The good ol boys in the U S of A opened up another can of whooparse. Yippee.
At least they managed to avoid accidentally killing some Brits this time.
For goodness sake.....
You've got your view and I've got mine. Leave it at that.
The USA got attacked and they're the bad guys?
So, you don't want to leave it there then?
I live in The States and I get tired of seeing Americans get "slagged off" on this site by people who have never been further than Folkestone or Watford. The truth about the average American, is that they want to live a peaceful life, exactly the same as the average Brit. does, no more or less. There are good ones and bad ones, just like there are good and bad Brits. There have been good and bad American governments just like there have been good and bad British governments. American foreign policy has sometimes been good and sometimes bad, just like the British. For all that, we Brits and Americans still have more in common than we have differences. So please, get Off_it.
Am I the only one who thinks the coverage of this event by the British media has been over the top? A shocking, horrific crime that has affected the lives of innocent people forever but after the blanket coverage of Thatcher over the previous two week and now this; I honestly feel that there must have been other important events home and abroad that have not been covered. From what I have observed, BBC News (radio and TV) and Sky News have virtually reported on nothing else all week.
I watched the coverage on CNN and found the whole thing distasteful and disturbing.
Residents whooping with delight over the death of a human being, firefights more fitting for a war zone, overweight cops living out a scene from Call of Duty, suspects accused, sentenced and executed courtesy of social media.
Absolutely amazing that some on here have turned it around to the people of Boston supporting the IRA.
Have a look at yourselves chaps. A young child and many other innocent people lost their lives due to an act of terrorism. They went along to watch and support their family and friends in a sporting/charity event.
I would have a wager with anyone that not one of those killed or maimed in this horrendous incident had contributed towards that particular cause and find it very very sad that it's be brought up here.
and i find it sad that people in Boston in large numbers gave money to terrorists that killed hundreds and wounded thousands and thousands. The use of the double hit bomb in Boston was "developed by the IRA------i dont remember to many in Boston having a 2 mins silence for the Tower of London---Birmingham---woolwich---guildford----warrington---manchester or the 200 other bombs their money helped fund.
i`ll have another wagger i bet NO ONE in the whole of the USA could even tell me how many died in any of the above.
Off topic a bit ..... BUT .. GB, NATO, USA are /were quick to jump into Kosovo, Libya, Iraq, Afghanistan etc etc and are contemplating backing muslim extremist 'rebels' in Syria .. BUT .. when the Russians were hammering Chechnya, not a word nor hint of censure nor of intervention. Thousands of women and children were killed, raped and displaced in Chechnya which was laid flat by Russian 'special forces' at the behest of that dirty bastard Putin and his predecessors. Perhaps Chechnya was an 'internal problem' for Russia, but Kosovo/Serbia and Assad/Syrian rebels are essentially internal matters for the countries concerned. It seems to me that US and UK foreign policy (which often amounts to the same thing) is in a pickle. We have helped to place extremist muslim brotherhood factions in power throughout north Africa where Christian and minority communities are in danger of persecution, and yet we are supposedly implacably opposed to muslim extremism, but will not intervene to prevent the spread of unwanted incursions into 'western values', except possibly by ignoring atrocities in Chechnya, where the Russians will do dirty work which our governments would love to emulate but won't because we are 'peace loving democracies'.
Everyone expects the CL Admin imposition. Their three methods, lack of surprise, attempt at containment, political correctness, arse covering...their FOUR methods...
and i find it sad that people in Boston in large numbers gave money to terrorists that killed hundreds and wounded thousands and thousands. The use of the double hit bomb in Boston was "developed by the IRA------i dont remember to many in Boston having a 2 mins silence for the Tower of London---Birmingham---woolwich---guildford----warrington---manchester or the 200 other bombs their money helped fund.
i`ll have another wagger i bet NO ONE in the whole of the USA could even tell me how many died in any of the above.
GH, I've lived through it as well and I also couldn't tell you how many people died in those horrendous cowardly acts. I've no time for the IRA in the slightest.
To suggest that a whole city is bad and contributes towards terrorism isn't right though, when you talk about large numbers I would suggest for the total population of the whole city that they were minimal.
and i find it sad that people in Boston in large numbers gave money to terrorists that killed hundreds and wounded thousands and thousands. The use of the double hit bomb in Boston was "developed by the IRA------i dont remember to many in Boston having a 2 mins silence for the Tower of London---Birmingham---woolwich---guildford----warrington---manchester or the 200 other bombs their money helped fund.
i`ll have another wagger i bet NO ONE in the whole of the USA could even tell me how many died in any of the above.
