Ms Ford ...

[gweimer]

By all means do mention ze wär!!!  

Excellent!  I just found 4 VHS tapes of Fawlty Towers last week that I grabbed, and that episode is one of them.

[Big_Stu]

By all means do mention ze wär!!!  

You said it better than me; I was going to point out my German ancestry on my Dad's side in the 18th century & also his brother in law, my uncle, who was conscripted into the German army, late in WW2, at 14, surrendering at his first opportunity to advancing allies. But had his name changed in the UK to avoid forceful repatriation to be handed over to the Russians & "disappeared" - a fate which befell his parents, to appease the Russians so they could share out German technological advances, part of which put a US guy on the moon.
Ain't we all just swell?

[westen44]

when i was a kid in new york in the fifties some high schools already had soccer teams. it's been getting more popular ever since. hence the term soccer mom.

btw,you guys are so friggin' clever.

remember the american revolution, kenny? and the war of 1812.

and of course you all remember that little party called WW2.

i think we helped a bit on that last one. so crack your
yank' jokes if you must and be glad you're not goose stepping to the market.

I think you should be aware of the fact that Kenny is writing a book on World War II and his father participated in some of the most intense fighting.  So did mine.  Someone like Kenny is incapable of saying anything offensive, quite frankly, for many reasons.  As for anti-Americanism, oh, it's out there and I could easily point anyone to it.  But there isn't any at all on this forum.  I'm as pro-American as it gets (while also loving Europe, or at least substantial parts of it) and this is the way I see it here, for what it's worth. 

[godofthunder]

OMG Nofi, cut out your sniping sour-fac(e)ism. This forum is full of low pc remarks about perceived national traits and clichées and everybody gets lambasted once in a while. Yet at the same time I truly believe that no Yank, Kraut, Israeli, Scandinavian, Dutchman, Aussie, Cannuck, Italian, Limey or Scot here (apologies to anyone I left out, hey, I forgot der Grieche!!!) feels any superiority vis a vis others. Anybody inclined to do so hear a word of experience from me: Us Germans have only had bad experiences with it. I'm to this day eternally grateful that the US battled down Nazism and the Red Army liberated Auschwitz. And that the Russians and Poles did not gun down every German on sight once we were beat as would have been understandable. But it doesn't change the fact that you guys' disregard for Slade and Status Quo - to your credit: you did like Ritchie Blackmore for a good while - is culturally appalling. Or that you are unable to build a car that can go 230 km/h and still stay in an Autobahn curve. Mind you, you're still a lovely country and people. And you went to the moon. Some people say. But as it was under the guidance of a German scientist you probably did go there.

I'm happy to hear how you saved the UK from goose-stepping. For the benefit of historical accuracy: And my good countryman Herr von Steuben saved a bunch of non-military backwooders and tax-dodgers - according to a presidential candidate of yours still a national favorite pasttime of almost half your population, his own 15% are of course perfectly fine - mainly comprising the descendants of inbred, Brit religious fanatics unable to get along with others in their own country from still being a part of the Commonwealth today (together with, eg, New Zealand and Kenya). Plus all those Hessian mercenaries that stayed with you freshened up your genes a good deal (over the historical eyebat of existence of your good country, Germans were - I believe - the largest single immigrant group, it's just that you don't notice us as much once we stop goose-stepping and melt in, jawohl). If it wasn't for us you'd still be playing proper cricket and rugby rather than your strange variations of it.

God Uwe I wish I could type what I think as you seem to be able to do! One of the things I love about this place is we all do get lambasted and rightfully so. We in the USA do have a very egocentric way of thinking of our world position be it politics or music. All BS aside I have learned much from guys like Uwe and Stu and other international posters. I can't remember his name but he is a Thunderbird player and actor /movie maker much of his work is from the Polish point of view of the war................ fascinating stuff.

[Highlander]

I know very little about American history, apart from where it intrudes into my 1943-44 Burma research (and that's pretty much one General who was not very keen on "Limeys") where my knowledge is better than average, but I know more of American history than most Americans will ever know of European history, which, curiously enough, if they trace their roots, is theirs...

The British Empire...? It was an "English" invention, which included, and still does, my roots, which are not English...

My wife is American and she's not that au-fait with her countries' history either... been here for nearly 50 years now... kind of redundant to her...

