Looks Like Americanson isn't as paranoid as some think

[galt]

As a member of this board for the last year or so I've watched a number of people come and go. I've also watched a fair amount of self rightious and sactamonious folks pen threads and replies that heap derision on those who disagree with their vision of the world and how it should be.

Don't get me wrong, much of the debate and discourse on here has been quite good. Of special note I think that folks like Drunken Master who, in the wake of the US election and his favored candidate losing, has shown a lot of class in his congratulations of the winner and his wishing both GWB and the American people the best.

That having been said, one thing that I have noticed over the past few months is a lot of victriol and disdane directed at one individual. That individual is Americanson.

In a number of threads, Americanson has brought to our attention, what he feels, is a systemic anti American slant to this board. For these posts he has been reviled and ridiculed when, in actuality we should be doing some self examination instead of lashing yout. Many have stated that there are no anti American attitudes on this board and that it is only the US administration that people have issues with.

Well folks, in just the two days following the election I have, over just an hour or two collected the following quotes from just two threads alone. It would seem that Americanson is not so wrong afterall.

CH812
Regardless of how uneducated rural America is i dont think they could so overwhelmingly elect Bush by such a majority

What?!! and Canada is any smarter?!?! Did we put people on the moon? Are we the wealthiest country in the world? Are we the most powerful nation in the world? In 238 years the United States has, as a nation, accomplished more than many nations have in millenia of existence.

assoholic
..pathetic absolutely pathetic, I could understand him getting in the first time but after his dismal performance as President the fact he has been re-elected tells me all I need to know about the States. Puff out your chests while you can as your army slowly bleeds to death in Iraq, because after this idiot is through there is no telling how worse off we will all be in 4 years. He is totally devoid of anything other then his family connections. Quite frankly I now have no sympathy for the US whatsoever. If you cant recognize a incompetant lying moron after 4 years , you deserve what you get. Unfortunately your going to drag Canada down with you.

Pardon me for asking assoholic but who the hell do you think you are? 60% of a nation participates in an electoral process and because it doesn't turn out the way YOU want it to, you take it upon yourself to pass a personal indictment on an entire nation. I find it an admirable thing that 60% of eligible voters turned out and actually took part in the process. I wish we could say that about our own nation. You have the nerve to spout off about Americans electing a Yale and Harvard grad that you consider an idiot when we as a nation give three consecutive majorities to an arrogant lying thief who talks to imaginary homeless people.

CH812
Its really funny how stupid rural America is....

this comment speaks for itself

Harleycharley
i underestimated the number of gullible shallow war-mongering people in the US.....

And I overestimated your open mindedness and seeming lack of patrician arrogance

Dick
I gotta say, I think America is even dumber than I ever imagined.

A blantant anti American piece of arrogance if I ever read one

hdog
Fucking stupid NASCAR nation..

See above...and the list goes on and on below

Dick
Most of the country is too stupid to educate themselves by reading, so what they see on tv is how they will vote. At least 10-20 years ago, it would be some gathering of info on tv and then deciding.....now its "my favourite rock band likes Kerry, so Ill vote for him!!!! yaaa

Northerner
I will never underestimate the stupidity of the American electorate.

Assoholic
Bush appeals to the idiots, present company excluded of course , that is not in my opinion a very good strategy for success. The Yahoos are takeing over Amwerica, Faldwell, Ashcroft.

Harleycharley
hmmm, dont they even have private booths to mark your ballot in the US? third world amateurs......

Snook.fr
I guess this president is at the image of the majority of his people...a brainless clown.

Unlike our Prime Minister, like it or not, the American President was elected by a majority of electoral votes AND a majority of voting citizens in the united states.

 

[galt]

The anti americanism and, in some cases, the blatant stupidity of the statements above, reflects very poorly on each of you and on our nation as a whole. OTB, Papasmurf, lang and Americanson, congratulations. I've deluded myself into hoping that the statements above and those of the likes of Carolyn Parrish are not indicative of the feelings of our nation as a whole, but I fear that these rants are too common or ignored to think otherwise.

I for one am not of the ilk above, but would like to make some of my own generalizations about Americans. Americans are some of the most spirited, ambitious and driven people in the world. They are welcoming, generous and caring. I have never seen an American conciously malign me or my nation. They don't have to. They recognise that their nation stands on it's own merits without belittling ours. I am happy to have you as a neighbor. Your country and your people have been kind and magnanimous to me each and every one of the literally hundreds of times I have visited you. Thank you and keep being you.

