Enquiring minds want to know: Why was Bush re-elected? I know a lot of my readers voted for Bush (myself excluded), and a lot of my readers either voted for Kerry or would have voted for Kerry if they were citizens. See the link below this post that says "Comments"? Let's hear why you voted for the candidate that you chose (or would have chose if you were a citizen), and hopefully we'll get some discussion going on this subject. No holds barred!! Feel free to hide behind the "anonymous" cover if you don't want to reveal who you are, or put your name in your post if you are courageous enough. I will delete any comments that are personal attacks (unless they are personal attacks on Bush) and I will steer the discussion to my one-sided viewpoint. Just kidding!!
(I sent this to one of my friends, just to get the ball rolling)
ReplyDelete....It's hard to understand their mentality, but many people really believe that it is our responsiblity to rid the world of evil men like Saddam and they really believe that there was a possibility of having WMDs and providing them to terrorists. They REALLY believe that. I think that it comes from our Christian cultural roots, too. That culture says that we should "share" (or force) our beliefs with others around the world. This goes beyond just religion, in my opinion. They have extended this thought of "sharing" to democracy as well. Even if it is not compatible with the culture they are forcing it on....
They have no appreciation of the world's groups like the UN and they think that the only reason France and Germany and the others wouldn't support us is because they had a financial interest because they were selling things to Saddam. I've heard some Bush lovers say "who cares if the rest of the world doesn't like us, we have to protect ourselves". And, in some respects, they are right. But what they fail to realize is that terrorism IS a world problem, and we can't fight it by ourselves. You can't fire a missle at terrorism. We need to have everyone cooperate in order to fight it, and by using "cowboy" tactics where we do things without anyone else's support, we just piss people off and they don't want to help us.
I am a die-hard Republican, yet find myself somewhere in the middle of the 2 parties.
ReplyDeleteI like Bush for lower taxes, especially income tax.
I hate Bush because he is raping the environment and promoting oil.
I hate Bush because he has us in a war, separated us from the rest of the world, a war that he has yet to justify, unless you just buy into the "American Unity" BS
I am a fundamental Christian, yet am not short sided enough to think they all are good leaders, or are the best for our country, nor "Christian" ideals always the best for our country.
I like Kerry for the things I hate Bush for.
I hate Kerry for the things I like Bush for.
Bottom line, I voted Demo for the first time in my memory, figuring it was someone elses time to give it a try, no matter who that was. I am not proud that I voted for him, because I doubt he would be great. But the choices are......?
DH
I think The Onion got it right when they said that this election was not about who you were going to vote FOR, but rather who you were voting AGAINST....
ReplyDeletePersonally, I have a yet to concede to the fact that there are such large numbers of "blind" people in our country. Is it truly possible that there are that many people out there who are that un-educated to realize that having an open mind is a necessity in the global community?
ReplyDeleteI hate tp be the guy who screams "conspiracy", but seriously bush's entire political tenure has been tainted from day 1.
The worst of it all is that he can just sit back and laugh in the face of all those opposing him.
I cant even complete a comprehensive blog response I get so frustrated......
what really put the fear of god into me, is the thought that mr florida (Jeb Bush), will most likely be running in 4 years.....
Here's to 16 years of fighting terrorism with bombs, getting the good ol boys rich, and making fear and hate (errr freedom) the american way.
I just cannot understand that the US citizen or most of them do not realize what is goíng on in their country and what this government does to the world. there are so many things going wrong!
ReplyDeletelook at your social system for example. bush cuts all the helps for homeless or people that are unemployed, insead he rises the military spendings. for what? to make war and to help his buddys who have benefits because of that. he uses your country for his own needs and the mayority of your country is too dumb to see this.
bush is so christian, yeah that is the reason why all the fucked up middle states voted for him. A christian that executes more people than any other, a good christian that makes war. There have been over 100.000 civilian killed in the Irak now. For what, do not tell me that you believe that he did that for the people. he doesn´t care about people look at the US citizen that lost their heads because of him. What about the people in China? Who cares about them do they have freedom of speech or democracy? But everbod makes business with them, the whole world(because they are willing to make busines and the Irak was not). there is more misery more dead people and more crime in the Irak than before. not that i say saddam was good or something like that but it was the wrong way to invade the Irak. and think about how he wanted to get the United nation votes for it. yes he lied to them he made up a stupid story about wmd. showed pics that were a fake. he lied to the whole world. countries like Germany or france that said that they do not want to join his "Coaliation" were enemys and Rumsfeld for example compared Germany with Cuba and Syria. What do you think, thinks the world now, now that you reelacted this man. no wonder that the mayority of the world doesn´t like him. and in the end they will not like the US. but you do not care and that is exactly the IGORANCE that we, the rest of the world, do not like. I cannot understand how he got the american people vote for him. I was so sure that he did not get reelacted an ohther time, I thought: no they are not that dumb. maybe because i do not really know the US.
When Justin came to visit me here in Spaind I could not believe that he thought that Busch will win an other time. I was so sure he wouldn´t.
No he is in office again, and I am really disapointed that you did not see your responsibility for your people and the world. Politics are not only the benefits for oneself, no it is also the responsibility for others.
When I turned on the TV tuesday night I really couldn't believe what I saw. Ok, to be honest, (with Justins help, while chatting along with him through aim) I had tried to talk myself into believing that Bush would win another term before. But I kept myself from thinking about the consequences of that thought, until it actually came true. This is, because I feel like that was/is a really, really bad choice for everybody on this planet! When Bush got elected the first time, it was one of my worst nightmares coming true. I spent 2001 in Ohio and all I can say - Bush exceeded all my worst expectations... I was full of hope that the US-citizens would see and think before stepping to the ballot and voting AGAINST this evil man and his administration. I thought at the least fahrenheit 9/11 would have triggered the american need for information about bush...
ReplyDeleteI spent two years of my life in the US, two years in the Midwest! I feel like I know the mentality of the people that live there. But somehow right now, I just don't think I know this country and its citizens anymore! I cannot understand how a man can be president, that purposefully lied to the citizens of his country, to the citizens of the world, who is sending young men from poor areas in HIS own coutnry to war everyday, that is responsible for the loss of lifes every day - and as many others already did, I ask myself everyday: WHAT FOR? Can anybody tell me, why the people living in the US report that morals are important to them and how people with good ethics can vote such a man? that claims to be christian (no offense, but I cannot understand how a good Christian can be pro death penalty anyways, but that's another story obviously) and only thinks about his economy and oil (what does it say in the bible? that we shouldn't kill, and that it is more likely that a camel goes through a pinhole than that a rich man goes to heaven). Of course, that's all depending on how someone interprets it. But: There's no interpretation possible if we look what happened in Iraq. There were no weapons of mass destruction. There was no reason to go to war with Iraq. Saddam was/is an evil man. But the man that DID LIE to the world WAS YOUR PRESIDENT!!!!
