Please Get Off Your High Horse, World

[snuggles]

150 beans is a darn small sack.

What don't I like about what's going on in the US? A few of them have already been covered, and done to death, so I'll just cover what I haven't seen in the thread so far.

- Bullying over the Northwest Passage. I know a lot of people haven't memorized every detail of the world's geography, so here's a nifty map:

http://www.lukas.no/forall/nwp/nwpass-map.gif[/img]

The US insists that the entirety of the NW Passage is international waters, and that they have the right to do as they please with it. None of the red islands are under dispute, just the passage. UNCLOS states that, for water around archipelagoes, the territorial border is drawn around the outside of the group (i.e. the area between islands can't be international). Instead, the US has spent over 20 years ignoring international law, and plowed on through without permission. Not just trade ships, either, but nuclear submarines. Why the hell does your government think it's OK to send nuclear submarines through allied waters without asking permission or even announcing it? What sort of ally is that?

- The softwood lumber issue. Canada has lots of land, a lot of forested land, and not a lot of people, so unlike in the US, most of our timber is owned by the government. In the US, most of it is owned privately, so if you want to log some land, you generally have to be the highest bidder in an auction. In Canada, the government just sets a flat rate ("stumpage fee") for everyone. But the US says that's not fair, because the government is "providing" lumber at "below market prices". They say it's a subsidy, and start putting up tariffs. Blahblahblah, twenty-odd years of tariffs later and a ruling FINALLY declares that it's illegal. The US agrees to pay back $4bil. But oops, the American government took $5.2bil, not to mention screwed up our logging industry, and put thousands of Canadians out of work. 15,000 loggers were put out of work in BC, and at our worst point, we had about 2000 forestry workers in the entire province.

This is why I believe that "free" trade, and every other international agreement and organization fails. Over and over, whenever there's an international dispute, it's the same little piggies getting fat off the beans.

Spoiler

I bet nobody can guess where I'm from, eh? Nunalivut, 4srs.

 

[Injury]

I don't hate the US, I hate it's leaders. Beating Bush is beating the dead horse, we know he's gone soon. I feel that America has lost it's way from being a truly democratic country, to a capitalist/neo-fascist hellhole that would rather base it's opinions on private corporate investors than listen to it's people, who are now voting their asses off because they are tired of the same old two party bullshit.

I want a country where more than two parties can be chosen from, not based on the amount of money they "raise" (or get from oil rich private sectors/investors). You look at Europe and see they have elections with many parties to choose from...

Gah. I think I should remember the golden rule....

No mixing politics with substance. It gets dangerous :P

Go America though, I like to hear that we are fat, poor, and stuck in the dessert. Kinda sounds like The National U.S's Vacation 2: Electric Bugalou.

Health care, I love the idea, but as V said, it'd be a costly thing. Why not legalize weed? Tax it, sell it, regulate it, and make back the deficit in about 10-15 years, but that doesn't work when people are to fat to work, to move, to live.

Oh and tolerance. I'd love a little of that. If you are all going to die on the same planet, might as well get along....or fight to the death, whatever comes first.

PS- No WMDs by the way, it was an April Fool's joke. A bad one bush. Thanks. I thought that we were there to restore democracy, oh wait they voted. Isn't that what we wanted? ARGh.

night night.

 

[ChaosMaxima]

What I am going to say could be offensive to some people, so please read at your own risk:

Spoiler

I'm not saying that US is a bad country, I like it infact. But still, I, personally, have a few gripes about it, and I think it would be related to racism.

For example, I had gone for a vacation to the US, (New York, to be precise). When I walked into a McDonalds over there, I saw a lot of people, buying their burgers, paying the money, and walking off. When I came along, and payed the money, and was about to walk off, the guy told me to wait. He held up the note towards the light, just to see if it was fake. Why? Because I'm not an American, I guess. You might not call it racism, but I'm not out to cheat them, and seriously, I don't see why they should suspect me, when they're not suspecting anybody else who comes there.

Once again, that isn't towards the country in general, it's towards the workers, etc. who can't trust people, leaving a bad impression. When that happened, I felt like saying "What the hell!? You're not checking anybody else's notes, why mine!? I'm not out to cheat you, or something!".

Catch my drift?

 

[Diedrupo]

Health care, I love the idea, but as V said, it'd be a costly thing. Why not legalize weed? Tax it, sell it, regulate it, and make back the deficit in about 10-15 years, but that doesn't work when people are to fat to work, to move, to live.

