BS: What has the US ever done for us?

Subject: BS: What has the US ever done for us?
From: GUEST,Soma
Date: 11 Nov 02 - 01:31 PM

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Search for "done for us" threads

Subject: RE: BS: What has the US ever done for us?
From: RolyH
Date: 11 Nov 02 - 01:36 PM

MacDonalds?

Subject: RE: BS: What has the US ever done for us?
From: KJ
Date: 11 Nov 02 - 01:46 PM

Bugger all!!!

Subject: RE: BS: What has the US ever done for us?
From: Ron Olesko
Date: 11 Nov 02 - 01:58 PM

Us who???    The US has done a lot for me, but then again I live here.

Subject: RE: BS: What has the US ever done for us?
From: alanabit
Date: 11 Nov 02 - 02:51 PM

Saved our hides in two world wars. Polluted us with MacDonalds, Coca Cola and chewing gum. Given us jazz, blues, bluegrass and rock and roll. Sent over appalling dross on television. Provided expertise and capital to develop large parts of our industry (for instance North Sea Oil). Taken away a lot of our best scientific brains by the simple expedient of paying them fairly. Given us Mudcat and thousands of friends. Mixed feelings really - but the same goes for my own family.

Subject: RE: BS: What has the US ever done for us?
From: Ron Olesko
Date: 11 Nov 02 - 03:08 PM

"Sent over appalling dross on television"???? It's not exactly like we gave it to you! You bought the crap! Someone at the BBC or LWT paid good money to buy those shows.

Let the buyer beware!!!!

:)

Ron

Subject: RE: BS: What has the US ever done for us?
From: Kim C
Date: 11 Nov 02 - 03:42 PM

Bob Dylan.

Elvis Presley.

Sweet tea.

Grits.

Cadillacs.

Teddy bears.

Stetson hats.

The Grand Ole Opry.

Macintosh computers.

Good ol' Southern barbecue.

William Faulkner.

Henry Ford.

FDR.

Harry Truman.

General MacArthur.

the 101st Airborne.

Broadway musicals.

Josephine Baker.

Stephen Foster.

Subject: RE: BS: What has the US ever done for us?
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 11 Nov 02 - 03:43 PM

It would be horribly crowded back here...

Subject: RE: BS: What has the US ever done for us?
From: DougR
Date: 11 Nov 02 - 03:51 PM

Arghhhhhhh! Kim you forgot chili, and maybe even cornbread (though I'm not sure about the latter).

DougR

Subject: RE: BS: What has the US ever done for us?
From: Little Hawk
Date: 11 Nov 02 - 03:51 PM

Davy Crockett, Dan'l Boone, Robert E. Lee, hula hoops, constant fear of nuclear annihilation, Winona Ryder, Cher, the WWF, Buddy Holly, a flag that looks like a really wacky set of pajamas, money with secret Masonic symbols on it, bubble gum (I think...), Mark Twain, Walt Whitman, southern Baptists, Hollywood, Las Vegas, L.A., Jackson Browne, Warren Zevon, Al Capone, Lucy Luciano...

The list goes on forever. It's like counting up the Angels in Heaven and the devils in Hell...

- LH

Subject: RE: BS: What has the US ever done for us?
From: dick greenhaus
Date: 11 Nov 02 - 03:52 PM

Well, I guess we pointed out the folly of colonialism a couple of hundred years back. And we supplied the Mudcat...

Subject: RE: BS: What has the US ever done for us?
From: alanabit
Date: 11 Nov 02 - 03:58 PM

Ron - you are rubbing it in. It's bad enough to admit to taking your dross TV but for you to rub in the fact that we gave you MONEY for it is just too hard. It's not fair when folks have to go down to the level of telling the truth... It's a hard, hard world...

Subject: RE: BS: What has the US ever done for us?
From: Kim C
Date: 11 Nov 02 - 04:07 PM

Doug, I don't think we can lay claim to chili. I believe that came from south of the border.

Cornbread, on the other hand........................

Subject: RE: BS: What has the US ever done for us?
From: Dead Horse
Date: 11 Nov 02 - 04:09 PM

Loads of shanties + variations of same.
Blackballers.
Bloody fine schooners.
But.......
..the buggers still owe us for the tea they dumped in Boston Harbour!

Subject: RE: BS: What has the US ever done for us?
From: Dead Horse
Date: 11 Nov 02 - 04:11 PM

Was going to add Cajun music, but we gave that to the U.S. by kicking the poor buggers out of Canada!

Subject: RE: BS: What has the US ever done for us?
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 11 Nov 02 - 04:16 PM

"I guess we pointed out the folly of colonialism a couple of hundred years back."

