Congrats USA

[Mychael]

Originally Posted by juiceclark

Mychael,
America is the example for the rest of you to follow and admire.

Well that little comment disturbs me, national pride is one thing and whilst granted that there are worse places in the world to live, if you truly believe your last statement literally as written then to my mind you have epitomised the insular and self centred attitude that America gets itself criticised for.

Mychael

[Meanz Beanz]

Its called being American.... Its mandatory to be arrogant about it, they can't help it

[lazeyjack]

bout the only thing I admire bout USA, is Billy Doc, Bill Gates and 747,S, plus, Cummins diesels and um er the list goes on, as far as THINGS go, like Cincinnati lathes, hobart welders,
Once UK led world in things liKe trucks, mo bikes, , things change , agree Mych, well nuffin beats home Juice, cept if,n you were some poor nigger hanging round some oak tree not s'long ago

[hartley]

Beware Of False Prophets.. ( No Not Profits)

Cheers Hartley

[RHP]

Originally Posted by Meanz Beanz

Obama is going to be seriously compromised by the global situation. This man, in fact no man, can live up to the expectations that have been generated given what he is going to have to work with. Its a close to impossible challenge to come up roses here even if the best course is plotted.

I was under the impression Roosevelt made America into what it became from the drepression as his starting point?

[RHP]

Originally Posted by juiceclark

Mychael,
This Yank has been all over the world over and over. It's nice to get away once in awhile, but it is really, really nice to return home. Whether led by a socialist like Bush and Obama or a capitalist like Reagan, America is the example for the rest of you to follow and admire.

Juicey, I love American enthusiasm, if only it could be combined with a grain of humility it would indeed be greatest nation on earth.

[PI Design]

Originally Posted by juiceclark

Mychael,
This Yank has been all over the world over and over. It's nice to get away once in awhile, but it is really, really nice to return home. Whether led by a socialist like Bush and Obama or a capitalist like Reagan, America is the example for the rest of you to follow and admire.

1. Bush is a socialist?!
2. Are we supoposed to follow and admire your banking system? Your gun laws? Your human rights record? Your litigatious culture? Your foreign policies? Your environmental concerns?

There is much to admire about the US, especially the way it encourages and rewards hard work and creativity, and the people are very polite. But if you think France, Japan, Australia, Holland etc want to be clones of America, you are mistaken.
I would love to spend some time working in America, and of course many Americans believe it to be the best place on earth, but many Italians think that about Italy, the Germans about Germany etc.

[Fanie]

Eh PI,

Some things are there for a reason !! Some are dependant on guns to maintain a wee sliver of order, and not by choice but out of neccesity. Anyone who wants to argue this, come live in SA for a while. People do have the right to defend themselves, contrary to what our gov tries to make us believe. The true joke is the difference between a tourist and a racist is a few days in SA.

I for one admire the US. Good grief, if you just look what they did when and where it is for sure admirable. To name but one example, shiploads of food arive in our harbours for hunger starving philamons. It gets rejected bacause it was not cultivated correctly to their opinion. Are you kiddin me ? Starving people !

So far the US has been a buffer for many evil thing to become dominantly powerfull. It's the same as was the death penalty in SA, now that it's banned, murders have increased considerably, last I heard it was like 75 per day. Who gives a ****, worst that can happen to you if you knock someone off is a jail sentence IF the almost non existing police force does something about it. The US has been (is / was) the death sentence other countries respected and kept in line because of it.

There is much that can be said on this, but the US and what they stood for to now is admirable for sure.

If the US can pls come sort zim and our crap out here, I'm putting a US sticker on my car !!

[RHP]

"But if you think France, Japan, Australia, Holland etc want to be clones of America, you are mistaken."

Surely the Dutch are more arrogant than the Americans?

[Fanie]

Surely the Dutch are more arrogant than the Americans?

Depends who is asking

[kach22i]

Originally Posted by RHP

I was under the impression Roosevelt made America into what it became from the drepression as his starting point?

I think we are in a similar situation, maybe Obama will end up on the dime and not Reagan.

[juiceclark]

Originally Posted by Mychael

Well that little comment disturbs me, national pride is one thing and whilst granted that there are worse places in the world to live, if you truly believe your last statement literally as written then to my mind you have epitomised the insular and self centred attitude that America gets itself criticised for.

