America

[guest]

> This, from a Canadian newspaper, is worth sharing.
>
>
> America: The Good Neighbor.
>
> Widespread but only partial news coverage was given recently to a
> remarkable editorial broadcast from Toronto by Gordon Sinclair, a
> Canadian television commentator.
>
> What follows is the full text of his trenchant remarks as printed in
> the
> Congressional Record:
>
> "This Canadian thinks it is time to speak up for the Americans as the
>
> most generous and possibly the least appreciated people on all the
> earth.
>
> Germany, Japan and, to a lesser extent, Britain and Italy were
> lifted
> out of the debris of war by the Americans who poured in billions of
> dollars and forgave other billions in debts. None of these countries
> is today paying even the interest on its remaining debts to the
> United States.
>
> When France was in danger of collapsing in 1956, it was the Americans
>
> who propped it up, and their reward was to be insulted and swindled
> on the streets of Paris. I was there. I saw it.
>
> When earthquakes hit distant cities, it is the United States that
> hurries
> in to help. This spring, 59 American communities were flattened by
> tornadoes.
>
> Nobody helped.
>
> The Marshall Plan and the Truman Policy pumped billions of dollars
> into
> discouraged countries. Now newspapers in those countries are writing
>
> about the Decadent, warmongering Americans.
>
> I'd like to see just one of those countries that is gloating over the
>
> erosion of the United States dollar build its own airplane. Does any
> other country in the world have a plane to equal the Boeing Jumbo
> Jet,
> the Lockheed Tri-Star, or the Douglas DC10?
>
> If so, why don't they fly them? Why do all the International lines
> except
> Russia fly American Planes?
>
> Why does no other land on earth even consider putting a man or woman
>
> on the moon? You talk about Japanese technocracy, and you get radios.
>
> You talk about German technocracy, and you get automobiles. You talk
>
> about American technocracy, and you find men on the moon - not once,
> but several times -and safely home again.
>
> You talk about scandals, and the Americans put theirs right in the
> store
> window for everybody to look at .
>
> Even their draft-dodgers are not pursued and hounded. They are here
>
> on our streets, and most of them, unless they are breaking Canadian
> laws,
> are getting American dollars from ma and pa at home to spend here.
>
> When the railways of France, Germany and India were breaking down
> through age, it was the Americans who rebuilt them. When the
> Pennsylvania
> Railroad and the New York Central went broke, nobody loaned them an
> old
> caboose. Both are still broke.
>
> I can name you 5000 times when the Americans raced to the help of
> other
> people in trouble. Can you name me even one time when someone
>
> else raced to the Americans in trouble? I don't think there was
> outside
> help even during the San Francisco earthquake.
>
> Our neighbors have faced it alone, and I'm one Canadian who is damned
>
> tired of hearing them get kicked around. They will come out of this
> thing
> with their flag high. And when they do, they are entitled to thumb
> their
> nose at the lands that are gloating over their present troubles. I
> hope
> Canada is not one of those."
>
> * * * * * * * * * *

[crwper]

Yes, all hail the Americans, builders of the Airbus, no, wait, the Aerospatiale, no, the de Havilland, nope.

Okay, well, they were the first ones to launch and artificial satellite, right? Oh, no, that was the Russians.

Listen, the Americans need the rest of the world just as much as the rest of the world needs them. When are we going to learn that we're all in this TOGETHER, folks?

Yes, it's true that the Americans have built a very powerful country with great resources. But isn't it enough to be good, without having to be better than someone else?

Michael

[guest]

Sigh. I've seen this article on various newsgroups today. Perhaps it should be noted that it was written in 1973 :) See www.snopes2.com/quotes/sinclair.htm

[guest]

Wow.

I didnt see the Aussies getting a mention for helping out the Americans in Indo China,or the Brits getting an accolade for helping launch the F111s or B52s on Libya way back when...it sounds to me like hes trying for a visa...maybe i will send him an atlas to let him know that the world doesnt finish at Greenland or Hawaii.x(

[guest]

Hi folks. This text was once used in a minor hit record. The announcer's voice was recorded over stirring, patriotic background music. This was in the early '70s and I remember thinking it was kinda sappy, even though I was about 12 years old at the time. Can't believe it's still around.
Aren't we Yanks special?:P

[guest]

This is just the sort of mindless, content-free ultra-nationalistic pap that makes me embarrased to carry a U.S. passport when the patriotic fever goes overboard. Must we fall victim to it in times of crisis?

This is a wonderful, unique country. However, the unique features are generally totally drowned out during bouts of mindless, jingoistic chest-thumping. Remember the founding elements of our country, the ones that really set us apart? They have nothing to do with Big Missles or Big Dollars.

Freedom of (and from) religion. Separation of church and state. Freedom of speech. Freedom to assemble. Balance of powers. Structural limitations on the so-called "tyranny of the majority" (the actual reason for the Electoral College, btw, at least historically). The right to keep and bear arms. Representative democracy? The Bill of Rights? The Constitution? Anyone remember these truly important tenets of the United States of America?

These are the things that made (and make) our country great. Superior military firepower, or economic power, or political power, is neither unique in history or likely to be permanent. Respect for liberties and abhorrence of tyrrany, in contrast, ARE unique and are always under threat of being lost - often in the exact times when "our dick is biggest" thinking is most prevalent.

As to foreign policy, our country has done many good things. It has also done many, many awful things. Too many to count. The sad, horrible irony here is that our ever-bizarre CIA actually TRAINED and FUNDED bin Laden when he was an anti-Soviet firebrand during the Soviet-Afghan war. That's right - our tax dollars and military expertise got him on his feet. . . just as they did Hussein, Pinochet, and dozens of other murderous killers.

A respect for the victims of this tragedy and an unwavering commitment to punishing the organizers of same need not be tantamout with hate mongering, chest-thumping, or idiotic "patriotism" wrapped in a saran wrap American flag.

Peace,

D-d0g
ddog@wrinko.com

[guest]

Respect
One who thinks before they type.
Condolences to all concerned.