OT: Feeling Better - U.S.A. [crosspost]

[Guest guest]

Here is something a Canadian reporter had to say about the United

States. I know there is a lot of anti-American sentiment these

days, and some of it is founded. But it's nice to hear something

good about the United States for a change. This may seem like

" feel-good rhetoric " , but the facts are sound and besides, we

could use some " feel-good " right about now!

From a Canadian newspaper

America: The Good Neighbor.

Widespread but only partial news coverage was given recently to 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 France 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, warmongering Americans.

I'd like to see just one of those countries thatis gloating over

the erosion of the United States dollar build itsown airplane.

Does any other country in the world have a plane to equal the

Boeing Jumbo Jet, the Lockheed Tri-Star, or the DC10? If

so, why don't they fly them? Why do all the International lines

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 Americans 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. "

-Sherry (Lake Marcel, WA)

BPD/DS Feb. 2, 2001

self-pay

5'5 " / 299 pounds / 34 years old

Lost 9 pounds in pre-op weight loss efforts

Have lost 112 pounds since surgery!

Total of 121 pounds gone forEVER!

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