The American Way

[matei]

It's The American Way or The Highway.

Hmmm... this is an interesting statement. In a country that prides itself on democracy and freedom of speech, many times any alternate point of view or dissent is discouraged.

That is a shame, as the country itself was born of an alternate point of view. If the founding fathers toed the party line, you would probably still be singing "God Save The Queen" instead of "My Country 'Tis of Thee".

I believe however that everything in life is cyclical. Nations rise to supremecy and fade. Right now it is America's moment, and to be honest the US isn't acting any different than other major powers in history.

Jamespowers has a good point - that the whole world is unfair, not just one country. I've lived in several countries, and believe me - none of them are perfect.

He also brought up another good point - that the door is open and one can go wherevery they want. That is what I did. There is a big world outside those border. That is what I did. It was a fun place - at times, but just not for me.

One of the things that I think that people associated with "The American Way" are a strong set of values, family vaules and morals It seems that they are in serious decline, not just in the US - but all over the world, for that matter.

I really hope that those core values that were once common - not just to the US, but all over the world, don't fade away.

Regarding the omission of "... and the American Way" from Superman... that is just stupid. Superman is an American creation - why can't he defend "the American Way"?!?!

 

[jamespowers]

Instead, let me name a country which did not threaten the national interest of the United States, yet was bashed by it.

That country is Chile.

Salvador Allende, the president of Chile from 1971 to 1973, was a rotten president. He couldn't balance the Left at all, and was constantly under attack (and attempts at manipulation) by the extreme Marxist wing of his "coalition". Allende barely won in a three-way election: only 37% of the total vote. Though Salvador Allende was, in my opinion, a decent man and a savvy self-promoter, he was nowhere near the stature required of his era and station. Allende was the Jimmy Carter of Chile, only worse.

That said, Allende was chosen as president IN FULL LEGAL ACCORDANCE with the Chilean Republic's constitution. Though far from perfect, Chile's democracy was the longest-standing in South America. It was not even close to being a "banana republic".

First, the U.S. tried to sabotage the 1970 elections, giving enormous (and, under Chilean law, illegal) monetary contributions to Allende's opponents. Secondly, when Allende won, the U.S. (specifically, Nixon and Kissinger) declared economic warfare on Chile, via crushing embargoes. (This was done before Allende even took office the following March. Nothing had been nationalized yet.) Finally, the C.I.A. took an active role in helping Chile's military with its successful coup d'etat on September 11, 1973. The C.I.A. trained some members of Chile's secret police, whose head was even on the C.I.A.'s payroll.


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I think you are missing a few components there Marc. Number one is that this was a result of the Cold War. Our involvement became necessary due to the KGB giving Socialist Allende $420,000 in campaign contributions--also illegal by their laws. The US did not directly give money to Allende's opponent ITT did.
It was an US against the Russians affair not so innocent as you would like to portray it.

Regards,

J

 

[Marc Chevalier]

It was an US against the Russians affair not so innocent as you would like to portray it.

In Chile's case, not really. Russia was stingy with Chile and gave Allende no weapons and no support against the Right during his presidency. Cuba was more generous, but it hurt Allende more than it helped him. (Fidel Castro came to Chile for a week-long state visit and ended up staying nearly a month, much to Allende's embarrassment.)

The U.S. had been funnelling more than a million dollars per presidential election to the "Christian Democrat Party" candidates since 1958.

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[jamespowers]

In Chile's case, not really. Russia was stingy with Chile and gave Allende no weapons and no support against the Right during his presidency. Cuba was more generous, but it hurt Alllende more than it helped him. (Fidel Castro came to Chile for a week-long state visit and ended up staying nearly a month, much to Allende's embarrassment.)

The U.S. had been funnelling more than a million dollars per presidential election to the "Christian Democrat Party" candidates since 1958.

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So in other words, you were wrong. The US had a national interest in becoming involved in Chilean politics because Castro and The Russians were an obvious threat at the time. It was in our interest to control the spread of communism/socialism in South America and thus the power of Russia and Castro on our southern border.
Now lets get back on the topic of the American Way not geopolitics.

Regards,

J

 

[Marc Chevalier]

It was in our interest to control the spread of communism/socialism in South America.

And here is where the hubris appears. What gives the U.S. the right to decide whether or not a country like Chile can or cannot have Cuba and Russia as allies? What nerve of Nixon, the man who went to Communist China!

The U.S. didn't own Chile, and Chile certainly didn't threaten the U.S.

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[Marc Chevalier]

... lets get back on the topic of the American Way not geopolitics.

