[Vision2020] This Isn't Hate Speech, Either
J Ford
privatejf32 at hotmail.com
Sun Jul 9 20:29:01 PDT 2006
When I was in the military and got shipped overseas to Germany, we were told
"don't go out to the towns with your uniform on and stick to USA-held
businesses as much as possible." We were also admonished to go with the
culture and traditions of the country, be it Germany (if we were to stay
there) or France, Italy, Britain, Korea, Japan, one of the Africa nations,
etc. BUT, we were never told that it would be better to not admit to our
nationality. Fact is, people know from what country a person hales just by
their behavior, use of the language, dress, etc.
I am sorry you were told, in Australia (of all places,) not to admit to your
country-of-origin and I feel you were cheated out of a really good
opportunity to dis-prove Miss Texas by behaving in a more appropriate
manner. I would hope that if you travel again, you can find it in yourself
to be proud of your actions and that you are from America and let the "Miss
Texas'" speak for themselves.
I know you are a good person and would never do anything that would
embarrass or make America wish you were from some other country.
Besides, everyone knows that outside of Alaska, everything is bigger in
Texas, ESPECIALLY their bad behavior (for those from Texas, you'll
appreciate the Alaska v. Texas rivalry this statement is born from.) :)
J :]
>From: debismith at moscow.com
>To: Chasuk <chasuk at gmail.com>, vision2020 at moscow.com
>Subject: Re: [Vision2020] This Isn't Hate Speech, Either
>Date: Sun, 09 Jul 2006 17:22:10 -0700
>
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><div align="left"><font face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10pt">Thanks
>for posting this, Chas. While
>I am still a big fan of the US, our cConstitution (on which
>others have been modeled), and all the *goodies* we have in the US, I am
>aware we are not the
>end-all-be-all in the world. Having traveled to other countries
>(apologizing all the while for
>George Bush), I am astounded that US citizens are so damn dense about the
>rest of the world.
>Yes, folks, there is a *rest of the World*, and some of it is better than
>us in some ways, some
>of it is worse in some ways, and all of it is different in many ways.
></span></font></div>
><div align="left"><br/>
></div>
><div align="left"><font face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10pt">Our
>current government seems to assume
>not only are we the best, but the only. They make
>assumptions based on US mores and behavior patterns, and insist the rest of
>the world just
>isn't as *civilized* as we are. The facts (based on real data, not
>emotional patriotic ferver) show
>us to be sadly lacking in many of the things we proclaim are superior here.
>If we don't
>recognize and address these things, we will regret it sooner rather than
>later. We say we are a
>bastion of Liberty and Justice for All---the facts show we are not. We say
>we have the best
>human rights in the worls---the facts show we still disenfranchise whole
>groups of citizens. We
>say we are proponents of peace and human rights and that we help others
>around the world---
>well, that's just a damn lie to salve our conscience. The truth and the
>facts (again, based on
>real numbers) show that the US is iconoclastic, insular, complaisant,
>dumbed down, and
>losing monetary value around the world. </span></font></div>
><div align="left"><br/>
></div>
><div align="left"><font face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10pt">When I
>went to Australia (just after
>the September 11 terror attacks) with a large group of US
>citizens for a World Council of the YWCA, we were told as a group not to
>display overt
>*America* regalia. For those who just didn't get it, it was spelled out in
>capital letters:</span></font></div>
><div align="left"><br/>
></div>
><div align="left"><font face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10pt">*America
>is a continent, just like
>Africa is a continent. It has lots of Nations on the Continent.
