Timberwolf0924 said:
But think about WWI and WWII who was the major player in both wars? The U.S of A, hell even historians say if the US didn't get attacked at Pearl Harbor by Japan, then there'd be just one big Germany and one big Japan, then Africa (cause nobody wants that place) and America. (cause.. U.S of A!) Austrilia would still be there cause the land itself would kill the invading forces.
Not true, the US wasn't the giant it is now in WW1.
Secondly, in WW2, though they were massively important, without them the war would have still been won by the Allies. The Germans couldn't hope to defeat the Soviets, and Japan was massively over-stretching itself.
Of course, the war would have dragged on for many years more, and the USSR would have gained much more territory in time for the Cold War, but that's another issue.
Gluzzbung said:
I don't hate Americans but I hold no respect for most of them since I watched Mississippi Burning. For those who aren't familiar with it, Mississippi Burning is a film about racism in the 1960s and it moved me quite a lot. After I watched I sat and thought for a few moments and reflected on what the non-racist North had done while there was racism still going around and it is evident from the film and the way America is run that they had done all they could and from what I thought, it had simmered down to some very localised incidents. The news the next day talked about two black school boys being beaten up in Alabama by White Supremecists. My initial thought was obviously 'how tragic.' I then looked on a news website to find out more and I saw a whole host of other incidents like this in the last few years, spread from Florida to Texas to Missouri and I just thought that no American could say they are a fair and well meassured human being with that amount of Racism going on in their country. Thats why I don't hold respect for Americans.
I certainly understand your point, but the US is hardly alone in that. Now, I know that's the cop out defense "but, but, everyone else is doing it!", and there is much to be condemned about the US in regards to racism, but it's still very easy to condemn foreign parts for failings you have at home.
Also, you can't respect USians as a whole? Aren't the victims of racism just as much citizens are the perpetrators?