You could have heard a pin drop.

[searcher]

I am not sure if this should be in here or somewhere else. So, if it needs to be moved then please do so. I got this in an e-mail form my brother-in-law.


YOU COULD HAVE HEARD A PIN DROP

When in England , at a fairly large conference, Dr. Condi Rice was asked
by the Archbishop of Canterbury if our plans for Iraq were just an example
of empire building by George Bush.

She answered by saying, "Over the years, the United States has sent many
of its fine young men and women into great peril to fight for freedom
beyond our borders. The only amount of land we have ever asked for in
return is
enough to bury those that did not return."

You could have heard a pin drop.


There was a conference in France where a number of international engineers
were taking part, including French and American.

During a break, one of the French engineers came back into the room saying
"Have you heard the latest dumb stunt Bush has done? He has sent an
aircraft carrier to Indonesia to help the tsunami victims. What does he
intended
to do, bomb them?"

A Boeing engineer stood up and replied quietly: "Our carriers have three
hospitals on board that can treat several hundred people; they are nuclear
powered and can supply emergency electrical power to shore facilities; they
have three cafeterias with the capacity to feed 3,000 people three meals a
day, they can produce several thousand gallons of fresh water from sea
water each day, and they carry half a dozen helicopters for use in
transporting
victims and injured to and from their flight deck. We have eleven such
ships; how many does France have?"

You could have heard a pin drop.



A U.S. Navy Admiral was attending a naval conference that included
Admirals from the U.S. , English, Canad ian, Australian and French Navies.

At a cocktail reception, he found himself standing with large group of
Officers that included personnel from most of those countries. Everyone was
chatting away in English as they sipped their drinks but a French admiral
suddenly complained that, whereas Europeans learn many languages, Americans
learn only English. He then asked, "Why is it that we always have to speak
English in these conferences rather than speaking French?"

Without hesitating, the American Admiral replied, "Maybe it's because the
Brits, Canadians, Aussies and Americans arranged it so you wouldn't have to
speak German."

You could have heard a pin drop.



AND THIS STORY FITS RIGHT IN WITH THE ABOVE.... Robert Whiting, an elderly
gentleman of 83, arrived in Paris by plane. At French Customs, he took a
few minutes to locate his passport in his carry on.

"You have been to France before, monsieur?" the customs officer asked
sarcastically.

Mr. Whiting admitted that he had been to France previously.

"Then you should know enough to have your passport ready."

The American said, ''The last time I was here, I didn't have to show it."

"Impossible. Americans always have to show their passports on arrival in
France !"

The American senior gave the Frenchman a long hard l ook. Then he quietly
explained, "Well, when I came ashore at Omaha Beach on D-Day in 1944 to
help liberate this country, I couldn't find a single Frenchmen to show a
passport to."

You could have heard a pin drop.


If you are proud to be an American, pass this on! If not delete it.

 

[Tez3]

While I appreciate the feeling behind it, the first isn't exactly true and is much simplified. The question wasn't about empire building at all. The respondant was Colin Powell to the former not current Archbishop Of Canterbury in 2003.
http://www.snopes.com/politics/quotes/powell.asp

I understand that you want to make America look good but don't make George Carey look bad while you are doing it. It was a discussion not political statements.

 

[yorkshirelad]

While I appreciate the feeling behind it, the first isn't exactly true and is much simplified. The question wasn't about empire building at all. The respondant was Colin Powell to the former not current Archbishop Of Canterbury in 2003.
http://www.snopes.com/politics/quotes/powell.asp

I understand that you want to make America look good but don't make George Carey look bad while you are doing it. It was a discussion not political statements.

I like the spirit of the e-mail. After reading the text in the 'snopes' website although some of the details are incorrect, it is plain to see that Carey's question was designed to put Powell on the spot. It would be nice if high ranking European politicians/religious leaders thanked the US from time to time instead of the incessant finger pointing, ridicule and bickering the US in subjected to.

On his recent trip to Europe, it seems that Obama thought it prudent to apologise for the behaviour of the US. Why not instead remind Europe of the debt of gratitude it owes to the PEOPLE of the US?