GH, I've lived through it as well and I also couldn't tell you how many people died in those horrendous cowardly acts. I've no time for the IRA in the slightest.
To suggest that a whole city is bad and contributes towards terrorism isn't right though, when you talk about large numbers I would suggest for the total population of the whole city that they were minimal.
The problem is that they are whoooping with delight after getting their men, having parties etc. its the same as what happened when Bin Laden was killed, when George Bush said the war was over nad what happened. It made the bombers more determind to act, but they havent realised it.
And watch them going on about terrorists attacking them, yet (a minority) actively supported the IRA who were responsible for trying to blow me up twice, so yes I think it is completly double standards by them. Will it stop them thinking that the IRA are just as bad as al qeada sponsored attacks? I dont think it will!
lg - I enjoyed living in the US for over a decade having spent much of the previous 7yrs working with and alongside US companies on multi national projects. The US and its citizenry have the capacity to demonstrate the very best and very worst of humanity. It is a country steeped in excess and the extreme. Its self adoration is a strength and a weakness but be assured there is no cause for celebration at this time. Recent events have been a tragedy, 5 people have lost their lives, that the "suspected" perpetrators of the crimes causing these deaths and injuries to hundreds have been detained is a matter, of satisfaction for the authorities charged with their pursuit/ capture, of justice for those impacted by their activities and of relief for those who have felt threatened by their presence in their community.
Above all it needs to be a time of reflection for the US that the two suspected offenders though "alien" have effectively been brought up in the US yet clearly felt so "alienated" that they could contemplate such atrocity. I recall spending a fortnight attending a conference/ exhibition in Chicago a few years back which required me to endlessly take taxis between my hotel, my bosses hotel and the conference centre. After a few days I noted the nationalities of the taxi drivers was different nearly every time. At the end of two weeks I think I had met 17 different nationalities.
Intrigued by their various backgrounds I enquired of each how they and their families enjoyed life stateside. Expecting a largely positive response (I really liked Chicago, it seemed a really good place to live) I was more than a little chastened to learn nearly 50% detested so much of the American lifestyle and more crucially prevailing American values. For such people to feel so alienated is beyond unhealthy.
Like others on here I worked in London during the 70's and 80's through the IRA bombing campaigns. I do not think anyone is suggesting any of the injured parties or even a minority of the Boston population directly supported the years of terrorist activity we endured (which was in no small part funded by the Irish American community) but do suggest the comparative public response after just a week of such experience is inappropriate.
It pains me to say it but the exultant almost juvenile chanting of USA, USA, USA is perverse at so many levels it can but serve to reinforce the stereotype of "American arrogance" which so alienates so many, in so many parts of the world, which in all probability prompted the very atrocity to which we have all (from a distance) just borne witness.
Is it any wonder Americans struggle to understand why so many in the rest of the world really do not like them?
I agree also. I've met American people before, some I did not like but for the most part I found them really decent people. But when you get more than one of them in a room at once, it seems to bring out the worst of them, the part that seems to genuinely believe the second world war began and ended when the USA declared war, and was won solely and exclusively by America, just as an example. It's this kind of idiotic, arrogant patriotism that irritates countries who've been allies for a very long time, the effect it can have on those with an axe to grind already cannot be underestimated.
When I first came to the USA (New York City) I didn't like it or the people either, so after about eight months I went to Toronto, didn't like that either. So I came home, (Ashford, Kent) no better, it seemed to have changed. I then was offered a job in Washington and reluctantly accepted. I immediately was caught up in the Washington Embassies football league and played football for the British Embassy ("The Lions" of course) and as a result made lots of friends from all over the world, as well as many Americans. Making friends was the key for me, and working with Americans was an eye-opener, I'd never had to work as hard or work such long hours to contribute as much as my co-workers, make no mistake, Americans work very hard. The rewards though, were better. I started to get ahead, I wasn't worrying about if I could pay my rent or electric bill as I had always been in England. With these worries no longer present life changes. I would say that Taxi Drivers in Chicago or most big cities in the US likely wouldn't reach that point, plus the climate in Chicago is awful, so their opinion of "The American Dream" is understandably very different from mine. The biggest differences that I see in the personalities of the people of the two nations, is that Americans are more demonstrative than The British, and that The British are less tolerant or more critical of people who are not like themselves.
having been to America a few times, they certainly like to get excited. you just have to watch Man vs food to watch them go ape over a man eating a large plate of food
I saw that news and immediately thought of this thread and the ridiculous stance taken by some supporting the overly zealous use of social media. Not confirmed yet of course but must be pretty certain for the police to come out and say stuff like that.
