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From: thill@ssc-bee.UUCP (Tom Hill)
Newsgroups: net.politics
Subject: Re: America-bashing
Message-ID: <352@ssc-bee.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 24-Jul-85 17:31:12 EDT
Article-I.D.: ssc-bee.352
Posted: Wed Jul 24 17:31:12 1985
Date-Received: Fri, 26-Jul-85 20:22:45 EDT
References: <3140@drutx.UUCP> <847@teddy.UUCP> <356@sbcs.UUCP> <1360@mnetor.UUCP>
Organization: Boeing Aerospace Co., Seattle, WA
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> In article <356@sbcs.UUCP> debray@sbcs.UUCP (Saumya Debray) writes:
> 
> >My impression -- in the four years I've been in this country -- is that
> >the "average" American has little knowledge of, and even less interest
> >in, what goes on abroad.  Surveys seem to bear this out: I remember
> >reading about one last year where most of the people interviewed didn't
> >know which side the USA was backing in El Salvador.  I'm amazed
> >that this should be the state of affairs here given the tremendous
> >amount of information people have free access to, and my conclusion
> >has been that most people just don't give a damn about what's
> >happening beyond their own backyards.
> 
> All countries have this to a certain extent.  It's just seems lot more
> blatant in the US. 

In my dealings with people from other countries I have found them no more
involved or informed as a whole than people in the US.  It is easy to point
a finger at us because of our high profile but there are fingers enough
for all.

> For a country who has an official stance of
> "Saviour/Protector of the Free World", they don't practice what they
> preach too well.  Examples abound.  One primary example is WW II:  It
> wasn't until 1941 when Germany declared war on the US (eight days after
> Pearl Harbour) that the US decided to enter the European and Atlantic
> war.  Prior to that, most of the aid that was provided to Britain and
> the other allies was under-the-table (Roosevelt was afraid of being
> impeached, since some VERY powerful US citizens and lobbying groups
> backed the Germans - I won't name any names for fear of getting nuked
> by their fans.  Lend-lease was considerably after the war started.).

Oh really?  I seem to recall that we were helping Britain before we actually
declared war.  Things such as escorting merchant shipping in 1940 come
to mind.  

> In spite of this fact, that's not what US history books say (or so I
> have been told by some expatriate Americans who've been reading some
> non-US originated history).

Ah yes,  the Soviets completely deny that the Murmansk convoys existed.
Is this the "non-US originated history" you speak of?

> Many Europeans still haven't forgiven the
> US for leaving them in the lurch (and being hypocritical about it) for
> so long.  The US has been practicing "Isolationism" for most of this
> century.
> -- 
> Chris Lewis,
> BELL: (416)-475-8980 ext. 321


I suggest that you read Winston C's book _The_Gathering_Storm_ before
you go blaming the USA for WW II.  True, at that time American was
in an isolationalistic (I hope that is a word :-) mood, however, both France and
Britain due to their poor foreign policy decisions during the 30's led
themselves into WW II.


Tom Hill
uw-beaver!ssc-vax!ssc-bee!thill