America has done far more harm (NON-SENSE!) ...
********** said:
America has done far more to harm the world, as a whole, and you can survey the planet and the majority will agree wholeheartedly, than any other nation, muslim or otherwise.
Whoa! I missed that part!
You can't be serious
Foxelipus?!?!?!
It's true that the US has messed with South America and many other nations, including causing some of our own grief in Afghanistan and other nations.
The Bush Doctrine will be picked apart in this century in the same ways the Monroe Doctrine was as well as Teddy's in the centuries before him.
But to conclude the US has created many, many of these issues?
You MAY blame the greater aspect of Western Imperalism, and I CAN agree there.
But to SOLELY blame the United States for that ENTIRE HISTORY?!?!?!
No sir, you have to consider more than just the last few years my friend.
To not is to be IGNORANT.
That's one thing I love about America -- the SELF-DEBATE, we KNOW we are doing things wrong.
But we do NOT trust the rest of the world to do better.
And NO NATION has a better track record.
Ours is scared, we are the first to admit it.
But ours is also filled with FORGIVENESS and REBUILDING other nations AT OUR EXPENSE!
Iraq is yet another PERFECT EXAMPLE, whether you agree with it or not.
BNF said:
I disagree with that. The idea that America exports harm more than good is ridiculous. There may be a handful of bad men (be it government or business) that have sinister motives - but the world view (as you wrote) would be misinformed by these few. Maybe much the same as the Western view of Islam is skewed by a few bad seeds.
Exactly.
There is an ENTIRE HISTORY of "Crusades" people.
In fact, how the current Iraq War is viewed as a "Crusade" (although W. really fucked up by using that word one time) and the ENTIRE BRITISH IMPERALIST MOVEMENT of the 19th century is NOT -- now that's "Revisionist History" at it's best!
The only reason France doesn't have its major colonies after WWII is because they got their asses kicked out of them.
The British realized they could hold on to them either, but that didn't stop them from fucking up a lot either.
The Dutch and Rowanda, we could go on and on.
In fact, that's the fucking truth right there!
I've heard so much about how the US didn't help Rowanda -- it's the CASE-IN-POINT.
Most Europeans I know want the US to CLEAN UP *THEIR* MESSES!
"America on tap, not America on top."
You canNOT lay the blame on the United States.
In fact, the United States became ONE BIG DAMN THORN IN EUROPE'S SIDE after WWII.
We got tired of the world fucking each other over.
And we DO recognize it HAS BEEN WESTERN IMPERALISM!
We might not be right.
We might not be just.
We're definitely doing way to much in our "own image."
But we ARE the NATION of the TRASH THE REST OF THE WORLD DID NOT WANT!
We are the "image" of ALL THAT WAS LEFT -- FROM ALL NATIONS!
We are a nation built on diversity, overcoming differences and showing even the most DISSEPARATE PEOPLE can COME TOGETHER AS ONE!
BNF said:
I lived there for years and was completed most of my higher education there. For the most part, I learned how to blend and think in an American way. I found America and Americans far more accepting of a foreigner and foreign ways than any other country in which I've lived or travelled.
I've YET to met ANYONE who didn't think that of the United States who have traveled and, especially, lived here.
Now I might just be another biased, ignorant American, and I DO accept that notion.
But 50% of the people I work with are immigrants, and they have NO intention of leaving.
I don't have to even enter a debate when I'm out with them.
They do ALL the debating and it's AMAZING to see the viewpoints I could NEVER have, growing up in the United States.
I thank God everyday that I was born in the US, because of the tolerance of our nation.
A nation of FORGOTTEN, FLAWED PEOPLE who know and use that to the GREATEST of ADVANTAGES.
I was NOT born with a "silver spoon" and grew up withOUT many things.
My wife grew up even poorer than I.
And yet, because of our tolerance, perservence and the love our families, we are proud Americans today.
Not one bit "wealthy," but we were able to accomplish our lives without what I saw so many of my fellow immigrants go through.
Even those who came from families with far more wealth.
People who don't worry about money are the ones who have it.
In fact, I've noted this attitude with several people I've debated with.