Absolutely shocking if a young man with depression has killed himself because of the additional pressure placed on him by irresponsible social media users.
I saw that news and immediately thought of this thread and the ridiculous stance taken by some supporting the overly zealous use of social media. Not confirmed yet of course but must be pretty certain for the police to come out and say stuff like that.
Absolutely shocking if a young man with depression has killed himself because of the additional pressure placed on him by irresponsible social media users.
I doubt it. He was missing for a month before the bombings.
Bumping a very old thread I know, but just watched Patriots Day, the film on the bombing. Managed to hold it together for the entire film till they showed the 8 year old victims picture at the very end. Couldn't help but see my own little brother in him. Heartbreaking but powerful film which I'd watch if you get the chance.
Not often @limeygent and I can agree (even if it's four years apart), but I think his post is very good. Also, Americans can be very tolerant at a local level, and very intolerant at a macro level.
I heard a great line from W. Kamau Bell on NPR last week (no, there is not a more coastal elite sentence): "In the north they don't care how you get as long as you don't get too high, and in the South they don't care how close you get as long as you don't get too high." And that is a statement about two different kinds of racism, which is not the best example, but I do think you find as you go through America a lot of mixed communities or families or friendships even if that doesn't always translate at the national level.
Also, the Washington area, from the little I've known of it, and LA and Chicago where I grew up and was born respectively are wonderful melting pots of people and cultures.
Bumping a very old thread I know, but just watched Patriots Day, the film on the bombing. Managed to hold it together for the entire film till they showed the 8 year old victims picture at the very end. Couldn't help but see my own little brother in him. Heartbreaking but powerful film which I'd watch if you get the chance.
Even though I'm sure it's very compassionately done it feels a bit soon to make a film about it (unless all the proceeds are going towards some sort of charity for the victims).
Not often @limeygent and I can agree (even if it's four years apart), but I think his post is very good. Also, Americans can be very tolerant at a local level, and very intolerant at a macro level.
I heard a great line from W. Kamau Bell on NPR last week (no, there is not a more coastal elite sentence): "In the north they don't care how you get as long as you don't get too high, and in the South they don't care how close you get as long as you don't get too high." And that is a statement about two different kinds of racism, which is not the best example, but I do think you find as you go through America a lot of mixed communities or families or friendships even if that doesn't always translate at the national level.
Also, the Washington area, from the little I've known of it, and LA and Chicago where I grew up and was born respectively are wonderful melting pots of people and cultures.
When I did camp America back in summer 2005 it was up state New York near a place called Ancramdale. It was Catskill mountain country and close to the border with MA and Connecticut.
A couple of things struck me. One, a conversation with a lift maintenance man leaving JFK. He was basically pissed off that he had to keep showing his pass every time he had to go in and out the building and said 'we should just nuke the bastards'. I knew what he meant. I was surprised he would just come out and say it, but then again it was only 4 years after 9/11 in the city that suffered so much, so maybe tensions were still high
Another thing was going to a bar near our camp and seeing how, for want of a better term here, redneck. It was a proper old school as you picture in the films, biker/Deep South type place. My ignorance was obviously quite apparent because to pick up on SD Addick's point, it does seem that outside the major cities, when you go deeper into the states, it really is that 'country' demographic
Not often @limeygent and I can agree (even if it's four years apart), but I think his post is very good. Also, Americans can be very tolerant at a local level, and very intolerant at a macro level.
I heard a great line from W. Kamau Bell on NPR last week (no, there is not a more coastal elite sentence): "In the north they don't care how you get as long as you don't get too high, and in the South they don't care how close you get as long as you don't get too high." And that is a statement about two different kinds of racism, which is not the best example, but I do think you find as you go through America a lot of mixed communities or families or friendships even if that doesn't always translate at the national level.
Also, the Washington area, from the little I've known of it, and LA and Chicago where I grew up and was born respectively are wonderful melting pots of people and cultures.
When I did camp America back in summer 2005 it was up state New York near a place called Ancramdale. It was Catskill mountain country and close to the border with MA and Connecticut.
A couple of things struck me. One, a conversation with a lift maintenance man leaving JFK. He was basically pissed off that he had to keep showing his pass every time he had to go in and out the building and said 'we should just nuke the bastards'. I knew what he meant. I was surprised he would just come out and say it, but then again it was only 4 years after 9/11 in the city that suffered so much, so maybe tensions were still high
Another thing was going to a bar near our camp and seeing how, for want of a better term here, redneck. It was a proper old school as you picture in the films, biker/Deep South type place. My ignorance was obviously quite apparent because to pick up on SD Addick's point, it does seem that outside the major cities, when you go deeper into the states, it really is that 'country' demographic
Now you've gone all Kenneth Williams in my reading of this post...
