Occupy Wall Street protest

[robertlouis]

How the hell does this thread jump around and start loosing focus so much. Then we ave folks on here embracing the stereotype that Americans are stupid about other nations. SMFH.

Sorry about that silcc. You're quite right.

And according to one poster last night I ought to keep my liberal British butt out of your nation's affairs anyway. Can't have other people commenting on the US now, can we? Especially if we have the temerity to criticise people on the right. Heaven forfend!

Oh, and just for his edification (although I'm not that sure what sex trolls are ) my avatar is a pic of me this time. Any chance of seeing one of you or will the NYPD not release it?

Hence the brief diversion into Canadian music. But it was fun while it lasted.

Over to you.

[Silcc69]

Sorry about that silcc. You're quite right.

And according to one poster last night I ought to keep my liberal British butt out of your nation's affairs anyway. Can't have other people commenting on the US now, can we? Especially if we have the temerity to criticise people on the right. Heaven forfend!

Oh, and just for his edification (although I'm not that sure what sex trolls are ) my avatar is a pic of me this time. Any chance of seeing one of you or will the NYPD not release it?

Hence the brief diversion into Canadian music. But it was fun while it lasted.

Over to you.

Srsly when we had Dubya running shit, the world looked down on the US. (though some here didn't give a rat's ass.) Now that Obama is in there the world doesn't view us with as much contempt anymore. (and some still don't give a rat's ass) Then ya'll see the big fuss over taxes and healthcare OMG it's of teh devil.

[russtafa]

So did I in my early days! Lightfoot had one of the finest voices ever in his prime. There are also plenty of great Canadian singer-songwriters who don't cross the border, Dave. Try Sarah Harmer and David Francey.

gone are the golden days of English music of the 60s,70s and 80s

[robertlouis]

gone are the golden days of English music of the 60s,70s and 80s

Ummm. We're talking Canadians, mate.

But I tend to agree anyway.

[Carrie_Parker]

Move

[Carrie_Parker]

okay

[BigDF]

How the hell does this thread jump around and start loosing focus so much. Then we ave folks on here embracing the stereotype that Americans are stupid about other nations. SMFH.

The thread jumps around so much because it's on the wrong part of the forum, you know what I mean. And that's not a stereotype, we are stupid about other nations and cultures. Our leadership, both political and commercial have demonstrated for years a remarkable lack of understanding of foreign affairs and the motivations of the various nations we've had conflicts with. Our biggest problem, though, is our insufferable superiority complex, which I'm afraid is about to bite us in the ass again.

[Prospero]

Big DF - I think that America is no more guilty of this than other powers. Imperial powers by their nature tend to dominate rather than seek to really understand. Trying to understand is much more a characteristic of post imperialism, surely? Western Europe is these days is perhaps less guilty of this lack of knowledge because of our former empires - literal as opposed to economic ones - which brought us into contact with other cultures. Too often though that simply meant imposing our values and system on them. Now in the EU we are more connected to the rest of Europe and, via the Commonwealth to a wider world and also via the vast numbers of new britons coming from the Indian sub-continent, africa and Europe.

[BigDF]

I think you are quite correct, Prospero and thank you for your thoughtful answer. I have to keep reminding myself that in the history of the world, we are still a young country. I am often amazed at the rest of world's patience with us, especially Western Europe. Like a teenager who suddenly experiences a growth spurt, our remarkable growth through our industrial revolution and our successes in the two major wars of the twentieth century has caused us to become too big for our britches, as I used to be told all the time.

What concerns me at the present time is that we are moving into an economic conflict with one of the oldest and largest countries in the world and we seem to have forgotten that they have already defeated us once militarily. And of course at the same time, we have this civil disturbance taking place. While many of my countrymen seem to think that this is too disorganized to go anywhere, I'm seeing signs of it coalescing and I suspect we are looking at the beginning of a significant cultural change over here.

[Yvonne183]

Big DF - I think that America is no more guilty of this than other powers. Imperial powers by their nature tend to dominate rather than seek to really understand. Trying to understand is much more a characteristic of post imperialism, surely? Western Europe is these days is perhaps less guilty of this lack of knowledge because of our former empires - literal as opposed to economic ones - which brought us into contact with other cultures. Too often though that simply meant imposing our values and system on them. Now in the EU we are more connected to the rest of Europe and, via the Commonwealth to a wider world and also via the vast numbers of new britons coming from the Indian sub-continent, africa and Europe.

Ha ha, ha,, but the UK never had a black PM, so how can you think you guys are more understanding, you guys only elect white people and probably rich white people at that. We are more understanding than you lot when it comes to diversity. It was you guys who traveled all all over the world killing as many native peoples as you could for monetary gains and now you have the nerve to say you are more understanding, what a frekin joke you guys are. The only reason you gave up your colonies was cause the US forced you to do so after WWll. You'd still have colonies if it wasn't for pressure from the US.