The reputal to the sanatized version of sweet America by Don Monkerud is first rate! If you want comforting lies, turn on the boob tube. If you want to produced a world in which all kids are safe, then deal with the ugly reality that the U.S. has become the top predator. Work towards building an America that never was, but should be (Langson Hughes put it best -- any one know the quote?). Tom monkerud wrote: > Yes, and I'm sure the people's of Guatemala, Chile, Peru, Panama, Cuba, Nicaragua (should I continue) love us too. Especially if they go against any perceived interest of the US corporations. > > Did you notice that the Marshall Plan happened almost 50 years ago? Did you see a bail out of Russia under similar circumstances? > > Didn't you forget to mention how the US helped Nicaragua by equipping the death squads? > > Did you notice that all US aid is based on the recipient country spending the money with American companies? Did you notice the amounts of foreign aid that goes to Israel so their right-wing citizens can steal land from the Palestinians? > > Did you notice that the generosity of Americans is just that Americans... outpouring from people primarily? > > Did you notice that people "flee" to countries seeking economic well being or to escape governments that the US government supports? > > Should I continue? > > best, Don Monkerud > Santa Cruz > > >In supporting their arguments about the tyranny foisted by America on the > >peoples and governments of the world -- of which I see many vitriolic > > >manifestations on this website -- it is always convenient for sixties-sodden > >social critics to gloss over or not even mention the beneficent contributions > >of our country. > > > >Here's a TV editorial by Gorden Sinclair, a Canadian television commentator. > >Don't his insights make you feel all the more ashamed to be an American? > > > >"America: The Good Neighbor" > > > >"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 the 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."
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