[quote=Radio Frequency]There is less war and more wealth across the world because of US policy. There is more freedom in more places because of US efforts abroad. Other nations have more access to US markets and vice-versa because of our free-trade policies. Communism is no longer a global threat. Soon, Islamic extremism will no longer be a global threat. The oppressive governments in Afghanistan and Iraq have been removed and the people freed. Libya has given up their WMD aspirations.

Through all of this, Americans have had to deal with the bitter pills that reside in Europe and have had to deal with people saying the worst kinds of things about us. To say that Europeans hate Americans isn't a stretch. There may be room to debate the semantics, but the general understanding is the same.

The United States is willing to act on behalf of freedom and human rights when no other country has the courage or inclination. Americans are a compassionate and conscientious people, and not the arrogant blood-thirsty militants that people make us out to be.

Although I disagree with your opinion about how much Europeans "hate" America, your position is still a good one. Theres no sense in playing the hate game. And even the more if we leave a political forum and meet in the real world one from the other side of the great pond.

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When the Nazis came for the communists I remained silent, I was no communist.
When the Nazis came for the Unionists I remained silent, I was no Unionist.
When the Nazis came for the Social Democrats I remained silent, I was no Social Democrat.
When the Nazis came for the Jews I remained silent, I was no Jew.
When the Nazis came for me, there was no one left who could protest.

Let apart all the other stuff that makes a strong opponent of the Iraq war, why are you thinking that you will like the democracy you made possible in Iraq? Not that I think its a bad idea, in fact its the sole positive part of the war that there is now a somewhat democracy, at the brink of civil war and anarchy, but still a democracy.

But you seem so enthusiastic about it. Havent you ever thought what democracy means? It means that the will of the people has at least somehow affect on the policies of their politicians and their country.

You said that Europeans hate the US. Well, as you think, but in comparision to the Iraqis Europeans love you as much as anybody could love another one.

And now, comes the clou, you hardly can get along with civilized democracies that like you so much more share so many ideals more with you, how do you only dare to believe you could handle a democracy where people are straight hostile at you?

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When the Nazis came for the communists I remained silent, I was no communist.
When the Nazis came for the Unionists I remained silent, I was no Unionist.
When the Nazis came for the Social Democrats I remained silent, I was no Social Democrat.
When the Nazis came for the Jews I remained silent, I was no Jew.
When the Nazis came for me, there was no one left who could protest.

Because Football [brit.] is what everone means around the world when saying football, its just Americans who talk about American football when saying football.

And even the Americans made it to the WM this year. Although in fact your players may have in fact confused something as the game US - Italy was one of the most brutal games in the history of football. 3 red cards (only 3 games in the whole history ever had three red cards in a single game) wheras two for the US and 39 fouls in total. Thats record... the maybe thought really they are playing American football.

PS:
Why is American football called foot-ball at all? You dont use your feets to throw the ball too much, and the ball is far of looking like what one would consider to be a "ball". It really would interest me, how this name came into existance.

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When the Nazis came for the communists I remained silent, I was no communist.
When the Nazis came for the Unionists I remained silent, I was no Unionist.
When the Nazis came for the Social Democrats I remained silent, I was no Social Democrat.
When the Nazis came for the Jews I remained silent, I was no Jew.
When the Nazis came for me, there was no one left who could protest.

I think Hamas hates the United States, but I think Democracy is already beginning to show signs of working. People are selfish. The Palestinians love themselves more than they hate us, and maybe even more than they hate Israel. War is never in the interest of the people, so war is hardly ever popular in a democracy. I honestly believe that Democracy breeds peace.

I know Europeans are sick and tired of American rhetoric about spreading peace, democracy, and freedom. Europeans still remember the United States as being a young and inexperienced nation. What they forget is that this young and inexperienced nation has been blessed with many of the greatest hearts and minds that Africa, Europe, the Middle East, Asia, and South America have to offer. We are not a nation of American Ideals, but of the ideals of the world. People really do want peace, democracy, and freedom, and it is our business as Americans to work toward that. Because Americans aren't the children of Americans. We are the children of Italians, Brits, Mexicans, Chinese, Japanese, Indians, and every other nation on earth.

