Domestic / cross cultural issues - Thai / Foreigner concerns

America bashing at Esplanade Mall

By gohmer, Created on: 09/05/2010, Last updated on: 11/06/2011

» I putting this post up because it is related to international relationships with American citizens living and visiting Thailand. It illustrated to me that little is known about America by most people in Thailand, in fact, I think that few in the world truly understand what America is about and how...

• gohmer commented : [quote="Hard_done_by":3mn3j5ld][quote="Na Fianna":3mn3j5ld] ... I would tend to consider your comments in line with the brain washed anti-communist rhetoric of Senator McCarthy and others, again i dont intend that as a personal attack, more the left over feeling of a lot Americans who were raised in a time of constant propaganda. I think if you read some more S.E. Asian history you shall discover that Ho Chi Minh himself came to The United States and the UN in order gain support for a democratic Vietnam, a chance that unfortunately due to France's standing was never grasped. What did happen was that Vietnam defeated an ex-colonial, weak, overstretched France to gain a semblence of freedom until America meddled in affairs(in the name of stoping the reds of course) with puppet governments that infuriated even the south Vietnamese to the point of rebellion. ...[/quote:3mn3j5ld] Well posted.[/quote:3mn3j5ld] This is another example of how Europeans view Americans, which is just as ignorant as you all claiming we are ignorant about the rest of the world. First, the vast, vast majority of Americans today believe McCarthy was an outright idiot. You'd have to dig hard with someone over 65 to find a believer there, and there's a crap load of documentaries shown on American TV daily about that era and how wrong crazy he was. Second, I too am Irish (1 of the 30 million that choose America over the 5 million that chose to stay in Ireland). Third, I actually believe that communism is a quantum leap forward for countries like China and Vietnam compared to the brutal colonialism of the French or the greedy, power hoarding land-owners of China during the various dynasties. I will tell you also that I think, despite his completely idiotic policies that led to millions dying, Mao is a hero of China. He ended forced marriages and brought love to China for the first time in its history, an unintended consequence of shipping millions of youth off to co-ed work camps. Forth, regardless of past brain-washing, it is historical fact that the Soviet Union took over eastern Europe, lied to the allies and had its own agenda for extending its power. If you read Harford MacKinder's essay on Geographical Politics (1904) - [url:3mn3j5ld]http://www.mindef.gov.sg/safti/pointer/back/journals/1998/Vol24_3/8.htm[/url:3mn3j5ld], which is credited for being one of the most influential theories of world dominance, and what guided Hitler's military agenda, and later Stalin's, you will see that McCarthy actually had good cause for worrying about communism. Fifth, there are small countries around the world that America is credited for having a bad reputation due to intervention, Chile, El Salvador, Iran, etc; however, all of these are unfortunate collateral damage due to the bigger picture of the conflict with Stalin and other Soviet leaders. For those affected in these countries, America will always be view as the bad guy, but bottom line is that every western country was dependent on the US for stopping them (Soviets). And, I would argue that had the Soviets not been a world threat for 50 years, there would have been drastically different agendas in Asia. Consider the fact that the Marshal Plan completely rebuilt Japan - and Germany - after WWII. That was to bring peace and stability. Fighting the Soviets was the end game, and thank god we won.

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