Quetsion to Americans

I may be a moron.......
It is certainly a contender. There is no other nation I would rather had the power the US does.

 

thats why I select godd bless the world, no country can stand on its own, no one is better because of where they happened to be born.

 

I'm not really talking about power....I'm talking about culture and land use planning, education, environmentalism, wastefulness, general intelligence.


Maybe at one time things were different.

 

I hear ya......cant argue with you there

 

It irritates me a lot, to be from a place where you can just see things declining while the citizens blindly support whatever happens.

 

IMO, the whole "God bless" thing is stupid.

 

God bless communism...

 

I disagree too. Canadians may have a greater grasp of american history than americans have of canadian history, but i wouldnt call your average canadian a master of other cultures and countries.

Like it or not, american culture is shown throughout the world, in virtually every country in the world. Is it any surprise when non americans can show a greater grasp of American culture/history than americans can show of other cultures? We arent being bombarded with Canadian culture, We arent being bombarded with Australian culture, etc. We may get foreign actors and bands playing in our movie roles and in our stadiums, but it is not the same as everyone watching hollywood movies and tv shows.

American history is taught throughuot the world. Is canadian history? Is Nigerian history taught throughout the world? I am talking about pre collegiate school, of course. Most of 'western' history is taught through teaching people about the big powers of the world. We learn about other countries with how they interact with the big countries. Therefore, most people learn about Greece, Rome, Britain, France, Germany, Russia, and America in depth. Other countries are mentioned in how htey interact with those powers. How great is your knowledge on ukraine? Laos?

How can you expect americans to have the same grasp of other countries when we arent consistantly bombarded with culture/history of other countries? If the roles were reversed and Canada was the super power, and we were getting bombarded with movies from Torontowood or something, would you not expect Canadians to be as 'uninformed' about other countries/cultures? Thats how things have turned out for Americans. People around the world, for the past hundred years, have learned English, have listened to American Music, Watched American movies

What am i to think, when a canadian gets pissed at me because i know jack about canada? When a nigerian? When a chinese? When a brazilian? Everyone expects Americans to know everything about all of their countries, because they know something about my country. THAT IS AN UNREAL EXPECTATION! It is not my fault that everyone else learns about America. I dont have to run out and learn everything about every country just because you learn something about America.

Now, i'm not defending American education(pre collegiate). It is abysmal and needs to be fixed. It is sad that many americans cant even point out America on a map, let alone Canada. That, of course, needs to be fixed. But Non americans need to have realistic expectations of Americans. It is THEIR problem when they get offended because Americans know little about their country, NOT mine. I dont get angry if someone doesnt know about America, i honestly dont give two craps if they do or dont. If doesnt make them anything special if they do, and it doesnt make them stupid if they dont.

I am thoroughly convinced that MOST people get their facts from hollywood films. I know everyone accuses Americans of doing that, but from what i've observed and i've encountered, it seems to be true of everyone.

 

how humble, I see what you mean, you dont know and dont care, cuz you dont have to cuz your a US citizen.....

uh huh

I love the US, and have never had a bad experience with anyone while there, very friendly, good folk.
But......the world does not exist for the US to use as it pleases.
It is a great nation, worthy of praise, but it is a young nation, brash and cocky, in my view.

 

Dont make such silly statements.

Be fair and realistic. It is not realistic to expect every american to know everything about every country and every culture, just because some people know something about america.

I love your country. It is one of the few countries in the world i could honestly see myself living in outside of the US.

This is another pet peeve. America a young nation? Fine. We're still the oldest democracy that exists today. If we're young, that makes everyone else younger. People and countries arent more wise because they've had people go back 800 years or whatever. Cocky? Probably, but it seems everything americans say gets taken wrong.

 

People who live in the free world CAN choose where they live. I know my family did.

