Chirac flees summit in a fury over use of English

[alva]

You're all just terrified by the mere prospect of having to learn a second language that you pre-emptively bash them all.

[Dis]

Originally posted by Elok


Really? Don't you think of each other as "French" or "Finnish" or "Polish" first, and European second? And for no reason I can see. Some of your unemployment rates are ridiculous, but that might fix itself because most of you are reproducing far too slowly to maintain your current population. Our social security woes are nothing compared to yours. Whatever distinct cultures you once had are on their way out; I've met plenty of exchange students, and they remind me of Canadians. They look down their noses at American Imperialism but their ways are almost ours just the same. You're rearing our children, more or less.

It's just that their countries, unlike ours, are slowly dying. The U.S.'s current political problems are driven by a massive social upheaval. Europeans barely have a society to upheave. You're just recirculating the same tired ideas you've had since WWII or before, and salving your pride with contempt for foreigners (hence the recent spike in xenophobia). What's come out of Europe in the past two centuries? Communism, Fascism, some decent art. Which is why I hear so much harping about the virtues of the Enlightenment, I suppose. You haven't been really inspired by anything noble since.

Well, no, the Brits had Churchill, and also Lewis and Tolkien, only now you're mostly atheists, so, well, so much for the latter two. And you had Einstein too, before Hitler scared him and all the rest of your talent out. After that it was just the bleary half-nihilism of people like Camus, followed by a slew of pompous deconstructionists. America is beginning to catch the same rot, but it's got you down to the core. When we look for unmerited pretension and failed pride, our heads turn eastwards.

Edit: Don't take this too seriously, though. I just felt a need to vent my own counter-snobbery after all the crap you Euros throw our way...

europeans still produce some top notch scientists. They will be the leaders in science in the future. Not the U.S.

[Dis]

Originally posted by DRoseDARs


Nevermind that conservatives/Republicans control most of the governorships, state legislatures, and the Supreme Court...



...and nevermind the mounting evidence that paperless voting machines (through poor quality-assurance or intentional fraud) likely have had a greater hand in recent elections than mainstream USAmerica cares to acknowledge.

surely you are joking about paperless voting machines. I wouldn't think a poly person would be anti-technology. I'm sure those are less prone to fraud than regular voting machines.

[Dis]

and finally. If Europe is so great, why do they keep moving to the U.S.?

I have 2 europeans working for the small company I work for now. That makes up a good percentage of our workforce.

[TCO]

What's hilarious is that in a thread that should be entirely European, you can only understand yourselves in reference to us...and we care so little about you that we don't even bother getting news on you. You really are a bunch of little whining brothers.

[Maquiladora]

If you care so little then why reply, or even read the thread? Here, have a croissant.

[TCO]

If you care so little about why I care so little...but wait!

FYI: My job is to school you. To rectify you. Painfully.

[Dauphin]

USA! USA!

[alva]

Who here lies about there origin when going on holyday (intercontinental)?

[DRoseDARs]

Originally posted by Dis
surely you are joking about paperless voting machines. I wouldn't think a poly person would be anti-technology. I'm sure those are less prone to fraud than regular voting machines.

I most certainly am NOT joking about them. And I most certainly am NOT anti- technology, you twit.

I'm not against electronic voting; I think it's a great idea who's time has come. However, as currently presented it's the worst thing that's ever happened to our system of government. Our system is supposed to be transparent - these machines are proprietary. Our system is supposed to be open - the manufacturers of these machines are the only ones allowed to tally the votes in them. Our system is supposed to be fair - the companies that make these machines are all owned by Republican-backing executives, one of whom stated he was "committed to helping Ohio deliver its electoral votes to the president next year" in 2004. Whether or not that's open admission of electoral foul play is immaterial, it simply has no place in our system and certainly not coming out of the mouth of the persons counting the votes away from the prying eyes of the public and elections officials.

I doubt very much the Europeans would tolerate such behaviour or circumstances in any Union-wide election.

[Dis]

It wasn't practical in my case. Everyone knew I was U.S. military. When a huge ship pulls in a bunch of guys dressed like americans with short haircuts floods the city, it's easy for them to guess.

I'm an american and semi-proud of it.

[Lawrence of Arabia]

you guys know what they say 'ignorance is bliss'

[Maquiladora]

stfu n00b

[Pekka]

Wow. Anti-Europeanism seems to really be a problem of not-so-intelligent people

Then again, so is Anti-Americanism.

Get over yourselves people, you smell bad.

[Dis]

only the French smell bad