He split your country, he even tried to split Europe in old and new - good and bad! What scares me the most is the power your president has. What scares me even more is the power your president has over the minds of the citizens of the United States. What makes me angry is that he does not and probably will not sign the Kyoto protocol, and that the US wants to be excluded from having criminals convicted at the Permenant Court of International Justice in Den Haag, what happens in Guatanamo and I could go on forever... Like one of my friends from Ohio who was devasted last week, I feel disappointed, sad and angry. Cuz I can't say that I don't care. I think nobody can. The poeple that had the possibility of chosing voted last week. In my opinion Bush will keep up his hardline way of ruling. Like I said, I don't know what that means exactly, but I know it will mean nothing good for Iran, the middle east and North Corea.... and for the rest of the world. Trans-atlantic relations will not relax, I'm sure. At least I'm glad that Spain got rid of Aznar. And that (although I'm kinda sick of his way, too) our chancellor Schröder still stays on his path of not sending troops to Iraq!
I hate to think about this war in Iraq and how much pain and suffering it brought/brings with it every day. Right now they're fighting in falludscha - right on... It's sad, where the world is going right now. We should have learned from our history. I'm sure a lot of people in the US tried. Not enough. Too bad!
This might make everyone feel a little better:
ReplyDeletehttp://www-personal.umich.edu/~mejn/election/
(Referred by Mr. Lessig http://www.lessig.org/blog/archives/002283.shtml)
A lot of people (primarily liberal democrats) have been attacking Bush, over the past few years. He has been blamed for virtually everything, including a "bad" economy, an "unnecessary" war, etc. Are these allegations true? Personally, I don't think Bush is the cause for all of these problems. First of all, the economy is not nearly as bad as most democrats would like you to believe. People ARE finding jobs, jobs ARE being created, and people have a little extra money to kick around (i.e. tax cuts—a lot of Democrats don’t like the extra money—they feel the government needs it more than they do). Obviously, the economy is not as good as it was during the Clinton-era (not that he had anything to do with the good economy). But that doesn't mean it's not on the rise. A troubled world (i.e. Osama Bin Laden, Sadaam Hussein, and other demented people) is partly to blame—among other things. I'm not an economist, so I'm not going to dive too far into the economic side of this debate.
ReplyDeleteThe war is a touchy subject. A lot of anti-war activist are unable comprehend the NATURE of a war. If you watch the news or read most mainstream newspapers, you would think that the US forces (and Bush) are serial killers. As soon as democrats understand that people DO die during wars, they will be able to calm down a little bit. "No pain, no gain." It applies to sports, business, and yes, war! Sometimes you have to sacrifice a little to ultimately see the "fruits." I have also noticed that democrats tend to be overly sensitive to issues that the average, stereotypical Republican might not care about—for example, saving hermit crabs in Alaska or the rain forests in Brazil. You rarely see Republicans stressing over these issues. I am convinced that democrats are actually the hypersensitive portion of our society (from a raw, personality standpoint). That's why the Democratic Party is host to the "tree huggers," "anti-war activities," the "ACLU," and other "extreme" groups. Don't get me wrong, Republicans have their own "groups," but they are rarely as vocal or passionate as the Democrats.
Should we have gone into Iraq? It’s hard to answer that question. In hindsight, it’s easy to say it was a mistake—simply because people died. Personally, I think Sadaam was a threat. Maybe not an immediate threat (to the US), but he was definitely a thorn in the worlds butt. I hear a lot of people say, “But HE’S not the one that attacked the US! It was Osama! We shouldn’t be going after an ‘innocent’ man!” I see a few problems with that argument (I will touch on them as I go). First of all, I agree, it WAS Osama that attacked us. He orchestrated the attack with his henchmen. We haven’t found him yet, but we’re still looking. He’s a tough guy to get a hold of. I’m convinced that he will eventually surface and we’ll take him out when he does. After September 11, the nation (and the world) was definitely more sensitive to terrorists and possible threats. It’s like watching a scary movie—after it’s over, everything makes you jump (the whole world was “watching the movie”)! We can’t forget that the governing bodies of the world are still human—and act accordingly. Any ways, let’s get back to the issue. Sadaam has been a world problem and nuisance for many years. We got some information that suggested he had WMD. Republicans and Democrats alike agreed that there was a threat—of some kind. Ultimately, we decided to take Saddam out. Many people (primarily Democrats), said that the war was ridiculous and we didn’t give the weapons inspectors enough time to look around. For all I know, as an innocent bystander, maybe we didn’t. But does that make Sadaam an innocent, non-threatening person? Of course not! That’s simply a technicality that Democrats have used to make Bush look like a psychotic, raging serial killer—some have even compared him to Sadaam! Give me a break. The terrorist threat is a global conglomerate. Sadaam might not have any “noticeable” connections to Osama, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t something there or he couldn’t for an alliance, in the future. The terrorist threat is larger than one man or one group. Sadaam, Osama, and all of the other terrorists are all part of the big picture. Taking Sadaam out and cleaning up the garbage in Iraq can only be a good thing. Don’t start complaining and saying, “But innocent people are dying!” Of course they are—it’s a war! We won’t go back to that again. The point is, our attack on Iraq has rid the world of many terrorist, potential terrorist, and Sadaam is no longer in power. Oppressive, dictating, murderous leaders are not good—I repeat, NOT good.
I voted for Bush because I feel he stands for something tangible—unlike Kerry (that’s an opinion, just in case anyone thought I was trying to be omniscient). To be honest, I went to Kerry’s web site, listened to the debates, read several biographies on him, and I still don’t what his “plan” is. A lot of Kerry’s campaign was riding on his debating skills and “presidential demeanor.” He also understood that there are/were many Bush-haters out. He was obviously milking that to death.
From what I know about Bush, he’s an honest person that has very clear-cut values and positions (something that infuriates Democrats—they have a hard time understanding how a person can live by strict moral and social guidelines). That’s what I like. Kerry seemed a little shady and secretive. I never felt like he was telling me what he really thought or truly believed. I realize that most “intellectuals” try to base their decisions on concrete facts and “overwhelming” evidence, but it’s an undeniable fact that most people base their decisions on gut feelings—despite the information available. I consider myself an intelligent person—not a genius, but an intelligent person. I pay attention to the issues…but ultimately, I want someone leading the country that I trust. I trust Bush—he’s proven himself to me. I don’t trust Kerry. I never got the vibe I was looking for. The presidency, for him, just seemed like another checkmark on his list of “to do’s.” That’s the impression I got. Whether that’s true or not, we’ll never know.
Any ways, I’m sure most people reading this will disagree with everything I said (I noticed a lot of left-wing rhetoric). That’s life. I can deal with it. We don’t know all of the facts and we never will. What does that leave us with? It’s simple—impressions, gut feelings, values, and common sense.
