quote: Dropping nuclear bombs on civilian populaces.
How can you hold that against the U.S.? However many lives it destroyed, it saved thousands more. The bombs brought an end to WWII, and ensured that as few lives as possible would have been lost. Had the invasion of Japan taken place, far more civilians and soliders would have died.
Posts: 2121 | Registered: Oct 2005
| IP: Logged |
quote:Originally posted by Lyrhawn: The rest of the world might teach world history better than us, but apparently they aren't so hot at english skills. Work on that.
Now coming up on me because of my grammar, buddy i dont know you have noticed, but English isnt my first language, spanish is, and i know as much english as much as i know spanish, i understand italian, some french and im learning a new language where its only spoken in a region of spain.
Having said that well, why should the rest of the world be "hot on learning english skills" while America has a large spanish speaking population.
The rest of the world tries to learn english, but dont forget that America didnt spawn the language.
Now, i was a little rushed in the writting and didnt care about grammar, and looks like i didnt write well what i tried to explain. Mind you, you've got some good points, but i also have mine. Anyways ill re-post you again tomorrow its 1:20 am and im going to sleep.
Posts: 56 | Registered: Mar 2006
| IP: Logged |
quote: Dropping nuclear bombs on civilian populaces.
How can you hold that against the U.S.? However many lives it destroyed, it saved thousands more. The bombs brought an end to WWII, and ensured that as few lives as possible would have been lost. Had the invasion of Japan taken place, far more civilians and soliders would have died.
Well, yes, but it is not clear that the choice was between bombing and invasion. Just a tiny touch of flexibility, an assurance to the Japanese cabinet that the Emperor's person would be respected - which the Maericans did anyway, so it wouldn't have been a concession - might well have been enough for a negotiated settlement.
That aside, I can't really get too excited about those nukes. It's worth remembering that by today's standards they were pretty small stuff; nobody was going to have a nuclear armageddon with twenty-kiloton firecrackers. And considering what conventional high explosive had been doing in Europe - 100000 dead in the raid on Dresden, anyone? - and what the Japanese had been up to in China, not to mention it being the end of a six-year war and everybody sick of it - well, war consists of doing Bad Things to your enemy until he does what you want. The only reason people keep harping on this particular Bad Thing, as opposed to, say, the firebombing of Hamburg, is the long ICBM standoff. Not to mention they're superstitious about radiation.
Posts: 10645 | Registered: Jul 2004
| IP: Logged |
quote:Originally posted by Lyrhawn: Yeah I have the DVD, it's great! I love the stuff they added back in that was taken out. And though a lot of the CCM song is really, REALLY creepy the way they did it, I still like the song.
I was bummed that they didn't restore it all. I have the album, and there's a verse in Adams' song at the beginning ranting about Congress that they left out.
Posts: 12266 | Registered: Jul 2005
| IP: Logged |
posted
The firebombing of Dresden and the nuking of Hiroshima and Nagasaki were all evil acts. The one doesn't reduce the other.
(Incidentally, I saw on the History Channel--so take it with a grain of salt--that Japan tried to surrender after the first nuke, and we would not accept it. We were determined to drop the second one. Assuming that's true, what does that say about our noble desire to save lives?)
Posts: 13680 | Registered: Mar 2002
| IP: Logged |
No, I didn't know you were originally a Spanish speaker, and I apologize, do you live in Spain now? judging by the time zone difference, there's no way you live in North America. I wasn't sniping at your grammar so much as the fact that some of your posts (or parts of them) made little or no sense. Given that you said you went to school in the US, I just assumed you knew how to speak English correctly.
As for my snarky comment, given what you said about America and it's history classes, I'd say we're at least even. Hyperbole for hyperbole. I don't expect the rest of the world to speak English, but I do expect that when someone enters a debate where the language of debate is English, that that person would in fact have some coherence in the language of the debate. I don't think that it at all unreasonable. And you don't have to take my words so wildly out of proportion. I never said that the world has to learn English, I never claim we invented the language. Don't be so quick to assume, or put words in my mouth.
KoM, Icarus -
Don't forget about the firebombing of Tokyo. It was easily just as bad as Dresden. My grandfather was a bomber made to participate in the bombing, he said you could smell the flesh cooking off from thousands of feet in the air. He said none of them liked doing it, but it was war.
starLisa -
I forgot about that part! You're right. I don't understand a lot of the stuff they cut. The movie was already so long, why not just go the extra step and just fully restore it you know? I still love the movie though, it's one of my favorites, and by far is my favorite musical.
