America: The Good Neighbor
Widespread but only partial news coverage was given recently to a
remarkable editorial broadcast from Toronto by Gordon Sinclair, a Canadian
television commentator. What follows is the full text of his trenchant
remarks as printed in the Congressional Record:
"This Canadian thinks it is time to speak up for the Americans as
the most generous and possibly the least appreciated people on all the
earth. Germany, Japan and, to a lesser extent, Britain and Italy were
lifted out of the debris of war by the Americans who poured in billions
of dollars and forgave other billions in debts. None of these countries
is today paying even the interest on its remaining debts to the United
States. When France was in danger of collapsing in 1956, it was the
Americans who propped it up, and their reward was to be insulted and
swindled on the streets of Paris. I was there. I saw it.
When earthquakes hit distant cities, it is the United States that
hurries in to help. This spring, 59 American communities were flattened
by tornadoes. Nobody helped.
The Marshall Plan and the Truman Policy pumped billions of dollars into
discouraged countries. Now newspapers in those countries are writing
about the decadent, warmongering Americans. I'd like to see just one
of those countries that is gloating over the erosion of the United States
dollar build its own airplane. Does any other country in the world have
a plane to equal the Boeing Jumbo Jet, the Lockheed Tri-Star, or the
Douglas DC10? If so, why don't they fly them? Why do all the International
airlines except Russia fly American Planes?
Why does no other land on earth even consider putting a man or woman on
the moon? You talk about Japanese technocracy, you get radios. You
talk about German technocracy, you get automobiles. You talk about
American technocracy, and you find men on the moon-not once, but
several times-and safely home again. You talk about scandals, and
the Americans put theirs right in the store window for everybody to
look at. Even their draft-dodgers are not pursued and hounded. They
are here on our streets, and most of them, unless they are breaking Canadian
laws, are getting American dollars from ma and pa at home to spend here.
When the railways of France, Germany and India were breaking down
through age, it was the Americans who rebuilt them. When the Pennsylvania
Railroad and the New York Central went broke, nobody loaned them an old
caboose. Both are still broke.
I can name you 5000 times when the Americans raced to the help of other
people in trouble. Can you name me even one time when someone else
raced to the Americans in trouble? I don't think there was outside help
even during the San Francisco earthquake.
Our neighbors have faced it alone, and I'm one Canadian who is damned tired
of hearing them get kicked around. They will come out of this thing with
their flag high. And when they do, they are entitled to thumb their
nose at the lands that are gloating over their present troubles. I
hope Canada is not one of those."
Stand proud, America!
Comments : This past week, this same tribute has been circulating on the
internet and radio. This is not a tribute that was written in the last week
after the latest acts of terrorism in NY, DC & PA. This was actually written
28 years ago, it has suffered minor revisions during it's travels, but it is
authentic. Journalist and radio personality Gordon Sinclair delivered this
commentary on his Toronto show in 1973 for the first time.
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The Day America Cried
Prayers For America
The Eagle Is Crying
I Said A Prayer Today
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This page designed September 14th, 2001
Last updated, October 30th, 2001