British official denounces "fashionable" anti-Americanism

[Tom Yossarian Joad]

http://rdu.news14.com/content/top_stories/default.asp?ArID=38776

LONDON) -- In London, protesting against the U.S. seems to be "fashionable."

That's the assessment of British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw who says he wonders why the protesters who are planning to march against President Bush next week didn't march against Saddam Hussein.

Straw tells the BBC he's bothered by what he calls the "fashionable anti-Americanism."
<sbip>

There's not much of a story here, but the headline says it all.

Leave it to the Bush administration to make hating Americans a world wide event.

[ScotTissue]

1. I'm a dedicated follower of fashion

:)

[burrowowl]

3. Me too!

Which group had that line in their song.
Impeach Bu$h!

[Bridget Burke]

9. The Kinks

"Dedicated Follower of Fashion"

[Jacobin]

15. I'm a regular clothes horse!!!

:bounce:

[Screaming Lord Byron]

2. Jack Straw ratted on his own son for pot possession

I'm not taking style lessons from that scoundrel!

[LibLabUK]

18. Umm

No he didn't.

Jack Straw's son was stung by The Mirror, an undercover reporter bought pot from him. It was only the fact that he was Jack Straw's son that prevented him being charged with dealing.

[Screaming Lord Byron]

30. OK. I will cease to criticise Labour politicians. I hate ending up

on the other side of the argument from you! Forgive me. I have a grudge against New Labour, and I have a tendency to blast them at every point. Straw's son was set up by a honey trap, and when he found it, he marched his son right down to the station. Is that right? You would know better than I would. Don't take anything personally, especially not from me. Far more unites us than divides us, eh?

[LibLabUK]

32. Ummm

"OK. I will cease to criticise Labour politicians. I hate ending up on the other side of the argument from you!"

No... don't stop on my accord. I like hearing what you have to say... I hope I didn't offend you.

"I have a grudge against New Labour, and I have a tendency to blast them at every point."

Carry on. I hate new labour too.

"Straw's son was set up by a honey trap, and when he found it, he marched his son right down to the station. Is that right?"

That sounds right. I think Straw marched his son down the station for two reasons, firstly handing onceself in usually goes in your favour, and secondly imagine the scandal if he'd tried to cover it up (or even appeared to). As it happened the whole incident pretty much blew over.

"You would know better than I would."

From what I've read from you, you're pretty much on the money most of the time. I'm not stalking you...honest! :)


"Far more unites us than divides us, eh?"

Absolutely. I really hope I've not offended you, that was never my intention, and if I have I apologise profusely. (same goes for the Canadian jibes, I was just kidding)

[Screaming Lord Byron]

33. No, I was more concerned about offending you.

Look at me getting all Canadian here!

Rather than stop criticising Labour Politicians, I should have said 'knee jerk reaction attacks' or something. Obviously I'm going to keep attacking them, but I'll try going in context.

[LibLabUK]

34. Oh.

Hehe..

I'm not offended.

Seriously though, I like hearing opinions about the UK from overseas. You often see things that we cannot, and I think it's always a good idea to get a different perspective on things.

Comment on. :)

[Media_Lies_Daily]

4. The UK version of a NeoCon.

[farmbo]

5. Fashionable... And jolly fun, too!

Whoever thought up toppling the Bush statue has my undying admiration.
I'm ready to start checking Expedia airfares.

:toast:

[truthspeaker]

6. a page from the neocon book

Sorry, Jack, you are mistaken. Hating George Bush is not anti-American anymore than hating Tony Blair is anti-British.

[rjbcar27]

21. Absolutely correct.

It's not anti-Americanism, it's anti-Bush.

Most of us here in the UK love our American cousins but hate the squatter in the white house.

[dbt]

25. Thanks, I needed that!

:loveya: to our UK Cousins!!!!!

dbt
Pints all around!

[LivingInTheBubble]

7. Good put down from straw.

The people arent angry at the american regime, they are just following some fashion.

Silly citizens!

[David__77]

8. Blair must be wrecked and politically destroyed.

I long to see him consigned to obscurity. Sane voices in the Labor Party must give him the boot, otherwise Labor will be no more.

