"The end justify the means. It is pretty scary." The ends justifies the means can be taken on a case-by-case system as well. It's how I work. "I don't see anything wrong with that besides your stereotype. Until you can "measure" arrogance without resorting to anecdotal examples, you will never prove your statement." Is there a scientific way to measure arrogance? And it wasn't an anecdote, it was an example. There was minimal knowledge let alone protest of America's support of Nazis. "You say you like to debate over internet. You will never win any debate using generalization" Wasn't it you who said every country is equally arrogant? And what examples did you use? What scientific method did you prove that with? The fact is this is entirely subjective. We'll never reach an agreement. I'll always say that being blindly patriotic is both illogical and detrimental eventually. You'll always say it aids the nation. I'll always say that what aids your nation may destroy another people - but that doesn't come into affect for you.
Xev A - Live in the UK, you know, the country Bush is manipulating B - Thank You for agreeing on the US being late in War bit C - I am an athiest, that doesn't mean Americans don't say GOD BLESS AMERICA D - Damn that Unicorn E - My point being that the US is violating a UN HUMAN RIGHT F - I know, I'm tired G - Well, the Americans attitude is one of being the best at everything At least the Canadians are modest. I'd rather go to Canada than the States. I can see why you lot are patriotic about your country (its YOUR country) but at the same time, I can't see why. You have the highest crime rates, your food sucks, your TV is rubbish, your law system is FKD and you live in the most hypocritical country on the face of this planet Your country is young, but you will learn
Racism IS a cancer in our society, but there will always be racism. Being afraid of "something strange" is human nature. Racism actually starts out from human nature. A lot of people are afraid of black people or going into Mexican neighborhood. Ending racism is a two way street. First you must eliminate ignorance from one end, and on the other end you must prove you are not inferior. Racism is based on fear and superiority complex. I don't believe anyone should just automatically respect someone by default. Respect must be earned. To end racism, each person must do his/her own part to gain another race's respect. I don't have a cavalier attitude about it. I always have this philosophy "adjusting to the environment instead of waiting for the environment adjusting to you." I am not going to end racism by waiting for other people to stop being racist. There is racism. I live with it. There is not much I can do. I try to let it work for me instead of letting it work against me. You think it is idiotic, but I can't really see why. People learn history so it won't happen again. There is no such thing as race genetically, but since race is a social construct, there is race.
Tyler: Ummm, no I did not. It would be appreciated if you read my posts and tried to understand them before replying. Or at least stop constructing straw men. So why direct it to me? I never said that. Where are you getting this from?! Jesus Christ on a pogo stick, what is is with you and straw men? The elimination of blind patriotism is a step on the road to this, I agree, but it will not mean they will keep their governments from supporting Videleas and Trujillos. That is a sincere hope, not a strawman. Speaking of which, I think I'm going to start counting the strawmen you construct from now on. Thor: With the consent of Blair, sorry. I don't like it either. Of course. I'm not a rabid patriot. Perhaps I've been a bit of a bitch to you, but I don't think that the US has an unsullied record by any means. I am too, and from what I've observed, its more of a request to God than a statement "God blesses America". *Smiles* Look at the way He treated His chosen people. I don't think Americans should ask for this. Why do you care what happens to Americans? Other than the occasional cheer when a few thousand of us are killed, why should you care at all? It is cleaner and quieter, as well as safer. But our women are cuter. This is true. I suppose I am a patriot "For all we could have done And all we could have been" And for all we could do, and could be.
No. I believe you are still wrong. As long as the foreign policy of the politicians work for American's best interest, they should be supported 100%. Always. Questioning their effort would be unpatriotic. Being mean or terrible to another country don't always benefit US in the long run. Most of the time they don't. As long as it benefits US, I don't give a damn. I don't know if there is a scientific way, but by giving examples won't cut it. Conclusions based on only examples don't work. I don't need to prove my point. I can just use the magic word "Gaussian distribution"
There seems to be nothing to be understood. If there is, it is "your responsibility" for us to understand it.
Blair is sticking up for himself though. Probably his wife saying 'HE'S PUSHING YOU AROUND, ARE YOU A MAN OR A MOUSE?' The reason I'm concerned with the US violating Human Rights is that I think anyone violating any human right is wrong. I don't see how the UN have allowed that to go on for so long. "But our women are cuter" - Agreed
"Ummm, no I did not" Here's what I read: "Annoying to you, sure. Most of the world hates us. *Smiles* There's no way to change this, so why bother? The thing to do is to stay safe and ethical at the same time." And for some reason I thought you were dealing with what you quoted from me which was about arrogance and ignorance. My bad. "I never said that. Where are you getting this from?" From here: "Basically, I'm saying that no American should give a flying fuck whether the rest of the world thinks we are annoyingly patriotic." "So why direct it to me?" Did I? Did I say - Xev you are... Or did I state what the world despises? "The elimination of blind patriotism is a step on the road to this, I agree, but it will not mean they will keep their governments from supporting Videleas and Trujillos" If America, at the time, had been less blindly patriotic there is a good chance that they wouldn't have supported the; "get rid of the commies no matter what" belief. "Speaking of which, I think I'm going to start counting the strawmen you construct from now on." That's fine. I only find it interesting that you're so hypocritcal. You have accused me with being more concerned with being right than debating. Then in a catholic thread you (a) ignore the fact that I didn't put it in the religion form and (b) somehow conviniently skip over the part where I say "hmm, you're right" and start calling me a bigot and an idiot because it is not idolatry in the biblical sense. So who was more concerned with being right? Anyway, I'm rambling and this paragraph was pointless.