Come on, everyone wants weed legalized, but you can't use that argument against the US. Almost every country in the world has weed criminalized, not just us.

 

[Injury]

Health care, I love the idea, but as V said, it'd be a costly thing. Why not legalize weed? Tax it, sell it, regulate it, and make back the deficit in about 10-15 years, but that doesn't work when people are to fat to work, to move, to live.

Come on, everyone wants weed legalized, but you can't use that argument against the US. Almost every country in the world has weed criminalized, not just us.

I meant that as in: "Even if we did legalize it, it wouldn't really change anything other than crime rates going up. Government controlled weed would be the equivalent to shit. Obviously the other nations of the world have made it illegal to sell and grow weed, but most countries, and I'm not saying anything in Middle/Far East, allow citizens to smoke it. Nevada, Utah, and maybe California (I doubt it personally) have taken a stand on legalizing it for medical purposes, claiming the federal government cannot intervene in a state's ruling, no matter what court. I was just being really really REALLY nice to us there.

oh, and down with a two party system, once again

 

[Kojo]

I'm gonna hit the points that bother me about the stereotypes that Americans like me deal with. But it is a massive block of text so I put it in a spoiler.

Spoiler

THE WAR IN IRAQ:

We cannot pull out of Iraq. If we do, all the lives that have been lost will mean NOTHING. Nothing. We have to stay in Iraq, or else it will fall down like the teetering house of cards it is. WE WERE ATTACKED PEOPLE. Whether you like it or not, 9/11 happened. I was in 6th grade when it did, and I will remember that day for the rest of my life. Some will say that Hussein had nothing to do with the attacks. Whether he did or not is besides the point, he is dead, and his government (Which was killing off civilians like flies, unlike the US troops) is too. Right now we are fighting terrorists who think they'll get their virgins if they blow themselves up, and kill innocent kids. We are fighting a war unlike any that has ever been fought before. We are fighting people who actually AIM to die for their beliefs. All we need is for the UN to get off it's fat, oil-fed rear, and help us, THAT is the only way to end the war. And until the rest of the world sees that, we are going to be stuck in the quagmire that we're in.

RADICAL CHRISTIAN RIGHT WING NUT-JOB REDNECKS:

"Radical" Well, you wanna see radical? Take a look at those idiots who are blowing themselves up in Iraq. Those are radicals.

"Christian" I won't deny that this country has been founded by Christians, and up until recently the majority has been Christians, however, I remember reading somewhere that by 2012 4% of America will be going to Church.

"Right Wing" Ever notice how hard America it's self bags on Bush? Yeah, we're totally Right wingers (Republicans).

"Rednecks" Depends on how you interpret this word. But really, only a few of us have Southern Accents. I live in the South West, and I sound like a friggin' radio announcer. We don't carry guns in the street, and we have good dental hygene. Most Americans wouldn't know how to gut a fish if they had to, let alone a whole deer. While beer still is a favorite here, and NASCAR is one of the most popular "sports" we just don't fit the bill.

AMERICA: WORLD POLICE

The only reason we enter countries to stop conflicts is because we are the only country with the guts to put our money where our mouth is when we say "We hate war." War doesn't stop itself.

OUR CONSTITUTION IS "TOO REPUBLICAN"

No, it's not. There are reasons for everything there. One thing that bothers me is how everyone bags on the 'right to keep and bear arms.' Guess what the first thing Hitler did was? He took away that right. We need our guns because I know that someday our (Here I go Thomas Jefferson'in) government will get so Communist that there will be no choice but for people to take up arms against it, change it and kill off all the loose and corrupt ends. Thomas Jefferson reccommends that we that that every 50 years. 50 years. I'm not that extreme.

All in all, I love my country, and I support what is going on. I want the best for the world, and I wish that people would just be shut up and be nice if you aren't going to support us.

In this next spoiler I respond to a couple of things that peoples said.

Spoiler

Oh, and:

Why not legalize weed?

Ha. You know what happens when the Gov't regulates anything? IT IS CRAP. The less government control, the better. Also, whatever you say, Cigarettes and Alcohol are bad enough drugs, don't they kill enough people for you?

capitalist/neo-fascist hellhole that would rather base it's opinions on private corporate investors than listen to it's people, who are now voting their asses off because they are tired of the same old two party bullshit.