[zbdent]

10. Fashionable/Popular seems to mean that the subject is

acceptable to the majority.

Bush is a "popular" president, at least he was, according to the polls that read 50+ percent approval.

And yet, the conservatives cry that they are the majority?

Bashing a popular president is the popular thing to do?

I'm confustipated.

[truebrit71]

11. Jack Straw is a stupid tit and needs to shut the f**k up..

Just wait 'til he finds out he ain't gonna get the same sweetheart deal that the Poodle gets from the Carlyle group...

[loudnclear]

12. They didn't march against Saddam because he was not threat to them

Bush is! And Bush lied and their soldiers died!

[legin]

13. It is lucky I am not rich

I would have easily developed a 5-10 monitors per week habit by now.

[legin]

14. I'll bet it's the slippery slope principle

Once that first chair leg goes through your monitor screen, you are hooked.

[EV1Ltimm]

16. Why didn't they march against saddam hussein?

Because saddam never visited england.

[T_i_B]

17. Oh dear

Once upon a time in 1997 it was "fashionable" to fawn over Tony Blair. Straw didn't mind fashion back then.

Unfortunatly for Straw we are a a varied bunch, and not as easily pigeonholed as the Blairites would like. Perhaps next time Straw should look at the merits of his own arguments rather than making up straw men of the opposition.

[truthisfreedom]

19. they didn't march against saddam hussein because he didn't visit.

it's really that simple, mr. straw.

[Lorien]

37. He also didn't launch an invasion

against a much poorer Nation for personal gain. 20 years ago, when Hussein gassed his people, America stood by and shrugged. We still sit by while people are slaughtered and maimed in the Congo. Hussain was by no means the biggest, baddest dude out there-and he never possessed a fraction of the WMDs that America does! Frankly, we scare the shit out of the rest of the world-which is just what bush* wants.

[WeirdSceneGoldmine]

20. anti-Americanism was rare under Clinton

What's up with that?

[Bridget Burke]

29. Clinton was not a war-mongering idiot.

The Chimp is. Very simple!

[Spentastic]

22. Hit the road Jack etc.

This has made me incandescent with rage

""fashionable."

That's the assessment of British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw who says he wonders why the protesters who are planning to march against President Bush next week didn't march against Saddam Hussein."

Let's look at this statement more closely. Firstly "assessment", Jack Straw obviously does not have an analytical bone in his body. If he did he would realise that the first anti war march was unprecedented. It was not an anti American march, It was anti war. That march attracted perhaps 2 million people, I took part and was amazed at the diverse crowd involved. Fashion tends to be restricted by demographic; it would appear that protesting idiotic ideas is not.

As for not protesting Saddam Hussein. This is the worst kind of straw man / false dilemma. Saddam Hussein was a very bad man. He was under considerable international pressure. He was hardly likely to turn up at the invitation of the Queen. If he had, human rights activists would no doubt have confronted him. Does Jack suggest that we do start protesting against other regimes demanding that the U.S military topple them? If he does, fine. Who's up for a War on China march?

"Straw tells the BBC he's bothered by what he calls the "fashionable anti-Americanism.""

Well "fashion" speaks of a point in time. The reason it is "fashionable" now, is that the U.S has the worst President the world has ever seen. A man of questionable personal virtue, a poor leader and an execrable decision-maker. This man, with help from Tony Blair lied the country to war against the advice of a sizeable portion of the population. Having been proved wrong, he wants to turn up in the U.K and tell us that we were all mistaken. This is my country Mr Bush, it's not yours. You're not welcome, if that bothers you so much, feel free not to come. Why did this fashion not manifest under Clinton? I remember, because Clinton didn't start a Crusade.

Finally, and I'm sorry to all you U.S of A'ers out there. This march to some extent is anti Americanism. By some turn of the fates your country is now a threat to the world and a reasonable portion of your population still seem happy to shout "whoo yeah!" as the bombs drop on some brown skinned people being sacrificed on the altar of 9/11. The actions of your nation's leader reflect poorly on all of you. If we can get 60,000 out to protest this numpty why can't you? But remember for all that, this march is the "Stop Bush" march. It's him Jack, the President of the U.S.A he must be stopped before he makes any more dumb decisions.

