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energus · 12-30-2004, 04:21 AM

About the attention the US gets in the media. I feel that that is explained by the fact that the US is important to all our lives. Probably the greatest single economy, military mogul and scientific leader (or one off at least) in the world. Combine that with the "American Dream" (myth or fact) , the constant flow of movies and music as well as other forms of culture. That adds up to a big influx of American ideas and goods in every life. In other words the US attracts attention.

That attention can be envious or admiration.

Personally I find the US politics questionable, but that is me. I thought that the action against Iraq was ill adviced at best (most of the pilots of 9/11 came from saudi-Arabia and the majority of Al-Quaida was in Afghanistan (or that is what I was lead to believe)) to me it also seemed that the motivation changed emphasis during the campain, from Weapons of Mass Destruction towards a more huminatairian approach. I felt that the right time to get Saddam had past when a united front was in the right place, but at the wrong time roughly a decade earlier (the first Gulf War).

However what most people find frightening was the reaction by the politicians when Europe as a whole did not join. I heard politicians ask to rebury American soldiers who died liberating Europe (yec mac03 we are thankfull for the liberation, the lives it took, the freedom it restored as well as the Marshal Plan), but that reaction "join us or you are against us" made a lot of people feel uneasy (even threatened). It create a tare in 50 years of friendship between the US and Europe (and if you ever had a fight with someone close to you about something you both feel strong about you'll know sometimes those wounds heel slowly). It will get better in the long run (don't ask how long I am not a psychic).

On the other hand a lot of the actions done by the US government over the past decades already tarnished the US armor. Iran contra, Pinochet, Panama along with Vietnam fuelled the thought that the US was becoming a colonial power. When the war started I was following a course at uni in colonial discourse and travel literature, there where similarities between the european motives for colonising the unknown and the reasons for starting the second Gulf war.

As for callig the AMericans stingy. If you are able to get into debt by billions in order to defend your freedom/interests half way across the world a few extra millions to save people in direct need (as well as a grand PR stunt towards Al-Quaida "fans" in te region (of which there are planty)) seems odd.

I think hate is a strong word. Maybe misunderstood or ill educated about America and its ploitics are better words. Sometimes it feels that European, American, Asian and other world politics differ so much we no longer speak the same language,

12-30-2004, 04:21 AM	#18 (permalink)
energus Tilted Location: Alphen aan den Rijn, the Netherlands (find it on a map, it is there (somewhere))	About the attention the US gets in the media. I feel that that is explained by the fact that the US is important to all our lives. Probably the greatest single economy, military mogul and scientific leader (or one off at least) in the world. Combine that with the "American Dream" (myth or fact) , the constant flow of movies and music as well as other forms of culture. That adds up to a big influx of American ideas and goods in every life. In other words the US attracts attention. That attention can be envious or admiration. Personally I find the US politics questionable, but that is me. I thought that the action against Iraq was ill adviced at best (most of the pilots of 9/11 came from saudi-Arabia and the majority of Al-Quaida was in Afghanistan (or that is what I was lead to believe)) to me it also seemed that the motivation changed emphasis during the campain, from Weapons of Mass Destruction towards a more huminatairian approach. I felt that the right time to get Saddam had past when a united front was in the right place, but at the wrong time roughly a decade earlier (the first Gulf War). However what most people find frightening was the reaction by the politicians when Europe as a whole did not join. I heard politicians ask to rebury American soldiers who died liberating Europe (yec mac03 we are thankfull for the liberation, the lives it took, the freedom it restored as well as the Marshal Plan), but that reaction "join us or you are against us" made a lot of people feel uneasy (even threatened). It create a tare in 50 years of friendship between the US and Europe (and if you ever had a fight with someone close to you about something you both feel strong about you'll know sometimes those wounds heel slowly). It will get better in the long run (don't ask how long I am not a psychic). On the other hand a lot of the actions done by the US government over the past decades already tarnished the US armor. Iran contra, Pinochet, Panama along with Vietnam fuelled the thought that the US was becoming a colonial power. When the war started I was following a course at uni in colonial discourse and travel literature, there where similarities between the european motives for colonising the unknown and the reasons for starting the second Gulf war. As for callig the AMericans stingy. If you are able to get into debt by billions in order to defend your freedom/interests half way across the world a few extra millions to save people in direct need (as well as a grand PR stunt towards Al-Quaida "fans" in te region (of which there are planty)) seems odd. I think hate is a strong word. Maybe misunderstood or ill educated about America and its ploitics are better words. Sometimes it feels that European, American, Asian and other world politics differ so much we no longer speak the same language, __________________ Somnia, terrores magicos, miracula, sagas, Nocturnus lemures, portentaque. Horace