Is Georgeob! anti-European ?

Re: Is Georgeob! anti-European ?
Damn it George, If your poll had been about Canada I'd have answered :wink:

I lifted your words from Steve's thread of a similar nature because I liked them:



Nice, that.

Love it Georgeob1

Hey, Jo. When are we going to see some more pictures? Where is Wenchy, I wonder? Nor have I seen BoGoWo.

Letty, I wonder about wenchalina too. Bo's just a brat (as you well know! ). I haven't seen hide nor hair of him since we met dj for lunch, many moons ago now.

(I'm still lousy with the picture thing but I watched as you learned how....soooo...let's see one of you! Nudge - There's a picture thread in General.).

Jo, I still have not learned how to download personal pictures. I can't even change my avatar to the real me.

Hey, ehBeth has a picture of my husband and me. Ask her to share it with you. Yahoo hijacked all my pictures, and when I try to send one to myself, I keep getting the message: You are not connected to the internet.

Sorry, Georgeob. No, I do not think that you are a Francophile nor a hater of the Europeans, nor am I.

George is anti-EU - shares so a quite common feeling in Europe.

He dislike any French plotocs - shares with that the anglophone feelings.

Besides that, he's quite sentimental about Europe. Besides Ireland: so noting at all against the Irish when he's around.

PS: when you start now polling her every pooble question AND to use emoticons as well in your resonses, I might consider either to re-read what I write and thus try to avoid typos or take a time out until the dust has settled.

Obi 1 Kenobi is dreaming of Star Wars and weaponizing space.

Sorry to disagree, Walter.

George, as I noticed in many occasions, is not only probably but surely a sentimental softie for the Old Country.

The problem is he is always trying to disguise it with some European (French) bashing comments.

I would like to have mani anti-Europeans like him...

I'll pipe in with no opinion.

I haven't read enough of GeorgeOb's posts.

He seems sane enough... though we oft disagree.


don't make me post a smiley.

Well, I might agree with the first - but certainly with the last.

In an odd way I dreaded the comments that might come from Walter and Francis. Now I find that the worst is Osso's. Evidently I have left no impression on her whatever. What could be worse than that ?

I'll confess here that what really infuriates Americans about the French is their cranky certainty that they are the center of the universe, and their conviction that we should all speak as they do. That's our prefered role. This is like Luke Skywalker discovering that Darth Vader is his dad. Worse yet, Francis reminds me of that.

Walter has cast me in the mold of the typical Anglophone. Just like a German to miss the distinctions between us and the Brits. Wasn't it you Walter who reminded me that the largest ethnic group in America is Germans?

On every visit to Ireland my relatives and friends remind me that I am a "Yank", not an Irishman. So much for sentiment.

In truth I do admire the EU - a remarkable achievement so far - much more than could reasonably have been expected a few decades ago. I do dislike the increasingly bureaucratic character of its apparatus and the oddly legalistic (form over suubstance) character of European solutions to contemporary problems. I also worry about demographics and the apparent loss of energy and confidence on the continent.

We are both drifting back to our characteristic postures, viewpoints, and excesses after a period of abnormal forced unity around an external threat -- Europe theoretical and doctrinaire: America visceral and pragmatic, and each only occasionally understanding the other.


In any event Steve has proven to be a flop as an anti-American, and I haven't done much better as an anti-European.

All I remember, GeorgeOb, is that you didn't want to meet myself and others in San Francisco a couple of years ago, and never posted that you wouldn't show after we were looking forward to your joining us. I gathered first that we (I, as I was the intermediate energizer) overorganized it, from a post of yours, and later, that there were too many liberals. That was too bad, it was a lovely and non political time.

I probably like you. At the least we have things in common. I also rankle at the irish shunning thing, as it has happened to me too. And that's only a by the way.

But, as with almost all of us speaking from our points of view as we do, we give off wafts of bioshielding.

George - I don't follow politics threads routinely. Not that I'm not interested, more that I'm not interested in day to day posts, at the same time I get that a day to day post can be a serious one.

You do seem well sane, when I've read your posts. And I have disagreed, forget now why. I don't always post my myriad comments.

On the smileys, I try to speak in words, but break down once in a while.



I'm being quiet on knowing that you, George, have had a major leadership role. I can only guess the heights and depths of that, and the thougtful times between.

I have known through my dad some commanders in WWII, and they were interesting folks.

And I'd think, we are the pragmatics and the Americans acting only doctrinaire ....

hang on a minute George, your subjectivity is showing again, I havent really got going yet

Now, I do agree, Walter...

I did suspect the event was becoming a bit over-organized for my taste (I don't like schedules and programs, but I have no gripe with those that do), but the main reason I didn't attend was a severe case of the flu which made the flight from the East Coast an unwise proposition and myself a source of contagion. I like political discourse and enjoy the stimulation of liberals with whom to contend - that was not a factor at all. It is unfortunate that perceived slights such as this persist in memory - I didn't intend it that way, and regret that outcome.

An interesting and thought-provoking take on the matter. I'm not convinced, but will reflect on it.

I really hate it when Walter corrects me !

The debate is pointless. Both are as they are and have evolved to suit their environment.

Europeans have developed their culture over 10 centuries in a continent passably well govererned and extensively exploited. The use of coal and Empire enabled Europeans to exploit other places and continue developing.

North America was completely unexploited and contained vast wealth and was governed more loosely. It also had the benefit of European technology with which to accelerate the exploitation. Basically, it couldn't go wrong. All the Christmases arrived at once culturally speaking.

Under these two vastly different conditions institutions and traditions grew up to fit the circumstances and what actually is could be said to be the only thing possible.

It's a bit like the pot calling the kettle pejoritive names because it has a spout.

I thus can't imagine an intelligent fellow like George being anti-European.

It's like being anti-tortoise.

I cant stand tortoiseseses

Well actually I can get maximum 3 stacked up...does that count?