Do you yanks think we euros are poking around too much in your politics?

[Kaftan Barlast]

Me and mum were talking about politics and the US election today and in the middle of it I realised that we were discussing it as if we werent Swedes across the atlantic, but as if we actually had say in the matter. I know it will have consequences for the rest of the world, but if you read the news, your election is getting as much, if not more coverage than ours. Isnt that a bit silly?

 

 

Personally, I blame the media for americanizing us to the degree that we subconsciously consider ourselves US citizens. Just look at whats on tv right now: the west wing, law&order, xena warrior princess, the xfiles, jay leno, conan, the Oz, V.I.P, and some weird american documentary about gambling... the only swede program on is the 24h news and theyre actually reporting on the us election

[thepixiesrock]

Yeah, you guys should just mind your own business and stop pretending to understand all of our problems and the seemingly simple solutions that go along with them. Actually, that applies to the Americans too.

[Tale]

yesnomaybe

[Walsingham]

It's no worse than people debating what the Royal family should and shouldn't do. It's not as if we have any choice in that either.

[Pop]

Uh, no.

 

If you're concerned about American TV programs, make your own damn TV programs. The BBC does well enough for itself.

[walkerguy]

Not at all, all you euros. Or the Australians. Have a go at our political system! Oh, BTW Yanks is an insult, but most of us don't care, but, yeah.

[Krookie]

Speak for yourself! Call me a Yank one more time and I'll YANK you.

 

 

In places

 

 

anyway, yes I think (some) Euros get to involved in the USA's politics. I say "some" because the a few of you actually know what you're talking about when you agree, or disagree, with what we're doing in the world. Unfortunately, a lot of Europeans preach the same thing over and over again "GET OUT OF IRAQ" and all that junk. Personally, I don't think we belonged in Iraq in the first place but we're there now and we can't just up and leave. Whether or not Europeans "poke around" too much isn't really the problem, it's where they poke, and how hard that is.

Edited March 5, 2008 by Krookie

[SteveThaiBinh]

It affects us, and so we discuss it. What's wrong with that? US citizens are free to ignore outside views, of course.

[Walsingham]

I think there's a massive amount of Euroweenie going on. We're always saying OMG Amerika is the worst EVAR, without any real concept of

 

a) the bad stuff we've done

b) the bad stuff we'd have had to do if the Yanks didn't do it for us

c) the bad stuff being done by the people we claim to admire

d) good ol' fashioned inferiority complex

 

Basically, I don't think Euroweenies poke at US politics for any purpose other than trying to knock it, and make themselves feel superior.

[Guest The Architect]

Who cares?

 

Poke around whatever you want.

 

It's when you start blabbering about the same **** in public that it becomes annoying, but that's a different situation to what you're saying, Kaft.

[Hildegard]

Yeah, you guys should just mind your own business and stop pretending to understand all of our problems and the seemingly simple solutions that go along with them. Actually, that applies to the Americans too.

 

 

That's the biggest problem of them all.

[Gorgon]

The US is the world's only remaining superpower, for the time being at least. In many ways who becomes president of the US could impact you more than who becomes president of Sweden.

[Sand]

Yeah, you guys should just mind your own business and stop pretending to understand all of our problems and the seemingly simple solutions that go along with them. Actually, that applies to the Americans too.

 

That is what I have been telling people all my life. Does anyone listen? Nope.

[Walsingham]

Yeah, you guys should just mind your own business and stop pretending to understand all of our problems and the seemingly simple solutions that go along with them. Actually, that applies to the Americans too.

 

That is what I have been telling people all my life. Does anyone listen? Nope.

 

What? I can't hear you when you speak from under that duvet.

[Dark_Raven]

I think there's a massive amount of Euroweenie going on. We're always saying OMG Amerika is the worst EVAR, without any real concept of

 

a) the bad stuff we've done

b) the bad stuff we'd have had to do if the Yanks didn't do it for us

c) the bad stuff being done by the people we claim to admire

d) good ol' fashioned inferiority complex

 

Basically, I don't think Euroweenies poke at US politics for any purpose other than trying to knock it, and make themselves feel superior.

Euros are just mad because we had to intervene in your two little world wars and put an end to it.

[Gorgon]

bleh, ww1 was almost over by the time your greenhorns showed up, and the Ruskies won ww2 for all of us on the eastern front. We just help clean the place out.

Edited March 5, 2008 by Gorgon

[Nick_i_am]

Euros are just mad because we had to intervene in your two little world wars and put an end to it.

 

Yeah, it's funny how you've won all your wars since then too.

 

Wait, wait, nevermind.

 

Look ma, I can troll too!

