What the Eurotwits would like George W. Bush to say

[loinburger]

Originally posted by Frogger
Loin, I expect more of you. Most (but not all) critics of the US are a lot better behaved than to insult the entire population of the US in a non-jocular manner as this thread does to the Euros...

Of course they're better behaved. MTG would probably ban them otherwise.

[Evil Knevil]

I just don't get why you can't stand criticism, or at least understand that other people can feel differently about issues without them neccesarily being wrong. Also I don't understand the undercurrents of religion and nationalism that we sort of matured out of long ago....

But still, I dislike the article, not because it criticises the European viewpoint, but because it's arrogant, narrow and lacks depth.
Skewer us all you want, we accept criticism slightly better, just make sure its a bit sharper and less dumb.

"I do not understand this squeamishness about the use of gas. I am strongly in favour of using poison gas against uncivilised tribes”. Winston Churchill, Iraq.

[Urban Ranger]

Originally posted by loinburger
Oh please. Which forum have you been reading? Searching for "dubya" over the last month unearthed a coupla gems, all either denigrating the man's intelligence and/or claiming that America is evil/dangerous/etc.

Originally posted by loinburger
So excuse me if I call bull****.

Surely you have to agree that W. does not come across as an intelligent person, that he does not exactly inspire confidence, and the US is rightfully being seen as evil.

[Tripledoc]

Do anyone here seriously think the article is funny? Even mildly amusing? Rumsfeld is much funnier. Yes, I actually think he has sense of humour.

[HershOstropoler]

Well I prefer Safire's column in the NY times. He's totally clueless, but he has a way with words.

[Arrian]

we accept criticism slightly better

Actually, I don't see that you do. I guess it depends on which posters are on "your" side. Several European posters have reacted very poorly to taking their own medicine. Others react well. *shrug*

UR, No, GWB does not come across as particularly intelligent. That's true of lots of leaders. But most of us couldn't care less about attacks on Dubya. It's the shots at America/Americans in general that piss us off. Like "the US is rightfully being seen as evil." I'm sure you knew that when you wrote it, though.

-Arrian

[loinburger]

Originally posted by Urban Ranger
Surely you have to agree that W. does not come across as an intelligent person, that he does not exactly inspire confidence, and the US is rightfully being seen as evil.

Oh, my own opinion doesn't play into this. I was just pointing out the silliness of Demerzel claiming that the Americans troll the Europeans more than the Europeans troll the Americans. At most they've reached parity.

[Velociryx]

Europe matured out of nationalism???

Really?!

So inside the EU, there's no sense of nationalistic competition.....there's no good natured (and sometimes not so good natured) jabs at someone for being English, or French, or German?

None of that goes on, right?

Interesting.

And you're free to have whatever opinion you want. You're free to disagree if you want.

The problem is that most of the time (not all of the time), when Euros disagree with something the US is doing, they do so in this aristocratic, paternalistic way, as if to say...."Oh dear, there goes our wayward child....off doing something foolish again.....if he only had proper breeding and some couth....and perhaps a dash of our European sense, he'd do such-and-so."

Well....we don't, and frankly, we don't really want 'em.

Having seen the side effects of appeasement policies in your backyard, we're a little surprised you still support them, but hey....that's your gig. We do things a little differently.

And it works.

Well enough to have made the USA the biggest kid on the block, despite some pretty long odds against that happening.

-=Vel=-

[Solly]

USA > Continental Europe

USA <> UK.

[Tripledoc]

Originally posted by Velociryx
Well enough to have made the USA the biggest kid on the block, despite some pretty long odds against that happening.

-=Vel=-

Biggest as in fattest?

[Arrian]

Witty, Tripledoc, very witty.

-Arrian

[Willem]

Originally posted by Velociryx
and by the way....we KNOW, from looking at world opinion today, that the one thing the rest of the world doesn't want us to do is to stand up to him (and presumedly, any missile-lobbing freak). Nahhh....let's just play kissyface with 'em, right?

That's such a load of crap! If you've bothered to pay attention to anything but the American point of view, you'd realize that most of the nations in the world would like Saddam to be removed. We just don't want to your cowboy diplomacy, guns blazing at high noon and all of that. We're sick and tired of hearing how powerful the US is, and how many people it can kill if it sets it's mind to it.

Screw you! It's our world too, and we have a right to have a say in how justice will be served on this planet just like you do. We don't have to dance to the US's drum everytime you get an urge to go kick some butt.

[Velociryx]

9 Trillion in GDP, and growing at a good clip this year....

-=Vel=-

[Solly]

So how would you get rid of Saddam?

Through 12 more years of diplomacy and 12 more years of allowing him to build whatever weapons he wants and hdie them until he can use them?

[Velociryx]

And Willem.....just how do you propose to remove him?

If not with guns blazing...what? You gonna ask him nicely?

-=Vel=-

EDIT: Boddington's beat me to it...but yes....something tells me that harsh language just isn't gonna get it done.

And tell that to the French, btw....who have been makin' deals with the man....sounds like they're really interested in seeing him out, and they're a big voice in the EU....oh, but I'm an AmeriThug....I'm not supposed to know 'bout stuff like that....