[R Hickey]

26. My excuse for America and our ignorant American people

Bush's friends at Clear Channel Radio own 900 stations, the de-regulation of the media which ended what was called a 'fairness clause' has allowed a Tokyo-Rose-Axis-Sally style right-wing Radio and Murdock owned TV media to take over.

Enron, Richard Scafee and various 'think tank' slush funds finance a right-wing system of bribery with yearly 'grants' to cooperating media people, such as radio talking heads, TV spin-doctors, pollsters, even sportscasters have become shills.

This vast cancerous system of bribery was first pioneered by Taiwan in the 1950's. The Republicans copied it and have corrupted our Democracy with it. Mainwhile, Bushovic fundrasers have perfected an 'Amway' pyramid-type bundling system of money gathering which can be observed three times a week at President Bush's $2000 a plate fund-raisers.

The bottom 90% of the population here in the "land of the free" are under financial pressure. We work long hours with few vacations, growing unemployment and shrinking unions. Our military squanders most of our taxes, and when you add in interest on the Reagan generated national debt, (he quadrupled it) and our prison system, which has quadrupled since Reagan's "just Say No" followed by Poppy's "Zero Tollerance" experiments, you get crap. But at least it helped boost the stock prices of Poppy Bush's Whackenhut private-prison business, so I guess its not all bad.

The prisons have caused 38 states to run up huge debts, putting money for the public school system under attack, we're losing jobs, and when you get sick, you get stuck with bills that most people can't pay. Drugs are triple the cost of Canada or Mexico, we can't go to Cuba, our public transportation sucks...anyway we have excuses.

[Spentastic]

27. Thanks

I feel your pain.

It just amazes me that people get so uppity about "anti Americanism" when you see what the U.S has become.

Why should we treat the U.S with respect when it can't be bothered to participate in a world community?

Why should we embrace a country that has disenfranchised its own people?

Why should we accept that America is essentially good whan it fails to act properly?

Anti Americanism is the only sane option at the moment. That's why French, German and Russian opposition had to be dressed up as an emotional subject. The truth hurts too much to bear. America has become a problem for the world. You are not a beacon of hope , you are a bringer of fear. If that hurts, it's for a reason.

Fuck America. Until someone brings her back on course.

[T_i_B]

35. About anti-Americanism

I disagree on that point Spen. Most Brits can work out the differenc between an idiotic resident select and the good people of the US. Most of us are not stark raving Harold Pinters.

On a side note though, it must be pointed out that the original Jack Straw was a leader in the Peasants Revolt of 1381. In fact I live a few hundred yards from where his mob gathered to march on London! How times have changed. :eyes:

http://www.knights-resources.co.uk/1381revolt.htm

[emad]

23. Most Brits are not anti-American, they just hate Shrub

Even the news stations on the TV and radio make this point which the politicians cannily ignore because it would make their own ratings plummet

[Not a robought]

24. Fashion and Focus Groups

I guess Straw thinks that if I don't like eating chicken feet dim sum, that somehow I must be ANTI-FOOD.

[Maeve]

28. Loved this quote from an American in London

Christine Swanson, back home after taking the kids on the morning run to school, said: "I am frustrated. As horrible as September 11 was, it was a real opportunity to move forward in a positive way.

"There was a lot of goodwill to tap into and it took the incredible talent of George Bush to piss it all away in two years."

http://uk.news.yahoo.com/031113/325/edtxd.html

[ElsewheresDaughter]

31. it's Anti-Bushism not "anti-americanism" read this UK article

it is bush they HATE! not us

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=574&ncid=721&e=2&u=/nm/20031113/wl_nm/bush_britain_expats_dc

[Wednesdays]

36. So that's the spin now?

Utter bullshit.

And it's not hard to find proof.

Take Clinton, for example. If he went to London, crowds would show up, too. But they would be there to meet him and cheer him on, not to protest.

Anti-Americanism, my ass.

[young_at_heart]

38. Anti-Bush........Anti-Bush........Anti-Bush

I hope the "Anti-American" label gets squashed fast by the news anchors. It would be nice to hear the truth for a change.