When you consider history, aren't Americans who rant about immigrants guilty of rank hypocrisy?
468456
Do you think that the govt has legitimate authority?  Based on your rationale it cannot, since it all goes back to property theft and ethnic cleansing.  If you do, then you also have to acknowledge that immigration is a matter which can legally be managed by the govt.\n\nDid we steal the land from the indians?  Maybe some of it.  What gets me is that there are rich people who are rich because of land.  But let's trace this back.  At some point someone claimed ownership of the land and didn't have to pay a dollar for it.  That's a load of BS.  So, now I get screwed because someone arbitrarily claims ownership of land.  I don't know how to fix, I just know that capitalism pisses me off sometimes.
723732
Calling us racist just because we are against illegal aliens being in our country is completely absurd.  If they don't like us they really should consider going back across the border where they truly belong. Americans shouldn't have to change to make them happy, or feel welcome.  It's not our responsibility.  THEY aren't our responsibility.
391048
I agree with the comment about the first act on our soil is a crime.  And to wave their former countries flag about and demand ANYTHING is preposterous.  It is your former country for a reason, correct?  If it is your current country, here's your ticket.  If it is truly your former country, then for crying out loud ASSIMILATE!  I believe we were founded as a melting pot, not a storage shelf for your old icons and lifestyles.
528785
Contrary to popular belief, our American laws are not the ultimate guide of morality. The laws are created by fallible human beings; thus, the laws are not always just. Simply because our laws say that someone is illegal does not mean that these "illegals" are bad people because they break the law by entering this country to find work. \n\nI keep hearing people say that "I don't mind immigrants. It's the *illegal* ones that I have a problem with." Well, if we handed out visas, then they wouldn't be illegal--would that change people's attitudes? Probably not. They would say that they have ignored the laws and don't deserve to be here. Well, most Americans have broken a law or two in their lives. \n\nI maintain the controversial position that xenophobia fuels the anti-illegal attitude (in most cases).
335715
I think that being awful or anything else depends individually in each person , not in their ethic group. And thinking that other people think this also depends in yourseft. You can't say that all American are awful, because that is not true. Just like you can't say all immigrants think this because that is also not true.
570983
I wonder if the original native Americans (Red Injuns as you called em) had a say in the matter when the whites from across the ocean invaded their country and all but exterminated them.\n\nYou, dear person are also a descendant of immigrants yourself, I'm sure, as are most of the white and black American folks replying to you, unless you are of Native American descent (which I am sure you would not be proud to proclaim, if you were). Even the guys who came over on the Mayflower, they initiated the unjustness by being the harbingers of terror that culminated in the annihilation of native Americans\n\nI wonder when the Caucasian will ever get over the white 'massa' superiority complex?\n\n\nAmerica has been drawing people from all over the world, right from the days of it's discovery as a land with the fabled pot of gold at the end of a rainbow. Give it some more time, you'll end up with an exodus of people, as is happening among the immigrants from India which is gaining from the Brain Gain as opposed to the earlier brain drain.\n\nI remember when my cousin migrated to the US in the seventies, people had similar complaints about the Indians.\n\nTh reverse is happening now, a number of western countries have their top people insisting on an India stint, and the Indians, well they wanna come back to their roots\n\nst\n====================================================\nManicman:\nGive them time to, well assimilate!, as did most American forefathers! Let them understand that this (taxes, education and stuff like that) would be good for them, if you try to drive em out and hound them and try all the racism, then you are just going to increase the hatred, and have them doing stuff  like propogating the Mexican flag. \n\nDon't you understand that if you corner anybody, that being is going to cry out for help, and that's what they are doing, making the world aware of their plight by waving the Mex flag and burning the Stars and Stripes? What better way to come on prime time news than this?
1155484
i have no problem with americans, im english by the way, we are all the same, i dont care much for the bush administration especially on foreign policy but hey blair aint no better thats just politics, i judge people on who they are not where they come from, the world is only a small place and we are the same. i like the way you mention how we think americans are disrespectful i dont know about all americans but john s seems to be, not just disrespectful but ignorant also, we fought in those wars aswell john, and you were only our allies, allies that played a small part only in the war against hitler, we dont blame america for our misfortunes, we blame ourselves and colonialism where we exhausted ourselves giving the world "freedom" the same sort of "freedom" mr bush and mz rice are handing out now to the middle east, and we did that round about the same time that your ancestors john moved over to america from one of our (probably britain) nations, but anyway back to the question i dont dislike americans at all, i find myself disliking john s but thats just one american
287413
Because we live in the age of the (undeclared) American Empire, and what the US says, even if it reeks of double standard, goes. \nIf people are pissed off it's only because they are inherently evil...
591665
I am a U.S citizen by birth and know exactly what you mean. The U.S at one time was the "land of the free" but no more.\nWhen I point out the U.S. isn't so free anymore, more likely than not I am met with knee jerk hostility and hear some programmed phrase like, "the U.S. is the best country in the world, we have every freedom here, etc." Americans are so stupid. And their lack of THEIR own history not to mention the history of the world is sickening.
