Site Search:
 
Get TEFL Certified & Start Your Adventure Today!
Teach English Abroad and Get Paid to see the World!
Job Discussion Forums Forum Index Job Discussion Forums
"The Internet's Meeting Place for ESL/EFL Students and Teachers from Around the World!"
 
 FAQFAQ   SearchSearch   MemberlistMemberlist   UsergroupsUsergroups   RegisterRegister 
 ProfileProfile   Log in to check your private messagesLog in to check your private messages   Log inLog in 

American Foreign Policy Criticism Undermining Our Confidence

 
Post new topic   Reply to topic    Job Discussion Forums Forum Index -> Taiwan
View previous topic :: View next topic  
Author Message
A.K.A.T.D.N.



Joined: 12 Jun 2004
Posts: 170

PostPosted: Fri Oct 08, 2004 3:33 am    Post subject: American Foreign Policy Criticism Undermining Our Confidence Reply with quote

I saw a column in the China Post today entitled "Guide to keep U.S. students abroad from U.S. backlash." It referred to our U.S. foreign policy and the negativity surrounding Americans these days.

In view of this article, it also said "Don't touch the top of someone's head in Indonesia. . ." without forgetting to mention Thailand and the Canadian guy I saw pounding some Indonesians head in at a bar the other day. It also said not to "talk with your hands in your pockets in Belgium" without forgetting to mention the old American penchant for being guilt-prone to playing "pocket pool," and the confounding and censorious glare of Korean men's faces and chests sticking out belligerently as you passed them on the streets, men who seem to forget that such a thing as pockets ever existed! Then there were the reproaches and raw scoldings of American fathers, telling their kids "you shouldn't keep your hands in your pockets" in order to be a man.

But hell, I just mumble when I walk and pass people by nowadays, seeing I'm a foreigner in a foreign land with "anti-American sentiment running high." It's funny because "an estimated 167,000 Americans studied abroad last year" and "For students worried about which fork to use"( forgot to mention those in Asia using chopsticks, irregardless of the fact I'm not a student;) "or what to do if it's dinner time and the food looks weird-the guide offers plenty of advice," despite Japanese blowfish and Korean naktchi and "the ubiquitous, raw-fish runs!"

Yet plainly speaking, a taxi-driver gave me a lift the other day and blatantly asked "You, from America?" I had to cringe a little like a dog and say "Yeah, but I'm not too proud about it and all since there's a war going on in Iraq." Then he gave me this weird look, like "What the hell does that matter?" Or maybe he just plain old didn't understand me, seeing I haven't made it an obligation to speak Chinese, since, as the article notes "As one person, you can do little to directly affect national policy;" and although I'd make it as plain as day if I could that "there are three things you don't talk about even in America. . ." and speak in fluent Mandarin to make him feel assuaged of his anti-Americanism, it'd do me little good if he'd all ready formed this presumption from some baseless facts that "the great satan" is in their midst!

Yes, I'm taking on a satirical tone here and not being down-to earth. I often wonder if my own confidence as an American, and as a Westerner, is predicated upon what American foreign policy has posed to the world at large these days, or if I'm just part and parcel of a country that freedom has offered to millions, like the taxi driver(China has the highest level of immigrants to the U.S. these days, by the way) without giving this sense of freedom a second thought. Yes, American foreign policy is of a disgrace to many. Because of its wide influence, and influx of money, America has a foreign policy promulgated by not just its own desires and needs, but those too, who've forgotten to offer what America has provided its own citizens in return. What is this provision?

It's the right to go to another country, get a ride in a taxi, and not have to worry about a suicide bomber hitching a ride. It's the right to go wherever you want, despite being an American, without hanging your head that somehow or another you're a victim of international injustice, a fact that has haunted every country's conscience since the beginning of time.

Then you have the Jews, who over 5,000 years ago staked their claim in the promised land by a man named Abraham, and that through legal means, having to apoligize, along with America, for a foreign policy that created its own monster without my saying? As if Americans are to blame?

What's underminning my confidence is the fact that I'm white, sitting in a country's park, enjoying imported, American pigeons, without a clue as to why they're here.


