How come its okay for foreigners to bash the US but Americans can't critique other countries?

[$5 submissions]

Here's an intelligent discussion of CRITICISM AND OFFENSE.... In other words, why its deemed to be okay when foreigners criticize the USA but Americans don't have a right to critique foreign countries when they are there.

Source: http://www.tnr.com/book/review/thats...stefan-collini

I once listened to a large German baker in a café in downtown Frankfurt impugn American voters for voting George W. Bush into the White House. I nodded and occasionally interjected a thought or two while doing my best not to react defensively. Here was a Hessian who understood politics, and was simply outraged by the administration’s policies—policies that the American people had in some measure validated by reelecting the president. He had substantive reasons for his anger. But try commenting, as an American, on Indian or German politics in the same tones and with the same vehemence, and see the result.

After the man’s interrupted monologue, I mentioned that the German Chancellor, Gerhard Schröder, had gone off to work for Vladimir Putin’s cronies at Gazprom, the Russian energy behemoth. Upon hearing this, the man looked sternly at me and said that Americans had no right to lecture or criticize Germany, especially after Abu Ghraib and Bush’s foolish comment about Putin’s soul. He was offended that an American would dare call into question the ethical choices of a German leader, and, by implication, of German voters. Germany is hardly a poor or struggling country, but it does not share America’s power and standing, and criticism is too often defined as acceptable when it is made against the “more powerful” and offensive when it is made against the “less powerful.” If this is in part a positive sign that people are sensitive to the less fortunate, it is also a threat to uninhibited intellectual inquiry.

[SmokeyTheBear]

because when foreigners criticize america they use words , when americans criticize they bomb the shit out of you and plunder your natural resources

[twistyneck]

Originally Posted by SmokeyTheBear

because when foreigners criticize america they use words , when americans criticize they bomb the shit out of you and plunder your natural resources

And that is how it fucking should be.

[SmokeyTheBear]

but seriously .. everyone hates the winner if they are losing..

if a "loser" says the "winner" sucks , he has alot of other "losers" to support his theory.

if a "winner" says the "loser" sucks he doesn't have anyone to back his theory because everyone wants to be the winner.


happens in sports all the time , it's natural to root for the underdog.

[SmokeyTheBear]

Originally Posted by twistyneck

And that is how it fucking should be.

well i suppose it is how you look at it. once you have picked off all the weak countries you just use the same process internally and start picking off weak americans , until you have a bunch of slaves and then everyone realizes they can just kill the few rich people and the process starts all over again.. i am pretty sure we are supposed to be progressing not digressing

[lagcam]

Originally Posted by SmokeyTheBear

because when foreigners criticize america they use words , when americans criticize they bomb the shit out of you and plunder your natural resources

Ha ha, literally 100% what I was thinking word for word.

[cooldude7]

Originally Posted by SmokeyTheBear

but seriously .. everyone hates the winner if they are losing..

if a "loser" says the "winner" sucks , he has alot of other "losers" to support his theory.

if a "winner" says the "loser" sucks he doesn't have anyone to back his theory because everyone wants to be the winner.


happens in sports all the time , it's natural to root for the underdog.

+1

[ottopottomouse]

Quite often Americans manage to cause the criticism of their own country by knowing nothing at all about anywhere outside its borders.

[Adam_M]

Originally Posted by ottopottomouse

Quite often Americans manage to cause the criticism of their own country by knowing nothing at all about anywhere outside its borders.

Sadly that is very true for many Americans

[Sukiho]

americans bomb other countries instead

[Deputy Chief Command]

how about a German in USA ? same situation ... how will the German react? and how will the US resident react ?

a german visiting US and saying things like that ? I would guess it would play out the same .. the german just nodding to the critique of the german gov .. and the American being upset at the foreigner coming to his country telling whats what

[Deputy Chief Command]

Originally Posted by SmokeyTheBear

but seriously .. everyone hates the winner if they are losing..

if a "loser" says the "winner" sucks , he has alot of other "losers" to support his theory.

if a "winner" says the "loser" sucks he doesn't have anyone to back his theory because everyone wants to be the winner.


happens in sports all the time , it's natural to root for the underdog.

so one of the most powderfull economies in Europe is the "loser" / "underdog" ??? really ...

[taken300]

Originally Posted by SmokeyTheBear

because when foreigners criticize america they use words , when americans criticize they bomb the shit out of you and plunder your natural resources

Lol!!! what a reply man!!

[mopek1]

It's like that with everything in life.

Men/women
white/black
americans/hispanic immigrants
america/world

The minority always feels it is justified in it's critiques but not the other way around which is a double-standard.

The most powerful dare not say anything or risk being categorized as villains.

[spazlabz]

Originally Posted by ottopottomouse

Quite often Americans manage to cause the criticism of their own country by knowing nothing at all about anywhere outside its borders.

I was (and I am still) guilty of this. But when I meet someone from another part of the world I try to find out about where it is they are from. It decreases my ignorance a bit each time and I come away understanding their POV a bit more.

[PR_Glen]

Originally Posted by SmokeyTheBear

but seriously .. everyone hates the winner if they are losing..

if a "loser" says the "winner" sucks , he has alot of other "losers" to support his theory.

if a "winner" says the "loser" sucks he doesn't have anyone to back his theory because everyone wants to be the winner.


happens in sports all the time , it's natural to root for the underdog.

what is it exactly that the us is 'winning' at? I'm the last to criticize the US on things but seriously, I can't begin to think what you are talking about...

[Rochard]

Who the fuck uses a word like "impugn"? I had never heard of it; I had to look it up.

[Agent 488]

because the article is from the new republic, which is a shit periodical.

[spazlabz]

Originally Posted by Rochard

Who the fuck uses a word like "impugn"? I had never heard of it; I had to look it up.

pfffft you dolt!








kidding ya, it is not a word in common usage nowadays

[cykoe6]

Originally Posted by SmokeyTheBear

because when foreigners criticize america they use words , when americans criticize they bomb the shit out of you and plunder your natural resources

Amen brother!