Let me start this out by saying that I know that our British cousins - like us - have as many opinions as there are people. By and large, the UK has been our only real friend in this world since the 20's. That being said, I just heard something yesterday that made my blood boil.
At night I sometimes like to listen to the
BBC World Service on MPR. The BBC is usually very objective - much more than their US counter - parts. They did have a commentary show on the other day, where one particular Briton said some outright assinine things. Again, I don't pin this on the BBC - or to all Britons by any means. My vitrol is directed at him. Indeed, that BBC show did exactly what it was designed to do - stir up controversy.
I wish I could remember his name, or where I could find the piece - I scoured the BBC website with little success.
His basic jist was that he was glad to be going back to Europe after visiting the US. He went on to say that the US, while being a great country (Heavily qualified by this guy) had lost it's soul and just didn't have those high and mighty European values.
He went on to say tht our society was highly competitive, and there was a huge gap between the winners (haves) and the losers (have nots). That we have turned our backs on the less fortunate and economically challenged (usually minorities), and that we had made little progress in our development of society from our post civil war days. He was so glad to be going back to Europe - where he could bask in the glow of the milk of human kindness.
WEELLLL - here's what I have to say:
Don't let the screen door hit you in the arse, Manfred. Yes, we are a competitive society - work hard, and you'll get what you deserve. Be a parasite or knucklehead (like the throngs in New Orleans that bitched about how the government wasn't helping them enough) and yes, your life may be on the crappy side. Unlike your eutopian Europe - where some poor bastard works his ass off and ends up giving half of his income to the government to help some sorry malcontent that has no interest in making an honest living.
Am I being cold? NO - obviously, there are good people out there that simply and honestly can't take care of themselves - and we need a safety net for them. HOWEVER, it's been my experience (being in the social services field) that most people on government assistance are scammers. And, Manfred here seems to imply that we spend nothing on public assistance. Where the hell has he been?
I have a clue for you, Manfred - it's this heartless, competition based country that bailed Europes collective ass out of not one but
two world wars. I give credit to Winston Churchill and the Brits of the 1940's that held down the fort until we could get into the war, but even British veterans from that era will tell you that - if the U.S. had not entered the war when we did, the UK would either be : a) five feet under the North Atlantic, or b) a theme park for Hitler Youth.
Indeed, a lot of social observers, like
Dennis Prager, predict that Europe will either be at war or completely Islamic by the next couple of generations. Why? because guys like Manfred are kinder and gentler, don't call things for what they are, and give most of (usually someone else's) peoples fortunes to the poor oppressed and downtrodden. And you know what? We'll be strapping on the gunbelts and heading across the Atlantic to bail Europe's ass out yet a third time. And what really frosts my ass, Manfred, is that it's going to be my kids that we'll probably have to deal with it. Still, I believe that it's the right thing to do, and - if I still have this mortal coil, I'll do whatever I can to support the war effort.
Indeed, Colin Powell had an
eloquent reply to the Archbishop of Canterbury who called the United States on our tough guy image. Powell put the pompous ass in his place.
All of this being said - I don't hold Britain as a whole, or even the BBC, responsible for this kind of attitude. Manfred, on the otherhand, can go straight to Hell.
