And they wonder why everybody hates them...

[dustinzgirl]

Originally Posted by Ursa major

But don't worry about it. The British Isles were in a backwater when the Egyptians, Greeks, Romans, Chinese, etc., were forging ahead. Humans of all shapes, colours, cultures and locations have helped build the world we know today. Let's hope some of those alive today, wherever they live, have some answers to the problems that we all face.

Yeah, yeah , yeah (/me says in typical backwater sarcastic american)

You can ship me your backwater computer.

[Kissmequick]

The Allies defeated the Axis powers.

My point entirely,we ALL helped, not just one country. All of us!

And yep, 100 years ago, Britain was where the US is now, everyone hated us, and probably with good cause. And that hate has lingered believe me.

As for the inventions

MacAdam was afaik, a scot through and through all his days ( prove me wrong if you like)

Dunlop was beaten to the patent by Robert William Tomlinson ( a Scot) *adds in a 'I think'*

Bell was working in Amercia, does that make him American?( can't se if he applied for citizenship)

Blah blah blah, who cares. We all take adavantage of all inventions, does it actually matter what country it happened in? And personally I have to say I love many qualities of Amercians ( as opposed to their government, a quite seperate thing). I wish we were allowed to be so patriotic without the PC brigade saying 'you can't do that, you'll offend someone'. Good job they never saw the St Georges flag that flies from my bedroom window.

And as for the analysis I was asked for - I read it in a book 5-8 years ago, can't find any link on the net. But as I can't see anyone else has linked their analysis either, I reckon we're quits

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!

edit: because I'm not entirely sober, and I spelled Bell wrong ( how I ask you!)

[Wiglaf]

I was going to make an uber patriotic, ethnocentric, nationalistic, perhaps slightly jingoistic post. Unfortunately the thread drift has reached the level of affecting the fault lines; I am practicing my duck and cover drills instead.

[dustinzgirl]

Originally Posted by Wiglaf

I was going to make an uber patriotic, ethnocentric, nationalistic, perhaps slightly jingoistic post. Unfortunately the thread drift has reached the level of affecting the fault lines; I am practicing my duck and cover drills instead.

You can just be a smart butt like me. But I think people sometimes think I'm not being a smart butt. There should be a smart butt icon smiley thing.



Duck, duck, goose! Duck and cover game?

[pyan]

Originally Posted by dustinzgirl

You can just be a smart butt like me. But I think people sometimes think I'm not being a smart butt. There should be a smart butt icon smiley thing.

Any good, Dusty?

[kaelcarp]

The US has its good points and bad points. I'm happy with the level of freedom I have living here. There are things I can do without a second thought that would be illegal or at least get me in trouble in a significant portion of the world.
I do appreciate that.

But I do think that the country is kind of broken and in need of repairs, and I don't see a great willingness to make those repairs. The current government has been atrocious, and the US has a history of playing with other countries' governments to suit itself, only to shoot itself in the foot when it ends up empowering some dictator who turns against it (like Saddam Hussein).

There is far too much short-term thinking in the US, and it seems to me that the country is set up so that this continues to be the case. It is in no politician's interest to ensure the well-being of the country 20 years from now if they are fighting to be re-elected in a couple of years and need something to show. The staggering amount of money being thrown at elected officials by interest groups has really led to a deep corruption throughout all levels of government, and I think most people don't realize how bad it is.

I love the country as a concept, but in practice it makes a lot of short-sighted mistakes, and often other countries pay for those mistakes.

[Wayward Ho!]

I'm reminded of a Jimmy Carr joke (You know - the moon-faced comedian.) I heard a couple of weeks ago. Some American guy in the crowds said to him. "Hey if it wasn't for us you'd all be speaking German."

To which Jimmy replied. "The British learn to speak a second language? In sixty years? Not gonna happen."

It's funny because it's true.