Thanksgiving

[From Gradel to Grave]

:icon_eek: at Kissinger.

 

[FryattFox]

I realised this year that there were only two Americans I have not sent it to and it was time to try again

:icon_eek:

 

[Blue Maniac]

:icon_eek:

I know. He must be the most prolific spammer on earth. Not including porn sites and cock extension equipment, obviously.

 

[Polar Bear]

David, you're a delightful poster, but...

RONALD REAGAN?!? The butcher of central America? In the words of a famous American you didn't mention, "You cannot be serious".

 

[David Gwilliam]

Thank you America, for all the illegal wars that you've conducted, for all the countries that you've destabilised, for all the economies that you've destroyed, for all the nations you've invaded, for all of the innocent men, women, children and babies that you've brutally murdered.
Thank you. God bless America.

In other e-mails to Americans I have mentioned some of these points but not in such a way as to put them on the defensive. I regularly make digs about the religious right, the pretence not to have an empire and the problems caused by their economic policies.

A message as blunt as yours would be dismissed as just anti-American and have no influence.

Thanksgiving was not the time to make jabs at America's many faults but to celebrate its virtues.

You may notice that I do not at any point say "God bless America" or even mention God at all.

 

[David Gwilliam]

:icon_eek:

The reference to only two Americans I have not sent it to was intended to mean - two American friends I had not sent it to. I have not sent it to Barack and Michelle, George W and Laura or Brad and Angelina and quite a few other Americans

 

[drew]

I dunno if you're serious Macky?

 

[Lako42]

You may notice that I do not at any point say "God bless America" or even mention God at all.

He has probably noticed it now that the red mist has cleared.

 

[Lako42]

I dunno if you're serious Macky?

I think it's quite clear that he is.

 

[Dour]

I think it's quite clear that he is.

I think the 'Thank you' bit was probably sarcastic.

 

[Kingy_85]

Oh :icon_eek: That's supposed to be a comedy?!?!?
Imagine how stupid I feel, I hadn't realised that at all.

 

[The_Lane]

It's an American thing, like a harvest festival, but much bigger (like xmas) and at the wrong time of the year.

Have you never watched any American TV/films?

... and Canadian, but we have our thanksgiving in October.

 

[Macky]

I dunno if you're serious Macky?

Of course not.
I wasn't really saying thank you for being the epitome of evil and global terror and I certainly amn't deluded enough to believe in fictitious gods

 

[Blue Maniac]

Of course not.
I wasn't really saying thank you for being the epitome of evil and global terror and I certainly amn't deluded enough to believe in fictitious gods

:icon_lol: Saying it exactly as you see it Mack 10. Great stuff.

 

[drew]

Nice sweeping generalisation of a nation.

 

[Harbro-Fox]

Thank you America for being so far away from Leicester.

 

[David Gwilliam]

David, you're a delightful poster, but...

RONALD REAGAN?!? The butcher of central America? In the words of a famous American you didn't mention, "You cannot be serious".

I certainly did not mention John McEnroe who is not a favourite American of mine.

Because of America’s faults it is easy to forget its virtues. Most people who claim to be anti-American still love its music and its movies. Perhaps the most brilliant critics of America are Gore Vidal and Michael Moore both of whom are American.
A continuous theme in my letters is the damage done to America by the creationist right. A Thanksgiving letter would not be a place for that theme,

I was tempted to leave out the Republican trio which would also have meant leaving out the Democrats. Since they were in the original e-mail this would have been censorship and rather cowardly. Moreover a forum should provoke controversy.

The three chosen Republicans are part of a long running theme of my letters especially to two families who are very Republican though not religious. . This is that the Republican party has lost its way. The party of Kissinger and Reagan was not a party of religious bigotry ., A point I made frequently is the difference between the intelligence of a Kissinger and the stupidity of a Palin.

My admiration for Kissinger stems first and foremost from his ending the split between America and China. A tremendous achievement in itself and having as a
by-product a serious weakening of the power of the Soviet Union. I also admired his work in the Middle East. Criticisms of his ending American involvement in Vietnam do, I feel, underestimate the problems of withdrawal. Getting into a war is easy; getting out is difficult and I am not sure anyone else would have done better. I do not believe Kissinger would have gone into Vietnam in the first place and I doubt if he would have gone into Iraq.

Reagan certainly made mistakes such as the Iran-Contra.. However, I am grateful that he helped Britain during the Falklands overruling one of his advisers (Jeane Kirkpatrick). I also believed he played a part in the ending of the Soviet Union. I cannot agree that Reagan was “the butcher of Central America”. In both Central and South America there were no “good guys” despite the attempt to portray Allende as a Neil Kinnock and Che as a romantic hero. There was a constant clash between the military and the Marxist. America was willing to choose the Military on the grounds that “he may be a bastard but at least he’s our bastard.” America can point out that Argentina and Chile are now democracies while Cuba is still a dictatorship.

I have to admit with Coolidge, Kissinger and Reagan that politics aside I feel they were likeable men with a capacity to laugh at themselves.

No American noticed that I did not include any architects, classical composers or painters. IMO America has not produced a Wren, a Mozart or a Raphael.

I find it interesting that what Americans questioned was my regard for Robert Kennedy and my negative view of their coffee and of General Patton.

I was also questioned as to why my three actresses did not include Marilyn Monroe and Sophia Loren. Monroe I always felt was vapid and silly while Loren would have been included except that she is magnificently Italian.

 

[Macky]

Nice sweeping generalisation of a nation.

I take it that's directed at me?

It isn't a 'sweeping generalisation', it's a very accurate depiction of their administration.
I would've thought that it was patently obvious that I wasn't talking about the population of America,. They're to be pitied, not despised.

 

[drew]

I always thought you were a self righteous prick, you've just confirmed it for me.

 

[Macky]

I always thought you were a self righteous prick, you've just confirmed it for me.

Yes, I'm very self-righteous about opposing genocide, proud of it too.