pnewton:
Mixing anti-Americanism in does not help your credibility, or do you really think that only American pollution affects the global climate?
Of course I don’t but, I’m not the one telling everyone how wonderful the UK is or how Europe is always right, or how we invented everything. If your going to set yourselves up as the Cowboy in the White Hat and to tell everyone how you are going to save the world by using all the recources then you had better make sure you are damn right. One of the greatest gifts man has is humility and the ability to see, acknowledge and try to correct his own faults. All I, and most of the rest of the world hear from yourselves is how wonderful you all are and how your going to save the world.
I have worked with and alongside Americans for many many years and they are some of the greatest people I know. Those who have had the courage to go out and face the rest of the world, not as tourists but to live and work in other countries. They also had the courage to admit faults and to try, in their own way, to allay others fears. They didn’t go around patting each other on the back and telling everybody how wonderful they were, they were realistic enougn to recognise that they are only part of this world, not all of it. They were also willing to accept that the Administartion in America AS WITH ALL ADMINISTRATIONS WORLD WIDE had its own axe to grind and was anything but perfect. That its actions were more for the individuals of the country and not necessarily taken from a world perspective.
Let me relate a true story. A friend many years ago went on holiday in Europe from the Middle East. He came originally from Origan (if my memory serves) and he travelled from house to house throughout Europe. He had been invited to stay with families of people he worked with in the Middle East. When he got back we asked how he had enjoyed himself, he said he had had a fantastic time. His only complaint was a moment of extreme embarrasment.
He was in Edinburough, on Queens Street actually and a man and his wife had walked into a “Tartan” shop. He was wearing Chequed pants, a dazzling Hawain shirt, she weighed over 16 stone (14 pounds to the stone for those that don’t know) and had a voice like a foghorn and they both made very loud, arrogant and stupid comments that were totally inapropriate to either the place or occasion.
They were Americans on a two week tour of Europe. Over here we joke, “is this London? it must be Tuesday!!”
Now, I do NOT say these are typical Americans, I know they are not but, they are an image that is held in a lot of peoples minds and when you display the arrogance that is sometimes seen, this is the image people conjure up.
Another true story for you. One of the nicest, kindest mildest man I knew was a Swede called Bengt, I won’t bother with his second name, I don’t think I can remeber how to spell it. He weighed in at 25 stone, he was 6’10" tall and had to turn sideways to get through a standard door. In the UK we would say he was built like a brick **** house. He used to carry my two oldest kids around hanging on his wrists with his arms outstretched. they were 8 and 10 at that time and fairly heafty lads themselves. Bengt was so big HE HAD NOTHING TO PROVE so he didn’t throw his weight around he didn’t threaten, he didn’t have to prove himself to anyone, he just was. Wonderful role model. You can figure out what I am saying from there.
Do not assume that because someone criticises they do not like you, more often than not criticism comes from friends because they like you and do not want to watch you make a fool of yourselves, and good friends will listen. Unfortunately that a lesson Tony Blair has yet to learn.