing this alliance when everyone was still on about freedom fries

ROAYLTIES DAMNIT

[Askthepizzaguy]

I don't see why we are still sitting around talking as if it is 1800 all over again and we must choose either France or England. Friendships wax and wane, same goes for countries. England has been with us through thick and thin for the past 10+ years and they still are, just preoccupied with their own budget problems at the moment. Our relationship was weakened with France because they disagreed with our foreign policy, it doesn't mean that they are not still our ally. You don't have to sign an aggression pact in order to be allies. Now Obama is repairing our relationship with them because it should be repaired after all of us Americans acted like little children about France. Freedom fries? Really? Talk about pettiness. I'm glad he is strengthening our ties.

Indeed.

This isn't a zero sum game where only England gets to be the recipient of American love.

Frankly we should treat every single nation on Earth this way, provided they aren't terrorizing other countries. I think America could do a lot with its standing in the world if it acted like a gentleman, and not such an ass sometimes.

All that money we give to foreign countries and charities is nice, but it's almost offset by the fact that there's no shortage of people who insist that the American way is the only way, the superior way, the best way, and who the heck are those other countries anyway, and who cares.

It's not like nice words even have a negative effect. Are we giving away billions of dollars by being nice? Are we disarming? Are we surrendering and going home? Are we begging the terrorists for mercy? No.... it's called being nice. Maybe we should do it more often. Maybe we shouldn't just presume on our friendship with the French that they will act like a puppet state. That's insulting.

[Centurion1]

im quite content with americas standing in the world and legitimately dont give a damn what some punks in argentina or sweden think of me. We have done a lot of good for the world even in the last ten years but we are never ever thasnked for it. America is the worlds punching bag so im going to at least present a middle finger to the world while im being hit.

[Strike For The South]

im quite content with americas standing in the world and legitimately dont give a damn what some punks in argentina or sweden think of me. We have done a lot of good for the world even in the last ten years but we are never ever thasnked for it. America is the worlds punching bag so im going to at least present a middle finger to the world while im being hit.

How to make friends and influence people

[HoreTore]

im quite content with americas standing in the world and legitimately dont give a damn what some punks in argentina or sweden think of me. We have done a lot of good for the world even in the last ten years but we are never ever thasnked for it. America is the worlds punching bag so im going to at least present a middle finger to the world while im being hit.

Plenty of countries do a lot of good to the world all the time, is anyone of them "thanked"?

Nope. But one does such things because they are just, not for recognition.

[Askthepizzaguy]

im quite content with americas standing in the world and legitimately dont give a damn what some punks in argentina or sweden think of me. We have done a lot of good for the world even in the last ten years but we are never ever thasnked for it. America is the worlds punching bag so im going to at least present a middle finger to the world while im being hit.

A lot of good, and we've also made a lot of errors. I don't think the reasons for war with Iraq were considered very legitimate, and the civilian casualties are very real and hard to forgive.

Viewing the world from a USA-centric viewpoint may feel patriotic, but alienating other nations doesn't really help America.

This feels like a rich, popular girl in high school whining that after being elected class president and after selling cookies to raise money for the soccer team, not everyone in school likes her. Just because she totally trashed the reputation of someone else and wrote horrible things on her locker, I mean like who cares.

Only conceited people really think America has done no wrong. And if we don't care what others think of us, it's kind of hard to blame them if they don't want to go to war every time we do.

[Centurion1]

are those countries used as the worlds punching bag? i dont see people lining up to bash norway all day long. of course a side effect of being a superpower interested in foreign affairs but that makes it no less annoying.


How to make friends and influence people

allies do not have to be your friends.


A lot of good, and we've also made a lot of errors. I don't think the reasons for war with Iraq were considered very legitimate, and the civilian casualties are very real and hard to forgive.

Viewing the world from a USA-centric viewpoint may feel patriotic, but alienating other nations doesn't really help America.

This feels like a rich, popular girl in high school whining that after being elected class president and after selling cookies to raise money for the soccer team, not everyone in school likes her. Just because she totally trashed the reputation of someone else and wrote horrible things on her locker, I mean like who cares.

Only conceited people really think America has done no wrong. And if we don't care what others think of us, it's kind of hard to blame them if they don't want to go to war every time we do.

im not asking them to go to war with me. legitimately their necessity in our current conflicts is....... questionable though certain nations have been of immense help. Yeah america has done terrible things as well as good things and sure you can talk about how questionable the incursion into iraq and Afghanistan were but it gets tiresome to hear all the double talk. friends when they want our money and hostile when they dont.

to carry the high school metaphor, its like being the otherwise girl who gets the new "thing" or something. Everyone wants to be her friend until something else comes out and she isnt top dog again.

The world is a pack of hyenas and i dont intend on grinning while they devour me alive.

[Strike For The South]

Comparing a global hegemon to a girl with 34DDs and a wild animal is really a disservice to that global hegemon

[Askthepizzaguy]

Comparing a global hegemon to a girl with 34DDs and a wild animal is really a disservice to that global hegemon

Figurative speech isn't meant to make literal sense; they aren't direct comparisons, but showing similarities in vastly different situations.

[Strike For The South]

Figurative speech isn't meant to make literal sense; they aren't direct comparisons, but showing similarities in vastly different situations.

Global realtions can't be compared with such things though because you lose so much of the subtle nuance of diplomacy. The other countries are not jelaous of us because of ANY of the reasons why the other kids are jelaous of the girl.

Painting it in such simple terms no doubt will lead to frustration

[Centurion1]

and large breasts really had nothing to do with either.

Edit: jealousy also has nothing to do with this

[Centurion1]

jealousy is also not at play here.

Edit: delete ill just edit into last post

[drone]

And why shouldn't France be our "strongest ally"? They tried to keep us out of Iraq, giving us good advice and sticking to their guns to let us know we were wrong. Not like those sycophantic enablers, the Brits... :mellow:

[HoreTore]

Why indeed?

There's a lot of talk of the founding fathers these days. Who influenced them? Who did they influence? Who was their ideological brothers in arms? It certainly wasn't the British monarchist; no, it was the French revolutionary.

Frqnce and the US have shared a common philosophy and a common goal ever since. That France is USA's spritual brother is beyond doubt.

England is nothing more than USA's bullied little brother. France is USA's soulmate.

[rory_20_uk]

They were influenced by the French Revolution, not the French. Nice to have one's Hero a thousand miles away and several months cruise.

They may have had a schoolboy crush on some ideals from afar, but they were British.

~:smoking:

[HoreTore]

British by flesh, French in spirit.

Like the young lad who moves to the big city to escape his abusive parent and realize his intellectual potential, the US moved away from its British roots and was saved by the warm embrace of French philosophy and culture.

[rory_20_uk]

Ah yes. The clear separation between church and state, the widespread Catholicism, good food, good wine...

~:smoking:

[HoreTore]

Yes.

The complete lack of a state church, the lack of a hereditary dictatorship, the democratic ideals, the multiple religious groupings...

[rory_20_uk]

They gave up segregation in the 1950's.
They've just had a black President, yet no chance of having an Atheist one.
Britain has had multiple religious groupings for easily as long as America was.
Hereditary Dictatorship... France has had one a lot more recently than the UK has.

~:smoking:

[Greyblades]

...You do realise our "dictators" couldnt actually do anything that our parliment, a democracy by the way, didn't aprove of?

[Centurion1]

british law is apparent in america. we are anglo saxon in our founding and share much more with the islanders than the french.

its all rather muddled in america however because of the plethora of cultures and lifestyles.

[Shaka_Khan]

They did sell the U.S. a giant block of land and my ancestors for dirt cheep, and Americans are really proud of their consumerist nature...
The money was used to help Napoleon so it helped both ways.

[a completely inoffensive name]

The Founding Father's liked some ideals, the French also liked those same ideals. That was really as far as it went. There was admiration by some individuals towards France like Jefferson, but there was divisions among the Founding Fathers regarding the French Revolution and it's goals. Hence, why there was split between choosing France and choosing England in the first place.

[PershsNhpios]

France? The strongest ally?

This calls for a cheap immitation of Tribesman:


:laugh4::laugh4::laugh4::laugh4::laugh4::laugh4::laugh4::laugh4::laugh4::laugh4::laugh4::laugh4::lau gh4:

America can have it! We all know why the road to Paris is lined with trees.

[Husar]

What are you people talking about? We are jealous of America?
Are you so completely detached from the world that you think Europe hates America?
I know like 5 people who have been or are in America now and I'm one of the jealous ones who wants to go, too.
Europe views America as the white knight in shining armour that saves the world from the evil of communism.
It's only because America (see? that's also hubris because you don't really mean Canada but the USA) doesn't live up to it and too often it shows through that America only cares about itself while claiming that it cares about justice that Europeans are angry at America.
If we truly hated America we wouldn't have all kinds of american brands, prefer american movies over our own ones etc. etc.
There are some who may truly hate America but I'd say they're a minority, perhaps a loud one, or perhaps you just never notice that because you don't even know where Europe is. ~;)

By the way, so many Americans give their location as "Vancouver, BC" or "Darlington, SC" which strongly appears to me that they either assume that USA is a given, as though everyone on the internet had to be from the USA anyway or else they don't count. If that's really how many Americans see the internet, it's no surprise that they are shocked and appalled when they nottice that there is a world outside America, where people give their location as "Hamburg, GER" for example, which also has access to the internet and doesn't worship America, willing to do everything it demands. Unwilling to see the internet as American-exclusive territory as well.

[Vladimir]

On the location thing remember that technically, each state is a, well, state. Just as Germany is a part of Europe, South Carolina is part of the United States. That's centuries old cultural tradition.

We're also somewhat isolationist in our culture and outlook. That affects our perceptions of the world. Most (U.S) Americans want to visit Europe, but things are more comfy and more affordable here.

Now, the Obamer thing: I have no idea why he despises the British so much. It's almost a personal vendetta and not an organized policy.

[Fisherking]

A lot of the problem can be attributed to the news media.

Americans get little substantive news from Europe and European news coverage of America usually leads to bigger misunderstandings.

The result:
Americans now little about Europe beyond a few facts and Europeans think they know America but only have a slanted view.

Canada has a clearer picture of both because for the most part both places ignore them.

[HoreTore]

European news coverage of America usually leads to bigger misunderstandings.

How?

[Fisherking]

That can’t be summed up quite so easy.

Lemur and Rabbit are both Americans, and they may actually agree on more points than they disagree on. Sometimes their differences point up the similarities.

Most Europeans find it hard to understand why there are Republican when they must be clearly evil, but it is not that simple. Most likely they vote that way because they think it is the lesser of two evils.

When in actual fact they are both pretty much a wash.

How would you sum up the worlds misconceptions about Norway?

[HoreTore]

Misconceptions? i wuld be more surprised if anyone has actually heard about us....

Anyway, it was a genuine question, not a sarcastic remark or anything like that. It would be interesting to hear an americans view of how he believes european media coverage of america is... Of course, I have no personal knowledge of the coverage outside Norway, I have no idea what the media further down the continent says.

[Fisherking]

Misconceptions? i wuld be more surprised if anyone has actually heard about us....

Anyway, it was a genuine question, not a sarcastic remark or anything like that. It would be interesting to hear an americans view of how he believes european media coverage of america is... Of course, I have no personal knowledge of the coverage outside Norway, I have no idea what the media further down the continent says.

I wasn’t trying to treat it flippantly but it is seriously complex. Events are covered from different points of view. You seldom see both sides of an issue. Same old thing you hear about American media only covering from a left stand point except it is more complex than that.

Here in Germany at times you get a more conservative view but the other side is still lacking.

You could also draw the conclusion that conservative whacked out churches are all you find and that is not so either. They just make a great deal of noise at times.

People there are often concerned about issues we generally don’t hear about, except maybe here in the back room.

And as you can see Americans tend to have a limited view of the world. That is not necessarily their fault directly but more a product of the insulation of their media.

[HoreTore]

But is this particular to America?

Or is it how foreign nations are usually covered? Examples:

Does our media coverage reflect the massive support in Chna for the communist party? Or the overwhelming Russian support for Putin? Have we seen many stories about the positive sides of those two regimes? There is a reason for their massive support, and it aint all fear...

What about the Balkans? The main western covage of the conflict is that the Russian-backed Serbs are Satans little helpers, and that they are the eternal evil while everyone else is a victim. How accurate is that view?

What about the European extreme right? Seen any other viewpoints than the usual negative one?

What about all the postives in Africa? 90% of the news from Africa are about negative subjects like wars, starvation, aids and poverty. Yet most of the continent is moving in the right direction, why isn't this reflected in the media coverage?

Etc, etc

[Fisherking]

Still it has wider coverage in Europe than in America. I doubt if many of them hear anything on African immigration or anything but Mexican immigrants for that matter.

However I do have to agree with some of your points. Just because some of us are aware of the issues it doesn’t go for most of the population.

[Brenus]

“our media coverage” It is only Media Coverage, not only; Media are in fact followers or their Societies prejudices. Or what their owner told them to sell in order to make money, or to facilitate an election of their favourite etc…
E.g. not too far: We all know why the road to Paris is lined with trees. (by the way it was to stop the peasants to bite on and cultivate little bit by little bit the road)...
Not Glenn’s fault as such, he just repeats what he was told by media turned in propaganda machine…
And the usual intellectual laziness, the lack of interest in real information and the attraction of a good joke and you just insulted without really knowing 90.000 brave French soldiers dead in fighting the Germans in may and June 1940.
And the fact that he doesn’t know any French means it is not really offensive to someone important for him…

It is difficult to know who start what. If the media didn’t sold what we are interested, they won’t publish or broadcast the result of these prejudices.
But they exacerbate the prejudices. That is true for the un-employed, all presented as leeches, all immigrants as illegal or coming just to exploit the system that of course is the envy of the World, and I can carry on for pages.