>The US is NOT America. It is the United States of America. There are other
>Nations on the
>Continent, so do not say you are American. Do not wear the US flag as a
>display--lots of folks
>do not like the US, and you might get spat upon, punched out, or shot. You
>will, at the very
>least, be confronted. Be polite. Do not tell everyone you meet that your
>country is better than
>their country. Do not compare your possessions to their possessions. Do not
>tell them how to
>improve their country. Do not refuse to eat the food unless it looks like
>something you ate last
>week in your homwtown in the US. Do not tell people the food looks weird,
>tastes weird, or is
>better in the US. Ask questions, learn about the local people, try
>something new, and become
>a citizen of the world*.</span></font></div>
><div align="left"><br/>
></div>
><div align="left"><font face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10pt">In spite
>of all that, we still had
>a woman from Texas, with big hair and a white cowboy hat,
>wearing a rhinestone US flag the size of a telephon book, telling everyone
>from everywhere how
>to do everything. I was in an antique store, talking with the owner, when
>she came in. Her
>initial comments were about how stupid it was to have the prices not in US
>dollars. Her next
>comments were about how her greatgrandsomethingorother fought at the Alamo
>and she had
>the antiques to prove it so who did this guy think he was displaying junk
>from Abbos and
>calling it Antique. From my earlier conversations with him, he knew I was
>there for the YWCA.
>He asked me if I knew the nasty woman from the US. I cheesed out and told
>him I was from
>Canada and had never seen her before in my life.
>IIIICKKKK</span></font></div>
><div align="left"><br/>
></div>
><div align="left"><font face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10pt">The point
>is:</span></font></div>
><div align="left"><font face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10pt">I am a
>delegate to the YWCA World
>Council in Kenya in 2007. I want to focus on building
>international bridges for women, human rights, and global understanding
>towards peace. </span></font><font
>face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10pt"><b> I
>don't want to lie and say I'm from Canada. </b></span></font><font
>face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10pt">I
>want to proudly proclaim the United States of
>America as my homeland. I do not want to apologize for the foreign policies
>of my government-
>--I want to applaud them and and have the rest of the world join in the
>applause. I want us to
>BE what our internal mythos claims we are. I love my country, fear my
>government, and
>criticize what needs to change. </span></font></div>
><div align="left"><br/>
></div>
><div align="left"><font face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10pt">We are an
>amazing and wonderful country,
>full of good people who believe in our country and
>our ideals. Unfortunately, this country has been hijacked by those who want
>us to stay stupid,
>unquestioning, relying on reaction rather than proactive relationships,
>insular, frightened of the
>world, and thus, able to ignorantly poclaim our superiority. I'm not
>willing to accept the
>Administration's *prevention* policies as a valid way of conducting
>International Affairs.</span></font></div>
><div align="left"><br/>
></div>
><div align="left"><font face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10pt"> I am not
>complying to the formula.
>The World is too big for George Bush and his handlers to
>wrap their pointy heads around. The World is too big for one Religion to
>suffice. The World is
>too big for that woman from Texas to Control. </span></font></div>
><div align="left"><br/>
></div>
><div align="left"><font face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10pt">Most
>importantly, the World is too
>big for citizens of the US to ignore. We go on thinking our
>Wal-Marts, MacDonalds, Disney Worlds, Brittney Spears, and George Bush will
>see us
>through any problems. This is just a SHIT SANDWICH. Indeed, the World
>notices the Shit
>Sandwich. They are smart enough in other places around the World to
>recognize it as shit,
>enjoy it or discard it or vilify the US with the shit as they see
>applicable. We are the only
>people on the planet who swallow the shit sandwich whole AND PROCLAIM IT
>GOOD. Those
>in the US who aren't willing to eat the Shit Sandwich are called
>unpatriotic and (gasp) liberals.