Historically, decadent societies tend to fall... the British are finished, as is their Empire, where the sun has truly set... Where once there were industries, now there is not much more than wasteland...

My grandfather sailed for over 50 years of his life under the "Red Duster", served in both World Wars and was decorated in both; for gallantry during the second one; even survived a German Torpedo and a German mine - one in each War - for some obscure reason they gave him a statue in central London, something to do with being, "The perfect example of what a sailor should be..." I think he was aware of what War meant...
My father's platoon was wiped out by Japanese that were so desperate for food that they resorted to canibalism; he understood it too...
My home Island lost more men in the Great War, per capita, than any other part of my country; every Hebridean Islander understands that...

Me...? I can take all the insults thrown at me... sling away it if makes anyone happy...

[godofthunder]

 Very true Kenny. "but I know more of American history than most Americans will ever know of European history, which, curiously enough, if they trace their roots, is theirs..."

[westen44]

Very true Kenny. "but I know more of American history than most Americans will ever know of European history, which, curiously enough, if they trace their roots, is theirs..."

Even much of what is taught as American history in schools is not particularly accurate, though.  So, you've got people out there thinking they know something when, in fact, they really don't.  Of course, I have a feeling that its a rare thing for any country to teach its own history very objectively to its children.  Cynical as this may sound, I know too much about human nature to think otherwise. 

[westen44]

I know very little about American history, apart from where it intrudes into my 1943-44 Burma research (and that's pretty much one General who was not very keen on "Limeys") where my knowledge is better than average, but I know more of American history than most Americans will ever know of European history, which, curiously enough, if they trace their roots, is theirs...

The British Empire...? It was an "English" invention, which included, and still does, my roots, which are not English...

My wife is American and she's not that au-fait with her countries' history either... been here for nearly 50 years now... kind of redundant to her...

Historically, decadent societies tend to fall... the British are finished, as is their Empire, where the sun has truly set... Where once there were industries, now there is not much more than wasteland...

My grandfather sailed for over 50 years of his life under the "Red Duster", served in both World Wars and was decorated in both; for gallantry during the second one; even survived a German Torpedo and a German mine - one in each War - for some obscure reason they gave him a statue in central London, something to do with being, "The perfect example of what a sailor should be..." I think he was aware of what War meant...
My father's platoon was wiped out by Japanese that were so desperate for food that they resorted to canibalism; he understood it too...
My home Island lost more men in the Great War, per capita, than any other part of my country; every Hebridean Islander understands that...

Me...? I can take all the insults thrown at me... sling away it if makes anyone happy...

As I understand it, however, you are actually Scottish.  That being the case, I think most Americans wouldn't know of any insults to hurl at Scotland.  It has been my personal observation--and this falls into the anecdotal category--that Americans very rarely have anything negative to say about Scotland (or Ireland.)

[Highlander]

How do you tell a Scotsman's clan...? If he has a couple of half-pounders under his kilt he's a MacDonald...

How do you drive a Scotsman mad...? Put him in a round room and tell him there's a penny in the corner...



If there's one thing the Scots can do with style, it's self deprecation...

[gweimer]

We can always tell Herbie that "it's black o'er Bill's mums".

My family has been traced back to Langensalzbach, which is obviously part of Alsace-Lorraine.  All I know is that the cave dwellers of Europe decided that land should be owned and bought, rather than something that was part of the earth.  We should blame them for all our troubles today, since the tribal cultures believed in giving back to the Earth.  

Here's Cleese on Football

[TBird1958]

  God Uwe I wish I could type what I think as you seem to be able to do! One of the things I love about this place is we all do get lambasted and rightfully so. We in the USA do have a very egocentric way of thinking of our world position be it politics or music. All BS aside I have learned much from guys like Uwe and Stu and other international posters. I can't remember his name but he is a Thunderbird player and actor /movie maker much of his work is from the Polish point of view of the war................ fascinating stuff.

That would be David if I remember correctly. he has a stunning '63 or '64 - his username is 999

[Highlander]

... We should blame them for all our troubles today...

You can bank on that...

[westen44]

How do you tell a Scotsman's clan...? If he has a couple of half-pounders under his kilt he's a MacDonald...

How do you drive a Scotsman mad...? Put him in a round room and tell him there's a penny in the corner...



If there's one thing the Scots can do with style, it's self deprecation...

LOL @Bill Connolly!

[Dave W]

[gweimer]