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Dear Andrea, As an American who has lived overseas in various continents most of my life, I have heard all the put-downs possible, but there is a lot of truth in the article you put on the list. Thanks. Suzanne Sinclair Auckland, New Zealand ---------- From: "Andrea A. Ferguson" <fergus@worldnetla.net> To: <sinclair@mids.org> Subject: Re: Gordon Sinclair's editorial Date: Wed, 19 Jan 2000 5:46 AM +IKw This article echoes the thoughts voiced by my mother so many times. My mom is a Sinclair and a native Canadian. It is very nice to see it in print. Best wishes, Andrea Ferguson > > > Canadian's thoughts on America > > > > > >Interesting - a defense of America from someone else. > > > > > >This comes from a Canadian newspaper about America. A remarkable > > >editorial broadcast from Toronto by Gordon Sinclair, a Canadian > > >television commentator. What follows is the full text of his trenchant > > >remarks as printed in the congressional Record: > > > > > >"This Canadian thinks it is time to speak up for the Americans as the > > >most generous and possibly the least appreciated people on all the > >earth. > > >Germany, Japan and, to a lesser extent, Britain and Italy were lifted > >out > > >of the debris of war by the Americans who poured in billions of > >dollars > > >and forgave other billions in debts. None of these countries is today > > >paying even the interest on its remaining debts to the United States. > > >When the franc was in danger of collapsing in 1956, it was the > >Americans > > >who propped it up, and their reward was to be insulted and swindled on > > >the streets of Paris. I was there. I saw it. > > > > > >"When earthquakes hit distant cities, it is the United States that > > >hurries in to help. This spring, 59 American communities were > >flattened > > >by tornadoes. Nobody helped. The Marshall Plan and the Truman Policy > > >pumped billions of dollars into discouraged countries. Now newspapers > >in > > >those countries are writing about the decadent, war-mongering > >Americans. > > > > > >"I'd like to see just one of those countries that is gloating over the > > >erosion of the United States dollar build its own airplane. Does any > > >other country in the world have a plane to equal the Boeing Jumbo Jet, > > >the Lockheed Tri-Star, or the Douglas DC-10? If so, why don't they fly > > >them? Why do all the Inter- national Airlines except Russia fly > >American > > >planes? Why does no other land on earth even consider putting a man or > > >woman on the moon? > > > > > >"You talk about Japanese technocracy, and you get radios. You talk > >about > > >German technocracy, and you get automobiles. You talk about American > > >technocracy, and you find men on the moon-not once, but several times > > >-- and safely home again. > > > > > >"You talk about scandals, and the Americans put theirs right in the > >store > > >window for everybody to look at. Even their draft-dodgers are not > >pursued > > >and hounded. They are here on our streets, and most of them, unless > >they > > >are breaking Canadian laws, are getting American dollars from ma and > >pa > > >at home to spend here. > > > > > >"When the railways of France, Germany and India were breaking down > > >through age, it was the American who rebuilt them. When the > >Pennsylvania > > >Railroad and the New York Central went broke, nobody loaned them an > >old > > >caboose. Both are still broke. I can name you 5000 times when the > > >Americans raced to the help of other people in trouble. Can you name > >me > > >even one time when someone else raced to the Americans in trouble? I > > >don't think there was outside help even during the San Francisco > > >earthquake. > > > > > >"Our neighbors have faced it alone, and I'm one Canadian who is damned > > >tired of hearing them get kicked around. They will come out of this > >thing > > >with their flag high. And when they do, they are entitled to thumb > >their > > >nose at the lands that are gloating over their present troubles. I > >hope > > >Canada is not one of those. Stand proud, Americans!" |