NationStates Jolt Archive

Okay I know thats a huge, and I mean HUGE, generalisation but in my opnion it just seems to me that the citizens of the US are more afraid of the international world than any other nation. Ther just seems to be a huge exagerrated fear of terrorism, other religions and other political systems. So am I the only one who thinks this or are there others who feel the same?

Okay I know thats a huge, and I mean HUGE, generalisation but in my opnion it just seems to me that the citizens of the US are more afraid of the international world than any other nation. Ther just seems to be a huge exagerrated fear of terrorism, other religions and other political systems. So am I the only one who thinks this or are there others who feel the same?

I think you're the only one. Many European countries have had a MUCH more exaggerated reaction to recent terrorist attacks and are pushing (and actually getting) quite a bit of xenophobic and/or anti-Muslim legislation.

The US has a history associated with these things, and a lot of loud-mouths, but current lawmaking would suggest that European countries are demonstrating these traits much more obviously.

Only the ignorant are scared, my friend.

In example, people whose only outlet to the rest of the world is a major news channel like Fox or CNN.

We're scared because the government and the media rule by fear. The government tells us that the terriosts will attack. The media is far worse than the government. The media tells us that our teenagers will abuse cough syrup and get pregnant, our waiters will spit in our food, the terriosts will attack us, arabs will kill everything, pedophiles will rape our children, gays will rape our men, lesbians will rape our woman, men will rape our women, black people will shoot us, mexicans will stab us, illegal immigrants will steal our jobs, and mexicans will murder us with poisonous tacos.

France said it would nuke the shit out of anyone who tried terrorist activity against itself.

Besides: ignorance is a gar-cry from fear.

Even more curiously, it seems to be rural, red-state Americans that are more afraid of terrorists than urban, liberal Americans - who are the ones more likely to actually be attacked.

Okay I know thats a huge, and I mean HUGE, generalisation but in my opnion it just seems to me that the citizens of the US are more afraid of the international world than any other nation. Ther just seems to be a huge exagerrated fear of terrorism, other religions and other political systems. So am I the only one who thinks this or are there others who feel the same?

You're mistaking indifference for fear. Most Americans really don't give a rat's ass what happens in the next state, let alone another country.

I'm more afraid of what my own government is doing then a bunch of people whom I've never met and will probably never have a direct impact on my life. In all the US history, there's only a single, short period where I say we reached our zenith, at the dawn of the 1900's. Teddy (the best president of the 20th century) was in the White House and the whole people were politicaly active. Did that stop either from making mistakes? No, as I don't like a few of the thing the Progressives did (direct election of Senators, to name one), but they proved they were worthy of their freedom. We've gone downhill in one way or another since then.

*mournfully hums, "Shine, waning republic"*

France said it would nuke the shit out of anyone who tried terrorist activity against itself.


LA BOMBA!

LA BOMBA!

Damn you for reminding me of this! (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YPv-VjWroXM)

I am re-traumatised.

In all the US history, there's only a single, short period where I say we reached our zenith, at the dawn of the 1900's.

Damn right. As soon as the USA let chicks and injuns vote it was downhill all the way.

Damn you for reminding me of this! (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YPv-VjWroXM)

I am re-traumatised.

I hate myself for having clicked on that link.

I hate myself for having clicked on that link.

I'm so glad I read this message before clicking that link.

Damn right. As soon as the USA let chicks and injuns vote it was downhill all the way.

Don't put words in my mouth. The US' decline has nothing to do with that.

In all the US history, there's only a single, short period where I say we reached our zenith, at the dawn of the 1900's.

If a racially segregated society is zenith, I'd really hate to see the nadir.

My roommate once said something to the effect of the international world is far away and hard to pay attention to, and people come from there and kill us and we go there and kill them and they kill us and I don't really know whats going on but Americans are dying.

If a racially segregated society is zenith, I'd really hate to see the nadir.

Damn it, read all of what I said. Did I say we were perfect? No! Did I say that everything that came after was bad? No!

Damn it, read all of what I said. Did I say we were perfect? No! Did I say that everything that came after was bad? No!

So...

We've gone downhill in one way or another since then.

...actually meant "we've gone downhill in one way or another since then, but simultaneously have also gone uphill in one way or another", yes?

Okay I know thats a huge, and I mean HUGE, generalisation but in my opnion it just seems to me that the citizens of the US are more afraid of the international world than any other nation. Ther just seems to be a huge exagerrated fear of terrorism, other religions and other political systems. So am I the only one who thinks this or are there others who feel the same?Oh no---I think you've nailed it. But the reason for it is the double whammy of the government constantly saying "Boo! TerraTerraTerra" and the news media never calling bullshit on it. The average American has been conditioned to jump and scream when they see anyone who looks vaguely Arabic--and if they see Arabic writing? Forget it.

I'm so glad I read this message before clicking that link.

I'm so sad I didn't. That was terrible.

Anyway, the USA government just wants their oil and use the media to scare the folks who get all their wisdom of the outside world via TV. And it seems there are a terrible lot of those people.

"I know it's true 'cos I saw it on TV."

"Why are Americans scared?"

Because people tell them to be.

So...



...actually meant "we've gone downhill in one way or another since then, but simultaneously have also gone uphill in one way or another", yes?

All right, I shot myself in the foot there, I admit it.

To try and be so clear, what I love most about that time is that the average citizen was very politically active and wanted to make the government the best it can be. In some ways, they suceeded (Women and Native Americans voting is one such way) and in others they didn't (Inflation, if I can recall correctly, and direct election of senators). At the same time, the government was small and unobtrusive in the citizen's lives, and the people were willing to smack it back into place should it over step those bounds.

Since that time, political participation has waned (exception for the hippies, which, while I disagree with many of their views, proved themselves worthy of their freedoms and rights and the Civil Right's movement) and the government's size has bloated exponentially with the people accepting the excuse of, "It's for your own good." That is what I meant, my apologies for my over simplification.

Okay I know thats a huge, and I mean HUGE, generalisation but in my opnion it just seems to me that the citizens of the US are more afraid of the international world than any other nation. Ther just seems to be a huge exagerrated fear of terrorism, other religions and other political systems. So am I the only one who thinks this or are there others who feel the same?
The terrorism part I could maybe see where you're coming from, but what do you mean by "other religions and other political systems?"

We're scared because the government and the media rule by fear. The government tells us that the terriosts will attack. The media is far worse than the government. The media tells us that our teenagers will abuse cough syrup and get pregnant, our waiters will spit in our food, the terriosts will attack us, arabs will kill everything, pedophiles will rape our children, gays will rape our men, lesbians will rape our woman, men will rape our women, black people will shoot us, mexicans will stab us, illegal immigrants will steal our jobs, and mexicans will murder us with poisonous tacos.

