by JanH 25 Replies latest jw friends
Could it be that we work harder than most to be where we are?
I don't have to remind you that Norway and Switzerland are well above the US in the UN list of economic develpment, so I don't quite understand what you mean by "where we are". And we're not against the US, we just point out certain things that we perceive as peculiarities of the american culture.
Joseph Joachim,
an overly-enthusiastic pundit of borderline reality
DazedAndConfused; Yeah. You're right. We are against America. It's jealousy. Down with the USA!
Feel better now?
Seriously, Francois expressed the opinion "why would you even be interested in what happens over here?".
This, to a non-American is funny, as Americans are stereotyped as people who have more space for cartoons in their newspapers than for International news, and who are often blissfully ignorant about the world outside their country, and even their own State. A post that seemed to typify this attitude (although Francois might not of meant that) is obviously amusing.
I know that stereotypes are often just that, but I've been asked what language is spoken in Britain by two Americans; one was admittedly a high-school student who wanted to know if American TV programmes were subtitled in England, and when I laughed (thinking she was being funny), she asked what language we spoke in ENGland. Gee... well... errr. I got asked the same question by a High School teacher... okay, he was the Coach as well as a Physics teacher, but all the same...
Thus, we're not against the USA, we laugh the nervous laugh of people on the same planet as a superpower that has, until recently forced to do otherwise, often only really looked at itself, not at the world around it. Yeah, WWI, WWII, you saved our asses, but that doesn't stop it being true most of the time.
Most of us don't live in countries where we have that luxery; not even Switzerland (although a Swiss guy laughing at the USA for being insular is quite amusing in itself, as is an English guy laughing at a Swiss guy laughing at the USA for being insular, as none of those countries are perfect in that respect).
Please realise though, that we are not 'attacking' the USA. We are laughing at the USA. You can laugh at our countries if anything strikes you as funny, we don't mind.
I have to say that Americans are extremely loyal (by and large) to their country. From a very young age many are bought up believing there is no finer place to live, and they believe this quite sincerely.
This unfortunately means that they can be a little sensitive, and take humour far more personally than they perhaps should.
Obviously, there are things that English people are sensitive about when it comes to their country, but English people actually spend a lot of their time complaining about the county they live in, so are more likely to join in laughing if you make an accurate and funny observation about England than to say you are attacking Britain.
I'm also sure the words 'Nazi' and 'Gold' cause great embaressment to many Swiss people...
In America, not subscribing to the 'Everything is for the best in the best of all possible worlds' communal myth seems to make people edgy and under attack; look at the rage your contry expresses against those who don't support this myth ... maybe more people should read Voltaire, I don't know...
The sooner people get over these nationalistic hang-ups and realise we all take a shit every day, and that everyone farts, and that, basically speaking, we are all rubbish, and the only hope we have is of being rubbish together, the better...
People living in glass paradigms shouldn't throw stones...
Eman,
Have we got a surprise for you!
Sydney holds the annual Gay & Lesbian Mardi Gras which is a real 'event' in global terms.
Australia has a long history of homosexual and lesbian public figures. Unclebruce may be able to tell you about events in South Australia.
Cheers,
Ozzie
"It's better to light a candle than to curse the darkness."
Anonymous
It is about time society got their thumbs out of their ass. Vermont is a state were gay people can marry. They have set a trend. Vermont does not go by the norm of this country and I am so glad. Although there is a bill in congress 3379 that they are dumping millions of dollars in to fight the gay rights bill. This is only for the state of massachusetts
It is time America started realizing life is changing and go with the flow.
Vermont gets two thumbs up from my corner of the woods.
cathy
cat1759:
"It is about time society got their thumbs out of their ass." A rather interesting play on words for the subject matter of this thread. I don't think thumbs in asses is really on point here.
"Fat, drunk and stupid is no way to go through life son." Dean Vernon Wormer, Faber College
Abaddon, I have been on the internet for 5 years now in many many chat rooms and message boards. At first the idea that others laugh at us was ok with me. I mean after all I was happy where I am and I figured if they were happy where they were they would not find fault. Kind of a case of "I feel bad about myself so I pick on others to make myself look better" kind of logic. But you know what? After a while it is not funny or sad anymore, it becomes downright insulting. We are all people living within the situation that feels best for us simply because that is where we are, either emotionally or physically.
This is my take on the matter. I am very proud to be an American. Why is this? For a variety of reasons really. One is that I was born here and this is what I KNOW. Two is that I have lived in other countries and lived/visited other countries (Greece, Italy, Austria, and Germany) When I got back I wanted to go down on my knees and kiss the ground. Why? Because this is by far, in my opinion the best plave to be. Why? Mostly because this is what I have grown up to know.
