I was in America on September 11th and watched the whole horror show on television that day. When I finally got back to Europe I was surprised to find not everyone as deeply saddened as I was. In fact, one of my closest friends told me that “everyone” in England and France is extremely “anti-US” now. When I said that I wasn’t really taking sides, she asked how could I not, when the incident was obviously the fault of the U.S. The reasoning for this was: “What kind of airport security do they have anyway?” Anyway my question refers to what she said next: that the U.S. is now using this opportunity to deliberately engender hatred against Arabs and Muslims. Her proof of this was that CNN had shown a clip of Palestinian children celebrating the attack and that this clip was actually taken from their 1992 archives. She said that this was on BBC and that everyone knows it. I can’t believe, first of all, that CNN would do something like that, and secondly, that BBC would think of nothing else but exposing a rival at a time like this. Most of all I can’t believe that there are people going around saying this. Can any of you who live in England back this story up? Or can anyone disprove it?
This is most certainly not true!! I watched the events unfold on BBC news 24 and I was horrified. The nation along with the rest of the world was shocked and stunned with disbelief. Im not saying that some sick individuals didnt take pleasure from the news but on the whole Britain was devistated.
Thanks niwroc, I didn’t think to look to snopes since I couldn’t believe this was actually a widespread enough rumour and was hoping that my cousin had just gone completely mad. And thanks angledave44 for your reassurance that people are not incapable of feeling pity for those who don’t happen to live within the same borders as themselves - I was beginning to lose faith in humanity.
It’s probably good to be skeptical about the media!
Regarding this claim, she might want to visit this web page.
A(nother) Brit checking in… from reading our papers, watching our tv output, talking and listening to people in the streets, pubs and clubs of London, I can confirm that the massively prevalent attitude here is a carbon copy of that in the US. We are, of course, very similar people in our attitudes and values and besides nearly all of us has friends and/or family in America.
Of course we do have our fair share of total dipsticks too (eg that loony running the Finsbury Park mosque in London). Just ignore them.
You’ll feel better if you look at this thread:
http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=86486
I’m from England and I agree with Tony Blair. An attack like this is not just an attack on America. It’s an attack on the free world and to me it makes no difference whether it was New York or London. I think I speak for almost all Brits when I say that this isn’t a US disaster. It’s a global one.
Thanks TheThill (and everyone else) - I do feel better after reading that thread. What with all the stuff one hears and reads on the Internet, I was just afraid that people’s initial reactions of shock and horror had given way to their political agendas. But I guess that the minority is always disproportionately outspoken.
My parents are in Pakistan, and when they called on the eleventh they were crying on the telephone. I am glad to know that not too many people are so callous that they can group thousands of Americans and non-Americans together and claim that their lives were a just price for the faults of some policy-makers.
I always say suspect the credibility of anyone who claims to know what “everyone” is feeling or doing.
Tony Blair (and really, Great Britain) got two standing ovations during Bush’s address to the House & Senate. I think America sees G.B as a wonderful ally during this, in no small part because of the outpouring of support and outrage.
I was at a friend’s house this weekend and was absolutely shocked at the attitute of a French national there, specifically that the US had it comming. Thank God that the French as a whole don’t feel this way (Hell, I’m descended from the French) but this one intelligent, educated professional’s lack of concern or empathy was simply a real pisser and I let him know exactly how I felt.
We’re going to hear individual isolated opinions that we disagree with but I hope we can remember that civilized nations as a whole are disgusted by the events.
Seems your friend has picked up some strange impressions pennylane, but if you note from the OP in the thread TheThill cites, some Americans may have expected a lack of international support. I’m sure may posters to that thread were grateful for the opportunity to set your minds at rest.
In the past I’ve had cause to criticise some aspects of American foreign policy (just as I’ve criticised British policy), and we all have to be careful to work out the best solution to this tricky situation now, but anti-US? – absolutely not.
Just as in every European country there has been a huge show of support here since 11 Sept. There are plenty of other threads on the SDMB discussing them and showing pitcures.
Your friend may have picked up on some anti-American comments aired on the BBC’s Question Time broadcast. But note that their switchboards were jammed with complaints about the unwelcome comments made by a few members of the show’s audience.
In addition, over 500 Brits were murdered in the WTC attack which is close to 10% of the total.
Haj
since the disaster, I’ve felt many different emotions, but was able to keep most of them in check.
this morning, as I read the thread posted by TheThrill, tears welled up in my eyes.
Glenoled
Link?
Haj
i’m assuming it’s the eighth post in this thread. scroll up to TheThrill.
CNN even has a link on their front page debunking the video thing.