| Since I have been living
in France I have survived a number of attempts on my patriotism.
Despite
their claims to open mindedness
and
tolerance it seems like Europeans are always getting down on
Americans. Actually the perception is a bit off. The truth is
it's just a very vocal minority raising all the ruckus. And most
what they say about America is just rumour, distorted "facts",
and is often just plain wrong. (did
you know the second amendment to the Constituion was written
AFTER the American Civil
War?
- I just learned that from an enlightend European...)
So on Wednesday May 10, 2006 I took a very public shot
back at them and got them (the minority) all in an uproar
and
some
of
the
peace-loving
open minded Europeans were on the verge of threatening physical
violence for my public (and full of
verified facts) criticism
of their European (trade) Union.
The very next day I was approached by a number of Europeans
who told me "good going", "we don't know what
their issue was", etc. Among them were several Danish
guys who could pull my arms off. I have since discovered
that Denmark was one of the only (non
UK) European countries
to support the US in the Iraq war from the beginning. And
even though I opposed the war, it felt really good to
know that
we have
friends
in the world who don't forget that they
are our friends when times are good. Another nation that
supported us from the very beginning
was Poland.
The following is a quote from a Danish Foreign and Security
Policy Adviser to the Liberal Party of Denmark, and following
that is link to a site listing Polish soldiers killed in
Iraq, then a news story about two of the soldiers on the
list, and then a link where you can send Polish troops an
email to remind them that WE know who our friends
are too.
"
the Danish Government believes that it was right to show solidarity
with the United States in its fight against a repressive tyrant.
In the last century, the United States has come to our help
on numerous occasions. In the First and Second World Wars.
By securing our freedom during the Cold War. And by US resolve
in the Balkans in the 1990’s, when bloody civil wars
plagued the region and European leaders were hesitant. We felt
that it was our duty to support the United States when the
call was -- for once -- coming from the other side of the Atlantic. "
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