"From what I know about Bush, he’s an honest person that has very clear-cut values and positions (something that infuriates Democrats—they have a hard time understanding how a person can live by strict moral and social guidelines)"
ReplyDeleteJust a quick reply to this statement. Adolf Hitler had very clear-cut values and positions. Does that make his values and positions right? Answer: No, it doesn't. This is clearly not what "infuriates" democrats (although I prefer you call us liberals, tree-huggers, ACLU-lovers, or whatever other monikors you radicals have for us. ;)
"Adolf Hitler had very clear-cut values and positions. Does that make his values and positions right?" That logic suggests that because someone HAS "values," that must be a bad thing. "Values" does not necessarily mean "evil," or "bad values." EVERYBODY has values. Whether those values are perceived as good, bad, neutral, etc. is another story. Anybody that compares Bush's values to Hitler's values needs to do a major, mental overhaul. I personally agree with Bush's "values," so I'm naturally going to be swayed in his direction.
ReplyDeleteRuss, your comments are missing my point. Originally you made it sound like us liberals don't like people who have clear-cut values and positions. Hence my reply....
ReplyDelete"From what I know about Bush, he’s an honest person that has very clear-cut values and positions." What about that lie about WMD? The entire reason he gave us for going to war was a lie. That doesn't sound very honest to me. What about Halliburton getting no-competition contracts in Iraq? Shady, not honest.
ReplyDelete"The war is a touchy subject. A lot of anti-war activist are unable comprehend the NATURE of a war. As soon as democrats understand that people DO die during wars, they will be able to calm down a little bit." I think we all have a pretty clear picture of the NATURE of war. What you Republicans can't get into your minds is that the NATURE of war is the reason that war should be a last resort, not a sneaky way to get some oil. You say that this war was not unnecessary? Were we backed into a corner by Saddam Hussein and left with no other option but to invade Iraq? No, we were not. Obviously this war was not a last resort and it IS unnecessary. I love when Republicans say that we all must think Saddam is a great guy because we oppose the war. What an idiotic statement and mindset. Obviously Saddam is a bad guy. Nobody thinks he's a saint. But neither is Kim Chong-il in North Korea. Or many other so-called leaders. Have we attacked them? Why not? Now that I think about it, maybe we will, now that Dubya is going to be around for a while and doesn't have to worry about re-election.
"No pain, no gain??" You're using a cheesy gym phrase that refers to a little temporary physical discomfort to justify killing thousands of people?
"Sometimes you have to sacrifice a little to ultimately see the "fruits."" - so what have you sacrificed? I doubt you would consider it a sacrifice if another country came in and bombed your house.
"Sadaam might not have any "noticeable" connections to Osama" Well guess who does have "noticeable" connections to the entire bin Laden family (which includes Osama)? That's right, your man George W. Bush!
"To be honest, I went to Kerry’s web site, listened to the debates, read several biographies on him, and I still don’t what his "plan" is." What's Bush's plan? Did you pay attention when you "listened" to the debates? Kerry had a much clearer plan on what he would do in Iraq. Bush basically said that we would be occupying Iraq until they embraced Democracy. Which translates to "we won't be leaving anytime soon." Great plan. I'm sure Dubya really taxed his brain coming up with that one. Tough talk about ridding the world of terrorism is not a plan, and lets face it, we will never rid the world of terrorism. Unless you round up everybody who disagrees with you and then put them in little camps... you get the idea.
It must be great to be a Republican. You never have to admit to being wrong and everything is clear cut. Every issue is either black or white. If you oppose attacking another nation, you must support that nation's leader/dictator. You're either with us or you're against us. Hi-ho Silver!
hello again.
ReplyDeletejust need to comment on the republicans' post. i am not convinced (of course)!!! there isn't one of your arguments that sounds anything near logic to me.
what i get from your text is essentially that you think republicans are actually rather shallow people, that do not at all care about the complexities of issues that they really should care about! well, that's what i thought! "it's not that bad" - is what you're saying. well, wake up, CUZ IT IS THAT BAD!!!
it's unbelievable to me to comment on the victims of war with the phrase "no pain no gain". are you thinking about what you said there? what if you brother, father or best friend died in iraq? no pain, no gain?
security is so important to you us-citizens... ok, but guess what? comments like that, to me, come from people that must feel pretty secure, otherwise probably you would be willing and able to differentiate a little more.
yes, hitler had his own ideals, too, he could communicate them very well, he promised wealth and order in germany. the rather shallow german citizens believed him. never critized. didn't think for themselves and followed their leader. who was a human, too and had some nice ideas to make their life easier. it wasn't that bad. things got better - and that little freedom they had to sacrifice, wasn't all that bad. that was 60 years ago.
this is today - after world war II, vietnam - that a young us-citizen tells us (the sensitive tree-huggers) about the nature of war and if there was no pain, there would be no gain!!! it's 2004!! dude, we know what war and ignorance leads to!!!
maybe, dear republican, you should travel around the world a little bit and gather some insight about different countries and cultures! go and and FEEL life that is different from your everyday lifestyle. i'm sure you'd learn to value multicultural thoughts, i'm sure you'll learn that the world is as beautiful cuz there are so many different people in it that you too can learn to love in all their complexity. then look at the narrow-minded man that is leading your country. and be glad you are able to see things from more than one side!!!
Democrats are so close minded. It's pretty pathetic. "It's the oil...it's the oil! Mommy, it's the oil that Bush wants! He's such a mean man!" When I listen to Democrats whine about everything, it's like I'm listening to my 6 year old cousin. Democratic arguments are based on hate and sensitivity rather than an honest interpretation of what is happening. Again, the comments that I read (in reaction to mine) simply validate my argument that democrats are simply the hypersensitive personalities of our nation. It's actually a very simple analysis (not that the democrats would ever understand).
