Global warmth for U.S. after 9/11 turns to frost

USA TODAY ^ | 8.14.02

[Citizen of the Savage Nation]

I *so* very much wanted to jump in and insult the smarmy bastards today when I saw this on Yahoo, but as it turns out it was moving day in the office and I had no chance at lunch. These people are effing hypocrits to the core, they wanna talk about foreign policy? No one's 'foreign policy' was worse in the last 100 years or so then the Europeans. We could spend the rest of the week just going over the gems these turkeys laid out and their famous exploits against first the Nazis, then the Soviets, then the Iraqis in the Gulf War, and lately in Afghanistan.

In every case, they were weak and wanted to capitulate...oh, and how about the 'Oh, somebody, please DO something' policy regarding the Serbs just a few years ago?? Let's not forget these are the same clowns who's 'foreign policy' included paying off ransoms to the Abu Sayyaf so that they could hire more terrorists, buy more guns, and kill more Filipinos and Americans. Yeah, great one there Europe, you guys are SO very much the center of the 'foreign policy' expertise universe.

What's funny in all of this, as soon as things start to go swimmingly for the US in Iraq, they'll all want in on the action, just like Afghanistan. It was hilarious to watch the dumbsh!ts waffle like an eggo over sending troops to fight the Taliban but as soon as Mazar fell, they were tripping over themselves to get the troops in as fast as they could to get some glory...the French, the Germans, the Canadians...that's pretty much what they did and it will happen all over again in Iraq, mark my words.

[Citizen of the Savage Nation]

Yeah, plus there is the fact that we are incredibly and obnoxiously arrogant.

I guess it takes one to know one. No one has the EU beat for smarmy arrogance. The Germans are arrogant, and so are the Chinese and Japanese. The only difference is, we didn't go an a mass killing spree this past century....maybe we should have, we'd probably get more respect, based on such a silly thought process these folks have.

[c-b 1]

There is probably some jealosy involved, but I noticed two organizations mentioned in the article which I suspect have been out there fanning the flames. The Institute for Global Governance, and the Council on Foreign Relations.

[Bernard Marx]

You've nailed it. Good work.

[SpringheelJack]

It's "cool" to cut down the powerful. Makes some people feel good. Nothing new.

That's the sum of it. All powerful nations experience this resentment, no matter what they do. Even if we did everything Brussels told us, people would still talk about how arrogant and mean Americans are.

[Excuse_My_Bellicosity]

I say Who Cares What Europeans Think?

[Vanman]

85% of Germans, 80% of French, 73% of Britons and 68% of Italians said they believed that the United States is acting in its own interest in the war on terrorism.

Well, after all it was OUR BUILDINGS that were flown into, not any of their's!!!

It doesnt take a brain surgeon to figure out that we are in this alone....like usual.

[Vanman]

I believe WJC gave the euros the impression that the average American citizen was a lot more leftleaning than is the case (IOW, that US opinion more closely matches EU opinion), and the election of GWB (and his subsequent actions, as well as his popularity) make them feel cheated. They want a world in which the US graciously steps aside and allows the EU to take economic precedence ; where the US' military power is at the EU's beck and call so only our son's and daughter's lives are at risk; and where the US surrenders all national sovereignty to an EU/Third world dominated UN, so the citizens of the various EU nations will not wonder if they were wise to allow Brussels to usurp so much national sovereignty. Basically , they want the USA to be their global ATM and their military, which is to be used to further their goals and safety, not ours. But we just won't cooperate!

You are so right. But, lets not let our guard down, the Euro's arent going to stop in their efforts to get us to step aside, when we dont, it will eventually lead to war, and yes....this means with Germany again. Germany, after all, holds the majority of say-so in the EU, and is it's driving force. They have been developing an armed forces for a while now, and when it has matured, they WILL use it on us. Look for it to happen some time after a mideast war.

[Brush_Your_Teeth]

Why do americans care what the stupid euro-trash thinks of us? The only euros that matter are the ones that understand that we are doing this not only for ourself but for them as well. However it might just be too late for europe when it comes to the muslem masses.

[AxelPaulsenJr]

Er . . .what? I'm getting the strong impression that you disagree with me, but I can't quite make out what you're saying. Any chance of a re-phrase?

Really? You can't make out what I'm saying. Let me make it simpler for you. We are not arrogant. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[Kozak]

Why do people attack Americans?" asks Tiny Waslandek, a social worker in Amsterdam, Netherlands. "Because they have a big, big mouth and they mind everybody's business."</I.

We should mind our OWN buisness from now on. ONLY those things in our interest should be pursued, and with a single minded intensity. And F##K the rest of the world.

