An Englishwomen's thoughts on the right

[BlueStreak]

I heard a commentary on BBC World News not long ago that described "American Right-wing rhetoric" as "verging on the insane, with nonsense being tossed about such as death panels, concentration camps for the infirm and elderly, hordes of Canadians jamming American health facilities and the like. It's all absolute rubbish, of course. But, the most bizarre part is that so many Americans seem eager to buy into it. One cannot help but wonder if the likes of Rush Limbaugh and the former Alaskan Governor are responsible for this rediculous spectacle."

Amazing the things people on the outside can see when looking in.

Dave

[Sandy G]

Originally Posted by Charles

I've noticed that as long as you're out there kicking ass and taking names, you do pretty good.

It's when you become enlightened and take up navel gazing that things go South.

Just an observation on my part.

Chas

Huh ?!?

[merrylander]

Originally Posted by Charles

Correct me if I'm wrong, but hadn't the Brits pretty much unarmed their population before WWII? And when the Nazis were on their doorstep, they were begging Americans to send any old firearm we had so that they would have the means to defend themselves?

Chas

Yes you are wrong, remember to the Commonwealth WWII started Sept 9 1939, not Dec 7 1941. Britain fought off the German Luftwaffe with Spitfires and Hawker Hurricanes, both superior to anything the US had in the air at that time. In fact the vaunted P-51 was an iron dog until they yanked that POS Allison and put in a Rolls Royce V-12.

I realize that it is popular mythology that America won the war single handed but I do believe if you check the facts that it was the Canadians who liberated Holland and if not for Field Marshall Montgonery defending his flank Patton would have outrun his supply lines and been in deep shit. The best general the US had was Omar Bradley.

Lend Lease was FDR's brain child and near as I recall we sent them Hudson twin engine bombers, not the most sophisticated aircraft around at that time, at lease that is what I recall seeing teams of horses drag across the border at Plattsburg NY into Quebec. Yow were not about to fly them to St. Hubert airbase because the isolationists here would have had a hissy fit.

Sorry, but I lost too many friends and relatives in that mess and this penchant here for ignoring everyone else's sacrifices and contributions in WW II rubs me the wrong way. BTW, check your history books, the Canadians never lost a war.

The idea that Britain had disarmed its population possibly comes about because until recently the police did not carry firearms and the crooks realized that armed robbery was a mug's game. I guess after watching too many westerns they have changed, for the worse. Britain was quietly preparing, frex the Supermarine Spitfire was developed ostensibly as a racing plane, Super 'Marine' because it was a water based racer on floats. The Avro Lancaster and Stout Sterling were ready as four engine bombers far too quickly to not have been in the works prior to 1939. The DeHaviland Mosquito could blow the arse off of anything in the air, that came out damned quickly after 1939.

However if all this puffery makes y'all feel smug just keep believeing what you do I would not want the facts to spoil your daydreams.

[BlueStreak]

Originally Posted by merrylander

Yes you are wrong, remember to the Commonwealth WWII started Sept 9 1939, not Dec 7 1941. Britain fought off the German Luftwaffe with Spitfires and Hawker Hurricanes, both superior to anything the US had in the air at that time. In fact the vaunted P-51 was an iron dog until they yanked that POS Allison and put in a Rolls Royce V-12.

I realize that it is popular mythology that America won the war single handed but I do believe if you check the facts that it was the Canadians who liberated Holland and if not for Field Marshall Montgonery defending his flank Patton would have outrun his supply lines and been in deep shit. The best general the US had was Omar Bradley.

Lend Lease was FDR's brain child and near as I recall we sent them Hudson twin engine bombers, not the most sophisticated aircraft around at that time, at lease that is what I recall seeing teams of horses drag across the border at Plattsburg NY into Quebec. Yow were not about to fly them to St. Hubert airbase because the isolationists here would have had a hissy fit.

Sorry, but I lost too many friends and relatives in that mess and this penchant here for ignoring everyone else's sacrifices and contributions in WW II rubs me the wrong way. BTW, check your history books, the Canadians never lost a war.

The idea that Britain had disarmed its population possibly comes about because until recently the police did not carry firearms and the crooks realized that armed robbery was a mug's game. I guess after watching too many westerns they have changed, for the worse. Britain was quietly preparing, frex the Supermarine Spitfire was developed ostensibly as a racing plane, Super 'Marine' because it was a water based racer on floats. The Avro Lancaster and Stout Sterling were ready as four engine bombers far too quickly to not have been in the works prior to 1939. The DeHaviland Mosquito could blow the arse off of anything in the air, that came out damned quickly after 1939.