>If we look at the Constitution and the Bill of Rights, the Shit Sandwich
>Eaters are the true
>enemies of the Country. Those of us who say *NO* are truly citizens of the
>World, Patriots of
>the US, and the ones who will move forward rather than retain a
>go-nowhere-status-quo.</span></font></div>
><div align="left"><br/>
></div>
><div align="left"><font face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10pt">Debi
>R-S</span></font></div>
><div align="left"><br/>
></div>
><div align="left"><br/>
></div>
><div align="left"><font face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10pt"><b>Date
>sent: Sun, 9 Jul 2006 12:20:33 -0700</b></span></font></div>
><div align="left"><font face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10pt"><b>From:
> </b></span></font><font
>face="Arial" color="#000080"><span style="font-size:10pt">Chasuk
><chasuk at gmail.com></span></font></div>
><div align="left"><font face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10pt"><b>To:
> </b></span></font><font
>face="Arial" color="#000080"><span style="font-size:10pt">Vision2020
><vision2020 at moscow.com></span></font></div>
><div align="left"><font face="Arial"><span
>style="font-size:10pt"><b>Subject:
></b></span></font><font face="Arial" color="#000080"><span
>style="font-size:10pt"><b>[Vision2020] This Isn't Hate Speech,
>Either</b></span></font></div>
><div align="left"><br/>
></div>
><div align="left"><font face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10pt"><u>[
>Double-click this line for list
>subscription options ]</u><b> </b></span></font></div>
><div align="left"><br/>
></div>
><div align="left"><font face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10pt"><b>Below
>is a slightly expurgated,
>admittedly controversial (yet still</b></span></font></div>
><div align="left"><font face="Arial"><span
>style="font-size:10pt"><b>interesting) excerpt from
>Craigslist:</b></span></font></div>
><div align="left"><br/>
></div>
><div align="left"><font face="Arial"><span
>style="font-size:10pt"><b>********************************************************************************</b></span></font></div>
><div align="left"><br/>
></div>
><div align="left"><font face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10pt"><b>MYTH.
>The US doesn't need improvement
>compared to other countries; it</b></span></font></div>
><div align="left"><font face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10pt"><b>is the
>greatest country in the
>world.</b></span></font></div>
><div align="left"><br/>
></div>
><div align="left"><font face="Arial"><span
>style="font-size:10pt"><b>TRUTH:</b></span></font></div>
><div align="left"><font face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10pt"><b>Wrong
>again. I'll only cite the
>statistics here.</b></span></font></div>
><div align="left"><br/>
></div>
><div align="left"><font face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10pt"><b>USA
>Ranking on Adult Literacy Scale:
>#9</b></span></font></div>
><div align="left"><font face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10pt"><b>(#1
>Sweden and #2 Norway)- OECD</b></span></font></div>
><div align="left"><br/>
></div>
><div align="left"><font face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10pt"><b>USA
>Ranking on Healthcare Quality
>Index: #37</b></span></font></div>
><div align="left"><font face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10pt"><b>(#1
>France and #2 Italy)- World
>Health Organization 2003</b></span></font></div>
><div align="left"><br/>
></div>
><div align="left"><font face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10pt"><b>USA
>Ranking of Student Reading
>Ability: #12</b></span></font></div>
><div align="left"><font face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10pt"><b>(#1
>Finland and #2 South Korea)-
>OECD PISA 2003</b></span></font></div>
><div align="left"><br/>
></div>
><div align="left"><font face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10pt"><b>USA
>Ranking of Student Problem
>Solving Ability: #26</b></span></font></div>
><div align="left"><font face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10pt"><b>(#1
>South Korea and #2 Finland)-
>OECD PISA 2003</b></span></font></div>
><div align="left"><br/>
></div>
><div align="left"><font face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10pt"><b>USA
>Ranking on Student Mathematics
>Ability: # 24</b></span></font></div>
><div align="left"><font face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10pt"><b>(#1
>Hong Kong and #2 Finland)-
>OECD PISA 2003</b></span></font></div>
><div align="left"><br/>
></div>
><div align="left"><font face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10pt"><b>USA
>Ranking of Student Science
>Ability: #19</b></span></font></div>
><div align="left"><font face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10pt"><b>(#1
>Finland and #2 Japan)- OECD
>PISA 2003</b></span></font></div>
><div align="left"><br/>
></div>
><div align="left"><font face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10pt"><b>USA