Last edited by A.K.A.T.D.N. on Fri Oct 08, 2004 6:06 am; edited 2 times in total
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
wombat



Joined: 18 Jun 2004
Posts: 134

PostPosted: Fri Oct 08, 2004 4:26 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Mods: Can I make a recommendation that A.K.A.T.D.N. be encouraged to start his own blog site elsewhere.

I fail to see what this and several other posts made by A.K.A.T.D.N. have to do with the scope of this board, which I believe to be teaching English in Taiwan.

I realize that in saying this I am likely to incurr the wrath of A.K.A.T.D.N., but I just feel that it has to be said. I have seen other boards derailed by irrelevant posts, and I would hate to see this board derailed in the same way.

I am not suggesting that A.K.A.T.D.N.'s posts are worthless, I am just suggesting that they are not in line with the purpose of this board. Maybe one of the Mod's could have a quiet word in his ear about this if there is agreement on my point of view!!
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
A.K.A.T.D.N.



Joined: 12 Jun 2004
Posts: 170

PostPosted: Fri Oct 08, 2004 5:46 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

wombat wrote:
Mods: Can I make a recommendation that A.K.A.T.D.N. be encouraged to start his own blog site elsewhere.

I fail to see what this and several other posts made by A.K.A.T.D.N. have to do with the scope of this board, which I believe to be teaching English in Taiwan.

I realize that in saying this I am likely to incurr the wrath of A.K.A.T.D.N., but I just feel that it has to be said. I have seen other boards derailed by irrelevant posts, and I would hate to see this board derailed in the same way.

I am not suggesting that A.K.A.T.D.N.'s posts are worthless, I am just suggesting that they are not in line with the purpose of this board. Maybe one of the Mod's could have a quiet word in his ear about this if there is agreement on my point of view!!


Hey Chief, this is THE TAIWAN BOARD!! Has no insignificance whatsoever, seeing we're both here, overseas and this is what this message is about.

If the mods here want to make a part with this board and split it like the Korean forum did, then it's fine with me. But if we're talking about irrevelance, then I wonder what it means to be here?
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
wombat



Joined: 18 Jun 2004
Posts: 134

PostPosted: Fri Oct 08, 2004 11:50 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

This post is the latest in a series of posts that read as the ramblings of someone with too much time on their hands. No one is begrudging you the right to write and post this information online, but IMHO Dave's ESL Cafe is not the place to do it. Just because your posts may contain the word 'Taiwan' doesn't mean that they have relevance to ESL in Taiwan - and it is my understanding that this is the purpose of this board.

You seem to enjoy writing this stuff down and posting it online so why not just take the next step and actually just get your own blog going where you can say whatever enters your mind without worrying about it's relevance to the readership.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
A.K.A.T.D.N.



Joined: 12 Jun 2004
Posts: 170

PostPosted: Sat Oct 09, 2004 3:55 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

wombat wrote:
This post is the latest in a series of posts that read as the ramblings of someone with too much time on their hands. No one is begrudging you the right to write and post this information online, but IMHO Dave's ESL Cafe is not the place to do it. Just because your posts may contain the word 'Taiwan' doesn't mean that they have relevance to ESL in Taiwan - and it is my understanding that this is the purpose of this board.

You seem to enjoy writing this stuff down and posting it online so why not just take the next step and actually just get your own blog going where you can say whatever enters your mind without worrying about it's relevance to the readership.


I think that this post has a lot of relevance to teaching ESL in Taiwan. I thought it'd be interesting to readers wanting to feel their way through some of the encumberances of living here as opposed to an expat community on the verge of new scientific breakthroughs about the correct methodology of teaching our native tongue, lest we also just talk about "White Water Rafting" and "What is a Boy to Wear?"

I think this article refers to what concerns some Americans about all that's going on in the world these days, and whether or not they are in any way effected as English teachers living abroad, particularly in Taiwan, a country non-chalantly Pax Americana pissed off too!
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
TaoyuanSteve



Joined: 05 Feb 2003
Posts: 1028
Location: Taoyuan

PostPosted: Sat Oct 09, 2004 5:04 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I think you feel a lot of negative energy not because you're American, but because you have a terrible atttitude. You also have huge prejudices agianst other nationalities as demonstrated in other posts on this site. How can you write the crap you do about South Africans and then play the victim of the same nonsense you've just dished out? Some Americans may have legit complaints about their treatment at the hands of other nationalities. You, sir, do not.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
A.K.A.T.D.N.



