[latina4dubya]

at first i thought you meant Brit Hume, and i became quite angry...

[RS]

Must have something to do with that ferris wheel you put up that spoils all the nice tourist pictures of Big Ben :-)

[Yasotay]

Just lately (noticeably since the US election result) there seems to be an awful lot of anti-British sentiment on here

When "Drudge" right after the election, headlines a British tabloid saying words to effect "How can 59,000,000 Americans be so dumb?" Yes people here at FR get alittle upset. Afterall the British did burn down our capital .... and gave the Soviets all of our nuclear secrets.... :)

[PajamaTruthMafia]

When Americans attack Brits the way the Brits have been attacking Americans, then you'll have EARNED the right to submit such a post.

When our papers call for the assassination of your PM then you'll have earned the right.

When our people send letters to your citizens trashing your PM and advocating the candidacy of another, then you'll have earned the right.

When our papers ask how so many Americans can be "So Dumb" then you'll have earned the right.

When our press attacks the beliefs of the majority of your people, then you'll have earned the right.

So, I suggest, you ask yourself why so many Brits are so hostile to Americans. When we show you the same level of animosity, then you'll have earned the right to ask your question. Right now, we are the ones who deserves answers.

[Harmless Teddy Bear]

Some people go overboard.

However a criticism of British policy or British media should not be construed as a criticism of all British.

Some fail to make the distention.

Also part of it has to do with the fact that both sides hold principles and beliefs that the other finds honestly bewildering. Those who dig a little into the history of both societies will find logical reasons for the foundations of those principles and beliefs even if they are perhaps no longer valid.

We are not the same. That is ok. And if some of us come across as a bit snippy at times, well, we have been under a lot of fire lately.

If I have said anything to make you feel unwelcome I apologize. The British that I know I tend to like, (with one exception but that is a pretty good rating there are dozens of Americans that I dislike)

So please stay.

[Rocky]

Personally, I appreciate the British contribution in Iraq and Afghanistan. The UK has been our best ally.

I am well aware that the UK has more than their share of liberal kooks. But I assume that if you want to participate on FreeRepublic you are not one of them.

I am always interested in hearing intelligent opinions from across the pond. Please don't bail out because of a few cranks here. Let it roll off like water off a duck's back.

[rstevens]

For the most part we love the Brits, but we just don't like them, or the French or anyone else telling us how to run our affairs, especially our elections.

We Freepers love and respect our President and don't appreciate Eurpoeans who call him stupid or cowboy etc.

For the most part, we Freeper respect and admire your Tony Blair and will and do defend him if and when he is attacked here. We especially love "IVAN".

[AdamSelene235]

Brits are some of the most entertaining folks on Earth.

HOWEVER....Britian is ground zero for Marxism. The Communist Vampires didnt get their ideas from Russia or China, they got them in the finest universities of England and Germany.

British Fabian Socialists really pissed in the ideological well. Their thinking pervades both the right and left in modern America. The Fabians dug the grave of the British Empire and turned the greatest nation on Earth into a hideous parody of it former self.

Britian serves as a warning as to what may befall America if we do not rid ourselves of the Government Supremacists.

Nothing personal, mind you.

[savagesusie]

Tony Blair's speech after 9-11 about the war on terror was fantastic and so Churchillian that I won't say anything negative about your country. Your Muslim population has me worried though.

[MEG33]

We were pilloried in the British press, the SUN asks how almost 60,000,000 of us could be so dumb..There was a thread on the Guardian "How to assassinate Bush and Cheney.".a writing campaign by the Guardian to interfere in our election...
.I love our Brit allies, respect tremendously the political cost to Blair for his support of us, mourn the deaths of Brit soldiers and am grateful for their service but the nasty press and condescension has had negative effects.

[Bon mots]

You are WAAAAYYY too sensitive.

We love Brits.
We just hate the ones who read "The Guardian" and other such drivel.

Don't forget, we also had 45 million Americans who voted for Lurch, so we can't stand some of our own either.
Please stay!

BTW - Your food still sucks ;-)

[HitmanLV]

Dear friend across the pond,

I don;t think there is any such overwhelming sentiment on FR. If anything, FReepers tend to have been big boosters for Tony Blair and thankful for his commitment to the war on terror in the last 3 years. (Tony Blair was certainly no favorite before then, though certainly not vilified by Freepers either).