 

[bonghitter]

Americans are some of the most spirited, ambitious and driven people in the world. They are welcoming, generous and caring.

not the americans that i have met, the americans that ive met are are rude and ignorant, they think they are all better then us and that we should be privlaged to be in the same room as them.

 

[Don]

Yup I agree that the american bashing is out of control at times. Americanson does goad people into it at times though. Anyway it does show ignorance on our part which makes me shudder. I rooted for Kerry and was shocked when he lost but after going over some facts it's clear why Bush won and it's not because americans are a bunch of moron who don't think they are losing a war.

 

[red]

well the quotes are from six members out of how many on terb? I don't agree with their comments but its unfair to paint the board anti-american based on the comments of a few. That said- there has been many a spirited debate that gets out of hand - on both sides.

 

[pool]

Many have stated that there is no anti American attitudes on this board and that it is only the US administration that people have issues with.

Just an observation at a glance and it's a little hard to judge with some of the quotes being out of context, but the majority of them seem to be referring to what people perceive as Americans who endorse the current administration.

There are thoughtless people in every nation and that, no doubt, includes Canada. Just because someone has different values and viewpoints from ourselves shouldn't label them as thoughtless, in itself, by any means. In a nutshell "thoughtlessness" could be defined as a narrow viewpoint born from fear, greed and/or other primitive instincts or emotions. Another trait, I personally consider thoughtless, would be if their outlook generally stemmed from self interest without any real empathy or consideration for other human beings.

Then again, it may not be thoughtlessness as such, either because they are unaware and/or consumed by these aforementioned human instincts or emotions.




When the power of love overcomes the love of power the world will know peace

Jimi Hendrix [American]

 

[Asterix]

Galt,

I agree there is alot of rancor surrounding his posts, and several people have used it as an excuse to say equally stupid things about the US. Still, he goes out of his way to encourage it, and has made some pretty outlandish statements about Canada. I tried to point out to him that if you post on a board in another country, it is a good idea not to routinely dis that country. We'll see if he gets it. Since I'm also from the US, I have no problem in taking him to task when I think he is stepping over the line.

 

[Drunken Master]

Thanks for the kind remarks.

I come from a rural, conservative part of Canada, and I'm proud of it. Although I believe firmly that conservative values do not benefit the people who live in rural areas, I don't blame anyone there for voting conservative. The plain, uncomfortable, ugly fact of the matter is, the left is elitist. We simply have not made our case to the people we like to tell ourselves we represent, and the conservatives have. Although conservative stereotypes of the "liberal intelligensia" make me queasy, there is something to be said for the fact that the left spends a lot of its time telling people what's best for them.

Don't get me wrong; the cynical union between social and fiscal conservatives that has dominated American and, to a limited degree, Canadian politics for the last 15 years is a bigger threat. But rural voters, the ones largely responsible for electing Bush, have made, I think, the best decision for themselves based on the information presented to them. That's not stupid, that's smart, and to suggest otherwise is offensive.

The left is way, way, way past due for some serious introspection.

 

[langeweile]

I moved to Canada three years ago from the USA, due to an opportunity that was too good to pass up.
Quiet frankly the anti- american sentiment here in Canada shocked me a bit. I have never thought of Canada as an enemy of the USA. I was born and raised in germany and nevr really paid attention to US/Canadian relations. On the surface it seems open and friemdly. The border is a formality and people speak the same language. This is were it ends.
While Americans in general don't pay much attention to Canada. Canada seems obsessed with the USA. Unfortunately in a more negative than positive way.
Comments in this boards are one thing, negative remarks towards my wife and kids is something else. Some of them are quiet obvious and offensive and some of them are more subtle.

The other part I found interesting is, how very few Canadians actually have been to the USA and how many of you really understand Americans.

In all fairness though, the majority of Canadians are honest and decent people, who have the same hopes and dreams than most Americans have.

 

[langeweile]

The North is more intelligent and has a better sense of justice than the South. Bush pushes all the buttons the South falls for - God, guns, gays and predjudice against people of color.