Joined: 12 Jun 2004
Posts: 170

PostPosted: Sat Oct 09, 2004 5:53 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

TaoyuanSteve wrote:
I think you feel a lot of negative energy not because you're American, but because you have a terrible atttitude. You also have huge prejudices agianst other nationalities as demonstrated in other posts on this site. How can you write the crap you do about South Africans and then play the victim of the same nonsense you've just dished out? Some Americans may have legit complaints about their treatment at the hands of other nationalities. You, sir, do not.


Your comments always come across to me as somehow disturbing in a Buddhist way. You talk about "energy" and "being positive" and "getting into things" which to me all seem like superfluous terms. Yet I agree with your humanistic approach to things to a degree.

My huge prejudices, Steve, are not huge at all but mere statements of experiences I've had here and elsewhere, with NZer's at the workplace who won't say hello in the morning; with South Africans who play the victim to their Asia diaspora because they've been pinned down by their own prejudice, and therefore must take this out on the Chinese; of Canadians who think they can make crappy comments in front of other people's faces without them getting a little irate; and of other, more subjective comments, that I think a lot of people might consider as downright rude.

I'm saying these people are rude, and prejudiced, because of their commnets. It's not the other way around.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
wombat



Joined: 18 Jun 2004
Posts: 134

PostPosted: Sat Oct 09, 2004 11:40 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

A.K.A.T.D.N. wrote:
lest we also just talk about "White Water Rafting" and "What is a Boy to Wear?"


In fact the two topics that you refer to are quite reasonable in the context of this board.

One asks about the attire for teaching job interviews which certainly fits within the ESL theme of this board.

The second is a general enquiry most likely made by a teacher here in Taiwan. Sure it is off topic, but unlike your multi-post ramblings, it is not painful to read.

The fact that you are unable to discern between these two posts and the written diarrhoea that you produce certainly explains the reason behind the fact that you are the only one here who feels that your posts are of any value.

If your posts are of such interest to the readers of this board, and so valuable to us all then why not start your own blog. Start a thread here with a link to your blog and see how many people bother logging onto your blog for a second visit. My guess is that you are too afraid to do this as you already know the truth.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
TaoyuanSteve



Joined: 05 Feb 2003
Posts: 1028
Location: Taoyuan

PostPosted: Sun Oct 10, 2004 4:23 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

A.K.A.T.D.N. wrote:

Your comments always come across to me as somehow disturbing in a Buddhist way. You talk about "energy" and "being positive" and "getting into things" which to me all seem like superfluous terms. Yet I agree with your humanistic approach to things to a degree.

My huge prejudices, Steve, are not huge at all but mere statements of experiences I've had here and elsewhere, with NZer's at the workplace who won't say hello in the morning; with South Africans who play the victim to their Asia diaspora because they've been pinned down by their own prejudice, and therefore must take this out on the Chinese; of Canadians who think they can make crappy comments in front of other people's faces without them getting a little irate; and of other, more subjective comments, that I think a lot of people might consider as downright rude.

I'm saying these people are rude, and prejudiced, because of their commnets. It's not the other way around.


I'm not exactly sure what disturbing in a buddhist kind of way is supposed to mean. I guess that is just more of your juxtaposing of incongruous images in an attempt to be poetic and profound. Where's my barf bag?! Rolling Eyes

What you list are problems with individuals. Perhaps they don't like you personally (no surprise) or don't know you. That would explain their lack of good mornings. Perhaps they are idiots. However, what you are experiencing are problems with particular people, not an entire nation. If you had a personal problem with a black person, would you then say that all black people are exactly the same? How about Jews, Hispanics, Chinese (oh wait, you've already categorized them). Look. You cannot make statements about entire nations based on your limitted experiences with just a few of their people. These countries are large and diverse. They are populated by millions of distinctly different individuals; no two people are the same. For you to say Canadians are____, New Zealanders are___, or South Africans are ____ based on only your limited experience with comparatively few individuals rates right up there with racism on the ignorant and stupid scale.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
markholmes



Joined: 21 Jun 2004
Posts: 661
Location: Wengehua

PostPosted: Sun Oct 10, 2004 5:16 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Stop answering his posts and he shall go away.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
A.K.A.T.D.N.



