Olympics

[TastinGood]

I'm as proud as anyone to be an American but you may have noticed I don't wear an American flag in my buttonhole.

Not only that, I wish we weren't treating the Olympics as if it were an American event. It's an international event and it's rude and boorish of us, as the host country, to act as if we were the most important part of it.

We're puzzled over why so many people in the world hate us, then, next thing you know, we're saying to them "Our Country is better than your Country Yaaaa."

The television reports from Salt Lake City were dominated by information about how Americans did:
?The United States has won its first medals of the winter Olympics on this the first day of competition."


"Shannon Bahrke of Taos City, California came in second in women's freestyle skiing moguls; she earned the silver medal."
They didn't report who won the race because the winner came from a foreign country. Awk!

It's as if we were deliberately setting out to make the rest of the world dislike us.

We're always being embarrassed by bumptious Americans who act as though they made this country what it is today.

Well, none of us living now had anything to do with how great this country is. We're lucky to have been born here or to have been accepted into the country. If we've contributed even a little bit to keeping it as good as it is, we can be proud of ourselves but we didn't make it as good as it already was when we got here.

I'm not easy, either, with the people, the companies and the charitable organizations trading in patriotism by using the tragedy of the terrorist attacks as a way of calling attention to themselves, to a cause or to their product.

I get fund-raising letters every day of the week that mention Sept. 11 just as if their organization had some special connection to the tragedy.

One tacky outfit calls itself the First National Reserve Limited. Historical Ground Zero Vault Recovery. They're trying to turn the tragedy into cash by selling $1 worth of silver they claim was found in the World Trade Center basement for $50 ? plus $20 shipping.

Major companies are trying to increase sales by associating themselves with the tragedy.

During the Super Bowl halftime, I left my seat because I was uneasy about the show that featured the names of 2800 people who had died. Some people were touched by it. I found it too close to using the emotion evoked by recalling the event as entertainment.

In our personal lives, we're influenced by other people's appraisal of our behavior. If the friends we hang out with don't like something we do, we usually stop doing it.

The rest of the world doesn't like the way we behave as if no one else's country is as good as ours and we ought to stop acting that way ? even if we're right.



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[TastinGood]

Comments?

For those wondering, I did not write that......my hamster did.

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[Hannibal]

Comments? How about, "I feel the same way" because I do.
I think you' pretty much said it.

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As miserable as life may be I hold it pretty precious...

If I lose the light of the sun, I will write by candlelight, moonlight, no light. If I lose paper and ink, I wil write in blood on forgotten walls. I will write always, I will capture nights all over the world and bring them to you.
Word And Voice
Motocross Fanatics
General Philosophy

[SHATOUSHKA]

you have a cutie hamster.

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~~share some greased tea with me~~
General Philosophy
Discuss This...
The Acropolis

[Mr. Robin]

The American definition of 'Alien'; anyone who doesn't live in the U.S.

Hence, greeting from an A-L-I-E-N, Moi!

I am, none the less, really curious as to just how many 'other' countries you all have lived in as to ensure that your judgment of the U.S. being the best country is based upon experiance, NOT just conjecture.

Canada was seen by the world as the best country to live in, as Picked by others, for three years in a row, only last year slipping to number three. The U.S. is way down on that list.

If the rest of the world is seen as 'aliens' does it make you wonder why we would feel 'alienated'?? (hee, heee?)

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I am, but a mere man!

[This message has been edited by Mr. Robin (edited February 19, 2002).]

[zelazny]

yes, but it's not an american list, but some silly international foreign list, so who cares about that?

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Sure the universe is a great place, but if it wasn't here, no-one would miss it.

[Alex]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by zelazny:
yes, but it's not an american list, but some silly international foreign list, so who cares about that?
<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Gosh thats funny...and TRUE!!!

Tastingood, very well put...you get a GOLD MEDAL for your efforts.

Quick, call the AP and ADD ONE MORE GOLD MEDAL for AMERICA!

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Alex

[Mr. Robin]

If the definition of 'Alien' that I have used herein is accurate, given that the predominance of the planet is NOT American, doesn't that mean that America lives on an Alien Planet ??

(sense of Humor!)

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I am, but a mere man!

[FOOP]

Not only that, I wish we weren't treating the Olympics as if it were an American event. It's an international event and it's rude and boorish of us, as the host country, to act as if we were the most important part of it. They're reporting what Americans want to hear. Personally, I don't want to see a news story done on some guy from Russia. American reporters report on American athletes. I'm sure the other countries do the same. Russian reporters report on Russian athletes, Canadian reporters report on Canadian athletes, etc... It's not the fact that we're hosting it, because we do the same thing when say...Australia hosted the Olympics.

They didn't report who won the race because the winner came from a foreign country. Awk! Not because they were foreign, because they weren't American.


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"God is dead." -Nietsche.

"Nietsche is dead." -God.

[guy019]

im new in this one but all iam going to say is that who saw sarah hughe tear it up on the ice she is the greatest 16 year old i know and she is worth 3-5 million dollars in endorsments,advertisments, and apperances lucky little girl she is

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