Americans are mostly great people, most of them seem pretty friendly. America as an institution though - that's scary, dangerous, xenophobic and greedy.
Non-Americans: How do you view us?
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1. Don't know exactly how to explain quadratic equations, but I know it's solved using the formula ax^2+bx+c=0. Learned that in Algrebra.9Darksoul6 said:
2. The equinox (Latin for "equal night," right?) refers to the two times of year when days and nights are the same length, which happens on the first day of spring and the first day of autumn.
3.Franz Kafka was a poet, if I remember correctly. I've heard of Victor Hugo, but I don't remember what he did. Voltaire was a famous French philosopher during the French Revolution (he's also a hilarious song-writer), and Nietzsche is a famous German philosopher who coined the phrase "God is dead, and we have killed him." Can't say I've heard of the other ones though.
4. I've never heard of "Neodarwinism," but I know I subscribe to the theory of evolution whole-heartedly.
5: As a matter of fact, I have heard of BMI. Mine is 22
6: The Quran is the collection of writings at the heart of Islam, and it's essentially their equivalent of the Bible to Christian religions.
7. Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Madagascar, Sudan, and Egypt. I'm gonna throw out The Republic of Congo, Chad, and Angola just for extra credit.
Yes, I'm American. I don't know what point you were trying to make with those trivia questions, but I'm fairly certain I disproved it, or at least until the next round of questions.
EDIT: I played fair and didn't look up my answers until after I posted. Kafka was a novelist, not a poet. D: So fuck me, I guess. Still think I did pretty good though.
Interesting to note: American politics are exceptionally skewed (Screwed too, but that's neither here nor there). I read somewhere that the American Democratic Party-the "liberal" one-espouses views that in, for example, Britain, would be coming from the Conservative Party. Therefore, the Republican Party is just off the fucking deep end when it comes to conservatism. So imagine where America's "Moderates" are.
I'm from America, and not especially proud of that fact. I am, however, exceedingly proud of the particular city I'm from--namely, Oakland, CA. One has to remember that America is very regionally divided. Again, not necessarily the most familiar with domestic affairs in other nations, so maybe shouldn't be talking comparatively here, but there's a lot of difference between someone in Oakland, someone in Los Angeles, someone in New York, someone in Atlanta, Georgia, someone in Texas, etc. The difference is that the one from Oakland is the best
I'm from America, and not especially proud of that fact. I am, however, exceedingly proud of the particular city I'm from--namely, Oakland, CA. One has to remember that America is very regionally divided. Again, not necessarily the most familiar with domestic affairs in other nations, so maybe shouldn't be talking comparatively here, but there's a lot of difference between someone in Oakland, someone in Los Angeles, someone in New York, someone in Atlanta, Georgia, someone in Texas, etc. The difference is that the one from Oakland is the best
on the note of if it happened to another country you'd laugh, trust me you would. the way the american media carries on after ten years I laugh at you sure it was a sad event but don't complain for a decade and start an endless occupation of a foreign country move on for god sakes.
I have some American friends that I see 2-3 times a year, and I really like spending the limited amount of time I get to with them.
What I don't like is that there are some people in the US that are convinced that socialized medicine is a harbinger of the end times, and that communism will sweep civilzation under in a storm of free abortions and collectivized industry.
What I don't like is that there are some people in the US that are convinced that socialized medicine is a harbinger of the end times, and that communism will sweep civilzation under in a storm of free abortions and collectivized industry.
This thread is just stupid. I'm American, but I don't care what other people think of me, no matter what country they are from (especially America).
As a serious question to the OP: Do you want to hear a bunch of people who are ignorant of America say how much they hate it, or worse yet, a bunch of ignorant American's defending comments from those people?
I'll tell you what is wrong with America. We have a huge military industrial complex and a government that uses it's monopoly on violence to push everyone around, even Americans. And there is a massive sector of society that loves to tell other people how to live and spend their hard earned money. The government caters to the black plague that is collective bargaining on all levels. Here you have people telling you how to live, how to eat, how to speak, how long to sleep, how much to exercise, how much not to exercise, what medications you NEED to be taking, what vitamins you need to be taking, what you shouldn't be eating, how long you are allowed to work, that you don't even have to work if you hurt your little finger at work, to go to the hospital for every little thing.... I could go on forever.
That being said, most countries around the world have the same problems. The only one that is exclusive to us is the massive military. Which we all would love to see an end to, at least it's size.