>Ranking on Women's Rights Scale:
>#17</b></span></font></div>
><div align="left"><font face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10pt"><b>(#1
>Sweden and #2 Norway)- World
>Economic Forum Report</b></span></font></div>
><div align="left"><br/>
></div>
><div align="left"><font face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10pt"><b>USA
>Position on Timeline of Gay
>Rights Progress: # 6 (1997)</b></span></font></div>
><div align="left"><font face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10pt"><b>(#1
>Sweden 1987 and #2 Norway 1993)-
>Vexen</b></span></font></div>
><div align="left"><br/>
></div>
><div align="left"><font face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10pt"><b>USA
>Ranking on Life Expectancy:
>#29</b></span></font></div>
><div align="left"><font face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10pt"><b>(#1
>Japan and #2 Hong Kong)- UN
>Human Development Report 2005</b></span></font></div>
><div align="left"><br/>
></div>
><div align="left"><font face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10pt"><b>USA
>Ranking on Journalistic Press
>Freedom Index: #32</b></span></font></div>
><div align="left"><font face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10pt"><b>(#1
>Finland, Iceland, Norway and
>the Netherlands tied)- Reporters</b></span></font></div>
><div align="left"><font face="Arial"><span
>style="font-size:10pt"><b>Without Borders 2005</b></span></font></div>
><div align="left"><br/>
></div>
><div align="left"><font face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10pt"><b>USA
>Ranking on Political Corruption
>Index: #17</b></span></font></div>
><div align="left"><font face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10pt"><b>(#1
>Iceland and #2 Finland)- Transparency
>International 2005</b></span></font></div>
><div align="left"><br/>
></div>
><div align="left"><font face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10pt"><b>USA
>Ranking on Quality of Life
>Survey: #13</b></span></font></div>
><div align="left"><font face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10pt"><b>(#1
>Ireland and #2 Switzerland)-
>The Economist Magazine ...Wikipedia</b></span></font></div>
><div align="left"><font face="Arial"><span
>style="font-size:10pt"><b>"Celtic Tiger" if you
>still have your doubts.</b></span></font></div>
><div align="left"><br/>
></div>
><div align="left"><font face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10pt"><b>USA
>Ranking on Environmental Sustainability
>Index: #45</b></span></font></div>
><div align="left"><font face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10pt"><b>(#1
>Finland and #2 Norway)- Yale
>University ESI 2005</b></span></font></div>
><div align="left"><br/>
></div>
><div align="left"><font face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10pt"><b>USA
>Ranking on Overall Currency
>Strength: #3 (US Dollar)</b></span></font></div>
><div align="left"><font face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10pt"><b>(#1 UK
>pound sterling and #2 European
>Union euro)- FTSE 2006....the</b></span></font></div>
><div align="left"><font face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10pt"><b>dollar
>is now a liability, so many
>banks worldwide have planned to</b></span></font></div>
><div align="left"><font face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10pt"><b>switch
>to euro</b></span></font></div>
><div align="left"><br/>
></div>
><div align="left"><font face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10pt"><b>USA
>Ranking on Infant Mortality
>Rate: #32</b></span></font></div>
><div align="left"><font face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10pt"><b>(#1
>Sweden and #2 Finland)- Save
>the Children Report 2006</b></span></font></div>
><div align="left"><br/>
></div>
><div align="left"><font face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10pt"><b>USA
>Ranking on Human Development
>Index (GDP, education, etc.): #10</b></span></font></div>
><div align="left"><font face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10pt"><b>(#1
>Norway and #2 Iceland)- UN
>Human Development Report 2005</b></span></font></div>
><div align="left"><br/>
></div>
><div align="left"><br/>
></div>
><div align="left"><font face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10pt"><b>So
>much for those "socialist"
>Europeans and those "backward" Asians,
>hm?</b></span></font></div>
><div align="left"><font face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10pt"><b>We can
>do better than this.</b></span></font></div>
><div align="left"><br/>
></div>
><div align="left"><font face="Arial"><span
>style="font-size:10pt"><b>Miscellany:</b></span></font></div>
><div align="left"><font face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10pt"><b>*Only
>18% of Americans own passports
>and bother to travel outside of the US.</b></span></font></div>
><div align="left"><font face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10pt"><b>* 85%
>of US soldiers in Iraq believe
>that they are there to get</b></span></font></div>
