Are you patriotic enough too ...

[*Lazer*]

Although there are many positives about my country there are some things which are an embarassment. One being the
excessive pandering to the idea of "beautiful" people. It is embarassing and trivial to be so obsessed with the perfect smile or hair or body. Going by our average tv ads we are all phobic about hair, bad breath and the need to be douched daily. I am embarassed that most schools celebrate football more then scholastic achievement. I am embarassed that as one of the richest nations of the world we still have children living on the street, hungery and homeless. I am embarassed that most people will spend more on their pets then on helping the needy. I am horrified that people allow children to observe them cheating at taxes which is stealing and lying. They think nothing of yelling at service people and being rude and abusive in the presence of kids. These are the same people who wonder where their kids get these ugly traits. I am embarassed by the racism in this country.

There are many wonderful things about this country too. I just wish we could find it within ourselves to put aside the superficial and focus on the future of this country. The kids and their need to be able to make intelligent thoughtful decisions. I just wish we had more examples of integrity for them.

 

[sexy-girl]

I can't name the English first XI. But I reckon that there are many cricket fans in Pakistan who can.

Do they get shipped in as I get shipped out?

I'm always pointing out the failings of my government, here and IRL. I have my own sensibilities and I know how I would like policy to go. On the matter of the British anti-terrorism legislation, I am dubious about the new police powers of imprisonment without trial. I would prefer detainment for a certain (short) duration, providing that a reasonable case can be made against the person involved, which is broadly speaking what has already been in place for other comparable cases.

And the quality of being British is merely where our home is. British culture has been a melting pot since before the Romans came to these shores. Even the Victorians acknowledged and cherished their mixed heritage.

As a nation we must be careful about what restrictions are put in place as it will affect the very nature of what it is to be British.

A postscipt for the Americans. I know that the term has been used, but ask yourselves: How can anyone be un-American? Aren't freedom and freespeech at the heart of your national identity?

i agree with you completley ... and totally true what you said about naming the cricket XI thats just stupid

 

[alltherage]

I have problems with the influence of money in our politics, the lack of integrety that causes in out elected officials gets worse with each passing year.

I have problems with the level of racism, sexual bias, and ethnic hatred which goes unaddressed by government.

The makeup of the present supreme court turms my stomach to mush.

The fact that my government is adhoc in all things actually gives me comfort. If they ever really develope a plan and are able to stick to it over the long haul i think we are all in trouble. Thank god for incompetence and shortsightedness.

 

[alexander tzara]

Although there are many positives about my country there are some things which are an embarassment. One being the
excessive pandering to the idea of "beautiful" people. It is embarassing and trivial to be so obsessed with the perfect smile or hair or body. Going by our average tv ads we are all phobic about hair, bad breath and the need to be douched daily. I am embarassed that most schools celebrate football more then scholastic achievement. I am embarassed that as one of the richest nations of the world we still have children living on the street, hungery and homeless. I am embarassed that most people will spend more on their pets then on helping the needy. I am horrified that people allow children to observe them cheating at taxes which is stealing and lying. They think nothing of yelling at service people and being rude and abusive in the presence of kids. These are the same people who wonder where their kids get these ugly traits. I am embarassed by the racism in this country.

There are many wonderful things about this country too. I just wish we could find it within ourselves to put aside the superficial and focus on the future of this country. The kids and their need to be able to make intelligent thoughtful decisions. I just wish we had more examples of integrity for them.

See. Looks like those feisty Mid-Westerners are tough enough to take Alexander's Festive Challenge. What about some of you US coast-dwellers, Southerners, Canadians, Englanders, Aussies, Mainland Europeans, South Africans etcetera? What embarrasses you about your national characteristics?

 

[Problem Child]

It's all circular. We got bombed because of our policy in the Middle East. We got bombed because of our support of Israel, because of our involvement in Saudi Arabia, and the Gulf War. And yet, in response we recognize this, and then allow it to continue.

You are justifying the actions of insane killers. How can you do that?

I don't care what our actions are in the middle east...nothing justifies what they did.

If our policies justify what they did, then certainly you have no problem with Palestinians or Irish blowing up innocent civilians to protest the governments that feel they opress them.

 

[sexy-girl]

You are justifying the actions of insane killers. How can you do that?

I don't care what our actions are in the middle east...nothing justifies what they did.