ReplyDeleteIt's interesting how people gobbled up my "no pain no gain" comment. Because I said it so plainly (I'm dropping down to the kiddy level), the democrats aren't able to understand the meaning! I guess I should have said, "In order to achieve great things, sacrifice is necessary. If you don't study hard in school and get good grades, there's a better chance that you will not get the job you're looking for or possibly get into the college you want. If a business man is unable to make some sacrifices and take some risk, he will probably never succeed. War is the same way. People die in wars. That's inevitable. It sucks, but that's the toll that we have to pay for freedom. The US wouldn't exist without war and the loss of life." Does that make more sense? It should. If it doesn't, I can try to explain it at a preschool level. If I had a father, brother, sister, or relative in Iraq, it would be terrible if they died, but at the same time I believe they are part of an operation that will ultimately make the world a better place...although it's very hard to see that right now. Instead of complaining about the soldiers dying, why don't you get off your lazy democratic butts and actually talk to the soldiers themselves! I've talked to over 20 different soldiers, within the past 2 months, that have all served in or around Fallujah (and other parts of the country). Not one of them is opposed to the war and every single one of them said they would go back in a second. They trust Bush and they are over there because they want to be there. That's what they signed up to do. Of course they don't want to die, and of course they miss their families, but an overwhelming majority of them are proud to serve their country. Democrats have a hard time understanding how a person can be proactive and look at the bigger picture. They want everything handed to them on a silver platter...world peace, wellfare, etc. It's virtually impossible for them see the big picture. How do I know that? It's simple. Their reasoning for us being in war is solely based on Cheney and Bush wanting oil...so they can stash it away in their cupboards! Do you realize how stupid that sounds? Probably not. I'll help you out...it's stupid! You make it sound like the president is all powerful and does sneaky things behind our back without us knowing about it. That's ridiculous. The entire world (full of extremely intelligent people) his it's eyes on our country. Do you actually think that we could go to war simply because our president and vice president want more oil for themselves??? You guys need several brainscans...I think a few moths are floating around up there. Any ways, take a nap, down a few anti-depressants and relax.
ReplyDeleteoh, please, mr. republican....
ReplyDeletei won't reply to the stuff you wrote last because i think that's childish. my opinion is based on my experiences and the education i was lucky to receive (part of it in your country). doesn't have anything to do with my psychological health. ;-)
i'm not a democrat, never will be one, never in my life will i vote in the us, cuz i'm german.
i guess we could talk for weeks and months and wouldn't agree on political issues. were just different. i don't know you and you don't know me. i have seen a lot, lived in two us-families, went to church with them, listened to their believes and let them share their values with me. justin is a long-time friend of mine and we were discussing politics forever when we first got to know each other - back then our opinions were opposed....
i'll just post the lyrics of a ben harper-song that i love and that i tend to again and again dedicate to all the people i consider ignorant! there are too many of them outthere, unfortunately...:-(
after i'm done here, i'll go outside, cry for everybody in the war, hug two of my favorite trees, save a few little snails from the street, and meet with my extremist friends to organize the next protest that we plan to do soon!!!
so this is to you, mr. republican! ;-)
Excuse me Mr.
Oh - excuse me Mr.
Do you have the time,
Or are you so important that it stands still for you?
Excuse me Mr.
Want you lend me your ear,
Or are you not only blind but do you not hear?
Excuse me Mr. but isn't that your oil in the sea,
And the pollution in the air Mr.,
Whose could that be?
So, excuse me Mr.
But I'm a mister too.
And you're givin' Mr. a bad name,
Mr. like you.
And, I'm taking the Mr. from out in front of your name,
'cause it's a Mr. like you that puts the rest of us to shame.
It's a Mr. like you that puts the rest of us to shame.
And I've seen enough,
Oh - I've seen enough,
I've seen enough to know that I've seen too much.
Excuse me Mr.
Can't you see the children dying?
You say that you can't help them,
Mr. you're not even trying.
Excuse me Mr.
Just take a look around.
Oh, Mr. just look up and you will,
You'll see it's coming down.
Oh, excuse me Mr. but I'm, I'm a mister too.
And you're givin' Mr. a bad name,
Mr. like you.
So, I'm taking the Mr. from out in front of your name,
'cause it's a Mr. like you that puts the rest of us to shame.
it's a Mr. like you, puts the rest of us to shame.
And I've seen enough,
I've seen en..., I've seen en...,
I've seen enough to know that I've seen too much.
I've seen enough,
Oh - I've seen enough to know that I've seen too much.
'cause Mr. when you're rattling on heaven's gate.
By then it is too late.
'cause Mr. when you get there,
They don't ask what you saved.
All they'll want to know Mr. is what you gave.
So, excuse me Mr.
But I'm a mister too.
And you're givin' Mr. a bad name,
Mr. like... you.
So, I'm taking the Mr. from out in front of your name,
'cause it's a Mr. like you puts the rest of us to shame.
Mr. like you, puts the rest of us to shame.
Oh...
...shame.
Ok I’ve read all the above posts, and it’s only served to strengthen my personal conclusion. I voted for Bush, not because I agree with everything he has done or said, but because he stands for something. I too could never find a stance from Kerry on one thing, and as the election neared, it seemed he was saying anything to get votes. And to the guy above with the black and white comment, yes there are multiple sides to every issue, sometimes more than two, but you can’t be John Kerry and agree with them all!! But the bottom line is, I find it flat out embarrassing the democratic party couldn’t field a winning candidate, I mean come on, with the war, the economy, that fat idiot’s movie, what better time to put a liberal in the white house, and they got shut down, by over 3 million votes. To me that’s just laughable. So to all you liberals buck up, get to work like good little sheep on Hillary 2008, or move to Canada as you threatened to do if Bush was re-elected. Otherwise hail to the Cowboy, I mean, to the Chief!!
ReplyDeleteGeez, it's good to finally hear from another republican! I would agree with the last comment...it really is embarassing that John Kerry is all the democrats could come up with (that's not a surprise though...the whole party is in ruins right now and has been for quite a while). It looks like we've got a German liberal in the discussion. Have any of you ever noticed how foreigners always seem to think they know everything? I guess it's because they are detached and supposedly can look at everything from a clear vantage point (at least they think they can). I'm not going to pretend I know much about Germany...I don't. I lived in Ecuador for two years, mingled with the people 24/7, and to this day I'm not going to profess that I "know" the people, culture, and government...just because I lived there for a little while (and yes, I consider two straight years a "little while"). It's kind of annoying when foreigners tell us what we should think, do, and say...just because they spent a little time in our country. Oh well. Mr. Germany, whether you like it or not, the average stereotypical liberal democrat is definitely more "sensitive" than the average republican. You're too clouded by political rhetoric to see that we're all just human beings...we're just flesh and blood. You're personality and hypersensitivity (based on your comments) is something you can't avoid. It's part of who you are. Any ways, it looks like this has turned into a heated debate...perfect! Justin is trying to bump his Google PageRank up to a 4 or 5...that way he can start generating some revenue!
ReplyDeleteTo the Left-wing Americans and Other General Whiners:
ReplyDeleteOnce again, accusing Bush of being like Hitler is just not acceptable political discourse. Cry and whine all you want about how you were 'cheated', how Americans are 'stupid' etc etc, because when it comes down it I'm afraid your own hatred clouds any rational thought. As far as stupidity goes, I'm proud to be a citizen of a country that has invented pretty much 95% of the most important innovations in the past 150 years. A country that hosts the great majority of the top universities in the world. A country whose free-market system creates competition that brings the standards and levels of good and services to a level much higher than in any union infested country.
To the Europeans that have posted on here :
When it comes down to it, I for one couldn't care less about doing what is popular with the people of France, Spain etc. Popularity does not make something correct and appeasement sure has a poor track record which the 'stupid' Europeans still haven't figured out. Never forget that with your complaints you can scratch at the window all you want, but you aren't getting in.