And then proceeded to colonise an entire continent.

I sometimes wonder how it would have worked out if the French had won against the British, and North America had developed as a Francophone continent instead - with the Eastern Colonies maybe as a sort of French Canada equivalent, within Les Etats Unis.

I suppose the Mudcat would be in French, and my French would be a lot better than it is as a result.

Subject: RE: BS: What has the US ever done for us?
From: Rapparee
Date: 11 Nov 02 - 04:16 PM

Nah, the insurance paid for the tea that got dumped. Lloyds' picked up the tab.

Subject: RE: BS: What has the US ever done for us?
From: Ron Olesko
Date: 11 Nov 02 - 04:31 PM

Kim, Chili IS American. The only place you can find chili south of the border is in tourist traps. There are a number of histories that can show it originated in Texas from Spanish settlers.

Ice cream cones, pizza, hamburgers, hot dogs - all American fare.   Sure elements of each came from other countries, but we put it together.


Ron

Subject: RE: BS: What has the US ever done for us?
From: Kim C
Date: 11 Nov 02 - 04:32 PM

Well, the British burned down the White House in the War of 1812, so I think we're even.

Subject: RE: BS: What has the US ever done for us?
From: Little Hawk
Date: 11 Nov 02 - 04:34 PM

If the French had won, North America would be a lot less well organized, a lot more romantic, and a lot less puritan. "Free Love" would not have had to wait until the 60's. There'd be more sidewalk cafes and more wine. Less beer.

Politicians would be admired for having affairs instead of castigated for it.

I think I like the French version. God knows, the Indians liked the French a lot better (with the one exception of the Iroquois Six Nations). The British were a very tight-assed lot of people, but they were well-organized.

- LH

Subject: RE: BS: What has the US ever done for us?
From: Ron Olesko
Date: 11 Nov 02 - 04:36 PM

Little Hawk - more wine and less beer? You consider that a good thing??????

Subject: RE: BS: What has the US ever done for us?
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 11 Nov 02 - 04:39 PM

They haven't castigated Clinton have they? Ouch.

Subject: RE: BS: What has the US ever done for us?
From: Ron Olesko
Date: 11 Nov 02 - 04:40 PM

They who?

Subject: RE: BS: What has the US ever done for us?
From: GUEST
Date: 11 Nov 02 - 04:42 PM

For me, the US, rid me of the tyranny of Maggie Thatcher.

Subject: RE: BS: What has the US ever done for us?
From: Steve Latimer
Date: 11 Nov 02 - 05:10 PM

They've given us just about all the music that I listen to.

Subject: RE: BS: What has the US ever done for us?
From: GUEST,Taliesn
Date: 11 Nov 02 - 06:20 PM

Allowing for the other usual things already mentioned;
Just musically?

The Les Paul electric guitar without which there would have been *no* Brtiish Pop invasion. ;-)
Yeah, right, the Beatles and the Stones could've made it as accoustic acts ;-)

For that matter I've often argued that Jimi Hendrix would *never* had made the sensastion he made had he not *first* gone to London , soaked up the culture of competitive guitar virtuosity of the time,and joined up with 2 equally talented Brit craftsman of drum and bass.

And the British virtuoso I always refer to as the Hendrix of the Keyboard, Keith Emerson had gone as far as he could've gone with the Hammond Bs organ until the american Robert Moog made the synthesizer.

And where would any of them be without Edison's phonograph?

And whilst waxing gadgety ,although I love the unique quality of the better Brit cinema ( "Man for All Seasons' one of my Top 5 all time favorites )
if there is nothing else uniquely American it's "da Movies"
(also thanks to Thomas Edison's motion picture camera ) and their various master craftsman directors/filmmakers. ( Orson Wells/John Huston , Disney, the makers of the "Wizard of Oz" etc, etc. )

One forgets that Jazz also means Gerschwin and Copeland.

Yeah ,our market is precisely "what we've ever done" for you by way of your economy. We've given plenty of other countries a lot of their GNP by them selling into our Amercian consumer culture ; good , bad and evrytthing in-between.
Ever wonder why the Beatles were knighted? Had something to do with that old joke about what the letters of the old British airlines B.O.A.C. stood for ( Bring Over Amercian Cash ) So what you Brits lost in tea you have more than made up for breaking into our markets with just da Beatles and da Stones.

So , you're all welcome ;-)

Subject: RE: BS: What has the US ever done for us?
From: greg stephens
Date: 11 Nov 02 - 06:52 PM

Things I like:
90% of the music I love
Marx bothers
james stewart
westerns
steinbeck
moby dick
thoreau
frankfurters(i've heard they dont come from frankfurt)
chuck yeager
some good friends
louisiana
bobert's house
helping us out in our big troubles

things I dont like
macdonalds
people telling me how religious they are
people who tell me about their feelings
people who lecture me about irish politics
computers
g bush
people who lecture me about scottish history
peter paul and mary's harmonies
root beer
that strange white gravy with bits in(not sure about this, I'm ambivalent)
films with tom cruse or nicole kidman
putting the accent on the first syllable of "REsearch"
putting everything round the edges of towns instead of in the middle

Subject: RE: BS: What has the US ever done for us?
From: kendall
Date: 11 Nov 02 - 07:21 PM

You gave us Twiggy; we gave you the TORREY CANYON.

Subject: RE: BS: What has the US ever done for us?
From: Bert
Date: 11 Nov 02 - 07:25 PM

Gawd Kendall, someone else old enough to remember the Torrey Canyon. You'll be reminding us of The Private Enterprise next.

Steve, they borrowed most of that music from the British Isles, and improved on it.

Subject: RE: BS: What has the US ever done for us?
From: nager
Date: 11 Nov 02 - 07:38 PM

Perhaps given us the world's worst accent?
Fair dinkum fellas, it's bloody awful...

Subject: RE: BS: What has the US ever done for us?
From: Gareth
Date: 11 Nov 02 - 07:47 PM

Upside - 50 old dstroyers, and lend lease, the mighty 8th USAAF, the Sherman Tank, Dwight D Eisenhower, Bradley and Patton - The Packard Merlin, - and the sacrifice and blood of an awful lot of your people to buy our freedom (Posted 11/11/02)

Downside - Your culture, even if we bought it.

Gareth

Subject: RE: BS: What has the US ever done for us?
From: RangerSteve
Date: 11 Nov 02 - 07:52 PM

I once heard of a guy named Thomas Edison. I think he invented (or in some cases perfected) a few things that some people still use.

Subject: RE: BS: What has the US ever done for us?
From: Alice
Date: 11 Nov 02 - 08:02 PM

Subject: RE: BS: What has the US ever done for us?
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 11 Nov 02 - 08:22 PM

Oh yes - Michael Moore, Garrison Keillor, Noam Chomsky and Hunter Thompson. And a good few others (Woody Guthrie, Pete Seeger, Bob Dylan, Nanci Griffiths...)

But I still think a French USA would probably have been a more civilising infuence in the world, and just as good for the music, if maybe a bit different.

Subject: RE: BS: What has the US ever done for us?
From: Bill D
Date: 11 Nov 02 - 10:05 PM

greg stephens---REsearch is a noun, reSEARCH is a verb...very useful! The former is what you get after you do the latter.

Subject: RE: BS: What has the US ever done for us?
From: Midchuck
Date: 11 Nov 02 - 10:24 PM

things I dont like
macdonalds
people telling me how religious they are
people who tell me about their feelings
.........
peter paul and mary's harmonies
...............
films with tom cruse or nicole kidman
putting the accent on the first syllable of "REsearch"
putting everything round the edges of towns instead of in the middle

I'm over here and I don't like them thangs neither....

P.

Subject: RE: BS: What has the US ever done for us?
From: DonMeixner
Date: 12 Nov 02 - 12:50 AM

Beyond lending most of Europe the money to defend themselves during two world wars. Money that most of Europe hasn't seen fit to repay I can't think of a thing the US has done or should have felt obligated to. We didn't give anyone fast food or bad movies or hot cars or great and not so great music. That was all bought from the market place by willing consumers who never heard of or understood the meaning of "caveat emptor".

What has Europe given me, nothing, all that I have thats European I paid for. Beyond the language, some truly great music and art, and maybe Dr. Who, everything else I need exists in abundance right here in central New York

What has the US given me? Nothing but the opertunity to succeed or fail. Everything else I have worked for and earned.

Don

Subject: RE: BS: What has the US ever done for us?
From: GUEST,Boab
Date: 12 Nov 02 - 01:17 AM

I'm daring to hope for you all! Seinfeld never got a mention!!

Subject: RE: BS: What has the US ever done for us?
From: The Shambles
Date: 12 Nov 02 - 02:31 AM

Saved our hides in two world wars

Beyond lending most of Europe the money to defend themselves during two world wars. Money that most of Europe hasn't seen fit to repay I can't think of a thing the US has done or should have felt obligated to. Nuff said.

This thread has managed to treat the subject (this time and so far) with humour, but why oh why do we still fall for this?

Subject: RE: BS: What has the US ever done for us?
From: Hrothgar
Date: 12 Nov 02 - 03:33 AM

Who says the French are civilised? Those wonderful people who gave us the Napoleonic Wars....

... and sank the Rainbow Warrior in their modern attempt to prove that they are militarily great.

And I left a space in the middle, you'll notice, for things I might think of later, like trying to take over Mexico, etc., etc.

Subject: RE: BS: What has the US ever done for us?
From: Troll
Date: 12 Nov 02 - 04:45 AM

Hrothgar, you beat me to it. I will however mention the French Revolution and the Terror. Algeria might have a thing or two to say about the civilization of the French along with the rest of the French African colonial empire.

troll

Subject: RE: BS: What has the US ever done for us?
From: Mr Furrow
Date: 12 Nov 02 - 05:08 AM

Looking at the responses, they all seem to be things the US "SOLD" rather than "gave". Hmmmmmm who was said "the business of America is business"? :o)

Subject: RE: BS: What has the US ever done for us?
From: Catarina
Date: 12 Nov 02 - 06:04 AM

The US, as most american countries did, gave space and hope to thousands of europeans. That was one good thing. They were probably the first country to try and practice modern age democracy. That's another good thing. They do tend to put their foot in their mouth, but there's always someone who acknowleges the fact and apologises for it. They actually helped us during both World Wars and they even fed us after WWII. They have wonderful writers, great poets, wonderful musicians. They sometimes seem strange to european eyes, but that's what usualy happens when children grow - the parents find them strange, but still love them. (Sorry if my english looks strange...)

Subject: RE: BS: What has the US ever done for us?
From: RangerSteve
Date: 12 Nov 02 - 06:48 AM

I once saw a French recipe for "Mice in Cream". Really. Add this to snails and frogs and those little bite-size birds, and tell me about French civilization. I'll take Mcdonalds over that stuff any day.

Subject: RE: BS: What has the US ever done for us?
From: DonMeixner
Date: 12 Nov 02 - 07:48 AM

Little Hawk, Don't go picking on our money, we aren't the ones who put oil refineries on our bills. We don't have currency called Loonies.

The Iroguois Confederacy had a Jesuit Mission built right in the middle of the nation. When invite to a dinner the French castigated the Indians ( they call themselves that, so shall I) using the wrong fork with the fooey grass. BUt when Hiawatha drank the Merlot while eating the carp the French bid them leave. The confederacy being a Matriarchal society took this insult to there manners very seriously. Futhermore, they recognized immediately what was wrong with a government run by a religion and had nothing to do with the French there after.

William Johnson came along many years later and did something no Europeans, and quite afew colonists had failed to do. Treat them fairly.

Don

Subject: RE: BS: What has the US ever done for us?
From: Dave Bryant
Date: 12 Nov 02 - 07:53 AM

The best thing was declaring independenc.

Subject: RE: BS: What has the US ever done for us?
From: Teribus
Date: 12 Nov 02 - 07:55 AM

Left to the French "Les Etats Unis" would never have come into being - they just were not interested in the place and had neither intent nor ambition to develope it (hence their willingness to negotiate their Canadian provinces away, Louisianna purchase, etc)). The Spanish were a great deal keener. Politically North and South America would be very much alike, i.e. composed of a number of independent countries - not one nation.

Subject: RE: BS: What has the US ever done for us?
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 12 Nov 02 - 10:36 AM

The French in France were about as interested in North America as the English in England. Which is to say, not all that interested.

The French in North America seem to have been quite interested in getting around the place and settling in. But in a rather different way, which might have been a bit more satisfactory for the people who were there first.

I sometimes speculate how thing might have worked out if the sentries had spotted General Wolfe's troops climbing the Heights of Abraham. An alternative history, with the French Revolution taking place in America, and a French/Meti Republic spreading west, and the mass immigration from Europe going in via the Saint Lawrence and New Orleans. Meanwhile the English Colonies, cut off from the interior, retain their British link, Canadian style, and develop as southerly Maritime Provinces...

Subject: RE: BS: What has the US ever done for us?
From: Kim C
Date: 12 Nov 02 - 11:43 AM

Okay Ron. :-) I was under the impression that chile con carne, just meat with ground-up chili peppers in it, was particularly Mexican. Wouldn't be the first time I was wrong!

Anyway.... I prefer chili without beans, thank you very much.

Haha! Thomas Edison! That was a good one. :-)

Subject: RE: BS: What has the US ever done for us?
From: Naemanson
Date: 12 Nov 02 - 12:10 PM

I'm surprised none of you have come up with what the USA has really given the world, namely a place on which the rest of the world can focus frustrated anger at arrogance and greed.