 

This is another pet peeve. America a young nation? Fine. We're still the oldest democracy that exists today. If we're young, that makes everyone else younger. People and countries arent more wise because they've had people go back 800 years or whatever. Cocky? Probably, but it seems everything americans say gets taken wrong.[/QUOTE]
Americans get taken all to right. You think that India as an example are no more likely to have learned more. I do.
Cocky, it appears that is not a concern to you. Kind of like, tough shit, huh.
Older cultures appear far more wise to me.
And all your talk about everyone learning about you. That is not the point.
Other countries learn more about each other than the US too.
I sometimes envision a toddler with an uzi when I hear the defensive take it or leave it attitude that I hear from you. The US is very young, and very powerful.
Like I said, I'd not have any other nation be given your power, but the Eastern focus on modesty is definitely worth looking into.

 

We're talking about countries, not cultures.

Yes they do. Now tell, how much knowledge do you have of the african countries? Of the south american ones? South East asia? My bet, the average person learns about these countries with how they interacted with the western colonialization of their areas. Do you honestly believe that your average canadian knows much about Niger? About lesotho? I dont

This a problem with how history is taught. Western nations look at history through a VERY western slant, and through a very power oriented slant. Thats not my fault. Its not my fault that i was born in America at the height of her power. I'll be damned if i have to spend my life learning every little detail about every country just to please other people.

With that said, American education(pre collegiate) needs to improved. All Americans need to atleast know that Ottawa is the capital of canada and that you dont all live in igloos. They need to know similar things about Mexico. but there is a point where you cant expect much more from your average person.

I think we could all learn from other people. You make it sound like its americans who all these problems, and everyone else is perfect. That is FAR from the case. Other people have problems too. People seem to have no problem with dumping our culture or on our people.

 

I know a lot about many African countries, and South American ones, and SE Asian ones, actually. We agree that the avg. Canadian doesn't though. We are like pseudo americans. Just quieter, maybe less confident in some ways.
I also know a bit about Mexico, and Loved it when there.

Sorry if I came across that way, I did say that there is no other country I would give your power to, and also that you are right up there at the top of my list of favorite countries.

 

The United States is not a "free world". Is it allowed to smoke pot in the US?

 

i remember after september 11th my cousin got all these shirts that said "god bless america" i crossed out the bless and wrote fucked...i got yelled at for about 23432432 hours after that

 

You can make that argument for anything. Society has deemed it unacceptable. Since our elected officials have decided it was wrong, it is wrong for the time being. If we want that to change, we need to elect pro pot candidates. We may all have different opinions on what constitutes free, but to say america isnt free because people cant smoke pot, is ludacris.

 

And homosexuality is deemed unacceptable in other places. Doesn't make it right.

So whatever your "elected officials" says is wrong, is wrong?

If you take a look at the 2000 elections, it was a clear fraud, and Bush wasn't elected.

Even if I did vote for a pro pot candidate, it wouldn't mean that it would be legal.


When somebody puts me in jail for smoking pot, then I am not free. I do not have control over my own body, and I am being controlled and I live in tyranny.

 

There is very few things that are absolutely right: equal rights, right to property, etc.

Smoking pot isnt one of those rights. It is a decision of society.

Thats how our society works. We put them into power to represent US. If we dont like what they do, we elect other people.

2000 was completely fucked, and hardly a fair example to use. It is an extreme situation.

It would require enough people putting enough candidates into power. Not just you.

You are breaking the law. America is hardly a tyranny. You need to look at an actual tyranny.

 

In your world, perhaps. Right to property is not a absolute right in my world.

That is your opinion. I believe it's my own choice, and that no one in this world has the right to decide what I do with my own body.

Yes, that's what you've been learned to think. What do you think yourself? If Bush says that homosexuals should be executed and that is right, does it make it right?

Last time I checked, it's very common. And yes, 2000 was completely fucked, but so is the rest of the US history.

Exactly. Why should the majority decide over my my life and what I do in my free time?

The law is written by humans.

When you take control of my body then I that's tyranny to me.