# Thanks to England, Australia, and Others **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [March 20, 2003, 5:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thanks-to-england-australia-and-others/162738 "2003-03-20T05:01:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Rhum\_Runner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/2bfe46/32.png) [@Rhum\_Runner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhum_Runner)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2003, 5:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thanks-to-england-australia-and-others/162738/1 "2003-03-20T05:01:04Z")
I’d just like to post my thanks to England and Australia and the other nations that are standing with the United States in this war with Iraq. I don’t have any profound words of gratitude to offer, and I know this war isn’t terribly popular in your countries, but I’d like to thank you none the less. ---
**Author:** ![Tuckerfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2003, 5:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thanks-to-england-australia-and-others/162738/2 "2003-03-20T05:44:38Z")
Amen. Let’s all hope that this is a short one, and few people on _all_ sides have to suffer. ---
**Author:** ![Lorenzo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/4da419/32.png) [@Lorenzo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lorenzo)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2003, 5:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thanks-to-england-australia-and-others/162738/3 "2003-03-20T05:56:49Z")
[http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/breakingnews/](http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/breakingnews/) revealed about a half hour ago that after a two-day debate the Australian Senate has voted to bring their troops home. I have no idea what bearing, if any, this vote has on the actual retraction of troops. ---
**Author:** ![robinc308](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b782af/32.png) [@robinc308](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robinc308)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2003, 6:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thanks-to-england-australia-and-others/162738/4 "2003-03-20T06:01:41Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Lorenzo \* > \*\*[http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/breakingnews/](http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/breakingnews/) > > revealed about a half hour ago that after a two-day debate the Australian Senate has voted to bring their troops home. > > I have no idea what bearing, if any, this vote has on the actual retraction of troops. \*\* I’m only guessing here, but not much at all. Troops are deployed by the Prime Minister and the cabinet, and I’m thinking that they’re the only ones who can bring them back. The opposition and minor parties oppose war (and together can control the senate), but they aren’t the government. ---
**Author:** ![London\_Calling](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@London\_Calling](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/London_Calling)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2003, 6:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thanks-to-england-australia-and-others/162738/5 "2003-03-20T06:12:41Z")
I suspect this “thanking” of other nations is strictly an American thing so, as far as I’m concerned, you can thank who the hell you like; I had nothing to do with the deployment and they’re only doing their job, albeit very well. But, hey, if that’s your thing that’s fine, but please think to include the Irish, Scots, Welsh and Nepali Ghurkha’s as well, they make up a considerable portion of the UK military. ---
**Author:** ![Essured](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/278dde/32.png) [@Essured](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Essured)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2003, 6:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thanks-to-england-australia-and-others/162738/6 "2003-03-20T06:15:54Z")
Please thank the Prime Minister of Australia, not the nation. ---
**Author:** ![Lorenzo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/4da419/32.png) [@Lorenzo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lorenzo)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2003, 6:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thanks-to-england-australia-and-others/162738/7 "2003-03-20T06:25:09Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by London\_Calling \* > \*\*… please think to include the Irish, Scots, Welsh and Nepali Ghurkha’s as well, they make up a considerable portion of the UK military. \*\* I imagine leaving out the names of all the nations was nothing personal. Most educated US citizens have difficulty with the distinctions among England, Britain, the UK and the like. We’re generally poor at US geography, let alone international geography, so it could have been just ignorance, really and not intended as a personal slight. Now if you’re taking offense at US ignorance, well that’s something else, isn’t it? ---
**Author:** ![London\_Calling](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@London\_Calling](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/London_Calling)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2003, 6:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thanks-to-england-australia-and-others/162738/8 "2003-03-20T06:51:35Z")
Dear “parts unknown”, I didn’t take it as a slight and I didn’t think it was a slight. Unfamiliar as I am with the concept of thanking nations, it wasn’t, I presume, what he meant to say, and I pointed that out. ---
