Dear Stephen182006

Dear Dr.Newt,

Can I ask if americans DO really kill for no reason?

Signed, Stephen182006Dr Newt explains the American psyche.

Episode Annotation: Dear Stephen182006

The oils: What the Americans want from the Middle East.

The scorpion (and the frog): A famous fable or parable, The Scorpion and the Frog is meant to illustrate that it is impossible to change one's nature or basic instincts. In the story, a scorpion needs to cross the river and tries to get a frog to take him across on his back. But the frog is worried that the scorpion will sting him during the journey. Eventually the scorpion convinces the frog that to sting him would result in both their deaths so it's in neither of their interests. Unfortunately, the scorpion can't help himself and stings the frog, paralyzing him about halfway across the river and they both drown.

By comparing the U.S. to the scorpion, Guy #1 seems to be suggesting that despite its "altruistic" efforts to instill democracy into former dictatorships and terrorist-run countries in the Middle East, the U.S. is in fact doing more harm than good. It is a destructive force that will, ultimately, annihilate itself in the process. Or maybe he was just watching The Crying Game and thought the fable had something to do with cross-dressing.