Dude... you forgot the worst fear: if we don't use Lysol we will die of bubonic plague within a week. :eek:

Meh, I wasn't traumatised by the video. I was too busy trying figure out what he was talking about. Something about his head and sexy chillis.

Is America scared? Of what precisely? Afraid of France or Liechtenstein. Even Hitler when he was trying to unite all the German speaking people of Europe didn't invade Liechtenstein because he was that scared. Liechtenstein is so hard that found out they didn't need an army and retired Jan the 61-year-old part-time curator. And no one has dared invade them since.

Maybe you could say America was arrogant and/or paranoid as well as/instead of scared. Maybe stupid. I dunno. But they better watch out for Liechtenstein, it has the EU quaking in its collective boots.

Okay I know thats a huge, and I mean HUGE, generalisation but in my opnion it just seems to me that the citizens of the US are more afraid of the international world than any other nation. Ther just seems to be a huge exagerrated fear of terrorism, other religions and other political systems. So am I the only one who thinks this or are there others who feel the same?

Traditionally the US has adhered to an isolationist ideology, on the basis that Americans have perceived foreigners, espescially Europeans as "batshit insane". Most of our responses are the lingering bits of that isolationism, which died in 1941, rearing their ugly heads.

The terrorism part I could maybe see where you're coming from, but what do you mean by "other religions and other political systems?"

Oops let me explain. It just seems through histroy America has had a problem mainly with other government types such as those of Communist Russia or more recently the Iraqi Dictatorship. I'm fine with that but, now speaking more about the government, conflict always seem to arise from it. And now Bush is a born again Christian it just seems to me, an outsider, that religious tensions within the US are growing.

I'm so sad I didn't. That was terrible.

Anyway, the USA government just wants their oil and use the media to scare the folks who get all their wisdom of the outside world via TV. And it seems there are a terrible lot of those people.

"I know it's true 'cos I saw it on TV."

That's a gross oversimplification don't you think?

We're scared because the government and the media rule by fear. The government tells us that the terriosts will attack. The media is far worse than the government. The media tells us that our teenagers will abuse cough syrup and get pregnant, our waiters will spit in our food, the terriosts will attack us, arabs will kill everything, pedophiles will rape our children, gays will rape our men, lesbians will rape our woman, men will rape our women, black people will shoot us, mexicans will stab us, illegal immigrants will steal our jobs, and mexicans will murder us with poisonous tacos.

Yes, that pretty much sums up American media in a can.

We're scared because the government and the media rule by fear. The government tells us that the terriosts will attack. The media is far worse than the government. The media tells us that our teenagers will abuse cough syrup and get pregnant, our waiters will spit in our food, the terriosts will attack us, arabs will kill everything, pedophiles will rape our children, gays will rape our men, lesbians will rape our woman, men will rape our women, black people will shoot us, mexicans will stab us, illegal immigrants will steal our jobs, and mexicans will murder us with poisonous tacos.

How else will they get their ratings?

Dude... you forgot the worst fear: if we don't use Lysol we will die of bubonic plague within a week. :eek:

No, no don't use Lysol you'll create supergerms and bird flu.
::Jumps over table to snatch the Lysol::

I hate to agree with anything Michael Moore says, but he did raise a great point in Bowling For Columbine. I don't know how accurate (considering the source) his montage was of American vs Canadian news, but it did raise interesting questions about how American news affects us.

That is what I meant, my apologies for my over simplification.

Over-simplification is the biggest single problem facing mankind in the 21st century.

http://countrystudies.us/united-states/Franklin-Roosevelt.jpg
FDR's Ghost: My fellow Americans, we have nothing to fear but fear itself... and week-old sushi.

Over-simplification is the biggest single problem facing mankind in the 21st century.

what about under-simplification?

"Why are Americans scared?"

Because people tell them to be.

You're right about that. Especially if by "people" you mean "Fox News"

I certainly have no fear of other nations, terrorsts, A-rabs, etc. I think that 'Murcans need to realize they have a much higher chance of dying in a car crash than being shot by a turrurist.

You're right about that. Especially if by "people" you mean "Fox News"

I certainly have no fear of other nations, terrorsts, A-rabs, etc. I think that 'Murcans need to realize they have a much higher chance of dying in a car crash than being shot by a turrurist.
Car crash? No no no. Think hit by lightning.
Really, theres so little odds the best thing for everyday people to do is just ignore it. That's the best way they can fight the influence of terrorism: Don't let it influence you.

And by people, yes I meant Fox. But all major news programs have a tendency to eggagerate risks. Look at all the programs like "Bird Flu: Is it the end of humanity?" (and btw, they tend to answer in said programs: "no, turns out it isn't.")

Car crash? No no no. Think hit by lightning.
Really, theres so little odds the best thing for everyday people to do is just ignore it. That's the best way they can fight the influence of terrorism: Don't let it influence you.

And by people, yes I meant Fox. But all major news programs have a tendency to eggagerate risks. Look at all the programs like "Bird Flu: Is it the end of humanity?" (and btw, they tend to answer in said programs: "no, turns out it isn't.")

Yeah... I don't think it dictates our lives except for the old trophy wives who sit around all day watching TV.

Dude... you forgot the worst fear: if we don't use Lysol we will die of bubonic plague within a week.
My Ukrainian best friend makes fun of my fellow Americans for this phobia all the time.

I think the media, and President scare people with the idea of terrorism as a way of control.

We're scared because the government and the media rule by fear. The government tells us that the terriosts will attack. The media is far worse than the government. The media tells us that our teenagers will abuse cough syrup and get pregnant, our waiters will spit in our food, the terriosts will attack us, arabs will kill everything, pedophiles will rape our children, gays will rape our men, lesbians will rape our woman, men will rape our women, black people will shoot us, mexicans will stab us, illegal immigrants will steal our jobs, and mexicans will murder us with poisonous tacos.
I totally agree. They seem to be able to connect oil prices to the mideast to Global Warming in a way that makes it seem that the world will end tomorrow.

Damn right. As soon as the USA let chicks and injuns vote it was downhill all the way.

LOL

YES! Bowling for Columbine DEFINITELY!

Because the Media tells them too.

Yes, that pretty much sums up American media in a can.

Thanks, I thought so too. Although I forgot that goth kids are gonna shoot up the school and rap music will turn everyone into criminals.

