Stereotypes

Not all Americans are idiots.
Not all Chinese are evil and/or communists.
Not all Germans are Nazis.
Not all Greeks are lazy.
Not all Israelis are fascists.
Not all Italians are cads like Berlusconi.
Not all Poles want to take your jobs.
Not all Russians are communists/corrupt/evil/criminals.

I think I've got most of the stereotypes down, but the point I want to make is that you can't generalise about entire nations. In every country there are the cruel, the lazy, the stupid and the greedy, that's true, but there are also the kind, the hard-working, the clever and the generous. That's just the way of people. If you spent time around them, you'd change your ways.

Why am I preaching to you about this? Because I hate it. It makes me feel physically sick to see people talked about like that. You do not get an entire country full of fascists. You do not get an entire country full of saints. You have the good and the evil (if there are indeed such things) and the ordinary, quite innocent people stuck in the middle of all this. To paint them all with the same brush helps none and hinders all.

I know that this post is sloppy, but I'm tired and I dashed this off in a couple of minutes. Better things will follow.