I think what you may be seeing is some disdain towards the reaction our election, our President, and his constituency (that is Freepers, to a large extent) as witnessed by your nation's newspapers, broadcast media, etc. They have routinely said unflattering things about all of the above, so I hope you understand a natural reaction to that on some folks part.

Most notable was the Guardian (I think it was the Guardian's) letter campaign to voters in Ohio, warning them not to be stupid and vote for Bush. Any way you slice that, friend, it tends to not go over well in the colonies. Indeed, as I am sure you know, Brits telling us what to do caused a bit of a ruckus here 200+ years ago, before and during our successful revolution and most recently in 1812. :-)

In no way should you feel any hostility to the fine folks of the UK - if you see any, consider it residual bluster as a result of that image your media has been generating.

I for one am a fan of your nation - I particularly like Prince Charles (tho almost nobody on God's green earth seems to), for example. He is so homely he is handsome, so goofy he is suave, etc. I am a fan.

The UK has also given us the gift of one of the greatest funnymen of all time, Mr Benny Hill. I am a huge fan also particularly whenever he would tap upon the head of Little Jackie Wright. :-)

I have also had the thrill, via my Italian charm and gift of gab, warming up a lovely young British bird to get her blushing that classic red which I think most of us men find appealing!

Chaplin, Churchill, the Beatles, Dr. Who, The Goodies: the list goes on and on - I for one never seriously disparage the crown, nor any of its subjects.

Freepmail me if you wish and try to be understanding - I think in that context you could see why some folks might take a friendly jab or two at our cousins across the pond, particularly in the context of your nation's media coverage of our election.

Imagine if we opined loudly and often, in our media, about how 'stupid' you folks would be to elect one candidate over the other. It wouldn't go over well, I think. Same thing here, that's all.

Your friend across the pond,

HitmanNY

PS - There is also a bit of a grudge about you blokes burning down our White House once. But, lets let bygones be bygones. :-)

[Doogle]

...perhaps you should read some of our heart felt condolences recently given to the Black Watch and their families... like any other concern person or people who dearly love our military.
The response is not to any bloke...it's usually in response to an article in a british tabloid that has been said about our President or the Conservatives in this country.
Don't take anything serious...I still have friends in and around Newbury Berks AND Leicester that I keep in touch with after 32 years.

Doogle

[Rsgood Dsbad]

I read online a recent article by a female Jewish American journalist who recounted a # of vicious anti-American tongue lashings she had recently been subjected to in Britain. It was not clear to what extent, if any, her religion was a factor. What can you tell us about current British (the regular folks) attitudes toward Americans? As far as participation of Brits in Freeping I ,for one welcome it. I am grateful for British participation in Iraq and admire Tony Blair as a man of great courage, since he participated though the war was not popular in Britain.

[Dead Dog]

Were just a bunch of ignorant, bible thumpin', hick "commoners". No need to acknowledge us "Red Staters".

Really "xenophobic kiddies", after all the crap your media pumps out, and the fact that far greater than 49% percent of Brits buy into it, your offended by American's defiance?

Before you start dismissing your critics, you might want to consider the cultural differences (and common Euro/Brit assumptions there of) that fuel them.

[Bon mots]

(Hey, I was only kidding about the food thing... but I couldn't resist!)

:-)

Viva UK!

[Chesterbelloc]

What I would like to know is do most Freepers now share the low opinion...

No I don't, and I'm sure most freepers don't.

Our left loonies are worse than your left loonies...

[max_rpf]

I think that most of the 'republic respects and values GB. I haven't seen what you are referring to, but I will admit I get a kick out of smashing the Guardian and the Mirror (who doesn't). When I do, it is in the same spirit that I would disparage the NY Times or CNN...

You are probably seeing the reactions to the post election headlines, and the Guardian's letter writing campaign. I am sorry if you have been offended. I have always jumped to protect my friends and allies on the forum... I think that people just get a little hot under the collar and 'go off' and don't consider what they are doing...


I have no doubt that the British will always have good friends amongst in this community of ours

Not to change the subject, but a good example is how people have been treating Spain on the forum. I think it is really sad, given that while the pig Zapatero won with the help of the terrorists, there are thousands and thousands of people (Spaniards) that are suffering from his governance far more than any of us...

Here is how one of those "Cowardly" Spaniards feels about our election... (in the WSJ Thursday)

The Triumph of Hope


By JOSE MARIA AZNAR
November 4, 2004; Page A14

Hope has triumphed.

I know that some may be surprised to read this, but I am convinced of the fact.