Duh, rap music will turn everyone into people so retarded they can't commit crimes anyway! :D

Americans are encouraged to be paranoid. As long as we're terrified of all outsiders the government has more control. Keep us xenophobic and hiding under our beds and we turn a blind eye to the increasing slide towards fascism.
It's worked before and is a time tested way of controlling people.

Americans are encouraged to be paranoid. As long as we're terrified of all outsiders the government has more control. Keep us xenophobic and hiding under our beds and we turn a blind eye to the increasing slide towards fascism.
It's worked before and is a time tested way of controlling people.

Don't forget to fear the 1337 (http://youtube.com/watch?v=_b1cyNigny8). American news should be renamed: You Are All Going To Die: Everyone Panic! or The Thing That Will Kill You Today.

I've finally decided what the US government uses. The "Take it, bitch! strategy".

Basically, the reason people being raped don't fight back with enough strength to repel there attacker is fear. Therefore, the government uses a similar strategy. It keeps the populace down with fear while doing the metaphorical equivelent of ass rape.

Only the ignorant are scared, my friend.

In example, people whose only outlet to the rest of the world is a major news channel like Fox or CNN.

This is off topic, but has the US's CNN gone to shit? I hear it critised a lot. I live in Australia and get Fox News and CNN International on cable and CNN Int, which I watch quite a bit, seems to be trust-worthy and covers a lot of different international hard news. Meanwhile there is Fox... So what is the deal with the US CNN?

This is off topic, but has the US's CNN gone to shit? I hear it critised a lot. I live in Australia and get Fox News and CNN International on cable and CNN Int, which I watch quite a bit, seems to be trust-worthy and covers a lot of different international hard news. Meanwhile there is Fox... So what is the deal with the US CNN?

Been shit since Operation Dessert Storm. That's when snazzy logos and ominous music replaced actual journalism.

CNN and Fox makes Edward R. Murrow cry.

Been shit since Operation Dessert Storm.

"Holy shit! The lieteunent took a pie to the face! RUN FOR IT!!!"

Don't forget to fear the 1337 (http://youtube.com/watch?v=_b1cyNigny8). American news should be renamed: You Are All Going To Die: Everyone Panic! or The Thing That Will Kill You Today.The media lies to us everyday. For instance, did anyone know teen pregnancy was more common in the fifties than it is now? Not according to what the media puts forth.

The media lies to us everyday. For instance, did anyone know teen pregnancy was more common in the fifties than it is now? Not according to what the media puts forth.

Have you actually seen a news story saying 'teen pregnancy is higher now than in the 50's'?

Yes or no, I hate hearing people say "the media lie" and make it sound like they intentionally run incorrect information. Anybody who thinks this (except in the case of celebrity tabloid type stuff) is a complete moron with no common sense or knowledge of the news industry.

Have you actually seen a news story saying 'teen pregnancy is higher now than in the 50's'?

Yes or no, I hate hearing people say "the media lie" and make it sound like they intentionally run incorrect information. Anybody who thinks this (except in the case of celebrity tabloid type stuff) is a complete moron with no common sense or knowledge of the news industry.No, they don't specifically say that. But it's implied that it's so by the way they present it. In my book that is the same as lying. They may not lie literally, but it has the same effect.

First, the world is not the same as it was in 1950. In 1950, you could marry when you were 17, start working somewhere and build from there.

Nowadays, you have to finish highschool, go to college, and only then, you will start to build something.

So, yes, getting pregnant when you are 16 or 17 nowadays is much worst than in the past.

Anyway, I think most people in the US are scared. I mean, sometimes I watch Fox News, and that look like a scene from Starship Troopers. You have flags everywhere, music, songs, lots of CG and blue, white and red everywhere. Its comic. Not funny, but from a comic book.

Even more curiously, it seems to be rural, red-state Americans that are more afraid of terrorists than urban, liberal Americans - who are the ones more likely to actually be attacked.

Hey bud not sure where you get the beleifs like you posted there, but being one of those rural americans..... and I only get red when I do not use enough suntan lotion when I am out golfing early in the year. But we do not worry about much out here...except maybe urban liberals who want to take our jobs and put us on welfare so we can rely on them. And we especially do not fear terrorists.....one we have nothing they want to attack....like large numbers of people living on top of each other like those over crowded city types. And out here most of are friendly and very helpful towards each other... had a guy in L.A. once tell me he loved it up in the area I came from when he visited his sister and her husband there because everyone was friendly and helpful ....he was shocked people who did not know him would wave and say hello to him just because he was walking by..... where as that same thing in the urban landscape might get you attacked. Go figure must be our red american fear.

You get your facts that you post from where? Come visit sometime you can kick back with an ice cold locally brewed Dark Stout beer enjoy the sun , some golf, maybe some good trout fishing and maybe some beautiful women and landscape....or if your a female since your name does not really show...some some hot guys and some landscape. But until you have experienced it do not bad talk what you do not really know about.

Hey bud not sure where you get the beleifs like you posted there, but being one of those rural americans..... and I only get red when I do not use enough suntan lotion when I am out golfing early in the year. But we do not worry about much out here...except maybe urban liberals who want to take our jobs and put us on welfare so we can rely on them. And we especially do not fear terrorists.....one we have nothing they want to attack....like large numbers of people living on top of each other like those over crowded city types. And out here most of are friendly and very helpful towards each other... had a guy in L.A. once tell me he loved it up in the area I came from when he visited his sister and her husband there because everyone was friendly and helpful ....he was shocked people who did not know him would wave and say hello to him just because he was walking by..... where as that same thing in the urban landscape might get you attacked. Go figure must be our red american fear.

You get your facts that you post from where? Come visit sometime you can kick back with an ice cold locally brewed Dark Stout beer enjoy the sun , some golf, maybe some good trout fishing and maybe some beautiful women and landscape....or if your a female since your name does not really show...some some hot guys and some landscape. But until you have experienced it do not bad talk what you do not really know about.

For somebody trying to break down stereotypes you sure did sound like a stereotype.

For somebody trying to break down stereotypes you sure did sound like a stereotype.
Exactly.
Although he does make a good point (the country is a nice place) he completely misses the original point...
The part about "those urban liberals" is the part that really screwed him, I think.

Hey bud not sure where you get the beleifs like you posted there, but being one of those rural americans..... and I only get red when I do not use enough suntan lotion when I am out golfing early in the year. But we do not worry about much out here...except maybe urban liberals who want to take our jobs and put us on welfare so we can rely on them. And we especially do not fear terrorists.....one we have nothing they want to attack....like large numbers of people living on top of each other like those over crowded city types. And out here most of are friendly and very helpful towards each other... had a guy in L.A. once tell me he loved it up in the area I came from when he visited his sister and her husband there because everyone was friendly and helpful ....he was shocked people who did not know him would wave and say hello to him just because he was walking by..... where as that same thing in the urban landscape might get you attacked. Go figure must be our red american fear.