God bless America
Tom Spillane
Why I voted for Bush:
ReplyDeleteForeign policy
1) He agrees that we should negotiate with North Korea in conjunction with China and Japan instead of going-it-alone. (Isn't it ironic Kerry had this opinion when he is for a "world test?")
2) Liberals provide the premise that Kerry would embrace foreign leaders and build stronger coalitions. I disagree. World leaders will and do act in their own countries best interest and will act no differently with Kerry or Bush in office (this was exemplified with particular strength by the French government re: their interests in Iraq). They will continue to act in their own best interest. To think otherwise is naive.
3) When Rudolph Giuliani says we are on offense on terrorism believe it! The fact we have not had an attack here is not a coincidence, and is partly the result of aggressive administration policies (think covert).
Energy
4) President Bush and Vice President Cheney are realists about energy. They believe we need to drill more in Alaska and other wildlife preserves. Simply declaring "we need innovation" ala Kerry is not going to help us. His philosophy is a Gray Davis philosophy (aka broke ass). Check out http://www.peakoil.net -- I don’t believe Mr. Kerry’s name would show up there. Cheney’s does.
Domestic Agenda
5) President Bush actually does have the guts to "fix" social security. Personally since I am part of the younger generation I do not want to see this wealth transfer occur to the baby boomers. I would rather have the money for myself. Social security needs badly to be addressed in next four years, and Bush has the ability to do it with control of congress. A side benefit of fixing social security is one many don't think about -- but reducing payroll taxes on corporations will actually help American's compete with foreigners and should add net jobs. The fact is Bush’s policies are pro-growth (which I understand is quite at odds with our old world European counterparts).
6) President Bush supports lower taxes for the people who earn income in this country. You know the people that work and make an economy run, particularly entrepreneurs.
7) Republicans support our constitutional right to own firearms and rise against government tyranny. Hopefully, he will embrace larger 50 caliber versions with our newfound strength in congress.
Respectfully,
Ryan T. Hess
Proud (and lucky) citizen
United States of America
These comments turn to be so stupid. you guys are not refering to what other people wrote.
ReplyDeleteyou have been to ecuador for two years. and you say you do not know the country very good or the politics or whatever. maybe because you did not look, closed your eyes once again. the U.S like you all so proud american say is totally different to ecuador too. we in germany hear a lot about your politics in the US and about what is going on over there. the american economy for example is influecning our economy very much hence it it is important for us. by the way it´s two german writing here. so maybe we know a little more about your political system history society that you know about the ones in ecuador and maybe this matter is a little more important for us, because we rely on the US. I know you rep are so proud to hear that, but it is true. what is not true is that we think we know everything better, we know it better. and you know why, because once again you selfish ignorant guys closed your eyes again.all this comments you wrote are self excuces not refering to anything, we stupid not knowing german said.
after 9/11 i felt really sorry for you that this happened to your country to your people to the world. but i was scared how the US would react. I had a reason to be scared because of watch all this.
you make war, cut your own rights devide europe into old and new, devide the world into good and bad.
this discussion is not only about tax, straight politics and drilling oil in alaska. no it is also about something more.
and this is where 9/11 comes in again. The US did not realize where the problems start they did not fight the problems at the roots. you never asked yourself why do people hate us like that, why did they do that to us, what can we change. no in your rambo mentalitiy you wanted to make war, have someone to blame for, kill people arest them and treat them like animals in guantanamo, because people that are a threat for america have no rights. what do you think thinks a fudamental iraki when he chopes off the head of an american. he thinks that this guy is a threat for his country too. you are playing the game. like israel and palistina is doing for decades. Think about it there is not only one side of the coin, what does an Iraki thínks, what an Irani if you come into his country knowing everythink better.
but it is your small great american world you are lifing in, you are not able to recoginize what´s wrong and when a foreigner tells you something, you do not listen anyways because you feel disturbed in your stupid pride. Pride for what? I think the last 10 years you have nothing to be proud about. and by the way this example with the inventions 95 % that can´t be true. maybe for weapons or new methods of doing death penalty.
Iam german. i like me country, now living in spain i see a lot of things that i miss or think in germany are better. am i proud of my country NO. you may say why should be he proud - he is german they killed so many jews and made war to the whole world he cannot be proud.
but this is not the reasons. For me I can only be proud of something I did do or a friend or a family member. Why sould I be proud of a guy called goethe you probably do not even know or einstein I think you know him, he was german. because they were german, because of the nationalty?????
and by the way just to remember you to your history. you came to America killing a whole culture( the native American I mean), after that you importated slaves after slavery was abolished the black people were second class people did not have the same rights until the 60s, you killed thousand inocent people in vietnam, the cia was giving money to states that did not share your sence of democracy, money to kill people to change the goverments. Do you think that is a history to be proud about???? I know my history the german one maybe it is worst maybe it is even more brutal, but I DO KNOW IT AND I KNOW THAT THERE IS NO REASON TO BE PROUD ABOUT THIS.
When do you people open your eyes and see what is going on?
The most important subject that I was going to talk about as well was that we don't bother to try to find the root of the problem with people like the Islamic Fundamentalist. Instead, we have George W. telling the Americans over and over again that they hate us because of our freedom, and that just makes people angry at the Muslims over there because we LOVE our freedom, and since they don't love freedom, we need to kill them. But, in reality, it's just George W. saying this over and over again, and it's not the real reason why these people hate us, in my opinion. When we hear Osama's tapes, he never talks about why all Muslims should kill us because of our freedom. He's pissed about our strong-arm, bully tactics, our one-sided support of the Israelis, etc. And when we demonstrate this again and again in that region, more and more Muslims start believing people like Osama and start to hate us and start getting their Kalishnikov's and rocket-propelled grenades and then we're just back to where we started. And, for this reason, I think that Bush has made us more susceptible to terrorists. By killing some with bombs, you actually create more. And that is not the way to secure our country...
ReplyDelete"These comments turn to be so stupid. you guys are not refering to what other people wrote."
ReplyDeleteI have to quote since I didn't catch your name. Nevertheless, I was merely answering Justin's question about why Mr. Bush was reelected President. The fact is Mr. Bush choose to go into Iraq and there was no difference at all between the two candidates on Iraq going forward. Thus, I brought up points of why the majority of Americans voted for Mr. Bush, myself included.
Regards,
Ryan T. Hess
I was not critizising your answer (your reasons voting for Bush). I was refering to the other comments and your ending,if you know what I mean, pride and this stuff I wrote about.
ReplyDeleteIn the end I think all this makes not sence because i think we are all too different, have I different way to look at things and this world. But I must say it is interesting for me to hear what you wrote, to hear how you think.
