Iuchi_Zien Posted June 21, 2011 Share Posted June 21, 2011 Amazing, from your post the US is damned if it does and damned if it doesn't. What would Anoraks do without the nasty west to bleat about. The west has to be squeaky clean, but for the rest, anything goes. Talk about double standards. When the US lectures China on its human rights history whilst blatently ignoring the human rights of those in GITMO and its own dismal human rights record that isn't double standards? Whilst critisizing the EU for supporting farmers whilst providing huge subsidies to its own farmers, double standards? Whilst complaining to the Russian government for requiring information which would require ex-US military to break secrecy laws for visas, whilst expecting Russian ex-military to do the same double standards? I could go on for some time listing the double standards of the US government. Squeaky clean? yes, if we, the west, are going to critisize the rest of the world for their failings it's a bit rich when we, the west, are doing the same thing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Draggletail Posted June 21, 2011 Share Posted June 21, 2011 Krispy Creme Doughnuts? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flamingjimmy Posted June 21, 2011 Share Posted June 21, 2011 Krispy Creme Doughnuts? great shout! I'm actually kind of glad that there isn't one in Sheffield, I'd be a right fatty! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buck Posted June 21, 2011 Share Posted June 21, 2011 I won't bother to ask Buck just what 'my ilk' of person actually is, I'm sure he didn't mean to insult me -. But at least, I seem to be off his ignore list which is nice -. And if Iuchi Zein's post doesn't say it all - it says enough to be going on with. Ilk is simply a different way of saying sort. The British love to be of one 'sort' or another, especially the snobs, of which there are too many. It is not an insult to be of some ilk or another, maybe even a compliment, but I don't dish those out very often. I am not sure of Iuchi Zein's origins, so can not argue with his statements about America. I have stated to you my knowledge of Britain's past, which is far from perfect. I dare say Zein's national past could bear some scrutiny too. Our history of racial discrimination is well documented, but little mention is made of the steps taken to change things. Interracial married couples are quite common today, and draw little or no comment even in the Carolinas. The witch hunts are long gone. Joe McCarthy was totally discredited by all sane people and died a drunk. I do not seek to excuse the Mai Lai massacre in any way. I'm sure I can find plenty of European cases. All I can say is what use is there of constantly bringing up the past to expatriates and visiting Americans who had nothing to do with any of these things. It is at the least discourteous, and probably trolling. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Draggletail Posted June 21, 2011 Share Posted June 21, 2011 great shout! I'm actually kind of glad that there isn't one in Sheffield, I'd be a right fatty! alternageek appears to rate the importance of the contribution http://www.sheffieldforum.co.uk/showpost.php?p=7756246&postcount=174 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harleyman Posted June 21, 2011 Share Posted June 21, 2011 Krispy Creme Doughnuts? Krispy Creme were popular a few years back but they seem to have faded out. The best donuts I ever tasted are made by a little old Chinese couple in a small shop tucked away in a local shopping mall. Only us locals know about them. The rest of the world will never know what they're missing Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phanerothyme Posted June 21, 2011 Share Posted June 21, 2011 Joe McCarthy was totally discredited by all sane people and died a drunk. . Which is a pity, because bizarrely, he was right. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buck Posted June 21, 2011 Share Posted June 21, 2011 WOW! Come on you guys, this underlines the whole point of my original post - Americans must square up to reality (though I accept that many Americans do) and stop seeing your nation as this whiter than white pinnacle of humanity. Yes Buck, G.B.s empire was the biggest empire the world has ever known (though America took a good chunk of it away from us after WW2 in lieu of repayment for the war materials that they supplied us with so that we could die protecting them and the world from Axis Forces.) Don't knock it too much though Buck, for had we not had the resourses of our empire and were it not for the unstinting sacrifice of millions of fighting men and women of these empire colonies, Pearl Harbour would have been academic and you too would now be cursing me in the German language. I just want you to admit that America, as portrayed by Hollywood and the media does not exist and never did. That Americans are not super-humans and that God is NOT on their side. For one thing I am not a passionate lover of Hollywood. To me John Wayne was no hero. Even the Marine Corps couldn't stand him. Am I to assume from your statement about the