This was an editorial written by a Canadian. I'm please to see that someone from another country recognizes all the good that America does for many other countries around the world.


Subject: TRIBUTE TO THE UNITED STATES
>
>
> TRIBUTE TO THE UNITED STATES
> >>
> >>This, from a Canadian newspaper, is worth sharing.
> >>
> >>America: The Good Neighbor.
> >>
> >>Widespread but only partial news coverage was given
> >>recently to a remarkable editorial broadcast from
> >> Toronto by Gordon Sinclair, a Canadian television
> >> commentator. What follows is the full text of his
> >> trenchant remarks as printed in the Congressional
> >> Record:
> >>
> >> "This Canadian thinks it is time to speak up for the
> >> Americans as the most generous and possibly the least
> >> appreciated people on all the earth.
> >>
> >> 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 these
> >> countries is today paying even the interest on its
> >> remaining debts to the United States.
> >>
> >> When France 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 earthquakes hit distant cities, it is the United
> >> States that hurries in to help. This spring, 59
> >> American communities were flattened by tornadoes.
> >> Nobody helped.
> >>
> >> The Marshall Plan and the Truman Policy pumped
> >> billions of dollars into discouraged countries. Now
> >> newspapers in those countries are writing about the
> >> decadent, warmongering Americans.
> >>
> >> I'd like to see just one of those countries that is
> >> gloating over the erosion of the United States dollar
> >> build its own airplane. Does any other country in the
> >> world have a plane to equal the Boeing Jumbo Jet, the
> >> Lockheed Tri-Star, or the Douglas DC10? If so, why
> >> don't they fly them? Why do all the International
> >> lines except Russia fly American Planes?
> >>
> >> Why does no other land on earth even consider putting
> >> a man or woman 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 everybody to look at.
> >> Even their draft-dodgers are not pursued and hounded.
> >> They are here on our streets, and most of them, unless
> >> they are breaking Canadian laws, are getting American
> >> dollars from ma and pa at home to spend here.
> >>
> >> 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 you 5000 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 neighbors have faced it alone, and I'm one
> >> Canadian who is damned tired of hearing them get
> >> 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 those."
> >>
> >> Stand proud, America!

thanks, but Airbus is a french designed and build air plane, build with a very open government subsidy, it is still too expensive to compete with most american made planes, (which do get tax breaks, but grudgingly)and the concord is also french.

i know america has sometimes been likened to a domesticated elephant.. its powerful, hardworking, and generaly not to destructive.. but just being an elephant, it crushes the ants and crickets beneath its feet. not from malice, just moveing about. and when it is angered, it can be dangerous.

But i am glad, than some see us as other than an elephant, that they see we have an almost naive belief that people can live together, even if they don't share the same ethnic heritage, or religion, if they want to. if they are willing to believe in the dignity of humans, and a systems, of not perfect, but good laws.

i am sure other will have comments about the facts of Mr. Sinclair's comments, but its nice to hear that some one "gets it" about what we are trying.

I have never felt that other national haven't been willing to help us if we really needed it. there has been a tremendious outpour from many countries in responce to Sept. 11 events..

as a new yorker, i alway felt like a citizen of the world, now days, it's nice to see that the world considers NY its city.

Well said, Helen. I don't think there's a country in the western world which doesn't feel some level of debt to America. If all the citizens of those countries appear not to be too grateful, and I'd be the first to admit that the French are not exactly Yankeephiles, watch what the governments actually do rather than what the press says and shows.

And you're also correct, NYC is a "world city" rather than a purely American one. If the US really needed direct help, it would be forthcoming. I believe that foreign SAR teams were busy in NYC during the first couple of days after the attacks, weren't they? But by and large, the US has sufficient resources to be able to look after itself.

Mr Sinclair had clearly had a couple of wines too many when he came up with his editorial!

Welcome aBoard, yayBecky.
Helen, sometimes your insight is amazing. :-)

Welcome to our little corner of the world, Becky.

What many do not know about that editorial is that Sinclair's been dead for almost 20 years. I cannot remembe what honked him off to write it, but write it he did, and it has become a widespread paean to the greatness that is the US of A.

We certainly hope to hear more from you, Becky.

TEd

Thanks for bringing that up TEd. Yes Gordon Sinclair has been dead since 1984.

He wrote the editorial in 1973 because the Americans were being lambasted because of their participation in the Vietnam war (I believe he was a foreign correspondent at the time).

It was a piece he READ on the RADIO yet it is now circulating the net with the mention that it appeared in a recent Toronto newspaper.

Please disregard the thing since it has absolutely nothing to do with the situation now transpiring.

Um, I should also add that though most Canadians feel strongly that we should stand beside the U.S. in their fight against terrorism (a full 76% of population would approve of giving military support in the event of a war) for some reason it was brought to our attention during George W. Bush's speech that Canada is not one of the countries that the U.S. considers as 'friends' as we were glaringly omitted from his list.

Seems a shame since I know everybody pitched in to send blood, money and services. Oh well, just goes to show that you can be there all you want but if people don't want to see you there is nothing you can do about it.

He wrote the editorial in 1973 because the Americans were being lambasted because of their participation in the Vietnam war (I believe he was a foreign correspondent at the time).

