Date: Thu, 13 Sep 2001 07:20:56 -0700
Reply-To: B Logan <blogan@ADNC.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: B Logan <blogan@ADNC.COM>
Organization: El Dorado Institute
Subject: Re: [Fwd: America](no Vanagon Content)
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
Yeah, I saw this yesterday. And yes there are things to rah rah
about America.
OTOH, at the same time that the Marshall plan was being implemented to
rebuild the Global North, those same countries were designing the IMF
and the World Bank as instruments of subjugation and exploitation in
the Global South, as well as maintaining brutal regimes in the colonial
world. Millions are dead around the world as a result of U.S. military
adventures. Tillions of dollars were squandered on a senseless nuclear
weapons program that took badly needed funds from the public and
transferred them to wealthy military contractors and their stockholders;
leaving us with a legacy of contamination that will be around for
millennia; and which may yet destroy "civilization". Might as well throw
in the continuing problems of racism, a draconian prison system, lack of
a decent health care system, poverty, tainted, food, water and air,
eroding civil liberties, political corruption, blah blah blah....
So, if we are gonna cheer ourselves, let's at least be honest in our
assessment and point out that the many failings in America are very
disappointing indeed.
[Off my soap box - wish I felt better :-( ]
John Rodgers wrote:
>
> Terrorist Related
>
> A question directed to our Canadian List Membership.
>
> Has anyone seen this before?
>
> I got the following text from a friend in Guatemala that I went to High
> School with. Where he got it I don't know. But it seems vaguely
> familiar, and as such I question it's origins in terms of time. It was
> put out to me as having been recent - Like September 12. - yesterday!
>
> It's great commentary, and it's intent is appreciated, but I can't help
> but wonder if this is just one of those things that floats around out
> there forever on the internet.
>
> Here it is ......and thanks.
>
> John Rodgers
> 88 GL Driver
>
> Thought you might like this.
> >
> > This, from a Canadian newspaper, is worth sharing.
> >
> > America: The Good Neighbor.
> > Widespread but only partial news coverage was given
> > recently to a remarkable editorial broadcast from
> > Toronto by Gordon Sinclair, a Canadian television
> > commentator. What follows is the full text of his
> > trenchant remarks as printed in the Congressional Record:
> >
> > "This Canadian thinks it is time to speak up for the
> > Americans as the most generous and possibly the least
> > appreciated people on all the earth.
> >
> > Germany, Japan and, to a lesser extent, Britain and
> > Italy were lifted out of the debris of war by the
> > Americans who poured in billions of dollars and
> > forgave other billions in debts. None of these
> > countries is today paying even the interest on its
> > remaining debts to the United States.
> >
> > When France was in danger of collapsing in 1956,
> > it was the Americans who propped it up, and their
> > reward was to be insulted and swindled on the streets
> > of Paris. I was there. I saw it.
> >
> > When earthquakes hit distant cities, it is the
> > United States that hurries in to help. This spring, 59
> > American communities were flattened by tornadoes.
> > Nobody helped.
> >
> > The Marshall Plan and the Truman Policy pumped
> > billions of dollars! into discouraged countries. Now
> > newspapers in those countries are writing about the
> > decadent, warmongering Americans.
> >
> > I'd like to see just one of those countries that
> > is gloating over the erosion of the United States
> > dollar build its own airplane. Does any other country
> > in the world have a plane to equal the Boeing Jumbo
> > Jet, the Lockheed Tri-Star, or the Douglas DC10?
> > If so, why don't they fly them? Why do all the
> > International lines except Russia fly American Planes?
> >
> > Why does no other land on earth even consider putting
> > a man or woman on the moon? You talk about Japanese
> > technocracy, and you get radios. You talk about German
> > technocracy, and you get automobiles.
> >
> > You talk about American technocracy, and you find
> > men on the moon -! not once, but several times -
> > and safely home again.
> >
> > You talk about scandals, and the Americans put theirs
> > right in the store window for everybody to look at.
> > Even their draft-dodgers are not pursued and hounded.
> > They are here on our streets, and most of them, unless
> > they are breaking Canadian laws, are getting American
> > dollars from ma and pa at home to spend here.
> >
> > When the railways of France, Germany and India
> > were breaking down through age, it was the Americans
> > who rebuilt them. When the Pennsylvania Railroad and
> > the New York Central went broke, nobody loaned them an
> > old caboose. Both are still broke.
> >
> > I can name you 5000 times when the Americans raced
> > to the help of other people in trouble. Can you name
> > me even one time when someone else raced to the
> > Americans in trouble? I don't think there was outside
> > help even during the San Francisco earthquake.
> >
> > Our neighbors have faced it alone, and I'm one
> > Canadian who is damned tired of hearing them get
> > kicked around. They will come out of this thing with
> > their flag high. And when they do, they are entitled
> > to thumb their nose at the lands that are gloating
> > over their present troubles. I hope Canada is not one of
> > those."
> >
> > Stand proud, America!
> >
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