What's your Stance on America?

[MikeH]

Originally posted by Japher
I agree Mike. Everyone hates the US until some evil dictator invades their homes and starts killing their loved ones, and than it's all "hey, US! Why don't you do something about this!"... then more hate.

No, I mean people disagree with some element of US foreign policy and they are described as anti-American or American haters. Same happens if Americans criticise their own government. You can disagree with some stuff and agree with other stuff.

It's not an all or nothing thing. I disagree with lots of the US gov't policies, but I also disagree with a lot of my own countries government (and a lot of other countries). Doesn't make me anti-American or anti-British or anti-German or whatever.

A lot of stuff in both our countries is excellent but it's not perfect. The concept that saying something bad about the US makes you anti-Americans is one of the great right wing propoganda success stories of the last 20 years.

[Spiffor]

Voted 2

I didn't give this mark for the scenery (which is varied, and from what I saw, often beautiful), nor for the people (which are generally good people if I believe 'Poly).

Because I don't think sceneries and individuals are really differentiating countries among each other, at least western countries.

I also didn't vote 2 because of Bush. I'd have voted 2 under Clinton and Bush Sr as well.

I voted 2 because I deem your social model to be utterly nightmarish, because of your consistent bullying over the world ever since you became a superpower, because of an apparent American unability to question its self-righteousness. But the social model is really the big thing. The US is probably the only western country where I would never accept to live because of it.

[Japher]

A lot of stuff in both our countries is excellent but it's not perfect. The concept that saying something bad about the US makes you anti-Americans is one of the great right wing propoganda success stories of the last 20 years.

Ah... Excellent points.

[lord of the mark]

oh were those number in your post answers to the poll? I thought it was your ratings on this as a troll thread

[Bereta_Eder]

I should explain my 4 vote too.

That was basically a resistance to casual in - vogue antiamericanism. I don't follow the fashion, even if it has lasted for decades and it's by now the law.

I will critizise and throw mud in the US, where it applies but will not engage in a priori condemnations and easy aphorisms or commit the sin of one sided view.

Except if I'm in a taxi cab. There you should never question the taxi driver.

[Ogie Oglethorpe]

LotM you have a point. Every poly thread has some level of trollishness.

[Kuciwalker]

Originally posted by MikeH
I don't believe in the terms anti-US or pro-US it's just bullsh1t propaganda terms to try and make people think that it's an all or nothing question.

Hence the sqrt(-1)

[Spiffor]

Besides, if I remember my mehtodology courses well, you are supposed to have 11 answers in such a scale. It allows a "completely neutral" answer this way.

[Japher]

Who else saw the 11 and thought of Spinal Tap?

[Ogie Oglethorpe]

Originally posted by Spiffor
Besides, if I remember my mehtodology courses well, you are supposed to have 11 answers in such a scale. It allows a "completely neutral" answer this way.

Its also known as the Spinal Tap scale.

Friggin x-post.

[Dis]

The USA is the one who installs evil dictators in democracies.

we installed Hitler?

oh I get it. We didn't join the league of nations, so indirectly we allowed Hitler to rise to power.

[Bereta_Eder]

No, you installed evil dictators in democracies. It's what it says.

[Japher]

Its also known as the Spinal Tap scale.

Friggin x-post

paiktis, I really don't know how you got US installing evil dictators from what I said...hmmm, did I F up a pronoun?

I'm no english major

[Bereta_Eder]

You said US is called when a dictator takes power in order to free a place.

That sounded weird to me since the US is the one who has installed dictatorships.

[Japher]

I kind of blame the UK and France more so than the US for many of the dictatorships currently having problems. Also, I am trying to recall any that the US has directly and personally installed themselves.