If we "Vote our asses off" then why does only 30% of the population vote? Only 30% Really care where the country is going, the rest are just along for the ride, and this is what makes me mad. We take our rights for granted so very much.

screwed up our logging industry, and put thousands of Canadians out of work.

Don't worry, a lot of that is due to the whacked out environmentalists here. They shut down multiple lumber mills in Oregon, and put most of my old town completely out of work (Only on mill is going strong there, without layoffs, and it manufactures A-frames from imported/out of state wood).

I feel like writing "The End" now.

 

[snuggles]

screwed up our logging industry, and put thousands of Canadians out of work.

Don't worry, a lot of that is due to the whacked out environmentalists here. They shut down multiple lumber mills in Oregon, and put most of my old town completely out of work (Only on mill is going strong there, without layoffs, and it manufactures A-frames from imported/out of state wood).

Sorry, but you're wrong. I can see why you'd think that, since that could've caused a demand drop, but the number of logs we sold to the US doubled from the year your government created the levy to the year it was stopped. The only problem was, we were being charged an extra 27% for no good reason. If our lumber industry has no money, they have no money to run mills or sign paycheques.  You can't blame "the environmentalists" for everything.

 

[Legendary]

Actually Kojo, ~80% of America calls itself Christian. Going to Church means nothing, take my mother for example. There's only one church of her denomination in our area, but the people there made going to church a living hell for her, so she stopped going. She tried going back, but even though those people aren't a problem anymore, she has allergic reactions to the place.

Going to church and what you believe are two entirely different things, and America will like remain predominately Christian for a long time to come.

And snuggles, you're right. But I can blame them for preventing Romania from having any economic development and keeping people there living in the Dark Ages. Romania isn't the Bahamas. Winters there SUCK.

 

[JustinAC]

You know what I hate?

When 9/11 is turned into the justification for going to get Sadaam out of power, because the two of them were obviously SO related to one another.

 

[Legendary]

WELL DUH! I mean, look at the name:

S A D D A M

S=19. A=1. D=4. M=13.

A+A+D+D+M=23.

23-19=4, which is TWICE the difference between 9 and 11.

So OBVIOUSLY it's connected.

Spoiler

This is not any sign of any political opinion as to whether or not the war in Iraq was justified, but merely a parody of those who use highly questionable maths to prove 9/11 conspiracies.

 

[Andy6000]

What I am going to say could be offensive to some people, so please read at your own risk:

Spoiler

I'm not saying that US is a bad country, I like it infact. But still, I, personally, have a few gripes about it, and I think it would be related to racism.

For example, I had gone for a vacation to the US, (New York, to be precise). When I walked into a McDonalds over there, I saw a lot of people, buying their burgers, paying the money, and walking off. When I came along, and payed the money, and was about to walk off, the guy told me to wait. He held up the note towards the light, just to see if it was fake. Why? Because I'm not an American, I guess. You might not call it racism, but I'm not out to cheat them, and seriously, I don't see why they should suspect me, when they're not suspecting anybody else who comes there.

Once again, that isn't towards the country in general, it's towards the workers, etc. who can't trust people, leaving a bad impression. When that happened, I felt like saying "What the hell!? You're not checking anybody else's notes, why mine!? I'm not out to cheat you, or something!".

Catch my drift?

Did you happen to use a bill that was $20 or higher?  It's a business thing to check $20+ bills, while they won't do anything for smaller bills.  I used to work at a place, and the cashiers I've hung out with would still check my bills if I paid in $20's.  But then again, maybe you talked in a funny accent and the guy was like, "holy shit I bet this person is French, godamn Frenchie is probably trying to con me, I better check to make sure before I lose my job for accepting 1 counterfeit bill due to this communist".  I mean, it hardly even matters what kind of accent you have (if any), he'll probably think you're french, because Americans hate the French.

 

[sixtyandaquarter]

What?!  Frenchies?  Where?  Why I hate them cheese eating surrender monkeys, why if I ever meet one - oh, that's right my girlfriend is from France :x

Honestly for the 9/11 being turned into justification and all that - what did you expect?
It's not like we're the only country to have exploited a similarity as just cause to start invading - hell we're one of the last ones to do so (mainly because so many other countries were doing it before we even existed heh).  We just happen to do it better these days with the biggest media splash possible.

