The United States dollar took another pounding on German, French and British exchanges this morning, hitting the lowest point ever known in West Germany. It has declined there by 41% since 1971 and this Canadian thinks it is time to speak up for the Americans as the most generous and possibly the least-appreciated people in all the earth.
As long as sixty years ago, when I first started to read newspapers, I read of floods on the Yellow River and the Yangtse. Who rushed in with men and money to help? The Americans did.
They have helped control floods on the Nile, the Amazon, the Ganges and the Niger. Today, the rich bottom land of the Misssissippi is under water and no foreign land has sent a dollar to help. Germany, Japan and, to a lesser extent, Britain and Italy, were lifted out of the debris of war by the Americans who poured in billions of dollars and forgave other billions in debts. None of those countries is today paying even the interest on its remaining debts to the United States.
When the franc was in danger of collapsing in 1956, it was the Americans who propped it up and their reward was to be insulted and swindled on the streets of Paris. I was there. I saw it.
When distant cities are hit by earthquakes, it is the United States that hurries into help... Managua Nicaragua is one of the most recent examples. So far this spring, 59 American communities have been flattened by tornadoes. Nobody has helped.
The Marshall Plan .. the Truman Policy .. all pumped billions upon billions of dollars into discouraged countries. Now, newspapers in those countries are writing about the decadent war-mongering Americans.
I'd like to see one of those countries that is gloating over the erosion of the United States dollar build its own airplanes.
Come on... let's hear it! Does any other country in the world have a plane to equal the Boeing Jumbo Jet, the Lockheed Tristar or the Douglas 107? If so, why don't they fly them? Why do all international lines except Russia fly American planes? Why does no other land on earth even consider putting a man or women on the moon?
You talk about Japanese technocracy and you get radios. You talk about German technocracy and you get automobiles. You talk about American technocracy and you find men on the moon, not once, but several times ... and safely home again. You talk about scandals and the Americans put theirs right in the store window for everyone to look at. Even the draft dodgers are not pursued and hounded. They are here on our streets, most of them ... unless they are breaking Canadian laws .. are getting American dollars from Ma and Pa at home to spend here.
When the Americans get out of this bind ... as they will... who could blame them if they said 'the hell with the rest of the world'. Let someone else buy the Israel bonds, Let someone else build or repair foreign dams or design foreign buildings that won't shake apart in earthquakes.
When the railways of France, Germany and India were breaking down through age, it was the Americans who rebuilt them. When the Pennsylvania Railroad and the New York Central went broke, nobody loaned them an old caboose. Both are still broke. I can name to you 5,000 times when the Americans raced to the help of other people in trouble.
Can you name me even one time when someone else raced to the Americans in trouble? I don't think there was outside help even during the San Francisco earthquake.
Our neighbours have faced it alone and I am one Canadian who is damned tired of hearing them kicked around. They will come out of this thing with their flag high. And when they do, they are entitled to thumb their nose at the lands that are gloating over their present troubles.
I hope Canada is not one of these. But there are many smug, self-righteous Canadians. And finally, the American Red Cross was told at its 48th Annual meeting in New Orleans this morning that it was broke.
This year's disasters .. with the year less than half-over… has taken it all and nobody...but nobody... has helped.
As long as sixty years ago, when I first started to read newspapers, I read of floods on the Yellow River and the Yangtse. Who rushed in with men and money to help? The Americans did.
They have helped control floods on the Nile, the Amazon, the Ganges and the Niger. Today, the rich bottom land of the Misssissippi is under water and no foreign land has sent a dollar to help. Germany, Japan and, to a lesser extent, Britain and Italy, were lifted out of the debris of war by the Americans who poured in billions of dollars and forgave other billions in debts. None of those countries is today paying even the interest on its remaining debts to the United States.
When the franc was in danger of collapsing in 1956, it was the Americans who propped it up and their reward was to be insulted and swindled on the streets of Paris. I was there. I saw it.
When distant cities are hit by earthquakes, it is the United States that hurries into help... Managua Nicaragua is one of the most recent examples. So far this spring, 59 American communities have been flattened by tornadoes. Nobody has helped.
The Marshall Plan .. the Truman Policy .. all pumped billions upon billions of dollars into discouraged countries. Now, newspapers in those countries are writing about the decadent war-mongering Americans.
I'd like to see one of those countries that is gloating over the erosion of the United States dollar build its own airplanes.
Come on... let's hear it! Does any other country in the world have a plane to equal the Boeing Jumbo Jet, the Lockheed Tristar or the Douglas 107? If so, why don't they fly them? Why do all international lines except Russia fly American planes? Why does no other land on earth even consider putting a man or women on the moon?
You talk about Japanese technocracy and you get radios. You talk about German technocracy and you get automobiles. You talk about American technocracy and you find men on the moon, not once, but several times ... and safely home again. You talk about scandals and the Americans put theirs right in the store window for everyone to look at. Even the draft dodgers are not pursued and hounded. They are here on our streets, most of them ... unless they are breaking Canadian laws .. are getting American dollars from Ma and Pa at home to spend here.