Edited March 5, 2008 by Nick_i_am

[Xard]

bleh, ww1 was almost over by the time you showed up, and the Ruskies won ww2 for all of us on the eastern front. We just help clean the place out.

 

That WW2 bit isn't so simple and part of americans shouldn't be dismissed, but yeah, soviets had clearly bigger impact on war than americans though. Only dimwits who believe in Hollywood think americans won the war for europeans

 

As for ww1... well, America siding with Brittons was definitive answer to wars outcome, after that victory for Entente countries was inevitable. But before that it was one bloody stalemate that could've ended both ways really, though I doubt germans could've defeated Royal Navy and conquered England. France on the other hand...

Edited March 5, 2008 by Xard

[Nick_i_am]

An interesting 'what if' scenario comes forth if the British had been clear victors at the battle of Jutland, since it would have left Berlin wide open.

 

As with all things in WW1 though, the biggest enemy the british armed forces faced was their own officers.

[Xard]

True

 

Just how many casualties did all sides take in 1914-15 only because officers moved their forces like in Napoleon-era (ignoring of course that enemies had ****ing gatlins) *sigh*

[thepixiesrock]

What movies depict the U.S. winning the war for Europe?

[Nick_i_am]

Erm...all of them.

[Gorth]

An interesting 'what if' scenario comes forth if the British had been clear victors at the battle of Jutland, since it would have left Berlin wide open.

Another interesting 'what if' scenario comes forth if the Germans had won and left the North Sea and Channel dominated by the Kriegsmarine (since airforces was of no consequences for navies yet)

 

True

 

Just how many casualties did all sides take in 1914-15 only because officers moved their forces like in Napoleon-era (ignoring of course that enemies had ****ing gatlins) *sigh*

Sadly, it became a war of attrition to see who could kill off the other sides generation of young men first. The US impact was mostly the moral boost, which convinced friend and foe that only one outcome was possible now. Having bled France, Belgium, UK, Austria-Hungary & Germany dry, a new player with an untapped source of not yet dead young men was a major shift in the balance of resources.

[Meshugger]

I have several reasons on why the US politics interest me:

 

- I have relatives in Montana and Arizona (In Canada as well). It's a family thing.

- Our economy is completely dependent on the US economy. It's a economy thing.

- Rock n' Roll, bubblegum, musclecars, hollywood and all that. It's a culture thing.

- The last thing, speaks for many people, i guess. Very young in school, you read in history class about the american revolution against the british, the declaration of independence and creation of the constitution, the best piece of paper ever written. "Damn, that country sounds like the best thing ever. It is paragorn of freedom and liberty", you think. Add everything from the above statements, and you have created an image, closest thing to an utopia.

 

Then you hear something about that they have to pay for healthcare. But you think: "Well, they're so rich and prosperous, it's like buying a set of shoes for them. Hardly any deal for them, i hope."

 

Then, you hear about having to pay for college or university. But again you think: "Well, they're so rich and prosperous, it's like buying a set of shoes for them. Hardly any deal for them, i hope".

 

Then you hear from your relatives that "that's not exactly the case". Damn, maybe they just need to some time to fix it. They are smart people, and with that enormous wealth of theirs, they can surely afford the best education that there can be, and think things out, you think.

 

Then you turn on american channels on the TV, and let's say for the sake of argument, the FOX news channel. Then your blood starts to boil.

 

You cool yourself down a bit, thinking: "Well, not everyone can be like that, shallow without any substance or integrity". After all, they won the cold war right? You fondly remember Reagan telling Gorbatjev: "Tear down this wall now!". Yeah, can't be that bad, can it? So you go nostalgic and read a bit american history, you know, to ensure that this is just temporary, right? As you read more, you start to wonder: "In the last 100 years, only two parties have had congress, senate and presidency. That doesn't sound like there's enough diversity in the public opinion". Ok, ok. Let's say that they are the only ones with interest of free speech, free press, freedom of religion and so on, and the rest of them are commies or nazis.

 

Then you start to read about the Cold War. Naively thinking that, The Soviets were the supreme being of evil, going into Aghanistan, Hungary, Czeckoslovakia, the whole iron curtain and so on. But then, you read about Guatemala, Iran, Iraq, Nicaragua and start sniffing more about Vietnam. And that's it, the final nail in the coffin with another tour to Iraq. You want to scream: "WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU PEOPLE?! HOW CAN YOU ELECT THESE BAFFOONS?! WHY CONTINUE WITH THIS MADNESS?!"

 

 

 

 

 

Then you calmly debate on the forums.

Edited March 5, 2008 by Meshugger

[Xard]

That was...perfect