USA - Good - Bad and or the Ugly

AnnaG

Hall of Fame Member
Jul 5, 2009
17,507
117
63
Disney cartoons have nothing on Bugs Bunny. It's a shame that Disney has become just another big corporation. The McDonalds , Walmart, or Monsanto of cartoon world.
 

JLM

Hall of Fame Member
Nov 27, 2008
75,301
548
113
Vernon, B.C.
Curiosity, I am ambivalent about the monarchy. If we didn’t have the monarchy, I would be opposed to its introduction in Canada. But now that we already have it, I favor keeping it, at least until we can agree on an alternative (and that seems highly unlikely).

That more or less coincides with my philosophy. There are different ways of expressing it, like "throwing the baby out with the bathwater". If at all possible, it's better to make small progressive changes, than just tearing everything apart from stem to gudgeon. In other words fix up what you have before starting another new albatross.
 

Curiosity

Senate Member
Jul 30, 2005
7,326
138
63
California
JLM

That was my original thought when I posted my own opinion but as I have grown into what the world now appears to be, I believe that both nations of new colonialism such as Canada and the USA were not suited to a monarchical style of government.

Given the population explosion consisting of immigrants from other nations not of the "British Empire", Canada is a classic example of offering the people a choice whereas the United States was anti-royal from the beginning.

I think the duality of diversity has served both nations well but I hold true that the monarchy is an expensive hobby to maintain and can the Empire afford it?

It is my personal opinion however that I could never honor a royal as is expected of subjects in lands which recognize royalty as an titular ruler. It really isn't a political belief but my own "peasant and plain" theory that all men are created equal and that the very basic process of primogeniture does not guarantee any nation a good leader once that "honored person" attains the age of majority.

It's a gamble. In our "instant news world", being born into power rather than earning it has changed my thinking. I also enjoy the fact I can remove that
person if he/she is a failure. All the British Empire won however (in my opinion) that Elizabeth has been an effective ruler and has made the change into modern
times in a successful way. Even so I give much credit to the part her consort has played in support and no doubt wordly advice.

As for my personal preference, I simply happen to believe in majority vote by all of the people who have earned that right. I also prefer to change the winner on a regular basis even though I admit they have only "just found the loo" when they
are ready to retire from office.
 
Last edited:

TenPenny

Hall of Fame Member
Jun 9, 2004
17,467
139
63
Location, Location
The Brits were great in Canada, as long as you weren't, say, an Acadian.
And as long as you wanted all the power and wealth to back to jolly old.

Look, for example, at Newfoundland - even up to the 1960s, the economic power was all in the hands of 6 families, a complete holdover from colonial days.
 

Goober

Hall of Fame Member
Jan 23, 2009
24,691
116
63
Moving
Its worth reading

When in England , at a fairly large conference, Colin Powell was asked by the Archbishop of Canterbury if our plans for Iraq were just an example of empire building by George Bush.

He answered by saying, 'Over the years, the United States has sent many of its fine young men and women into great peril to fight for freedom beyond our borders. The only amount of land we have ever asked for in return is enough to bury those that did not return.
'You could have heard a pin drop..


There was a conference in France where a number of international engineers were taking part, including French and American. During a break, one of the French engineers came back into the room saying 'Have you heard the latest dumb stunt Bush has done?
He has sent an aircraft carrier to Indonesia to help the tsunami victims. What does he intended to do, bomb them?

'A Boeing engineer stood up and replied quietly: '
Our carriers have three hospitals on board that can treat several hundred people; they are nuclear powered and can supply emergency electrical power to shore facilities; they have three cafeterias with the capacity to feed 3,000 people three meals a day, they can produce several thousand gallons of fresh water from sea water each day, and they carry half a dozen helicopters for use intransporting victims and injured to and from their flight deck. We have eleven such ships; how many does France have?'
You could have heard a pin drop.

A U.S. Navy Admiral was attending a naval conference that included Admirals from the U.S., English, Canadian, Australian and French Navies. At a cocktail reception, he found himself standing with a large group of Officers that included personnel from most of those countries.

Everyone was chatting away in English as they sipped their drinks but a French admiral suddenly complained that, whereas Europeans learn many languages, Americans learn only English.
He then asked, 'Why is it that we always have to speak English in these conferences rather than speakingFrench?