You know what was wrong with the 9/11 attack? That the message it was meant to spread was unheard by just about everyone. So, there will be more messages such as this, all over the world (speculation of course, but pretty obvious).
PS. The message was to mind your own business and stop intervening on shit that you have no personal stake in. That goes to all the NATO nations as well. Just so everyone is clear that there is more than just America involved.
Edit: As a side note, it's clearly time we moved on from 9/11. Let the dead lie and let people move on for god's sake. I have so little sympathy for a lot of people because we all need to get over it. My mother died in February, do I think about her every day? You bet I do. Do I let those thoughts keep me from living my life? No I do not.
As a serious question to the OP: Do you want to hear a bunch of people who are ignorant of America say how much they hate it, or worse yet, a bunch of ignorant American's defending comments from those people?
I'll tell you what is wrong with America. We have a huge military industrial complex and a government that uses it's monopoly on violence to push everyone around, even Americans. And there is a massive sector of society that loves to tell other people how to live and spend their hard earned money. The government caters to the black plague that is collective bargaining on all levels. Here you have people telling you how to live, how to eat, how to speak, how long to sleep, how much to exercise, how much not to exercise, what medications you NEED to be taking, what vitamins you need to be taking, what you shouldn't be eating, how long you are allowed to work, that you don't even have to work if you hurt your little finger at work, to go to the hospital for every little thing.... I could go on forever.
That being said, most countries around the world have the same problems. The only one that is exclusive to us is the massive military. Which we all would love to see an end to, at least it's size.
You know what was wrong with the 9/11 attack? That the message it was meant to spread was unheard by just about everyone. So, there will be more messages such as this, all over the world (speculation of course, but pretty obvious).
PS. The message was to mind your own business and stop intervening on shit that you have no personal stake in. That goes to all the NATO nations as well. Just so everyone is clear that there is more than just America involved.
Edit: As a side note, it's clearly time we moved on from 9/11. Let the dead lie and let people move on for god's sake. I have so little sympathy for a lot of people because we all need to get over it. My mother died in February, do I think about her every day? You bet I do. Do I let those thoughts keep me from living my life? No I do not.
I think if the American media wasn't so fucking vapid and shallow (Fox News, I'm looking at YOU!) and if the Republicans stop making foreign policy decisions that are formulated by asshole Neo-Cons & outright fucking psychotics like the Tea Party, and also, if people like Palin and Bachmann are not listened to the way they are now, I think America can just about start looking a little better.
But that's all wind, really, because most Americans I've met have been fantastic.
I'm actually Irish but I dated an American girl for over a year so while I have a conflicted view of America as a country, I've got more of an insight and understanding of daily life for Americans than some of my peers.
Mostly,I think y'all are just fine. I prefer to judge people on a face to face basis.
America dominates my own cultural landscape-- Hell, if I don't love America for creating Batman and some wonderful games I've experienced throughout the years.
On a more personal note- your President visited my country in May, literally on the heels of the visit by the English Queen- an occasion which is of immense historic significance, but I'll get into that later.
He gave a speech at the site of the Easter Rising which started the drive for Irish people to break away from the British Empire and rule ourselves in a Republic.
Sound familiar? Without the example that another people, wishing to rule themselves independently could succeed, we wouldn't have dared as confidently as we did.
Obama's speech gave us renewed hope in ourselves; he picked us up with those words.
Partisan politics aside- America's usually been pretty good to Ireland as regards always showing our country the respect we deserve, and we've always been more than happy to return the courtesy.
Living in a super power that you think you've little to no say in isn't easy. Governments make decisions without consulting their people every day. I know our bunch of fools don't.
America the federal state only represents the American people to a limited degree in my eyes.
So long as you don't ask me if I knew your great grandaddy's goldfish's mother, I think I'd happily have a drink with most Americans.
But that's all wind, really, because most Americans I've met have been fantastic.
I'm actually Irish but I dated an American girl for over a year so while I have a conflicted view of America as a country, I've got more of an insight and understanding of daily life for Americans than some of my peers.
Mostly,I think y'all are just fine. I prefer to judge people on a face to face basis.
America dominates my own cultural landscape-- Hell, if I don't love America for creating Batman and some wonderful games I've experienced throughout the years.
On a more personal note- your President visited my country in May, literally on the heels of the visit by the English Queen- an occasion which is of immense historic significance, but I'll get into that later.
He gave a speech at the site of the Easter Rising which started the drive for Irish people to break away from the British Empire and rule ourselves in a Republic.
