AMERICA: THE GOOD NEIGHBOR

Doukakis, Mark (NBC) Mark.Doukakis at nbc.com
Thu Sep 13 20:19:16 CEST 2001


This, from a Canadian newspaper, is worth sharing.America: The Good
Neighbor.Widespread but only partial news coverage wasgiven recently to a
remarkable editorial broadcastfrom Toronto by Gordon Sinclair, a Canadian
televisioncommentator. What follows is the full text of histrenchant remarks
as printed in the CongressionalRecord:"This Canadian thinks it is time to
speak up forthe Americans as the most generous and possiblythe least
appreciated people on all the earth.Germany, Japan and, to a lesser extent,
Britainand Italy were lifted out of the debris of war by theAmericans who
poured in billions of dollars andforgave other billions in debts.  None of
thesecountries is today paying even the interest onits remaining debts to
the United States.When France was in danger of collapsing in 1956,it was the
Americans who propped it up, and theirreward was to be insulted and swindled
on thestreets of Paris. I was there. I saw it.When earthquakes hit distant
cities, it is theUnited States that hurries in to help. This spring,59
American communities were flattened by tornadoes.Nobody helped.The Marshall
Plan and the Truman Policy pumpedbillions of dollars into discouraged
countries.Now newspapers in those countries are writingabout the decadent,
warmongering Americans.I'd like to see just one of those countries thatis
gloating over the erosion of the United Statesdollar build its own airplane.
Does any othercountry in the world have a plane to equal theBoeing Jumbo
Jet, the Lockheed Tri-Star, orthe Douglas DC10?  If so, why don't they
flythem?  Why do all the International lines exceptRussia fly American
Planes?Why does no other land on earth even considerputting a man or woman
on the moon? You talkabout Japanese technocracy, and you get radios.You talk
about German technocracy, and you getautomobiles.  You talk about American
technocracy,and you find men on the moon - not once, but severaltimes - and
safely home again.You talk about scandals, and the Americans puttheirs right
in the store window for everybody to lookat. Even their draft-dodgers are
not pursued andhounded. They are here on our streets, and most of
them,unless they are breaking Canadian laws, are gettingAmerican dollars
from ma and pa at home to spend here.When the railways of France, Germany
and India werebreaking down through age, it was the Americans whorebuilt
them. When the Pennsylvania Railroad and theNew York Central went broke,
nobody loaned them an oldcaboose.  Both are still broke.I can name you 5,000
times when the Americansraced to the help of other people in trouble. Canyou
name me even one time when someone elseraced to the Americans in trouble?  I
don't thinkthere was outside help even during the San
Franciscoearthquake.Our neighbors have faced it alone, and I'm oneCanadian
who is damned tired of hearing themget kicked around. They will come out of
this thingwith their flag high. And when they do, they areentitled to thumb
their nose at the lands that aregloating over their present troubles. I hope
Canadais not one of those.""Stand proud, America!"


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