sacrifices of the Empire and Commonwealth, that you consider America made none? I won't go into numbers because playing some little game about who died goes against my beliefs as a veteran. Veteran enemies occasionally get together in friendship, having shared the battle from the opposite side. It happened after Gettysburg, I saw it with my own eyes at the Pearl Harbor Memorial in 1982 on my honeymoon, when US and Japanese vets got together. Americans are not super human. They are as generous and mean, as kind and vicious, as godly and heathen as any of your citizens. They are certainly more patriotic, which for some reason upsets you all. I know you would defend your country to the last person if called to. Hitler knew that, and was scared of you. So what's wrong with flying that beautiful flag. Just one last thing, Think about the size of this country. Think about the gun knowledge quite apart from the distance. The Wehrmacht would have had its work cut out, especially after we'd already nuked Berlin. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iuchi_Zien Posted June 21, 2011 Share Posted June 21, 2011 I have stated to you my knowledge of Britain's past, which is far from perfect. I dare say Zein's national past could bear some scrutiny too. Our history of racial discrimination is well documented, but little mention is made of the steps taken to change things. Interracial married couples are quite common today, and draw little or no comment even in the Carolinas. The witch hunts are long gone. Joe McCarthy was totally discredited by all sane people and died a drunk. I do not seek to excuse the Mai Lai massacre in any way. I'm sure I can find plenty of European cases. All I can say is what use is there of constantly bringing up the past to expatriates and visiting Americans who had nothing to do with any of these things. It is at the least discourteous, and probably trolling. And if this was a thread about the UK's contribution to the world then I suspect that it's invention of the concentration camp, and other such stains would be brought forward. Instead this is about the US's contribution to the world. So when such contributions as the Bill of Rights are brought up it seems only reasonable to point out how little attention the US itself paid to this document, both past and present. When people point out the democratic history, it seems reasonable to point out how that democracy seems to have excluded or persecuted minorities, the same with human rights. To paraphrase a famous quote, to ignore the past is to continually repeat its mistakes, personally I think the persecution of Islam and McCarthy's persecution of Communists, and its 'supposed' sympathisers spring instantly to mind. I am more than happy to accept that the US has contributed to the world, but some of the contributions mentioned seem really quite questionable, and I don't think ignoring the past is acceptable. As to my background, why is it relevent? Does it in someway mitigate the abuses I have pointed out? If I said I was Chinese would it mean that the human rights abuses of GITMO are somehow less relevent? (I'm not Chinese by the way, or am I! ) Critisizing other countries for theirt human rights record does not in any way mitigate the abuses commited by a DEMOCRATICALLY ELECTED government. Clean your own house before critisizing others for the same thing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ostridge Posted June 21, 2011 Share Posted June 21, 2011 And if this was a thread about the UK's contribution to the world then I suspect that it's invention of the concentration camp, and other such stains would be brought forward. Instead this is about the US's contribution to the world. So when such contributions as the Bill of Rights are brought up it seems only reasonable to point out how little attention the US itself paid to this document, both past and present. When people point out the democratic history, it seems reasonable to point out how that democracy seems to have excluded or persecuted minorities, the same with human rights. To paraphrase a famous quote, to ignore the past is to continually repeat its mistakes, personally I think the persecution of Islam and McCarthy's persecution of Communists, and its 'supposed' sympathisers spring instantly to mind. I am more than happy to accept that the US has contributed to the world, but some of the contributions mentioned seem really quite questionable, and I don't think ignoring the past is acceptable. As to my background, why is it relevent? Does it in someway mitigate the abuses I have pointed out? If I said I was Chinese would it mean that the human rights abuses of GITMO are somehow less relevent? (I'm not Chinese by the way, or am I! ) Critisizing other countries for theirt human rights record does not in any way mitigate the abuses commited by a DEMOCRATICALLY ELECTED government. Clean your own house before critisizing others for the same thing. read this, then get real.http://www.fortunecity.com/campus/dixie/921/PoWs/pows.htm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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