Sound familiar? Without the example that another people, wishing to rule themselves independently could succeed, we wouldn't have dared as confidently as we did.
Obama's speech gave us renewed hope in ourselves; he picked us up with those words.
Partisan politics aside- America's usually been pretty good to Ireland as regards always showing our country the respect we deserve, and we've always been more than happy to return the courtesy.
Living in a super power that you think you've little to no say in isn't easy. Governments make decisions without consulting their people every day. I know our bunch of fools don't.
America the federal state only represents the American people to a limited degree in my eyes.
So long as you don't ask me if I knew your great grandaddy's goldfish's mother, I think I'd happily have a drink with most Americans.
To me, as a Canadian, America seems full of promise and possibility ... that keeps on tripping over itself and failing to live up to those dreams. I mean you guys went to the freaking Moon ... but you can't stomach the 'stitch in time saves nine' idea of Health Care ... and you've got electronic voting machines, but can't wrap your minds around the widely accepted idea that anything but first past the post is 'voting twice'.
Television shows like Jersey Shore and the constant stream of Reality TV, because that's apparently what Americans like to watch, gives you a bad look to the world ... you appear to be disinterested in literature, good story telling, or what happens in other parts of the world (compare the BBC to CNN).
And don't get me started on the whole Jesus thing. I mean for a nation that was founded by people who were fleeing religious persecution, who made a Constitution that had strong walls between Church and State, and then let your religious leaders run rampant to the point where they can skim billions of dollars off of people and no one wants to malign that scheme ... is horrible.
You seem to value the American Dream (where people can live happy and free of concerns) over the American people.
You are a nation filled with heroes ... and people willing and capable of abusing those heroes to their own ends (see how the 9/11 first responders have been pointed to as heroes, then left to rot). You are the centre of the world for scientific endeavour, having produced marvels such as the Hubble Space Telescope ... and yet you have so many people running around saying the world is 6000 years old or that you never went to the Moon or that Germ Theory is 'just a Theory' (it wouldn't be so bad, but you give them so much time and space to say what they should only be screaming from a soap box in the public square, like anyone who chooses to rant and rave). You topple some dictators that deserve to be toppled ... but then stick around and become hated by those you were liberating ... and you refuse to be held to the same standard as other nations, by refusing to be part of the International Human Rights court ... and you prop up dictators that abuse their people.
You doggedly held onto slavery when most of the rest of the world had given it up ... and then slaughtered one another over it and disagreements about the power of the state vs the power of the union.
Your corporations laud the American worker, then ship jobs overseas ... using their American base as a place to operate on a Corporate level, but refusing to give jobs to Americans. And then not only do you not tax them, you give them tax breaks.
You built up an arsenal of weapons during the cold war against an enemy who was incapable of ever taking the fight to you ... while at the same time selling them wheat! You could have rid the world of nuclear weapons, but the blinders were on so tight that SDI would work, and the interference so great from those vested in the simple story that the Soviets are the devil in modern time, that you walked away from the bargaining table.
That military industrial complex drives you to make decisions that you cannot escape from ... invest in war goods or people lose jobs.
You have some of the best people in the world in all categories ... but can't seem to lose the bell curve of having some of the worst people in the world.
Every time I travel there I am afraid of being shot or mugged, unreasonably so. I'm concerned when I see my friends from the US proudly display their firearm collections ... whose primary purpose is not game hunting, but for the method of killing other people.
I watch your shows and wonder if that is the general state of being ... and your media seem to mostly look at a topic in the same light and from the same direction ... and while some of you point this out, and quite eloquently as well, it doesn't seem to change anything.
You are a nation of dreams and nightmares.
Television shows like Jersey Shore and the constant stream of Reality TV, because that's apparently what Americans like to watch, gives you a bad look to the world ... you appear to be disinterested in literature, good story telling, or what happens in other parts of the world (compare the BBC to CNN).
And don't get me started on the whole Jesus thing. I mean for a nation that was founded by people who were fleeing religious persecution, who made a Constitution that had strong walls between Church and State, and then let your religious leaders run rampant to the point where they can skim billions of dollars off of people and no one wants to malign that scheme ... is horrible.
You seem to value the American Dream (where people can live happy and free of concerns) over the American people.