If our policies justify what they did, then certainly you have no problem with Palestinians or Irish blowing up innocent civilians to protest the governments that feel they opress them.

i dont mean to speak for lavender at all ... but i know for a fact she's not justifying thier actions


but its narrow minded (in my opinion) to refuse to talk about why these things happened under the guise of saying if you do talk about them your "unamerican" or your "justifying what they did"


why is it so bad to look into why these fanatics exist ... its easier to just say oh well they are just nut balls (which they are) ... but they exist for a reason ... and if more of them start appearing that would be for a reason too ... whatever your politically idealogy is you have to look into the reasons why these fantics exist and try to understand if we're making things worse ... once you examine the reasons though its going to be a whole differnet matter to decide what to do about it

 

[Problem Child]

Oh....I guess that last post sort of goes against the point of this thread. My bad.

Just for that, I'm going to start a new thread:

America- truly the land of Satan, or just really misguided?

 

[Marxist]

PC, you're naive to think that our reputation wasn't in some measure earned. Dirty tricks beget dirty tricks.

That doesn't justify a thing, but it does explain a lot.

 

[alltherage]

We had an atrocity committed against us because a messianic spoiled rich kid fuck did not get enough recognition from his daddy and he overcompensated for that by allowing himself to believe that he was the rightful heir to Muhammad. He is simply irrational and his tactics do not conform to his stated goals. Our policy in the middle east if beyond flawed but bin laden is less concerned with that than he is with his own quest for power. He corrupts the litgitimate political concerns of those he uses to further his own ends. He murders for the sake of murder. He views the west as corrupt and cowardly. In that sick mind which inhabits his skull he calculated that he would get away with it. Perhaps that we would withdraw from Saudia Arabia. I have no doubt that he cares not for the palestinians. In fact, if a way toward peace with israel was found i believe he would be the first to try to disrupt it. He does not seek solutions to others problems he seeks his own demented end.

 

[Problem Child]

Marxist...I understand that the U.S. does things that piss people off. But we have to deal with governments, and governments do things that piss their own people off. OBL represents no one except himself and his small band of fanatic followers.

I just take exception that anything justifies the WTC and pentagon bombings. You won't change my mind on that.

I've got a headache. Have a nice day.

 

[Problem Child]

We had an atrocity committed against us because a messianic spoiled rich kid fuck did not get enough recognition from his daddy and he overcompensated for that by allowing himself to believe that he was the rightful heir to Muhammad. He is simply irrational and his tactics do not conform to his stated goals. Our policy in the middle east if beyond flawed but bin laden is less concerned with that than he is with his own quest for power. He corrupts the litgitimate political concerns of those he uses to further his own ends. He murders for the sake of murder. He views the west as corrupt and cowardly. In that sick mind which inhabits his skull he calculated that he would get away with it. Perhaps that we would withdraw from Saudia Arabia. I have no doubt that he cares not for the palestinians. In fact, if a way toward peace with israel was found i believe he would be the first to try to disrupt it. He does not seek solutions to others problems he seeks his own demented end.

That's what I really wanted to say. Thanks.

 

[registered "^^"]

Except for the whole "two levels of basic cable service." What's up with that?

Damn DCL..........4 levels here in the midwest......talk about a fuck up!

but we have decent pizza!

 

[Problem Child]

but its narrow minded (in my opinion) to refuse to talk about why these things happened under the guise of saying if you do talk about them your "unamerican" or your "justifying what they did"

When did I call her un-American? We have talked about the reasons for this bombing ad infinitum on this board. We have had about 10,000 threads on Israel, of which I've participated in many. I never said anything about refusing to talk about the reasons for mid-east discontent vis-a-vis the western world.

I feel her comment was untrue. There may be justification for hatred against Americans and the west, but there is no justification for killing innocents, especially on this massive scale and with such utter detachment, and in the name of "God"..

Stop inferring what I'm not implying. It show's a certain narrow-mindedness on your part. But thats only my opinion.

 

[sexy-girl]

sorry when i used the word unamerican i was refering to another thread that lavender started "blacklisted" i didnt mean that you had/were calling lavender unamerican i apologize if my post read that way it wasnt mean


but likewise no where in lavenders post does she use the word justify ... she mearly is pointing how one cause leads to an effect ... the effect is unjustifyable and nobody here even the most horrid trolls have tried to justify it and i know for a fact lavender wasnt either


what i believe she was saying and what i believe as well is that we as a nation/nations shouldnt dismiss what happened as mearly fanatic's we should be brave enough to examine where their hatred comes from so we can fight it ... im not saying we should give into thier demands or anything like that but to mearly bomb the crap out of them and ignore why they exist wont work we have to fight smart


also my comment of narrow-mindedness wasnt directed at you PC it was directed again at some of the things lavender was talking about in her "black listed" thread i apologize for being careless with my words and my reply following your post

 

[registered "^^"]

Criticze the USA, hell that is easy:

1. the french speaking people want to seperate from the rest.......oh wait that is not us....