Posts: 21898 | Registered: Nov 2004
| IP: Logged |
I thought it was an interesting story, and divulged two points first off.
1. Non-Americans are aware of the prejudice and some are trying to combat it. (Saying so in a speech to a foreign parliament is a pretty big deal).
2. This quote:
quote: “We have to show that these are not Western ... American or Anglo-Saxon values, but values in the common ownership of humanity, universal values that should be the right of the global citizen
echoes something I was trying to say earlier.
A lot of concepts that American people believe in are not exclusively American values. And when (American) people insist that they are it does seem arrogant.
Posts: 4393 | Registered: Aug 2003
| IP: Logged |
posted
Well, most of the concepts discussed in the Declaration of Independence come from European philosophers.
Posts: 16059 | Registered: Aug 2000
| IP: Logged |
posted
As a minor point, anyone who uses "self-loving" pejoratively scares me. It implies that they see "self-hatred" as a virtue.
Posts: 12266 | Registered: Jul 2005
| IP: Logged |
I know I'm scared of people who are overly self-loving. Or, rather, people who put far more importance into what country they're from than really ought to be.
Posts: 367 | Registered: Apr 2004
| IP: Logged |
posted
Pixiest posted this line on another thread back in January, but I think it bears repeating:
"As an American, being mocked by people from third world hell holes is a bit like being made fun of by the retarded kid on the playground. I know I should be insulted, but I can't stop laughing."
Posts: 12266 | Registered: Jul 2005
| IP: Logged |
quote:Originally posted by Reticulum: 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? .
How many people do you know from other countries? Have you ever lived outside the US? Based on my experience, your base assumption is quite simply wrong. Most people in most countries aren't as nationalistic as Americans.
While most non-US citizens I've known have a love for their home and their culture, I've never heard them claim that their nation is better than other nations. Most Europeans I've known who come to the US are aghast at how we sing the national anthem at the beginning of all sporting events and fly the flag so much. People I know from China, say it reminds them of the propaganda they experienced during the cultural revolution and can't understand why we do it if we aren't being forced to by the government. People I've known from the middle east, africa and Latin America all have a certain love for the culture, but little love for their nations as political entities. They often associate their flags and anthems with the propaganda from brutal dictators.
I was working in Germany during the run up to the last US elections. Many of my German colleagues watched the democratic national convention while I was there, and were apalled at all the hyper nationalism that was expressed. My friends said that if any German candidate publicly claimed that Germany was the greatest nation in the world, they'd be fleeing the country on the next train.
In my experience traveling abroad and working with people from around the global, the US is indeed unusually arrogant.
Posts: 12591 | Registered: Jan 2000
| IP: Logged |
posted
I don't see that as wrong at all. Well, personally I too am aghast at the fact that we sing the national anthem before every sporting event, but as for the rest of it, I'm not ashamed to be an overly proud American, and I don't think anyone else should be either.
You don't think that the morally superior Europeans ever say that they are better than America? I'd be very surprised to learn otherwise. Besides, the grand majority of the rest of the world hasn't had a stable democratically elected government for the last 200 years. Not without a revolution or renaming or some other such upheaval that changed everything. I think we have something to be proud of, and there is nothing wrong with screaming it from the rooftops.
It's not arrogance, it's pride. Well, some of that is arrogance, but for the most part pride. And I don't see anything wrong with that, and no one has explained why there is anything wrong with it yet.
Posts: 21898 | Registered: Nov 2004
| IP: Logged |
quote:It's not arrogance, it's pride. Well, some of that is arrogance, but for the most part pride. And I don't see anything wrong with that, and no one has explained why there is anything wrong with it yet.
I think Rabbit just gave a pretty sweet reason.
Posts: 1138 | Registered: Nov 2005
| IP: Logged |
posted
One of the biggest things (and I think we've discussed this a few times) is that many of the "unique" accomplishments that Americans scream about from their rooftops are not at all unique. Sure, the third world doesn't share them, but the rest of the developed world does.
For example, as Americans we sometimes consider the idea of democracy to somehow be unique to us, as if democracy is our invention.
Also, I think that our government has (and has had) its fingers in so many pies gets a lot of people angry - American citizens included.
Posts: 367 | Registered: Apr 2004
| IP: Logged |
posted
Well, not to sound arrogant, but we have to have had done something right. I, on the other hand, have heard a lot of people say their nation is the best. The French, and the English are two prime examples. I have met one or two people from England, and I know a few people who have been to France. They are the same as we are. It all depends on who you talk to. There all people in all countries who think theirs is the best. And then there are those, who think it is the worst, or not the best.
