Somebody say shoot? *Thumbs hammer back on revolver* if so who are you planning on shooting?!?

America's the new Rome or really it's the new England. Keep the masses blindly loyal to the country (although in the British Empire's case it was more to be blindly loyal to the ruling monarchy) and let the rulers do whatever they want to the rest of the world.
Fact of the matter is America to my mind anyway seems to be going down a similar route to Britain in that they get too big for their boots oppress other nations (which inevitably rebel) and will one day be supplanted by other nations (in Britain's case the US and India). America looks to be supplanted by China ultimately.
Also there is the similarity that Americans suffer while their rulers spend lots of money trying to "civilise" the world when that money could be spent raising the people in the home country to greater heights. Again similarities with Britain. children sweeping chimneys and people starving on the streets of London then one of the richest cities (through financial institutions) in the world, it still is really.
I don't think however that I see a particular biase against Americans in all media outlets in Britain. It depends on which newspapers you read. The Guardian with Liberal party writers may let American foreign policy get their backs uo and insult the country and maybe their right about some things, but ultimately it's just the experience of the jpurnalists themselves and vefore the banking crisis Journalism was the profession least trusted by ordinary Brits :P and really to give the other side if you read the Tabloids or "Red tops" as we call them they will whole heartedly agree with the US for taming the Middle east and taking revenge on any Muslims that get in their way.
Also on the subject mentioned on the difference between the haves and the have-nots in The US? Any Americans reading this may be interested to know that The UK has the worst social/ class mobility of any Nation in Europe

Honestly? I think Europe needs to grow up and stop with the snide America bashing.

...and does this make anyone else think of Hetalia?

that's a very sweeping statement about a continent full of different languages and cultures most if not all of them at least 600yrs older than the continent of America have you ever been anywhere in Europe? But you know I doubt Europeans would "bash" america if it were not seen as warranted and franly most people outside of the US (and a few inside of course) were disgusted by george bush and his dumb ass regime, and the more clever ones realised that they were insulting George bush and co and not America itself.
Plus people aren't exactly pleased that a western recession was caused by America dropping the ball. I'm not saying I agree with these viewpoints exactly but just saying this is the perception some people have. I myself realise that my government at the time spent too much money and borrowed too heavily and now we're kinda screwed, and the more responsible governments like germany are still ok compared to Greece or spain etc.
But all in all I don't hate the US but I wouldn't wanna live there................................ I wanna live in Canada though

The article made sweeping statements about Europe, I simply responded in a similar manner. If you have a problem with sweeping statements, direct your comments toward the article.

And I won't even go into the sweeping statements you made about America just now.

Please do.

I'm pretty sure I made myself clear that I didn't agree with these viewpoints. I was just saying that they are out there. When I say "people" I don't mean myself. I don't really have the time to state in minute detail every single thing I have heard from every news source in or around Europe and I don't think anyone would be bothered to read it all anyway, and if you look for most comments I made about America I backed it up with examples of mistakes that at least my own government in the UK has made.
To make it more equal then I will say that a lot of people in the UK including myself were disgusted by the decision Tony Blair made to go to war with Iraq and how he as Prime Minister lied to the public about the weapons threat Saddam Hussein's Regime posed.
Ie. None
The tosser based his "research" I tell no lie on a paper on the internet published by some kid at secondary school for his A-levels! (equivalent High school in the states).
But is there any point in responding in a similar manner if you think sweeping statements are wrong? Why not try to open the debate a little?
Peace

Ok, to expand on my views:

I think this kind of passive aggressive behavior is immature and if the article was the other way around, say if Americans were the ones being passively aggressive against Europeans... everyone would be all over Americans for being "arrogant". But somehow people think it's OK to behave this way if it's America that's the target. I think we'll never be able to open rational dialog until people grow up and act like rational adults.

