Proud of my country....
Proud of my flag.....
Proud of what?

I really dont understand what everybody is so proud about. We (as nations) have little or nothing to be proud about. Most of the countries RTW-riders prefer to travel to, and brag about for the rest of our lives, are countries our "proud nations" have raped and plundered for centuries. Stuff the flags, stickers and the "over the top" comments about how much "I love my country". Dont ride the 3rd world as an ambassador for your country, return home as their ambassador. They shure could need it.

we just want to ride our bikes.....and smile and wave at people......

Obviously, a nerve has been touched here. I wish this was the most appropriate forum to discuss our concerns with our current administration because I somethimes feel like my head will blow up if I can't get it off my chest. But it's not, this forum strikes me as being about no borders, you know, One World.
I know I wasn't alone in crying tears of frustration when I learned of that Bush and his crew had been re-elected but remember that he was elected in a democratic process. If " in a democracy the people get the government they deserve" is true then us Yanks need to do some housecleaning. We helped elect Bush either by our actions or, more likely, our inaction. We need to be involved and informed to make our govenment truly representative.
My father returned from Europe in 1945 with 2 Purple Hearts and shrapnel in his body to help make it possible for people there to express themselves freely. Too bad that seems forgotten.

Appropriate handle there Dizzy. Remember the drill, engage brain before mouth.
http://www.strikingviking.net/sv/mod...rder=0&thold=0

Just curious what you do to make the world a better place? You sound so friendly.

Striking Viking...
Ok, your comments where in place. Got perhaps a bit carried away there....

I,m afraid I dont do much more than the next person, although the ambitions are there.


[This message has been edited by Dizzie (edited 25 January 2005).]

What l think, is that you don't have to go to
Afghanistan to find people who hates freedom,
you'll find them at home if you seek!

Anyhow, when out in the world, it's also very
important to respect yourself, you can't reduce yourself being ashamed of your origins,
then you'll become an easy victm!
Now, the origins is not either a main concern, though for sure, you'll never change them!
Someone said that you have to help yourself to be able to help others, l believe nothing is more true.

Haters are brainwashed victims, whos harmony have been ripped away for better controlling of them..
Take the example of the middle east extremists
, they begin "hate" education very young,
the method is old as the world, destroy every feeling of liberty, self confidence, calm, individuality, pride and rebuild whats left as you wish.
When you can't feel harmony, you can't be yourself.
When you can't be yourself, you can't feel harmony.
People without harmony are the ones doing crual acts!

The pride you feel for your country(s) can be other than the old politics, what makes you proud is your history, your view of things and all those normal stuff that never change.

You have to keep a constance in your mind, to do about what you want and be able to "be out" for some time, where the sky is not allways pure blue and the roses not allways pure red.

Regards,

Mattias

Don't apologise Dizzie - you are entitled to your views as much as anybody else. Love your comment about not travelling to 3rd world countries as your country's ambassador but returning as another's ambassador!! Most of us are full of ourselves - there wouldn't be all the responses on this thread otherwise!

Yes, I just want to also say the line about being an ambassador was excellent and with your permission I might use it next time someone asks me why I am riding around their country on a motorcycle.


------------------
Brooklyn Dakar
http://motorcycleramblings.blogspot.com/

I think this is how we travellers should all see it. Not to get too emotional. People are stupid, including goverments, but that doesn't change the civilian who really wants something - to travel, to see the world.

Let us hope there's still the world in decades to come...

Margus

if i had time and money i might read this but i´m not gonna waste my time in Chile in the internet and in the end it won´t make any difference.
by the way if i was american which i´m not you´d never see me put a target, sorry flag, on my bike.
stay neutral, happy and enjoy the ride

It seems I have stumbled on a web site full of insecure yanks! Please just ride your bloody bikes and tell us about your adventures. I have spent nearly 12 months and 25,000k in Asia, with no problems from fellow bikers, except yanks...you are your own worst enemy!

Out of 70 posts on this thread, only 23 are from Americans. The American flag means so many different things to people in this country (I'm one of your Yanks) that I'm really interested to hear what it means to people from other countries, especially well travelled people as most of the people on this forum are. If that makes me insecure, then we really do have problems.

Tomforde, careful please - remember we're trying not to get personal, but to offer constructive advice, ideas and opinions on the subject.

(and that some people are a little more sensitive than your average toughened from birth, thick-skinned aussie...) http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/ubb/smile.gif

(and that's a positive comment on Aussies, as I'm proud to be one (albeit naturalised)) AND not a negative comment on others, just an observation of a fact of life.

http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/ubb/biggrin.gif treading delicately...

Good commentary, AndyT!

------------------
Grant Johnson

Seek, and ye shall find.
------------------------

One world, Two wheels.
www.HorizonsUnlimited.com

Flags have been for a long time a symbol of division and in some cases of domination (historically).
Maybe these times are just the transition to Lennon´s dream (imagine there´s no countries).
I suggest you use a BIG flag with Grant´s "ONE WORLD TWO WHEELS" It makes averyone happy, it´s fun and a great chat oppener.
Why not we the moto-weirdos start a world brotherhood with this kind of symbols?

Oh, come ON, hmoro, If Grant, Susan and the gang qualify as moto-weirdos, then I reckon they're having a darn good shot at doing just that.
Hang on in there, guys!
J http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/ubb/biggrin.gif



[This message has been edited by John Roberts (edited 26 January 2005).]