[Tenchu]

Originally Posted by Hatredcopter

Are you suggesting we should have a more positive view of Stalin?

Once I got a book written by Ian Kershaw on Hitler. It was supposed to be the best ever written.

I can't remember exactley what it said on the back, but it was something along the lines of calling Hitler evil, and the only way we can stop a repeat of that war was to understand how he became so evil and stuff.

My college history teacher also told me basically the same thing.

I don't like that. I don't think it's a correct way to pass information by telling them your personal opinion of them. I mean, your own opinion has nothing to do with history. It's irrelevant. All you should do is lay down the facts and leave it up to the individual to realize their own opinion.

Americans are always so absolute; they only believe their style of government works. All their own values are the best. They're the only just side in any conflict. So on.

I mean, most people think they do everything the right way; why would you do something if you knew a better way to do it? I just get sick of the arrogance when people don't realize they might not be so perfect, and they should remain a bit more humble and open eared.

Originally Posted by Hatredcopter

What you said may have been true in the past, thanks to Joe McCarthy and the Red Scare, but today the disdain for Russia and China is due less in part to Communism (which doesn't exist in either country anymore), and more due to the corruption and violations of human rights that occur in those countries.

But by these standards, we should also disdain America.

They're pretty good to other fellow Americans, regardless of race or religion. But the difference between American and China pretty much ends there. They're just as shocking in a war with war crimes. They treat animals like s***. Companies are full of corruption. These are the most common few things people dislike China for, yet America does them all too.

I mean, I know individual Americans often dislike this stuff, but it's the goverment that does, as is in China. But when it's China's government doing it, it seems the entire nation is to blame. But when the US government does it, it's a frowned upon "scandal" where the only people accountable are the ones who were there and did it themselves.

I think this views around because of some kind of selfish thing again; they know them as a person would never do such a horrible thing, so they think they're not a part of it, i.e. it isn't Americas fault, it's George Bush's fault, as an individual. But unable to think of others, where George Bush is currupt, the entire nation of China is to blame for the same things.

It's hard to say anyone's right in such a mess, but it's the smart thing to do is not be biased, look at what's really happening and why, and when you tell someone else about the event, tell them the truth, not your view of it, as you're not watching from the pristine perspective, no one is.

Originally Posted by Hatredcopter

I'm genuinely curious where your highly negative opinion of Americans come from. You've never had anything good to say about them ever since you've been on these forums. Have you really met that many Americans in person to form a solid opinion on them? Those silly surveys they conduct with Americans on The Chaser's War on Everything and other popular European/Australian programs are heavily edited and very unrepresentative. We aren't all flag-waving idiots who are bad at geography, mate.

I have an American friend here in Thailand. He's alright.

But the culture of a nation has a massive impact on the entire population in a very subtle way. You may not see it. I do. I like Russians better.