"As long as it benefits US, I don't give a damn." And that's the kicker. And Americans wonder why the rest of the world hates them? "I don't know if there is a scientific way, but by giving examples won't cut it" There is no scientific way. Unless they've invented an objective arrogance-o-meter that I don't know about.
Why would any so-called "race" have to prove they are not inferior or gain another "race"'s respect???? There is NO genetic difference between "races", and any superiority complex one might have, is based on their arrogance and ignorance. If you can't see why I think racism is idiotic, then I feel sorry for you. Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image! This is ridiculous, people have shown throughout history that they DON'T learn from the past. You got it half right. Yes, there is no such thing as race genetically. But race is not a social construct, it's just a dumb catergorization based on a person's skin color, or religion.
That is because UK can benefit itself from being manipulated. Hahahaha. You say our food sucks, but what about yours? UK has the worst food period. Yeah our TV sucks but you keep watching it.
Thor: At least she is not smacking him around so that he must make up excuses like "I choked on a pretzel" Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image! The UN needs the US' support too badly to try and stop it. I think that Americans, such as our ACLU, must do the job. I do not think that the UN, or anyone else for that matter, should intervene unless absolutely necessary, though. Joeman: I do not mean to lose this debate through Godwin's law, but I can see Germans saying that about Hitler back in '39. What makes the US so special? That is true about British food, though. Tyler: That's okay, I thought you were smart enough to understand that I was referring to the fact that most of the world hates us. My bad. Yes, see the words "the rest of the world thinks" ? Here, I'll underline them for you: Make sense now? This assertion may be correct, but it is still mere assertion. I agree, though.
I know British food is crap. Italian food is the best. I do watch US TV, its still bad, but so's British. You do make good films, I'll give you that How can England benefit from being led around by its nose. Diddly, thats what. Oh, the unwanted thanks from the yanks. The US is throwing its weight around too much. It's getting away with murder. The USA is the MicroSoft of countries.
"That's okay, I thought you were smart enough to understand that I was referring to the fact that most of the world hates us. My bad." I thought you were smart enough to see the words "Good point, I agree" in the Catholic thread. I thought you were smart enough to realize that I started the thread in Free Thoughts not in Religion. My bad. "Yes, see the words "the rest of the world thinks" ?" I say - You said Americans shouldn't give a flying fuck that they are annoyingly and blindly patriotic. You say - I never said that I quote you - "Basically, I'm saying that no American should give a flying fuck whether the rest of the world thinks we are annoyingly patriotic." So what you're saying is that what the rest of the world thinks doesn't matter to what is actual subjective fact? I made the mistake in claiming a subjective idea to be fact. Now, to clear it up. You say that Americans should not care that the rest of the planet considers them blindly patriotic. Then you say that you do NOT think that Americans shoudl not care that they are blindly patriotic. It is not a matter of what the rest of the world thinks. It is simply true that America as a society has been blindly patriotic. As evident by the complete lack of knowledge on Nazi-supporting, the common belief that America was a major player in both world wars (the second they were, I'm not denying that), Joeman's rather common belief that "if it helps America I don't give a damn" and other things. "This assertion may be correct, but it is still mere assertion. I agree, though" Tis. And I can't prove it. I don't have the capabilities to go back in time and see what would have happened.
" thought you were smart enough to see the words "Good point, I agree" in the Catholic thread. I thought you were smart enough to realize that I started the thread in Free Thoughts not in Religion. My bad." I apologize. That was pointless and unnecessary and brought the level of this debate down a notch.
Racism is natural. Otherwise we don't have to fight it. Superiorty complex can be based on arrogance and ignorance but also based a lot on perception. To change the perception, you must do something concrete. By saying "we are all equal" just won't cut it. Race is a social construct for all practical purpose. May not for an idealogue but in real world it is. Race is much deeper than categorization of skin color. People of the same race usually hang out together. In places with very little racism, like Minnesota, minorities still hang out with their own kind because they feel more comfortable. Race is definitely a social construction. You would be blind not to believe it.
Thor: MICRO$OFT! You go too far! BTW, Indian food is best, followed by Japanese, followed by Italian, and there are good British TV series (like Red Dwarf). America is doing what all superpowers do, what your country did once, Thor. I do not like it, but we are not evil. Tyler: Americans must lose this tendancy in order to retain power and keep our country from becoming a monster. Not because the French might like us. Frankly, you don't know jack shit about what Americans are like. Your comment on the internment camps proves this. As does your comment on Americans being shocked by 9/11. If you had any intellectual respect for yourself, you'd listen to somone who knows Americans rather than to your own voice. C'est la vie.
I don't know what is Godwin's law. What Hitler did in 39 did not benefit the German's in the long run. I don't consider having your country bombed flat benefiting any. If US can become relatively rich and powerful, US must have done something right. US is actually not so special because US has looked after its own interest like any other countries in the world would. It would make US special if US doesn't.