You get your facts that you post from where? Come visit sometime you can kick back with an ice cold locally brewed Dark Stout beer enjoy the sun , some golf, maybe some good trout fishing and maybe some beautiful women and landscape....or if your a female since your name does not really show...some some hot guys and some landscape. But until you have experienced it do not bad talk what you do not really know about.I've experienced it. Mostly it sucks. Yes people are friendly to strangers. Until they find out you're not like them. Then they're a lot more hostile than those urban liberals ever thought about.

I got shocked to find out they place me at about the same status as a child rapist because I'm an atheist. I got shocked to find out that almost to a person they think I should be kept someplace out of sight because I'm bipolar.
While I'm not fond of stereotypes, they keep proving the validity of them time after time. All those stereotypes that say they're backwards and intolerant. Guess what? A large portion of them are.

ice cold locally brewed Dark Stout beer

I do hope that's Kalamazoo Stout you're talking about. The best stout in the state next to Bell's Special Double Cream.

Oddly enough I'm from rural Michigan (Alma, near Mount Pleasant) and I'm about as blue as the state flag. Actually, I'm rather more liberal than the Democrats, but I'll pick them over Republicans most of the time as they're the lesser of the two evils.

I've experienced it. Mostly it sucks. Yes people are friendly to strangers. Until they find out you're not like them. Then they're a lot more hostile than those urban liberals ever thought about.

I got shocked to find out they place me at about the same status as a child rapist because I'm an atheist. I got shocked to find out that almost to a person they think I should be kept someplace out of sight because I'm bipolar.
While I'm not fond of stereotypes, they keep proving the validity of them time after time. All those stereotypes that say they're backwards and intolerant. Guess what? A large portion of them are.

This is ignorant and stupid comments much like Proggresica. You are no better then the people who say that the rednecks are stereotyping. You and that other person are hypocrits, you are not intelligent to make such comments.

I think some of you DO need to get out of your urban dorm room or high perched highrise and get out more. See i have lived in both settings, and there is no such stereotypes...stereotyping is wrong and disgusting and hateful and non-intelligent.

This is ignorant and stupid comments much like Proggresica. You are no better then the people who say that the rednecks are stereotyping. You and that other person are hypocrits, you are not intelligent to make such comments.

I think some of you DO need to get out of your urban dorm room or high perched highrise and get out more. See i have lived in both settings, and there is no such stereotypes...stereotyping is wrong and disgusting and hateful and non-intelligent.Guess what? I live in a tiny rural town in Oklahoma. Doesn't get much more backwards than this. I've found most of my neighbors far more intolerant than my neighbors in the city.
I speak from experience, not stereotypes. Yes, I have found a few open-minded tolerant people here. But they are definitely the minority.

I've lived in cities of several million and towns of just a few hundred. Generally I find those in big cities more tolerant. Probably because they encounter people different from themselves everyday. The people in small towns can be quite insular and even xenophobic at times. While there are certainly such people in large metropolis', they're far less common.

Guess what? I live in a tiny rural town in Oklahoma. Doesn't get much more backwards than this. I've found most of my neighbors far more intolerant than my neighbors in the city...

I lived in OK for about 18 months. I was continually amused by the hypocrisy of the bible bangers. A state where tatoos were illegal, but cock-fighting was legal - Where you could do hard time for a little weed, yet get a wrist slap for driving drunk and killing people. Good Barbecue, though.

I lived in OK for about 18 months. I was continually amused by the hypocrisy of the bible bangers. A state where tatoos were illegal, but cock-fighting was legal - Where you could do hard time for a little weed, yet get a wrist slap for driving drunk and killing people. Good Barbecue, though.The world is coming to an end. Oklahoma has finally legalized tatoos and criminalized cock-fighting. And they now give you hard time for everything but gay-bashing.

The world is coming to an end. Oklahoma has finally legalized tatoos and criminalized cock-fighting. And they now give you hard time for everything but gay-bashing.

Holy crap! Is OK turning into a liberal paradise?!

Okay I know thats a huge, and I mean HUGE, generalisation but in my opnion it just seems to me that the citizens of the US are more afraid of the international world than any other nation. Ther just seems to be a huge exagerrated fear of terrorism, other religions and other political systems. So am I the only one who thinks this or are there others who feel the same?

Let us clairfy...

...am I "afraid" of any of the things you listed?

No. Of course not.

Old people who were born and grew up when racism was still socially acceptable...baby-boomers who expected the world to put itself in our collective pockets when the Cold War ended...upper class and upper-middle class people (particularly suburbanites) with too much wealth and not enough sense...these are the people who are afraid.

The poor...the young...and anyone who isn't white...these people have more important things to worry about.

Helpful?

Oh no---I think you've nailed it. But the reason for it is the double whammy of the government constantly saying "Boo! TerraTerraTerra" and the news media never calling bullshit on it. The average American has been conditioned to jump and scream when they see anyone who looks vaguely Arabic--and if they see Arabic writing? Forget it.

I'm not sure I buy this.

I constantly hear this sort of platitude that Americans in general are all anti-Arab, but I have never actually seen it, felt it it, nor experienced it.

It's more the annoying 'safety measures' the government concocts that are perpetrating this myth then anything else.

I remember times when it was the Europeans who were literally pissing in their pants, out of fear from the Soviets. And guess what? only thanks to the US, and the great reagen administration, that the soviets understood it ain't gonna stand, this oppression, and were dissolved.

It would not be long untill the Europeans realize what is coming their way (see the London bombings or the Danish caricatures story), and would cry like babies for the US toi come and rescue them ONCE MORE.

The Europeans just underestimate the risk. Where there is no democracy - evil lies.

The real story is that the whole Western culture is being attacked, by the people who don't give a damn about human rights:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_rights_in_Saudi_Arabia

The Europeans live in dream. Their views of the Arab culture is inspired by romantic fairy-tales about Laurence of Arabia or other tales.... and maybe some friends they have, who were actually educated in the West and share (some or all) of its values.

Then they suddenly get hit by the 9/11 or the London bombings and can't understand how these lovely, hospitalizing friends of theirs would do such things to the countries they got so much from...

The truth lies exactly where the Europeans close their eyes. where they look the other way. Where they cover up DAILY HORORS of violations of MOST BASIC human rights in the most horrific ways in the Arab countries. The Europeans don't look at that because it's not politically correct to mention it, because it's not in fashion now to criticize them, it's not lefty enough... or maybe because they just need the oil...