Hope has triumphed, and with it the confidence of the American people in the values and principles on which our shared civilization on both sides of the Atlantic is based. George W. Bush decided to respond to totalitarian terrorist attacks with a return to basic principles. He could have chosen appeasement. He could have opted for mere rhetoric. He decided not to do so. He decided to oppose brutality with steadfast conviction. Now a wide majority of his people has backed this policy. It has confirmed that there is hope in our way of life, a form of hope that derives its strength from its essential convictions, a hope that is manifested in the desire to defend freedom above all else.

Many took for granted the fact that Mr. Bush would be defeated. They were wrong. The mistake committed by those who create caricatures is that they believe that normal people are going to substitute reality with caricature. The American people have decided that the best option is to offer a new mandate to Mr. Bush. If not, the achievement of these elections would be inexplicable: an extensive margin between the two candidates, in favor of President Bush, in favor of the popular vote; an increase in the number of his senators; a comfortable majority in the House of Representatives. Mr. Bush has managed to consolidate a movement that has been emerging for some years. He has managed to consolidate a natural conservative majority in his country.

George W. Bush has not only had to face the enemies of democracy but also stand up to a front of rejection made up of various different groups, a veritable negative coalition whose only unifying principle was to ensure that he was defeated. Some observers believed that the majority would now pronounce itself to be against the decision to go to Afghanistan and Iraq in order to prevent the terrorist threat from rising. The temptation of comfort and convenience is a powerful one. Our democracies are not especially well prepared for the idea that they are under threat. They are not well prepared to combat an enemy that is as diffuse as it is daring and lethal.

Following the atrocities of September 11, President Bush did not allow himself to be swept away by an understandable sense of rage. I know him well and I know what I am talking about. Afghanistan was a strategic objective in the war on terror, not an act of vengeance. Iraq has served the same purpose.

Mr. Bush's international strategy includes an active policy in favor of peace throughout the most dangerous region on Earth: the Middle East. He has promoted greater political openness and economic liberalization, not to mention values such as religious respect and tolerance. The status quo of a region that has become a hotbed for terrorists and fanatics is no longer acceptable. Far-reaching change is required. And this is what he is pursuing with his initiative for the Greater Middle East. I would say that it is the only option and hope for millions of human beings who are today lost in a climate of desperation and hatred. It is also the only option for our long-term security. This entire policy has been widely backed by the American people.

I believe that Mr. Bush's re-election ushers in a period of hope for the international community. Leaders all around the world can also play their part in defending our democracies and way of life. We have another four years before us and Western leaders can now join the Allied effort to build a safer and freer world. It is true, primitive anti-American feeling and unfounded hostility will make things more difficult for those leaders who have flirted with these tendencies. But the world is now presented with a clear opportunity.

Over the last few months we have witnessed numerous attempts to introduce and exploit issues that have the greatest capacity to create divisions. Power has been abused and a damaging sense of polarization has set in. Hatred has been promoted in the place of understanding. Unity has been replaced with division. It is comforting to see that this strategy has simply mobilized many more millions of Americans, millions of Americans who went to the polls in order to do exactly the opposite. They have voted for a policy based on principles. They have voted for a sincere policy, for a leadership based on convictions. This policy does not shy away from unpleasant realities, but faces up to them, because it knows that this is the only way of overcoming them. This is the lesson that we can all learn: Attempts to create division can be opposed with a policy based on principles. And this policy can be a triumphant one.

Mr. Aznar is Spain's former prime minister.

[Tammy8]

I can't speak for anyone else of course, but my own personal feelings toward the British are mixed.
I feel that your country has been and is now one of our strongest allies. Your country's military has been a major help in Iraq and I for one really appreciate it.

Having said that I have been annoyed at the protests some of the poeple in your country have held, and some of the America bashing/Bush bashing articles that have appeared in your papers where it seems at times the British people support France and Germany's interests more than ours.

I have to remind myself we are not all in agreement in this country either and I should not expect your country to be any different.

I like to see people from other countries post here on FR, it helps to see how others feel about the issues.

[USF]

IMHO, papers like Al Guardian and Al Mirror are staffed by self-haters who hate the traditional British way of life and much as the US, as Lutonian has pointed out.

What they are trying to do is drive a wedge between the British and Americans with their provocation... basically the same goal Al Qaeda is trying to achieve.

I for one will not fall into this trap. Ignore the short sighted knee jerk reactionaries... I do.

And please stay.