International Hatred.

[Yorick]

Originally posted by johnny: Yorick, why keep bringing this up ? I'm sure most people that visit IW don't even think about the US- Europe issue, the only time they think about such a thing is when there's another thread here to remind them. I don't think there are Europeans or Asians or whatever here that hate Americans, and i don't think there Americans here that hate Europeans or others. If there were such people here, they would have found out soon enough they're in the wrong place. Why are we even talking about this ? And when i think about America, first thing that comes to mind is baseball... or Michael Jordan, but that's just me.

I read some posts here in the last day or so that disturbed me.

If I didn't feel it a current issue I wouldn't have posted.

[pcgiant]

I wonder how many people who dislike certain countries actually formed this opinion themselves? I'm willing to bet that these feelings come from someone else and they were perceived as the person's own thoughts when really they weren't. I don't think that the people who 'hate' these countries and their beliefs have based these thoughts on unbiased facts.

[the new JR Jansen]

Originally posted by pcgiant: I wonder how many people who dislike certain countries actually formed this opinion themselves? I'm willing to bet that these feelings come from someone else and they were perceived as the person's own thoughts when really they weren't. I don't think that the people who 'hate' these countries and their beliefs have based these thoughts on unbiased facts.

I tend to agree. IMHO, hate isn't the word that you should use. I, for instance, don't hate Americans, America, the USA, however you want to call it. There are some things that the US does or did that i don't like and if a thread is about such a subject i will damn well voice my opinion. But that's not hate. I have such opinions on every country, inlcuding my own.

[Sio]

Well I too dont like everyone going on about hatred towards America and hatred towards Europe, theres no deneying that many americans dislike europeans or so it would seem, and vice versa, but for the part it just seems that its late college/uni people here in Europe who dislike America, finding communism ideals for a few years and ranting on about the evil of the US.
My best friend is an avid hater of the USA (before I say more id like to state this is not my viewpoint and I bear no hatred towards Americans or any other nation as a whole at all) and he too is late college greasy haired spotty lanky pale kid with a squeaky voice, now I dunno how it is in the USA about the type of people who dislike Europe but this for the most part is how it is in the UK, now I say for the most part! so please dont flame me on how not all European America haters are as the aformentioned friend is.
Basically it's sad that people would want to cause despute between Americans and Europeans, especially post sept 11 I see that USA and UK have become very good friends and that the relationship between Blair and Bush isnt a publicity sham, or thats how I feel anyways - that the UK and USA have grown more together, and should continue to be friends and become more so.
If you have hateful opinions of other countrys then please dont post them, if you feel that way then fine, but I think stirring up hatred between people is disgusting and shouldnt be allowed on these boards.

Just my two pennies

[whacky]

Yorick i absolutely share this wonderful idea of yours, as i have said times before we IW'ers are like one happy family, lets keep it that way. We should all try to be messengers of peace and love, not discrimination. Rememeber our duty as humanitarians and "human beings" come first before our nationalities. No matter who you are and where you are learn to love not hate, please be eloquent and elegant in your posts and do not criticize any "country", good or bad on the end of the day its still their country and people really dont appreciate pinching remarks about their country, try to think in their mind-set before posting, be considerate. This is all i had to say, hope all of you agree [img]smile.gif[/img]
-Whacky

[Epona]

Yorick, I thought you said it well in your post, and you're right, it works both ways.

Personally I like everyone until their words or actions prove me wrong. I don't like racists, I don't like people who are cruel to animals, I don't like people who are arrogant.

My likes & dislikes are based on what people think and how they act, not where they are born, where their ancestors came from, or what their leaders and governments do (although I reserve my right to criticise any govt or leader that I disagree with, that doesn't mean I am criticising the population at large).

I don't care where you come from. I just care that you are tolerant and display good manners towards others. That's it. You can be American, European or Afghani and be my friend - or my enemy.

[Grojlach]

Originally posted by MagiK: Unfortunatley I don't even comprehend people who can say they hate americans, or germans, or puerto ricans. I have never been anywhere in the world where the people were all the same, and forme hate is such an intense emmotions, I would be exhausted if I tried to hold onto it for longer than 15 or 20 mintues. I just htink it is sad forpeople to waste so much energy on such a negative emmotions. (who'd a thunk you would hear me say something this mooshey?)

