Do you ever feel like foreign countries are trying to take advantage of us?

We CTers look for flaws in our government but do you ever feel like foreign countries (wherever you may be) are trying to take advantage of us by saying things we like to say about our government? But, it's not what they say, it's how they say it? And that they try to use the things we say against our government? Do you ever feel like I do?

reply to post by Frankidealist35


I'm not sure what you mean, but I'll tell you my thoughts

Growing up, we were greatly exposed to what purported to be American culture.

Americans' houses were often bigger and to us, seemed much nicer than those in our own country. The towns seemed prettier, more organised, possessed a far greater community spirit.

Supposedly ordinary Americans appeared to us to have a much more privileged, pleasant way of life.

All this was based, largely, in the American movies and tv to which we were exposed.

The Mouseketeers for example .. it ran here for years after it had most probably ceased in the US. All the 'family' type shows, like 'Fonzie', the Brady Bunch. Earlier than those were the Leave it to Beaver and Donna Reed, Father Knows Best, Dennis the Menace type shows. All portrayed solid values, had a moral. The towns and homes were large, comfortable, well maintained, safe, cheery and filled with 'decent' 'salt of the earth' type characters.

Then the movies with their strong morals and upstanding citizens and solid, reliable, ethical law enforcement types. The local judge and sherrif. The decent, reassuring town doctor. The wise grandparent and aunts/uncles. The brave older brothers. The saintly older sisters. The family housekeeper who dispensed wisdom at the same time she managed to keep the entire house spotless and the entire family beautifully attired, fed and nurtured.

The John Waynes and Audie Murphy's. The Doris Days. The Jimmy Stewarts and Hank Fondas.

When you walked out of a theatre or as the credits rolled at the end of a tv show, you believed everything good came from and was grown out of, America.

Everyone I knew wanted to 'go to America' when they were old enough. Everyone.

We loved America's beautiful scenery, its organisational skills, its competence, its confidence, its seeming generosity and its industry, its innovation and good humour, its glamour, its progressiveness .. etc.

Every other place in the world appeared old fashioned and run-down by comparison. America seemed exciting, golden, the centre of everything worth seeing and doing and having.

The movies portrayed the American President as all the John Waynes and Henry Fondas rolled into one. The CIA and FBI were portrayed as the ultimate in 'justice'.

How could anyone be afraid or lacking or sad or in danger .. if they were lucky enough to live in America?

It was movies and tv which made people respect and admire the US.
People from every corner of the globe believed those movies and tv.
They wanted to believe them, of course.

It's not the fault of Americans that the US has failed to live up to people's beliefs. No doubt the majority of Americans believed those movies and tv-shows too. Many still do.

But of course, all the way through, the silver cloud had a black lining.
And all the way through, there were those who knew that.

Pearl Harbour for example. There were those who knew, at the time, that it could have been prevented from happening and the fact it was not was what propelled millions more Americans into WW2. Because certain people wanted the US pulled into that war and didn't give a damn how many American lives were lost, how many American families suffered.

For some, their awakening came with the murder of JFK
For others it was Nixon
Others were awoken to reality by Bush senior or by Viet Nam and what was used to again thrust Americans into a war the majority did not want.
For some, Bush junior has been the sad wake-up call.

Nevertheless, there are Phillipinos, Indians, Pakistanis, Sudanese, Irish, English, Scottish, Australian, New Zealanders, Flemish, Spanish, etc. etc. who still regard America as the ultimate, the most desirable place to go, to be. And they save and scheme and sacrifice in order to have the chance to be American citizens.

Anger is defined as 'disappointed hope'

So when you encounter anger from non-Americans, it's not directed at American citizens, who are recognised by the vast majority of others as being just pawns in a cruel game. That anger is disillusionment, disappointment, in much the same way as children are stunned and disappointed when they learn their parents aren't perfect after all.

reply to post by Dock6

I'm American and I'll tell you what I think.

I don't care what other countries think about our nations. I know our nation and culture is disliked by many.

I was once brainwashed from movies and I believe movies have died down in quality so they have lost value among foreign nations.

I think that our nation is still great and I think it can still be respected if we have a good leader again. My generation is looking forward to having a good and strong leader- Bush was terrible.

I think that our nation needs security and the people in these agencies do their jobs while some may have hidden agendas which we don't like. But the majority of Americans feel that we need some agency to do our dirty work.

I personally just don't like it when some nation takes words out of our mouths and uses it against us to justify their actions, take Russia for example.

Some countries out there DO try to take advantage of America. Yet, there are other countries out there, like Canada, who are really decent to us. I also agree that the old time movies made you feel good about this country. Not so much anymore, though. Hollywood standards, just like the educational standards in this country, have been lowered. We need to find ways of bringing the levels back up to where they need to be. And we can begin by making the necessary changes on election day by voting in people who will make the tough decisions that need to be made right now to improve things.