In the eyes of the world, geopolitics is part and parcel of "The American Way".

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[jamespowers]

The U.S. didn't own Chile, and Chile certainly didn't threaten the U.S..

Not at that moment, no. The Monroe Doctrine set out our actions in that case a long time before that happened though.
Do you really think Castro and the KGB had innocent reasons for wanting Allende in office?! Perhaps you need to think back or maybe you aren't old enough to remember the Cold War and how the checkers were moving around the world board. Remember what happened in Cuba when we didn't intervene adequately? It is still a problem. :eusa_doh:
How is this in response to the American Way anyway? fftopic:

Regards to all,

J

 

[jamespowers]

In the eyes of the world, geopolitics is part and parcel of "The American Way"..

That's their problem not ours. The American way has to do with what we do and value here. Anything they place on us is external.

 

[Twitch]

Whatever spin anyone wishes to put on homeland security, or whatever you want to call it, pro or con I have noted that on a regular basis since 9/11 plots have been unearthed in the US and around the world that ultimately would have had deadly ends. Germany and others found terrorist cells and sent them to the Russian Front and recently again here another nasty plot was uncovered. Somebody is on the job somewhere. Thanks.

I personally care not at all whether anyone in any other country likes US citizens or the US government. Fretting over that reminds me of a Mom telling here kid "remember, everybody isn't going to like you in life."

Folks are stirred up about what they perceive as their rights when they continually spread their credit and personal information all over the electronic world like a dog marking his territory. You got cameras clicking your images in an escalating number of locales from traffic lights to the local mall.

The media distorts things to suit the agendas of the owners of the entities that operate them. Simply using the word "eavsdropping" concerning what was actually a visual perusal of just phone number receiving calls from places like Beruit, Iran, Syria and such. No one was listening in to anyone's bullsh1t cell phone calls or lame dialoge with people's shrinks. The intel agencies don't have the manpower to adequately listen to KNOWN suspicious source phone calls and translate them into English as it is much less listen in to your call telling your significant other what to bring home from KFC.

 

[jamespowers]

Whatever spin anyone wishes to put on homeland security, or whatever you want to call it, pro or con I have noted that on a regular basis since 9/11 plots have been unearthed in the US and around the world that ultimately would have had deadly ends. Germany and others found terrorist cells and sent them to the Russian Front and recently again here another nasty plot was uncovered. Somebody is on the job somewhere. Thanks.

I personally care not at all whether anyone in any other country likes US citizens or the US government. Fretting over that reminds me of a Mom telling here kid "remember, everybody isn't going to like you in life."

Folks are stirred up about what they perceive as their rights when they continually spread their credit and personal information all over the electronic world like a dog marking his territory. You got cameras clicking your images in an escalating number of locales from traffic lights to the local mall.

The media distorts things to suit the agendas of the owners of the entities that operate them. Simply using the word "eavsdropping" concerning what was actually a visual perusal of just phone number receiving calls from places like Beruit, Iran, Syria and such. No one was listening in to anyone's bullsh1t cell phone calls or lame dialoge with people's shrinks. The intel agencies don't have the manpower to adequately listen to KNOWN suspicious source phone calls and translate them into English as it is much less listen in to your call telling your significant other what to bring home from KFC.

I agree completely. Sometimes it takes a crisis to adequately understand what is going on in the background. [huh]

Regards,

J

 

[J. M. Stovall]

The media distorts things to suit the agendas of the owners of the entities that operate them.

It's always their fault, if we could just get rid of that pesky "media" everything would be hunky dory.

 

[RedPop4]

Whatever spin anyone wishes to put on homeland security, or whatever you want to call it, pro or con I have noted that on a regular basis since 9/11 plots have been unearthed in the US and around the world that ultimately would have had deadly ends. Germany and others found terrorist cells and sent them to the Russian Front and recently again here another nasty plot was uncovered. Somebody is on the job somewhere. Thanks.

I personally care not at all whether anyone in any other country likes US citizens or the US government. Fretting over that reminds me of a Mom telling here kid "remember, everybody isn't going to like you in life."

Folks are stirred up about what they perceive as their rights when they continually spread their credit and personal information all over the electronic world like a dog marking his territory. You got cameras clicking your images in an escalating number of locales from traffic lights to the local mall.