Flying the flag a lot, and singing the national anthem is not nationalism, that is patriotism . There is a very big difference between the two. Just because we aren't being forced to by the government, doesn't mean we can't wave our flags, and love our nation. We have the right to do it in our own nation, and it is not as if, all Americans spend their days waving their flags around, and saying we are best. Some do, of course, but not a lot.
We don't associate our flag with brutal dictators or propaganda, because throughout our history, that is not what the flag has come to represent. To us, it represents freedom, and democracy, and how we have changed/shaped the world. Others may not think we have actually done these things, and maybe we haven't, but that doesn't mean it can't represent that to us.
Posts: 2121 | Registered: Oct 2005
| IP: Logged |
quote:It's not arrogance, it's pride. Well, some of that is arrogance, but for the most part pride. And I don't see anything wrong with that, and no one has explained why there is anything wrong with it yet.
I think Rabbit just gave a pretty sweet reason.
What? Just because the rest of the world says so? That's a horrible reason.
Posts: 21898 | Registered: Nov 2004
| IP: Logged |
Just because the rest of the world says it, (or Europe, really) doesn't mean it's true. If the rest of the world said 1+1=3, would that make it true?
Posts: 2121 | Registered: Oct 2005
| IP: Logged |
posted
Well, much of the "third world hell holes" are hell holes because of actions of the developed world. While I may not think people living in despair should be mocking Americans, I certainly wouldn't find it funny.
At any rate, I don't know the context of the quote (though I'm not sure how context would change my opinion of it in this case) and I don't really want to end up insulting Pixiest based on a remark from a different thread.
Posts: 367 | Registered: Apr 2004
| IP: Logged |
posted
From my very limited travels I have seen much more nationalism in the United States than in other countries. And by nationalism I'm not simply saying a love of your country, but the notion that your country is better than all others.
Don't get me wrong, though, I found a comparable amount in Canada.
Reticulum, are you lumping those people who think America is the worst country in the same group as those people who think it is not the best country.
(Again, I'd like to say that arguing which country is "the best" is pretty ridiculous)
Posts: 367 | Registered: Apr 2004
| IP: Logged |
quote:Originally posted by Chungwa: Well, much of the "third world hell holes" are hell holes because of actions of the developed world.
Europe, really.
Europe certainly has influenced many negatively. So has the US, I could list a long number of countries, but I don't think that will really get us anywhere in this discussion.
Posts: 367 | Registered: Apr 2004
| IP: Logged |
posted
Eh. I'm not going to point specific fingers, but even pretending that America is as much to blame as Europe for the mess in Africa is beyond the pale for me. Europe has done more to mess up Africa, and until recently, the Middle East than anyone else on earth. Maybe it won't help solve the problem or further this discussion, but there has been plenty of US bashing in this thread, a little perspective on Europe's sins is warranted I think, and certainly fair.
Posts: 21898 | Registered: Nov 2004
| IP: Logged |
posted
Actually I wasn't even thinking about Africa.
I disagree that pointing out legitimate (or atleast, what I think are legitimate) negative aspects of America is "US bashing."
I constantly complain (mainly in the form of writing letters) about things that the Canadian government has done. I probably seem harsher on the US, but then, I'm living here so I feel a little more responsibility about expressing my opinion.
Posts: 367 | Registered: Apr 2004
| IP: Logged |
posted
Europe's also been around far longer than the US has. Give us a few hundred more years, we may catch up.
And I don't necessarily think you're right, either. Some of the political manipulation we've done in Latin America has been pretty creepy. At elast as bad as anything a European nation has done in Africa, if not worse.
Posts: 7954 | Registered: Mar 2004
| IP: Logged |
posted
Wait, wait wait. You can't be serious. You think that what we did to Latin America, even has legs against what Europe did to Africa, and Asia?Worse? I'm afraid not. Yes, what we did was terrible, and wrong, but to hold us in the same category as Europe, I don't approve.
*cough* colonies *cough* North and South America *cough*
Though yeah, we probably WILL catchup, is the sad thing.
Posts: 2121 | Registered: Oct 2005
| IP: Logged |
posted
I'm not so sure Europe is any more to blame for autrocities in Africa than the US. The US was built on the back of slavery, predominantly African slavery. During the cold war, the US helped depose every progressive government in Africa. Africa suffered under European colonialism during the 19th century, but during the 20th century American neo-colonialism did as much damage.
