[George Hill]

http://www.thisislondon.com/news/articles/5402104

At first glance they appear to be the archetypal Band Of Brothers of Hollywood myth, brave and honest men united in common purpose.
Okay, first off, you slobbering, bloody, pint swilling, git, Band Of Brothers wasn't myth, but a part of History. Ask your Grand Parents about World War II, if they are still alive, and ask them how the Yanks SAVED YOUR FRICKEN UNWORTHY BACON!
By their own admission these American soldiers have killed civilians without hesitation, shot wounded fighters and left others to die in agony.

PROVE THAT! This is outrageous. I can't believe a journalist would print such a slanderous thing...

This article is the worst I have ever read.

[cordex]

By their own admission these American soldiers have killed civilians without hesitation
If a civvie picks up a gun and starts shooting, he's fair game, yes? Hesitation in that situation can mean death.
shot wounded fighters
Just because a soldier is injured doesn't mean he's out of the fight.
and left others to die in agony.
Priorities. Save your comrades, save noncombatant civvies and take the objective. Then render aid to surviving enemy combatants.

[willyjixx]

doesnt the journalist have to appeal to a more sympathetic crowd to hawk his wares?

an over there it seems the way to do that is to represent the american soldier as a bloodthirsty, no mercy baby killing animal!

hey wheres Fonda?

[RepublicanMan]

What a crock, I actually took the time to email the editor, not that I expect a reply or anything but it made me feel a little better.

Anyone whom has ever served in the United States Military knows the rules when it comes to speaking with reporters, especially in a combat zone, and I sincerely doubt that (unless they all happened to have the brain computing power of an amoeba) they'd have said ANY of the garbage claimed as "quotes" in that article.




Dear Sir,

Your recent article by Bob Grahm has to be the most reprehensible pile of drivel I've ever had the displeasure of reading. I suppose Mr. Grahm would prefer that we turn the other cheek? In addition to what I would be willing to bet is nothing more than his weak attempt at sensationalism (based on the fact that EVERY United States soldier is well aware that making public statements to a reporter (especially of a nature such as quoted in his editorial) is in violation of the UCMJ) I find it even more reprehensible that a country such as yours, which owes the United States so much, would find the time to print and distribute such trash.
Perhaps we should collect what you owe us from lend lease and wash our hands of you, I'm sure we'd be better off in the long run.

[Skunkabilly]

Boycott the Brits? Gee George what will you eat then? English food...mmmmmmm :D

[Cosmoline]

Amazing. This is low even by British journalism standards.

"What they told me, in a series of extraordinary interviews..."

And WHO THE HECK ALLOWED THAT TO HAPPEN!! Someone needs their head removed for that. Everyone associated with this paper should have their access denied across the board. This jerk twisted everything they said, turning understandable exhaustion into Vietnam-era disillusionment.

[DRC]

Hello to all,

While I agree that the article is bilge I do have to say that one should not blanket and entire country for what one or even a few journalists write. After all look at what our very own liberal press writes on a frequent basis. According to our own press our military is baby killers, and killers of innocent men, women and children as well as our own allies. It ain't Britian or the British it's the liberal thinkers that blame America first for everything evil in the world. Give credit where credit is do but put the blame where it lies.

I was watching I believe it was CNN (The Clinton News Network) and they were interviewing a british journalist who sited a poll done in Britain regarding anti-American sentiment and even he said only about 35% of Britain share it. So putting it in perspective show your your disdain but for only 35% of Britain (and even that number is probably high seeing as it was a liberal broadcast from a liberal journalist and taken by a liberal media venue) Hate those that hate you but don'e hate them all.

My opinion,

DRC

[agricola]

george hill,

you mean a media outlet is changing history to make a story?

http://imagecache2.allposters.com/images/145/HR0182.jpg
http://www.emerchandise.com/images/p/PTR/pdPOPTR0002.jpg
http://www.oneposter.com/UserData/Poster/Poster_1642.jpg

<adopts Apu voice> "Ha! Now you know how it feels!"

ps: of course, we saved ourselves prior to your admittedly welcome entry. We then together went on to save the French, who remain ungrateful.

[RepublicanMan]

Possibly a "non-issue" but, you saved yourselves using equipment supplied (at least a large portion of it was anyway) by us, and of course more than a few American flyboys were along to help as well if memory serves. :D

[Ledbetter]

News is supposed to be true and objective. "Stories" and movies are supposed to be entertainment.

Somewhat paradoxically, however, I find the film clip of Neville Chamberlain waving his peace document signed by "Herr Hitler" to be endlessly entertaining.

