Hortlund, if I've come across as an angry stunninghunk, it's probably because I get inflamed by posts here.
There is too much one sidedness admiration. I don't mind critique on Europe - there is a hell of a lot to comment on here. The same is true for the US - many things are questionable there.
The thing is, one needs to be open about the world. That includes ones own part of it. I see lots of and 'great post' when admiration is expressed, yet when it is about serious concern, you're either met by a wall os silence or derisive comments and red herrings.
To use Bushs words - 'let there be no mistake' - the US has, like Europe, plenty of things that ain't right. it has many good things, as has Europe. We need not to be cheerleaders or country bashers but objective human beings.
Your post comes after a long line of patriotic posts about America, and after a string of abusive posts about the rest of the world. It's getting one sided and we're losing our collective objectivity, if we ever had one.
My sucking up comments was a reflection of how I've seen you develop through your interaction with Americans on this board. In the start, you were more critical and objective. Now, you use stronger and stronger words, often with emotional content, to argue about something that is best seen in an objective light. And decidedly from a pro American position.
Nothing wrong with being pro American or pro whatever, as long as one is objective. MY feeling is jsut that you're losing your objectivity, wanting to replace it with a feeeling of being 'one in the popular gang'.
You got a good mind, that's what so annoying about it. You don't NEED a black and white world. Yer mind can handle shades of grey. Most people are unable to handle grayness, and for almost everyone, black and white is more comfortable. But it ain't accurate.
No qualms with you personally. Just don't like to see you as a cheerleader. And I call it as I see it, even if it ain't very dimplomatic.