The truth is out there. There is nothing romantic in women being enslaved in the name of some demon they call "G-d". There is nothing romantic about heads being chopped off, There is nothing romantic about women sold, about daily abuse, about public floggings, about people being jailed because of PEACEFUL political views, about "gender apartheid", about preeching to die and kill in the name of their demon...

I suggest the Europeans look how they treat other religions in Muslim countries. Start by reading this:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2006/06/25/wsaudi25.xml&sSheet=/news/2006/06/25/ixnews.html

Where they oppress women, they oppress compassion. Where women rule, no such horrible things can happen. When you cover women from head to toe, sending the message that they are things and not humans, that they are things to be frightened of - you make no room for ideas of freedom, of love, of compassion, of the celebration of life...


To sum up - untill women rule the muslim world - the risk is out there, and is waiting to manifest itself.

:cool: Oh how I love women.:fluffle:

Originally Posted by Bitchkitten
The world is coming to an end. Oklahoma has finally legalized tatoos and criminalized cock-fighting. And they now give you hard time for everything but gay-bashing.
Holy crap! Is OK turning into a liberal paradise?!
True story: Conversation I overheard on a Boston subway train among two American college students and a student from Somalia. That's Somalia, people. The Somalian guy was telling them about a cultural studies trip across the US that his exchange class from Somalia had taken.

Somalian Guy: So we ended up in Tulsa [OK].

Americans: TULSA! What the hell were you doing there?

Somalian Guy: I don't know, but I will never go back there. There was nothing in that place. And the country around it, it was so poor. We were driving on a road made of dirt, and it went nowhere.

One American: What did you learn about the US in Somalia? Did you think we didn't have rural areas, that it was all urban and built-up?

Somalian Guy: No, we knew there were rural areas, but we had no idea it was that bad.

:) Yep, that's the view from Somalia, folks.

I remember times when it was the Europeans who were literally pissing in their pants, out of fear from the Soviets. And guess what? only thanks to the US, and the great reagen administration, that the soviets understood it ain't gonna stand, this oppression, and were dissolved.

It would not be long untill the Europeans realize what is coming their way (see the London bombings or the Danish caricatures story), and would cry like babies for the US toi come and rescue them ONCE MORE.

The Europeans just underestimate the risk. Where there is no democracy - evil lies.
In other words, "if you can keep your head when all about you are losing theirs, you just don't understand the situation."

Or it may be possible that the OP is right, and Americans -- some of them, or at least one (you) -- are just afraid of things that aren't scary.

The real story is that the whole Western culture is being attacked, by the people who don't give a damn about human rights:
Here we go. It's an east/west thing. Why? Because radical Islamists and militant fundamentalists who are trying to pick a fight say so. Let's all rush to play our enemy's game exactly the way our enemy wants us to. Let's buy into their propaganda and strike up the bands and unfurl the "US IS BETTER THAN THEM" banners for the big culture-centric bigotry parade. And let's be sure to blame and insult anyone who doesn't believe that a bunch of bomb-weilding nutjobs have the power to harm western culture, no matter what said nutjobs claim for themselves.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_rights_in_Saudi_Arabia
Sure, no argument, but ... relevance to what Americans should be doing in and with our own country? Oh, that's right. It's not relevant.

The Europeans live in dream. Their views of the Arab culture is inspired by romantic fairy-tales about Laurence of Arabia or other tales.... and maybe some friends they have, who were actually educated in the West and share (some or all) of its values.

Then they suddenly get hit by the 9/11 or the London bombings and can't understand how these lovely, hospitalizing friends of theirs would do such things to the countries they got so much from...

The truth lies exactly where the Europeans close their eyes. where they look the other way. Where they cover up DAILY HORORS of violations of MOST BASIC human rights in the most horrific ways in the Arab countries. The Europeans don't look at that because it's not politically correct to mention it, because it's not in fashion now to criticize them, it's not lefty enough... or maybe because they just need the oil...

The truth is out there. There is nothing romantic in women being enslaved in the name of some demon they call "G-d". There is nothing romantic about heads being chopped off, There is nothing romantic about women sold, about daily abuse, about public floggings, about people being jailed because of PEACEFUL political views, about "gender apartheid", about preeching to die and kill in the name of their demon...

I suggest the Europeans look how they treat other religions in Muslim countries. Start by reading this:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2006/06/25/wsaudi25.xml&sSheet=/news/2006/06/25/ixnews.html

Where they oppress women, they oppress compassion. Where women rule, no such horrible things can happen. When you cover women from head to toe, sending the message that they are things and not humans, that they are things to be frightened of - you make no room for ideas of freedom, of love, of compassion, of the celebration of life...
:D The Europeans aren't the only ones living in a dream. That's one hell of a rant there, buddy. You got any facts to back it up, especially all that jazz about the fuzzy-lovey romantic thoughts going on in the heads of Europeans? And that adorable part about how women = compassion and freedom and celebration of life and, I suppose, sugar and spice and everything nice.

Let's leave both their and your fantasies aside and look at some truth for a change. The truth is, however bad life is for women, non-Muslims or anyone else in places like Saudi Arabia, it's none of our business. Sovereign nations have the power to run their shows anyway they like, so long as they keep it within their own borders. And even if they don't, other nations have the right to keep them from coming in, but not to go into those nations and change them to suit our notions of what they should be doing. And if European nations choose not to stop the practices of some nations from being brought into theirs, that's none of your business, either. It's no more your place to tell others how to live, than any imam anywhere. Period. You want to help Muslim women? Fine. Become an activist for women's rights. There's plenty of work for you to do there, and not just in Muslim nations. But kindly refrain from using the issues of women's rights to mask your anti-Islamic bigotry as anything but the fear-mongering it is.

To sum up - untill women rule the muslim world - the risk is out there, and is waiting to manifest itself.
Why do things by half measures? Put women in charge of everything and have done already. I mean, if women are good enough to rule 1.3 billion Muslims, surely we can handle the Christian, Buddhist, atheist and other worlds as well.

:cool: Oh how I love women.:fluffle:
How ironic. :p

Anyhoo, your post pretty much sums up the kind of rhetoric and carrying on that inspired the OP's question. The only thing to point out is that you do not represent all Americans. Thank the gods.

Only the ignorant are scared, my friend.

In example, people whose only outlet to the rest of the world is a major news channel like Fox or CNN.