 

[Tez3]

On the spot? No it was a conference where people were debating, should the Archbishop then have asked easy questions?

this is from an American educational website and may explain perhaps why Europe is grateful for American help but doesn't need it rubbed in.

1. The war had helped the economy recover. Similar to the situation after World War I, America emerged from the Second World War with a strong economy and relatively few casualties. The war, however, devastated other nations on both sides of the struggle. In the Soviet Union, for example, the number of casualties in Germany's siege of Leningrad exceeded the combined total of British and American wartime deaths.
2. The United States possessed the atomic bomb and was now the most powerful nation in the world.
3. American were ready for a rest, just as they had been after World War I.

http://us.history.wisc.edu/hist102/lectures/lecture21.html

America came out of the war stronger, richer and more powerful, Europe was left with destruction on a massive scale, refugees, split countries, communist dictators, famines, shortages and poverty. its taken us up till now to get back on an even keel. some countries still haven't.

Britain and the Commonwealth have followed America into wars and supported them, Australia lost soldiers in Vietnam, we were Allies in Korea. we have lost and are losing hundreds now along with your troops Iraq and Afghanistan.

 

[elder999]

On the spot? No it was a conference where people were debating, should the Archbishop then have asked easy questions?

this is from an American educational website and may explain perhaps why Europe is grateful for American help but doesn't need it rubbed in.

1. The war had helped the economy recover. Similar to the situation after World War I, America emerged from the Second World War with a strong economy and relatively few casualties. The war, however, devastated other nations on both sides of the struggle. In the Soviet Union, for example, the number of casualties in Germany's siege of Leningrad exceeded the combined total of British and American wartime deaths.
2. The United States possessed the atomic bomb and was now the most powerful nation in the world. .

In reference to #2, Britain also possessed the atomic bomb, which we shared with them quite readily, as they had supplied a great deal of talent to the Manhattan Project in developing it, and were our allies throughout the war. While they might not have actually tested a working weapon until 1952, they had all the know-how to make one, and access to the necessary materials at the close of WWII.

 

[Tez3]

[/list]In reference to #2, Britain also possessed the atomic bomb, which we shared with them quite readily, as they had supplied a great deal of talent to the Manhattan Project in developing it, and were our allies throughout the war. While they might not have actually tested a working weapon until 1952, they had all the know-how to make one, and access to the necessary materials at the close of WWII.

The site and the statement is an American one not ours.

 

[elder999]

The site and the statement is an American one not ours.

Well, #2 is wrong. :lol:

Your lot had a big hand in introducing that particular atrocity to the world-not as big as ours was, but you were right there with us.That's why Churchill knew all about it before Truman did.....(that, and of course that he was the head of state... )

 

[yorkshirelad]

Well, #2 is wrong. :lol:

Your lot had a big hand in introducing that particular atrocity to the world-not as big as ours was, but you were right there with us.That's why Churchill knew all about it before Truman did.....(that, and of course that he was the head of state... )

Good try, George was Head of State, Churchill was the head of the government.

 

[elder999]

Good try, George was Head of State, Churchill was the head of the government.

Interesting, then, that Churchill knew all about what was, from its inception, a joint American-British project, but the royal family, including the titular Head of State, was not informed until its completion......

....of course, the fact that theroyal family is German in descent, and that some had Nazi sympathies early on might had something to do with that-not a lot of trust on the part of General Lesley Groves there......

 

[Sukerkin]

Is that true?

EDIT: Ah, I tried to edit this to elaborate and whilst I was battling with my browser (which triggered an anti-phising response to something) got a little tied up. I've lost what I wrote but the core of it was that I was just going to say that there was some mistrust of the monarchy in political circles at that time due to the abdication and that might have some bearing on the matter.

 

[MA-Caver]

The last one is also just a variation of one where instead of landing on the beaches at Normandy the guy flew bombing missions over Germany... you could've heard a pin drop.

Stories like these have to be taken with a grain of salt. They're near urban legends and thus have SOME truth to them... but more n likely a clever writer put better words or wittier responses to the actual replies.