You are a nation filled with heroes ... and people willing and capable of abusing those heroes to their own ends (see how the 9/11 first responders have been pointed to as heroes, then left to rot). You are the centre of the world for scientific endeavour, having produced marvels such as the Hubble Space Telescope ... and yet you have so many people running around saying the world is 6000 years old or that you never went to the Moon or that Germ Theory is 'just a Theory' (it wouldn't be so bad, but you give them so much time and space to say what they should only be screaming from a soap box in the public square, like anyone who chooses to rant and rave). You topple some dictators that deserve to be toppled ... but then stick around and become hated by those you were liberating ... and you refuse to be held to the same standard as other nations, by refusing to be part of the International Human Rights court ... and you prop up dictators that abuse their people.
You doggedly held onto slavery when most of the rest of the world had given it up ... and then slaughtered one another over it and disagreements about the power of the state vs the power of the union.
Your corporations laud the American worker, then ship jobs overseas ... using their American base as a place to operate on a Corporate level, but refusing to give jobs to Americans. And then not only do you not tax them, you give them tax breaks.
You built up an arsenal of weapons during the cold war against an enemy who was incapable of ever taking the fight to you ... while at the same time selling them wheat! You could have rid the world of nuclear weapons, but the blinders were on so tight that SDI would work, and the interference so great from those vested in the simple story that the Soviets are the devil in modern time, that you walked away from the bargaining table.
That military industrial complex drives you to make decisions that you cannot escape from ... invest in war goods or people lose jobs.
You have some of the best people in the world in all categories ... but can't seem to lose the bell curve of having some of the worst people in the world.
Every time I travel there I am afraid of being shot or mugged, unreasonably so. I'm concerned when I see my friends from the US proudly display their firearm collections ... whose primary purpose is not game hunting, but for the method of killing other people.
I watch your shows and wonder if that is the general state of being ... and your media seem to mostly look at a topic in the same light and from the same direction ... and while some of you point this out, and quite eloquently as well, it doesn't seem to change anything.
You are a nation of dreams and nightmares.
God-fearing warmongers and profiteers.
Edit: I forgot to mention nuking Japan after they tried to surrender
Edit: I forgot to mention nuking Japan after they tried to surrender
I really like the Americans. I've been over a few times, some of my closest friends are from there and your women, oh God... your women.
I need a seperate thread just to discuss how awesome your women are. I've met my fair share of American women and almost to a one they are kind, strong, intelligent and romantic. And that accent... I don't care which state, they're all good.
Okay, I've gushed enough on there.
So I'm more than inclined to look on America kindly. You're good people.
However, you have awful news media. Fox in particular, although CNN seems to be just as bad. But I can't blame you for that. I'm English, we have a news media that's almost as xenophobic and irrational as yours. You tend to make bad political decisions (eight years with George Bush Jr, are you fucking kidding me?), however so do we (look who's running England right now, they're arguably just as bad). You have your fair share of religious nuts, but what country doesn't?
I'm almost saluting an American flag right now. However, I do have some problems. The pledge of allegiance seems too much like indocrination. It might be recited with the best of intentions, but it could potentially lead to either fanaticism (the sort of blind patriotic fervour that so dominates Fox news) or outright rejection (the sort of person who will grow up hating America because they were made to pledge allegience to it every day). It's dangerous and you need to sort that out.
The opposition towards sex education in schools is also pretty disheartening. Sex education isn't teaching children how to have sex as so many seem to believe, but it's there to offer proper advice on contraceptives, STDs and pregnancy. The earlier you can learn that, the better.
Then there's the teaching of creationism as a legitimate theory. It really isn't. It's a religious idea and nothing more.
Finally - free health care can only benefit you. Vote for it if you can!
So yeah, you have your problems, like any country. Most of these could be solved with a better system of education.
Hey, and you know what else? So could England. Any problem that I have with the USA can be applied just as easily to my own country.
Stones, glass houses and all that.
Anyway, it's four in the bloody morning over here. Sorry if I rambled on there. I'm tired.
I need a seperate thread just to discuss how awesome your women are. I've met my fair share of American women and almost to a one they are kind, strong, intelligent and romantic. And that accent... I don't care which state, they're all good.
Okay, I've gushed enough on there.
So I'm more than inclined to look on America kindly. You're good people.
However, you have awful news media. Fox in particular, although CNN seems to be just as bad. But I can't blame you for that. I'm English, we have a news media that's almost as xenophobic and irrational as yours. You tend to make bad political decisions (eight years with George Bush Jr, are you fucking kidding me?), however so do we (look who's running England right now, they're arguably just as bad). You have your fair share of religious nuts, but what country doesn't?
