Maybe that’s what really bothers Europeans. We’re essentially the offspring of the dregs of Europe, we’re obese, we’re ignorant, we exhibit boorish behavior, and we’re barbaric. And in spite of being inferior in every way we still manage to export our culture and might throughout the world. It isn’t that they’re mad at us we just frustrate them.
Marc
You’re either with us, or you’re against us. 
**
I think Saddam’s past actions against peoples inside and outside of Iraq certainly provide a basis for his removal. Opinions of what he MIGHT do should be based on what he has done. And I’m happy that he’s told the Sunday Mail that he’s willing to let the weapons inspectors in. Unfortunately I recall him telling the U.N. the same thing, and we saw where that led.
**
Iraq has already proven itself guilty of of atrocities. And in what way do you think the Afghan campaign was unsuccessful? There are no perfect outcomes, but the Afghans (and the rest of the world) are a lot better off for it.
I’d ask you to knock off the “simple schoolchild” insults. In any event, I’ll agree with you on those first two sentences. I’d remind you that Saddam killed first. Where we go from there is certainly up for discussion.
For me, I’m a bit hesistant to undertake a war with Iraq again, but I can certainly see the value in doing so if it can be done successfully.
Well Bush doesn’t get a lot for the reason I’ve already stated. Other people were involved. I also don’t think that Bush did anything that Gore wouldn’t have done.
I hate this jealousy theory you guys seem to have. It BS as far as my lifetime experience is. Brits for example may have problems with the French and Germans because of E.U. policies etc. but it’s usually on a smaller scale thing than issues that the US are involved. America touches every part of the world be it through TV, multi-nationals, military, aid etc. Most people have an opinion on the US unlike for example Ireland which a lot of people around the world have never heard off. This is the burden that comes with being the big boy on the block I’m afraid. The jealousy thing may answer some questions for you in the way that you want them answered but it’s wrong IMO.
A lot of people IMO have a big problem with the extreme patriotism show by Americans. As can even be seen by this thread. A criticism of the American Admin. or the country as a whole is taken very seriously by people. Nearly every American I’ve meet has been like that. You take your nationality and country very seriously compared to every other nationality I’ve met. Sometimes it’s just fun winding you guys up coz it really easy and great craic 
All of the above is IMO BTW. YMMV
The world faces many serious problems which require greater international unity to adequately address. As the most powerful country in the world, the U.S. can either lead or be in the way. Is the U.S. acting like a ‘team player’ or just looking out for #1?
Would you rather we wait until he drops a weapon of mass destruction on a city? Which one might he drop it on? We don’t know. If you do, then you have insight into the mind of a madman that no one else does.
Are you saying Bush doesn’t get credit for saving the lives of thousands of Afghans because Europeans don’t like his public speaking style and persona?
How about the other half of the question. Why doesn’t the US get credit?
It’s a known phenomena dcember…
It’s not just what you say, but how you say it that counts. Know what I mean?
Sparc
I’m posting my opinion not Europes. I’m just giving you my impression.
I’m saying Bush doesn’t get much credit for much. Apart from being a joke.
From looking at Irish and British TV America got a lot of support for what was happening in Afghanistan. Polls were all very high 90’s. Some people questioned areas of the offensive. High level bombing with some bad intel, gitmo etc. but on the whole there was a lot of support. The things that people had some issues with were blown up to seem like all Europe was against you. I think the muck racking press and the “You’re with us or against us attitude” had a lot to do with this.
So more killing will make it all better? Again thats not a viewpoint I can see any logic to.
Yojimbo - that’s the amusing thing about this thread. If people insult the British I generally have to agree with them where they make a valid point, or state my objections if I disagree. I don’t, however, feel the need to get so defensive about it.
Why do Americans want to shove their country’s mistakes out of the way by waving any available successes and waiting for everyone to applaud? America does what it does for one reason only - to further their own interests. If there wasn’t oil in Iraq, would they be so interested in war?
So does every country on Earth.
For the most part, this is unarguable. I think some of the complaints are that the US is so large and powerful that its interests extend nearly everywhere. It has a self-serving finger in most pies. Not necessarily worse than any other country, just more influential and obvious.
Yeah but America does it more coz she’s got more interests than every other country.
I may be the biggest bollocks in my little town but only people from my town know me. If I lived in a big city more people would know me as a bollocks.
Other countries do NOT, however, require that all foreigners should think only good things about them.
I’m technically Welsh, but the last time someone accused me of being a sheep-shagging taffy, I laughed.