Originally posted by Frankidealist35
reply to post by Dock6

 

I'm American and I'll tell you what I think.

I don't care what other countries think about our nations. I know our nation and culture is disliked by many.

I was once brainwashed from movies and I believe movies have died down in quality so they have lost value among foreign nations.

I think that our nation is still great and I think it can still be respected if we have a good leader again. My generation is looking forward to having a good and strong leader- Bush was terrible.

I think that our nation needs security and the people in these agencies do their jobs while some may have hidden agendas which we don't like. But the majority of Americans feel that we need some agency to do our dirty work.

I personally just don't like it when some nation takes words out of our mouths and uses it against us to justify their actions, take Russia for example.

Hi. I'm not familiar with Russia's actions as you describe them above.

But sure, it's perfectly understandable that Americans would be offended by criticism. Not too many people enjoy criticism, deserved or not.

I think it would be naive though, to imagine a mere President could restore the world's previous respect for the US.

These days, I doubt very much that anyone believes the US President calls the shots, makes the decisions, oversees US policies, etc. the way Presidents do in movies and tv.

Most are aware now that the US President is simply a puppet, a mouth-piece and is controlled by shadow cabals who could have a President killed in a blink.

Only the extremely naive believe Obama or McCain or Hilary or whomever .. if they were President .. would do any more than take orders from above. Which is why Americans are apathetic about voting. What's the point of voting when you're only voting for a talking head with no real power at all to effect change ?

US elections simply provide people a SENSE of being able to 'make a difference'. US elections are an expensive public relations exercise -- they give people the illusion of change.

It's impossible to be unaware of the staggering disproportion of jews within US politics. Jewish newspapers exult with every election, because each time, even more jews gain power within American politics.

Are there dozens of Mexicans or Poles or Germans or Cubans or French or Australians or Dutch or Italians in US politics ? The answer is a resounding NO.

So it's clear from the disproportionate number of jews in US politics that the lives of the majority of Americans are being shaped and changed --- for better or worse (and I'll leave it to you to decide) by jews, many of whom possess dual citizenship.

So it's not 'US politics' at all, is it ?
It's jewish-US politics

Which may explain why American taxpayers are funding Israel to the tune of trillions.

And may explain why a phony attack on a US ship was used to justify thrusting tens of thousands of US soldiers into Viet Nam ---- yet an actual attack on a US ship by Israel was covered up and air-brushed over.

So, it will take a lot more than a cardboard-US President to put America's path back on the track.

It will require for Americans to finally decide they've had enough detrimental interference in their nation and lives by non-Americans.

Have a look. It's not France or Belgium or Italy who are using the US to fight their wars. It's not Australia or Zimbabwe who blackmail the US to 'donate' trillions of US-taxpayers' money. It's not Poland or Thailand who write US policies. It's not Swazilanders who control the US media.

America has to stand up to the cancer at its core.
Or the US will continue to go down the toilet.

Unfortunately, the rest of the world (the other 95% of the world's population) are unable to vote in the US elections.

Although as usual, it will be the 'rest of the world' which has to pay the price for whomever is elected.

Personally, I don't believe Obama and McCain combined are equal to even a tenth of a 'strong President'. I believe they were chosen because they're weak, corrupt and ALREADY compromised.

So it seems America's problems will continue and the world will continue to criticise.

And I'm sure we all wish it were otherwise.

reply to post by Frankidealist35


Sorry to burst your bubble my friend but our nation's politicians has allowed our country to been taken advantage a long time ago.

Right now is our country the one that is taking advantage of developing countries new found wealth in order to be able to sustain itself.

As a nation we are not longer anything to be taking advantage off, our government just allowed our treasury department to be manipulated by the global elites.

reply to post by Frankidealist35


Of course they do. And our government does the same to other countries. It's just the way things go.

reply to post by marg6043


That's why I think we need politicians in office that will actually do what they are supposed to do. I think they are out there and there needs to be more of them.

reply to post by Dock6

So when you encounter anger from non-Americans, it's not directed at American citizens, who are recognised by the vast majority of others as being just pawns in a cruel game. That anger is disillusionment, disappointment, in much the same way as children are stunned and disappointed when they learn their parents aren't perfect after all.

I was with you up until that "American citizens as pawns in a cruel game" nonsense. Most of those swell "American citizens" would just as soon drop a bomb from 30000 feet on your 3rd world country arse if it secured resources and power for them at your naive nations expense. We're a country founded by powder wigged Southern plantation owning slave masters who committed genocide against the Native Americans who also believed the same old PSYOP that we have peddled from our savage beginnings.... something about "freedom & democracy". My advice would be to never watch American TV or movies.

I do think that other countries take advantage of us. Israel is certainly one. But I agree with guy who said that neither Barrack nor McCain can save us.

We are alone.

We have to save us.