' Without hesitating, the American Admiral replied 'Maybe it's because the Brits, Canadians, Aussies and Americans arranged it so you wouldn't have to speak German.'

You could have heard a pin drop.

AND THIS STORY FITS RIGHT IN WITH THE ABOVE..

Robert Whiting, an elderly gentleman of 83, arrived in Paris by plane. At French Customs, he took a few minutes to locate his passport in his carry on.

'You have been to France before, monsieur?' the customs officer asked sarcastically.Mr. Whiting admitted that he had been to France previously.
'Then you should know enough to have your passport ready.'The American said,
'The last time I was here, I didn't have to show it.
'Impossible. Americans always have to show your passports on arrival in France !
'The American senior gave the Frenchman a long hard look.
Then he quietly explained,
'Well, when I came ashore at Omaha Beach on D-Day in 1944 to help liberate this country, I couldn't find a single Frenchmen to show a passport to.'You could have heard a pin drop.
 

pgs

Hall of Fame Member
Nov 29, 2008
28,635
8,177
113
B.C.
Its worth reading

When in England , at a fairly large conference, Colin Powell was asked by the Archbishop of Canterbury if our plans for Iraq were just an example of empire building by George Bush.

He answered by saying, 'Over the years, the United States has sent many of its fine young men and women into great peril to fight for freedom beyond our borders. The only amount of land we have ever asked for in return is enough to bury those that did not return.
'You could have heard a pin drop..


There was a conference in France where a number of international engineers were taking part, including French and American. During a break, one of the French engineers came back into the room saying 'Have you heard the latest dumb stunt Bush has done?
He has sent an aircraft carrier to Indonesia to help the tsunami victims. What does he intended to do, bomb them?

'A Boeing engineer stood up and replied quietly: '
Our carriers have three hospitals on board that can treat several hundred people; they are nuclear powered and can supply emergency electrical power to shore facilities; they have three cafeterias with the capacity to feed 3,000 people three meals a day, they can produce several thousand gallons of fresh water from sea water each day, and they carry half a dozen helicopters for use intransporting victims and injured to and from their flight deck. We have eleven such ships; how many does France have?'
You could have heard a pin drop.

A U.S. Navy Admiral was attending a naval conference that included Admirals from the U.S., English, Canadian, Australian and French Navies. At a cocktail reception, he found himself standing with a large group of Officers that included personnel from most of those countries.

Everyone was chatting away in English as they sipped their drinks but a French admiral suddenly complained that, whereas Europeans learn many languages, Americans learn only English.
He then asked, 'Why is it that we always have to speak English in these conferences rather than speakingFrench?

' Without hesitating, the American Admiral replied 'Maybe it's because the Brits, Canadians, Aussies and Americans arranged it so you wouldn't have to speak German.'

You could have heard a pin drop.

AND THIS STORY FITS RIGHT IN WITH THE ABOVE..

Robert Whiting, an elderly gentleman of 83, arrived in Paris by plane. At French Customs, he took a few minutes to locate his passport in his carry on.

'You have been to France before, monsieur?' the customs officer asked sarcastically.Mr. Whiting admitted that he had been to France previously.
'Then you should know enough to have your passport ready.'The American said,
'The last time I was here, I didn't have to show it.
'Impossible. Americans always have to show your passports on arrival in France !
'The American senior gave the Frenchman a long hard look.
Then he quietly explained,
'Well, when I came ashore at Omaha Beach on D-Day in 1944 to help liberate this country, I couldn't find a single Frenchmen to show a passport to.'You could have heard a pin drop.
le'st we forget!
 

EagleSmack

Hall of Fame Member
Feb 16, 2005
44,168
96
48
USA
Disney cartoons have nothing on Bugs Bunny. It's a shame that Disney has become just another big corporation. The McDonalds , Walmart, or Monsanto of cartoon world.

I love Disney World!

I think it had to become a big corporation to survive. The overhead at Disney is huge so extreme marketing and mass selling of Disney products was a must for it's survival. There is no single "gift shop" in Disney Theme Parks... they have one every 30'.
 

