Canadian vs Americans foreign policy - Page 2

Superman · 06-06-2005, 09:18 AM

I do like Monty Python.

The opening post in this thread reminds me of the discussion we had regarding the differences between Germans and ourselves. We considered what would happen if a politician changed the national speed limit to 25 mph, freeways included. If that happened in Germany, apparently drivers would limit their speeds to 25 mph, and then defeat that politician at the next election by voting for the opponent. In America, we'd all continue to drive 85 mph, and then re-elect the guy who created the 25 mph speed limit.

The world thinks we're like this, and it's because we are like this. It's as though we feel we have no reason to pay attention to what's going on. The "SUV Philosophy" extends to much more than just our choice of vehicles. We really don't give a **** whether we're a good neighbor or not, or whether our government is behaving properly or anything else for that matter. The only bit of information we seem the slightest bit interested in is how much of our income we can keep and spend. That's it. Peace/war is not interesting (we've got the biggest guns), environmental issues are not interesting, diseases, hunger, etc. Not interesting. Greed.....interesting because it's so COOL.

rcecale · rcecale's Garage

Quote:

Originally posted by Superman
The only bit of information we seem the slightest bit interested in is how much of our income we can keep and spend. That's it. Peace/war is not interesting (we've got the biggest guns), environmental issues are not interesting, diseases, hunger, etc. Not interesting. Greed.....interesting because it's so COOL.

Well, Supe, I hate to burst your bubble, but the US does NOT have the market cornered when it comes to greed. I'm not going to argue against YOUR point about it, but rather just point your eyeballs in the direction of the United Nations.

That's got to be the biggest collection of greedy SOB's on the entire planet.

Randy

Superman · 06-06-2005, 10:07 AM

Right you are, Randy. Greed exists everywhere. But nowhere on the planet is it more glorified than here.

And it sure must be fun pointing the finger at the UN. But I guess that's all you've got left if your agenda is to justify Dubya's nonsense.

Aurel · Aurel's Garage

Nowhere else on earth do people stick fingers of their dead relatives in their chile con carne in hope to win a lawsuit against Wendys. Not even at the UN.

Aurel

M.D. Holloway · 06-06-2005, 05:51 PM

its all about opportunity Aurel. It wasn't a dead relative but a severed finger of a friend's husband - or so I read on MSN. In many other countries they are thankful they even have a Wendy's let alone a finger to cut off. We really do have too many opportunities to mess with the systems.

rcecale · rcecale's Garage

Quote:

Originally posted by Superman
And it sure must be fun pointing the finger at the UN. But I guess that's all you've got left if your agenda is to justify Dubya's nonsense.

Just pointing out the obvious. No more, no less.

Randy

carnutzzz · 06-07-2005, 11:24 AM

Why does every discussion on this board degrade into an argument against the same 3 liberals?

RoninLB · 06-07-2005, 12:01 PM

it's 60% genetic.

chibone_914 · 12:27 PM

You mean Kanada? With all their quirky expressions (Eh, and "Zed") They should concentrate on their own misgivings.

Ours is the greatest nation on the face of the earth and part of being on top is the constant barrage of crap getting thrown at us all the time.......

Unfortunately, we have people here who believe they can say what they want under the 1st amendment. Yes, to a point, but it does not protect them from any consequences or prosecution for oral diarrhea.....(kool-aid drinking liberals, Kommies, fascists, nazis, anti-semites, KKK, ACLU members, etc....included)

Love it or hate it, I couldn't imagine living, working or raising a family anywhere else in the world.

911Rob · 911Rob's Garage

I was born in Canada and lived here all my life.

I have many friends and business associates from the US.
My brother works for the UN in NYC and he served on the Canadian Armed Forces for 20 yrs.

When a society doesn't learn from it's past, it's surely to be repeated. (ad-libed from one of the greatest US leaders)

We are becoming a society that has forgotten from where we came from? Study the history of our great Countries, we are in a sad state these days. Many, many people have died for the honour and rights that we have and dont appreciate today.

Teach your children.
Thank a vet.
Shut your mouth!

chibone_914 · 06-07-2005, 12:28 PM

Teach your children.
Thank a vet.
Shut your mouth!

Thank you Robert!

CamB · CamB's Garage

Quote:

Originally posted by chibone_914
Love it or hate it, I couldn't imagine living, working or raising a family anywhere else in the world.

Have you tried?

I can imagine raising a family in other countries, but the list is actually pretty short. There are some crappy places to live in the (Western) world... and that's only where I've visited.

America is the greatest country in the world, economically (in aggregate) and certainly militarily. But on an individual in society basis? I don't think the US has the highest standard of living, for instance. The US also doesn't have a mortgage on "opportunity".

Superman · 06-07-2005, 01:56 PM

Cam is right. I don't doubt that America is indeed the world's greatest country. Despite the folks here who regard me as an America-hater. Lemme say that again. I doun't doubt that this is the greatest country in the world. It certainly is a great country from my perspective.

But then we run into these two different kinds of love for America. Some folks apparently believe that America is never wrong or misguided. Always right, always perfect. Well, as Cam says, there are other countries that routinely get attention for a higher standard of living than ours. Sweden, a socialist country by our standards, is routinely in the top two worldwide for standard of living.

gaijindabe · 06-07-2005, 02:12 PM

Supe- we dont think of you as an American hater.. We just know you would love it more if you would get out and see it once in a while...

And what is this about Sweden? There are more people living in my borough than all of Sweden. It is tiny speck of a place in a world of 5 billion. Is their high standard of living and high social net a result of their being "socialist" or rather, as a result of their propensity for hard work, thrift and geography???

Superman · 06-07-2005, 03:15 PM

I do love America, Gai. And I'm from its "heart." I know what you mean about the typical, rural American. Mercifully, that personna bears no resemblance to flaming liberals or mean-spirited conservatives.

Don't know much about Sweden but then, population-wise, America is not a major country either. All I know is that Sweden is routinely, over at least the last twenty years, considered one of the best places on the planet to live. And its political system is highly socialistic compared to ours. This notion that you have to fight your way through a dangerous rat race in order to be successful or happy is not truth.