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What are Americans?
- Thread starter Sunstone
- Start date
Is that so? It is not too apparent, I fear.
Why fear it? Anyway, I mirthfully jab at Canuckistanians on RF.
Thrice Great
Member
Obviously . . . WE are your KEEPERS!
The WORLD *****. . . WE wipe your ***
Who else does this?
We are more technically advanced than any country, have more power, and give aid and comfort to all of you.
We Protect the World . . . from the ******** that try to ruin it.
Heh?
The WORLD *****. . . WE wipe your ***
Who else does this?
We are more technically advanced than any country, have more power, and give aid and comfort to all of you.
We Protect the World . . . from the ******** that try to ruin it.
Heh?
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Don't be so diplomatic.
Tell us what you really think.
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I always fear my ignorance, if only because there is so darned much of it. It is HUGE!
Alceste
Vagabond
Indeed.
Have no fear or shame for ignorance.
You can always cure it when you want.
Be thankful that stupidity afflicts you not.
Shadow Wolf
Certified People sTabber & Business Owner
Why fear your ignorance? After all even the smartest and wisest are ignorant of more things than things they know. Now, if you willfully continue to remain ignorant, and do not want to learn and replace your ignorance with knowledge, then shame on you for your stupidity.
Father Heathen
Veteran Member
Interesting how this thread immediately decended into America bashing. Yes, it has its glaring flaws, faults and failings, but those pale to its triumphs, successes, and the values and virtues that it was founded upon.
Most of the Americans who possess such traits are your fellow religious conservatives.
Faith wise, you have more in common with most Americans than you do with most of your countrymen.
Most of the Americans who possess such traits are your fellow religious conservatives.
Faith wise, you have more in common with most Americans than you do with most of your countrymen.
xkatz
Well-Known Member
It seems like that to me too.
There are certainly ignorant Americans, but there are also Americans (such as many here on RF), who are quite intellectual and are knowledgeable of the greater world. Many non-Americans complain about how self-absorbed and stupid Americans are, but I have met plenty of non-Americans who are largely ignorant and apathetic to what is happening. If anything, I would say that non-Americans who claim Americans are all fat rednecks who know nothing are pretentious as they are ignorant. I would also say while there is certainly some ignorance in America, it is shrinking thanks to technology and more people becoming educated.
As for what are Americans, we are a hard group to define given our diversity and the fact that most Americans embrace a "sub-identity" (eg African-American) in addition to their nationality. I would say that Americans are best defined by their historical connections to the USA and their belief in the idea of the USA.
Wu Wei
ursus senum severiorum and ex-Bisy Backson
Well, we're easy targets right now, we are highly visible on a global scale and no one really needs us nor does anyone else want to take the blame for anything they may have had a part in so we are now the favorite target of those who wish to bash and those who wish to take thet attention of of themselves
So lets just go with
What generally gets me about threads like this is the gross generalizations that start to get throw about. Now I will admit not having read all posts in this thread this may not be the case here but it is past experience with such things that makes me not want to read every post
A nation with a consistent history of presenting itself as a mover and shaker of the whole world should expect and be prepared to be continuously bashed. It is part of the deal.
That is in fact an interesting matter to consider.
How are the Chinese different from the American exactly? What should we expect if and when they raise in global importance while the USA lose significance?
Those are by no means trivial questions. Much on the contrary actually. And they are fairly independent questions as well, although it may be difficult to realize that after so many decades of Cold War mentality that taught so much reducionist mentality.
What is "being top dog" in the international scene anyway? It seems to me that the very notion is somewhat ilusory. Greece, Rome, Persia, the Mongols, the British and Ottoman Empires and so many others thought of themselves as "top dogs" at some point, and it really did not mean all that much, despite so many people wanting to believe otherwise (even and perhaps mostly among their enemies).
Whatever role the USA fulfill these days is (and must be) inherently fragile when seen from a global perspective, as best illustrated by its ever-growing international troubles. At some point between 1980 and 2006 it lost for good its chance of being globally admired and had to settle for hoping to keep being envied and feared.
As for China, what is it truly doing? We are remarkably ill-informed of its recent actions except from a purely economical perspective, it seems to me. Nor do we care all that much, truth be told. Whatever faults China may have, it largely keeps to itself and does not go out of its way to present itself as a target for hatred, although for it, too, that is often unavoidable.
How are the Chinese different from the American exactly? What should we expect if and when they raise in global importance while the USA lose significance?
Those are by no means trivial questions. Much on the contrary actually. And they are fairly independent questions as well, although it may be difficult to realize that after so many decades of Cold War mentality that taught so much reducionist mentality.
What is "being top dog" in the international scene anyway? It seems to me that the very notion is somewhat ilusory. Greece, Rome, Persia, the Mongols, the British and Ottoman Empires and so many others thought of themselves as "top dogs" at some point, and it really did not mean all that much, despite so many people wanting to believe otherwise (even and perhaps mostly among their enemies).
Whatever role the USA fulfill these days is (and must be) inherently fragile when seen from a global perspective, as best illustrated by its ever-growing international troubles. At some point between 1980 and 2006 it lost for good its chance of being globally admired and had to settle for hoping to keep being envied and feared.
As for China, what is it truly doing? We are remarkably ill-informed of its recent actions except from a purely economical perspective, it seems to me. Nor do we care all that much, truth be told. Whatever faults China may have, it largely keeps to itself and does not go out of its way to present itself as a target for hatred, although for it, too, that is often unavoidable.
Huey09
He who struggles with God
I'm already learning the language as a contingency plan in case of subjugation...'Ni hao a~ China!
I'm already learning the language as a contingency plan in case of subjugation...'Ni hao a~ China!
Good plan! After working in a Chinese restaurant, I already know how to say, "I am a white barbarian". I don't know how to spell it, though. Us barbarians don't spell too well.
Wu Wei
ursus senum severiorum and ex-Bisy Backson
China has never cared much about things outside of what it "historically" views as China and I cannot understand why anyone would care about what goes on in another country beyond its boarders.
However of late it has been into something it has never been interested in doing before, sabre rattling and showing its military might on a global scale. It has always been really happy with being underestimated.
Now we are talking China here and generally, or in the past, when it has made some effort to get into the news it generally is using it a a distraction so it can do something else, in the case of the most recent sabre rattling and the look at our military stuff I think they may be trying to build their cyber warfare capabilities as unnoticed as possible.
Beyond that they are rather guilty of some big human rights violations as well as contributing to global warming as well as polluting the hell out of their own country.
As for how different China is from America, there are some studies that look at world cultures and they put two cultures at opposite ends of the spectrum; America on one side and China on the other and everyone in between is some combination of both to varying degrees.
But here is the thing, you can't count the US out just yet, this isn't our first trip to the Rodeo
Father Heathen
Veteran Member
Calm down, son. I never said that no one should ever bash America. No nation, government, society, or culture should be held exempt from criticism or scrutiny. However, generalizing or exagerating negative qualities while dismissing or downplaying positive qualities is not a valid criticism, but rather sour grapes and bitter tears.
The point is that the sanctimonious sniveling digresses from the thread topic.
Wu Wei
ursus senum severiorum and ex-Bisy Backson
Actually no, the USA does not have a consistent history of presenting itself as a mover and shaker of the whole world, that is much more recent more like since the beginning of the cold war. Although an argument could be made that it started with Theodore Roosevelt and that is still the early 1900s (1901 -1909)
As to being continually bashed, one could chalk it up to jealousy and completely dismiss it or one could look to history and know things will change when we are needed again or when, and if, there is a bigger dog on the block