Wednesday, July 05, 2006
BBC apologises for Gerry Anderson’s anti Bush remark
Radio Ulster has had to apologise for Gerry Anderson’s aside that George Bush could rot in hell on his birthday (tomorrow as it happens). Hmmm anti Americanism gone mad? Biased BBC has already got hold of it, so I imagine it’s half way round the US blogosphere already!
Update: You can hear the original broadcast here. More reaction here. And you can hear the original here or here on Slugger.
Mick Fealty @ 11:33 AM
nmc:
Most of your comments are too ridiculous to bother with, but I do have a response to one of your requests, which is—we don’t have to justify a THING to you. You just don’t get it.
Posted by on Jul 05, 2006 @ 02:52 PM“It´s the whole stinking neoCON crew who should be sweating it out in the sulphurous pits of inferno. “
My goodness, what an islamist felcher.
Posted by on Jul 05, 2006 @ 02:53 PM“Blahblah…...food, ...blahblahblah”
which we grow ourselves and ship all over the world; another example of us imposing our trade on the poor peasants of the world, I suppose.
nmc, your moral indignation is a bit rich coming from a resident of a continent whose last five centuries of history has been the conquest and rape of the entire globe, and when its own breed-like-bacteria masses got too out of control, shipped them off to swarm over two other whole continents.
Posted by on Jul 05, 2006 @ 02:56 PMwe don’t have to justify a THING to you
It’s not surprising that America is amongst the most hated nations on earth. Don’t bother justifying anything then, but don’t bother complaining when the results of your international terrorism comes back to bite you on the ass.
I’m off home, ma’assalama…
Posted by on Jul 05, 2006 @ 02:58 PM[see commenting policy - edited moderator]
Posted by on Jul 05, 2006 @ 02:59 PM“Justify for me if you can, shock and awe? How many babies died that night?”
None, dumbass. Those were office buildings and Saddam’s palaces.
“uses more than their fair share of (everything?) oil, gas and food”
Ecce signum
Posted by on Jul 05, 2006 @ 03:01 PMnmc:
I’m trembling over your hate….what’s wrong, did you get denied a green card?
The day we stop having to turn away millions of would-be immigrants is the day I’ll worry about being hated….on second thought, naaah!
Posted by on Jul 05, 2006 @ 03:05 PMKeep it up, and we’ll cut off your Budweiser.
Posted by on Jul 05, 2006 @ 03:06 PM‘So I will spend my vacation dollars in Hawaii’
Will no one think of the ‘diddle de aye’ top o the mornin’ trained employees of such Irishness as Blarney, Killarney and Bunratty. How will they feed their young leprechauns!!!
Posted by on Jul 05, 2006 @ 03:07 PMnmc, I’ve heard more sophisticated analyses of world politics from my seven-year-old nephew.
As for the anti-American BBC and its defenders, your spin is hilarious. Or is it depressing? You wish GWB would rot in hell, except that you don’t believe in hell because, of course, smart people are all atheists. You wish GWB dead, even though you would never, of course, sanction violence. And you wish the worst for the president of the US, but your silence on the world’s real despots and murderers is deafening. And your non-response on having that pointed out to you is also deafening.
I would join the chorus in saying, “Grow up,” but after 60 years, that doesn’t seem likely.
Posted by on Jul 05, 2006 @ 03:12 PMIt’s amazing that there are still some Americans who believe that they are right in attacking Iraq and Afganistan and that both projects are in defence of some kind of freedom, rather than a smash and grab at energy resources.
Also, some of the American posters on this thread seem to think that any criticism of their government’s international policies is, in fact, a criticism of the whole of the US, when it is certainly not the case.
It’s safe to say that a great many Europeans look to the US with some admiration for what has been achieved there in so many spheres of human endeavour, from the liberal democratic political model to the economic power-house it has become and all of the magnificent technological achievements which have come as a result of that. I hardly need to mention the massive dominance of US art, music and entertainment culture in Europe as well.
What hurts many of us is that this great nation, which many of our forebears help to build and where many of our relatives now live, has been hijacked by a neo-conservative faction who are now responsible for what can only be described as terrible crimes against humanity.