Comments
Would be a big relief.
I watched the coverage on CNN and found the whole thing distasteful and disturbing.
Residents whooping with delight over the death of a human being, firefights more fitting for a war zone, overweight cops living out a scene from Call of Duty, suspects accused, sentenced and executed courtesy of social media.
Who are the terrorists?
Have a look at yourselves chaps. A young child and many other innocent people lost their lives due to an act of terrorism. They went along to watch and support their family and friends in a sporting/charity event.
I would have a wager with anyone that not one of those killed or maimed in this horrendous incident had contributed towards that particular cause and find it very very sad that it's be brought up here.
i`ll have another wagger i bet NO ONE in the whole of the USA could even tell me how many died in any of the above.
It seems to me that US and UK foreign policy (which often amounts to the same thing) is in a pickle. We have helped to place extremist muslim brotherhood factions in power throughout north Africa where Christian and minority communities are in danger of persecution, and yet we are supposedly implacably opposed to muslim extremism, but will not intervene to prevent the spread of unwanted incursions into 'western values', except possibly by ignoring atrocities in Chechnya, where the Russians will do dirty work which our governments would love to emulate but won't because we are 'peace loving democracies'.
To suggest that a whole city is bad and contributes towards terrorism isn't right though, when you talk about large numbers I would suggest for the total population of the whole city that they were minimal.
And watch them going on about terrorists attacking them, yet (a minority) actively supported the IRA who were responsible for trying to blow me up twice, so yes I think it is completly double standards by them. Will it stop them thinking that the IRA are just as bad as al qeada sponsored attacks? I dont think it will!
Above all it needs to be a time of reflection for the US that the two suspected offenders though "alien" have effectively been brought up in the US yet clearly felt so "alienated" that they could contemplate such atrocity. I recall spending a fortnight attending a conference/ exhibition in Chicago a few years back which required me to endlessly take taxis between my hotel, my bosses hotel and the conference centre. After a few days I noted the nationalities of the taxi drivers was different nearly every time. At the end of two weeks I think I had met 17 different nationalities.
Intrigued by their various backgrounds I enquired of each how they and their families enjoyed life stateside. Expecting a largely positive response (I really liked Chicago, it seemed a really good place to live) I was more than a little chastened to learn nearly 50% detested so much of the American lifestyle and more crucially prevailing American values. For such people to feel so alienated is beyond unhealthy.
Like others on here I worked in London during the 70's and 80's through the IRA bombing campaigns. I do not think anyone is suggesting any of the injured parties or even a minority of the Boston population directly supported the years of terrorist activity we endured (which was in no small part funded by the Irish American community) but do suggest the comparative public response after just a week of such experience is inappropriate.
It pains me to say it but the exultant almost juvenile chanting of USA, USA, USA is perverse at so many levels it can but serve to reinforce the stereotype of "American arrogance" which so alienates so many, in so many parts of the world, which in all probability prompted the very atrocity to which we have all (from a distance) just borne witness.
Is it any wonder Americans struggle to understand why so many in the rest of the world really do not like them?
Grapevine49
Err, ok. I'll give up there then.
Good post from Grapevine.
Great country in many ways but hugely insular and disturbingly militaristic even in the more liberal east coast cities like Boston.
Absolutely shocking if a young man with depression has killed himself because of the additional pressure placed on him by irresponsible social media users.
I heard a great line from W. Kamau Bell on NPR last week (no, there is not a more coastal elite sentence): "In the north they don't care how you get as long as you don't get too high, and in the South they don't care how close you get as long as you don't get too high." And that is a statement about two different kinds of racism, which is not the best example, but I do think you find as you go through America a lot of mixed communities or families or friendships even if that doesn't always translate at the national level.
Also, the Washington area, from the little I've known of it, and LA and Chicago where I grew up and was born respectively are wonderful melting pots of people and cultures.
A couple of things struck me. One, a conversation with a lift maintenance man leaving JFK. He was basically pissed off that he had to keep showing his pass every time he had to go in and out the building and said 'we should just nuke the bastards'. I knew what he meant. I was surprised he would just come out and say it, but then again it was only 4 years after 9/11 in the city that suffered so much, so maybe tensions were still high
Another thing was going to a bar near our camp and seeing how, for want of a better term here, redneck. It was a proper old school as you picture in the films, biker/Deep South type place. My ignorance was obviously quite apparent because to pick up on SD Addick's point, it does seem that outside the major cities, when you go deeper into the states, it really is that 'country' demographic