Still they're a good read, but taken with a grain of salt. I'd like to see verification of authenticity for them... each of them. Mainly because it seems that it's French bashing at best.

 

[elder999]

Is that true?

"Yes" to all of it.

Edward VIII, the Duke of Windsor, the man who would have been king if he hadn't abdicated to his brother, Albert (know you know all this,Suk, just pointing it out for others) was thought to have Nazi sympathies-though he may or may not have-and spent the war as Governor of the Bahamas because of it, and a possible Nazi plot, that he may or may not have been aware of, to have him take over the British government and form one more sympathetic to Germany.

If Leslie Groves had had his way, Britain would have had no part in the Manhattan Project at all-a near impossibility. Of course, the man also tried to ensure that the U.S. gain control of all the uranium in the world-a true impossibility...:lol: Oddly enough, I think he was only one or two generations removed from Britain himself...

George VI didn't know about the atomic bomb until the Trinity test.

 

[Ken Morgan]

You don’t have to be an American to appreciate the OP’s point or subsequent discussion. It’s sad to say but I almost think that it’s the English speaking world that gets involved in shaping and stabilizing our world. With the US being the largest in terms of population and wealth, it will naturally take the lead. Hell I’d much prefer the USA being the world’s policeman then the likes of China, Russia, Brazil or India.

I wrote an article a couple of years back for a small paper up here, there are many Canadian political rants, but I think our American friends may appreciate the positive tone. Most people are easy going but you always get some nut jobs that attack everything the US does, I just want to smack upside the head and make the open their eyes. Last article. http://guelphfirst.blogspot.com/2007_07_01_archive.html


Yes I know terrible primary source material but, Wiki states that the Manhattan project while being primarily American had substantial input from the UK and Canada. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manhattan_Project

 

[yorkshirelad]

Interesting, then, that Churchill knew all about what was, from its inception, a joint American-British project, but the royal family, including the titular Head of State, was not informed until its completion......

....of course, the fact that theroyal family is German in descent, and that some had Nazi sympathies early on might had something to do with that-not a lot of trust on the part of General Lesley Groves there......

Edward was the Nazi 'sympathizer' or appeaser. As far as I'm concerned he should have been shot for treason for his connection to Hitler.

Regardless of what the Royal family knew or didn't know, the King was the Head of State, period. Nothing you can churn up from history will change that mate. Remember Churchill himself swore an oath to the King.

 

[CoryKS]

Are you sure that Ben Franklin didn't say that first? Or Winston Churchill?

 

[elder999]

Yes I know terrible primary source material but, Wiki states that the Manhattan project while being primarily American had substantial input from the UK and Canada. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manhattan_Project

And I stated that it was, from its inception, a joint U.S.-British project.

I mean, after all, I do live and work here-I even know some people who were around at the time-that are still around.....

 

[Ken Morgan]

And I stated that it was, from its inception, a joint U.S.-British project.

I mean, after all, I do live and work here-I even know some people who were around at the time-that are still around.....

LOL! That's what I get for rushing through a thread....

 

[CuongNhuka]

The only amount of land we have ever asked for in
return is
enough to bury those that did not return."

Uhh, should I be the one to point out that the US buries it's dead Stateside.

 

[crushing]

Uhh, should I be the one to point out that the US buries it's dead Stateside.

Yes, you should be the one to point that out. There are over 20 cemeteries, mostly in Europe, that contain about125,000 graves of US soldiers. Not to mention the bodies of soldiers never found or determined to be US soldiers.

There is a documentary called Hallowed Grounds about those cemeteries. Here is the official link: http://www.pbs.org/hallowedgrounds/

 

[Tez3]

Well, #2 is wrong. :lol:

Your lot had a big hand in introducing that particular atrocity to the world-not as big as ours was, but you were right there with us.That's why Churchill knew all about it before Truman did.....(that, and of course that he was the head of state... )

Actually you've missed my point, I'm not saying we weren't involved, I was pointing out what this particular American educational site was teaching.