The notion that the Brits saved themselves in WWII is an interesting one, considering that they were contemplating fighting the Germans on their own beaches with pitchforks and fowling pieces before the big bad USA gave the Germans something else to do besides invade an island 70 miles wide.

The French are, apparently from this thread, only a little more ungrateful than the Brits. George, let us know if there's anything British worth buying or boycotting.

[El Tejon]

Ag, good point.

Anti-Americanism sells amongst the Euros. The Ingerish media knows their market. Nothing more.

[George Hill]

agricola - That was about the most ignorant post you could have made. Come on now... everyone knows those stories are just that... stories.
However Band of Brothers is based on something that REALLY HAPPENED. I suggest you watch the DVDs. Blackhawk Down is another... it really happened. These things are a part of history.
And for a Brit to mock the very men who saved their butts is INSULTING. I wasn't there. But my Grand Father was. I have every right to feel pissed (in the American vernacular not Engish) about this jerk Bob Grahm who just spit on American Soldiers Past and Present.
If most English folk over there have a problem with Americans - If that is the "Market" they are pandering too - SSSCRRRROOOO'EM!

:cuss:

[Tamara]

Does that mean we have to stop buying English automobile companies? I think TVR is still domestically owned... ;)

[Desert Dog]

No Guinness? Oh wait, that is Irish... :D

No more blood pudding??? Or kidney pie? :uhoh:

Darn. :rolleyes:

[dinosaur]

Ah yes, I`ll miss that boiled beef.:neener:

[agricola]

george hill,

Actually "U-571" was based on a real event that resulted in the deaths of two RN personnel who stayed aboard a captured U Boat passing up the enigma code machine and papers with disregard for their own safety. "Braveheart" saw the trend for historical vandalism for an American audience lifted to new heights both in terms of chronology (Wallace and Isabella's meeting) and events (Stirling Bridge managing to lose the bridge which was the focus of fighting), topped later by "The Patriot" which portrayed the redcoats as the immediate forerunner of the SS and which took an event from the black annals of the SS (Oradur-sur-Glaine) and had the redcoats carry it out.

"Titanic" changed history so much that a man who was cited at the inquiry for saving hundreds of lives was in the film portrayed as a murdering thug. "Saving Private Ryan" also managed to ignore 3/5 of the contributors to D-Day aside from one knock at Monty. Over the past ten years British history has been systematically abused by (in the main) US movie companies, and given that one article on a local website has produced such a massive outpouring of bile after a percieved inaccuracy, it is satisfying to see Hollywood's own medicine being returned, if only in a regrettably small amount.

Besides, I seem to recall a scene in "Band of Brothers" where prisoners who had surrendered were executed by US airborne forces so maybe the author has a point?

The worst aspect of this is, of course, the continuing statements that you saved us. You didnt - you helped (both in terms of the few men who volunteered and supplies), but the "Few" and all the rest saved my country more than a year before your country entered the war after it had been attacked. The war was then won by the combined energies of the USSR, the USA and the Commonwealth.

[El Tejon]

George, the Ingerish press is like our Hollywood. They take deliberate liberties with the truth to move product.

Hollywood took liberties (O.K., they made it up) with U-571. The English press writes silly things about America (and everyone else) because it sells.

No reason to get all fired up at the English as a whole.:)

Ag, glad I'm not the only one upset with Braveheart. However, there has to be a bad guy in Hollywierd movies.:uhoh:

[Don Gwinn]

Whatever, Ag. In truth, I think you realize that comparing the "artistic license" taken by people who make fictional movies cannot reasonably be compared to the same kind of license taken in a newspaper by a man who preventes himself as a reporter.

[Zedicus]

Originaly Posted by: willyjixx
doesnt the journalist have to appeal to a more sympathetic crowd to hawk his wares?

an over there it seems the way to do that is to represent the american soldier as a bloodthirsty, no mercy baby killing animal!


Being an American Living in the UK I have First Hand knowlege and experence of that excriment.

Unfortunitly a large Majority of the British are Very Prejuduced aganst Americans, and none ever seem able to give any answers as to why they have such a hatred for us.

In the UK Americans are most commonly refferd to as "Yanks" and the word is said as if it were describing a mound of excrement.

Here's some True Examples of such Prejudice in action from my own expereance of living in the UK...

Job Applications/Interviews: I have been turned down for a job to many times to count on the sole basis of where I come from, one application was actualy so brass necked as to gain a reply by mail of "We Don't Hire YANKS!" and it proceded to tell me in a rather insulting manner to go back to the USA...
(As a Result I have been Unemployed since I made the mistake of moving here in Nov 95)

Stores: You even see the Prejudice in the stores you shop in, the most common is the prices of things, most shop keepers and the like tend to try and charge up to 70% more to anyone who sounds American, this is so common in fact that it is as if it's a National Passtime...