Suckered again! Damn! I must admit, I did wonder at the florid nature of his language. But then, I'm not Canadian.

Um, I should also add that though most Canadians feel strongly that we should stand beside the U.S. in their fight against terrorism (a full 76% of population would approve of giving military support in the event of a war) for some reason it was brought to our attention during George W. Bush's speech that Canada is not one of the countries that the U.S. considers as 'friends' as we were glaringly omitted from his list.

I think it'd just make me feel safer ...

You may also be interested to know that Tony Blair has announced that Britain will be introducing ID cards as soon as Parliament sits again. They won't be compulsory, but you won't be able to buy petrol without one.

That's effectively it for freedom in Britain. It's only a short step from there to having to have one to sit on a park bench, and the Brit police and security forces have shown before that they will take a mile if they get an inch.

you can be there all you want but if people don't want to see you there is nothing you can do about it.

Agreed, bel. It's a shame how often this happens, in any context where people try to deal together.
And sometimes they even shoot the messenger.

bel-- you guys just forgot who you are dealing with.. he is still dubya, even if he is getting better at reading what the White house press secretraries write for him.

i am not sure he realizes canada is not part of US- after all, you're american, speak english, (yeah, parts speak french, but its like new orlean, its for the tourist) and the fact is, if he went to a canadian store, saw something for sale for $1 (canadian) handed over $1 (us) the shopkeeper would not object to the US money.

for some one with the world travel experience of dubya, this might make it hard for him to remember that canada is not part of the US. he hasn't quite figured out why you guys don't get to vote,(in our elections!) but since you don't he really doesn't pay you much mind. after all he doesn't have much mind to begin with!

Warning - a "when I was young" post.

I was in my early 20s and with my Dad at the annual NYC convention of Newspaper Publishers Association (NPA) in the City. My Dad was a proud member of The Canadian Club which is housed in the tower of the Waldorf Astoria. I was to meet Dad there after he attended a "members-only" luncheon for HRH Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, who visited and was entertained by the members of the Canadian Club -- most of whom were and are Canadians living and/or working in New York City.
The Duke gave a talk and presented the Canadian Club with a portrait of Her Majesty.
When I met Dad at the Club rooms
(after colliding with the Duke as he left and I entered but that's another story)
there was quite a buzz going on and when I asked what was happening Dad told me the members were just the littlest bit miffed about the portrait.
Dad took me to see it -- it was hung over the fireplace in the "living room" area where members and guests gathered. It is a handsome portrait and I could see nothing wrong about it. Dad said, "Read the plaque."
The small brass plaque on the frame read :
"Elizabeth II, Queen of Canada."

True story. Take it as you will.

Nicely points out the *issue with being dependent on oil products, wouldn't you say?

Thanks Helen, that gave me quite a chuckle. I think I'll pass it on to a couple of people here if you don't mind. I know some folks, who organized fund raisers and blood drives and had family members go down to volunteer, who were hurt by the omission.

I have to admit that I just shrugged at thought is was a non-deliberate omission, is all.

...and as I sat watching his speech I immediately began to cringe when he started rattling off names of countries to thank...

"Anticipation" is still making me wait...

"Luucy, you got some 'splaining to do" (lo siento, Desi)
What's wrong with the label?

I report. I do not imply.

My dear Canadian friends, please forgive the following:

"O, Canada" is a song we sing (as a joke) indicating that someone is being dogmatic. (usually with a "Ralph Wiggum" voice).

Really??

I think this is the first time I have every heard us being refered to as dogmatic. Doesn't that mean opinionated?

We usually get described as self-effacing and overly polite. And arghh, the word escapes me, what is it called when a person simply plods on through thick or thin because the job has to be done? Voyons donc, you'd think I had baked my brain in the heat, people describe Canadians that way all the time. That's it, no more wine for me at lunch time.

French Canadians are a whole nother story (wink-wink, nudge-nudge).

Would y'all take a look at my post in this thread (I&A)under header Articles/Emails etc -- specifically the Butter "bombs" post.
Interested in your comments.
Yes, really! {There's no e-con that fits here!}

"Dogmatic" may have been the wrong word... but upon further review, maybe not. Aside from "The Simpsons" reference, which is the "joke part", the *meaning part isn't Canadian at all (as far as I know), as the idea is about following a *dogma without really knowing what that *dogma is. I never thought 'dogma' was about being opinionated as much as it was about being focused on an idea... now I know I'm wrong.

Bel - Let's do lunch!

I have to say that from my small experience, the difference between the US and Canada, at least from a tourist's point of view, is like night and day (or day and night). As soon as you cross the border from the US into Canada, everything slows down, and I'm not just talking about the traffic. People have different attitudes. In fact, Sandra and I felt that (apart from the funny accents) we were home again. Canada and Zild have a lot in common, culturally, apart from the coppers being called odd things like "Mounties".

Now this is not meant to imply a criticism of the US. I merely report that there are marked differences between the two countries. At least in Ontario. Sorry Bel, couldn't possibly comment about Quebec, although I suspect ....

Of course, if Dubya has never been to Canada (or maybe even if he has), he wouldn't be aware of that, any more than he would know if he'd crossed the border into Mexico - "What was that funny fence we just tripped over in South Texas?"