When the Americans get out of this bind ... as they will... who could blame them if they said 'the hell with the rest of the world'. Let someone else buy the Israel bonds, Let someone else build or repair foreign dams or design foreign buildings that won't shake apart in earthquakes.
When the railways of France, Germany and India were breaking down through age, it was the Americans who rebuilt them. When the Pennsylvania Railroad and the New York Central went broke, nobody loaned them an old caboose. Both are still broke. I can name to you 5,000 times when the Americans raced to the help of other people in trouble.
Can you name me even one time when someone else raced to the Americans in trouble? I don't think there was outside help even during the San Francisco earthquake.
Our neighbours have faced it alone and I am one Canadian who is damned tired of hearing them kicked around. They will come out of this thing with their flag high. And when they do, they are entitled to thumb their nose at the lands that are gloating over their present troubles.
I hope Canada is not one of these. But there are many smug, self-righteous Canadians. And finally, the American Red Cross was told at its 48th Annual meeting in New Orleans this morning that it was broke.
This year's disasters .. with the year less than half-over… has taken it all and nobody...but nobody... has helped.
by Average American May 28, 2005
An Americanism is a word, phrase or expression, commonly used in the United States, that has managed to escape from America to pollute the wider English language.
Each Americanism subverts the integrity of the English language.
by AKACroatalin June 7, 2015
basically consists of falsely entitled americans who travel abroad and impose their laws are universal and supersede any sovereign countries
Example of americanitis include but are not limited to
Brittney Griner and her defense that her marijuana should be legal because she has a prescription in America.
Otto Warmbier, most likely suffered from Americanitis when he stole a poster in North Korea.
Brittney Griner and her defense that her marijuana should be legal because she has a prescription in America.
Otto Warmbier, most likely suffered from Americanitis when he stole a poster in North Korea.
by T0mmy1622 April 16, 2023
Brits who went to America killed the natives and were too stingy to pay the small tea tax. They went mad because of the tea deprivation and decided they wanted independence! They swore never ever to drink tea ever again.
by The Intimidating British Guy May 20, 2021
A make believe disease used to describe the condition of overweight Americans who think it's perfectly normal and acceptable to be obese.
An alarmingly high percentage of United States citizens suffer from Americanitis. More should be done to educate the public about proper diet and exercise.
by Doctor Pit March 23, 2010
Technically, an American is someone from the Americas - i.e. North or South America. However, it is so commonly referring to people from the USA that we'll just ignore that point for now.
An American is someone who lives in the USA. Not all americans are overweight, ignorant pricks with an addiction to burgers and flag waving. Some of them are actually friendly, intelligent people!
Remember, kids: just because meet or hear one person from a certain place doesn't mean that everyone from there is like it. Oh, and did I mention that the actions of the US government don't ALWAYS speak unanimously for every last citizen of the USA? Just wanted to clear that up.
They do think some wierd things, though.. They call football soccer, American football football, aluminium aloominum, jam jelly and so on. But belittling them for differences like that would be a bit petty of me, wouldn't it?
An American is someone who lives in the USA. Not all americans are overweight, ignorant pricks with an addiction to burgers and flag waving. Some of them are actually friendly, intelligent people!
Remember, kids: just because meet or hear one person from a certain place doesn't mean that everyone from there is like it. Oh, and did I mention that the actions of the US government don't ALWAYS speak unanimously for every last citizen of the USA? Just wanted to clear that up.
They do think some wierd things, though.. They call football soccer, American football football, aluminium aloominum, jam jelly and so on. But belittling them for differences like that would be a bit petty of me, wouldn't it?
While playing a game, I once met an American who was a mindless, stereotyping, bigoted, ignorant prick. But did that make me hate all Americans? Well, yes. But eventually I got over it. I would like to find that guy and cave his skull in, though..
by do I have to put something here? August 8, 2004
I'm not even American, so don't just shrug this off as 'An American trying to defend themself and their country.'
I myself am Canadian, and although SOME Americans are fat, idiotic, ignorant slobs, many are the exact opposite. A lot of Americans (probably the majority) are genuine, hardworking people who do the best they can to provide for their family with what they have. Many hate Bush, and are glad Obama's taken his position, hoping that it'll lead to more peaceful and better living. Not all of them wanted to even go into Iraq in the first place, and even though the stereotype for Americans are fat and stupid, many of them don't deserve it, and if you think that 300,000,000 people are stupid fat asses, you are extremely close minded.
I myself am Canadian, and although SOME Americans are fat, idiotic, ignorant slobs, many are the exact opposite. A lot of Americans (probably the majority) are genuine, hardworking people who do the best they can to provide for their family with what they have. Many hate Bush, and are glad Obama's taken his position, hoping that it'll lead to more peaceful and better living. Not all of them wanted to even go into Iraq in the first place, and even though the stereotype for Americans are fat and stupid, many of them don't deserve it, and if you think that 300,000,000 people are stupid fat asses, you are extremely close minded.
Non-American: I hate Americans, they're all fat and stupid.
Me: Well I'm sorry you feel that way, it makes you look very arrogant.
Me: Well I'm sorry you feel that way, it makes you look very arrogant.
by Cassidy P February 8, 2009