The media distorts things to suit the agendas of the owners of the entities that operate them. Simply using the word "eavsdropping" concerning what was actually a visual perusal of just phone number receiving calls from places like Beruit, Iran, Syria and such. No one was listening in to anyone's bullsh1t cell phone calls or lame dialoge with people's shrinks. The intel agencies don't have the manpower to adequately listen to KNOWN suspicious source phone calls and translate them into English as it is much less listen in to your call telling your significant other what to bring home from KFC.

True. Very true.

 

[Rick Blaine]

The myth of American exceptionalism is just that- a myth.

...Name a country that hasn't, in its history, intervened in areas where its national interest are threatened.
J

B@lls-
The USA has consistently courted right-wing dictators because they allow wealthy Americans to exploit the country’s cheap labor and resources. But poor and middle-class Americans pay the price whenever they fight the wars that stem from such actions, from Vietnam to the Gulf War to Panama to "mission accomplished" Why should American interests come at the expense of other peoples’ human rights?

 

[Serial Hero]

I brought up how the new Superman omitted the American Way from his Truth, Justice and the American Way from the movie.

This is a through back to the original Superman comics and the Max Fleischer cartoons of the 30's and 40's. The fraise, "American Way" wasn't added until the 1950's George Reeves' TV show, as a way of going against Communism.

In the 30's people believed that the "American Way" was broken. The country was in the midst of a depression, Gang violence was out of control, the rights of workers and fair wages were a very hot issue, the police and local governments were corrupt and the Federal government seemed unwilling or unable to do anything about it. During this time Superman represented the everyman, standing up for truth and justice, taking the law into his own hands, in a world that had let him down.

This new movie is trying to get Superman back to his 1930's roots (just a note that I haven't seen it yet, but that is what I have read and been told)

 

[J. M. Stovall]

It's always their fault, if we could just get rid of that pesky "media" everything would be hunky dory.

Or better yet, if we could control everything they said! Now we're getting somewhere!

 

[Serial Hero]

B@lls-
The USA has consistently courted right-wing dictators because they allow wealthy Americans to exploit the country’s cheap labor and resources.

And if they don't we just over through them and install someone who will. Now that’s the American Way!

 

[Marc Chevalier]

That's their problem not ours.

When we meddle in another country's affairs, then we become their problem.

The American way has to do with what we do and value here. Anything [other countries] place on us is external.

Wrong, because we package, export and promote the American Way to them. It's not what they place on us; it's what we, as the world's most powerful nation, are able and very willing to place on them. Namely, world Americanism -- in commercial form, mainly.

The whole world is trying to learn English. Americans see no need to learn any other language.


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[Serial Hero]

Wrong, because we package, export and promote the American Way to them. It's not what they place on us; it's what we, as the world's most powerful nation, are able and very willing to place on them. Namely, world Americanism -- in commercial form, mainly.

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Hey, we’re learning from the past. We’re spreading Americanism the way Russia spread Communism, and the way Germany and Italy spread Fascism. We invade a country and force it upon them.

 

[jamespowers]

When we meddle in another country's affairs, then we become their problem.

Well, at least you are on topic this time. However you said "in the eyes of the world." That is indeed their problem what they think. They will think whatever they want to no matter what we do. If they think we are a problem then they should try Stalin or Hitler as a problem. Perhaps they don't remember that. That is far more a problem than us doing a little influence peddling. No jackboots go along with it.

Wrong, because we package, export and promote the American Way to them. It's not what they place on us; it's what we, as the world's most powerful nation, are able and very willing to place on them. Namely, world Americanism -- in commercial form, mainly.

The whole world is trying to learn English. Americans see no need to learn any other language. .

Thanks for adding things to my post to make it what you want. [bad] Anyway, I'd like to know who is packaging all this and marketing it to other countries. I don't see Nabisco American Way bars on the shelf. :eusa_doh:
No one is seen as they would like to be seen and the US is just another example of this. I don't understand how we place the American Way on them. I think you are mixing private businesses and what they do globally and what the US as a country and government does. If you want to use a term call it world free market capitalism and that is what is being used by multinational corporations who just happen to be located here. It seems what they place ont he world is called jobs and an ability to make a living rather than starve in the street.
Thw whole world wants to learn English because it is the international language of business. That is just the way it is. If you want to get something done anywhere you have to do it in English. I don't see it as a bad thing. What would you rather have a tower of Babel where people do not understand each other and thus cannot communicate properly? [huh]
I am not sure this is has anything to do with the American Way. It is the national language. :eusa_doh:

Regards to all,

J

 

[J. M. Stovall]

I think you are mixing private businesses and what they do globally and what the US as a country and government does.

These are one in the same, as far as the US is concerned.