715562
8:00 pm east coast, history channel. Maybe some people can learn a bit of truth about this holiday. Native Americans have gotten the crappy end of the stick more than any other race of people in America. If more people really knew their history, not the crap they teach about feel good history, they wouldn't write the kind of responses I have read. I guess it applies to all forums on here. Some people wouldn't believe the truth even if it was smacking them in the face. Demonize it, then kill it or pass a law to control it. Worked then, works now.
997591
You are correct no matter what people say.  They obviously do not know their history.
16681
well maybe you should have researched from a more historical point of view, right from the monroe doctrine to american-mexican wars to present. you will find that americans have been meddling in the affairs of other countries right from its inception, first in latin america and after WWII, in other countries (when it emerged the only unscathed and extremely wealthy nation in the world). so in the eyes of majority of people around the world, (and here i am talking about people who think for themselves, not people who are easily led by popular media, which is usually pro-US anyway), americans have always been viewed as cavalier adventureres at best and murdering cowards at best, who bomb impoverished countries from heights before moving in their army. even when the americans are not directly involved (as in physical presence of armies), they usually have a hand in almost all politics of the world, by more subtle means-economic warfare....\nall this is being exposed daily, mostly thanx to the internet, and needless to say, world opinion has turned sharply anti-american especially after the cowardly iraqi war that the yanks waged. \nso 'bad guys' yeah, americans are being considered more and more of that which is unfortunate really because the most spirited and creative resisitance to the american policies have come from within US itself. unfortunate, yes....understandable, absolutely. america is an empire, an empire in decline.\nso perhaps americans had better heed what gibbon said about sparta, a strikingly military oriented nation not very disimilar to US\n"when sparta fell, all wondered in awe, none mourned'
233440
Your comment is very insightful.  Why would anyone think you're a jerk for saying that?  Students of history know that history repeats itself.  It's a classic trait of the human race.  Look at the last century alone.  Our enemies used to be the Germans, the Italians, the Soviets (Russians), and the Chinese.  Now we are friends with all of those people, and our "enemies" are now different (North Korea, Iran, Cuba).\n\nOur enemies are our enemies because of a certain political (or more correctly - ECONOMIC) point of view.  When the political or economic or cultural climate changes, we don't see them as a threat as much as we used to.  \n\nI don't think this means we should abandon defending the ideals we stand for...but it IS an interesting observation.
546060
i agree with you.  just because my ancestors were immigrants doesn't make me one.  I was born here in this country, so i am american, my ancestors might have been german or irish, but i am american.  it's like saying anyone who has had ancestors who fought for germany is now a nazi.  That is not true, so it cannot be true for immigrants either.  People who say that ususally are immigrants and want to make everyone the same, but guess what,\n\nI WAS BORN HERE - SO I AM BETTER THAN YOU!!!
921479
I've never said that in my life, and I am American. The whole nation does not do this. In fact, many understand and appreciate that this country is built on immigration.\n\nMaybe you shouldn't look at America as a nation of hate, and more like a nation like any other...made of humans last (time I checked) who are not perfect. I can also appreciate the fact that we have freedom of speech, iggnorant as some of the comments may be.
629004
I am sorry you have the wrong number=== Reason #9 Only American Indians have the right to criticize immigration policy \nOur response: \n\n9The idea that only "Native American" have the right to oppose immigration to the United States ignores the concept of "nation." There was no such thing as the political entity known as the the United States until the Founders created it in 1776.\n\nFurthermore, there are not grades of citizenship. One is either a citizen of this country, or one is not. We are not more or less citizens of the United States based on the number of generations preceding us on these shores.\n\nAnd, particularly, we are not more or less citizens of this country based on our skin color or ethnicity.\n\nSince everyone in the world has ancestors who immigrated from somewhere else, the immigration history of one's ancestors is probably not relevant to the formulation of wise public policy.\n\nand for that matter reason #1 1 Yes, my ancestors came from somewhere other than North America. As did yours, as did everyone else's—including those of the Native AmericansEveryone's ancestors, in fact, came from somewhere other than the place they now call home. In other words, every nation is a "nation of immigrants;" the slogan is meaningless and certainly no basis for public policy. \n\nBecause a policy was appropriate in the past does not mean it is necessarily eternally good. That my ancestors were immigrants is irrelevant to the formation of a prudent public policy today. \n\nIf my ancestors were pioneers, am I constrained to advocate pioneering and expansionism as the best policy for the nation? What would you think of someone who responded to you when you said you opposed expansionism: "But we're a nation of pioneers?"
725951
Ya got me!  It's not about the points; it makes me feel good when I know the answer, just like back in school.  Only no one asks me for the root causes of the Spanish-American War at work, more's the pity. I know in my heart I'm not helping them.  I just like the exercise.  Guess you'll just have to keep failing kids that plagiarize, even from middle age history geeks like me!