This is such a bigoted and stupid comment you should be ashamed of yourself for being so ignorant.
I have lived in Pittsburgh, Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas and Ottawa. There is good people, smart people and ignorant people in every city I have ever lived in.
People like you with comments like that just proof my point.

 

[cr1mson2002]

not the americans that i have met, the americans that ive met are are rude and ignorant, they think they are all better then us and that we should be privlaged to be in the same room as them.

Where you doing them bongs? You might want to choose better company to party with.

 

[peteeey]

galt is really Carolyn Parrish in drag.

 

[Don]

The left is way, way, way past due for some serious introspection.

There is a good article in today's Globe and Mail that touches on this. It explains that the liberals of america and even the democrats are out of touch with america and that is why they lost. They look at the conservative religious right-wingers with some derison, disgust and contempt. They also tend to think of them as some loony fringe group. They didn't understand that a good sizeable part of america falls in this group.... and that not all of them a dumb or crazy.

 

[galt]

galt is really Carolyn Parrish in drag.

LMAO...now THAT'S funny

 

[Ranger68]

not the americans that i have met, the americans that ive met are are rude and ignorant, they think they are all better then us and that we should be privlaged to be in the same room as them.

I think you're an ignorant ass if you can't see past the limited experiences you've had.

 

[Ranger68]

I moved to Canada three years ago from the USA, due to an opportunity that was too good to pass up.
Quiet frankly the anti- american sentiment here in Canada shocked me a bit. I have never thought of Canada as an enemy of the USA. I was born and raised in germany and nevr really paid attention to US/Canadian relations. On the surface it seems open and friemdly. The border is a formality and people speak the same language. This is were it ends.
While Americans in general don't pay much attention to Canada. Canada seems obsessed with the USA. Unfortunately in a more negative than positive way.
Comments in this boards are one thing, negative remarks towards my wife and kids is something else. Some of them are quiet obvious and offensive and some of them are more subtle.

The other part I found interesting is, how very few Canadians actually have been to the USA and how many of you really understand Americans.

In all fairness though, the majority of Canadians are honest and decent people, who have the same hopes and dreams than most Americans have.

Hear hear.
And most of us Canadians are ashamed of the US bashing that goes on here. It's entirely pathetic, ignorant, and often used for political purposes.

 

[rama putri]

Don't forget I wrote "Bible thumping, gun loving, fast food hicks." Or something like that.

 

[galt]

I put a lot of thought into whether I would post this thread or not and, in retrospect, I'm quite happy that I did. The post was not intended, as some here have thought, as a defense of Americanson and his views. Some agree with him and some don't. That's fine. This thread was directed at us, we Canadians who so often look down our noses with a sometimes unearned air of superiorty at a nation who, for 137 years have been the best friends that we could hope for. Yes, we have had our disagreements but, since Confederation, there has never been a war or any overt hostilities between our two nations.

As much as Canadians would like to think it, our relationship is not one of equals. We are far more dependent on the US than they are on us. We share the longest undefended border in the world and it is because of our close relationship, that we enjoy the right to piss on them and crap on them every time we have a chance. I just wish that the hdogs of the world would not use that right as indiscrimantly as they do.

As I said in my original post, the acrimony victriol and ignorance that you spew says far more about you and, unfortunately, us as a nation than it does about the Americans that you're directing it at.

To the others in this thread, I am happy that we are at last having an intelligent conversation about anti Americanism and at long last not burying our heads in the sand pretending that it is not here and alive and thriving on this board and in Canada as a whole

 

[Drunken Master]

If Americans believe that Geoerge Bush is a man of God who upholds the Constitution, that Iraq was a threat to our nation and that pre-emptive wars are not illegal or immoral then I guess I'm out of touch with America.

Ask any American whether they want the middle class to disappear or if they think big corporations deserve tax-breaks or should be rewarded for exporting jobs. My bet is 9 out of 10 of them will say no.

The left is so repulsed by social conservativism that it has stoped even trying to reach people on issues where it could make real headway.

 

[assoholic]

.. . The US has just announced the Govt will borrow a record amount in the first quarter. This guy is destroying the country. All the rednecks care about though is he is one of them, which is the biggest joke of all. Its all an act. The US is headed right where it left off in Vietnam, fighting a War it can't win, and destroying its own society in the process.