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America: The Good Neighbor. This

America: The Good Neighbor.

This Canadian thinks it is time to speak up for the Americans
as the most generous and possibly the least appreciated people
on all the earth.

Germany, Japan and, to a lesser extent, Britain and Italy were
lifted out of the debris of war by the Americans who poured in
billions of dollars and forgave other billions in debts. None of
these countries is today paying even the interest on its
remaining debts to the United States.

When France was in danger of collapsing in 1956,
it was the Americans who propped it up, and their reward was to
be insulted and swindled on the streets of Paris. I was there. I
saw it.

When earthquakes hit distant cities, it is the
United States that hurries in to help. This spring, 59 American
communities were flattened by tornadoes. Nobody helped.

The Marshall Plan and the Truman Policy pumped
billions of dollars! into discouraged countries. Now newspapers
in those countries are writing about the decadent, warmongering
Americans.

I’d like to see just one of those countries that
is gloating over the erosion of the United States dollar build
its own airplane. Does any other country in the world have a
plane to equal the Boeing Jumbo Jet, the Lockheed Tri-Star, or
the Douglas DC10? If so, why don’t they fly them? Why do all the
International lines except Russia fly American Planes?

Why does no other land on earth even consider putting
a man or woman on the moon? You talk about Japanese technocracy,
and you get radios. You talk about German technocracy, and you
get automobiles.

You talk about American technocracy, and you find
men on the moon -! not once, but several times –
and safely home again.

You talk about scandals, and the Americans put theirs right in
the store window for everybody to look at. Even their
draft-dodgers are not pursued and hounded. They are here on our
streets, and most of them, unless they are breaking Canadian
laws, are getting American dollars from ma and pa at home to
spend here.

When the railways of France, Germany and India
were breaking down through age, it was the Americans who rebuilt
them. When the Pennsylvania Railroad and the New York Central
went broke, nobody loaned them an old caboose. Both are still
broke.

I can name you 5000 times when the Americans raced
to the help of other people in trouble. Can you name
me even one time when someone else raced to the Americans in
trouble? I don’t think there was outside help even during the
San Francisco earthquake.

Our neighbors have faced it alone, and I’m one
Canadian who is damned tired of hearing them get
kicked around. They will come out of this thing with their flag
high. And when they do, they are entitled to thumb their nose at
the lands that are gloating over their present troubles. I hope
Canada is not one of those.”

Stand proud, America!

Well, it turns out that this article was originally written and broadcast by Gordon Sinclair on CFRB, Toronto, Ontario, on JUNE 5, 1973!

Many have sent me the text, one before 9/11 but many after. It is indead true and just as valid today as in 1973.

Categories
Uncategorized

America: The Good Neighbor. This

America: The Good Neighbor.

This Canadian thinks it is time to speak up for the Americans
as the most generous and possibly the least appreciated people
on all the earth.

Germany, Japan and, to a lesser extent, Britain and Italy were
lifted out of the debris of war by the Americans who poured in
billions of dollars and forgave other billions in debts. None of
these countries is today paying even the interest on its
remaining debts to the United States.

When France was in danger of collapsing in 1956,
it was the Americans who propped it up, and their reward was to
be insulted and swindled on the streets of Paris. I was there. I
saw it.

When earthquakes hit distant cities, it is the
United States that hurries in to help. This spring, 59 American
communities were flattened by tornadoes. Nobody helped.

The Marshall Plan and the Truman Policy pumped
billions of dollars! into discouraged countries. Now newspapers
in those countries are writing about the decadent, warmongering
Americans.

I’d like to see just one of those countries that
is gloating over the erosion of the United States dollar build
its own airplane. Does any other country in the world have a
plane to equal the Boeing Jumbo Jet, the Lockheed Tri-Star, or
the Douglas DC10? If so, why don’t they fly them? Why do all the
International lines except Russia fly American Planes?

Why does no other land on earth even consider putting
a man or woman on the moon? You talk about Japanese technocracy,
and you get radios. You talk about German technocracy, and you
get automobiles.

You talk about American technocracy, and you find
men on the moon -! not once, but several times –
and safely home again.

You talk about scandals, and the Americans put theirs right in
the store window for everybody to look at. Even their
draft-dodgers are not pursued and hounded. They are here on our
streets, and most of them, unless they are breaking Canadian
laws, are getting American dollars from ma and pa at home to
spend here.

When the railways of France, Germany and India
were breaking down through age, it was the Americans who rebuilt
them. When the Pennsylvania Railroad and the New York Central
went broke, nobody loaned them an old caboose. Both are still
broke.

I can name you 5000 times when the Americans raced
to the help of other people in trouble. Can you name
me even one time when someone else raced to the Americans in
trouble? I don’t think there was outside help even during the
San Francisco earthquake.

Our neighbors have faced it alone, and I’m one
Canadian who is damned tired of hearing them get
kicked around. They will come out of this thing with their flag
high. And when they do, they are entitled to thumb their nose at
the lands that are gloating over their present troubles. I hope
Canada is not one of those.”

Stand proud, America!

Well, it turns out that this article was originally written and broadcast by Gordon Sinclair on CFRB, Toronto, Ontario, on JUNE 5, 1973!

Many have sent me the text, one before 9/11 but many after. It is indead true and just as valid today as in 1973.