2. Cattle roam the streets of Texas while the kids starve...oops wait, that isn't texas.

3. Today another terroriste bomb was set off outside of par........oops not us either.

4. catholics and protestants again clashed today..........shit not here either.

5. the islamic women beaten for not keeping their faces covered.....now where would that be.....

-------------------------------------------------

The USA has it's faults, but there is nothing else even close to it. Americans are not lining up to leave the USA, that's the other countries population lining up to come here.

 

[Problem Child]

sorry when i used the word unamerican i was refering to another thread that lavender started "blacklisted" i didnt mean that you had/were calling lavender unamerican i apologize if my post read that way it wasnt mean


but likewise no where in lavenders post does she use the word justify ... she mearly is pointing how one cause leads to an effect ... the effect is unjustifyable and nobody here even the most horrid trolls have tried to justify it and i know for a fact lavender wasnt either


what i believe she was saying and what i believe as well is that we as a nation/nations shouldnt dismiss what happened as mearly fanatic's we should be brave enough to examine where their hatred comes from so we can fight it ... im not saying we should give into thier demands or anything like that but to mearly bomb the crap out of them and ignore why they exist wont work we have to fight smart


also my comment of narrow-mindedness wasnt directed at you PC it was directed again at some of the things lavender was talking about in her "black listed" thread i apologize for being careless with my words and my reply following your post

Does she really have to use the word justify?

We got bombed because of our policy in the Middle East. We got bombed because of our support of Israel, because of our involvement in Saudi Arabia, and the Gulf War. And yet, in response we recognize this, and then allow it to continue.

Before this thing spins completely out of control, as these things usually do, let me say I don't believe Lavender believes that the WTC trade centers were justified in any way but rather our policies in the mid-east have caused some degree of animosities toward the west, and this is being used by some people to justify the bombings. I think this is basically what you are saying as well.

So we all fucking agree. Except that we are not "just bombing that crap" out of them. If we were just bombing the crap out of them, there would be no one left alive in the country.

I just think it was a very poorly worded post, and if anyone that didn't know Lavender read it, they might think that we deserved to get bombed, (and not in the good party way).

Goddamnit, I need Advil.

 

[MunchinMark]

National characteristics, Alexander Tzara? Isn't that like stereotype?

I'm not really sure what the world sees as being English, or British. Stuffy possibly.

Based on Hollywood, or merely the Mel Gibson back catalogue, then as an entire nation we English are imperialistic, cruel megalomaniacs with a penchant for raping Scottish women.

Er, that doesn't sound like me.

I see widely differing outlooks on life everywhere I look. I hear racism and egalitarianism. Class war and classlessness. I'm not sure that I am able to answer the question that you have set before me, because I don't know what national characteristics I really have.

 

[sexy-girl]

just wanted to say i hope your headache is better this morning PC

 

[carrie-on]

I love my country...I fear my government.

 

[lavender]

 

[alexander tzara]

National characteristics, Alexander Tzara? Isn't that like stereotype?

No. Saying the Scots are mean whith money is a stereotype - it's an exagerated caricature of a nationality (it's also a lie). But, when you say there's a lot of sectarian tension in Glasgow, you're highlighting an unsavory characteristic that is true of many Glaswegians. It might not be nice to admit it, but it's true.

I see widely differing outlooks on life everywhere I look. I hear racism and egalitarianism. Class war and classlessness. I'm not sure that I am able to answer the question that you have set before me, because I don't know what national characteristics I really have. [/B]

Ok, then. Narrow it down to the region where you come from.

Or, if you don't want to take part in my Festive Challenge, just pick up your "I'm A Big Fat Scaredy Cat Pussie" badge on the way out.

 

[alexander tzara]

I love my country...I fear my government.

The question isn't whether or not you love your country. I love my country but I'm still willing to look at the faults that I see in the Scots. That's the only way you can improve as a people. Are you genuinely saying you can't find one single American trait that embarrasses, annoys or upsets you, as an American?

 

[alexander tzara]

Criticze the USA, hell that is easy:

1. the french speaking people want to seperate from the rest.......oh wait that is not us....

2. Cattle roam the streets of Texas while the kids starve...oops wait, that isn't texas.

3. Today another terroriste bomb was set off outside of par........oops not us either.

4. catholics and protestants again clashed today..........shit not here either.

5. the islamic women beaten for not keeping their faces covered.....now where would that be.....

-------------------------------------------------

The USA has it's faults, but there is nothing else even close to it. Americans are not lining up to leave the USA, that's the other countries population lining up to come here.

Who's your post directed at? If it's directed at the Commitee of Alexander's Festive Challenge, then you're disqualified on the grounds of being a "Big Fat Scaredy Cat Pussie". Go back and read the rules before reapplying.