I'm almost saluting an American flag right now. However, I do have some problems. The pledge of allegiance seems too much like indocrination. It might be recited with the best of intentions, but it could potentially lead to either fanaticism (the sort of blind patriotic fervour that so dominates Fox news) or outright rejection (the sort of person who will grow up hating America because they were made to pledge allegience to it every day). It's dangerous and you need to sort that out.
The opposition towards sex education in schools is also pretty disheartening. Sex education isn't teaching children how to have sex as so many seem to believe, but it's there to offer proper advice on contraceptives, STDs and pregnancy. The earlier you can learn that, the better.
Then there's the teaching of creationism as a legitimate theory. It really isn't. It's a religious idea and nothing more.
Finally - free health care can only benefit you. Vote for it if you can!
So yeah, you have your problems, like any country. Most of these could be solved with a better system of education.
Hey, and you know what else? So could England. Any problem that I have with the USA can be applied just as easily to my own country.
Stones, glass houses and all that.
Anyway, it's four in the bloody morning over here. Sorry if I rambled on there. I'm tired.
i think en mass you are a bunch or fucktards; and i readily admit that may be biased due to your *ahem* news & media. singular or in small groups, you are quite pleasant and engaging... at least the ones that i interact are.
I really don't like the "British" people who fill the Escapist! to be honest, mainly because they mirror the own stupidity they claim to see see in America over the internet. They're loud, annoying dickbags who worship a boring sport and drink pansy tea....BUT in person I'm sure most Europeans would be just fine.
For instance, I think most British Internet posters are snobbish pricks with their nose held up higher than the clouds, but in this thread I see people actually calling Americans arrogant...does it mean that maybe, just maybe, all we have are stupid misconceptions of each others nations just because of a few shitheads in the media? Maybe neither nation's popualtions are as bad as they seem?
--Also, just something to nibble on, America is much bigger than Britain. That equals more idiots to advertise America's apparent stupidity.
For instance, I think most British Internet posters are snobbish pricks with their nose held up higher than the clouds, but in this thread I see people actually calling Americans arrogant...does it mean that maybe, just maybe, all we have are stupid misconceptions of each others nations just because of a few shitheads in the media? Maybe neither nation's popualtions are as bad as they seem?
--Also, just something to nibble on, America is much bigger than Britain. That equals more idiots to advertise America's apparent stupidity.
A little late on the reply here but as a matter of fact quite of few of them actually did, yes. One in particular took great pride in disparaging any other country besides his own.chstens said:
The point is that bravado, regardless of whatever completely insular belief or worldview you have about it, is not exclusive to any one nation or people. I can't judge based on your personal experiences, mind you. But my own have shown this to be true.
Any mindset which doesn't look at individuals as individuals is a mindset which should be reexamined, regardless of who holds it. Look at some of the comments in this thread that are going back and forth. Many of them say "You did X.." or "You did Y..."; some even say "We did.."
There's something off in that, for numerous reasons. And there's something of a large irony and hypocrisy at play in decrying arrogance while being equally arrogant as well. But somehow, this is mostly lost in the exchange. And everyone's doing it right now. Which is almost funny in a twisted sort of way.
Think about it: by virtue of where certain individuals live, plenty of people in this thread are willing to assume all sort of "facts" about them. Oh, you're American? Well, you must be fat and stupid. Oh? You're British? Well, you must be boorish and ugly. Oh, you're such and such...?
You get the point. It is disheartening, really, to see such a large, globally diverse display of insipid thinking.
I'm Australian and I have a fairly negative view of Americans. I absolutely DESPISE American-English, it is not a form of English and should be banned. Screw "Mom", it's "Mum", idiots. I'm also a firm Democrat, and I despise the Republican-Christian fanatics like Westboro Baptist Church. I am however fine with the individual people are rather fine. I hate the food as well, it isn't real and if you have seen "Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution" you will know what I mean. I also find the people rather uneducated and thick, but lovable.
You haven't been to Australia or Puerto Rico then. Those women are AMAZING!gallaetha_matt said:
So that's how many topics discussing the same old topic? Does anyone REALLY care how others feel about the country as a whole? Unless your in politics, I don't see why anyone would care.
OT: America is aight. Those who put America as the best are ignorant. Those who call America scum are ALSO ignorant.
OT: America is aight. Those who put America as the best are ignorant. Those who call America scum are ALSO ignorant.
canadians are no different http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Religion_in_Canada back off the religous folk scott pilgrimjeremysaint said: