Once again, another reason why everyone hates us...

I think a lot of the reason many people hate the US is because it's so god damn powerful. Admit it or not, we pretty much own the world. And, admit it or not, many people's "anti-American politician" views end up being attacks of Americans. Some classics include:

Americans are so stupid. Americans have so much money. Americans are war mongers. Americans bitch too much. Americans are fat. Americans are lazy. Americans are dumb for selecting GWB. GWB=teh sux because I said so. Americans are corporate hungry bastards. Americans are greedy, pompous fools. And so forth.

I honestly do think a lot of people from other countries are just outright jealous.

I'm not just talking about any board, but the "world" in general.

 

I was talking about the general amount of pollution produced by the country - a serious issue considering the size of the US. And it seems the government and certain other people (e.g. te American car industry) don't really care that much, especially with the whole Kyoto argeement thing. Though I'm not blaming everything on the US - Russia and China are also in equally bad positions.

 

Kyuusaku

You're so right about Mexico City. But also Guadalajara and Monterrey are heavily polluted. The capital is being , supposedly, cleaned up, but... man.... the other cities are heavily polluted. Tijuana is horrible, too.

When I visited Florida it was much cleaner, but it was like 10 years ago.

And you're right, the United States are precisely that. A bunch of independent states that have conservative and liberal, white only and multicultural, rich and por states. We shouldn't generalise or anything.

BTW. America is the continent. The US of America are the country.
Mexico, El Salvador, Brazil, and all others are in America, the continent.

(Did you know that, weird cultural fact , Mexico is oficially called "The United States of Mexico"?)

 

Well it's true, we are an industrious country and pollution comes with making stuff. Don't think that we don't care about pollution, we have very high standards, maybe even the highest standards in many cases for pollution. I'm against most consumerism, impulse consumption, useless shit products and people that get another wardrobe every week but it pollution has to be expected when we have X million people driving cars AND we make products for the entire world. I would much rather prefer that we were a selfsufficient and isolated country but I'm not so sure the rest of the world would.

Complain to the Africans about burning down forests because thats where a lot of the carbon dioxide is coming from, entering our atmosphere and destroying our ozone no to mention it's a crime against nature. Complain to India for keeping X million cows whose flatulence releases enourmous amounts of methane. Comeplain to china for burning electronic waste releasing PCBs and contaminating their land. I can go on.

 

If I may have my 2 cents, America is my homeland, a homeland I am NOT proud of, a homeland I am activly trying to change, to become better. I disagree with the current governments motives and courses of action. I'll do what I can to help it, but as a regular citizen, there isn't much I can do but to educate. I think it's horrible Bush wants to convert all countries to a democracy, I think its terrible our administration is sending unwilling people to war in matters that doesn't need to have our involvement, It's not fair to the troops and their friends and their families. Our government is stealing their lives from them. I am Whole heartedly against violence. I am very passive, I agree something had to be done about the world trade center, but a flat out war is inexcusable. The initial problem is eliminated, we're killing off our loved ones. And the sad fact is, most of the people today don't realize this. See:
http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/front/3017116
Even our children think this is the right thing to do. They are giving up the very principal of our freedom. Thats not what this country is founded on, Thats not why we declared our independance. I'm almost ashamed to call this place my home. A place where two men or women can't be legaly be recognized as together. A place that hinders innovation, a place thats against the very reason for forming america. It disgusts me, but I am only one man, I can only do so much and what I do, I do out of love for my fellow man (as in the human race). This is america... this is my home... until I can leave the nest, this will remain my home, and I'll be damned if I'm not trying to do something to make it better. Please understand not all american citizens are like bush, or like me. We're individuals, quite a few of which are trying our hardest to make things better. You won't see us on international news, or read about us in the papers, but we're here... we're trying... we understand... so please... don't hate us...

 

I will admit I'm very confused on the air-pollution comments. My family owns land in East Texas that has about the cleanest air you can get. Hell, I lived in Shizuoka... a small city by Japanese standards, and the air SUCKED!

 

why not concluding this thread by writing:

This world isn't perfect, and never will be. there's crazy people in this world, everywhere from every countries.This wolrd will never be perfect: true, but you can try to shape it to look more like perfection. Stop Talking, Start acting. Think globally, act locally.

No? that was just an idea....

Note to me: I need to remember why i wanted a politic forum here.

;-)

 

Well, If you want to make crazy assumptions like "OMG America's air SUXXORS!", then "OMG Mexico's water SUXXORS!"
Come on, people, enough of the flame war threads. We had a good run, about maybe 2 or 3 months, without a locked political thread. Lets get back on track.

 

somebody's with me

what?! someone is on my side?

:happyhap:

 

Yeah, we have had a dearth of the 'Republix...Hence not too many flamewars.
I know its kinda mean, but its true!

 

That wasn't cool dude. He had a car accident. He is outspoken, true, but give him a break.

 

You didnt have much experience with him. He would argue all the time, and was real stubborn and an America hater as well.

We have had a flamewar dearth though, ever since he had his accident.

I guess I will give him a break, though...

 

I had plenty of experience with him. I've gotten in arguements with him a good many times, over on Dreamcast History.

More experience than yourself, in fact, 'cause I registerd on June 9th '04 over there. ;-)

 

what? idrepublix had a car accident? what arrived to him? i know he was arguing alot and he seemed to love doing so, but i hope he's ok and nothing sad happened. :smt009

i know the thread's going off-topic, but is this a really bad thing? Sorry Gaijin, but it's the truth comrade. no more flame war! :smt083

 

I feel sorry about his accident and all but it is true. There have been fewer flame posts since he's been out of commission.

 

Actually out of the hospital for about two weeks now, thanks.

Still bruised and battered but out all the same. A brush that near with death, you realize you one's part stopping the No Gun Ris, May Lai's , Operation Phoenixes, Sarajevos and Fallujahs et al of history repeating themselves is done through supporting resistance to terror and oppression, and those who support it, both state-sponsored and otherwise with real action, in real life, so to speak, it isn't done debating endlessly here. Collecting games. Eradicating that sort of ignorance and conditioning isn't done on the faceless world of the message board. Hence my absence even after I was well enough to use the internet kiosks (and Mario kart on those lovely Lego-built Nintendo64 custom hospital machines) at hospital.

Nearly losing my own increased my value for my own life and for human life as a whole. The sooner I am out of this wheelchair to do more the better.

Where my head smashed the windshield, knocking me out nad setting off a funny chain of events where the rear mirror then fell off, slicing open my eyelid and doing some lovely damage inside and elsewhere. 'Twas fun. Rest of the car pretty much destroyed. Wear your seatbelts, kids.


On a different note I am thankful to anyone who expressed their concern and sympathy when they heard of my wonderful experience. It did mean a lot, and fortunately (unfortunately for some perhaps) I am alive and non-veggie enough to be able to express my thanks.

 

Not at all. My intentions weren't a flame war... I just linked a story that I found quite disturbing.

No seatbelt huh, idx? Well... I guess reaming you for that now would be pretty stupid. My wife realizes after we get somewhere, "oh, I didn't have my seatbelt on". She's a lot better about it now, but I they have those crash-test dummy commercials in Japan.

 

Yeah GP, no seatbelt. Normally I'm careful about that - especially considering the alignment on that car was pretty fucked and furthermore considering driving conditions in my neck of Canada at this time of year (residential areas a death trap, major roads black ice danger zones). But this time I was on a quick drive to a nearby store to withdraw some cash - and then go check Ghost In The Shell 2 : Innocence at the local indie theatre. Didn't get far; was going left - my right of way - at the first intersection when some overeager nut in a VW rammed into me.

So me go flying into windshield head first -> get knocked out -> even though that didn't cut me apparently, the stupid fucking rearview mirror decides to fall off, crack into bits and send shards into my right eye and forehead -> meanwhile the impact itself sans seatbelt causes major whiplash and back fuck-up -> I wake up with the car 25 feet away from scene of impact with a passerby sticking his helpful head in the window saying ' Holy Fucking Shit'.

Lost the car (only had third party insurance), lost job because of ensuing hospital stay and los sof transportation, lost my chance to see a great anime flick on the silver screen. =( To make it worse my fucking supervisor got pissed that I wasn't able to work anymore for the time being and refuses to pay me the $250 or so outstanding the company owes me. Bastard.

Anwyays back to the seatbelt - ream away GP, I got off easy. It could have easily been much worse - and by that I don't mean death, I mean paralysis. The Crash Test Dummies are my bosom buddies now.

BTW I thought your Canada thread was hilarious.

 

Sorry, I just can't read that with a straight face.

The point is that Bush backed out of pollution treaties and created loopholes in pollution limits for big businesses to exploit. This worries the rest of the world because it isn't just fucking it up for America. Other countries have pollution problems as well, but generally they are trying to make things better, not actively and deliberately making them worse. Does this make me an "America hater"? :-D

 

Wow, I leave town for 2 fricken days and all hell breaks loose :smt043
My point on the pollution et al was brash and a bit out of line, I realise that. Though it has to be seen in the context of the post I was replying to, which stated that the hate for the US is caused by jealousy. IMHO, that but accounts for a part of the anti-American sentiment that has emerged around the world. Mind you, due to my part-American heritage I used to be the one to defend the US in every single discussion on the subject that I partook in, as at one point, I really held the country in admiration (this was like 5 years ago). However, I have found that increasingly hard and now I agree with most criticism people in my neck of the woods have on the US. While some of it is indeed based on some sort of jealousy against the position of the US versus the disorganized rabble that the EU seems in comparison, that is not what the most of it consists of. Rather, most of the time I hear the following:
(PLEASE NOT THAT THESE ARE NOT (NECESSARILY) MY OWN OPINION)

- the US waged war on Iraq for no real reason, ignored the UN, and now they're in trouble they beg other countries to send troops;
- Bush did it for the oil;
- America is hyper-litigious (more often the subject of jokes rather than constructive criticism, which is quite easy as the most ridiculous of US lawsuits always get covered on the news);
- the Kyoto protocol and the fact that Americans drive in huge cars for no apparent reason;
- Bush is stupid and yet he won the election;
- the Freedom Fries thing (I think everyone agrees on that)
- "You're with us or you're against us" rhetoric

And one that deserves further elaboration, is what some call the "coca cola culture", which refers to the spread of American brands and associated lifestyle, with McDonalds being the typical example, but also American music, television tripe like Springer and Friends, Hollywood movies, etc. That in particular saddens me, as I know America also produced great thinkers, scientists, musicians, ideas, movies - BUT that is not exported as much by a long shot. While those things are not exported at gunpoint (of course) there are some EA'ish tactics involved, but mainly, a country's population does not resist this, so it happens. However, what uniformly can be seen as the intelligentsia - or in some exceptions like France - perceives this as a loss, and every now and then I get distopian delusions about all indigenous culture being eradicated by mass-market focus-group multinational drivel.
Also, what we get are pale shadows of the original- we don't get no free refills at McDonalds for instance :angry (comic relief). I could go on about this subject for a few days more, but I can't be arsed.

My original comment mainly referred to the reasons people are *happy* that their countries are not the same as the United States. But I would rather not be mistaken for somebody who would rather see America gone, rather, I do agree with Purge and I too hope to make a change one day. Deep in my heart I love America, but like all countries, it has its rotten spots. And Silverbolt, what the hell is wrong with France? :smt043