I highly agree with that statement. That is why most the WORLD, not just americans, are scared. Anyone ever heard of Propaganda? Here is a fun game watch a politician (preferably someone in the bush administration) and count how many time they use any of these words; Terrorist, Terrorism, War on terror.
..... that would probably be a good drinking game. :D
Try to imagine America as a bee hive or a sleeping giant. Then imagine our politicians walking up with a stick and beating the shit out of us, then telling us that it the terrorist, "those guys over there, they attacked us, we should retaliate. O ya and while we are there we should occupy the oil, and of course we did not have that in mind prior to this."

I remember times when it was the Europeans who were literally pissing in their pants, out of fear from the Soviets. And guess what? only thanks to the US, and the great reagen administration, that the soviets understood it ain't gonna stand, this oppression, and were dissolved.
What opression?

It would not be long untill the Europeans realize what is coming their way (see the London bombings or the Danish caricatures story), and would cry like babies for the US toi come and rescue them ONCE MORE.
At the moment it's the other way around. And what an impressive Coalition of the Willing the US has build up...

The Europeans just underestimate the risk. Where there is no democracy - evil lies.
Not necessarily.

The real story is that the whole Western culture is being attacked, by the people who don't give a damn about human rights:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_rights_in_Saudi_Arabia
How is the Western culture being attacked by something that happens somewhere else?

The Europeans live in dream. Their views of the Arab culture is inspired by romantic fairy-tales about Laurence of Arabia or other tales.... and maybe some friends they have, who were actually educated in the West and share (some or all) of its values.
Wrong. Try to stick to facts, not by your imagination.

Then they suddenly get hit by the 9/11 or the London bombings and can't understand how these lovely, hospitalizing friends of theirs would do such things to the countries they got so much from...
Europe got hit by the 9/11?

Anyway, yes we can understand. That's why we do our best to prevent attacks.

The truth lies exactly where the Europeans close their eyes. where they look the other way. Where they cover up DAILY HORORS of violations of MOST BASIC human rights in the most horrific ways in the Arab countries. The Europeans don't look at that because it's not politically correct to mention it, because it's not in fashion now to criticize them, it's not lefty enough... or maybe because they just need the oil...
Cover up daily horrors? No, I don't think so. It's not the right of countries to dictate others, but I do admit Europe should use some more pressure.

Than again, Europe isn't the one sucking up to Saudi Aabia.*

*USA (http://www.danielpipes.org/article/995)

The truth is out there. There is nothing romantic in women being enslaved in the name of some demon they call "G-d". There is nothing romantic about heads being chopped off, There is nothing romantic about women sold, about daily abuse, about public floggings, about people being jailed because of PEACEFUL political views, about "gender apartheid", about preeching to die and kill in the name of their demon...
Demon? I'm just going to ignore this racist part.

I suggest the Europeans look how they treat other religions in Muslim countries. Start by reading this:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2006/06/25/wsaudi25.xml&sSheet=/news/2006/06/25/ixnews.html
Yeah, we know. So?

Where they oppress women, they oppress compassion. Where women rule, no such horrible things can happen. When you cover women from head to toe, sending the message that they are things and not humans, that they are things to be frightened of - you make no room for ideas of freedom, of love, of compassion, of the celebration of life...
So not only do you hate muslims, you hate males too.

To sum up - untill women rule the muslim world - the risk is out there, and is waiting to manifest itself.
Why? People can change. Men can change. The western world still hasn't adapted completely to gender-equality (women, for exemple, generally earn less than their male counter-parts), but we still manage to have wealth and well-being, without a majority of females in power.

:cool: Oh how I love women.:fluffle:
Meh, just a division in humanity.

Well think about how billions of people absolutely hate america, mainly in the middle east, as well as many of the countries themselves. I could possible wager that the USA and Israel are the most hated nations on earth. Now think about how many of these countries are in a terrible state, some near to collapsing.

Now think about how many of them insist on having nukes, or other wmd. Now imagine if one of these weapons slipped into the hands of terrorists, major parts of the USA could be blown to bits, and nuclear war could start, possible even ending the world.. The US is in greater danger then you think, so it's not unusual that the USA is a little worried.

I constantly hear this sort of platitude that Americans in general are all anti-Arab, but I have never actually seen it, felt it it, nor experienced it.

Not all, but way too damn many. Just post something involving the words "threat" and "arab" on any internet forum (for example, this one) and you'll get at least 2 responses from either complete racist bastards or reasonable people who have been misinformed about arabic people all their lives.
Misinformation, that's a big problem. My high school teachers actually try to fight it, at one point focusing on the arab point of view in history, but I still heard snickers from the back of the room about "we should just nuke the f***ers."
It starts young.

Somalian Guy: No, we knew there were rural areas, but we had no idea it was that bad.

Yep, that's the view from Somalia, folks.
Wow. That's a really interesting story :) And it kind of makes me want to see what Somalia is like...

Okay I know thats a huge, and I mean HUGE, generalisation but in my opnion it just seems to me that the citizens of the US are more afraid of the international world than any other nation. Ther just seems to be a huge exagerrated fear of terrorism, other religions and other political systems. So am I the only one who thinks this or are there others who feel the same?

agreed....the media is responsible.....the US media looks for sensationalist headlines to attract viewers/readers.... the sex and violence obsession sells so they inundate the news with the same topics, the public becomes saturated with this and becomes convinced they are at constant risk......corporations and government officials take advantage of this and use the medias drive for profit using sex and violence reports to sway the public to support their agendas....

Are we talking the same Somalia that was nearly starved to death in the early '90's? Also the same country that was so completely ravaged by civil war that the UN and the US had to intervene? (at times poorly I might add, but hamstrung by rules of engagement).

I doubt Somalia and Mogadishu have anything on Tulsa... seriously. I may laugh at my Oklahoma neighbors for being a little rustic at times, but nowhere in Oklahoma do I have to worry about fighting a local warlord for a scrap of bread. And yes, the gdp in OK is lower than say, Texas, but higher than every nation in Africa by a fair margin. Clearly, the Somalian was embellishing a bit. (and virtually every state in the union has a road that goes nowhere :)

As far as the main point, we live in a perpetual state of fear propagated by a media that is bent on creating more viewership by turning the smallest issue into a full blown end of the world crisis. Now, transfats are being attacked as bad for you. Outside of nutritionists, who knew what a transfat was 10-15 years ago? The media latches on to one thing, what sells. We have no national outlet for news therefore the competing interests and sometimes 'good facts' as opposed to 'true facts' of the media, meaning taking a partial truth or partial lie and spinning it as completely true. The fear is created by laziness as most of us do not have the will or want to catch up on real news, and what then is real news? Bias creeps into everything that is said and done, and we are all affected by it. If I were to say I was unbiased on an issue, I would be lying. I may not care, but that in itself is a bias toward ignorance. Apathy is as dangerous as ignorance, and history, most of the time, has borne that out.

