Vash the Stampede

In realpolitik: supporting oppressive regimes, kicking out legitimately elected leaders and screwing the locals.

Examples available here.

Not so. It was Russia who bore the brunt of the German war machine, and Russia who eventually pushed Hitler back across Europe.

The Yanks came into the war two years late - if only because Japan had humiliated them at Pearl Harbour. And who can forget their use of the atomic bomb to commit two of the most appalling war crimes in history?

It was the little lions of the Commonwealth (particularly Canada, New Zealand and Australia) who provided primary support to their mother country. Australia's enlistments alone numbered 724,000 - of whom almost 400,000 served outside Australia.

In fact, some of the greatest WWII victories were largely (and sometimes entirely) Australian.

Who fought Rommel to a standstill in Tobruk during a 240-day seige, and drove the Italians from Bardia to Benghazi and beyond? Who stood by the British and helped them to achieve that glorious victory at El Alamein, of which Field Marshal Montgomery later said...
...?

Who resisted the Japanese at Kokoda and drove them out of PNG? Who resisted the Japanese at Tarakan and drove them out of Borneo? Who resisted the Japanese at Balikpapan and drove them out of Brunei?

Examples could be multiplied.

I do agree with that.

It is difficult to like the Yanks sometimes, but in general they are not too bad.

Vash the Stampede

Good old Russ, ya gotta love him!

Lewis Lapthorn

I'm not going to argue with pedantic bu!! shit. But have responded, in red, to your points.

Hutch

Easy tiger. Just because someone argues the toss with you, doesn't make it pedantic bullshit. However, in keeping with your attitude, I have responded - in red - to your points.

Blow me.

Lewis Lapthorn

An 'opinion' supported by the work of William Blum, only weakens your argument. Blum is a radical, left wing excentric, who has been publicly endorsed by Osaman Bin Laden, and has denounced America for decades on any action they take in the world, good or bad - to an obsession.

For example, in response to America's involvment in liberating the Kosovons, he proclaimed that Serb attrocities against the Muslims never occured. This is comparable to somebody quoting David Irving (the British 'historian' recently jailed in Austria for denying the holocaust ever existed) in support of a pro Nazi case.

I agree, Russia suffered worse than anybody in the war, but they were only able to push back the Germans through a crucial tactical blunder in the original Nazi offensive, and the fact that Hitler was locked in battle on more than one front, which included massive American support.

I applaud your national pride in mentioning the huge impact Australians had in the allies victory , but as part of the Commonwealth, involvement from your country should not be a surprise. The U.S. was different.

They had already come to Europe's help in WW1 in defeating Germany, and certainly were justified in joining the war after Pearl Harbour, although, I don't know how you can call the incident a humiliation.' This was a surprise attack which killed thousands of innocent people in an act against a nation they were previously at peace with (militarily anyway). So there was no more humiliation to the yanks, than there were to the Japs after the atom bomb (which incidentally, many historians believe saved lives over the longer term).

On the subject of Rommel and El Alamein, my Dad fought in the the western dessert under Monty. It was a significant part in the war, but no more significant than D-Day or the liberation of the South Pacific. Bloody, military battles that included the Yanks.

No matter how much anti-American feeling there is out there today, we should never forget the part they played in liberating Europe from the Nazis. The evidence is everywhere, and I don't have to spend the next hour on Google to find it.

I live in a tiny village in rural Northamptonshire. When we first moved here I went for a bike ride through the country lanes and came to an old air strip in the middle of nowhere, used only now for light cargo and pleasure flights. At the end of the runway, in the most unlikely place stood a gleaming memorial. I was intrigued, and approached it to read the U.S. Flying Fortresses had used the strip in WWII, and the names of the dead Americans were listed - there were hundreds. But the thing that struck me was that only 6 out of every 10 of these beasts used to return.

My Dad always told me about the yanks help even before they 'officially' joined the war. Under huge pressure at home to remain a passive nation, Roosevelt still took risks. American planes, ammunition and other supplies would be flown to the border with Canada, landed, and physically towed across the border. Dad used to go over and then fly these back to the U.K. for use in the war effort - officially coming from our Commonwealth ally, Canada.

It's sometimes not right, but no surprise then, that we support America in military world affairs. Some justified - Afghanistan, some not - Iraq.

Whilst their 'interference' across the globe can often be rightly condemned, cynicism poured on the good yanks do, by declaring they're only acting 'in their own interests,' or by quoting extreme, radical anti American sources, has no substance.

goldcoastrealestate

Well my brother in-law (34 y/o), born in Australia of Lebanese heritage just back from the US for the masters golf kept his head down! Had to almost beg to be served in some eateries - works both ways!

elfman

Translation: overthrowing or attempting to overthrow legitimately elected left-leaning governments and replacing them with right wing military dictatorships that favoured the repression of human rights, torture, and US-trained death squads.

And we're not just talking about latin America: the main reason the USA has had so much trouble from Iran all these years and is now facing a rabidly anti-American regime desperate to get their hands on nukes stems from 1953, when worries about the control of Iran's oil led the USA (helped by Britain, unfortunately) to overthrow an elected government and restore the power of the monarchy in its place. Monarchy, FFS.

And in response to the original article, my US citizen wife (who lived in London for three and a half years up to late 2002) and several others on the USA forum thought it was a load of bollocks.

gruffbrown

You watch far too much Fox News.

Hutch

Shhh ... you'll get called pedantic in a minute ...

NedKelly

Quite right, he should have bypassed Irag and gone straight for Iran.

JackTheLad

Yeah he's screwed now, no cannon fodder troops left.

So hes going straight for the nuclear (pronounced nucular) option.

Bush 'is planning nuclear strikes on Iran's secret sites'

OH JOY :scared:

NedKelly

Got to have somewhere to battle prove the new bombs.

frodomojo

I dont think its the fact that people hate Americans or the USA, more like they need to get their own house in order before before they can dictate to the rest of the world, look what happened in New Orleans. Once they have eradicated poverty and cured the social and race divide, Maybe then the rest of the word will want to become member states, perhaps????