Posts: 12591 | Registered: Jan 2000
| IP: Logged |
quote:Flying the flag a lot, and singing the national anthem is not nationalism, that is patriotism . There is a very big difference between the two.
I'm curious. What is the very big difference between the two from your perspective.
Websters defines nationalism as "loyalty and devotion to a nation; especially : a sense of national consciousness exalting one nation above all others and placing primary emphasis on promotion of its culture and interests as opposed to those of other nations or supranational groups"
and patriotism as "love for or devotion to one's country".
The difference there seems to be a level of degree and the line where patriotism becomes nationalism is hardly a clear one.
I would say that flying the flag and singing the national athem a lot are indicative of a strong sense of national consciousness which is generally indicative of nationalist sentiments.
When you add that to the American propensity to talk about how we are "the greatest nation in the world", and considerable economic, diplomatic and military resources we put into promoting our culture and interests around the world, I think nationalism is the right word.
Posts: 12591 | Registered: Jan 2000
| IP: Logged |
Well the US backed a coup to over through the democratically elected government of Venezuela quite recently.
Posts: 12591 | Registered: Jan 2000
| IP: Logged |
quote:Europe has done far worse things to the world then the United States has EVER done to anyone.
Really? The US undertook a systematic and prolonged and very effective effort to eradicate the indigenous peoples who lived here. Our genocide of the American Indians was more effective than Hitlers genocide of the Jews. What have European nations done that was worse than that.
Posts: 12591 | Registered: Jan 2000
| IP: Logged |
posted
Can you give some proof to that? Kind of sounds interesting.
Rabbit, I have to say you are right. I always thought of nationalism as extreme patriotism to a very bad degree, and Patriotism as good. Apparently I was wrong. Thanks for clearing that up.
quote:Originally posted by The Rabbit: I'm not so sure Europe is any more to blame for autrocities in Africa than the US. The US was built on the back of slavery, predominantly African slavery. During the cold war, the US helped depose every progressive government in Africa. Africa suffered under European colonialism during the 19th century, but during the 20th century American neo-colonialism did as much damage.
Yes, we were, but that was a very long time ago. It doesn't hold sway anymore. Most nations of the world had slavery. But even that doesn't clear it up, because we had racial segregation, which is racist and unfair, and one of the darker parts of U.S. history. And actually, colonial Africa went untill 1914. Do you have anything to back up how America ruined Africa?
Posts: 2121 | Registered: Oct 2005
| IP: Logged |
quote:Europe has done far worse things to the world then the United States has EVER done to anyone.
Really? The US undertook a systematic and prolonged and very effective effort to eradicate the indigenous peoples who lived here. Our genocide of the American Indians was more effective than Hitlers genocide of the Jews. What have European nations done that was worse than that.
Oh, I don't know, when they colonized in the first place? They were the ones who founded these colonies, and kicked them out in the first place. Spain destroyed Latin American culture, and created it in it's own image, and the French and British, killed inumerable native Americans. And lets not forget when Europe had slavery just as the U.S. did. And killed millions of Africans in their homeland, from the 1880's to 1914. I think that was a bit worse.
Posts: 2121 | Registered: Oct 2005
| IP: Logged |
posted
If you go back prior to 1776, then the US and the Europeans are one and the same. It is ridiculous to say that those autrocities are their responsibility but not ours. No modern European country has the same government today that it had 200 years ago. Our country is as equal a decendent of the European Nations of the 17th and 18th centuries as is any modern European country. As such, we have at least as much responsibility for the crimes of those former European Nations as does any modern European Nation.
You are quick to note that few other Nations have had a stable government for as long as the US has when it suits your argument, yet utterly neglect the fact when arguing about the sins of the past.
Earlier I made a distinction between loving ones home and culture, and loving ones country. The distinction I intended to make was between a Nation as defined by its government, military and laws, and a country as defined by its culture, land and people. The US is the only country I know that is unashamedly arrogant about itself as a Nation (ie laws, government, military) rather than as a country (ie people, land and culture). Our National Athem is a glorification of militarism, our flag is designed to represent political units. They are expressions of the love of our government, not expressions of the love of our land, culture and people.
[ March 27, 2006, 09:55 PM: Message edited by: The Rabbit ]
Posts: 12591 | Registered: Jan 2000
| IP: Logged |
posted
You know, you have made an excellent point there. I must say, in that post particularly, you are completely right.