The reality is that most people I know are not really afraid, they simply do not care, or they might be slightly fearful and still do not care because they see they cannot do much about it...the same here, we can argue this point until it runs out of steam or we are too angry to care thanks to the anti-American, anti-European, anti-everything bile being spewed from all directions. The question remains: (and one I ask myself far too often) What are you going to do about it? I do not mean this to be overly critical or condeming of the other opinions espoused, but more of self-critical awareness that I would rather build a fictional nation than save a real one.

True story: Conversation I overheard on a Boston subway train among two American college students and a student from Somalia. That's Somalia, people. The Somalian guy was telling them about a cultural studies trip across the US that his exchange class from Somalia had taken.

Somalian Guy: So we ended up in Tulsa [OK].

Americans: TULSA! What the hell were you doing there?

Somalian Guy: I don't know, but I will never go back there. There was nothing in that place. And the country around it, it was so poor. We were driving on a road made of dirt, and it went nowhere.

One American: What did you learn about the US in Somalia? Did you think we didn't have rural areas, that it was all urban and built-up?

Somalian Guy: No, we knew there were rural areas, but we had no idea it was that bad.

:) Yep, that's the view from Somalia, folks.

...

When Somalians are telling us that our rural areas are bad, we're in trouble.

Okay I know thats a huge, and I mean HUGE, generalisation but in my opnion it just seems to me that the citizens of the US are more afraid of the international world than any other nation. Ther just seems to be a huge exagerrated fear of terrorism, other religions and other political systems. So am I the only one who thinks this or are there others who feel the same?

i'd call it paranoia myself, though the govt. and the media hardly help.

Hey bud not sure where you get the beleifs like you posted there, but being one of those rural americans
It's obviously just a generalisation backed up by the blue/red state 2004 voting maps.

Rural Americans are more likely to support the Iraq war, which the leaders say is to stop terrorism. Yet the urban Americans are more likely to see this as being bullshit.

I remember times when it was the Europeans who were literally pissing in their pants, out of fear from the Soviets. And guess what? only thanks to the US, and the great reagen administration, that the soviets understood it ain't gonna stand, this oppression, and were dissolved.
We've heard and responded to uninformed hypocritical right-wing rambling like this a million times before. Search the forums before posting such unoriginal baiting.

The truth is, however bad life is for women, non-Muslims or anyone else in places like Saudi Arabia, it's none of our business. Sovereign nations have the power to run their shows anyway they like, so long as they keep it within their own borders.
I agree, except for http://www.unhchr.ch/udhr/lang/eng.htm

Not all, but way too damn many. Just post something involving the words "threat" and "arab" on any internet forum (for example, this one) and you'll get at least 2 responses from either complete racist bastards or reasonable people who have been misinformed about arabic people all their lives.
Misinformation, that's a big problem. My high school teachers actually try to fight it, at one point focusing on the arab point of view in history, but I still heard snickers from the back of the room about "we should just nuke the f***ers."
It starts young.
:eek:

Wow. That's a really interesting story :) And it kind of makes me want to see what Somalia is like...
It doesn't make me want to see Somalia, but it does make me NOT want to see Oklahoma. ;)

I agree, except for http://www.unhchr.ch/udhr/lang/eng.htm
Yes, and all nations which are signatories to the Declaration must abide by it or answer to the UN. However, it is not up to other individual nations to enforce the Declaration if the UN as a body chooses not to. (That's meant as a jab at Bush's bullshit claim of that we invaded Iraq to enforce any UN resolution.)

Likewise, I believe I read somewhere that the European Union has similar human rights provisions in its Constitution, or charter, or whatever it is. So all member nations must abide by that and enforce it among its immigrant populations, no matter what the rules/traditions in the immigrants' homelands. If the EU members do not do so, then they must be answerable to the Union.

But they do not have to answer to some paranoid bigot ranting away in the US, just like they don't get to dictate rules to the nations those immigrants came from.

I personally believe that oppressive nations should be undermined by indirect action. I believe in social pressure among nations, and private, grassroots activism internationally. I believe in "underground railroads" that move oppressed people out of bad places, and I believe that other nations should have special status for such refugees, even if they enter the nations technically illegally. But that is a far cry from what this bigot-of-the-moment is implying.

:eek:


It doesn't make me want to see Somalia, but it does make me NOT want to see Oklahoma. ;)

Let me try and reiterate this... if anyone for one moment thinks that Somalia has anything in common with Oklahoma, or that conditions in Oklahoma are worse in Somalia (and I would start asking veterans who served in the Mogadishu campaign and see what they would say), then perhaps they should repeatedly hit themselves in the head with their keyboard until common sense has been restored.

We've heard and responded to uninformed hypocritical right-wing rambling like this a million times before. Search the forums before posting such unoriginal baiting.

but he was right.

Misinformation, that's a big problem. My high school teachers actually try to fight it, at one point focusing on the arab point of view in history, but I still heard snickers from the back of the room about "we should just nuke the f***ers."
It starts young....

Yeah, I don't deny that there are certainly some people that are ignorant, but I do not think it is as widespread as people make it out to be.

And, while certainly a true sentiment may lie behind what that kid said, I would be willing to bet it was more about him trying to appear 'cool'.

Holy flamebait Batman. Is America scared? You are right, too general. Every nation has a fear of some sort. To a lot of Americans it might be terrorism or crime or national debt. To a Muslim state it might be Westernization or terrorism. Every nation or state has some sort of national fear that drives some sort of policy.

I do hope that's Kalamazoo Stout you're talking about. The best stout in the state next to Bell's Special Double Cream.

Oddly enough I'm from rural Michigan (Alma, near Mount Pleasant) and I'm about as blue as the state flag. Actually, I'm rather more liberal than the Democrats, but I'll pick them over Republicans most of the time as they're the lesser of the two evils.

Actually I am talking about Black River Stout and we do a few special seasonal stouts up here also like a great chocolate stout most winters. I am from about 45 min south of the Bridge... and I am not talking the little ones in Detroit or the Soo... a good rural area....though it seems to be growing fast ( the town is Gaylord, should here some good jokes from this crowd about that name). I think both sides lie a great deal and I vote for both parties depending on which person I think will do the best job... not that they ever give me great hopes.:rolleyes:

I've experienced it. Mostly it sucks. Yes people are friendly to strangers. Until they find out you're not like them. Then they're a lot more hostile than those urban liberals ever thought about.

