I become afraid of my own anti-Americanism

[BeBMan]

Originally posted by Der PH
But in general we Germans (me, too) have the prejudice that most Americans are very stupid and naive. On the other hand I myself have the same prejudice about the 'typical' German, too (and contemporaneously hope that I am not a typical German).

You can´t speak for the entire German people, certainly you don´t speak for me.

The point is: prejudices about other people being generally stupid are stupid as well, so I try to avoid such patterns of thinking....

[Pekka]

Yeah, but those are stereotypes.. doesn't make it so.
What I like about Americans is that they are friendly to strangers, like to talk with strangers many times and smile to you. Here they are honest and if you see one smile in day at city.. well they must be drunk. So it's refreshing. You know when I go to any supermarket or what ever and ask for something its always 'what you want' 'that' *silence* 'nks' (as if someone would say thank you.. it's just quick nks avoiding eye contact at all times). Better have that superficial thing than honest rude 'service'.

[Der PH]

Originally posted by BeBro
You can´t speak for the entire German people, certainly you don´t speak for me.

O.K.!
Probably it's just another prejudice of mine to think that the Germans have this prejudice about the Americans. (This prejudices start getting complicated).

[Pekka]

Prejudice people in general have prejudices against other people .

[BeBMan]

Originally posted by Der PH
Probably it's just another prejudice of mine to think that the Germans have this prejudice about the Americans. (This prejudices start getting complicated).

Well, to keep it simple: I think we all have prejudices here and there. But that doesn´t mean we should surrender to them. If you start to question your prejudices the results may (although probably not always) positively surprise you....

Ok, enough with Bebro´s little advice for everything...

[Willem]

Originally posted by Amesjustin


First of all, show me the proof. Secondly, if it contains facts, who cares?

Dig around some of the older news articles, it was in most of them, and you'll find a number of comparisons of the two documents that clearly show that the report had been plagiarized. CBC here in their report on the matter showed several passages of the two, and it was quite clear.

And the paper written by the grad student was produced about ten years ago. It certainly can't be reliable in terms of the situation at the time of Blair's report. It may have been fact then, but there's no guarentee that it still was fact ten years later.

If you don't accept that as proof of his use chemical weapons, how do you explain his use of poison gas to kill hundreds of Kurds in 1988?

That only proves that he had them in 1988, not that he has them now. And I've been reading that some people question whether it was Iraq or Iran that gassed those people. The two countries were at war, and both were using gas.

[DinoDoc]

Revisionist history is bad for your world view

Originally posted by Willem
And I've been reading that some people question whether it was Iraq or Iran that gassed those people.

It's pretty much beyon all doubt that it was Iraq. We even had a debate a while back that settled the issue.

[SlowwHand]

Whine and moan sesson still going?

[DinoDoc]

Originally posted by SlowwHand
Whine and moan sesson still going?

No, that's in the "plucky underdog" thread.

[SlowwHand]

Thanks, Doc. At least they're contained.

[Willem]

Re: Revisionist history is bad for your world view

Originally posted by DinoDoc

It's pretty much beyon all doubt that it was Iraq. We even had a debate a while back that settled the issue.

Well I don't really doubt it myself, but I'd also like to see more proof before I make any firm accusations either way.

[Pekka]

I'm not 100% sure of this either.. I tend to lean on the Saddam doing gassing, but I'm not 100% sure. Then again I don't think it matters, we need to go after Iran after this war, so it's all the same.

[Urban Ranger]

Originally posted by Pekka
I'm not 100% sure of this either.. I tend to lean on the Saddam doing gassing, but I'm not 100% sure. Then again I don't think it matters, we need to go after Iran after this war, so it's all the same.

Not the Finns...!

[Berzerker]

I was unaware that Iraq or the USA used chem weapons during the Gulf War. Aside from depleted uranium used in some of our shells and which may cause health problems, I understood that the contamination of people in the area, including allied troops, came from the demolition of weapons bunkers containing chemicals. No scud or artillery shell fired by Iraq contained anything but explosives.

[chequita guevara]

Originally posted by Kramerman
Its all POV, i suppose, but i guess you dont consider Saddam Hussein a bully?

Of course I do. But on the scale of things, he's a much smaller and less dangerous bully than the US. I can count on no fingers the amount of democracies Hussein has overthrown. The US has overthrown dozens, some in my own lifetime. It's trying to destabilize a few even now.