Posts: 2121 | Registered: Oct 2005
| IP: Logged |
posted
Oh please, have you heard France's national anthem? It's a song about the citizens rising up and "let impure blood soak the furrows." Their anthem is ten times more militaristic than ours. Besides, subsequent verses of the Star Spangled Banner temper the song as a whole I think. And I don't think it's a glorification of militarism, it's a poem/song about a battle in a war in defense of our country, what's wrong with that?
And quite frankly, I've yet to decide which is worse, a nation arrogant about it's culture or a nation arrogant about it's laws and government. It was Germans who thought of themselves as the master race, and that sparked off world war two. Doesn't get much more arrogant than that. And most Europeans I've met are insanely culturally arrogant, and I really don't see how that's a better or more acceptable kind of arrogance than American nationalistic arrogance.
Posts: 21898 | Registered: Nov 2004
| IP: Logged |
posted
This might seem a little off topic now, but I'll post anyways.
The reason other countries consider Americans to be fat, self-loving jerks probably has a lot to do with what they put on t.v. They make a lot of jokes about other countries that don't speak their language, and even countries that do. Being from Canada, I especially notice the remarks about our country. I don't really get terribly offended. However, that may just be me. A lot of the things they say are funny, and seeing as I know how untrue they are, it doesn't really bother me. In this situation, they are really just showing their arrogance. But I'm sure people do take offence to these comments.
Yet another thing that I have noticed from them against Canada is their protests against the seal-killings in Newfoundland. They can say whatever they want about how it's wrong, but the only reason they don't like it is because seals are cute. I'm saying this from a neutral standpoint, by the way. Yeah, they're cute, and I don't think they should kill baby seals, but the adult seals, well, I don't know if I think that's wrong. How is killing a seal worse than killing a cow? Because cows are bred to be killed? Why can't seals be? Is it so much worse to bash a seals head in than to force a cow to live a life of hell (packed living areas their whole lives, and then being dumped on to trucks to go get killed. Yeah, that's humane) and then kill it? They could shoot the seals, sure, but what if they miss? I think that would hurt the seal a little bit more. I don't have a problem with people disliking the seal hunt because I understand how people can think it's wrong. But shouting "Shame on Canada" when they treat cows the way they do (and we do too, I'm not putting total blame on the States) seems a little bit wrong.
And closing the border on Canada when we got a case of BSE, that was just plain nasty, no matter how you think about it. Yeah, they were protecting their country, but the fact is that they didn't open the border, even after the problem had passed. Do you know what that did to Alberta? That could have killed it. They didn't need to keep it closed for so long. It stopped being a way to protect their country and became a way to hurt Canada. Maybe not so harsh, but it certainly seemed so to us.
Other countries are just as patriotic as the States, but they aren't as loud about it.
And to the States, it's okay to have opinions, but there's a point where views and opinions become insulting, and these things need not be said.
Now, to stop trashing the States and join their side:
I've never actually met an American that believes the things about other countries that the people on television do. But other countries have made these stereotypes and they'll be here for a long time. Thank you, American media. You've backfired on yourself.
And now back to what everyone else has been talking about:
Every country has done something horrible in their days. Some more than others, but blame can be placed on every one. Slavery in the states, the Holocaust in Germany, the descrimination and separation of the Japanese in Canada. You can't say one country is better than the others. Sure, the Holocaust was worse than the separation of the Japanese, but that was still pretty bad. I love my country, but I still hate some of the things that it has done. So no American can say their country is nicer than another one. And no matter how much you say it’s a free country, it’s not exactly free of discrimination. Just look at the media. Television is always making fun of foreigners. And how many foreigners do you see on television? And I mean on American channels and shows. One? Two? I’m sure that these people are great actors, but they have odd accents. Heaven forbid!
Don’t get me wrong, there are things that are wonderful about America. But there are things that are wonderful about other countries that America fails to notice.
Whoo, this was longer than I intended it to be. And very off topic. Oh well.
Posts: 29 | Registered: Mar 2006
| IP: Logged |
quote:Originally posted by Lyrhawn: Oh please, have you heard France's national anthem? It's a song about the citizens rising up and "let impure blood soak the furrows." Their anthem is ten times more militaristic than ours. Besides, subsequent verses of the Star Spangled Banner temper the song as a whole I think. And I don't think it's a glorification of militarism, it's a poem/song about a battle in a war in defense of our country, what's wrong with that?
And quite frankly, I've yet to decide which is worse, a nation arrogant about it's culture or a nation arrogant about it's laws and government. It was Germans who thought of themselves as the master race, and that sparked off world war two. Doesn't get much more arrogant than that. And most Europeans I've met are insanely culturally arrogant, and I really don't see how that's a better or more acceptable kind of arrogance than American nationalistic arrogance.