We have seen the central tenents of all that is so deeply good about the USA, freedom, justice and democracy, being utterly discredited as these terms are used by these people who care nothing for them, to justify their naked imperialist aggression against other peoples of this world.Posted by on Jul 05, 2006 @ 03:13 PMnmc,
A corrective is clearly in order. The US consumes a declining share of the world’s resources.
From what I understand the Republic of Ireland is booming while Belfast’s economy is stagnant or worse.
War is hell but if you were fair you would credit the US attempts to minimized civilian casualties.
You make me wish we hadn’t saved your wee asses in WW2.
Posted by on Jul 05, 2006 @ 03:15 PMDualta:
You are equally misguided although thankfully not as psychotic as nmc.
First of all, if we wanted to do a “smash and grab” of energy resources, trust me, it would all be over by now and we would be in control of whatever oilfields we desired. It’s a silly argument that has been thoroughly discredited in this country.
Secondly our tenets (not “tenents” as you decribed them) have only been discredited in your eyes and those of people like you. Forgive me for not caring.
And finally, do you really think the U.S. is displaying “naked imperialist aggression?” or is that mere hyperbole? Because if you do, you have no concept of imperialist aggression. Go back and take a European history course if you want to understand it.
It never ceases to amaze me when people call the US imperialist. If we were, we would own your shitty countries.
Posted by on Jul 05, 2006 @ 03:22 PM“rather than a smash and grab at energy resources.”
Afghanistan was an energy resource grab? Of what, goat flatulence?
And if we were after Iraqi oil only, where’s my barrell?
Seriously, if we were trying to steal it, we wouldn’t be paying for it. An odd way to steal someone’s stuff - buying it.
It’s pretty clear a lot of Europeans have no idea about what Americans think, nor do they really much care. Which is, of course, fine.
Posted by on Jul 05, 2006 @ 03:23 PMBeing of Irish heritage I have an appreciation for the contribution of the Irish to Western Civilization. However, the pure unadulterated hatred being spewed by ignoramuses like Gerry Anderson gives me second thoughts about the general sanity of too many Europeans.
It is also amusing that hate spewing leftists in Europe continue claims of our President’s lack of intelligence even when it has been shown that he had a higher grade point average than his last opponent - Kerry, as well as a higher “mean” intelligence based on their military IQ tests.
American-hating Europeans just don’t “get it”. We are too busy with our lives, our families and contributing to the success of our country to care about your emotional problems. America and Americans will always do what we believe is right - damn the fools and useful idiots of socialist Europe. Get used to it.
As an afterthught I can imagine no worse “hell” in the West than Belfast and it’s intolerant neanderthals. Such an amusing group of civilized people, Europeans.
Have a great day. You can rest assured America is enjoying another one.
Posted by on Jul 05, 2006 @ 03:29 PMI have visited the UK both when Reagan was president and when Clinton was president. I got a bunch of flack both times. Even though they loved Clinton (and envied Lewinsky), they still hated America.
Having a Texas Republican in the White House just gives them something specific to aim at.
The US does far more good in the world than we will ever be given credit for and we are used to it. Not that it doesn’t hurt, but we are too busy making a living and paying for the 25+% of the corrupt UN budget to focus on it for long.
But my tourist dollars go to countries that don’t obsess on their hatred of my nation or my president. Believe it or not, that does count for something.
Posted by on Jul 05, 2006 @ 03:31 PM“It never ceases to amaze me when people call the US imperialist. If we were, we would own your shitty countries.”
Ah, it is a cruel sport this taunting of the impotent would-be Lords of Compassion, but vastly entertaining! Much of the bile on display here and elsewhere flows, obviously, from the certain knowledge in resentful quarters of this unfortunate fact. Yes, friends and foes, we do INDEED have the capacity to pretty much bomb whomever, wherever we decide, yet if, given that fact, you think what we have seen these five years or so is “unchecked imperialism”, well, it ain’t an empire (Where is our Iraqi tribute anyhow? Where is the American Pilate in Babylon?) and it ain’t unchecked. But if that is what we decide on, man, you will know it for sure.
