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Values and Culture

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Anti- Americanism

Contributor: jwitt

Date: 2003-02-22 13:47:54

You seem to have missed my point entirely. So, let me spell it out for you more clearly.

MANY AMERICANS STRONGLY DISAGREE WITH REPUBLICAN PARTY POLICIES (JUST LIKE I STRONGLY DISAGREE WITH REPUBLICAN PARTY POLICIES) AND DID NOT VOTE FOR G.W. BUSH IN THE FIRST PLACE. SO, BE CAREFUL TO DISTINGUISH BETWEEN REPUBLICAN PARTY POLICIES AND AMERICAN SOCIETY AS A WHOLE. BE EVEN MORE CAREFUL TO DISTINGUISH BETWEEN INDIVIDUAL AMERICANS AND REPUBLICAN PARTY POLICIES.

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Anti- Americanism

Contributor: YvonLattrapé

Date: 2003-02-22 17:55:35

Thank you, dear JWitt, for your clarifications.

I maintain that G. W. Bush is the greatest President ever, and that we, Canadians, must be grateful for the policies elaborated by the american Republican Party, because the Republicans, guided by their Great Leader G. W. Bush, are fighting for the freedom of us all.

I also accept, as you suggest, to distinguigh between Republican policies and American Society as a whole. Such a disctinction is important, because it shows that American Society is not perfect because it is virtually impossible for it to 100% adhere to Republican policies.

Thanks a lot for your kind enlightment.

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Anti- Americanism

Contributor: codc01

Date: 2003-02-25 05:50:14

I totally agree with you, I like the American people very much. They are very kind and warm.

What i don't like is the American government as a whole. They use the American media to "lie" to their own people, and try to convince them of things which are absolutely not proven
by fact. I actually feel pity for the American people to have to endure the
government propaganda.

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Anti- Americanism

Contributor: cfallon

Date: 2003-02-25 15:43:23

I'm sure Americans are grateful for your pity. But, I don't think they would agree with your singling out the US government as a creator of propaganda:

Every government uses the media to "lie" to their own people. Propaganda is a tool of every government in every time.

The CBC is a STATE OWNED corporation.
But they couldn't possibly spread propaganda. No! Never! Not a Canadian media outlet owned by the Canadian government. We are much too honest and frank to let that happen.

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Anti- Americanism

Contributor: codc01

Date: 2003-02-25 17:36:20

Everyone uses propaganda, i must agree with you, but i think the US government is quite expert at manipulating the media in general. This expertise is much less pronounced in other countries (even though it does exist). Take the case of the butchering of Kuwait babies by Iraq soldiers in the 1991 War, that was a total fabrication of the US news media (I don't recall if this news was given first by US independent news or the US government - i don't know the full facts about this).

Some people used to watch CNN only for world news (until recently), and these people told me that Saddam Hussein should be destroyed at all costs because he is evil... I told them to try to diversify their source of information a bit, and these people have now become much more relativistic in their views.

(the recipe : get the news from one or more right-wing sources, one or more left-wing sources, and some centrist sources (the sources should be from difference countries of course), mix everything, and then you can get the real facts and make your opinion)...

Some good sources of information
(for me - some are french):
www.cnn.com (of course)
www.cyberpresse.ca (Canada)
www.nationalpost.com (Canada)
www.globeandmail.com (Canada)
www.lemonde.fr (France)
www.courrinternational.com (This is a digest of several editorials of world newspapers - gives a world view of issues)
www.yahoo.fr (France)

Cheers!

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Anti- Americanism

Contributor: cfallon

Date: 2003-02-28 16:07:51

Agreed. The US is probably better at it than most, they are better at almost everything than most.

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