No one has ever said that to me.
I wonder what would prompt a co-worker to say something like that?
maybe a reaction to statements like:

Yeah, my gt-grandad was in the war, no-one F------d around with him

Heard a good riposte the other day, If it werent for the Brits the Yanks would be speaking spanish

Try this response;

"If it wasn't for the fact that the USA dropped two Nuclear Bombs on Japan, you'd all be driving around in Japanese Cars right now. Oh, hang on.......you already are!"

Jim.

WHOA THERE!!! What a crock of shite!! You're making it sound like you were all there ready willing and able from the get go and entered the war "on time" to do us a favour. May I remind you that WW1 started in 1914 for some of us and not 1917 when Germany adopted a policy of unrestricted submarine warfare including sinking passenger liners they thought were carrying US munitions to Britain . The US didnt have any thoughts towards "coming over and helping to sort things out" at all...utter cobblers. The US entered the war because German U-boats were openly targeting your merchant shipping and British shipping that were ...<<Ahem>> flying old Glory on the jack mast.

hold on a second here you seem to be trying to Insult Americans for not jumping into both world wars . But i agree with alot of the stuff u say but not jumping into both the wars was Smart NOT Cowardly or Dumm .

WW1 was a war that was European powers needlessly fighting . the only role America should have ever had was selling both sides of the conflict guns and making off like bandits cash wise . if anything the US should have never joined the war at all .

My theory goes like this . if the US wouldn't have came into WW1 the allies would have lost in a stalemate the Germans would have gained a few miles of French wine country . neither side would have gained Much .

But there never would be a Franco British Verselles treaty Germany would never have been humiliated and Germans would have never Turned to Hitler .

the soviets would have never been able to Loot Eastern Europe and thus wouldn't have been a superpower . the western European empires would have been in constant conflict trying to hold back Revolutions in there colonies all over the globe . thus another chance for the US to do business .

So no WW2 No Cold War . but wait it gets better ....

Islamic Terrorism would there be any pointed at the US ? or would it all be pointed at western Europe were there imperial masters would have been ?

so all and all i don't think Isolationism is anything the US should be ashamed of . If anything its to bad a current leaders are not as wise as are founding fathers

But i feel many Brits Forget that the US had no hand in Starting or setting the condtions that led to either of the World wars and since we were far eough away not to feel threaten . why would any of u if u were american living in the 10s or 30s and had no Knowlege of the history of the wars as u do now .

how many of you would been in a huge hurry to die in the fighting or wanting to send your sons brothers and fathers over ??

Actually, I was pointing out that while this country is forever banging on about democracy and freedom and the preservation of them, they were a exceedingly slow in putting their money where there mouths are in both 1914 and in 1939.


But there never would be a Franco British Verselles treaty Germany would never have been humiliated and Germans would have never Turned to Hitler .

the soviets would have never been able to Loot Eastern Europe and thus wouldn't have been a superpower . the western European empires would have been in constant conflict trying to hold back Revolutions in there colonies all over the globe . thus another chance for the US to do business .

So no WW2.[/QUOTE]So how do you presume that an isolationist country such as the USA would have become a superpower without WW2?


Why? Because if you are a country that states everywhere that you are based and live according to the principles of freedom and democracy then you have to stand up and protect those freedoms. Like Britain (and the US didn't) did when Hitlers invaded Poland and took their freedom.

It is reassuringly refreshing though to read that as ( I assume) an American you think the US should have just sat back and profitted from all the death's and destruction caused in both wars instead of fighting for the freedoms and democracy it pretends to hold so dear.

First to say that WW1 was about freedom is a joke both England and France had Huge Empires that were no were near free .

then the US should have declared war on England when u Invaded Africa the middle east Guyana India etc etc etc . or the UK should have declared war when we stole land from the natives . point i am making neither nation claimed to be fighting for freedom until we had to . the idea that either nation was fighting the wars for freedom is a joke we fought for self Preservation the freedom to live and that is the Reason that England was in the War before the US you were closer to the combat and #1 on Germany's Shit list u had fight . England never had the option of staying out of the wars . If that option was available there is no way to know the Choice that would have been made .

the US and UK were just two bad Empires in there own right fighting a few much much worse empires . so the point i am making is that trying to turn the world wars into some kind of Good vs evil lord of the rings thing is beyond dumb.

also the only people that can claim to have saved the world from the Nazis are the ones who fought in the WAR so i didn't. and i assume most people on this board didn't so we are not responsible for the victory over the Third riech no more than a Japanese guy born in 1984 is responsible for Pearle harbor .

maybe an argument between my grandfather and an old English vet would be more in order

but who ever was guilty of the movie pearl harbor should be tracked down .

As should your English teacher

Have you ever seen 'Reilly Ace of Spies' it has been on PBS, not sure as to how historically accurate it was, but if it showed that WW1 was in the making for a long time.
Not sure who we were trying to free, or if Britain can claim any moral high ground for that one or if any of the men who fought believed it was a worthwhile cause. There have been a lot of books written to futility of it, like "Goodbye to all that"

And Brit soldiers were:

Under sexed
Underpaid
and under Eisenhower

There was a serious point to the other version. Our guys had already been fighting overseas for a couple of years when the Yanks arrived. That made a shortage of guys and then when the yanks arrived they were so well paid that the lads who were home, in reserved jobs, couldn't get the time of day. Families like mine couldn't understand why our dads were getting wounded and killed in N. Africa and these guys lived in commandeered homes, just seemed to ride up and down the streets in jeeps during the day, and monopolized the night life. As unreasonable as that resentment is, logically, it makes emotional sense in those circumstances.

if the US would have gotten involved as soon as the UK did the allies might have lost . Think about it if the US would have declared war on the Axis the same time the UK did the war could have ended up being a stalemate . the Germans might not has made the blunder of invading the Russia . this would have lead to a stalemate .