Lenox

The noted Spanish philosopher, Jorge Santayana, once stated:-
'Instinctively the Englishman is no missionary, no conqueror. He prefers the country to the town, and home to foreign parts. He is rather glad and relieved if only natives will remain natives and strangers strangers, and at a comfortable distance from himself. Yet outwardly he is most hospitable and accepts almost anybody for the time being; he travels and conquers without a settled design, because he has the instinct of exploration. His adventures are all external; they change him so little that he is not afraid of them. He carries his English weather in his heart wherever he goes, and it becomes a cool spot in the desert, and a steady and sane oracle amongst all the deliriums of mankind. Never since the heroic days of Greece has the world had such a sweet, just, boyish master. It will be a black day for the human race when scientific blackguards, conspirators, churls, and fanatics manage to supplant him.'

cricketman

Spanish, although educated and brought up in the US

It's a nice summary of how the British were perceived by some 100 years ago, when they had a lot of power and influence throughout the world.

If we see how maybe the world has changed for the worse, you would struggle to find any philosopher or respected academic who has anything good to say about American influence throughout the world.

But then 500 years of British and European influence led to many of the disasters of the 20th century and terrible political situations of the present day.

missile

..... once stated by .......... me

bil

The US usually berates Russia for being undemocratic, and to be sure, that's what it was. However, I think that if you compare the number of democracies trashed by each country, the US comes out waaayy ahead.

Bigger Jim

Have you read Niall Ferguson book on how Britain made the modern world and it "sequel" on how the US destroyed it?

Here's a quotation from him:- "I have now reached the most solemn point of the story. It was the British Empire that alone stood up to two of the most evil empires in history in 1940 and singlehandedly saved the world from the thousand-year Reich. No greater love hath any empire than it lays down its life for its friends. In an act of Judas-like betrayal, it was the Americans, whose anti-colonial ideals sit uneasily with its own history both within and without its borders, who brought about our collapse. Britain was almost bankrupted saving the world, and America sought to expedite it in the late 1940s to acquire our markets for itself. Blame the Americans for the bloodbath of decolonisation. And what has the US given the world in return? Nothing.

Certainly worthwhile even if you disagree.

Jim

jimenato

"Empire - How Britain made the modern world", Penguin, by Niall Ferguson. A cracking read - thoroughly recommended.

cricketman

I havent read that book no, but from that exerpt I'd most definitely agree.

The US got rich off the back of the 2nd world war. Yes the US helped in the war effort, but very late and then as Ferguson said they charged enourmous bills to the UK and other European countries in the form of war loans that lasted 50 years.

And of course Europe was decimated and in no state to challenge as the US ramped up its national economy and entered markets such as Germany straight after the war with zero competittion from European brands. In the post-Franco 80s it even bought up a lot of the traditional Spanish brands for next to nothing.

But the US has improved people's lives 0%, all it does is produce money for its richest people, it doesnt care about improving people's lives. It doesnt even invent that much, its primary goal is the commercialising to death of previous inventions. Think pop music, cinema, the hamburger or computers/the internet, none of which it invented.

You can see I am not a fan. Luckily it seems the US has completely run out of money, even the invented form of the past 20 years. Hopefully they will fade away peacefully but I wouldnt bet on it!

Lenox

I started this thread to amuse readers about how at least one person, once, had something nice to say about another nationality.
It clearly doesn't happen very often!

cricketman

Hey I like just about all nationalities, only the odd one I dont like

But if the future of the world is the US, then humanity is dead

jackytoo

Future of the world may be China, korea etc. do you think the world would be more humane?

Isn't this all a bit off topic regarding Lennox's post

cricketman

Personally I hope this is the end of empires. There is no reason why another empire needs to dominate the way the world works.

I dont think this is off-topic, Jorge Santayana spoke about empires so isnt this what the post is about?

Lennox said he wanted to prove that a Spaniard once said a nice thing about the British, so what?! My wife says nice things about the British every day, and bad things as well, depends on if I behave myself

JLFS

The world would certainly not be more humane, with Chinas death penalty policy with 68 offenses on the list.

Getting put to death for selling a dodgy phone card or whatever, does not bode well with humane treatment.

I can think of a lot of counties a lot worse than the US and if they ever had the upper hand, then God help the world and its population.

cricketman

Unfortunately that is the US's policy as well!

The pyrimide scheme of deregulated US capitalism can only end in overpopulation, disaster and an increasing in the number of people in poverty.

Despite the US having far and away the largest GDP in the world per capita, it has the highest rate of poverty in the developed world. It also has an astronomically high number of prisoners. In many states the choice of a young man is to go to prison or join the army. Under the 3 strike rule you can be sent to life imprisonment for shop lifting or not paying a parking fine. Don't believe the US Hollywood and MTV propaganda!

Currently the US has 45 million people who receive food stamps. Thank goodness the US have had the sense in electing a fairly caring president this time.

I should add whether you think US healthcare practices are humane? Do some research on how they bleed people dry financially and then refuse to treat chronic conditions and let people die without medication because of something in the smallprint of their t&cs.

I want American people to be free, happy and safe, but their system over the past 60 years has been based on ignorance, lies and unfairness.

whitelinen

What..... like the rest of the world

HBG

I came across four Spanish people today who said something nice about Brits; in this case – me.

A newsagent, a waitress, a garage attendant and a supermarket cashier, and I only tipped two of them.

Four happy smiles for two Euros, that was well worth it.