Serious question about Brit Bashing on Free Republic...

[BritishBulldog]

Just lately (noticeably since the US election result) there seems to be an awful lot of anti-British sentiment on here (there always was a little but I put that down to a handful of xenophobic kiddies)

What I would like to know is do most Freepers now share the low opinion that some (many) on here seem to have of our nation or is it just a small (but very vocal) minority of morons?

I've enjoyed this forum (for the relatively short time that I've contributed) and have always liked Americans in general, but I now find myself reconsidering my thoughts on both.

If we Brits are not liked or wanted around here, I think I'll probably discontinue my involvement.

[Max Combined]

"For now anyway, we're going to DC."

Careful. I have been to DC in the summer a few times, including for the Fourth of July fireworks and assorted festivities. It is hot and very humid in DC in the summer.

I was in Holland, Germany, The Czech Republic, Italy, and Austria this past summer, driving around in a rented car with my family. Then we flew to Dublin, IR for a few days.

The drive north from Verona through the Brenner Pass to Western Austria and up to through the Alps to Germany had stunning scenery, quaint building festooned with flowers, and nice hotels. Innsbruck, Austria is a very nice city surrounded by mountains, with good food and comfortable temperatures. It was cold and rainy in Dublin and hot and muggy in Venice. Good beer in the Czech Republic, but too many tourists in Prague.

[G Larry]

Well I'm guilty of a bit of Brit bashing earlier today, but it was a specific response to Brit publications bashing American Conservatism.

There seemed to be some expectation that U.S. conservatives should change because these particular Brits though it appropriate.
I made it pretty clear that we had no intention of changing and couldn't imagine why they thought we cared about their opinion of us.

Let me be clear, this wasn't (isn't) a bigotted view of Brits, just an objection to a certain political perspective.

[Glenn]

I love Brits. I am not so fond of the British Government. If you ever read a post where I am bashing Brits, it is your leaders -- not including Blair.

[rrrod]

Relax pal...comments were aimed at the Headlines of a few of your newspapers........tons of comments saluting your troops here!

[broadsword]

I am training to be a Biomedical Scientist, and had to do a module on Genetics last year.

Yeah, yeah. Sure. You betcha! And I am a five star general with ten PHDs. LOL!

There are sooooo many chest-thumping keyboard warriors on the net, all trying to bolster their failed arguments with some grandiose claim of authority.

Give it up. You are just making yourself look childish. Your poor writing skills already make a joke of that claim.

[Colorado Doug]

If you think THIS is tough, try being of French extraction here. I haven't even come out yet...

French, huh? *****making note about dandelion to self*****

Allow me to be the first to start. Did you know that french for Dandelion is pissenlit? Of course you knew it, you, you frenchman you.

[SandRat]

Only thing that I saw was an outrage at the LEFTIST Loons of the UK Guardian and the Fatso Moore Supporters over there.

Most if not all of the folks on FR understand that the Magna Carta and the US Constitution are the two guiding documents of freedom. I believe that Most if not all Think that Britain, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are our steadfast friends and allies. Sure we may nit pick at each other as cousins often do on FR but we remain family. As here, it is the left that would take away the freedoms away that the Magna Carta and Constitution granted our citizens enjoy that we have a dislike for on both sides of the Atlantic.

[SandRat]

This is what we dilike British "LEFT LOONIES!"; not Britian or the British.

[Colorado Doug]

Speaking for myself, I have always liked Brits. British media has had me a bit upset lately but then, so has our media. The french, on the other hand . . . well don't talk to that dandelion fellow. He's french, you know. . . Pass it on . .

[Chode]

ya mean like this???

Bush Would Be Perfect Kids' Villain - Author Pullman http://au.news.yahoo.com/041105/11/rlpb.html ^

Posted on 11/05/2004 5:56:01 PM EST by Grendel9

LONDON (Reuters) - For children's fantasy writer Philip Pullman, George W. Bush would make a perfect villain in his epic sagas of good and evil. "He would fit right in," said the British author of the trilogy "His Dark Materials" which now looks set to follow in the cinematic footsteps of Harry Potter and The Lord of The Rings as the next blockbuster franchise.

"Bush has this baying certainty and has imposed this fervent zealotry," said Pullman

[unsycophant]

Please do.

[thingumbob]

I have no problem with the home of my ancestors......what I do have a problem with are idiot foreigners who think I should vote according to their international-socialist view of the world which doesn't agree with mine.......

If you have an opinion fine.....let's discuss it in a civilized way....however, we don't appreciate being looked down upon as ignorant and dismissed as fools who have little understanding of the world.....in some ways I would argue we have a better understanding then the rest of the world especially when you consider that our country is a melting pot of that world........that fact has been what makes us unique from all others.

Our culture has absorbed and solidified, reabsorbed and once again changed it's shape and character over the years because of the continued migrations into my country. We ask nothing of these immigrants other than to come to our shores and grasp the American dream then to make it their own in what ever form that may be.....we do not riot in the streets and take over the capitol just because we don't agree with the other side of an issue......

We peacefully vote and we generally protest peacefully (with the exception of the late 60's) our democratic Republic has survived because of the rules which allow the minority to have a say in governing rather then being ignored by offering such tactics as "the filibuster" which allows legislation to be stalled in the senate when the minority can get 41 of the 100 senators to stand firm and say "no" and "the electoral college" assures that the large states do not dictate to the states with smaller populations...Yes, we have our flaws however, so does the rest of the world.

What many of us see from America is a world of foreigners whom if they were truly honest about their own countries would have to admit to a degree of envy regarding our country. During the Reagan years many of the European countries turned left toward Socialist forms of government......in many different forms....some more watered down than others......America under Reagan did not...... we chose to turn right instead and the rest of the world to some degree has been behind the U. S. economically and playing catch up ever since........

We are not at fault for your economic decisions......you made your choice, as did we. Many of us feel that the reason we are looked down on is because it makes these people who are envious feel better or more superior to us......that's great if it makes you feel better at night when you sleep but it doesn't make it the truth about the way the world works.....

I hope you will excuse me if some of what I have written down appears to be arrogant as well. It was not my intention to be. We too do not understand what we as Americans have done to so anger the rest of the world.......and what I have written to some extent has been an attempt to explain what I have experienced firsthand and to categorize it in some form as to explain it to myself.

In closing let me say that I am well aware that there are others internationally who share the same views many of us do in America and you are one of them or you would not be here at Free Republic. I hope that you will remain a part of our family and help to bridge the pond which lies between our two worlds which are one.

Best regards,

thingumbob

[RightWhale]

If we Brits are not liked or wanted around here, I think I'll probably discontinue my involvement.

Your participation is entirely on your own volition. We know the Treaty of Versailles is defective and eventually the KOE will want the Colonies returned. The recent election delays that return about a century, so let's just have a couple brews and get on with our lives.

[broadsword]

Have you now given up on the actual argument, because I have not. I am waiting for an intelligent answer to my previous post.

This?

Temprament and intelligence are not inherited.

Yours is not an argument. It is called a gratuitous assertion. You have offered no evidence to back it up. One cannot argue with a non argument any more than with a dodge or a straw man. What would you have me do, post "Yes they are," as a rebuttal? LOL!

I have to go to work. I might respond tomorrow if there is something worthy of a response.

[Oztrich Boy]

I object to the Americans bashing the Poms (That's our job, mate)

[broadsword]

You will find that most Scots Welsh and Northern Irish are loyal to the crown.

Another (very wrong) gratuitous assertion. I have been there more than once. You could not be more wrong.