Posted by on Jul 05, 2006 @ 03:32 PM‘We are too busy with our lives, our families and contributing to the success of our country to care about your emotional problems.’
Yet ye take the time spill forth your bile here. I’m touched.
‘Have a great day. You can rest assured America is enjoying another one.’
I hope Jerry Springer gives an entertaining show today.
I’m off home to the family. HAVE A NICE DAY Y’ALL!
Posted by on Jul 05, 2006 @ 03:35 PMMy fellow Americans, I’m afraid that if you limit your vacation options to places where you won’t find any member of the media who despises W, that your options will be limited to a small town west of Abilene. Even in Texas, he only carried 60% of the vote.
I’m intrigued by the concept of “fair share” in terms of nations. Decided by population? Contribution to world GDP?
While I am against the war in Iraq, I think to call it a “crime against humanity” is plain wrong. Sadaam was a crime against humanity. The question is whether the United States has any duty or right to intefere in tragedies occuring outside our border.
It is easy to criticize the US. If we don’t act we get criticized for our failure to use our great power in Darfur for example, if we do act then we are guilty of imperialism.
Posted by on Jul 05, 2006 @ 03:35 PMI do apologize for using the term “shitty countries” earlier. That was in anger. Europe, at least, is still quaint and parts are beautiful. Their defense industries are “shitty” but it was rude of me to use that term.
However, I have traveled to many parts of the middle east, and can say with a great degree of certainty that once the European nations become Islamic, then the word “shitty” will indeed apply. Olefactorily, if nothing else.
Posted by on Jul 05, 2006 @ 03:37 PM“It never ceases to amaze me when people call the US imperialist. If we were, we would own your shitty countries.”
Sush now or we’ll set the Vietnamese on ye!
Posted by on Jul 05, 2006 @ 03:38 PM‘It is easy to criticize the US. If we don’t act we get criticized for our failure to use our great power in Darfur for example, if we do act then we are guilty of imperialism.’
For what it’s worth, Mike, I’ve sympathy with your view.
Posted by on Jul 05, 2006 @ 03:39 PMStone me Mick
You were not kidding when you said it was all over the US blogsphere. I mentioned irony once and I didn’t get away with it.
Note to our American friends, that was a reference to Fawlty Towers a popular situation comedy.
I assume all these chaps had expensive private education, it certainly shows in the deep understanding they show of the rest of the world.
Did I say World sorry
“Target Rich Environment”
Cue incoming.
Posted by on Jul 05, 2006 @ 03:43 PMMarta,
Sorry for the ‘fat fingers’ on tenets. I shall be more careful with my typing.It seems that the US is in control of of all of the oil fields in Iraq. Indeed, it seems that they were the first areas in the country to be secured following the invasion.
The argument that the Bush administration’s motives for invading Iraq to secure the oil reserves has not been discredited at all. The argument that the invasion was to removed WMD has been discredited. The later argument about regime change for the benefit of the Iraqi people and to enhance regional stability has also been discredited, but not the one about the oil thing.
And if i didn’t mean what I said about naked imperialist aggression then I wouldn’t have said it.
Lastly, I know enough about imperialism from my extensive studies into European imperialism to know it when I see it, and the US is quite definately and imperialist country. Have you ever heard of the Project for a New American Century? If not, Google it.
Steve in Houston,
Afganistan has no significant energy resources, but it has massive significance in the region regarding its strategic placement. The Talaban were not playing ball with regards to the building of a gas pipeline from Turkmenistan which has the fourth largest proven gas reserves in the world, to India and Pakistan in the south. So, they had to be removed from power. US strategic interests in the region are massive.Please read the following link for a more detailed account of the issue.
http://ist-socrates.berkeley.edu/~pdscott/q7.html
Posted by on Jul 05, 2006 @ 03:44 PMsmcgiff:
What a comeback! Those Vietnamese are terrifying!
And Jerry Springer! You really got us on that one. If only Britain had tabloid-tv like that, I could respond in kind. :)
Silly boy.
Posted by on Jul 05, 2006 @ 03:46 PM