[AxelPaulsenJr]

A further clarification. An arrogant people do not sacrifice their most valued assets to save the hide of another country. Did we keep any of the territory that we liberated from the opressors of World War II?

The Russians did, does that make them arrogant? How many trillions of dollars in the last 100 years have we spent overseas on other countries welfare? Do arrogant people spend that kind of money on foreign aid?

If we are so arrogant and dispicable, why do most of the peoples of the world seem to want to come here? We apparently have a culture and a style of life that they admire.

Just for the record, in all the responses I've received in the last few hours, no-one has actually said that they don't think America's arrogant. In a forum as lively and patriotic as this one, I think that's pretty telling.

I am here to disagree with you on this point. And I believe that if you read carefully some of the other posts you will find others that agree with me.

Well, let me ask you this. Can you honestly say that we wear the mantle of our greatness with maximum christlike grace and humility?

Good question. We are not perfect. Could we be better? Of course, that goes allmost without saying.

[finnman69]

It's customary to obtain the permission of all parties before you go back on your commitments.

Not true. The ABM treaty clearly stipulated the procedures for pulling out of the treaty and the US notified the signatories of that treaty. As for Kyoto, the treaty was never ratified by the Senate, so the US is well within its rights not to move forward. We are a superpower, and we are entitled to pull out of any legal obligation that no longer suits the needs of the US if there is the legal option to withdraw. How is a legal withdrawl arrogant other than viewing the withdrawl through 'arrogance tinted' Euro goggles.

And if you think European nations are not arrogant in the same way you consider the United States arrogant, you are not being honest. America has pride for too many reasons to list here. The perceived arrogance from the United States by the EU and other nations does manifest itself from feelings of inferiority and loss of relevance. For centuries the rest of the world was dominated by other nations. The 20th Century and beyond belongs to the United States. You don't think there is the least bit of jealousy and an 'old money' vs. 'nouveau riche' political attitude towards the only Ssuperpower? What short memories the ungrateful Europeans and the rest of the world has after we have been the world's peacemaker and savior for 100 years.

Back to the sports. Even if there was a World Series in Baseball or Basketball, is there any question which country would dominate those sports? It would not even be entertaining to watch. The US should push US soccer to the point where we got so good we would dominate that too. Now then you would see some serious America hating.

[finnman69]

It's customary to obtain the permission of all parties before you go back on your commitments.

Not true. The ABM treaty clearly stipulated the procedures for pulling out of the treaty and the US notified the signatories of that treaty. As for Kyoto, the treaty was never ratified by the Senate, so the US is well within its rights not to move forward. We are a superpower, and we are entitled to pull out of any legal obligation that no longer suits the needs of the US if there is the legal option to withdraw. How is a legal withdrawl arrogant other than viewing the withdrawl through 'arrogance tinted' Euro goggles.

And if you think European nations are not arrogant in the same way you consider the United States arrogant, you are not being honest. America has pride for too many reasons to list here. The perceived arrogance from the United States by the EU and other nations does manifest itself from feelings of inferiority and loss of relevance. For centuries the rest of the world was dominated by other nations. The 20th Century and beyond belongs to the United States. You don't think there is the least bit of jealousy and an 'old money' vs. 'nouveau riche' political attitude towards the only Ssuperpower? What short memories the ungrateful Europeans and the rest of the world has after we have been the world's peacemaker and savior for 100 years.

Back to the sports. Even if there was a World Series in Baseball or Basketball, is there any question which country would dominate those sports? It would not even be entertaining to watch. The US should push US soccer to the point where we got so good we would dominate that too. Now then you would see some serious America hating.

[SpringheelJack]

As for WW2, the idea that America was acting out of pure altruism, simply to save the hides of other countries, is just false. Remember Pearl Harbor?

We had been supporting England financially and militarily well before Pearl Harbor. Lend-Lease, and so on.

And the idea that America unilaterally "saved" European countries is, if you don't mind me saying, a little arrogant. Without England, we would have lost. Without Russia, we would have lost. The fact that we entered the war late, only after we ourselves were attacked, is hardly something to be proud of. It doesn't mean we nobly "came to the rescue" of England, France, Russia etc. It almost means the opposite.

Without _us_, they would have lost. Furthermore, all the guy said was "Did we keep any of the territory we liberated from the oppressors of World War II"? And according to you that statement is a "little arrogant". Then you frost the cake with phony quotes like unilaterally "saved", "came to the rescue", both things Axel never said, all in an effort to show how arrogant he was being. That, MG, is not a little arrogant in itself.