So, if somebody makes a comment that contradicts the main stream, that just illuminates as a flash the usual picture.

[a completely inoffensive name]

What are you people talking about? We are jealous of America?
Are you so completely detached from the world that you think Europe hates America?
I know like 5 people who have been or are in America now and I'm one of the jealous ones who wants to go, too.
Europe views America as the white knight in shining armour that saves the world from the evil of communism.
It's only because America (see? that's also hubris because you don't really mean Canada but the USA) doesn't live up to it and too often it shows through that America only cares about itself while claiming that it cares about justice that Europeans are angry at America.
If we truly hated America we wouldn't have all kinds of american brands, prefer american movies over our own ones etc. etc.
There are some who may truly hate America but I'd say they're a minority, perhaps a loud one, or perhaps you just never notice that because you don't even know where Europe is. ~;)

By the way, so many Americans give their location as "Vancouver, BC" or "Darlington, SC" which strongly appears to me that they either assume that USA is a given, as though everyone on the internet had to be from the USA anyway or else they don't count. If that's really how many Americans see the internet, it's no surprise that they are shocked and appalled when they nottice that there is a world outside America, where people give their location as "Hamburg, GER" for example, which also has access to the internet and doesn't worship America, willing to do everything it demands. Unwilling to see the internet as American-exclusive territory as well.

Wait, I understood what you were saying until you said that American's give their location as "Vancouver, BC". Why would an American put his location as a Canadian city?

[PershsNhpios]

Laaa fleur que tu m'avais jetée dans ma prison m'était restée! Fletrie et seche! Cette fleur... gardait toujours... sa douce odeur...

Did you mix sour milk with your porridge this morning Brenus?

[rory_20_uk]

People rarely want "news", the want "olds". People access news that panders to what they already think, and so is portrayed in a certain light. A GP friend of mine mentioned he makes it a point to read the Daily Mail every day. He said he knew what he thought, and he was more interested in knowing what his patients thought.

The Internet does make it easier to access a wider variety of information, but most people (myself included are inherently lazy).

~:smoking:

[Brenus]

“Did you mix sour milk with your porridge this morning Brenus?”
No. If I had, the answer would be more, err, robust.

No, I just took your joke and put it as example for the media not been the only one to blame for prejudices and prefabricated idea.
I don’t see how the US media would have been able to launch this past hate campaign against the French without a shared prejudice against the French. And this is valid in UK as well.
This is due to a reading of history and the propagation of it in the common culture.

Try to say to an English that they didn’t won in Waterloo but it was Blucher, or that Trafalgar didn’t save England because the Grande Armée was not any more in Calais when it happened…

Try to say to a French that perhaps Joan of Arc wasn’t who she is said to be…

[Centurion1]

i was being flippant to an extent gentlemen......

[Greyblades]

Try to say to an English that they didn't won in Waterloo but it was Blucher, or that Trafalgar didn't save England because the Grande Armée was not any more in Calais when it happened.
Uh, actually Trafalgar isn't important to us because it saved England(which it didn't; it was a french attempt to end the blockade we had on them); it proved that we had a superior navy to both the spanish and the french.


Try to say to a French that perhaps Joan of Arc wasn't who she is said to be.
A woman who entered into medieval politics who ended up burned at the stake for her troubles and was glorified well beyond her actions to serve as an inspiration to french morale?

[Brenus]

"Uh, actually Trafalgar isn't important to us because it saved England" Yeap, but if you listen popular Radio Stations at each anniversary of Trafalgar you will heard that without it "we" (means you) would speak French...

[Brenus]

People rarely want "news", the want "olds". You do read Terry Pratchett, don'y you?

[rory_20_uk]

Of course. Vetinari talking to Mr De Worde...

"The truth will make you fret"

~:smoking:

[Greyblades]

"Uh, actually Trafalgar isn't important to us because it saved England" Yeap, but if you listen popular Radio Stations at each anniversary of Trafalgar you will heard that without it "we" (means you) would speak French...

Hrm, that seems pretty misinformed. Truthfully, I dont think even the spanish, portugese and italians would be speaking french if they won, worst case scenario would be that napoleon would have had afew months breathing room while the rest of the British fleet was recalled from the colonies.

[Subotan]

"The French from time to time put forward requests which are all out of proportion of their strength and have in certain cases ... shown unreasonable suspicions of American aims and motives" - US Secretary of State Stettinius, 1945

Gosh. What a change, eh?