From: soth@another.com
Date: Tue Jul 10 2001 - 05:11:58 MDT
Greetings all, I'm new to the list and was going to wait and read for a month or so so before thinking about posting but this issue seemed rather interesting.
About the US expanding and places such as the UK and Canada, Australia and New Zealand joining as member states.
Most Americans (and I apologise in advance to the enlightened members of this list) seem to have a fixation on their country. This fixations leaves many Americans to accept the history that the USA puts out without considering facts and falsehoods. The rest of the world seems to have a rather different opinion of America and to be rather blunt, there isn't a hope of any nation joining the USA in any but the most extreme of conditions.
Most of Europe considers America with a sort of amused fear. The gung ho policies of the US government and selective democracy (NSA anyone), coupled with the fierce national pride that America tends to exhibit gives the impression of a six year old child with a bazooka, unpredictable and dangerous. America is certainly the most powerful nation in the world and many countries are, or seek to be allied to the states by none would join.
Many People world wide are fooled by the brain washing that occurs through the media and especially hollywood. To someone who has only done high school history, the American troops probably did win the D-day landing, and the Americans probably did do OK at Pearl harbour. Movies such as Pearl harbour and Saving private Ryan seep into the public's unconscious mind and change opinions. For instance, how many people know that the American troops actually got stuck on the D-day beaches and had to be rescued by the British and French troops, very few indeed.
While America continues it "we rule the world" attitude, no country will join the states, public opinion would be to much against it. Britain also shares just as much in common with our European neighbours as it does with the states, even across the language barrier.
And lets face it, nut boy Dubya Bush hardly helps matters for increasing America's popularity, after trashing the Kyoto treaty, pulling out of the chemical weapons talks and starting up the old star wars program. Most the world is carefully watching America at the moment, that well armed six year old seems to have been made president.
Oli
"Last night as I lay in bed looking at the stars I thought
'Where the hell is the ceiling?'"
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