People can like or dislike the President, but if they understand what America represents, then it shouldn’t affect their perception of the nation as a whole. In short, America is larger (much larger) than the President… and even the Office of the President is, itself, much larger than those who hold it for a short time.
The media is a powerful vehicle of opinion, though, and according to them Bush represents us. That’s a hard thing to overcome, but if one takes the time to understand how this country really operates, it can be fairly easily surmised that any President’s opinions only really reflect their own beliefs, not anyone else’s. Most often, they do a fine job representing their own opinions while criticizing (or ignoring) those who oppose them. Then in four or eight years, they’re gone, and replaced by a new set of opinions. shrugs Not the best model for leadership, but it seems to be how it works right now, for good or ill.
In short, I may not think much of our President, but I still admire and respect our nation. Anyone who bases their judgment of an entire nation on their opinion of a single man is pretty shallow, in my opinion, and doesn’t really understand what America represents anyway.
As far as what Bush himself is saying through his policies and stated opinions… yeah, I think it’s pretty much “Fck off, rest of the world.*”
Not really commenting on much of anything that’s been said here, just answering the OP.
Yojimbo, since I live in the same city as you, I can confirm that you are indeed a bollix.
Sephic has completely lost me here. What country is he speaking of?
America, in that the indeed extreme patriotism exuded by Americans often extends to becoming extremely distressed at any criticism of their country. Speaking only from personal experience I obviously have no cite for this but I’m sure other people have had similar experiences.
Personally as a “Briton” I do not hate America based on its President, sure he’s a bit more right wing and thick than some of his predecessors but to me he’s in no way a reason to hate America in himself, there are plenty of other more valid reasons for this. Off the top of my head I’d say the complete lack of a left wing in american politics, the “drug war”, constant negative inteference in other regimes and states for self serving reasons and so on. All the things Bush does or says have been done before, he is merely quite an extreme caricature of what can be hateful about America in general.
Huh? I have never known any American to become “extremely distressed” at criticisms toward their country. The only “extremely distressed” Americans I have peronsally encountered were pissed off at their own local/state/national representation.
the way i see it, people are hypocrits.
in all countries of the world you’re gonna find uptight, ignorant, patriotic idiots. but because of americas’ scale and media influence, and word of mouth, the us’s reputation takes a downfall real quick.
although, when you look at all the tv shows and movies, and you see how sex and cursing is bad, but violence is somewhat ‘accepted’ (just watch texas ranger, what red blooded southie doesn’t love that show and scream “kick his ass!” to the tv every week, but when his kids say ‘fuck’ or even brings a girl into the house without permission, all hell is lose, i should know, my friend was an exchange student there for a year.)
this is not all about the military, and the operations the us have conducted abroad, it’s also about the general attitude it conveys through movies/tv/whatnot to other countries.
it’s also a well known ‘fact’, that ‘the american dream’ encaptures the ignorance and coldness of americans of which so many foreigners hate.
it’s not all about money, sex and fame. it’s about love, and caring and whatnot.
the all around shallowness of americans i think bother people, and on top of that, they think they’re the greatest country in the world.
so people generally think “oh my god, how can they be so fucked up”
of course, there are always exceptions, in all countries of the world, there are people who might like or even love, the us because of the american dream, they hate the poverty in their own country, so they move to northern europe because it seems like the us, with lots of money, etc.
i think most europeans are hypocrits though.
americas actions and opinions have no effect on europe as a whole, they just hate the us cause it’s fashionable and they think they’re so enlightened, and so more smarter than the avera american.
this is a load of horsecrap of course.
during the second world war, the us did considerable for the allies, and they got hit pretty hard at pearl harbour, and i think they have every right to make a movie about it, because it was tragic. like with wtc too.
people are far too cynical towards the us.
down in the middle east, people had fucked up opinions, and wars over religion, way before the us made any intervention down there. they have to look at their own contribution to the wars, the us didn’t start them, they did that themselves.
and even if the us stayed out of it, the war would;ve gone on for years to come. and as a previous poster said, the us should be given credits for freeing afghanistan from the taliban.
i believe that action did nothing but good for the people down there.
on the other hand, muslims might have completely different reasons for hating the us, purely based on how they helped israel etc.
which i won’t get into here.
the americans might have a shallow view on things, but that’s their problem. if they wanna be shallow, stupid and whatnot, let them, it doesn’t affect you and it doesn’t give you a right to hate them because of it. that’s prejudice.
but as far as the rest of europe goes, you can shut the fuck up about the us, cause you;re not doing too much about anything either.