><div align="left"><font face="Arial"><span
>style="font-size:10pt"><b>revenge for 9/11.</b></span></font></div>
><div align="left"><font face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10pt"><b>* New
>international student enrollment
>in US grad schools has</b></span></font></div>
><div align="left"><font face="Arial"><span
>style="font-size:10pt"><b>decreased by 6%, because of xenophobic
>post-9/11 US visa restrictions,</b></span></font></div>
><div align="left"><font face="Arial"><span
>style="font-size:10pt"><b>jacked-up tuition fees and better
>educational opportunities in the EU</b></span></font></div>
><div align="left"><font face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10pt"><b>and
>Asia. So no, not everyone wants
>to come here anymore, because it's</b></span></font></div>
><div align="left"><font face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10pt"><b>become
>a land of incredibly limited
>opportunity, and we've lowered our</b></span></font></div>
><div align="left"><font face="Arial"><span
>style="font-size:10pt"><b>educational standards.</b></span></font></div>
><div align="left"><br/>
></div>
><div align="left"><br/>
></div>
><div align="left"><font face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10pt"><b>MYTH:
>The US government loves to
>help other countries.</b></span></font></div>
><div align="left"><br/>
></div>
><div align="left"><font face="Arial"><span
>style="font-size:10pt"><b>TRUTH:</b></span></font></div>
><div align="left"><font face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10pt"><b>This
>is a myth. The US government
>tends to be motivated by interests,</b></span></font></div>
><div align="left"><font face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10pt"><b>not
>humanitarian principles.</b></span></font></div>
><div align="left"><br/>
></div>
><div align="left"><font face="Arial"><span
>style="font-size:10pt"><b>Denmark gives the most amount of
>its GDP (1.01%) to developing</b></span></font></div>
><div align="left"><font face="Arial"><span
>style="font-size:10pt"><b>countries; Norway gives 0.91%;
>the Netherlands give 0.79% and so on</b></span></font></div>
><div align="left"><font face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10pt"><b>until
>the end of list, where the
>USA sits. Yes, America ranks DEAD</b></span></font></div>
><div align="left"><font face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10pt"><b>LAST
>in foreign aid at a pathetic
>0.1% of its GDP, compared to the</b></span></font></div>
><div align="left"><font face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10pt"><b>other
>21 nations listed as developed
>nations. The idea that the US</b></span></font></div>
><div align="left"><font face="Arial"><span
>style="font-size:10pt"><b>government is a heroic bunch that
>runs around the world helping the</b></span></font></div>
><div align="left"><font face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10pt"><b>poor
>and the disempowered is not
>backed up by the evidence. We have</b></span></font></div>
><div align="left"><font face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10pt"><b>one of
>the stingiest governments
>on earth.</b></span></font></div>
><div align="left"><br/>
></div>
><div align="left"><font face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10pt"><b>Most
>Americans believe the US spends
>24% of its budget on aid to poor</b></span></font></div>
><div align="left"><font face="Arial"><span
>style="font-size:10pt"><b>countries; the actual amount is
>well under a quarter of 1%. Our</b></span></font></div>
><div align="left"><font face="Arial"><span
>style="font-size:10pt"><b>country also ranks #5 on asylum-seeker
>acceptance rates (#1 is Denmark</b></span></font></div>
><div align="left"><font face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10pt"><b>and #2
>is Canada).</b></span></font></div>
><div align="left"><br/>
></div>
><div align="left"><font face="Arial"><span
>style="font-size:10pt"><b>********************************************************************************</b></span></font></div>
><div align="left"><br/>
></div>
><div align="left"><font face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10pt"><b>--
></b></span></font></div>
><div align="left"><font face="Arial"><span
>style="font-size:10pt"><b>http://emmagoldman.wordpress.com/</b></span></font></div>
><div align="left"><br/>
></div>
><div align="left"><font face="Arial"><span
>style="font-size:10pt"><b>"Aren't people absurd! They
>never use the freedoms they do have, but</b></span></font></div>
><div align="left"><font face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10pt"><b>demand
>those they don't have; they
>have freedom of thought, they</b></span></font></div>
><div align="left"><font face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10pt"><b>demand
>freedom of speech."
>-- Søren Kierkegaard</b></span></font></div>
><div align="left"><br/>
></div>
><div align="left"><font face="Arial"><span
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