Posted on 11/24/2004 8:12:40 PM PST by kddid
Rarely does a journalist who is accustomed to getting angry feedback get feedback that is as angry as that which has appeared in my e-mail during the past two weeks. During the US Presidential elections I interviewed Americans living in Finland. Many of them were shocked at the victory of George W. Bush, and one of them swore to stay out of the country through the duration of Bush’s term.
The article was translated into English and spread around the world through the English language Helsingin Sanomat, International Edition. Since then I have received about 30 fiery messages from the United States.
"There is no going home if they think that America is wrong. Thankfully, they can stay in your God forsaken Socialist Hell hole and whine" wrote one commentator. "I was a pro-UN Democrat Liberal ... when I gained the courage to examine the track records of the individual nations that make up the International Community. The International Community ... gave birth to Hitler, Stalin, Lenin, the Mongols, the Vikings, Napoleon, Alexander the Great, the Ottoman Empire, the Emperor of Japan that attacked Pearl Harbor..." wrote another. Another example: "If you see them again, tell them to stay where they are. Let them stay in Europe, where snivelling, whining and appeasement of terrorism is, like euthanasia and hatred of America, an accepted way of life".
The trans-Atlantic cyber attack showed that the bitterness of the US right wing toward Europeans, referred to on The Simpsons as "cheese-eating surrender-monkeys", has not eased since Bush’s victory; quite the opposite is the case. The messages contained reminders that the United States is fighting on behalf of all democracies against a global threat, as it did in the 1940s. What is important is not the reasons given by part of Europe against the attack. What is significant is that when the United States asked for help, not everyone gave it - even though the United States saved Europe half a century ago. "Had it ever occurred to you that our strong moral character (the one that Euro’s think is irrational, extremist and down-right foolish) is the reason Europe is still Europe and not the United States of the Third Reich or part of the USSR", wrote one Bush supporter.
The mentality is very black-and-white, but in the view of the Americans who sent the feedback, only countries living in peace can afford to quibble over shades of grey. For them George W. Bush is like Ronald Reagan: men whose goals - for Reagan, the defeat of communism, and for Bush, the crushing of terrorism - justify the means so clearly that eventually the rest of the world will understand that the means were necessary.
European and American opponents of Bush can, of course, feel that their criticism is justified. However, at the same time it should be kept in mind that if the Europeans again need the support of the United States for some as yet unknown reason, the right wing - which won the election - may feel that not all of them deserve it.
I posted this article on November 4th.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1271221/posts
Apparently the author has received a lot of “angry” and "fiery" feedback. I would like to know who gets credit for the title of the article.
This may be of interest to you. A response from an author of an earlier post.
I didn't ...but it sounds like something I would have written...
You got that right, you sanctimonius Euro-trash. We should have let the Russian have you. Maybe you would have learned your lessons about socialism by now.
Reindeer-meat-eating surrender monkey...
"I didn't ...but it sounds like something I would have written..."
Me neither, but I second those emotions. Hey, at least this gal is GETTING THE MESSAGE!
I especially like the last paragraph-----she's saying that they may need the US sometime and the US may not want to help.
Well gee,I wonder why??????
Cheese-covered-reindeer-meat-eating surrender monkey...
"God forsaken socialist hell hole"
I thought the article was going to be about New York City.
That last sentence really takes the cake. It's like: Sure, we poked you in the eye with a stick, but the greater concern is that you might poke back and/or not be inclined to help us should some third party poke us.
Great post...Kudos to the American writers!
A sure to be unpopular opinion: Reagan didn't "defeat" Communism. He just forced it underground for a while. Now it parades shamelessly under the label, "left wing",
and the media is hopelessly in love with it.
Let Europe settle their own problems from here on out.
Please Mr. President?
My only objection here is the use of the word "may". No "may" about it.
well, - she got the messages, but she probably doesn't get the message>>;o)
NAW--San Francisco.
I love it...she admitted the conservatives won the election! How can that be? We have only just begun the lawsuits!
Finland: Great heavy metal ... good hockey players ... s'bout it.
"George W. Bush is like Ronald Reagan: men whose goals - for Reagan, the defeat of communism, and for Bush, the crushing of terrorism - justify the means so clearly that eventually the rest of the world will understand that the means were necessary."
Funny...I don't remember the "rest of the world" exactly remembering Reagan that way...and there's NO DOUBT that they won't remember Bush for what he is doing, and will have done, long after he's gone...it's the "long-term" memory curse that affects the Euros to this day...they hardly recall what we did for them in WWII...so how in God's name can one expect them to change now???
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.