I do look forward to a democracy in Iraq, even if the Iraqi people don't like the United States. What I want even more, is for Americans and the rest of the world to begin speaking to one another like statesmen, or at the very least like adults.

Many countries hate the United States, in fact possibly a majority of countries. However, this does not have any impact on the foreighn policy of the Bush-the-Younger administration. Ithink Bush-the-Younger believes God is on his side. I wonder if He is ?

Your's in Jesus,
Padre

An interesting question indeed. Lets see what future will bring on this. You know it could also backfire, when Hamas succeeds blaming an evil west for the sufferage of the Palestinians it could become even more difficult. And chances that this can happen are still intact.

Nonetheless I still hope the best, and currently chances are greater that Hamas could come in severe difficulties... however the most probable scenario is Palestinian civil war. Thats like having to choices but choosing the third that is far worth than those both would have been together...

Anyway. We will see what the future brings and till then its our obligation to help the Palestinians (the people) in their hard times with helping them to maintain the health system, preventing starvation, etc. Of course while evading the Hamas goverment.
You dont know how right you are with this. You know, not only Americans are fed up by the Europeans that know everything better, its also vice versa. Funny isnt it? Maybe it is not that much after all that divides us
We both are undiscerning butheads that know it all better...

Well, thats just one of the resentiments, that exist here among some, but I dont would name it the most severe here. We all know that the US have allready achieved great things. Recent high-rise of criticism against the US has other reasons.
I only can subscribe that.

__________________
When the Nazis came for the communists I remained silent, I was no communist.
When the Nazis came for the Unionists I remained silent, I was no Unionist.
When the Nazis came for the Social Democrats I remained silent, I was no Social Democrat.
When the Nazis came for the Jews I remained silent, I was no Jew.
When the Nazis came for me, there was no one left who could protest.

Yep, we speak a different language here. It's allowed.

My point was that just because we use different words and play different sports doesn't mean that one is better than the other.

I wonder why everyone's so hypersensitive about it. What's the big deal?

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When they come a wull staun ma groon
Staun ma groon al nae be afraid
Thoughts awe hame tak awa ma fear
Sweat an bluid hide ma veil awe tears

There exists the saying, that if Bush believes in the concept of hell (what seems to be quite likely), he should start worrying seriously.

__________________
When the Nazis came for the communists I remained silent, I was no communist.
When the Nazis came for the Unionists I remained silent, I was no Unionist.
When the Nazis came for the Social Democrats I remained silent, I was no Social Democrat.
When the Nazis came for the Jews I remained silent, I was no Jew.
When the Nazis came for me, there was no one left who could protest.

Since when have been sports rational?

__________________
When the Nazis came for the communists I remained silent, I was no communist.
When the Nazis came for the Unionists I remained silent, I was no Unionist.
When the Nazis came for the Social Democrats I remained silent, I was no Social Democrat.
When the Nazis came for the Jews I remained silent, I was no Jew.
When the Nazis came for me, there was no one left who could protest.

I am a cautious optimist. Though, I think you would agree that the risk of failure is not a reason to do nothing. I think you'll also agree that these problems in the Middle East are extremely complex; and many of these problems go back to French and English colonialism. Then the Germans slaughtered the Jews and The Allies helped found the nation of Israel. In the same time, the Middle East went from having no resources to having the most important one... oil.

So what do we do? Leave these problems to dictators? Leave these problems to religious extremists? Or do we do whatever we can to install democracies and hope that we can work these problems out as equal citizens of the world? Democracies can fail. Many of them do. But democracy is our best chance for peace. I don't think anyone in Europe would argue that Dictators and religious bigots are going to provide a better chance for peace, liberty, and diplomacy in the long run.

I know our foreign policy isn't popular, but I think that the foundations of that policy are correct. What I find objectionable is Europe’s cynicism toward our intentions and our arrogant dismissal of the opinions of our European allies. Combine the two and you have a bunch of people not listening to one another. Understanding and cooperation are the victims.

