The United States Has Lost its Leadership Mantle of the "Free World"

[arbus]

The people in the world are not stupid - they see clearly the bad-hearted intentions of those in Washington, and are not duped by sugar-coated pseudo-democratic rhetoric. Actions speak louder than words: just as the beating and bashing of Freedom Riders and civil rights marchers in the 60s cost the US the respect of the world's "colored" majority, so has the lawless lynching of Iraq for the modern world at large. The US pulled itself off its own pedestal at the same time it toppled Saddam's statue in downtown Baghdad. Fortunately, not even the quiescent, compliant American people at home are willing to play the game any longer - the surest sign of a losing regime about to give up power.

[Essendon]

To be honest, I think the US only ever had the "world leader" mantle in the economic sense. Developing and third-world nations may/might of 'looked up' to it, but I don't think anyone in the first-world ever idealised it. At least not for the past 50 years.

[Darwins Friend]

Why do people from other countries risk their very lives - the lives of their children, to come to America? They're not stupid - right?

;)

[lord tammerlain]

Why do people from other countries risk their very lives - the lives of their children, to come to America? They're not stupid - right?

;)

Yeah it's not like people from other countries risk their lives to get to Europe, or Australia or Canada. Nope never, the rafts that are found in the Med are not carring Africans trying to get to Europe, but Africans out for a sunday cruise

[mataj]

Leaders of free world are usually elected.

[Darwins Friend]

Yeah it's not like people from other countries risk their lives to get to Europe, or Australia or Canada. Nope never, the rafts that are found in the Med are not carring Africans trying to get to Europe, but Africans out for a sunday cruise

In the millions like the Mexicans?:rolleyes:

[lord tammerlain]

In the millions like the Mexicans?:rolleyes:

I bet if Europe shared a physical boarder with Africa, and had lax boarder security then I bet you would see millions of Africans, instead of thousands making illegal boarder crossings.

Crossing the Med is going to be rather more difficult then crossing the Rio Grand. A similar reason as to why only thousands of Haitians try to illegally enter the US instead of 50% of the Haitian population

[Dangerrmouse]

http://www.spanish-review.com/article746.html

"Another 382 illegal immigrants have arrived on the island of Gomera in the Canary islands yesterday. Amoung the refugees were some so exhausted with the journey that they had to be treated in hospital."

Perhaps they were really heading for America and missed? :rolleyes:

[Darwins Friend]

http://www.spanish-review.com/article746.html

"Another 382 illegal immigrants have arrived on the island of Gomera in the Canary islands yesterday. Amoung the refugees were some so exhausted with the journey that they had to be treated in hospital."

Perhaps they were really heading for America and missed? :rolleyes:

Hell - we get that many Mexicans across the California border every night!:p

[burntgorilla]

In the millions like the Mexicans?:rolleyes:

The Canary Islands are getting stuffed full of immigrants.

[Dangerrmouse]

Hell - we get that many Mexicans across the California border every night!:p

That was one night... It's like Cuba reversed, geographically. They set sail from a continental land mass, (Africa) and head for a small group of islands 100 miles out into the Atlantic.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/5268018.stm

" Last Updated: Sunday, 20 August 2006, 21:43 GMT 22:43 UK ...

The number of illegal immigrants arriving in Spain's Canary Islands from the north-west coast of Africa over the past three days has hit 1,000.
Three more boatloads arrived on Sunday, swamping reception centres.
...
Some 17,000 illegal migrants have arrived in the Canaries from the African mainland this year. This number is more than three times higher than for the whole of 2005.

Hundreds of other migrants have died trying to make the crossing."

[Mirror Lake 444]

Europe gets it's share of immigrants too -- even from Africa. Some of you mght want to do some research before you look too silly.

[Essendon]

I'd also say that Australia would get more illegal immigrants if it weren't surrounded by an ocean.

America is hardly the only place with immigration issues...