Subject:
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Re: Ok, why such anti-American sentiment? (Was Re: the metric system)
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Newsgroups:
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lugnet.off-topic.debate
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Date:
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Thu, 3 May 2001 05:47:21 GMT
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Viewed:
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437 times
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In lugnet.off-topic.debate, James Simpson writes:
> Ok, this is an honest question, although somewhat rhetorical, but I mean no
> affront: Why, then, did Australia fight in the World Wars and in Vietnam with
> America? I understand the historical relationship between the UK and
> Australia, and yes, I'm glad that Australia made a sacrifice with the
> Allies...but, was it a sacrifice made purely of self-defense, purely of moral
> sensibilities? Was there a fear that if Europe should fall, then Australia's
> economy would be dealt a terrible blow (as probably it would have)? In WWII,
> was there fear that Japan would invade Australia? It seems that your Pacific
> front was a matter of self-defense, but what of your European front? Again,
> what of Vietnam? Did an Australian Red Scare lead to fear of an expanding
> Asian communist empire? Did Australia's national interests play a part in
> conflicts even when your territory was not immediately endangered?
Point taken. Of course, Australia has never been in a position to establish
world-wide military and economic hegemony. I'm not saying it has been wrong
of the US to do so, but while the moral and political questions are similar
the global impact of the answers is quite different.
> It often seems to me that America's sacrifices of blood are usually shrugged
> off as just another instance of self-serving American selfishness. And
> frankly, that angers me. Hey, I'm not here to defend the shame in my
> country's past. I don't wave the flag much, but I'm not ashamed to carry
> it. Blood was spilled. American G.I.'s went off to Europe, went off to the
> South Pacific, because their government told them to do it, and because they
> were *needed*. Mothers lost their sons, wives lost their husbands, children
> lost their fathers...as they did in Australia. Sure, their was national
> interests involved, but there was, ultimately, great national sacrifice on
> the part of common men and women...just as in Australia.
I share your feelings on the personal tragedy of war.
> > Most people in the world make enormous contributions to the profits of
> > American corporations.
>
> Indeed, but there is a difference between making voluntary contributions
> because one likes the product, and being forced into the purchase of a
> necessity, such as grain, due to monopoly control. The latter is happening
> to millions of American farmers - the rise of the rural ghetto - due to the
> monopoly control of both the inputs and outputs of farm products by
> agribusiness giants such as Pillsbury and ConAgra. My point in bringing this
> up is that robber-barron capitalism preys on the weak where ever they might
> be, and these practices aren't the American domain, per se; corporate piracy
> is war waged upon, primarily, the low-wage earners of society. Most of the
> really repugnant corporations -- the ones with the power to really exploit
> and monopolize are the ones that have become *transnational*. This is a
> question of greed versus honesty, not American vs. native. Plenty of non-
> Americans love the almighty currency as well.
I agree, though I'd certainly like to hear the opinions of others who don't.
> > > But most countries shake a fist at America, while keeping the other hand
> > > open in case they need something. Maybe that's wrong, but it feels that
> > > way.
> >
> > The angry gesture of the disempowered perhaps?
>
> Sure, when Bolivia shakes its fist, I'll agree. But do the Brittish, the
> Germans, the French, the Canadians, maybe even the Australians, consider
> themselves disempowered? There is a lot of fist-shaking toward America in
> countries that regard us with an air of cultural superiority
Brash assertion time: all countries in the world are either militarily or
economically disempowered by comparison with the US. And, on a totally
separate topic, can we really debate the overall mediocrity of American culture?
--DaveL (who would be quite happy to trim this discussion to any one of
these issues)
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Message has 1 Reply:
Message is in Reply To:
 | | Re: Ok, why such anti-American sentiment? (Was Re: the metric system)
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| (...) Ok, this is an honest question, although somewhat rhetorical, but I mean no affront: Why, then, did Australia fight in the World Wars and in Vietnam with America? I understand the historical relationship between the UK and Australia, and yes, (...) (24 years ago, 2-May-01, to lugnet.off-topic.debate)
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