But honestly a lot of it was "weapons of mass destruction to avoid another 9/11" in a sense, at least that's how some of the smarter people tried to push it, as opposed to attempting to connect it directly.  Hell I remember seeing Rudy Gui(I refuse to try to spell the rest of the name today) say something along "If anyone thinks Hussein was behind 9/11, tell them to stop being ridiculous.  He may be plotting something big, and that might be why we're trying to stop him, but it's not because he magically fits into this."

I'm not voicing my opinions - far too many here, just throwing that in.

 

[ChaosMaxima]

What I am going to say could be offensive to some people, so please read at your own risk:

Spoiler

I'm not saying that US is a bad country, I like it infact. But still, I, personally, have a few gripes about it, and I think it would be related to racism.

For example, I had gone for a vacation to the US, (New York, to be precise). When I walked into a McDonalds over there, I saw a lot of people, buying their burgers, paying the money, and walking off. When I came along, and payed the money, and was about to walk off, the guy told me to wait. He held up the note towards the light, just to see if it was fake. Why? Because I'm not an American, I guess. You might not call it racism, but I'm not out to cheat them, and seriously, I don't see why they should suspect me, when they're not suspecting anybody else who comes there.

Once again, that isn't towards the country in general, it's towards the workers, etc. who can't trust people, leaving a bad impression. When that happened, I felt like saying "What the hell!? You're not checking anybody else's notes, why mine!? I'm not out to cheat you, or something!".

Catch my drift?

Did you happen to use a bill that was $20 or higher?  It's a business thing to check $20+ bills, while they won't do anything for smaller bills.  I used to work at a place, and the cashiers I've hung out with would still check my bills if I paid in $20's.  But then again, maybe you talked in a funny accent and the guy was like, "holy shit I bet this person is French, godamn Frenchie is probably trying to con me, I better check to make sure before I lose my job for accepting 1 counterfeit bill due to this communist".  I mean, it hardly even matters what kind of accent you have (if any), he'll probably think you're french, because Americans hate the French.

a) Bill was $10...
b) I'm not french, LOL.
c) I don't have an accent.

 

[Injury]

Wow, for anyone who posted anything abuot god, 9/11, or anything else related, I suggest you all watch zeitgeist the movie. You'll poop your pants with truth.

http://www.zeitgeistmovie.com/

I love that movie, it's way to true.

 

[Andy6000]

a) Bill was $10...
b) I'm not french, LOL.
c) I don't have an accent.

Then how do you draw the conclusion that it was racism?  Do you wear a sign that says 'lol I'm from Lithuania'?  Also that is pretty weird that it was a $10 and it was checked.  But then again, who knows how paranoid anyone is.  But I still want clarification on how exactly you drew the situation to be racism (note that it's not implausible, merely inadequately explained).

And everything past the 3rd sentence was a joke by the way.  Like Freedom Fries.

 

[ChaosMaxima]

Then how do you draw the conclusion that it was racism?  Do you wear a sign that says 'lol I'm from Lithuania'?  Also that is pretty weird that it was a $10 and it was checked.  But then again, who knows how paranoid anyone is.  But I still want clarification on how exactly you drew the situation to be racism (note that it's not implausible, merely inadequately explained).

And everything past the 3rd sentence was a joke by the way.  Like Freedom Fries.

Lawl... freedom fries.

And, like I said, I don't know whether you can call this racism or not, but it surely wasn't the same way he would treat somebody else who bought something worth 10$. Just because I'm not an American, does that mean that I can't be treated equally?

Oh, and I didn't wear a shirt saying 'lol I'm from Lithuania' =P

 

[Injury]

seriously you all should watch that movie, it will rip the superstition out of your assholes and put some brain back in where it belongs.


"WELL DUH! I mean, look at the name:

S A D D A M

S=19. A=1. D=4. M=13.

A+A+D+D+M=23.

23-19=4, which is TWICE the difference between 9 and 11.

So OBVIOUSLY it's connected."

please punch yourself for me. If numbers were a connection to everything in the world, we'd all be too superstitious to do anything. 9/11 is a scam, and if you don't think I'm right, you should try to prove me wrong. Look at any tapes of the buildings falling, there is not one damned second where you see WTC 7 get hit by a plane, get ran into by anything, etc. and yet there is molten cordite or whatever in the basement. OMG watch it. Have your mind blown please.

 

[Deathbreak]

Wow, I'm not going to lie and say I've read all four pages, just page one and half of page 5, and I can say, without a hint of spite, that I am overall disappointed.