I think he needs some ice for that burn. Culturally, Europeans are the MOST arrogant people you can possibly meet on the entire face of the Earth.
Posts: 2121 | Registered: Oct 2005
| IP: Logged |
quote:Originally posted by The Fae-Ray: This might seem a little off topic now, but I'll post anyways.
The reason other countries consider Americans to be fat, self-loving jerks probably has a lot to do with what they put on t.v. They make a lot of jokes about other countries that don't speak their language, and even countries that do. Being from Canada, I especially notice the remarks about our country. I don't really get terribly offended. However, that may just be me. A lot of the things they say are funny, and seeing as I know how untrue they are, it doesn't really bother me. In this situation, they are really just showing their arrogance. But I'm sure people do take offence to these comments.
Yet another thing that I have noticed from them against Canada is their protests against the seal-killings in Newfoundland. They can say whatever they want about how it's wrong, but the only reason they don't like it is because seals are cute. I'm saying this from a neutral standpoint, by the way. Yeah, they're cute, and I don't think they should kill baby seals, but the adult seals, well, I don't know if I think that's wrong. How is killing a seal worse than killing a cow? Because cows are bred to be killed? Why can't seals be? Is it so much worse to bash a seals head in than to force a cow to live a life of hell (packed living areas their whole lives, and then being dumped on to trucks to go get killed. Yeah, that's humane) and then kill it? They could shoot the seals, sure, but what if they miss? I think that would hurt the seal a little bit more. I don't have a problem with people disliking the seal hunt because I understand how people can think it's wrong. But shouting "Shame on Canada" when they treat cows the way they do (and we do too, I'm not putting total blame on the States) seems a little bit wrong.
And closing the border on Canada when we got a case of BSE, that was just plain nasty, no matter how you think about it. Yeah, they were protecting their country, but the fact is that they didn't open the border, even after the problem had passed. Do you know what that did to Alberta? That could have killed it. They didn't need to keep it closed for so long. It stopped being a way to protect their country and became a way to hurt Canada. Maybe not so harsh, but it certainly seemed so to us.
Other countries are just as patriotic as the States, but they aren't as loud about it.
And to the States, it's okay to have opinions, but there's a point where views and opinions become insulting, and these things need not be said.
Now, to stop trashing the States and join their side:
I've never actually met an American that believes the things about other countries that the people on television do. But other countries have made these stereotypes and they'll be here for a long time. Thank you, American media. You've backfired on yourself.
And now back to what everyone else has been talking about:
Every country has done something horrible in their days. Some more than others, but blame can be placed on every one. Slavery in the states, the Holocaust in Germany, the descrimination and separation of the Japanese in Canada. You can't say one country is better than the others. Sure, the Holocaust was worse than the separation of the Japanese, but that was still pretty bad. I love my country, but I still hate some of the things that it has done. So no American can say their country is nicer than another one. And no matter how much you say it’s a free country, it’s not exactly free of discrimination. Just look at the media. Television is always making fun of foreigners. And how many foreigners do you see on television? And I mean on American channels and shows. One? Two? I’m sure that these people are great actors, but they have odd accents. Heaven forbid!
Don’t get me wrong, there are things that are wonderful about America. But there are things that are wonderful about other countries that America fails to notice.
Whoo, this was longer than I intended it to be. And very off topic. Oh well.
Doesn't matter that it was off-topic, because it was right. Good job. Posts: 2121 | Registered: Oct 2005
| IP: Logged |
posted
"And quite frankly, I've yet to decide which is worse, a nation arrogant about it's culture or a nation arrogant about it's laws and government. It was Germans who thought of themselves as the master race, and that sparked off world war two. Doesn't get much more arrogant than that. And most Europeans I've met are insanely culturally arrogant, and I really don't see how that's a better or more acceptable kind of arrogance than American nationalistic arrogance. "
Does that make it okay to be arrogant, though? Be the better person, rise up against the wrongs other countries have made. Saying it's okay to be arrogant because Germany had that whole Aryan thing is like saying it's okay to steal a TV 'cause someone else stole a truck.
Posts: 29 | Registered: Mar 2006
| IP: Logged |
posted
Thanks. I've been waiting for a chance to explode about my political (if you consider these political) views. Posts: 29 | Registered: Mar 2006
| IP: Logged |
Printer-friendly view of this topic
![[Smile]](smile.gif)
