by Adam 58 Replies latest social current
The only true 'americans' are the aboriginal peoples (imho) who we (the 'colonizers') tried to wipe from the face of the earth.
<revisionist history>
Yes, I remember how loving and kind the Aztecs were to their neighbors. A shining example of how the 'colonizers' should behave.
</revisionist history>
Terry
mac,
well, y'all already tried. In fact, the only country that ever invaded Canada was the USA. It was called the War of 1812. (btw, we won)
and no, I won't be personnally pissed at you, unless you're leading the (unsuccessful) attack.
heathen,
Maybe I can offer some clarity.
Let me tell a story about a dear friend of mine. He is now in his eighties, but has travelled all over the world as an expert in his field, something to do with thermodynamics.
He said that he started wearing a maple leaf in his lapel. The reason for this was that many people in foreign countries mistook him for an American. As in my experience in Jamaica, their attitudes changed once they found out he was Cdn.
Example: He was in Paris in the early 80s. Went to a posh restaurant. The prices on the menu were horrendous. When the waiter came to take the order, they started to chat. The waiter said "Oh, you are Canadian! Give me back those menus. Those are specially priced for Americans. Canadians get the same menu as locals."
My friend, Herb, was very saddened by this. That didn't prevent him from wearing a maple leaf pin in his jacket from then on. He said it was a great help in his travels, as most countries are 'Canadian-friendly'.
I'm sorry for this, I don't think y'all deserve such hatred, but it's there. How to change it? Or do you care?
From your Cdn cousin (who is allowed to dislike your foreign policies but still love you folk)
tal
Or do you care?
Most Americans do not care. I think the fact we don't is one of the reasons the world hates us. The don't understand that for the most part we don't care what they think.
Terry (go Aztecs kill those virgins and war prisoners woohoo)
Terry (go Aztecs kill those virgins and war prisoners woohoo)
Don't forget the Carib tribe, Jelly, the root word of Cannibal. Yup, lovely folk. When columbus found them, they had all but eradicated the peaceful arawak tribe. Except for the women, which they had enslaved. Oh, & the little boys, which they castrated to fatten them up, much like a steer. So they could kill & eat them later.
Everybody that is alive today is alive because at one point in time our ancestors killed people and took their stuff. It's just the way the world was. I am not saying its right or moral it is just reality. The time in history when white people were going on their rampage just happened to coinciede with the explosion in printing and writing. So European crimes are remembered and recorded where as the crimes of Africans, Indians, and Asians are buried with their victims.
We are all the same.
Terry
Have you read the about the 'Trail of Tears?,' it's about the Cherokee Nation. President Andrew Jackson went against the order of Chief Justice John Marshal not to remove the Cherokees from their homeland, and this (AJ) man claimed to be christian. He had the Cherokee people (old women and men and children) walk hundreds of miles in the dead of winter to OKL. This is only one of the many stories of what happened to the protectors of this land.
Guest 77
to france . Of all nations that should feel indebted to the US they certainly fit the description . The US liberated them in 2 world wars . What a sad world we live in when there is such ignorance to who is a good ally and who is a threat to their way of life . I think this may be one of those countries that has alot of moslem influence these days so no love lost here . The US is certainly not dependent on france , the only thing I think they export to the US is wine anyway . Most of canada was at one time a french possession . I met a couple of french people just after the war started and they backed the US 100 percent in the war on terror . Where as I was against the invasion of Iraq . I guess if saddam was still in power he would probly be trying to buy the nukes that north korea is threatening to sell . There is still no guarantee of the peace and safety that the US is intent on establishing in the world . There is just too much world and the expense of modern day war is outrageous .
Have you read the about the 'Trail of Tears?,' it's about the Cherokee Nation. President Andrew Jackson went against the order of Chief Justice John Marshal not to remove the Cherokees from their homeland, and this (AJ) man claimed to be christian. He had the Cherokee people (old women and men and children) walk hundreds of miles in the dead of winter to OKL. This is only one of the many stories of what happened to the protectors of this land.Guest 77
thanks for injecting some 'common' sense into this argument - reality is that OUR people murdered a heck of a lot more than the aztecs did
oh, yes, the evil aztecs
so the Europeans (our forefathers) had the right to wipe all aboriginal peoples from the face of the earth, then enslave the africans
that's right, we didn't just sacrifice virgins (like the aztecs, horrible people they WERE) but we enslaved, raped and tortured a whole race for hundreds of years
now your're whining about why people don't like you (???)
talesin
(who is proud of who she is, not where she came from) You know what, it's the same-old same-old, you ask the GD question, but don't want the answer (trying to be nice here, but getting sick of the same old DENIAL, you sound like the WTB&TS)
Maybe if you would listen, and fess up to the truth, people would like your country more, no one likes a self-righteous, holier than thou bully who likes to push everyone around and then ignore their own faults!
Edited to read: Oh my, am I falling into the same trap? Horror of horrors, I sound awful. I sound almost ... American in my vicious attack. Better take a break from this stuff and get my sense of humor back. You folks just continue in your perfection, OK? When you solve world hunger, lemme know!
Most Americans do not care. I think the fact we don't is one of the reasons the world hates us. The don't understand that for the most part we don't care what they think. Terry (go Aztecs kill those virgins and war prisoners woohoo)
right on, Terry. Good point.
so why don't you (your country) stay the he** out of other countries' business, since you don't care?
oh, right, it's all about power and control, since you don't care.
I know you don't care, so why the B*TCH session? If you don't care about others, then no wonder people don't like you!
BTW, I don't believe that most Americans 'don't care', I find that they care a lot. This rabid nationalism only makes you look bad. My gosh, it's only a country for crying out loud. The politicians and fat cats care a lot less about you than I do, when you get right down to it!!
Can we keep this in mind while we're arguing? I'm being fairly passionate in my viewpoint (politically), but hope you realize it IS ONLY politics and discussion! thanks.
(not being personal, when I say 'you', talking about the country)
As a Creek, I'm not happy about being on the business end of history (and have no clue what Jackson did to get on the $20), but much of the "genocide" suffered by my people was not intentional.
In the first 50 years after Columbus landed, 90% of the Native American population died off due to a wave of smallpox and flu epidemics. These were by no means designed, and when 17th Century Europeans landed and saw a dying Native people leave seemingly free land (mostly because they did not recognize the concept of land ownership), they assumed that God had awarded them some real estate.
The trouble was the answer. Instead of offering Indians a share of the new country, they considered them foreign powers, so as to more easily acquire land. Instead of honoring treaties, the U.S. government broke them. When they realized that the damage they had done, they devised a system that made them dependent on the government in a reservation system that is justly named. I would have reservations about living in such a place. Medical care, food and housing are free...and worth it. you can get a job, but few businesses invest in such a place (showing both the good and bad parts of the free enterprise system). A Reservation Indian is 40 times more likely to committ suicide than an Indian off.
Any attempt to leave the reservation results in the forfeiture of your lands, leaving the only life you've known, and pratically losing your family (kinda like DFing). Plus, there's little gaurantee of success outside. Most crash and burn soon after leaving, with a barely adequate education (BIA schools) and some culture shock.
I wa lucky. I grew up in Oklahoma, a state without reservations and 15% Native population. I could see examples around me: judges, professors, bank presidents, etc. who were Indian. Not that a person needs examples of their own kind, but when you look around and see everybody who looks like you failing, it really hampers your outlook.
And that concept of "Indian soverignty" that the government endorsed to better extracate the Indians? We use that duplicity now to leverage Indian business and Casinos. We get complaints about it, but hey, they're your rules, you wanted them. Don't hate the playa...hate the game.
