AA pilot supposedly was upset in Brazil

[Draginass]

1. The Brazilians are being jerks for deliberately hassling American citizens entering Brazil.

2. The American captain is a jerk for flipping off some low level immigration functionary.

Both are dead wrong. Time for both of them to grow up.

 

[Ty Webb]

In case any you or any of your fellow Brazilians haven't heard, we were attacked by a group of terroristas about two and a half years ago, an attack that killed over three thousand of our countrymen, including many women and children. This same group has sent out thousands of brainwashed operatives whose sole mission is to infiltrate our country and try to perpreatrate more attacks.

Our country has had to enact some distasteful (and expensive) measures to counteract this attack. So far, they have been successful. We will continue to do what we need to do to protect our people, and that certainly includes using biometrics to register persons visiting from other countries.

For the Brazilians, though, simply taking fingerprints of incoming Americans serves no purpose. Brazil is not under the threat of attack by Muslim fundamentalists . . . . yet. And when they do decide to attack your country, (hard to imagine a more tempting target for a bunch of muslim fundamentalists than Rio at Carnival) the operatives won't be coming there from the US.

I am sure though, that when the attack does come, or some other tragedy befalls your country, they will be quick to come to us with their hand out. We will assist them, as we do to the tune of tens of billions of dollars around the world each year, and I am sure they will happily take the money and wait for the next opportunity to once again insult us and act out their resentments in another ridiculous manner such as the present fingerprinting system- the results of which, I am sure, are not even put into a database, but are probaby just thrown into a box somewhere.

Finally, if you are going to come here, then insult your host, please make sure that you have at least mastered the language enough to do so in a manner that at least makes sense. Castigating Americans for not learning more languages in extremely broken English negates your own argument.

Thank you, come again.

 

[SammyG]

oh yea...I forgot giving the bird is somehow against the law!


Hey Mr. I'll fly the 80 for 80 bucks an hour....you sir are certainly not defending the profession!

On a topic completely unrelated...whered you get that avatar?

 

[Palerider957]

Screw the world....

I am SOOOOOOO tired of Foreigners (especiallly the French) trying to tell Americans all that is wrong with us. I guess we're just a bunch of poor dumb bas.tards who really need guidence from the likes of Brazilians, Europeans, and he11----anyone else who hates Americans.

Don't like Americans??---don't come here, don't comsume our products, don't watch our TV or movies, deny our tourists access and forgo our vacation $$, dont attempt to get a visa and work here, don't give us sh.it!

NO country South of the border is a true friend of the United States (with the possible acception of Costa Rica). Our citizens have ALWAYS been harassed by corrupt gov. officials, ripped off by the locals, and generally seen as simply an object to pump cash from.

Europeans certainly have no love for Americans--but hey, that works both ways. I have a hard time respecting cowardly nations that desperately want the United States put out fires around the world, but publicly critisize us at EVERY opportunity.

LIGEIRINHO YOU SHOULD THANK GOD THAT YOU HAVE BEEN AFFORDED THE OPPORTUNITY TO COME HERE AND WORK.

It's attidudes like YOURS that stir nationalism in America, making anti-immigration policies MUCH more popular.....take a deep look inside and ask yourself, who really is the one with the bad attitude....

 

[Dizel8]

Now, now Palerider,

You seem to be utilizing to big a brush. Quite a few European countries were and continue to be allies, even when the going gets rough. While they may not have as large allied forces, they contributed quite a bit.

EU is other than France and Germany, although at times, it does not seem that way. It 's the old saying: Who screams the loudest.

Regardless, wrt. Brazil, we must adequately consider the issue. While one judge retaliates against the US, that does not mean the whole country is against us.
Yep, the AA captain showed his displeasure, which many of us can all relate to, having dealt with these same issues, however, from relating to condoning is far indeed. I am sure, the gesture was done in a brief moment of "anger", but he will be paying the price. I am sure you do not wish to be painted as a "arrogant" american, because of his mistake!

 

[Ty Webb]

No, I think he means what he said, and I couldn't agree more.

Many of us are tired of doling out dollars and lives all over the world to a bunch of unappreciative, illiterate, unwashed, murderous thieving ingrates who hate us because that is what they have been taught and they don't have the desire to think for themselves.

While that doesn't necessarily apply to Brazil, if the shoe stinks, it's probably yours.

Superiority complex on the part of the US, or inferiority complex on the part of much of the rest of the world, you be the judge. . . I'll be in the bar.

 

[Dizel8]

Well Ty, I hope you are not planning on travelling anywhere outside the US, would be bad for foreign relations. Maybe you do have a superiority complex, if you can deem the rest of the world to be "a bunch of unappreciative, illiterate, unwashed, murderous thieving ingrates". Perhaps you did not mean to include the entire world, just specific countries, but if that was the case, you failed to mention it.

