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01-16-2009 05:25 PM
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I’m a Canadian and proud of it. I have blood relatives in the USA and many dear and close friends south of the border and when I hear a fellow Canadian bash an American and always being the devils advocate I come back with these quotes
“you could have heard a pin drop when”
When in England, at a fairly large conference, Colin Powell was asked by the Archbishop of Canterbury if our plans for Iraq were just an example of empire building’ by George Bush.
He answered by saying, ‘Over the years, the United States has sent many of its fine young men and women into great peril to fight for freedom beyond our borders. The only amount of land we have ever asked for in return is enough to bury those that did not return.’
You could have heard a pin drop.
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There was a conference in France where a number of international engineers were taking part, including French and American. During a break, one of the French engineers came back into the room saying ‘Have you heard the latest dumb stunt Bush has done? He has sent an aircraft carrier to Indonesia to help the tsunami victims. What does he intended to do, bomb them?’
A Boeing engineer stood up and replied quietly: ‘Our carriers have three hospitals on board that can treat several hundred people; they are nuclear powered and can supply emergency electrical power to shore facilities; they have three cafeterias with the capacity to feed 3,000 people three meals a day, they can produce several thousand gallons of fresh water from sea water each day, and they carry half a dozen helicopters for use in transporting victims and injured to and from their flight deck. We have eleven such ships; how many does France have?’
You could have heard a pin drop.
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A U.S. Navy Admiral was attending a naval conference that included Admirals from the U.S., English, Canadian, Australian and French Navies. At a cocktail reception, he found himself standing with a large group of Officers that included personnel from most of those countries.
Everyone was chatting away in English as they sipped their drinks but a French admiral suddenly complained that, whereas Europeans learn many languages, Americans learn only English.’ He then asked, ‘Why is it that we always have to speak English in these conferences rather than speaking French?’
Without hesitating, the American Admiral replied ‘Maybe it’s because the Brits, Canadians, Aussies and Americans arranged it so you wouldn’t have to speak German.’
You could have heard a pin drop.
~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
AND THIS STORY FITS RIGHT IN WITH THE ABOVE…
Robert Whiting, an elderly gentleman of 83, arrived in Paris by plane. At French Customs, he took a few minutes to locate his passport in his carry on.
‘You have been to France before, monsieur?’ the customs officer asked sarcastically.
Mr. Whiting admitted that he had been to France previously. Then you should know enough to have your passport ready.’
The American said, ’’The last time I was here, I didn’t have to show it.”
‘Impossible. Americans always have to show your passports on arrival in France!’
The American senior gave the Frenchman a long hard look. Then he quietly explained, ’’Well, when I came ashore at Omaha Beach on D-Day in 1944 to help liberate this country, I couldn’t find a single Frenchmen to show a passport to!
You could have heard a pin drop.
-- "Good artists borrow, great artists steal”…..Picasso
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40 replies so far
#1 posted 01-16-2009 06:43 PM
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While many of our brothers and sisters are fighting and dying to liberate other countries our families are suffering. Business’s are closing down. People are losing their jobs and homes. The economy has been drastically declining and getting worse. The money used to liberate these other countries would solve our problems. We sit here hoping things change but our borders are being infiltrated. We are vulnerable and week, in my opinion as week as the countries we are helping. America is a great country to everyone but itself.
-- ~ Inspiring those who inspire me ~
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#2 posted 01-16-2009 06:48 PM
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At the height of De Gaulle’s popularity as Prime Minister of France, the country was in a wave of new-found nationalism. De Gaulle himself contacted US Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara and informed him,”I want all American soldiers off our soil by the end of the year”. McNamara’s response: “even the ones that are buried there?”
-- Einstein: "The intuitive mind is a sacred gift, and the rational mind is a faithful servant. We have created a society that honors the servant and has forgotten the gift." I'm Poopiekat!!
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#3 posted 01-16-2009 08:53 PM
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Thanks for the insite Roman. From a natural born Canadian and a naturalized American.
-- I've been blessed with a father who liked to tinker in wood, and a wife who lets me tinker in wood. Southern Delaware soon moving to Virginia karsonwm@gmail.com †
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#4 posted 01-16-2009 10:37 PM
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wow. i like this one. its true though. thanks!
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#5 posted 01-17-2009 02:58 AM
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Roman, I too am a Canadian and proud of it. Did you hear the pin drop on our northern sovereignty?
-- I will not preach, nor will I be silent.
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#6 posted 01-17-2009 04:04 AM
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Thanks, Roman.
-- Doug, Reed City, Michigan
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#7 posted 01-17-2009 07:47 AM
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Roman, I too am a Canadian and proud of it. Did you hear the pin drop on our northern sovereignty?
I never said we’ld be willing to give that up, but I’ld be happy to share because we have neighbors who already set the example
-- "Good artists borrow, great artists steal”…..Picasso
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#8 posted 01-17-2009 08:21 AM
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Again, thanks Roman.
-- If you think healthcare is expensive now, wait until it's free! PJ O'Rourke
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#9 posted 01-17-2009 09:13 AM
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Roman, thanks. I too get very tired of hearing how bad the USA is when we’ve done so much for the world. I’d love to see how other countries fared if we
- Stopped keeping them free
- Stopped all foreign aid
-- Matt Gradwohl, Upper Cut Woodworks, http://uppercutwoodworks.com/
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#10 posted 01-17-2009 09:30 AM
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As a veteran of our latest war, I would like to thank you. In times like these it is good to hear that there are supporters of our Nation.
America’s weakness comes from the lack of support within. With that being said, thank you again.
-Don
-- -The trick to getting ahead is getting started!
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#11 posted 01-17-2009 11:44 AM
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Roman, as a Native Born “American”, I say Thank you. As the Grandson of two fine Canadian Ladies, I am smiling, knowing that my relatives up north are still a part of my extended family. “Oh Canada, Glorious and Free”. May both of our Nations remain this way!
-- I love the smell of sawdust in the morning....
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#12 posted 01-17-2009 02:43 PM
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I’m in agreement here too. But, having been grown in the U.S., I always thought we could take a few lessons from Canada.
Something that sticks in my mind (as an example) was the movie “Bowling for Columbine”, when Moore was grilling Charlton Heston (NRA). Moore was commenting on guns per capita. Canada has some outrageous number of guns per capita and a handful of murders by guns, whereas U.S. has a much lower ratio of guns per capita and a huge number of murders by guns.
Unfortunately Heston didn’t have much to say…and I thought…Well gee, If that’s the case then it doesn’t sound to me like guns are the problem, the people who have them are.
We recently had a murder locally. 13 yrs old and 16 yrs old. One shot in the head, dead. The other shot and had her throat slit, but she survived to identify the culprits. They are trying to decide on whether to put the 16 yr old on trial as an adult or not. I don’t know what they will do with the 13 yr old. The people they assaulted were something like in their 70’s or older. (it’s cases like this that make me want to include the parents in the trial.)
I’m still trying to figure out how to make the U.S. better. (btw, I have 6 firearms not including the cross-pistol and BB gun and am grateful I can have them, for perspective.)
-- arborial reconfiguration specialist
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#13 posted 01-17-2009 03:04 PM
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Nice one! Regardless of what the politicians do, I am proud to be an American. I was in England many years ago touring with a friends band as a technician, and I got into several arguments with Frenchmen mostly, some Englishmen about how terrible America is and how obnoxious our people are and how corrupt our government is. I always brought up the fact that if it wasn’t for our involvement in WW2, they would all be speaking German right now. It almost always shut everyone up and got me in a few scuffles to boot, but I didn’t care…well maybe it was more the fact that I would point out that the French rolled over like a rock when the Germans basically marched right into Paris and took over the place. The lend lease act supplied the English with almost all their fighting supplies years before we got actually involved in the war. Some people would like to forget history because they don’t like the truth…but I say a loud and proud thank you to any military serviceman who fought in WW2, or any war for that matter. Oh, and if you ever go to England, don’t ask anyone who is the “old Bag” that is on their money..they get a little testy !
-- http://www.facebook.com/pages/DSO-Designs/297237806954248
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#14 posted 01-17-2009 04:53 PM
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I think Don (above) hit the nail on the head. Our biggest weakness comes from lack of support from within. I don’t think that the majority of the younger generations (mine included) know how to “dig deep” and sacrifice, to pull in their neighborhood to work for the greater good of their community and the nation.
My Great Grandmother, Grandfather, and Grandmother used to tell me stories of WWII and the Great Depression. My Great Grandmother had five boys and two girls in the Great Depression. My Grandfather said that he was about 13 when the Great Depression hit, the same year when my Great Grandfather died in the mines. My Great Grandmother was left a single mom in her late 30’s to raise 7 kids, uneducated, no work. My Grandfather used to say that the boys went out to hunt rabbits with sharp sticks, and they fished in all kinds of weather. If they didn’t catch something, they didn’t eat. No car, no insurance, no town Dr, collecting sticks to burn in the wood stove, no livestock. I sometimes even wonder if my Great Grandmother knew the definition of the word selfish or self centered, because she sacrificed everything she had, which was very little- yet she would have given her blankets to a neighbor.
My point is, I think the lack of support that Americans give this country is directly related to this “Me” mentality that is so popular in today’s younger generations. We (generally) really don’t have any idea what it’s like to have to go through that kind of living. I think that sometimes the selfishness clouds and taints our view of this country.
Thanks, Roman, for your thoughts.
Steve
-- As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another. (Proverbs 27:17) †
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#15 posted 01-17-2009 05:47 PM
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Roman,
Your words and thoughts should make all Canadians proud…................I know I am. Thank You.
All the best Gord
-- Informing & Inspiring Today’s Woodworkers: http://www.gordgraff.com
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