I agree... There are a lot of anti-foreigner sentiments in our country just the same. Not necessarily racism, but at least an unhealthy and narrow-minded bias against other people's culture, ways, opinions *and* presence. Sure, there are some criminals among those foreigners (or actually most of them already have the Dutch Nationality, but apparently some people can't help but call people "foreign" for simply having a different skin colour ); just like there are criminals in every society, race and religion. It's just that generalizing has become so "normal" and "accepted" in our country, up to a point that it makes me feel sick in the stomach when I turn on the News. Every loud-mouth can just yell whatever he/she wants, never mind that it's highly generalizing, unfair, biased and against any law or International resolution whatsoever.
For example... We have politicians who are against expansion of the European Union, which is fair enough, as long as the argumentation is a bit sound. But no, this politician (Winnie de Jong) is against this expansion because she doesn't want all those gypsies from Eastern-Europe to travel freely to our country because "they're all criminal" (!). And that's a politician, apparently representing a part of our Society...

[ 11-01-2002, 07:47 AM: Message edited by: Grojlach ]

[Ar-Cunin]

Originally posted by the new JR Jansen: I tend to agree. IMHO, hate isn't the word that you should use. I, for instance, don't hate Americans, America, the USA, however you want to call it. There are some things that the US does or did that i don't like and if a thread is about such a subject i will damn well voice my opinion. But that's not hate. I have such opinions on every country, inlcuding my own.

ditto.

[Grojlach]

Originally posted by Ar-Cunin: quote: Originally posted by the new JR Jansen: I tend to agree. IMHO, hate isn't the word that you should use. I, for instance, don't hate Americans, America, the USA, however you want to call it. There are some things that the US does or did that i don't like and if a thread is about such a subject i will damn well voice my opinion. But that's not hate. I have such opinions on every country, inlcuding my own.

ditto.[/QUOTE]I agree as well. It's criticism about policies, and not hate. Some people think they're personally attacked when foreigners disagree with the way a country deals with certain habits and traditions. If I say that I disagree with the right of bearing arms in the US, it's just that. Disagreement. I do not hate people who do have guns, I just don't agree with their logic as to why they're having them (even though most of their logic is understandable, if you take cultural differences into account...). And there are other things in the US or in other countries I can't possibly agree with, including my own. In fact, I'm almost turning into a helpless and depressed cynic when I consider the current political situation in my own country (see my previous post).
But it's about policies, not about people. And if people claim they "hate" the US, they most likely hate some of its aspects, not the entire country and all its inhabitants.

[ 11-01-2002, 07:46 AM: Message edited by: Grojlach ]

[Calaethis Dragonsbane]

Originally posted by johnny: Yorick, why keep bringing this up ? I'm sure most people that visit IW don't even think about the US- Europe issue,

ditto. Yorick, why DO you keep bringing this up? If I look back tho the IWs topics over the last yr or so, I see tons of topics like this, mostly posted by YOU.. I'm not trying to be critical, but you seem to have this "thing" about Anti Americanism... to be perfectly frank, I dont care, I really dont give a damn about what the rest of the world thinks about America, your "beloved" country, or your flag, I'm probably being very offensive, but... in fact, I dont really care about any other country. The people in the countries are a different matter; some or even most of my "friends" on Iws happen to be American, and to be honest, I'm honoured to call them friends, as I said, I'm not having a go at Americans, and I hope none of you take this personally. I realise that most americans see their flag as an icon, a symbol of your country, but... imho you DO seem to go on about it a lot, maybe becoz in the rest of the worlds eyes, you have no culture, again, I'm not trying to be offensive, and probably am, and feel free to correct me. I know what happened on september the 11th was tragic and should never have happened, but WHY do you keep going on about it?! move on, the living must look to the living, yes, the dead should be remembered and mourned, and yes, you should grieve, but... ok, I'll shut up, I get a strong feeling this will probably get me banned, but... How many others here feel that Yorick should give it a rest ? I just kinda feel that the dead are dead, and theres nothing anyone can do; let the dead rest. You just seem to bring it up WAAAY to often Yorick, imo.

On the hate topic, I dislike the goverments of EVERY country, and as I've said, the people are very much different in most cases. As whacks said, "we're one big happy family" here, cant we **try** to keep it that way? Hasnt there been enough arugin already?