America

[redcogs]

I don't think any of us would support it now but something that happened 400-500 years ago can hardly be construed as a policy or have I misunderstood you?

i don't think you have misunderstood rich p.

Policy: " a deliberate plan of action to guide decisions and achieve rational outcome(s). The term may apply to government, private sector organizations etc etc" ...

Don't forget Columbus made several 'visits' to the Americas. He wasn't going as a tourist to sample the culture (although, as an explorer, he was no doubt curious)

From his first arrival at the Indies he wrote "in the first island that I found, I took some of them (Indians) by force, to the intent that they should learn and give me information of what there was in those parts"..

Gold and slaves quickly became the main attraction for the Spanish state, and "Columbus personally initiated the process of Spanish colonisation".

 

[rich p]

I know what a 'policy' is without the definition but thanks for the enlightenment!

I was merely meaning to say that what may have been a "policy" 500 years ago doesn't mean that Spain, Portugal or western Europe has to go on wearing a hair shirt now.

that is my last word on this as I don't do Soapbox as I'm too shallow and need words of 6 letters or more defined for me which slows the debate down for others!

 

[redcogs]

Sorry if i caused irritation rich p. it wasn't policy - just personality

 

[rich p]

Sorry if i caused irritation rich p. it wasn't policy - just personality

 

[Disgruntled Goat]

Tthe natural splendour is magnificent - Appalacians, the Rockies, Yosemite, Yellowstone, Pacific Coast, Moave Desert, Utah, Wyoming, Everglades, Rockies, hell even the the Plains of the mid west. NYC is the greatest city on the world.

The people let it down though. Some are unerringly nice and hospitable but there are a lot of pigs and loons.

And it is probably the worst place in the world in which to be poor.

 

[Disgruntled Goat]

No I haven't and granted it's grim, but for such a prosperous country as the USA, poverty is inexcusable.

 

[Arch]

Tthe natural splendour is magnificent - Appalacians, the Rockies, Yosemite, Yellowstone, Pacific Coast, Moave Desert, Utah, Wyoming, Everglades, Rockies, hell even the the Plains of the mid west. NYC is the greatest city on the world.

The people let it down though. Some are unerringly nice and hospitable but there are a lot of pigs and loons.

And it is probably the worst place in the world in which to be poor.

Although I've never been, this sort of sums up what I think I'd feel if I had...

I was reading an online review recently, of a tourist destination in France and it was by an American, who liked the place, although stated he 'didn't like French food', leading me to wonder a) why he went to France, and which particular part of the vast array of French cuisine it was he didn't like - surely he couldn't dislike it all?! Later he said he'd ordered crepes and they were bland, so he had to ask for salt and pepper, but the French staff didn't know what Tabasco was... I felt he sort of summed up my own little stereotype of Americans... (of course I know several very nice Americans, but I can see why Canadians are so keen to wear maple leaf flags to distinguish themselves...)