But I know that their are enough people in your country that think differently . Because of this "God bless America"
Alexander Hain
It's nice to seem some civility and respect for other peoples views in the last couple comments. I was worried that J. Riley's Friday Night Smackdown could come to this:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.cnn.com/2004/EDUCATION/11/11/school.fight.ap/index.html
Atencion Senor Alemano Que Vive En Espana,
ReplyDeleteRegarding being proud of who I am:
Listen, I'm an American and I have travelled around
the world including Europe, North America, and South America. I have met quite a few Germans in my travels and am quite well aware of the self-hating nature that you Germans now possess. Ahhhhh, nationalism is BAD! Being proud of your own country? That is horrible and selfish! What is wrong with you Americans? Being from the country that hosted the real Hitler, I can understand some of your reasonings for this, but they go much too far. Once again lets cut through the naivete and understand that EVERY country acts first and foremost in its own self interest, and then secondly for others. You call Americans selfish, ignorant and acting in our own interests? Germans are exactly that but missing the critical component of having the power to do something about it.
Regarding "The World" Hates Americans!:
#1 - First off, this is a ridiculous argument in so many ways. What exactly is power? I'll help you understand, German. Power is having the resources, knowledge, and ability to get what you want. Apparently to people like you, we are 'hated' and our influence is diminishing in the world, no one wants anything to do with us. Economically, please tell that to the multitude of countries that rely on and do business with the US every day. We are the power that keeps the world economy going, and never forget that. General Marshall sure gave you Germans an undeserving boost, but understand WE are the free market that is most crucial in the world economy. Tell your viewpoint to the billions of people that buy our brand name products in every corner of the globe. You don't like Americans? Don't drink a Coke or buy McDonalds again, no one's forcing the billions that love these and other US products to do so.
#2 - Who are our friends? Are the Germans our friends? The people that we rid of fanatical Nazism and protected for so many years from Soviet Invasion? Are the French our friends? The people that we twice saved from having the unpleasant task of having to learn German and that never have fully understood that French power ended with Napolean?
No, those are two self-righteous and pompous countries that disregard the sacrifices that millions of Americans have made on their behalfs and forget what miserable Soviet and/or German backwaters they would be without American help. No, Germans and French OBVIOUSLY are our friends. Let's talk about the not so friendly Middle East.
Syria, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Iran, etc etc etc etc...
Let's think for a second...we invaded Iraq, a country that for 13 years flouted the authority of your sacred UN, the center of all that is good and pure. Wait a sec, why did we ever invade Iraq? Iraq was a paradise of love, peace, and friendship that extends back to the days of 1990 when they extended their friendship to invading Kuwait. Our greatest mistake was not wiping from the face of the earth Senor Hussein then. Instead the UN imposed sanctions that have proven less than successful. All this in the name of stopping the horrible and lopsided killing of those innocent Iraqis by the overpowering and forceful coalition led by the U.S. Apparently though, time heals all wounds and some Europeans started thinking Hussein was an alright guy again. A multitude of EUROPEAN companies flouted the UN rules and began undercover business dealings with Hussein, exploiting the Oil for Food program meant to assist the Iraqi citizens that had nothing to do with the meglomaniac Hussein or idiot Europeans.
Regarding Moral Superiority:
I NEVER want to hear especially a German cast judgment on the treatment of detainees in Guantanamo or Abu Ghraib. Was some of the treatment the people received cruel, harsh, and unfair? Fuck yeah. I am absuoltely appalled and disgusted but some of the occurences that took place in those prisons. It was incredibly wrong and not acceptable in any scenario. I am also appalled because try as we might not to repeat the sub-human treatment the Nazis impressed on other people, some of those actions leaked through and was applied to the people held in prison. On a side note, were the Iraqis and fighters sweet angels that we just chose to pick on? Not at all. Today as I type, a multitude of Guantanamo detainees that the Europeans pressured us to release are now back on the battle field killing Americans. Don't believe that? Request references and I will be happy to oblige.
Regarding what American have contributed innovation wise:
understanding of electricity
the telegraph
the telephone
the lightbulb
the transistor
the assembly line
the sewing machine
the airplane
first in Space
first on the Moon
the computer
blue jeans
the artificial heart
a myriad of biological/health innovations
too many too add
Basically the only reason that you are a free-thinking , non-Nazi German that has met stupid traveling Americans and can now write emails replying to stupid Americans is all due to the innovation of Americans. Hmm.
God Bless America.
Tom Spillane
In response to all 'Anonymous' posters:
ReplyDeletePost your names, what's there to hide.
Tom Spillane
tjpillane@yahoo.com
correction - tjspillane@yahoo.com
ReplyDeleteDear Tom if you would read all the comments you would recoginize that my name is there.
ReplyDeleteAmerican inventions?
understanding of electricity - what kind of invention is this?
the telegraph - U.S
the telephone - a heard about a german inventing it philip reis was his name, bell put it in use first(http://www.fact-index.com/p/ph/philip_reis.html)
the lightbulb - U.S
the transistor - U.S
the assembly line - U.S Henry ford what a great guy, but who invented the car??????
the sewing machine - once again not the first it was a german living in England (http://inventors.about.com/library/inventors/blsewing_machine.htm)
the airplane - the first two guys who finally made it into the air were american, okay
first in Space - no russia was first one
first on the Moon - after Russia was first in space you needed to do something
the computer - IBM invented the first PC but look at the history of the computer you will see that it started way before
blue jeans - blue jeans? okay levi strauss right? he was german too, but you are right he invented it in the US. you inveted gloves, who the leather jacket? is this an important invention?
the artificial heart - and the rest of the body that can be replaced is american too?
a myriad of biological/health innovations - you could not think of many more ??
I am a german. Why should I not have the right to judge the way how you treat the prisoners in guantanamo? I did not kill jews my parents did not. my grandpa did not. it is only my history if you understand. read my message one more time maybe you get it.
One more thing.
ReplyDeleteI knew that you would say this, that we germans should be so thankful for freeing us. I do not think that whole Europe would be full of nazis still.
We Germans have to thank the Russians even more, they lost more people and were way earlier in the war than the US. first in Berlin too.
by the way, when did the US join the war? very late like in WW1 and what was their benefit because of helping the other europeans. since then you are world power and an unstable Europe was not sounding good for america too. why do you think you helped us so much marshal plan and stuff. first beause you learned from WW1 and second because Germany was very important, Russia (Comunism) was right next to it. I told you their is not only one side. Now think about why the US is in Iraq and not in Ruanda or other african civil war countries with dictators. no state invades a country without benefit.
wake up!!
in which world do you life?
Alexander Hain forget it to post last time.
