Subject:
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Re: Cheap American shot (Was: NEW Mindstorms set shown (with picture!))
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Newsgroups:
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lugnet.off-topic.debate
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Date:
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Sun, 30 Jan 2000 19:44:55 GMT
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Viewed:
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186 times
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In lugnet.starwars, Clint Rutkas writes:
> And most kids know multiple languages here there buddy boy.
> Colleges here are not to forgiving if you don't. I'm the excepetion here
> cause I went out and learned russian on my own. • [snip]
> Yeah, Americans are Loud, rude and blunt, but hell, last time I
> checked, we pulled saved everyone's ass in WWII and without us you would
> have lost WWI too.
[snip]
Clint, I've already posted a huge message in this regard, which I hope
everyone reads, and will maybe learn something from..., not that I presume to
be worthy of teaching anybody anything. But I decided to reply to your
message because there were a few things in it that serve as example of what I
was trying to say in my other huge post.
First off, I can understand that you and other Americans were probably ticked
off by the original poster, so I'm assuming some of your reply is of course
more emotional than rational. But I'd also forward that I've heard comments
similar to those from the original poster coming from Americans as well (about
non-Americans). As countries, we are all guilty. As individuals is where we
can make the difference. Sounds like you're in the "good group", as I hope we
all are.
Your last paragraph that I've isolated above is what concerns me. In my huge
post, I alluded to one little thing that I've found about Americans that
becomes bothersome in short time. Your line is a perfect example of that.
And here's why I think why:
Yes, the involvement of the USA in WW2 was pivotal. But there were a great
number of nations involved in that conflict on "both sides". The USA was but
one of them. And for each of those nations, a great many people died. Some
of my relatives, some of your's, pretty much some of everybody's. Therefore,
nobody won. To say so is sick! For you as an ambassabor of the USA to toss
out a comment that we should all be grateful for you saving our butts is just
wholly inappropriate, insensitive, and tactless.
Are we grateful?? As a Canadian, I can say yes! And I imagine many other
nations agree. But to "rub it in", or state the obvious, just isn't right. I
guess Americans should be proud that their citizens have made the ultimate
sacrifice to support what they think is right. But so did a lot of other
nations, my own included. To say American sacrifices were any more important
than someone else's is just plain wrong. Again, it's war, and a lot of people
die. We do what we feel we have to, what we feel is right. And there are
many versions of what people think is "right". I would imagine people the
world over are sick of hearing this "we saved your butts" thing from the USA,
or any other nation.
If I could presume to offer one piece of advice to the USA, it would be to
temper your admirable sense of patriotism and fierce national pride with a
little more humility. Humble will go a long way for international (and
intepersonal) relations. I've yet to visit to the Netherlands wearing a
Canadian flag, but I am told the reception offered to Canadians by the Dutch
is unbelievable and extremely emotional. Yet I don't think I've ever heard a
Canadian say "we saved your butts". And this isn't a "Canada is better than
USA" point either..., I'm just trying to show what humility can do for people.
You said you learned to speak Russian. I wish I knew Russian. But while
learning to speak it, did you learn about the people as well? Specifically,
did you learn about how many of them died fighting on the Eastern Front in
WW2, stalling for time until help could arrive from the West?? To many
historians if it were not for the millions and millions of dying "Russians",
the involvement of the USA would have been inconsequential. I offer them as
much respect as the Americans, or any other nation.
And to WW1, I believe that essentially ended in a "stalemate".
Perhaps "hamburger grinder" is a more desciptive term. The Armistice brought
that to an end, thankfully.
My last point I guess concerns your assumption that the original poster was on
the "American-allied" side of all these conflicts. Perhaps you didn't read
carefully his original post, which seems to imply that he is from Germany. In
that case then, did you really "save their butts"?? All too often we make
assumptions that the rest of the world turns the way our's does. And that is
where not knowing much about the history outside of your borders (or within
them for that matter) becomes a dangerous thing. It doesn't matter if you are
from a "Superpower" or not.
Now everyone, *please*, back to LEGO :]
KDJ
________________________
Kyle D. Jackson
Windsor, Ontario, Canada
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