posted
Ahh yes, because it makes perfect sense to play rugby on concrete, cover yourself in padding, call it gridiron and tell the rest of the world it's far superior to the original form. Posts: 1138 | Registered: Nov 2005
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posted
Makes more sense than playing baseball in effeminate white sweaters, with a wide bat held incorrectly with like 17 bases, for twenty, thirty days at a time. Posts: 13680 | Registered: Mar 2002
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posted
Cheiros you completely took everything I just said out of context. You are no better then mass media. I don't think I have any respect for you anymore. None.
Posts: 2121 | Registered: Oct 2005
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posted
Wow . . . I actually hadn't thought of that, Risuena. That explains what Al Gore must have been thinking when he created the Internet.
Posts: 13680 | Registered: Mar 2002
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quote:Originally posted by Icarus: Makes more sense than playing baseball in effeminate white sweaters, with a wide bat held incorrectly with like 17 bases, for twenty, thirty days at a time.
I got served. Though I'm not sure what you mean by 17 bases?
Posts: 1138 | Registered: Nov 2005
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posted
No fair! I wanna play! And Hatrack died this morning when I tried to post, and then we went out shopping (and I got some mighty nice expensive (for me) jewellery and stuff, and we just got home, and the thread expanded from, like, 25 posts to 3 pages, and I haven't had my turn to play, so *raspberries anyone who tries to stop me*
quote:For example, I went to high school in South Florida, which is a popular vacation spot for people from Quebec. If I were to judge all of Canada by their behavior, I would have a very poor opinion of it indeed - they were, without exception, shockingly rude and unpleasant. I
Um, yeah, but that's Quebecers for ya.
quote:I however DO think that America is the greatest nation on Earth.
I don't. But then, I don't think any nation is.
In order for any nation to be the greatest, it would first have to be great. I don't think any nations are.
Every nation has its good points and its bad points. I just don't think that we, as humans, have evolved enough to that point.
Now, if you were to say, "best nation on earth" then we might have some real debate going. I'd still argue that the US isn't, but I don't think any nation really sticks out in the forefront, either. I think there's a bunch who are pretty close together, and one will be in the forefront in one area, another in another area, and so on, but no, I don't think any one of them, including the US, shines far and away above the rest.
quote:(Also, baseball is far superior to cricket, as is football [real, manly, American football] to both rugby and soccer.)
Nah, that'd be Canadian football. With a playing field 10 extra yards longer, three downs instead of four, and played in much, much, much colder weather where body parts freeze... American football is wussy. Posts: 8355 | Registered: Apr 2003
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quote:Originally posted by Reticulum: We may not have more freedoms then anyone else now, but where do you think most of the European nations got their ideas for such freedoms in the first place?
posted
Considering most of the founding fathers used European philosophers in their reasonings for the inherent freedom of man, I'd say Reticulum is actually arguing against himself.
Posts: 21898 | Registered: Nov 2004
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posted
Well, France got the ideas in the revolution from the US, but the US "decleration of independence" is taken almost directly from the english philosopher John Locke..or so I'm told.
Posts: 25 | Registered: Feb 2006
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quote:Originally posted by neo-dragon: Smoking in public... The fact that your country still allows that is nothing to brag about.
It's not allowed to smoke in public buildings such as schools, universities, and agencies. But it's still a restaurant owner's and a smoker's decision if he wants to smoke in rooms where non- smokers are forced to inhale the poisonoues smoke, too. Most smokers are ashamed to be smokers, to be addicted. But it's hard to quit, I can tell, although I have a bad conscience all the time. Especially because there are still people who think that it's just a bad habit.
I only feel riled about this government hypocrisy. As if one gave his child candies and chocolat all the time because that's cheaper than decent meals and then complains about the child's weight. In contrast to alcoholic drinks, cigarettes are even available for children. There are cigarette machines on every corner! I would like the government to forbid THOSE first. But they profit from smokers because of the high taxes on tabac. Here in Germany smokers joke, that we're the most patriotic part of the population, for the country would break down without our money. Posts: 262 | Registered: Feb 2006
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quote:Originally posted by Reticulum: This is something that has always purplexed me to the umpth degree. I can never understand why we Americans are always viewed as fat, self loving, arrogant jerks who think the rest of the world sucks. We aren't the only ones who love our nation and think it is great.
Here is my point. The rest of the world seems to think that we think they are bad. I am quite sure that any nation thinks theirs is the best. Be there any nation in the world that doesn't think theirs is the best? Doesn't every nation believe that they are 1 par above all of the other? We are represented as the ones who think we are the best.
My Answer: In all seriousness, I would actually have to say that many a nation are jelous of what we have achieved through history, and the freedoms that we have now.
Any thoughts? And please, please, please, do not say that the only reason I have given these explanations is becaise I am an arrogant American, who thinks that the rest of the world is inferior. I have feeling some will say that.
It's exactly jealousy. Or to be more precise, envy. People who haven't achieved what we've achieved can either look at themselves and ask the difficult question of why, or they can just dislike us. There's no question which one is easier to do.
