h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Certainely happy that you did not get angry with me Fords

Yeah about Esperanto I have heard long time ago in Europe where everybody was fed up with so many different languages! But it did not gain popularity. The small countries just learn a couple of more languages to get along if they have to go further than their border.

But there are the most interesting peculiarities in Europe f.e. Suisse or Schwitzerland. Being a small country there are still 3 different langusges spoken: French, German and one more what I do not understand.

What about the english there?

Well I was in Geneva couple of years ago and I was looking for Voltaire's residence. I was sure I can find it, but it took too long wondering around and a very well dressed "older" gentleman was coming opposit I asked him politely about the location of the house. In a sudden angry flare up shook his head: " Je ne parle pas Anglais!"
A nice Lady as she was just walking by said in english: " Just come with me Madam, I'll show you where Voltaire stayed in this town" saying that she was embarresed of the rudness from the man.

Well it seems, that the French never recovered from that defeat they suffered from England quite some time ago.

Further on Fords Towel the english spelling belongs to those things that this is what you know about and can not be ANYTHING else like phonetic!!
Though I heard about it, not that I want to scare you!

Like changing to decimal system! I can tell you:in this country I have seen the most wild resistence! Also miles to kilometer on the road. And the Gallon gasoline horribile dictu in liters.

These are all things of human idiosyncrosies where everybody has their own argument what is why, and saying very firmly one to the other standing on the other side: our system is better than yours!
And so was born the EURO-- for this time: beating the almighty Dollar.

But don't : the Americans say: " We don't travel when the $ is so weak!" " We used to have a good time in Europe to make a good deal with our money!"
You see what changes can do? I rest my case for tonight!
Hope to hear from you and have a happy week ahead.
bird

Blue Bird, you talk about freedom and dictatorship as if America was in favour of freedom and not dictatorship. And yet, America supported the dictatorship of the "colonels" in Greece, when they overthrew the democratically elected government, back in 1967. There have been plenty of other times when America was not on the side of Freedom. So I think you shouldn't talk too loudly about this particular issue.

What I meant in my previous comment was, most people in Europe have an opinion about America: for example, my opinion is that America tramples over small countries to try and get them to see the world the way the Americans want it to be. This impression is no doubt caused by the decisions of your government in the past. But this rubs off on the American people - we start feeling that way towards Americans, not just towards America. So it is odd that an entry on how we should feel towards Americans has only one line about how America feels it has a responsibility as a superpower. It is this that makes so many people hate America.

I hope that makes some sense.

This is to Shifty: I don't have the answer who is hating whom and why?
It sure though: Nobody wants to be pushed around, oppressed, exploited. Unfortunately humans do these things to each other since we know about human history.
bird

Gnomon, I agree that the American government has been less than consistent. There's no arguing with the fact that they helped install and maintain dictatorships when it was to the government's advantage to do so.

I am sorry, however, to hear that so many can hate Americans because of the actions of their government. I'd like to think that, like the English, Americans can tolerate a country's people even if they have a problem with the representative government.

Take Cuba. America (the government) seems to hate Castro, but accepts Cubans by the boatload. It hated Saddam, yet I doubt you believe it is committing genocide. It appears they have allowed Iraqi's to set up a representative government to decide what they'll do in the future. (It could still go secular or non-secular.)

We all hated Hitler, but embrace the German people and products today.

Historically, I know little about Greece; but some democratically elected governments of the planet have not been truly legally elected governments. Often segments of populations are refused their say in the matter.

I won't speak loudly in defense or accusation of America, but I've seen no governments that are all good and altruistic. Still, there do seem to have been some that were almost totally evil.

I too, hope that makes some sense.

That makes perfect sense FordsTowel. I feel that an entry on how to feel about Americans should at least mention the fact that many people dislike America because of the American Governments self-appointed role as rulers of this planet. The entry should say something along the lines of: Even if you don't agree with America, you'll find you like Americans, as they are a friendly lot.

But this has been removed from the Writing Workshop, so it is probably too late anyway.