However if all this puffery makes y'all feel smug just keep believeing what you do I would not want the facts to spoil your daydreams.

Bravo!

I am an American, born here. And I believe that the outcome of the war would have been very different had my country not been involved, (For the worse.).

However, every word that Rob wrote is true. We did not do it alone, and to deny the contributions of other allied nations, Britain, Canada, Australia, the Phillipines and YES, even France and the USSR, is to arrogantly dismiss the immense and selfless sacrifices of millions of brave men and women. The notion that somehow the rest of them were too "pussyfied" to fight, so we strapped on the cape and saved the world singlehandedly is simplistic nonsense.

Now, if you'll excuse me, it's time to baste the chops.

Dave

And it's a pretty airplane too.

[finnbow]

To put things in perspective, the Soviet Union had more than 20 times the casualties of the US and lost 14% of their population to the war as opposed to 0.32% for the US. BTW, Canada lost 0.40% and the UK lost 0.94%. In absolute terms, the UK lost nearly as many as the US.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_W...ses_by_country

[merrylander]

I did not mean to disparage the U.S. contribution nor imply that the fighting men and women were not among the bravest and best. However damn few of us are old eenough to have taken part, I was 16 when it ended but had a brother in the army, one in the RCAF and a brother in law in the RCN as well as many friends and acquaintances in the services. War is obscene but should at least be remembered properly.

[finnbow]

Originally Posted by merrylander

I did not mean to disparage the U.S. contribution nor imply that the fighting men and women were not among the bravest and best. However damn few of us are old eenough to have taken part, I was 16 when it ended but had a brother in the army, one in the RCAF and a brother in law in the RCN as well as many friends and acquaintances in the services. War is obscene but should at least be remembered properly.

Nor did I. I'm just stunned, however, by some of these numbers. It is astonishing to think that the Russians lost 14% of their total population (and 25% of their army). WWII is burned into their national psyche even more than it is ours.

[piece-itpete]

Originally Posted by d-ray657

Most people in Europe are well informed on US politics.

Regards,

D-Ray

Originally Posted by BlueStreak

I heard a commentary on BBC World News not long ago that described "American Right-wing rhetoric" as "verging on the insane, with nonsense being tossed about such as death panels, concentration camps for the infirm and elderly, hordes of Canadians jamming American health facilities and the like. It's all absolute rubbish, of course. But, the most bizarre part is that so many Americans seem eager to buy into it. One cannot help but wonder if the likes of Rush Limbaugh and the former Alaskan Governor are responsible for this rediculous spectacle."

Amazing the things people on the outside can see when looking in.

Dave

They think they know what's going on, but for most they have a movie/hollywood/leftist view of Americans. This is firsthand experience.

Stalin turned tail and ran like a coward while his troops were being slaughtered, and then enslaved and starved the ones who made it home alive. Not to change the subject, just FYI.

Pete

[finnbow]

Originally Posted by piece-itpete

They think they know what's going on, but for most they have a movie/hollywood/leftist view of Americans. This is firsthand experience.

Actually, my first hand experience (from 11 years in Germany) was that the average German had a far better knowledge of world history and current events than the average American. Furthermore, he was better travelled and spoke more languages.

As for knowledge of America, they knew way more than the average American knew about Germany, but less than the average American does - naturally. That is not to say, however, that the better read and educated Germans (or Brits) don't know America well. Read The Economist a bit and tell me the Brits are unaware of what's going here.

[Zeke]

Originally Posted by merrylander

However if all this puffery makes y'all feel smug just keep believeing what you do I would not want the facts to spoil your daydreams.

Britain's greatest defensive weapon has always been the channel. Since WWII, it's been the assurance of American involvement after any attack on the homeland, under what used to be the SAC umbrella of the USAF. (The F-111 flightline at RAF Upper Heyford was an impressive place.)

I lost respect for anything but their Special Forces and attack submarines when they retired the HMS Ark Royal (R09). I mean, really, why do they need a fleet carrier when they can build baby flattops, do ASW for ours, and let the United States do the heavy lifting?

As for Canada (since 1931) having never lost a war, I can't argue against them having managed to always be on the winning team: that of the United States. Prior, they really only had to fight my ancestors and snow geese, with the geese -- likely -- being more pervasive.

Finally, since it looks like I'm shooting fish in a barrel (I'm not, swear), the Allison V12 is a wonderful engine, for a tractor.