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You'd be Speaking German if it werent for the Americans

pharmgirl

12

Someone at work today here in the US said this to me (cos I'm British). Anyone else find this really annoying?

Reply 1

creak

13

Yes, considering we'd be speaking German if it actually weren't for the Russians.

Reply 2

pharmgirl

OP

12

i wasnt going to write this in my OP but I knew an old guy`who fought in both world wars who always said the following:-

The Germans committed a terrible warcrime
When they tried to invade our patch
But the Italians changed side after half time
And the yanks were late for the match.

Reply 3

janemansfield

and they sent very few troops to combat the germans, they were mainly defending themselves from the japanese, they couldn't even be arsed getting into the war before that.

Reply 4

decola

8

We'd be speaking Russian if it weren't for the Germans.

Reply 5

Agent Smith

11

I assume it's referring to the Second World War? Well, I think there's a tripod consisting of the UK, USSR and US to be considered. Take away any one of those three legs and the whole Alliance collapses into the hands of the Axis.

But trust a Yank to put it like that.

Reply 6

Bismarck

13

You'd be speaking German if either the US or USSR withdrew from the war. The difference is that the USSR couldn't withdraw from the war because it itself was a target, while the US didn't really have to join the European theater.

Reply 7

ali567149

1

Also it's always fun to point out to the yanks that they joined the war after the battle of britain and that if it wasn't for us they would be speaking dutch/navaho etc.

Reply 8

Agent Smith

11

Arguably the US might have been in a rather ******ed position if it had sat by and allowed the whole of Europe to fall to the Nazis, who would then have had the Soviets over a barrel. I could harp on about it, but suffice to say it would be a grim scenario.

Reply 9

Agent Smith

11

ali567149

Also it's always fun to point out to the yanks that they joined the war after the battle of britain and that if it wasn't for us they would be speaking dutch/navaho etc.

I think you mean, if it wasn't for genocide they would be speaking Navaho.

Reply 10

pharmgirl

OP

12

the US didn't really have to join the European theater.

Which is exactly what happened- they didnt join until they were brought in by Pearl Harbour, and even then the UK have only just paid off the 50 billion pounds they charged us for it.

Edit: How much are we charging them for Iraq?

Reply 11

sweet_fluffy_nuke

pharmgirl

Someone at work today here in the US said this to me (cos I'm British). Anyone else find this really annoying?

And the Americans would be speaking Sioux if it wasnt for the UK.

Reply 12

ali567149

1

Agent Smith

I think you mean, if it wasn't for genocide they would be speaking Navaho.

Yep sadly
It's also a little know fact that the americans entered the war to save themselves from the Mexicans, as the germans were creating links with Mexico city to keep america pre-occupied at the southern border and not same troops. Similar to the tactic in WWI of getting the Irish to kick off in ireland to destablise the uk and keep us out of europe.

Reply 13

Bismarck

13

Agent Smith

Arguably the US might have been in a rather ******ed position if it had sat by and allowed the whole of Europe to fall to the Nazis, who would then have had the Soviets over a barrel. I could harp on about it, but suffice to say it would be a grim scenario.

While technically true, it's inconceivable that this would lead to the invasion of the US. Plus it's highly unlikely that Hitler's empire would survive his death.

Reply 14

_jackofdiamonds

10

Nazi Germany would have collapsed in on itself after a while anyway.

Reply 15

Bismarck

13

pharmgirl

the US didn't really have to join the European theater.

Which is exactly what happened- they didnt join until they were brought in by Pearl Harbour, and even then the UK have only just paid off the 50 billion pounds they charged us for it.

Edit: How much are we charging them for Iraq?

Last time I checked, Japan attacked Pearl Harbor. The US could have simply annihilated Japan and let Germany do its dirty business in Europe.

When is Britain paying back the debts from WWI or from the Marshall Plan?

Reply 16

Bismarck

13

ali567149

Yep sadly
It's also a little know fact that the americans entered the war to save themselves from the Mexicans, as the germans were creating links with Mexico city to keep america pre-occupied at the southern border and not same troops. Similar to the tactic in WWI of getting the Irish to kick off in ireland to destablise the uk and keep us out of europe.

Are you joking? Mexico learned from its mistakes in WWI. It had no intention of siding with Germany. Plus it's a joke to suggest that Mexico could have done any real damage to the US. If Mexico attacked the US, there would be no more Mexico pretty quickly.

Reply 17

Agent Smith

11

Bismarck

Last time I checked, Japan attacked Pearl Harbor. The US could have simply annihilated Japan and let Germany do its dirty business in Europe.

When is Britain paying back the debts from WWI or from the Marshall Plan?

I think Britain paid back its pre-WWII debts when it provided the US with a base in Europe from which to strike at Nazi Germany.

Reply 18

pharmgirl

OP

12

No doubt that debts still exist. However, the point of my OP was that it is a widely held perception here in the US that the US came in on a white charger like some kind of cartoon hero and saved us all from anihilation. I have heard statements like "We are the leaders of the free world" and "You Brits were colonists and we kicked your butt from out of this place" The reality how I see it is, yes, they played an important role, but why did they wait so long? It would be interesting to see what people think.

Reply 19

Bismarck

13

Agent Smith

I think Britain paid back its pre-WWII debts when it provided the US with a base in Europe from which to strike at Nazi Germany.

Except that Germany threatened Britain far more than it did the US. If Germany defeated the USSR, it could have eventually invaded the British Isles. It still wouldn't be able to attack mainland US.

You'd be Speaking German if it werent for the Americans

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