if someone dares to raise a tiny bit of critisism against the US way of life or way of dealing with foreign peoples or nations not walking 100 % hand-in-hand with them.
This is not accurate. Your claim is an extreme statement. Americans can take criticism. It is the extreme with which the criticism is given. For instance, in the recent situation in Afghanistan, if some of our troops make an error, the entire 280 million population of the USA are condemned as war criminals. And this is done before all the facts are known. No allowance is made that our military might be right, nor any allowance made for the fact that an accident may have happened. No allowance for the fact that if the action is wrong that the vast majority of Americans do not support the wrong. It is the stereo-typing, all-or-nothing condemnation of ALL Americans for the acts of a few that is both irritating and demonstrates utter unintelligence. Because of this, such criticism comes across as hallow and disingenuine. There is the constructive or destructive approach to criticism. I find that many, but not all, Euros seem to love the destructive type of criticism. Whereas Asians seem to understand constructive far better. Just a generalized observation.
Of course I agree, Amazing, I just can't help it; Americans are so funny to tease ....... But there is a nationalism which we have problems understanding, when we for example see flags in the class-rooms and working places, the waving of flags after the September attack - there is a flag-waving which arouse in many of us the sentiments we had during the Viet Nam war, Bay of Pigs, etc. Large parts of Europe quite simply is Anti-American. Just look at France. You won't make a Frenchman speak English; they just ousted a business leader who was also into movie making, because he said he enjoyed Hollywood movies. Many of us Europeans feel like being treated like inferiors to the USA, and if USA do not start treating Europe more like an equal, those sentiments will only grow.
By the way, I don't quite understand why I should put flowers in my hair - I am a MAN!
I used to be appalled at the number of witnesses that bought fireworks this time of year, and who went to the fireworks displays on the 4th of July. Isn't that participating in the holiday? Imagine my shock when I learned that everyone who could do it, went onto the roofs of the WTS buildings in Brooklyn, to watch fireworks over the Statue of Liberty every year? Even the GB, when they weren't so old, went up there.
I just didn't understand. But then, I was a legalistic Pharisee.
: I explained. We first fought the Revolutionary War to be free of being the property and colony of Britain. At its end we declared our Independence or freedom from England with the signing of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776. We at that time became the United States of AMERICA.
Thomas Jefferson singlehandedly wrote the Declaration of Independence and sent a copy to King George. (Whatever happened to King George's copy?) King George was mentally deranged. Literally. Although the document was respectfully written and eloquent, Geroge wouldn't budge. We ended up fighting a very bloody war, and much like in the Civil War we were fighting our own brothers. A goodly number of Colonialists were British and our Country was divided between loyalties.
It wasn't until 1789 (I believe) that the Constitution was ratified and we became the United States of America and a Republic.
I've seen both the Declaration of Independence and several pages of the US Constitution in the National Archives in Washington DC. It gives me a lump in my throat to view the originals and realize what it took to gain our freedom and create a government that is a model for all the world.