What we as Americans see, mostly (and this is also stereotyping), is that no other country has achieved what we have because they don't work hard enough to reach the goals that we have set and reached. But you don't see us as a whole tearing down other countries for their lack of initiative or that they have not achieved what we have. What I see is other people from other countries laughing at/downing people in the US for things that they could achieve but don't.
Maybe that is a wrong attitude on my part but 5 years of abuse by people in other countries against the world that I know, becomes a personal affront to me.
You have to remember one thing............none of us has a choice as to what area of the world we are born in. No one should have the right to feel that any group of people, whether it is a region of the world or a particular group, are all the same. I am thinking right now of the 9/11 attack in NYC. That attack is against ANY citizen, innocent or not, just because of the policies of the US government. Do all of us here believe that every policy the Government has is right? Not on your life. So why judge us all for things that we may have nothing to do with?
D&C; The attack on the USA was an attack on the values of the civilised world; although the USA took the blow, its impact has been felt worldwide.
The fact you phrase it in a way that sounds like no where else was affected is what I mean. AMerica is not the centre of the Universe.
No matter how proud you are of your country, it isn't perfect. Reacting every time someone comments on these imperfections or laughs about them; what good does that do?
As I say, you're free as you like to make comments about other countries; what your attacking really is people having the temerity TO critisize the USA. If you think the comments don't apply, then say why, make a case, show the comment was made ignorance.
Welcome to freedom of speech and equality! I believe they are values the USA hold dear that I would not laugh at.
All the best
People living in glass paradigms shouldn't throw stones...
Abaddon,
I know that stereotypes are often just that, but I've been asked what language is spoken in Britain by two Americans; ...What's so tricky about these stereotypes is that sometimes, you really have to persuade yourself that they're just stereotypes. That's when an American asks you how you celebrate the 4th of July "over there". Or when a college teacher from Texas asks you which language is spoken in the country she visited two days before. Or when you're on a conference in Boston and later on, you're having a couple of drinks and this one guy asks you very seriously how you're going to get a job and stay in America (implying that it couldn't possibly be half as good "over there"). It's when you open a newspaper or worse, turn on the TV and realise that for the average media consumer, the world consists of North America for all practical purposes (except when there's a war going on). It's when you realise that America's connotation of "freedom" and "free world" is tightly coupled with nationality. It's when some self-styled American expert tells you confidently that mobile telephony is so extremely successful in Europe because "terrestrial telephony is extremely bad in quality, and simply unavailable in many areas" (sure - and people lived in wooden huts until 50 years ago, huh?).
The problem with this peculiarity of American culture is that it's very obvious. It's basically jumping in your face all the time. Other cultures do have their fair share of sillinesses, strangenesses and stupidnesses, but they often don't become as visible, if only because they're less broadcasted by the media all over the planet. America is exporting culture just the way it's exporting fast food - that's not necessarily bad or good, it just is.
So, DazedAndConfused, when you meet people from other countries, you'll have to take into account that most likely they've had much more exposure to more or less accurate pictures of "America" than you've had of their cultures.
Personally, since I've grown up and lived in more than just one place and don't consider myself very much of a "this is my country" person, I like to make fun of all of them. This world is a silly place, nationalism is completely ridiculous to me, and waving flags makes me laugh. On the other hand, I could never live in the USA for a longer time because it's impossible to get real bread (i.e., distinguishable from plasticine) there
f.
I'm an american and I agree with Abaddon. It's just a country, led by men. It's going to have quirks and faults just like any other nation in the world.
Professional wrestling and it's fanatical fan base is one testament to A's view.:)
I've visited other countries and there's a lot that we americans have never seen. Americans aren't the best, we're good, but no nation on the earth is the 'best'.
Just like saying that one human is the best on earth. Depends on what you want out of a person. The same would go for a nation.
Getting back to Jan's point, I think that the conservatives in the USA won't legalize gay marriages for a LONG time. Maybe even past our lifetimes. I've visted the deep south and western states. They're conservative to the bone. Only the major eastern cities are cool enough to enact something like you mentioned.
First I a proud to be American.
Secondly, regarding the legalizing of gay marriages will happen, and I believe it will happen very soon. What is my reason for saying this? Simple, where is the biggest percentage of gays living in the U.S.?
San Francisco?
No.
San Diego?
No.
It is Dallas! That is right, one of the most conservative Republican states in the Union. Texas usually votes Republican, and I believe there is a large number of "closet homosexuals" who are also Republican. I would say in the next 20-25 years changes in law will occur. I think as time goes on, and more people see that a gay person is just as normal as a hetrosexual, things will change.
Is this a light saber in my pocket or am I just happy to see you?
"Hand me that whiskey, I need to consult the spirit."-J.F. Rutherford