So, next time our Goverment does something "bad", oh say like prop up dictatorships, like oh say Saddam, which we did while being mad at the Iranians, that would then justify their hatred of us or more specifically, of you?

Its a big world out there and while we are "home of the brave and land of the free", fortunately or unfortunately, depending on your point of view, we cannot dictate rules to the entire world.

 

[Ty Webb]

Re-read my post. I didn't say that the whole world fell into those categories; I said I am sick of spending lives and dollars on the people that fall into those categories.

I have probably been to as many countries as yourself. I have lived in several. I speak or have spoken four languages . . . and I stand by my post.

 

[Dizel8]

Ty,
I read PR post to be somewhat overly broad. The US has allies, as I mentioned, even in the EU. Yes, there are a few countries around the world, that do not like us, well, at least some of the people in the country does not, but the average guy or gal there worries about the same stuff you do. Do you honestly think, that many people outside the Kremlin was behind the cold war, or how about all the countries the former USSR occupied, do you think they were happy about it?
Do you think that the fundamentalist were revered in Afghanistan or did they seize power to oppress the citizens into their way of thinking? Yes, Khoemini hated the US, but do you think the average Iranian had a clue about where the US were on the map, much less hated us? As a matter of fact, the Shah was one of our strongest allies in that part of the world and Iran generally loved the US, do you think that has changed, other than what you see on the news? Do you think the N. Koreans are happy about their "leader" who threatens with nuclear arms?
If so, and I doubt it, you are worse off than I can imagine. But, like someone else said someplace, next time you get pulled over, flip the officer the bird and see what happens?

The world is an awfully big place and in my travels around it, I have never met a common man, who was not helpful and interested in were I came from and what it was like there. I have been housed by people who had nothing, yet were willing to share it all with me.

It taught me, that politics aside, all "sane" people wish the same: Peace and happiness for their families and them.

 

[Ty Webb]

I have never met a common man, who was not helpful and interested in were I came from and what it was like there. I have been housed by people who had nothing, yet were willing to share it all with me.


Yup, that used to be the way it is . . . unfortunately,that has changed, and those same people show up on message boards ready to tell us how terrible we are.

If you have the time and the stomach, go on over to www.airliners.net and watch the douche bags badmouth us every chance they get . . . it's basically a pattern of:

Take the cash, then bash, ask questions later. Yep, we're all a bunch of Taco Bell-munching Jerry Springer watching Idi Amins, who are peresonally responsible for their own particular brand of bullsh!t.

When you've had all you can stomach, c'mon back here and talk to us, dude.

 

[Dizel8]

Oh yeah, I should base my perception of entire countries on some BS posted on a website or some idiot judge in Brazil? I think not!
Just like I think any Brazilian, who bases his perception of americans on the actions of one AA pilot, needs to get his head examined.

Your avatar says "Enlightened Rogue", so why act like an ignorant cave dweller? While that probably is way to harsh, according to you, you have travelled extensively, so certainly you should know, that a few morons does not a country make.

 

[Flex]

A little historical perspective might be in order. Brazil is one of the only countries in South America that require U.S. citizens to aquire visas prior to entry. (I found this out the hard way). The reason for this is because the U.S. requires that Brazilians aquire visas for here. The Brazilians even charge the same amount of cash ($100). Citizens of both countries must go to the respective embassies or consulates, pay money and turn over their passports. In the U.S. it took me one day. By mail it would take longer of course, and I needed my passport for my job, so I had to drag my ass to the embassy to get the visa. Brazilians go do the same, plus an interview with U.S. officials. The recent fingerprinting is a "tit-for-tat" quid-pro-quo thing that the Brazilians are doing. They are only giving us a taste of our own medicine. The arugument that we are under more of a terrorist threat seems ok, but when I asked a Brazilian this, they said: "Brazilians aren't going to attack the U.S." The bottom line is that when in Rome do as the Romans do. Respect goes a long way. I'm sure this captain wouldn't have appreciated it if I had handed my ID to him like that when I asked him for a jumpseat. This AA captain should stick to flying domestic.

 

[Sniper@YourFeet]

Clarifications

The arugument that we are under more of a terrorist threat seems ok, but when I asked a Brazilian this, they said: "Brazilians aren't going to attack the U.S."

Nor are Canadians or Germans, but that is of little consequence when terrorist operatives enter the US through Canada or set up a terroist cell in Hamburg, like the 9-11 guys did.

The US only requires citizens of those countries who don't have passports that can be electronically verified (to reduce the use of fake passports) to submit to the 'picture and fingerprint' routine. Brazil has refused to create an electronic database of passports and make it available to the US.