Joined: 12 Jun 2004
Posts: 170

PostPosted: Mon Oct 11, 2004 5:42 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

TaoyuanSteve wrote:
A.K.A.T.D.N. wrote:

Your comments always come across to me as somehow disturbing in a Buddhist way. You talk about "energy" and "being positive" and "getting into things" which to me all seem like superfluous terms. Yet I agree with your humanistic approach to things to a degree.

My huge prejudices, Steve, are not huge at all but mere statements of experiences I've had here and elsewhere, with NZer's at the workplace who won't say hello in the morning; with South Africans who play the victim to their Asia diaspora because they've been pinned down by their own prejudice, and therefore must take this out on the Chinese; of Canadians who think they can make crappy comments in front of other people's faces without them getting a little irate; and of other, more subjective comments, that I think a lot of people might consider as downright rude.

I'm saying these people are rude, and prejudiced, because of their commnets. It's not the other way around.


I'm not exactly sure what disturbing in a buddhist kind of way is supposed to mean. I guess that is just more of your juxtaposing of incongruous images in an attempt to be poetic and profound. Where's my barf bag?! Rolling Eyes

What you list are problems with individuals. Perhaps they don't like you personally (no surprise) or don't know you. That would explain their lack of good mornings. Perhaps they are idiots. However, what you are experiencing are problems with particular people, not an entire nation. If you had a personal problem with a black person, would you then say that all black people are exactly the same? How about Jews, Hispanics, Chinese (oh wait, you've already categorized them). Look. You cannot make statements about entire nations based on your limitted experiences with just a few of their people. These countries are large and diverse. They are populated by millions of distinctly different individuals; no two people are the same. For you to say Canadians are____, New Zealanders are___, or South Africans are ____ based on only your limited experience with comparatively few individuals rates right up there with racism on the ignorant and stupid scale.


What I listed are quite accurately quoted as "problems with individuals" and not nations, a fact this article so deftly demeans for us as Americans, and a fact why I posted this message.

I gave the example of the Kanuck to remonstrate that Americans aren't the only ones out here, and that individual responsibility is really the key to any nation's image unless I might misconstrue these various images as other people misconceive my responsibility as one individual being bashed by a stigma I'm to blame for regarding America's foreign policy?!

I never did say "Canadians/SA's/NZers are. . . I'd be a damn fool if I did. About the Jews I meant a certain, yet unstudied claim on my behalf referring to 'The promised land' of Canaan, or the very spot upon which Jerusalem itself now sits. There is a lot of debate about the Jewish/American relationship in regards to Palestinians that I think most people might misconstrue as being "an aggressive American foreign policy" and a fact why most Muslims are apt to hate Americans.

I do not agree about the Palestinian plight, however, so don't think as if I'm playing privvy to their subjugation by Israel's hands. There is, however, a lot of reasoning to the contrary that the bible speaks of as Israel's and God's blessing to whatever nation is for Israel's right to claim Jerusalem as its home. This depends upon your beliefs, and therefore, you have not just a political crisis, but an ideological crisis that America knows is not apropos to America's supposedly aggressive foreign policy that is being quoted by others as an excuse to kill.

About Buddhism, your comments come across in circles, never reaching a point.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
TaoyuanSteve



Joined: 05 Feb 2003
Posts: 1028
Location: Taoyuan

PostPosted: Mon Oct 11, 2004 10:54 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

A.K.A.T.D.N. wrote:


About Buddhism, your comments come across in circles, never reaching a point.


Err...No. That's you. Nobody is sure what your point is most of the time. We are sure, however, that you are obnoxious, rude, prejudiced, narrow minded and annoying.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Display posts from previous:   
Post new topic   Reply to topic    Job Discussion Forums Forum Index -> Taiwan All times are GMT
Page 1 of 1

 
Jump to:  
You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot vote in polls in this forum


This page is maintained by the one and only Dave Sperling.
Contact Dave's ESL Cafe
Copyright © 2018 Dave Sperling. All Rights Reserved.

Powered by phpBB © 2001, 2002 phpBB Group

Teaching Jobs in China
Teaching Jobs in China