Mychael

====================================

Mychael, (and RHP) My post was a response to yours when you wrote: Still a little ironic/sad though, that whilst probably most of the world was watching/discussing what happened there that your average yank barely knows about the world outside his own borders.

I'm sorry, did you think you could just be derogatory toward me and not receive a response taylored to raise your ire? Referring to Americans as a backward group of untraveled rednecks is a rather impolite and quite incorrect stereotype. In fact, I see the BBC cable news had the largest gain in viewers last month here in the States.

Several found fault with my response but none with the original offense. This is a common microcosm of world attitudes toward America - a double standard. When a tsunami washes over your cities or the bully across the border rattles his sabre, everyone comes running to the good ol' USA for help. That's why we've given 3-fold the foreign aid of any other country on Earth every year for decades. That's why we pay for our Navy to patrol the world's shipping lanes to protect your products. ETC.! How does that reflect a self-absorbed society? And Mychael calls us "self-centred?" Perhaps, Mychael just doesn't know better. There's a large movement in the US to become "self-centred" and isolationist. If that happens, the world may quickly fall into a bloody mess of religious wars and Soviet rebirth and global trade will stop. Thus, we won't have much time to discuss our lil' boat designs will we?!

Most of all, you Aussies really surprise me. Your former Prime Minister was a great, strong leader. He understood world threats and knew what we free countries must do. But I guess the developed world's current counter-culture culture, where ol' 60s hippies are running the show, just can't allow for strong leaders who are willing to pay politically to do the right thing. It's just so much easier and cooler to criticize those trying to make a difference than to get off your own ass. Here in the US, we just elected a Marxist with zero experience - he's never even had a job! I'd trade freakin' Obama for Howard anytime - and would throw in all the Fosters you could take.

<<thank you, I feel much better - and Fanie, thank you! If only one appreciates our sacrifice of blood and treasure, all was worthwhile>>

[daiquiri]

Originally Posted by juiceclark

Here in the US, we just elected a Marxist with zero experience - he's never even had a job! I'd trade freakin' Obama for Howard anytime - and would throw in all the Fosters you could take.

That's curious. what is that makes Obama a Marxist?

And how much do you appreciate a someone's education?
Should we talk about cultural background of Obama vs. that of G.W.Bush?

As about America's blood and sacrifice - yes, some 60 yrs ago you did things the whole world is grateful for.
Ever since that you just fought wars around the world for your national interests, or to resolve mess created by your own governments.

[eponodyne]

Please, everybody, understand that not eveybody's as quick to ire as Mr Juice above here. I certainly wouldn'thave worded things like he did the first go-around. I know that the USA doesn't have a corner on the nationalistic fervor market, but it does seem a little overweening in a thread like this. I would love to go to SA and help with yer boat; I would love to arrive there with a shipment of grain (I didn't know about shipments being rejected!).

I'm sorry we elected such a douchecannon to make you-all nervous for the past 8 years. I fully believe we will have a good and decent man in office-- and if he's a little red around the edges, well, that probably won't hurt us too much. I don't think he is, though.

I hope we can look forward to more diplomatic solutions, and more acreage under tillage so we can feed the hungry. I hope that national health care becomes available so that HIV medications can be made more availabel to sub-Saharan Africa. I hope we can start to lead by example, not by force. I hope you all can come visit one day, and travel around this amazing piece of the planet--that you can see Lake Superior in full storm. That you can see Wisconsin in the autumn, and springtime in the Rockies. Come and watch a small-town Independance Day parade.

That is where the heart of the US is. Not in the White House but in the love of its citizens for where they live.



As long as we keep that a little further in front, we should do fine. Thank you all very much for your patience and support.

[daiquiri]

Originally Posted by eponodyne

I hope you all can come visit one day, and travel around this amazing piece of the planet--that you can see Lake Superior in full storm. That you can see Wisconsin in the autumn, and springtime in the Rockies. Come and watch a small-town Independance Day parade.
That is where the heart of the US is. Not in the White House but in the love of its citizens for where they live.

I've been there and I said what I think about it in this post: http://www.boatdesign.net/forums/ope...tml#post233004
so I absolutely agree with your words.