Share your views of the U.S.

[Arrian]

From the PoV of this American, hell no. From the PoV of the politician who gets a ****load of campaign money from defense contractors? Uh-huh.

And of course, due to certain factors in U.S. politics, questioning this ****ed up relationship is political suicide, because if you don't support Israel you hate Jews.

-Arrian

edit: fascinating... if you put the word OTBOT in a post, it appears to guarantee your post will not be bolded/capitalized. This post was, but the addition of "**** you OTBOT" solved it. Cool, work-around found.

[Flip McWho]

Yeah I'm still in half a mind as to whether OTBOT is a waste of space or not. It's not so much humourous as just random.

As for americans. You appear too religious, too conservative and like to **** with other peoples **** too much. Arrogance also abounds. Though all the yanks I've meet and know are actually nice people and don't really reflect the america as a state.

[Velociryx]

Oh blah blah Arrian and Flip. C'mon...leave poor OTBOT alone. The REAL question here was the one brought up by Ted.

Now go to the lady's site and report back. Would you hit it?

-=Vel=-
(apologies to the ever-gracious elle...I'll behave....I just couldn't resist!)

[Berzerker]

Where's the love? Few superpowers in history have shown as much restraint as the US. And the US knocks off nutcases occasionally on top of it. Y'all want to do that?

[Flip McWho]

Restraint? You guys'll do what you want and pressure other countries into doing what you want all because you are the superpower. You knock off nutcasses when it suits you and you prop up other ones when it suits you. I love you all as individuals but your system, government and the dose of Yay! America the country collectively suffers from is sometimes sickening, and you need to realise that realist foreign policy is dead.

[Cort Haus]

As a English bass guitarist playing rock music, my local heritage of The Beatles to Punk is augmented by a catalogue of guitar heroes from the USA.

There's a musical 'special relationship' between the UK and the US which involves mutual influence, with styles and techniques bouncing back-and-forth across the atlantic over the decades.

So my US heroes like Husker Du were themselves influenced by The Beatles and Punk, and then Husker Du took pop-punk a step further and added some unrestrained american swagger, which then inspires subsequent generations of British bands.

Husker Du inspired Frank Black / Black Francis in for his band Pixies, the best American rock band since The Doors IMHO, and any half-decent UK band since will have at least one Pixies riff in their repertoire.

The Velvet Underground are often described as the 'Godfathers of Punk' and together with The Doors and Hendrix symbolise a golden age of guitar music.

Production values in the USA are far higher than over here in the UK, and Bob Mould's (ex Husker Du) guitar sound in Sugar changed the way I saw guitar music for ever. British bands sounded weak and lame in comparison, and the Copper Blue album will always be one of my all-time favourites.

The band I play in, Diner, who also draw on REM, owe our name and symbolism to this US influence, and our album cover (see my avatar) of an American diner pays homage to this.

I can't drone on about my love of US guitar music without mentioning Kristin Hersch and the Throwing Muses, whose music has provided joy and inspiration beyond measure. For me, Kristin's voice is the 'Robert Plant' of female vocal, in terms of passion, pain and beauty, and her live shows are almost guarranteed to make me weep.

I'm an atheist, but when it comes to guitar music, God Bless America!

[Arrian]

Originally posted by Flip McWho
Restraint? You guys'll do what you want and pressure other countries into doing what you want all because you are the superpower. You knock off nutcasses when it suits you and you prop up other ones when it suits you. I love you all as individuals but your system, government and the dose of Yay! America the country collectively suffers from is sometimes sickening, and you need to realise that realist foreign policy is dead.

I'd say that realist FP is alive and well. It's neoconservatism (quite different from realist) that's (hopefully) toast. Of course, the operation we've been running in Iraq is a mish-mash of neocon and realist, with equally mishy-mashy results.

-Arrian

[fed1943]

Yes,restraint. Like it or not,it's the truth. Did you ever notice an American diplomat say something like obbey my command or be destroyed? I don't. And they have enough power to do it, if they wanted. But they don't want. They are the Americans as an whole. And remember even the British, a century ago, said things like that. Other peoples (mine among others) worse.
So,restrain,yes.
Best regards,

[Sava]

America:

it could be a lot better if a lot of the *******s just got hit by a bus

[Az]

Ok, scratch the "not just." It would be altruism if, and only if, we gave and didn't expect to receive. You ***** about us wanting to receive. Fine, no give, no receive. Works for me.

me too.

Not even close to enough to justify the expense, at least from the realpolitic point of view...

sez thou.

And of course, due to certain factors in U.S. politics, questioning this ****ed up relationship is political suicide, because if you don't support Israel you hate Jews.

and if you don't support america in Israel, you hate americans, and are a commie/nazi!

teh hilarity!

[Paddy]

Glad they are there... glad they have fun... glad they so cheerful... glad that they are way way over there

/me looks out at the Pacific and understands that there is a lot of water

[Velociryx]

Az...out of curiosity, if you burn bridges with the USA, where would you go to get the weapons to keep the army sharp.

I'm pretty sure you realize that without a totally up to date army, kept in prime condition, your little piece of the sandbox wouldn't last long, surrounded on all sides by large and more populous countries that wish you....weren't.

Not looking to pick a fight, just curious.

From what I understand, the Euros would be reluctant partners for you, obviously no one in the ME would sell you equipment....China then? Japan?

-=Vel=-

[Sandman]

Originally posted by DanS
They were all Finns masquerading as Scots.

The average Scot spends three hours online every day. Finns beware!

[Arrian]

and if you don't support america in Israel, you hate americans, and are a commie/nazi!

Really? Odd. I'd have thought "ingrate" might be the term.



-Arrian

edit: eat me, OTBOT.

[Pekka]

AMERICA GIVE ME YOUR WOMEN OR I WILL KILL THE KITTENS!