But people don't act rational when it comes to politics. Just look at any democrat-republican rally or candidate show on your TV networks to here completely irrational behaviour and language.
In the UK in prime minister question time the ministers all shout at each other across the room in shocking displays of antagonism because they feel so strongly about it.
Politics = life for so many people and ultimately the Europeans may be thinking who's next, will it one day be us? But who knows until I do some quite heavy statistcal surveys of each european country and correlate the date I will never know.
But it seems to me you are saying if people want to have a pop at America they are irrational?
Does it mean that America for instance is being irrational for renaming french fries freedom fries or calling them surrender monkeys etc?
If it makes you feel better as an American as well I can assure you that most Europeans snipe their neighbouring countries far far more than the states.
Are we rational for liking America but irrational for critising its foreign policy??
and lastly tell me do you equate yourself as an individual human being with everything your government does?? I don't equate myself with my home city, England the UK Europe etc cause I ultimately know governments don't give a shit about me just as yours doesn't give a shit about you.
Don't equate europeans disliking what your government gets up to with diskliking you and you'll be ok

Peace

I think it's irrational if ANYONE wants to "have a pop" at ANYONE. America has issues but we're not Nazi Germany or Ancient Rome, not even close.

of course you're like ancient Rome your men don't wear skirts and you're more technologically advanced. I admit putting that in a previous post before anyone shoves that down my throat with prodigious use of the F-word. I've rethought that and apologise.
HOWEVER your entire political debate system is FULL of people having more than "a pop" at someone complete and utter character assasination is involved in a lot of cases.
So I'll ask you this then (and I'm aware I'm asking for the second time) is it ok within your own borders? and if it is ok as a microcosm within America why not accept it's being ok as a macrocosm within the rest of the world as it's all learned behaviour at the end of the day.

I really don't understand your argument... Are you suggesting that it's OK to be passive aggressive if the other party is passive aggressive first?

nooooooooo for gods sake NO!

basically it's like this if you think it's ok for your country to do don't say it's wrong for another country to do it. At the end of the day it's a freedom of speech issue.
I'm completely bored of this now though because you wont answer any questions you just keep going on about being passive aggressive and just keep relating it to an America versus the world issue rather than something that happens within as well as without America.
I think you do understand my argument really you're just choosing to be obstinate so I'll wish you goodday

Peace!

"Damn Europe always invading countries and helping right-wing military dictatorships..."

Yeah, that makes a lot of sense.

Oh please. There isn't a country in Europe that doesn't have a bloody history for people to delve into as ammunition. England was an imperialistic nightmare, France's revolution was a gore-fest, and then there's Germany's Nazi shenanigans. I could go on and share all the BS the smaller countries got into but that would take ages. Point is, Europe has no legs to stand on when it comes to pointing a finger of blame at America.

Who said that I think it's OK? I've said, repeatedly, that this sort of behavior is wrong for everyone. Everyone. Everyone. EV-ER-Y-ONE. Am I speaking Greek here?

You have to be trolling me so I'll respond to your "good day" with one in return.

Because.... the fact that they WERE totally justifies the way that we ARE?

Now I'm not a European but as an Australian I have to agree with the view of America as a dying giant, especially when its constantly used as an example of how such an incredibly wealthy country can still suffer such extremes of poverty. Then again the Roman empire had ups and downs for hundreds of years, nothing to say America wont get back on its feet, but I imagine it will take some hard work to stop the rot.

Also just reading more of the other posts I have to say Its perfectly normal to want to defend you homeland but you have to take some of these comments with a grain of salt.
No country is perfect and all have their problems, the US certainly does, as does Australia. Until you can accept that there are problems and talk about them you will never be able to move towards attempting to fix them. What I'm saying is I don't think most of these posts are personal attacks on the North American people, but rather attempts to highlight the problems that the US currently suffers and in doing so open dialogue on them. There has to be a reason that many Europeans look down at the US, and its not all arrogance, therefore perhaps look to the solution, not just attempt to defend against all possible allegations.

This reads like Youtube comments.

When did I say that? Please provide the exact quote because what I actually said was that Europeans don't have a right to point fingers, not that America is justified for any sort of wrongdoing. It's a fine distinction but not so fine that it's not there for eyes to see.

Where's vin with those shoes? They are needed.

Let me break it down, what Alan was trying to point out is..


Europeans did their wrongdoings when they weren't "civilized" enough to understand the equality among humans.

Americans, however, were fully aware of it when they did their wrongdoing.



I think committing a crime when you don't fully understand the consequences is less guilty than commiting a crime you fully understand the consequences.

It's like having a guy who accidently cooks a meal in the wrong way that people die, and compare him to a serial killer.