"First off, this is a ridiculous argument in so many ways. What exactly is power? I'll help you understand, German. Power is having the resources, knowledge, and ability to get what you want. Apparently to people like you, we are 'hated' and our influence is diminishing in the world, no one wants anything to do with us. Economically, please tell that to the multitude of countries that rely on and do business with the US every day." Before you get all pompous and start talking down to people, please at least give them the courtesy of actually reading their posts. If you read Alexander Hain's 6:56 AM post, you will see that he already admitted to everything in your little lecture. It's right there in the first big paragraph. Since you probably won't go back and re-read it, I'll just copy and paste for you. "the american economy for example is influecning our economy very much hence it it is important for us... maybe this matter is a little more important for us, because we rely on the US. I know you rep are so proud to hear that, but it is true." He stated that they RELY on the US before you did, so why are you trying to "educate" him on something he has already stated is true?
ReplyDelete"Iraq was a paradise of love, peace, and friendship that extends back to the days of 1990 when they extended their friendship to invading Kuwait... were the Iraqis and fighters sweet angels that we just chose to pick on?" Ahh, we're back to this timeless, classic argument. If we don't support the war, then we must think that Iraq is paradise and all Iraqis are sweet little angels. As I have said before, none of us has said these things or believes these things, but you Republicans just love repeating this nonsense.
"I NEVER want to hear especially a German cast judgment on the treatment of detainees in Guantanamo or Abu Ghraib." So you're implying that all Germans are responsible for Hitler and the Holocaust. Throughout history, nations/leaders have committed atrocities against other humans. If you want to blame all Germans for Hitler and the Holocaust, then maybe we should blame all Russians for Stalin, blame ourselves for wiping out the Native Americans and for enslaving Africans, blame all Spaniards for the conquistadores who also killed a large number of the indigenous people of New World, blame all Romanians for Vlad the Impaler, blame all Jews for killing JC, blame all Egyptians for using slaves to build the Pyramids. Obviously this is ridiculous, but under this argument, we are all guilty of something. And since we are all guilty, then none of our opinions is more or less valid than anyone else's.
hello tom!
ReplyDeletethe holocaust - in my opinion - is the most disgusting thing that ever happened...(just wanted to make sure to have said this....)
there are some points in your statement, that contradict each other:
at first you noted, that we germans act hypersensitive regarding our feelings of patriotism and nationalism because of our past. (which might be true - there are controversial discussions going on between german youths about how to handle this issue).
you said that's unneccessary and then you said:
"I NEVER want to hear especially a German cast judgment on the treatment of detainees in Guantanamo or Abu Ghraib."
and why is that? because of the holocaust, i guess!? anyways:
i have - as much as you do and every other person on this planet - a right to criticize all wrong-doings in this world. think about the native americans and please think about slavery. there's enough in your history that you should be ashamed about. i decided to learn this from the past of my country: that i will do the most i can do so something like this won't happen anymore. in accordance to this thought, i'll reflect on world politics and criticize things that i detaste - for example the treatment of the people in guantanamo or even some of the politics they do in isreal. yea, i do that ALTHOUGH i'm german. because i think it humanity is the most important principle, no matter WHO breaks it.
i agree with my brother: i'm not proud to be german, but as a german i feel privileged because i could grow up without suffering from hunger or missing anything else. i got the education i wanted and can do the job i like to do. i'm very lucky. proud i am about getting my german degree in history and american masters degree in communication studies. i'm proud of my own achievements. i'm not proud because i'm citizen of a country.
as for this discussion, i think it's very interesting to read what you're thinking. i have to conclude though, that we are "worlds apart" in our attitude. i guess we just don't get along!
i'm happy though, that i know justin and nathaniel, americans that demonstrate an certain openness that i consider essential in order to be able to promote multi-cultural understanding. it's hard enough... they should definitely not move away from the u.s. and keep up their critical thinking.
rebecca hain
Dear Alexander & Rebecca,
ReplyDeleteRegarding the listing of inventions and innovations:
I think we are missing the original point I was trying to make. That point being that I think one should be proud of the accomplishments of one's country. This is where I definently think we have divergent opinions. We Americans tend to take personal pride in what our countrymen have done, but that doesn't seem to be true for at least the Germans I have met.
Also note I said 'innovation', not 'invention'. Now that I think about it, we could have a whole other blog arguing about who invented what since Italians are convinced and are taught that Antonio Meucci invented the telephone and all Brazilians know that Henrique Lins de Barros and not the Wright brothers created the first airplane.
Regarding Americans Freeing Europe:
Alexander, from what I get from your 1:17pm post, the Nazis would have disappeared by now without any outside intervention and that apparently we had selfish intentions in jumping into WW1 and WW2.
The first argument I feel is quite self-serving and amounts to "Spreading Nazism and taking over all the other countries in Europe was an unfortunate little incident and would have worked itself out by now." I definently disagree.
Since when did I dispute all actions countries take are first in their own interest and secondly for others? I believe I posted that quite clearly before.
Just note that our country sacrificed immensely in cleaning up what your country started.
Regarding
When I took another look at wrote about Germans casting judgment on Abu Ghraib etc, I admit it was a bit overblown and I want to restate my feelings regarding this. No I don't blame you personally for Hitler any more than I think I'm responsible for slavery in the U.S. What I do feel however is disgust when you weigh so heavily on acts that in the grand scheme of things committed in the last century are so minor and insignificant and then go ahead and use it as proof of the evil intentions of the U.S. As I stated before, I am disgusted as everyone else as a 'citizen of humanity' about what occured and am not happy about our actions at Guantanamo, but I do find immense irony when that criticism comes from the lips of a German.
Regarding Rebecca's last paragraph in the 4:01pm post:
Are the U.S. and Germany friends? No, I don't really think so. We are more likely just allies in mutual self-interest tied together by a history of immigration and warfare. I do strongly disagree Rebecca, with your belief that the prerequisite to multicultural understanding and openness is agreeing with you. I for one have friends in many different countries in the world and I consider myself as being very open to knowing all I can about the beliefs, history, and viewpoints of people all over the globe. Don't ever assume that someone who is a proud American, and a conservative Republican at that, is not every bit as open to multicultural understanding as a left-winger.
Regards,
Tom Spillane
hi tom!
