Gunnar:

Do not confuse me with the US Government. 

@ RH

Everybody's a comedian.            

Skip

@ Skip:
While I do have the utmost respect for your feelings and your pride of being an American, a few FACTS do need mentioning.

When the tsunami struck Indonesia, my own tiny country raised a quarter of a billion euros (i.e. close to 400 million dollars) to help out (and our government as well as the EU made significant contributions as well). Wanna bet which country gave more per capita: US or NL? I think I know the answer.

When Katrina hit New Orleans, Dutch marines - based at the island of Curaçao - were dispatched to help. I have seen footage of Dutch marines searching ravaged homes, looking for survivors. Dutch engineers have been, and probably still are, involved in the design of more structural solutions for the protection of the city (after all, if there's any nation on this planet that knows how to fight water, it's us...). Louisiana delegates have visited The Netherlands to study the way we are protecting the 40% of our country that's below sea level, and our country is more than ready to assist.

I'm sure fellow users in other European countries could come up with similar examples for these two events.

On a side note: if Katrina showed anything, it was the utter incompetence of US authorities (regardless of political divisions) to help and rescue the besieged people of New Orleans within a reasonable time frame. But let's put that aside.

The bottom line is: if you want to compare your country to ours, fine, but be sure to get your facts right. I'm not blaming you for being unaware of the facts I mentioned - the problem probably resides in  - quoting you - "I don't recall reading much in the papers". These papers, being US papers, will not have been covering the efforts by other nations than the US. But the mere fact that US papers don't cover it doesn't imply it doesn't exist!   

All I'm asking is you acknowledge this as a possibility. 

;)

Quoting skipnet50:

Quote:
Mikkel:

I understand what you are saying. But try and see it from our viewpoint, should Norway find itself in a crack somewhere, is France (for example) going to ride to the rescue...I doubt it

Do not misinterpret "not agreeing with the approach" with "not willing to help". Specifically not when they have been proven right afterwards.

Quote:

, no disrespect to the French. However, I as an American stand ready to help anybody, anywhere, anytime, for whatever reason this has been our way for the last 100 years and I frankly am proud of it.

In 1939 France went to war to protect the world against Hitler - US acted several years later. I understand why US did not act before and am grateful the reaction came when it came - but I do find it rather strange that you consider yourself more "helpful" than the nation that acted first, even at the cost of it's own security.

Quote:

Again not to demean or disrespect anyone, when there was a tsunami disaster in the Indonesian area, who was it that was there,

Ehh.. Everyone? Have anyone heard of any 1st world country that did not send help in form of people and supplies, I certainly haven't?

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whcih population in the world raised millions if noit billions of dollars to aid the disaster-stricken area.

Most of the world. Just because the papers you read do not care to write about others doesn't mean they don't help as well.

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OTOH when New Orleans was struck by a disastrous hurricane I don't recall reading much in the papers about the Italian Navy (again for instance) bringing supplies and assistance to the devastated area.

As already mentioned this is just you being misinformed. The EU Monitoring and Information Centre coordinated with FEMA. Help was accepted (of course). As mentioned for example the German THW (Technisches Hilfwerk) provided people "on the ground". If Italians where present I do not know - it's not about everyone sending someone it's about who happens to have the people with the skills FEMA needed and at the same time avoiding sending more people than FEMA could handle the coordination of.

I hope you take this opertunity to realize that the problem appears to be that the papers you relied on to keep you informed let you down. If it happened here why do you think you can trust them at other times? Maybe it was time to seek out news sources from other countries (you will find English news from most places these days).

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Nor do I recall reading about an outpouring of financial aide (except from Israel0 from any other part of the world.

Even after New Orleans was hit, the US was a much much reacher country than any country that would normally receive economical help. Actually the US was (and is) still reacher than the majority of the countries you now say should have send help. So basically there where countries in more need of money than the US. Why should we send emergancy aid to the US, while US at the same time send emergancy aid to other countries. That would just be shuffeling money around with no gain.

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And what do we get in return for our willingness to help any and all who need help in whatever form, including our enemies, we get derision and a bunch of high-fallutin' yokels in other countries who look down their collective noses at the US.