Indeed, its the heir of colonialism. Thats the root of the problems. Another one is that the west efficiently sabotaged the pan Arabian movement quite some time ago. Of course the only thing worse than the unstable explosive Middle east we have today would be a united strong and very powerfull (just think about their regional resources) Panarabia. Anyway the train left long ago that would have lead to this anyway.

I still dont know, whose idea was it to found the Jewish state in the middle of Arabian landscapes? Do you know the answer? It definitely was not the idea of Theodor Hertzl. Perhaps I would appeal many Israelis by this, but I honestly think Hertzl would turn around in his grave if he would know what has been made out of his dream. In fact modern Isreal hardly is what he had in mind, its an dystopia of it.

But you are right, there is no place for easy answers when looking at the middle east. If something is easy you should question it immidiately.
You will hardly find a European that Dictatorships are something preferable over democracy. You would also hardly find one that would not wish the world to become democratic overall.

What Europeans oppose is this idialistic approach that is somewhat combined with an overstimation of your own power, to turn foreign countries by force into democracies.
Offensive wars, aggressions are having an even worse image here in Europe than dictatorships, you know. Or at least the compete on a similar level.

And the US seems to be the only or at least one of the few democracies on earth that still practices that insanity.

War must be the last resort, and for defense only. Orwell like word plays like "preemptive" etc dont change anything as they are just the nice looking wrapping for the ugly truth.

You seem to have really honest intentions, but I will personally fly to your hometown just for buying you a bottle of beer if you prove me wrong that your administration is deeply inhonest in their intentions. You just have to read what the neoconservative think tanks from people of the caliber of a Rumsfeld write about all that stuff. They are writing about the US national interests, about enlarging tactical influence, about securing resources etc. That they are also seeing themselves in a way that also the European colonists saw themselves as the one that brings civilisation (=democracy) into the barbary does not really change my mind. In fact that mind set, reminds one rather much to some sort of "enlighted colonialism" that was allready practicesed at the end of the European colonial time.

__________________
When the Nazis came for the communists I remained silent, I was no communist.
When the Nazis came for the Unionists I remained silent, I was no Unionist.
When the Nazis came for the Social Democrats I remained silent, I was no Social Democrat.
When the Nazis came for the Jews I remained silent, I was no Jew.
When the Nazis came for me, there was no one left who could protest.

You have to understand that US politics is based on lies. Republicans and Democrats have created so much anomosity between themselves that dishonesty has become a part of the game. The game is about choosing language that makes you look good and the other guys look bad. It's not about truth and it's not about progress. The Bush Administration is dishonest, but that doesn't make everything they do dishonest. There is an art to understanding US politics. You have to ignore everything our politicians say and look very closely at what they do.

About half of Americans think that Europe will hate America no matter what and that everything France and Germany do is done simply to make life harder for us. There are a lot of votes in ignoring Europe. If a Republican came out and spoke the way I do, they would never get elected. If a Democrat came out and spoke the way I do, they would be crucified by their party. The Democrats are being controlled by the liberal extreme and the Republicans are being controlled by the far Christian-Conservative right.

Our education system is in the tank and Americans are more interested in drama than in knowing "stuff". So our politicians treat us like children, or movie-go'ers. They write a story that sounds good and we go with it.

I don't mind talking about what our politicians and our government does, but I refuse to debate what they say, because what they say is meaningless. If I was a German Intelligence Analyst charged with evaluating American political rhetoric, I'd kill myself. It's nonsense. Focus on what we do. Then, begin to decide our intent based on how we go about doing what we do. The Bush Administration isn't as bad as they sound. But they need the Christian Conservative right to stay in power.

Well, are you gonna tell us, or what? What were the reasons for France, Germany and Russia not to wish this stupid war?

Yes, there is a certain difference between rethoric and what is actually done. But to be honest, what I still like the rethoric more than what the Bush administration actually did. Not only on the Iraq war, also on other important issues, and even, although its none of my business on internal issues. (like giving the large companies and wealthy people a huge tax break)