ReplyDelete"What I do feel however is disgust when you weigh so heavily on acts that in the grand scheme of things committed in the last century are so minor and insignificant and then go ahead and use it as proof of the evil intentions of the U.S."
i'm repeating what i said before, because i can't make it clear enough: i think the holocaust was the most digusting and scary, and evil and inhumane thing that ever happened!
actually i think the acts from the past that you said we use as proof are just a part to support our argumentation. why do i get upset when i think about something i consider bad that is going on now? because i'm worried about the future and i want to think about how it's probably gonna be and of course how it COULD be - in a more ideal world.
i studied history and a big part of it it was american history of the past century. i got mad at kennedy as well when i studied for my comprehensive about the cuban missile crisis. but that's what i needed to do in order to graduate: i needed to know the facts and develop a sense of critical thinking. i don't do that to bother you or make you mad... i don't want to sound like i'm talking down to you. this is how i am...
i didn't want to offend you, with the comment i made about nathaniel and justin. i'm sure there are reasons, why you are the person you are with your opinions.
one positive thing about your country is (there are others as well, we really must sound like we hate this country ;-)- which i don't do) that there's free speech. and michael more could get an oscar - even tough many people probably would like to see him gone to the end of the world ;-) ...
it's a tense situation and the world has seen things in the last three years that it hasn't seen before. communism is gone and now there's terror. with communist leaders you could talk and negotiate. one thing you can't do with terrorists. communists wanted to live, too. terrorist are probably not scared to lose their lives. so somehow they seem a pretty hard enemy to handle...
nobody knows how to handle the actual right (how could we for sure) and it is clear that a lot of people think about how to get it right without war and loss of lifes. (and without starting new battlefields, of course)
i just disagree with your president and the things he stands for. somehow that seems to polarize opinions.
probably i lot of things we compared here you can't compare one to one ´but they're examples, things that happened and the reactions on them or what happenend after that. i think that can help to make out where we are going..... how it COULD end up being...
so, that's if for today!
bye for now,
rebecca
amazing how the tone changes once names are included in blogs. We can all have different opinions, but I for one know and respect most of the bloggers here who have differing thoughts. Rather than us all being "idiots", we just see the world differently and most of us realize there are no quick and easy answers. That does not, however, rid us of our reponsibility to be educated on what is going on to make infomed decisions (whatever they are). I for one value the view from those who think diffenrently that I do. I think there is power in knowledge, rather that just digging my feet in my opinions. Thanks to those who have lost their lives in the past to allow all of us to openly share those opinions.
ReplyDeleteYou are all still welcome in our house next time you are in CA. ;-)
DH,
Doug Haines,
The dad, or whatever!
One other thought. I have heard a lot about how to not deal with terrorists, ie war. What would some of you have done? I have not heard much on that. I am also interested in situations like Ruanda (sp??). Here is a case where tons of people are dying. What is our response? We know sanctions only hurt the little guy, and don't like war, so what are some other options? We ususaloly choose nothing, which does not feel right. Should we not care just becasue we are not there. Suggesting some discussion on what to be done, rather than just criticize what has been done. Might be the topic of another blog Justin.
ReplyDeleteDoug
Doug said: "One other thought. I have heard a lot about how to not deal with terrorists, ie war. What would some of you have done? I have not heard much on that. I am also interested in situations like Ruanda (sp??). Here is a case where tons of people are dying. What is our response? We know sanctions only hurt the little guy, and don't like war, so what are some other options?"
ReplyDeleteOh boy, talk about opening another can of worms!! I am confident that we could definetely start another blog with that topic and be inundated with responses from the masses. So point your browser here if you'd like to respond:
http://flashbank.blogspot.com/2004/11/wwjd.html#comments
Thanks Doug and I will come back for sure some day, when Hillary is your first female president ;-) and George Bush has to go, by the way a great thing in the US I think that one canditate can only run for two terms, different in Germany.
ReplyDeleteBut I am also waiting for you coming to Germany,when will that be? you are always welcome and I promise you we will not talk about politics, the whole day ;-). I think you know, how i meant all these things I wrote, I am not an american hater. I for myself learned from my history that it is always wrong to hate a nation a race a different religion. Because of this hatress we have these wars, because of this we fight each other since ever.
What can we do in Ruanda?
I think we have to change other things before. the UN has to play a bigger role, it has to have more influence and more power. The UN also has to be faster and more flexible. In order to achieve that we, every country, has to give more autonomy away. We are doing that in Europe right now and sometimes it pisses me off because they, the other countries, do not want to do it the good old german way. What can we do? In the end I think they know what they are doing and in order to have one Europe everybody has to do sacrifices. I think that is the same with the UN.
When the UN sends soldiers we can be sure that it is non profit. I mean that they are not looking for benfits. they are there to stabilize and segure a country. I for example see more reasons to go into Ruanda than going into the Iraq right now, that does not mean that I think america or the nato should go in there.
The thing that I want to say here that the US cannot be the world police. They need like every other country be controlled by other countries, by the UN.
We need to talk to the leaders, we need to try to stop genocides by using peaceful methods, like offering economic help. Maybe the UN, when it has more power, will be able to do this.
The reasons why many countries in Africa are in this situation, is because we messed up with a lot of things the last decades there. The way of giving development aid was senceless during the 80´s , the world gave money, but did not know who obtained it in the end. the powerfull groups in these countries bought weapons of the money to enlarge their power.
another example we built fountains there, but did not show them how to built more by themselves and what to do when they brake. we have to stabilize their system by educating them in schools and universities. we have to built a infrastructure in order to do serious trade with them. we have to forgo in our wealth our growing rate to give them a chance. It is proofed that one country alone or a few countries cannot be the engine for the world economy. with this method too many countries are left behind.
I know that all this does not solve the problem in Ruanda now, now their is genocide going on.
But what does not work, is making war for humanity. War is no solution, it will never be. And as you see in Iraq it brings misery and hatress. This war is wrong because it devides the world more and more for example USA and Europe or the whole Arabic world. With this we will never find a consesus to make world policy together. No wonder why the most people to not except the US in there country would you except them. Maybe it would be better to send other Arabic nations in there who have a better connection to the people. With more power for the UN it would be different. I know that many things in Germany or Europe in general differs to America, but still we have a lot in common. that´s why it worked out much better after WW2 in germany than it is and will in Iraq.
I know I did not give a real answer to this question, it is really difficult to find a solution. I will think about it and maybe I come up with a great idea tomorrow or maybe next year. I just wanted to give an idea what we can do in future to prefend this kind of civil wars or genocides.
One more thing. what is an inovation, a new idea something new, right?
so your examples were really weak, that is the reason why I had to respond directly to them.
For me it does not matter if the telefon comes from Germany Italy or the US. It is just great that it is there and that I can talk to my girl everyday.
I was thinking about one invention that we owe your military and colleges. the internet. Without it all this wouldn´t be possible. and I want to thank berlin university for inventing the mp3 so I can have all the music I want to have on a cd (japan) or an i Pod(US). but it always depends on an other invention, it doesn´t matter where it is from. We are one world and my conclusion here is that we have to learn to life with this internalizaion and globalization. But it is our responsiblity that other third world countries are not forgotten. And this is why I think the war in Iraq is bad because I am so sure that it is not for the people´s but for American interests.
Alexander Hain
How to react on the Terror act?
ReplyDeleteNot with war not with hate and anger.
Like you did change your security for national flights. Like I said before you should have asked yourself why do they hate us so much, what can we change. maybe change the ignorant atitude, but with what, war in iraq and bush, you did not.
Alexander