**Author:** ![Tony\_Barber\_s\_Underwear](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/58f4c7/32.png) [@Tony\_Barber\_s\_Underwear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tony_Barber_s_Underwear)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2003, 7:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thanks-to-england-australia-and-others/162738/9 "2003-03-20T07:34:52Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Goo \* > \*\*Please thank the Prime Minister of Australia, not the nation. \*\* My thoughts exactly. - Bubba. ---
**Author:** ![Violet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/ebca7d/32.png) [@Violet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Violet)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2003, 8:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thanks-to-england-australia-and-others/162738/10 "2003-03-20T08:00:19Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Lorenzo \* > \*\* Most educated US citizens have difficulty with the distinctions among England, Britain, the UK and the like. We’re generally poor at US geography, let alone international geography,… \*\* Speak for yourself! ---
**Author:** ![Jervoise](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/d2c977/32.png) [@Jervoise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jervoise)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2003, 8:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thanks-to-england-australia-and-others/162738/11 "2003-03-20T08:26:36Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Violet \* > \*\*Speak for yourself! \*\* Well, the OP confuses England and the United Kingdom, so perhaps **Lorenzo** ’s comment wasn’t an entirely poor supposition. Oh, and what **Goo** said. ---
**Author:** ![Desmostylus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c57346/32.png) [@Desmostylus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Desmostylus)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2003, 11:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thanks-to-england-australia-and-others/162738/12 "2003-03-20T11:58:45Z")
Ditto what **Goo** said. ---
**Author:** ![Tal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/54ee81/32.png) [@Tal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tal)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2003, 12:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thanks-to-england-australia-and-others/162738/13 "2003-03-20T12:05:06Z")
I wish the Australian people could just vote out our PM - or maybe assasinate him…that’s what he’s happy to do to others ---
**Author:** ![Pixelle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ad7895/32.png) [@Pixelle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pixelle)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2003, 12:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thanks-to-england-australia-and-others/162738/14 "2003-03-20T12:06:55Z")
with yoo too Goo 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Tal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/54ee81/32.png) [@Tal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tal)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2003, 12:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thanks-to-england-australia-and-others/162738/15 "2003-03-20T12:08:18Z")
> [@](#): > > I imagine leaving out the names of all the nations was nothing personal. Most educated US citizens have difficulty with the distinctions among England, Britain, the UK and the like. We’re generally poor at US geography, let alone international geography, so it could have been just ignorance, really and not intended as a personal slight. on someone saying that Lord of the Rings is the best movie the US ever made… i pointed out it was actually a credit to New Zealand and basically ntohing to do with the US… he then replied, Oh, well, so it was doen in Europe, the US still paid for it. That’s why ppl haev such a bad attitude towards some people in the US… Just in case anyoen’s not aware, NZ is nowhere NEAR europe…and so what if US put a few dollars towards making the film? I still say it was a NZ film and THEY deserve the credit NOT the US… ---
**Author:** ![Tal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/54ee81/32.png) [@Tal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tal)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2003, 12:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thanks-to-england-australia-and-others/162738/16 "2003-03-20T12:13:07Z")
OK - I’m ranting… someone feel free to delete my posts… it’s been one of those days…can’t begin to tell you ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2003, 12:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thanks-to-england-australia-and-others/162738/17 "2003-03-20T12:30:05Z")
“UK” not “England”. ---
**Author:** ![Who\_me\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/958977/32.png) [@Who\_me\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Who_me_1)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2003, 12:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thanks-to-england-australia-and-others/162738/18 "2003-03-20T12:30:52Z")
I want to thank people from all over the world for letting me see the opinions of people from outside of the United States. (and **Tal** … You may want to email a mod to get rid of that remark…) ---
**Author:** ![Zanthor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/e19b73/32.png) [@Zanthor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zanthor)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2003, 12:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thanks-to-england-australia-and-others/162738/19 "2003-03-20T12:44:34Z")
hey, we downunder are only little countries, ( power wise ) on the world map in the yankees war room the map on the wall didnt even bother to show us as being on the planet with them, dont worry, we are not upset, we are used to it, it appears most americans dont even know where in the world we are or what our prime ministers names are, let alone too much of any other detail about us. but hey, we are there with you, in spirit. - many of us dont agree with your world politics, but we support you regardless. one tries real hard to believe you have the best interests of the world as your primary concern, but you sure dont make it easy! Zanthor ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2003, 12:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thanks-to-england-australia-and-others/162738/20 "2003-03-20T12:59:05Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Zanthor \* > \*\*on the world map in the yankees war room the map on the wall didnt even bother to show us as being on the planet with them, \*\* Hey, I noticed that! Not only is Oceania missing, but so’s the Middle East and Asia! [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thanks-to-england-australia-and-others/162738.md?page=2)