People keep saying that the people in america suck. Well, as far as I can see, the people EVERYWHERE suck. Getting into debt, going to war over trivial matters, and that whole scenario is what EVERYONE has done... FOREVER.

If you think that putting one country down, weather it be America or some other country, that that will raise your countrys standings, then you're just as bad as the rest of us.

When it comes down to it, we should spend less time ranting about how people are putting us down, or ragging on other people and being the one putting them down, and shut up and live our lives... But that will never happen, the world is not yet smart enough.

Sometimes I wish that technology had never come this far. If we were still spending all of our time surviving and hunting, instead of going to some stupid store, then we'd actually have something to preoccupy us better than the, what appears to be entertainment to some, of nagging about evreything.

This isn't me attacking anyone, this is a question and a plea, Why does evreyone care about other people and please stop.

>.<

He who finds where I was to lazy to correct where I accidentally typed something hypocritical gets a cookie

 

[Andy6000]

Lawl... freedom fries.

And, like I said, I don't know whether you can call this racism or not, but it surely wasn't the same way he would treat somebody else who bought something worth 10$. Just because I'm not an American, does that mean that I can't be treated equally?

Oh, and I didn't wear a shirt saying 'lol I'm from Lithuania' =P

EXPLAIN!  I am asking you to clarify how exactly this person even KNEW you were from a different country, not to tell me it's plausible that you were treated differently because you were from somewhere else.

Also:

seriously you all should watch that movie, it will rip the superstition out of your assholes and put some brain back in where it belongs.


"WELL DUH! I mean, look at the name:

S A D D A M

S=19. A=1. D=4. M=13.

A+A+D+D+M=23.

23-19=4, which is TWICE the difference between 9 and 11.

So OBVIOUSLY it's connected."

please punch yourself for me. If numbers were a connection to everything in the world, we'd all be too superstitious to do anything. 9/11 is a scam, and if you don't think I'm right, you should try to prove me wrong. Look at any tapes of the buildings falling, there is not one damned second where you see WTC 7 get hit by a plane, get ran into by anything, etc. and yet there is molten cordite or whatever in the basement. OMG watch it. Have your mind blown please.

You really need to realize two things.

1. Sarcasm exists.  That person was making a joke, the number thing is silly, and he knew it.

2. There's a reason people are ignoring you, so responding to being ignored with advertising isn't really...  good.

 

[Legendary]

Wow, I'm not going to lie and say I've read all four pages, just page one and half of page 5, and I can say, without a hint of spite, that I am overall disappointed.

People keep saying that the people in america suck. Well, as far as I can see, the people EVERYWHERE suck. Getting into debt, going to war over trivial matters, and that whole scenario is what EVERYONE has done... FOREVER.

If you think that putting one country down, weather it be America or some other country, that that will raise your countrys standings, then you're just as bad as the rest of us.

When it comes down to it, we should spend less time ranting about how people are putting us down, or ragging on other people and being the one putting them down, and shut up and live our lives... But that will never happen, the world is not yet smart enough.

Sometimes I wish that technology had never come this far. If we were still spending all of our time surviving and hunting, instead of going to some stupid store, then we'd actually have something to preoccupy us better than the, what appears to be entertainment to some, of nagging about evreything.

This isn't me attacking anyone, this is a question and a plea, Why does evreyone care about other people and please stop.

>.<

He who finds where I was to lazy to correct where I accidentally typed something hypocritical gets a cookie

I don't know if I agree with you that lowering the quality of life would make humanity better. If we spent all our time hunting and surviving, more children would die before making it to their first birthday, women would die quickly because they'd become baby factories which isn't really something their body is designed to take, and men would get killed quickly hunting larger predators. In short, everyone would die before there could be an opportunity to appreciate life at all, which is at least something we have the capacity to do now.

What needs to be done is that the vast majority of the world needs to be improved; and America and other rich nations shouldn't wait and let them do that on our own. I think that on some level, misguided though it was, that was some part of Iraq, but we picked by far the worst nation to try to improve. America is caught between a rock and a hard place; if we stay, more Muslim nations will hate us (and Iraq is dead center in the predominately Islamic region), if we leave, the transition, only half-finished will unravel.


Also, to the person who wanted me to punch myself, please note the content hidden section of that post. It was me making fun of those fools who try to make numerical connections to this sort of thing.