Yes, you get that - as always if you stick your nose out someone will punch it. But some of these countries also sent solders to war in order to protect the democratic world after the attack on the US. But maybe it doesn't matter to you that foreign soldiers die to protect your life? After all, it's not US citizens, so I guess they are worthless?

Quote:

Need I remind you where Europe would be today had the United States not stood between thee and evil incarnate.

Pretty bad. Probably even worse than the US would have been if it stood on it's own... though I am not really certain I would use the term "good" to describe the mess the US would have landed in on it's own.

Quote:


I am a proud American and I am proud of what we are willing to do for ANYONE, and yes I support the War on terrorism, why..youi ask...because I am anti-war, I am so against the NEXT war, that I am willing to go anywhere and do anything to avoid it because the NEXT war will not be pretty.

There is nothing wrong about being proud of what the US does for the world. The problem is when you ignore the contributions of others.

To 'lighten' the mood  ;


Dear United States of America,

In the light of your failure to elect a competent President of the USA in the last 50 years, and thus to govern yourselves, we hereby give notice of the revocation of your independence, effective today. Her Sovereign Majesty Queen Elizabeth II will resume monarchical duties over all states, commonwealths and other territories. Except Kansas, which she does not fancy.
 
Your new prime minister The Right Honourable Gordon Brown, MP (for the 97.85% of you who have until now been unaware that there is a world outside your borders) will appoint a minister for America without the need for further elections.
 
Congress and the Senate will be disbanded. A questionnaire will be circulated next year to determine whether any of you outside Washington noticed.

To aid in the transition back to a British Crown Dependency, the following rules are introduced with immediate effect:
 
1. You should look up "revocation" in the Oxford English Dictionary. Then look up "aluminum". Check the pronunciation guide. You will be amazed at just how wrongly you have been pronouncing it. The letter 'U' will be reinstated in words such as 'favour' 'colour' and 'neighbour', skipping the letter 'U' is nothing more than laziness on your part. Likewise, you will learn to spell 'doughnut' without skipping half the letters. You will end your love affair with the letter 'Z' (pronounced 'zed' not 'zee') and the suffix "ize" will be replaced by the suffix "ise". You will learn that the suffix 'burgh' is pronounced 'burra'e.g. Edinburgh. You are welcome to respell Pittsburgh as 'Pittsberg' if you can't cope with correct pronunciation.
 
Generally, you should raise your vocabulary to acceptable levels. Look up "vocabulary". Using the same twenty seven words interspersed with filler noises such as "like" and "you know" is an unacceptable and inefficient form of communication. Look up "interspersed".
 
There will be no more 'bleeps' in the Jerry Springer show. If you're not old enough to cope with bad language then you shouldn't have chat shows. When you learn to develop your vocabulary then you won't have to use bad language as often.
 
2. There is no such thing as "US English". We will let Microsoft know on your behalf. The Microsoft spell-checker will be adjusted to take account of the reinstated letter 'u' and the elimination of "-ize".
 
3. You should learn to distinguish the English and Australian accents. It really isn't that hard. English accents are not limited to cockney, upper-class twit or Mancunian (Daphne in Frasier). You will also have to learn how to understand regional accents - Scottish dramas such as "Taggart" will no longer be broadcast with subtitles.
 
While we're talking about regions, you must learn that there is no such place as Devonshire in England. The name of the county is "Devon". If you persist in calling it Devonshire, all American States will become "shires" e.g. Texasshire, Floridashire, Louisianashire.
 
4. Hollywood will be required occasionally to cast English actors as the good guys. Hollywood will be required to cast English actors to play English characters. British sit-coms such as "Men Behaving Badly" or "Red Dwarf" will not be re-cast and watered down for a wishy-washy American audience who can't cope with the humour of occasional political incorrectness.
 
5. You should relearn your original national anthem, "God Save The Queen", but only after fully carrying out task 1. We would not want you to get confused and give up half way through.
 
