Calling all Europeans - Political Commentary

[Daniel]

Is this a realistic depiction of what a) a majority of people believe, b) a significant minority of people believe, or c) an extremist view?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3w_tOGgsGsU

[youtube=425,350]3w_tOGgsGsU[/youtube]

[Daniel]

Just a quick bump. I'm actually interested in hearing American comments about the video as well.

[Daniel]

Hello?

[Aussie Chris]

You're interested in opinions other than european and american?

[Daniel]

Yeah, whoever! It's still a free country (but just barely). And until they have the ability to regulate speech on the internet, its a free board too.

[mvansand76]

I would say B, Daniel. I think a significant minority of people believe this and people are waking up at a high speed, so... this will soon become a small majority (?) of the people... I am not sure I would like to go into my views here on the matter, but let's just say that you can count me as one of the people that believes everything in this short clip, and more.

[Daniel]

Let's just hope Dictator Bush never declares martial law. 

[Aussie Chris]

Hmmm, I would probably agree with Snavel del Snork...

But as an individual I would find it easier to answer if the question allowed me to speak from my perspective before considering what others might be thinking.  For example, do you think most people for the most part:

A) Believe a couple of the points but thought the whole thing went too far?
B) Believe many of the points but not the conclusions (e.g. the emphasis on war)?
C) Believe this is an accurate depiction of American values towards the rest of the world?
D) Do not believe the video goes far enough to represent the true horror?

The video is made in a quite inflammatory way and just after watching I'm a category B) of my choices, but in hindsight I'm more probably a C).  It will all depend on where you live of course.  People in Iraq for example I would assume are nearly all in D).  I could imagine that more people in Israel would be an A) than any other.  It's all about knowing where your bread is buttered.

With your original categories then Daniel, I would say that if some of the rough edges of this were taken out of the video then the answer is A).  As it stands the answer is both B) and C) depending on who you talk to or where you're from.

[Penthesilea]

I'd say something between c) and b). This spot is appalling, it's agitation, and I dislike especially the way and colors how it's visually made. It could be something neo-Nazis would present. I didn't check the sources and internet adresses given in it, so I have no idea what group made this spot, nor what their goals are.

But I agree with a lot of hings said in it. And I would say a significant minotity is concerned about the politicians and interest groups that govern the Us these days. Like Melissa, I'm one of them. When I look at the homepage of the Project for the New American Century, I'm appallled by the arrogance shown there and very worried.
I'm also worried by the interweavements between the American oil and military industry and the government (not that this wouldn't also exist in European countries, but not to this extend).
And I don't like the global situation as it is fact now: the US is the only remaining superpower. No, I don't want the cold war back, but I don't like the American arrogance shown by politicians (I'm still angry about Rumsfeld), and also sometimes shown by regular American people. I don't like slogans like "God's own country" and that some Americans think the US is superior to any other nation. We have many reasons to be thankful towards the US, both historical and current, but I don't think we should go the way to follow US leaders in everything and become something like colonies of the US. I hope in the long run Europe will stand more united and as an equal partner on eye-level to the US.

[Mikaela]

Hmmm I think the format of this spot, the slogan-like rhetoric and the visual form language and colours clearly aiming at equating the current US administration with Hitler's Germany would seem off-putting and so make more people in Western Europe dismiss it as exaggeration and pure "leftist" propaganda. So that would easily slot it into a "C".

However, when considering certain of the verbal statements actually made in it, on a stand-alone basis, - such as "September the 11th was merely the pretext - Bush is merely the figurehead" - I expect that opinion is actually hovering between A and B. Possibly closer to an A. The names of Cheney and Rumsfeld will send shudders down many a Western European spine.

Even so I think that sentiments would neither be that clear nor widespread  in the US disfavour when it comes to one particular other statement made; - namely the one equating the "War on terror" with a "Campaing against opposition to US domination" - the way this video does. European sentiments went far, very far, in showering the US with sympathy after 9/11 and in allowing that the US had a right to protect itself (and us) against the extremist muslim factions able and willing to commit September 11- type atrocities. However the US has squandered most of that goodwill and instead managed to create strong scepticism as to the real motives behind current US policy - as certainly evidenced in this video. Also a sense of frustration and confusion has been building, because far from actually countering and disarming the destructive forces, whatever the US keeps saying they aim at, the US actions seem to be merely fuelling the flames and so making the world a more dangerous and less predictable place for all. Nevertheless to most Western Europeans I think a "War on terror" is still seen as legitimate and even necessary (if carried out in a way that would actually seem aimed at effectively achieving its stated mission and managed within the limits set by the human rights declaration and Geneva convention ) and I think agreement with the video's opinion on that particular bit would therefore hower between C and B.