Is George Bush Really the Leader of the Free World?

[Adam]

On the channel 9 news here in Melbourne, they were just chatting with some reporter from the USA, who referred to George Bush as the "leader of the free world". WTF? How could anyone, even a stoned monkey, come up with such an idea?

 

[selfAdjoint]

That's what they call him. Can you imagine?

 

[Ivan Seeking]

On the channel 9 news here in Melbourne, they were just chatting with some reporter from the USA, who referred to George Bush as the "leader of the free world". WTF? How could anyone, even a stoned monkey, come up with such an idea?

Uh, because we have the most bombs and stealth planes and we can make you all do what we want?

I think this mentality comes from WWII and the cold war. Whether or not the threat was real, the perceived threat was that the old Soviet Union would suck you all up if we didn't offeset the threat with a nuclear arsenal and a military posture. Keep in mind that people in this country have and are willing to die for what they believe is the good of all nations. We believed that the threat to us was a threat to all free people; much like now with the threat of radical religious groups like the Taliban. Either way, we certainly pay for all of this with our itaxes. This is why many Americans see us as the leaders of the free world. By default, so goes the President.

 

[holly]

I think we are considered the ideal country. And our president, the office, rather than the person, is the leader of the country, so therefore President Bush is the leader of the free world. Other countries look to us! That's why everyone is so let down lately.

 

[Janitor]

Isn't it true that investors outside of the USA tend to buy U.S. treasury bonds during times of bad news regarding wars and monetary collapses and such?

 

[jimmy p]

I think we are considered the ideal country. And our president, the office, rather than the person, is the leader of the country, so therefore President Bush is the leader of the free world. Other countries look to us! That's why everyone is so let down lately.

I agree with that.

 

[selfAdjoint]

The Leader of the free world tag goes back to the Cold War, when the free world meant the US allies in Europe and Asia, and we really did lead that alliance. But it has been so innapropriate since Bush frosted off all our former allies.

 

[i_wish_i_was_smart]

US can make us do what you want, that's the biggest load of **** I've ever heard, is Canada in Irak, HELL NO, and most americans percieve america as the only country in the world, and you guys are usualy like in the teens on the UN chart of best country to live in, its just that the US likes to make wars with everyone, when there is no one left, there'll be another US civil war

 

[Evo]

The term "leader of the free world" has been used before in reference to US presidents prior to Bush. I believe the first time was in reference to JFK.

 

[Ivan Seeking]

US can make us do what you want, that's the biggest load of **** I've ever heard

It was a joke. Note the irony.

most americans percieve america as the only country in the world,

That's really funny considering how our youth keep dying on foreign soil.

 

[Adam]

I think we are considered the ideal country.

Really? By whom?

 

[Ivan Seeking]

But it has been so innapropriate since Bush frosted off all our former allies.

I can't even express my outrage at nearly everything about Bush. I tried to say more but I kept writing and deleting and writing and deleting. It all comes out as a rant.

 

[Stanley_Smith]

leader of the free world

Really? By whom?

By people who have considered the US "the land of opportunity", by people who risked their life, their family and everything they got just to get to be in the US, by the Cubans who fled Cuba with everything they got, risking their life at sea, by millions of Vietnamese who fled Vietnam and by thousands of Vietnamese died at sea...

 

[Stanley_Smith]

leader of the free world

Really? By whom?

By people who have considered the US "the land of opportunity", by people who risked their life, their family and everything they got just to get to be in the US, by the Cubans who fled Cuba with everything they got, risking their life at sea, by millions of Vietnamese who fled Vietnam to come to what's so called the search for freedom and by thousands of Vietnamese who died at sea...

 

[Andy]

I wouldn't say the US are the rulers of the Free world, but that the US and its Allies are the Rulers of the free world.

its not only young Americans that die on foreign soil.

How many Immagrants flee to the UK everyday? Many immagrants cross the entire european continent just come to the UK, the pass through Germany and France and come straight to us, then again it is the french and germans i am talking about, who really wants to live with them?

 

[holly]

Lots of people from other countries love America. (I know, people get mad when U.S. citizens say they are Americans, because there are those other countries around also in the Americas, our good neighbors to the North and the South...Americans as well)...I have met many people from other countries, from all over the globe, who came to America (yes, using it in the casual sense to mean USofA) and wanted to stay because we have so many good things and so many beautiful freedoms, and one thing a physicist from Korea said that really stuck with me was "This is the best country in the world if you have money, and the worst if you don't..." meaning there is so little way to live if you don't have money for a home and such...can't just put up a hut, that's illegal everywhere...the poor take it in the shorts here, truly, and yet we do have so much to offer...many Americans are very generous and do want to see America lend a hand to other countries and help everyone live in freedom and happiness, but I don't think some of our politicians are as well-meaning...kind of greedy-minded and kind of mean-spirited, they seem, but of course, it's all very complicated...

Hey, look! A free pseudo-signature line!
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"If I have seen less than others, it's because some giant's shoulders are always in the way."

holly
PF Non-Contributor

 

[zoobyshoe]

Really? By whom?

Mexicans and Central Americans literally risk their lives on a daily basis to sneak into the US to work minimum wage, and maybe less, jobs. When you drive from San Diego here 20 miles south to the border there are the strangest signs on the side of the highway you could imagine. They are images of a man, a woman holding a baby, and a child running. These are warning signs to motorists to watch out for illegal Mexican families who may dash out in front of them trying to get across the highway. The poverty in Mexico and Central America is crushing.

 

[Adam]

By people who have considered the US "the land of opportunity", by people who risked their life, their family and everything they got just to get to be in the US, by the Cubans who fled Cuba with everything they got, risking their life at sea, by millions of Vietnamese who fled Vietnam and by thousands of Vietnamese died at sea...

People risk their lives to flee to Pakistan, South Africa, Chile, France, Australia, and many other countries. Your point?

 

[holly]

I think the information posted about people of all nations coming here, at great risk, was in reply to your wondering who thinks the US of A is the ideal country. The answer is, many people do. The countries people flee to tend to be the countries offering the most freedom and opportunity. Many times people flee to the countries you listed as a stop-over on the way to the U.S. People fleeing to Australia have been removed or kept off their soil, btw, even if it means their deaths...big ol' crazy quota system in place...that's where you live, right? At 20+ million, Australia is already at its limit, can't take more...you seem so mad...many people are angry at America these days.

 

[russ_watters]

I wouldn't say the US are the rulers of the Free world, but that the US and its Allies are the Rulers of the free world.

The quote was "leader of the free world," not ruler. Big, big difference.

People risk their lives to flee to Pakistan, South Africa, Chile, France, Australia, and many other countries. Your point?

Not in anywhere near the numbers that flee to the US. The US is by far the destination of choice of those in need in the world.

Also, I have issues with your list of countries. You can't very well make a raft out of tire innertubes and float to Australia. Or risk dying of thirst to cross the border between france and Spain. Thousands a year do that to get to the US - and many die on the trip.

Maybe you are talking about other forms of risk (fleeing persecution?), but the US basically the only country where people risk death from the trip itself to get here.

 

[zoobyshoe]

People risk their lives to flee to Pakistan, South Africa, Chile, France, Australia, and many other countries. Your point?

You asked who considers the US to be an ideal country. I cited the example of Mexicans and Central Americans to whom it looks ideal relative to the circumstances in their own countries.

It isn't as though they wouldn't also consider England or Australia or any other resonably well run country ideal. But they can't get to those places on foot.

 

[Adam]

Maybe you are talking about other forms of risk (fleeing persecution?), but the US basically the only country where people risk death from the trip itself to get here.

No, it's not. The same applies for Australia.