6. You should stop playing American "football". There is only one kind of football. What you refer to as American "football" is not a very good game. The 2.15% of you who are aware that there is a world outside your borders may have noticed that very few other contries play "American" football. You will no longer be allowed to play it, and should instead play proper football. Initially, it would be best if you played with the girls. It is a difficult game.
 
Those of you brave enough will, in time, be allowed to play rugby which is similar to American "football", but does not involve stopping for a rest every twenty seconds or wearing full kevlar body armour like nancy boys. We are hoping to get together at least a US Rugby sevens side by 2010.
 
You should stop playing baseball. It is not reasonable to host an event called the 'World Series' for a game which is little played outside of America. Since only 2.15% of you are aware that there is a world beyond your borders, your error is understandable. Instead of baseball, you will be allowed to play a girls' game called "rounders" which is baseball without fancy team strip, oversized gloves, collector cards or hotdogs.
 
7. You will no longer be allowed to own or carry guns. You will no longer be allowed to own or carry anything more dangerous in public than a vegetable peeler. Because we don't believe you are sensible enough to handle potentially dangerous items, you will require a permit if you wish to carry a vegetable peeler in public.
 
8. July 4th will no longer be a public holiday. April 1st will be a new national holiday, but only in England. It will be called 'Revocation Day.'
 
9. All American cars are hereby banned. They are crap and it is for your own good. When we show you German cars, you will understand what we mean.
 
All road intersections will be replaced with roundabouts. You will start driving on the left with immediate effect. At the same time, you will go metric with immediate effect and without the benefit of conversion tables.
 
Roundabouts and metrication will help you understand the British sense of humour.
 
10. You will learn to make real chips. Those things you call French fries are not real chips. Fries aren't even French; they are Belgian though 97.85% of you (including the guy who discovered fries while in Europe) are not aware of a country called Belgium. Those things you insist on calling potato chips are properly called "crisps". Real chips are thick cut and fried in animal fat. The traditional accompaniment to chips is beer which should be served warm and flat. Waitresses will be trained to be more aggressive with customers.
 
11. As a sign of penance 5 grams of sea salt per cup will be added to all tea made within the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, this quantity to be doubled for tea made within the city of Boston itself.
 
12. The cold tasteless stuff you insist on calling beer is not actually beer at all, it is lager. From November 1st only proper British Bitter will be referred to as "beer", and European brews of known and accepted provenance will be referred to as "Lager". The substances formerly known as "American Beer" will henceforth be referred to as "Frozen Gnats Piss", with the exception of the product of the American Budweiser company whose product will be referred to as "Weak Near-Frozen Gnat's Piss". This will allow true Budweiser (as manufactured for the last 1000 years in Pilsen, Czech Republic) to be sold without risk of confusion.
 
13. From November 10th the UK will harmonise petrol (or "Gasoline" as you will be permitted to keep calling it until April 1st 2008) prices with the former USA. The UK will harmonise its prices to those of the former USA and the Former USA will, in return, adopt UK petrol prices roughly $11/US gallon - get used to it.
 
14 You will learn to resolve personal issues without using guns, lawyers or therapists. The fact that you need so many lawyers and therapists shows that you're not adult enough to be independent. Guns should only be handled by adults. If you're not adult enough to sort things out without suing someone or speaking to a therapist then you're not grown up enough to handle a gun.
 
15. Please tell us who killed JFK. It's been driving us crazy. Tax collectors from Her Majesty's Government will be with you shortly to ensure the acquisition of all revenues due (backdated to 1776).
 
16. Last but not the least, and for heaven's sake.....it's Nuclear as in "clear" NOT Nucular.
 
Thank you for your co-operation and have a great day.
 
John Cleese

Very funny indeed. Thank you very much, Richard.

@ pauls42:
You've got to give the Americans credit for turning up only 2 years late. During the Great War they were 3 years late, so they WERE improving...   

Just kidding, of course.

Quoting skipnet50:

Quote:
Gunnar:

Do not confuse me with the US Government. 

Sorry, I didn't realize that "this has been our way for the last 100 years" referred to you personally. I knew you were old, but I didn't know you were that old...