Avro

Time Out
Feb 12, 2007
7,815
65
48
55
Oshawa
USA - Good - Bad and or the Ugly

I have seen many anti US comments on CanCons threads - Yes they have done some nasty things - same as the USSR- China - and a number of other countries.

So a couple of questions:


So has the US done anything good for the world in the last 100 years -1910 to present

What would the world look like if the USA did not have the economic and military power that they have.
PS - Every powerful country through out history has wielded their power - No exception for the US - USSR - now Russia China.

“War Is the Continuation of Politics by Other Means”

Lets have at er. Eh

Sure...the good.

Ummm......brought peace?

Honestly I have no idea....?
 

JLM

Hall of Fame Member
Nov 27, 2008
75,301
548
113
Vernon, B.C.
USA - Good - Bad and or the Ugly

I have seen many anti US comments on CanCons threads - Yes they have done some nasty things - same as the USSR- China - and a number of other countries.

So a couple of questions:


So has the US done anything good for the world in the last 100 years -1910 to present

What would the world look like if the USA did not have the economic and military power that they have.
PS - Every powerful country through out history has wielded their power - No exception for the US - USSR - now Russia China.

“War Is the Continuation of Politics by Other Means”

Lets have at er. Eh

Yep, about 500 inventions by Thomas Edison, they put an end to WW2, seems to me a lot of people are benefitting from Microsoft, there's probably a couple more.
 

Goober

Hall of Fame Member
Jan 23, 2009
24,691
116
63
Moving
Yep, about 500 inventions by Thomas Edison, they put an end to WW2, seems to me a lot of people are benefitting from Microsoft, there's probably a couple more.
JLM

Read a lot of surveys-polls etc - it is suprising how many people from countries that hate the US want to emigrate there.
 

Cannuck

Time Out
Feb 2, 2006
30,245
99
48
Alberta
JLM

Read a lot of surveys-polls etc - it is suprising how many people from countries that hate the US want to emigrate there.

There is a real disconnect between governments and people. It's not black and white but, generally speaking, countries that are friendly toward the US have a significant anti-US population as where countries that are unfriendly with the US tend to have a more pro-US population. Pakistan and Iran spring to mind.

I wonder why that is.
 

Goober

Hall of Fame Member
Jan 23, 2009
24,691
116
63
Moving

In Between Man

The Biblical Position
Sep 11, 2008
4,597
46
48
45
49° 19' N, 123° 4' W
Were my soul trembling on the wing of eternity, were this hand freezing to death, were my voice choking with the last struggle, I would still, with the last gasp of that voice implore you to remember this truth: God has given America to be free. - Patrick Henry.

God has given America to the white Christians to be free to enslave and imprison the red man. Nice guy!

How the settlers treated native peoples is a dark chapter in an entire book on the creation of America. And by no means down plays the founding idea that a nation and people be free. The people believed in the idea of freedom so much Cliff, because deep down they knew it was right and just; and, it was most importantly God given. They knew it was God's will, a standard, for them and us to have free will, speech, worship, and government. Things we all still hold valid as a standard today! YOU have an ABSOLUTE RIGHT to freedom of speech!

Since we judge God all the time on this forum, why don't we look at the merits of the creation of America? Let's assume the Christian God divinely inspired minds and events to help man create a free nation. Is it wrong to do this?
 
Last edited:

Cliffy

Standing Member
Nov 19, 2008
44,850
193
63
Nakusp, BC
Since we judge God all the time on this forum, why don't we look at the merits of the creation of America? Let's assume the Christian God divinely inspired minds and events to help man create a free nation. Is it wrong to do this?

Huge assumption. If the Christian god inspired the original invaders I would have to repeat that he must have been and still is a psychopath. The slaughter of the aboriginal population, particularly after they saved the original pilgrim's asses from starving to death, and the slave trade in blacks proves to me that the only freedom that the original pilgrims wanted was for themselves and no body else. Their intolerance toward anything non christian culminated in such wonderful acts of charity as the Salem witch hunts. Now that was inspiring!

There is no freedom in any political system, and there is no real democracy. We still live in a feudal system only we have traded aristocracy for corporations. The only freedom any of us can have is outside political and religious systems (dogma). We are enslaved by dept (our bodies) and propaganda (our minds). The only freedom we have is in our spirit which is beyond the control of the Matrix.