Originally Posted by paddingtongreen (Post 6084874)

There is an thin film of resentment abroad, a sense that when much of the rest of the world was experiencing terrorism, it was ignored by Americans, they were OK, they, on the mainland, had only once been attacked where they lived. In fact both the government and some groups of citizens, had in the past, supported the terrorism in other countries.

Suddenly we were attacked at home and the rest of the world was required to take notice. The act was perhaps the biggest single act of non-state terrorism ever, and the most of the world cried with us voluntarily. The US reaction, treating every foreigner and foreign country with suspicion, disrupting international commerce, requiring data on all travelers seems to be overkill, kidnapping and extraordinary renditions of the nationals of other countries, far, far above anything the USA had been prepared to do for other countries prior to 9/11.

I don't want to overstate this sense, it is a gossamer thin cloud over the thick layer of sympathy, a mere mist, but making foreigners and foreign countries who have no connection to the USA, to jump through hoops for no apparent purpose except to be seen doing something, seems to be increasing the density of the mist.

Originally Posted by BritishGuy36 (Post 6071530)

Of course not all yanks are like that, but each time I visit, I see it everywhere.

I'm hoping 'll just get used to the idiocy and learn to live with it.

Originally Posted by paddingtongreen (Post 6084874)

There is an thin film of resentment abroad, a sense that when much of the rest of the world was experiencing terrorism, it was ignored by Americans, they were OK, they, on the mainland, had only once been attacked where they lived.

Originally Posted by Hiro11 (Post 6087380)

Give me a break. I should rise, but I've heard this canard one too many times. Terrorism has a long and glorious history in the US:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terrori..._United_States

Perhaps you've forgotten the Oklahoma City bombing or the previous bombing of the WTC. Overseas, you've got the USS Cole, Khobar Towers, Beirut barracks bombings, various Embassy attacks, lots of hijackings etc, etc. Some of the largest terrorist acts in history were perpetrated in the US or against US interests.

9/11 was obviously a dramtic escalation. Also, the way it was done, using our own citizens and planes as missiles, was uniquely personal, insulting and demonic. I don't see how anyone could argue it wasn't a uniquely horrible act and a defining moment in the history of terrorism and the US. It's not that we were insular children hiding from the big bad world, it's just that 9/11 had never happened anywhere, ever.

Originally Posted by Hiro11 (Post 6087380)

Give me a break. I should rise, but I've heard this canard one too many times. Terrorism has a long and glorious history in the US:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terrori..._United_States

Perhaps you've forgotten the Oklahoma City bombing or the previous bombing of the WTC. Overseas, you've got the USS Cole, Khobar Towers, Beirut barracks bombings, various Embassy attacks, lots of hijackings etc, etc. Some of the largest terrorist acts in history were perpetrated in the US or against US interests.

9/11 was obviously a dramtic escalation. Also, the way it was done, using our own citizens and planes as missiles, was uniquely personal, insulting and demonic. I don't see how anyone could argue it wasn't a uniquely horrible act and a defining moment in the history of terrorism and the US. It's not that we were insular children hiding from the big bad world, it's just that 9/11 had never happened anywhere, ever.

Originally Posted by meauxna (Post 6085984)

I have good news: I think you will find *exactly* what you expect over here!
Enjoy your misery.

Originally Posted by anabella (Post 6090899)

What is it wit people saying "you know what" in front of each sentence.. It makes me want to scream!:frown:

Originally Posted by g1ant (Post 6089665)

I did just buy my first pair of cowboy boots this week and Mrs. g1ant won a shotgun in a raffle a couple of months back, so it looks like we are fitting in OK with the locals.

Originally Posted by Bill_S (Post 6091342)

Tony Lama? Justin? Lucchese?

Originally Posted by g1ant (Post 6089665)

Granted the "your not from round here, are y'all" wears a bit thin from time to time, but almost no one in central Texas is from round there anyway, so I just ask them where they are from originally.

Originally Posted by snowbunny (Post 6092063)

I tried to be friendly to a resort worker in San Antonio this past weekend.... all the workers wear their home town on their badges. Hers simply said "England." I had to interact with her to arrange a facial for my teenager (a special treat!). I listened for a while and then said, "South.... definitely south, but not West, maybe Southeast?"

She bristled and said she was from the South West (Oxford). I then said that I'd not heard the West Country in her voice, whereupon she informed me that her *family* were all in Cornwall.

Sheesh. Talk about a friendly resort! :lol:

Originally Posted by zargof (Post 6087470)

I think the difference is more that all the terrorist incidents in the US prior to 9/11 were viewed as isolated incidents rather than organised campaigns such as the IRA in the UK, ETA in Spain or Hamas in Israel. As such they were largely ignored by the American people, and no-one sought to understand the reasons behind them.

When 9/11 happened many Americans were asking "Why us?", "What did we do to deserve this?" or "Why do people hate America?" Did America deserve the attack? Of course not, nobody could condone the attacks, but it did make Americans sit up and pay more attention to the world around them.

Originally Posted by Xebedee (Post 6092937)

Another perspective.
Consider that whilst events like the Cole, Khobar Towers, 1st WTC attack (et al) were occuring (and for several years before that), the US general public were fed an almost daily diet of high school shootings, workplace massacres, freeway shootings, urban unrest and University shootings, not to mention singular events like the D.C. sniper, etc.
Placed in context of a time-line of violence, the 9-11 attack stood out like Pearl Harbour.

Previously, people were shocked but because violence is so commonplace here they were able to go back to paying attention to sports, Wall St and getting their SUV's serviced.

9-11 has since become the catalyst to permit a radical change in the landscape of American life, but much more importantly, a justification for resumption of the "Reaganite" military machine.