America

[DW]

The third world countries have had pretty much nothign to do with us though, besides our charities. They really haven't experienced the rest of America...

Also, if it's not right for them to diss America without living there, how is it any different to praise it?

[darkphantomime]

And if one country affects another, then we have every right to have an opinion about that country. Saying 'how can foreigners have a bad opinion about America?' is like saying 'how can we have a bad opinion of China/North Korea/Vietnam if we don't live there?"

[DW]

That's a great point, JQ. Things can't go just one way; That would be hypocrisy. and saying they can't have negative opinions but can have positive opinions just isn't fair.

[Zoratunic]

I wasn't saying it was alright to praise America if you haven't been there, I just don't like it being called a bad country by people who both do and don't live here.

And this is why I say in complete confidence three little words:
GOD BLESS AMERICA

[darkphantomime]

So you're telling me it's not alright for you to hate Europe because you don't live there?

[DW]

So, we shouldn't have a problem with Afgahnistan for killing thousands of our people? Like I said, it's hypocrisy if it doesn't go both ways.

[Zoratunic]

Why would I hate Europe?
Besides, "you can't judge a book by it cover" just about sums it up.

[Bboy94]

They can, because people tell them what its like, just like they tell us how much better it is there. Take France. They do your laundry.

[LadyNintendo]

Too bad I had to leave yesterday. This is a pretty interesting discussion.

There's something though, that I myself also has never thought of before I my classes "Philosophy of Law". We, the first world countries, think we know what's best for everyone. We were the ones who "created" human rights, decided what belonged to that category and what not. We "encourage" people and countries to use OUR democratic system. We "free" people from systems and situations that WE consider bad. But who are we? God? The World? Or just a powerful part of it that always thinks it knows best?

The world is more than just the West. It contains thousands of cultures that are nothing like ours. But does that make them bad, or at least, less than our culture? The democratic path is what we consider the best; that doesn't necessarily mean it is. And freedom: some countries or areas indeed grant their people less rights than our countries do. But for some countries, the group is just far more important than its individual members, unlike in the western world. It's just a matter of opinion what's better. If a country WANTS to change and is ready for it, it's up to its people to start the change. We could do it, so can they. It's not up to us to tell them to change, and certainly not by bringing in a couple of guys carrying guns and driving tanks.

Yes, America does spend a lot of money on charity. So does everybody (size of the country taken into account). But America is one of the countries more "eager" to stop giving money if they notice any negative effect, even if it is by far outweighed by the positive effects.

I do not deny the great job America has done during WWI and WWII. However, there are no winners in war. There is no altruism and there are certainly no heroes. America didn't fight for others; they fought because they had to for themselves in order to survive. That's what everybody did, even Germany.

[Vaati]

"...Imagine there's no countries
It isn't hard to do
Nothing to kill or die for
And no religion too
Imagine all the people
Living life in peace..."
                        -John Lennon

[Zoratunic]

You know what worked? President Roosevelt's strategy of "Step lightly and carry a big stick". It worked by America remaining neutral and making sure it had the defenses to kick the butts of anyone who messed with us. However, after WWII, we got more entwined with other country's affairs, so that was the biggining of the world's negative view of America. It used to be the place to be, with everybody immigrating here, and being the most powerful country in the world, that was what worked.

[Mysterious F.]

You forget, however, we are the only superpower left in thw world, with a possible exception from the rising China. If all we do is just watch as the other nations fights themselves to death, what would be the point?

[DW]

The point would be that nobody would get mad at us because we would be minding our own business.

[Mysterious F.]

Although I do admit the War in Iraq wasn't the smartest move, do you really think that we were supposed to just sit there during 9/11? Although the Afghanistan war was smart, as the terrorists THERE did it, Iraq was a terrible move, but now that we're involved in Iraq, it would be a very bad idea to just leave immediately, who knows what the terrorists would do then.

[Commodore Axilon]

Why? It's not like it's going to actually get any better over there. Might as well cut our losses now, don't you think?