Posts: 12266 | Registered: Jul 2005
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quote:This childish reaction constituted a refusal to engage the terrorists on the terms of their own criticism; this is to say that we failed to recognize the ideological content of their radical politics, and instead, appealed to "universal" moral standards from which we could denounce them for their illegitimate use of force, morally degeneracy, and anti-democratic ideology.
That's right. One does not "engage" monsters on their terms. To call that "childish" is bizarre and twisted.
Posts: 12266 | Registered: Jul 2005
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quote:Originally posted by pH: I kind of wonder if maybe the pride in Europe is similar to the pride that people from Asia take in being Vietnamese or Chinese. I really don't know because I'm too much of a combination of things to really pick out one part of my ancestry to take pride in, aside from being Protestant.
Most Europeans are pride of their countries. Especially French, Italian, Spanish and Suisse, I think. 95% of the German who say that they are "proud to be German" are either idiotic Neo-Nazis or they are considered to be ignorant. You know, in Europe, 50years are not a long time. It might probably take at least another two or three generations until there is a kind of national pride without the shadow of WWII. By now, we help ourselves with regional pride. I am not proud to be German, but I'm proud of my Hessian origins. If someone in the U.S. asked me, where I come from, the first thing I said would probably be: I come from Europe.
quote: We may not have more freedoms then anyone else now, but where do you think most of the European nations got their ideas for such freedoms in the first place?
Can you honestly not see how arrogant this is?
If you think it's not true, maybe explain why. I don't see it as arrogant at all. I see it as fairly accurate.
To reiterate: saying that a statement is arrogant is not a disproof of the statement. Not even a little bit.
Posts: 12266 | Registered: Jul 2005
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quote:Originally posted by starLisa: It's exactly jealousy. Or to be more precise, envy. People who haven't achieved what we've achieved can either look at themselves and ask the difficult question of why, or they can just dislike us. There's no question which one is easier to do.
I think this *may* be an example of why some people think the way they do about Americans.
There's this notion that America has achieved a significant amount more than any other free nation in the world. The rest of the free world doesn't really agree with this idea.
Unless we're talking about military size, I suppose.
Posts: 367 | Registered: Apr 2004
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posted
It depends who you are dealing with, Americans are nice, i lived in NJ for a while and well even thou it was mostly hispanic or african american, (jersey city), most of the white people i delt with were pretty nice, never bragged about that fact. Well my history teacher did but you can see off the bat that he was american like the great president the US currently has.
Who made that country what it is? People who left and that didnt like the way their own country used to run things, so they tought of better ways to govern themselves, had their civil war, and eventually kept expanding and kicked native americans and mexicans out. And now they try to force people to be "united" and "free" as they are.
Well enough with America, a lot of people think their country is the best, like my father, he thinks his country Ecuador is the best, and well if it had an actual goverment, it would be great, but it hasnt evolved yet into a fully democratic civilized country.
Ive lived in 4 different countries and im only 18, and i dont plan to stay where i currently am.
What ive seen that is sad is the asskissing that Italy does to the US.
Most of Europe hate America because of what America has done to the world. But its not every citizen´s fault of what America has done.
People have opinion let them be heard.
My opinion i like every American except Bush.
Posts: 56 | Registered: Mar 2006
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quote:quote: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Originally posted by imogen:
quote: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- We may not have more freedoms then anyone else now, but where do you think most of the European nations got their ideas for such freedoms in the first place? --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Can you honestly not see how arrogant this is? --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
If you think it's not true, maybe explain why. I don't see it as arrogant at all. I see it as fairly accurate.
To reiterate: saying that a statement is arrogant is not a disproof of the statement. Not even a little bit.
The way its said, is what makes it very arrogant.
Posts: 56 | Registered: Mar 2006
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quote:Originally posted by starLisa: It's exactly jealousy. Or to be more precise, envy. People who haven't achieved what we've achieved can either look at themselves and ask the difficult question of why, or they can just dislike us. There's no question which one is easier to do.
Envy? Why? That would mean, we would judge all our doings in comparison to the U.S.A. (and would decide that we do worse)! Envy is not the only reason to dislike the U.S.A. Maybe it used to be, but you're President is Mephisto! (His grin gives me the shivers. Bah.)
I would rather say there's a lot of fear and anger underneath. We're almost powerless to stop the U.S. government, even when its 'projects' affect us. The power of the U.S. Army, the will to use it AND the will to "forget" or ignore the parts of history one can't seriously be proud of, can be pretty frightening. Not to mention that your government signed but doesn't ratify the Kyoto- Protocol. That's frightening, too.
Don't you think?
Posts: 262 | Registered: Feb 2006
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quote:Originally posted by Bob_Scopatz: And they travel in buses.
Only the old ones... wait... Okay, when I think about it, we ARE nation of seniors, so most of us travel in busses... accepted. Posts: 262 | Registered: Feb 2006
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posted
If i did, i would tell u my exact location cause there is only 1 institute of accountants in this city, in fact theres less than 10 in this country, i pretty much told u were i was, damn u lol.
Posts: 56 | Registered: Mar 2006
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posted
Hey P we should start our own topic, what do you think will be controvertial and have many replies, and have people arguing?
Posts: 56 | Registered: Mar 2006
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If someone in the U.S. asked me, where I come from, the first thing I said would probably be: I come from Europe.![[Eek!]](eek.gif)