Goverment and Local Officals: I am sure most of you may have heard about the mayor of London Insulting the USA and Americans in General whenever he can, but I have actualy had a Offical of the local goverment (IE: City Hall) tell me to my face that Americans are not welcome and to go back to the US...

9/11: After the Tragic Events of 9/11 there were to my complete and utter shock and disgust some people in the UK who were saying that "America "Deserved" 9/11 and had it coming to them"...
And when I would ask them why they thought that, they only had pointless answers to the effect of "cuz they did!"...
(I feel strongly about this as Family of several Friends of mine Died in the events of 9/11)

Don't get me wrong though, there are still people here who are friendly to Americans, but they are sadly from what I have seen, a "Minority".

And the British and Eropean Media's attitude and mis information only adds fuel to this.

To many British and many in other European Countrys Americans are Profiled to be Bloodthersty, Violent, Gun Happy/Trigger Happy, Shoot First and Don't ask Questions Abominations.

I have no Idea why any EU Country or the UK would want to promote such views, or why many of the populations are stupid enough to blindly beleve them...

as a Unfortunite Result of this I am saving to move back to the US ASAP!
(Hopefully by the end of 2004 at the latest...)

I would like to end this post with a Quote from Tom Sellik[sp?] in the Movie "Quigly Down Under": "We allredy got rid of our Misfits, We sent them Back to England!":neener:

[Tamara]

All is forgiven, please come home. :)

[HBK]

Wow, I thought that kind of seniment was the minority. If it's in the majority, then maybe it is a matter of time before the Brits are as bad as the French.

[Oleg Volk]

Over the past ten years British history has been systematically abused by (in the main) US movie companies

Agricola, most of us don't learn history from movies, esp. Hollyweird movies. The last movie I saw was Dark Blue World and it was very complimentary of the RAF and British people in general...though not 100% accurate historically, it was close.

For all you boycotters: are you suggesting punishing those Brits who are productive and create something of value, something you'd normally buy, just to vent your spleen over the actions of completely unrelated ill-bred proles who happen to be using a printing press to get on your nerves? Seems to me you are getting at the wrong people, and isn't collective responsibility a bit of an un-American method anyway?

[George Hill]

*kicking rocks*
No... I'm not going to boycott the English.











Yet.

/Scottish blood and fingering the hilt of his Skien Dhu and eyeing the English with suspicion.

[RepublicanMan]

You can think and say what you wish Agricola (a benefit you enjoy thanks to the USofA primarily) but the sad and very plain to see fact of the matter is that if it weren't for the United States you'd either be eating a hell of a lot of Pork and Kraut, enjoying life as a lampshade or, if by some miracle your country DID manage to hold off the Nazis, speaking Russian by now as either of those two powers would have spanked England without us becoming involved or hanging around afterwards to guarantee that the Soviets stayed on their side of the line.

[willyjixx]

face it fellas........................


the Brits are still bitter over the spanking they got from a bunch of crooks an religious weirdos that they sent here in the first place. there still peeved over the loss of all those "Taxes" an they will whine, complain, cajole others, an all in all act very (very snooty voice) English.............

until they need a real fighting force again.


Zedicus :

we welcome your return

[ACP230]

American poet and novelist Jim Harrison wrote about wanting to plant grizzly bears on the English moors.
I used to think he was a bit extreme.
Now I think it would be an injustice to the bears.

[Oleg Volk]

Just watch the sweeping generalizations. We have a few UK members here, all nice people.

[Stoney]

Not having met many Brits I've never really formed an opinion good or bad. The ones I have worked with seem like ordinary Joe's just trying to keep the wolf at the door, much like myself.

Yes, Europe is a lot more liberal and socialist then the United States. I would hope our European brothers understand we're not like them and have no wish to be. It's likewise with them I'm sure. International pissing contests like this one serve neither of us. Pardon my language.

Just my $0.02 worth. For whatever it's worth.

[rrader]

RepublicanMan:

You can think and say what you wish Agricola (a benefit you enjoy thanks to the USofA primarily) but the sad and very plain to see fact of the matter is that if it weren't for the United States you'd either be eating a hell of a lot of Pork and Kraut, enjoying life as a lampshade or

You're arguing with a kindergartener.

The Brits certainly "saved themselves" from complete destruction with the boat-lift from Dunkirk, and "saved themselves" from the same with the endless retreat across N. Africa, and "saved themselves" a whole lot of fighting with the surrender at Singapore.

Good thing some of the current generation know how to fight (Falklands, Iraq).

[Tamara]

That'll be quite enough.