I got shocked to find out they place me at about the same status as a child rapist because I'm an atheist. I got shocked to find out that almost to a person they think I should be kept someplace out of sight because I'm bipolar.
While I'm not fond of stereotypes, they keep proving the validity of them time after time. All those stereotypes that say they're backwards and intolerant. Guess what? A large portion of them are.

I can't tell ya that everyone in the rural areas are friendly or will always be friendly that would make us perfect.....and nobody is perfect there are some in every group who make the rest look bad. There is one very large bible thumping group here where I live that makes the area seem not as good....but if you have the courage to wait it out and get past them there is a lot of good people here and it is as nice as can be.... but persaverance is required in all things connected with life.

Actually I am talking about Black River Stout and we do a few special seasonal stouts up here also like a great chocolate stout most winters. I am from about 45 min south of the Bridge... and I am not talking the little ones in Detroit or the Soo... a good rural area....though it seems to be growing fast ( the town is Gaylord, should here some good jokes from this crowd about that name). I think both sides lie a great deal and I vote for both parties depending on which person I think will do the best job... not that they ever give me great hopes.:rolleyes:

Yeah, I know Gaylord, I went to the Big Buck Brewery there the other day. I had this rather tasty IPA, I forget the name. I live in Mt. Pleasant right now, which is about an hour south of Gaylord.

Yeah, I know Gaylord, I went to the Big Buck Brewery there the other day. I had this rather tasty IPA, I forget the name. I live in Mt. Pleasant right now, which is about an hour south of Gaylord.

Yea I have been to Alma and Mt Pleasant....when I am actually attending classes it is at FSU over in Big Rapids. The IPA is called just India Pale Ale...it was a recipe from the Texas Big Buck.

It's obviously just a generalisation backed up by the blue/red state 2004 voting maps.

Rural Americans are more likely to support the Iraq war, which the leaders say is to stop terrorism. Yet the urban Americans are more likely to see this as being bullshit.

Ok I get the red now and makes sense.... would have helped knowing before. And there is reasons for the reasons the rural areas seem always more willing to go off to war. This I get from observations of growing up in both the cities and in the country. The urban areas seem more willing to just sit back and let others get their hands dirty for them. There was a demographic I saw earlier this year that showed that 95% of americans let 5% of Americans protect their freedoms. Unfortunately the majority of that 5% percent comes from the rural red as you call it. I think this is because less people in the rural red stop and ask "what is in it for me?" before they do something then do those in the urban blue. once again I add the disclaimer....."this is a personal observation".

Don't forget to fear the 1337 (http://youtube.com/watch?v=_b1cyNigny8). American news should be renamed: You Are All Going To Die: Everyone Panic! or The Thing That Will Kill You Today.
That has to be the most idiotic thing I've ever seen in my life. The media fails once again to understand anything about the internet.

Not all, but way too damn many. Just post something involving the words "threat" and "arab" on any internet forum (for example, this one) and you'll get at least 2 responses from either complete racist bastards or reasonable people who have been misinformed about arabic people all their lives.
Misinformation, that's a big problem. My high school teachers actually try to fight it, at one point focusing on the arab point of view in history, but I still heard snickers from the back of the room about "we should just nuke the f***ers."
It starts young.


Want to know another funny thing? Its also the misinformation of the otherside too. The misinformation of how they will ignore threats and walk away thinking that talking solves everything....well they be wrong.

The fear that grips much of the American populace comes from many different factors.

One factor is the fact that most American adults have 32948320984032984093840239840238402394802938402938402384938484930293848493029348 worries- work, bills, money, taxes, kids, aging parents, etc. Thus, American adults don't have the resources that the media and government do.

Another factor is, the US government knows how to keep secrets.
Yet another factor- the media has access to pretty much everything it wants access to, and can get away with pretty much everything. Thus, we have the fearmongering piece of tasteless trash that is the American media, news and entertainment.

:mad:

because they know they've brought it on themselves

because they know they should be

The fear that grips much of the American populace comes from many different factors.

One factor is the fact that most American adults have 32948320984032984093840239840238402394802938402938402384938484930293848493029348 worries

And people of Europe, Africa, Asia, Oceinai and South America don't?

Your sounding like a self involved adolescent "yes, I'm soooo complicated, I have soooo many things to worry about. I'm sooooo important and more complicated than everyone else"

And people of Europe, Africa, Asia, Oceinai and South America don't?

Your sounding like a self involved adolescent "yes, I'm soooo complicated, I have soooo many things to worry about. I'm sooooo important and more complicated than everyone else"

I believe the question was why are Americans scared? Not examine the rest of the world's worries. The rest of the world has worries, sure, but they didn't have to address that. Besides, sounded like some sarcasm to me :)

because they know they've brought it on themselves

because they know they should be

Now here speaks a voice of reason from the wilderness... true wisdom from the benighted. I get stronger threats from my cat.

And people of Europe, Africa, Asia, Oceinai and South America don't?

Your sounding like a self involved adolescent "yes, I'm soooo complicated, I have soooo many things to worry about. I'm sooooo important and more complicated than everyone else"

Oh yes, since I'm a 15 year old American girl that obviously doesn't know that the rest of the world has worries too, like the crap in the Middle East and Darfur :rolleyes:

I did not imply that non-Americans didn't have owrries too. I was merely pointing out the fact that most Americans are preoccupied in their own lives and so do not look so carefully upon the outside world, which is where the media comes in and spreads propaganda.

Hopefully one day you will realize that not all of us adolescents are self-involved and that stereotyping isn't al that fun after all. Hey, someday you might be able to pull your head out of your butt and actually read one's posts.

I believe the question was why are Americans scared? Not examine the rest of the world's worries. The rest of the world has worries, sure, but they didn't have to address that. Besides, sounded like some sarcasm to me :)

Yeah, that insanely large number was mostly sarcasm. :p But it's not as though the rest of the world doesn't have them too.

Okay I know thats a huge, and I mean HUGE, generalisation but in my opnion it just seems to me that the citizens of the US are more afraid of the international world than any other nation. Ther just seems to be a huge exagerrated fear of terrorism, other religions and other political systems. So am I the only one who thinks this or are there others who feel the same?

It's called "Scare tactics" and you can think Mr. George Bush. For our War on Terror, or any other ideaology than right winged conservative god fearing christians.

Now here speaks a voice of reason from the wilderness... true wisdom from the benighted. I get stronger threats from my cat.

lawlocaust.

I'm so glad I read this message before clicking that link.

i wanna know what that link was

It's called "Scare tactics" and you can think Mr. George Bush. For our War on Terror, or any other ideaology than right winged conservative god fearing christians.

Yet another factor. :headbang: