I've met Americans who think that the UK and EIRE are having a conventional land war, that the IRA is a conventional army, and Northern Ireland is the territory there are fighting for.
Woah, who did you talk to that thought this was happening?
Almost all my friends know quite a bit about the outside world, but even the one who doesn't care about the rest of the world isn't that dumb.
Remember my other friends from Hong Kong that I mentioned? One of them was in a suite with three other girls. Two of her three roommates thought that Hong Kong was the capital of mainland China.
Zimmydoom, Zimmydoom
Flew away in a balloon
Had sex with polar bears
While sitting in a reclining chair
Now there are Zim-Bear hybrids
Running around and clawing eyelids
Watch out, a Zim-Bear is about to have sex with yooooooou!
I've met Americans who think that the UK and EIRE are having a conventional land war, that the IRA is a conventional army, and Northern Ireland is the territory there are fighting for.
Woah, who did you talk to that thought this was happening?
Almost all my friends know quite a bit about the outside world, but even the one who doesn't care about the rest of the world isn't that dumb.
Remember my other friends from Hong Kong that I mentioned? One of them was in a suite with three other girls. Two of her three roommates thought that Hong Kong was the capital of mainland China.
Ahahahaha.
I used to think that when I was little, but then I also used to think Seattle was the capital of the state because it's the biggest city.
But I really think everyone has a messed up view of other countries that they don't border, and sometimes than as well.
I don't think everyone realizes this. I know I for one am forced to stand and do all that shit during the pledge at our school.
Talk about stupid fucking rules.
what is "all that shit"?
Being in texas, we have to say the american pledge, the texas one (this one is truly pointless, no one cares about it) and then have a minute of silence. All it really does is waste five minutes at the beginning of class.
EDIT: Oh, and they make me do the hand gestures, too. For the american, hand over the heart; for the texan, you stick your hand out like you were going to shake hands.
I've got the aclu's phone number around here. I'd recomend not doing that, and encouraging your teacher to try to do something about it. If they are forcing you to do it, even just the hand gestures they are absolutely violating your rights.
I am 100% sure of this. It is not unconstitutional for schools to do the Pledge of Allegiance, but because it includes the words "under God," they cannot require participation. Respectful silence maybe, but not participation.
it has nothing at all to do with the phrase "under god" and a whole lot to do with various faiths' (SoF for one(thank you very much)) prohibitions against taking pledges or oaths of any form.
Goddam you guys can be assholes to Australians. :P
Seriously.
At McDonalds (had to try it, but couldn't buy a supersize meal! ), some 25 year old girl working behind the counter, They wouldn't fucking serve me until they'd got their friend 2 registers over to come and listen to me order.
As for how the general public over here sees america? There's a lot of dislike. A lot of it. I don't get in on it but a lot of people are very pissed off that we got dragged into Iraq on your coatails; and are just getting sick of the americanisation of everything in Australia. I know that my family is planning on moving to New Zealend at some stage during the next 10 years because Australia is just not a country that I (and I think an increasing amount of others) am proud to be a part of any more. I mean, we're going to go nuclear if Howard wins again. The country with the best land on the entire earth to adopt alternate forms of energy is going to go nuclear. :roll:
Also, when I went to Texas... my god..... the patriotism. Flags and people reciting stuff and saluting and parades with guns. People parading down the streed holding a goddam gun and showing it off like it's a good thing. The violent connotations and connection to the military in American patriotism is something that always gets to me.
That's not to say I would ever have anything but good will to an American I just met, but the same stands for anyone.
I am 100% sure of this. It is not unconstitutional for schools to do the Pledge of Allegiance, but because it includes the words "under God," they cannot require participation. Respectful silence maybe, but not participation.
it has nothing at all to do with the phrase "under god" and a whole lot to do with various faiths' (SoF for one(thank you very much)) prohibitions against taking pledges or oaths of any form.
Yeah, you're right. I just read the rest of the wiki. I was familiar with the church-and-state argument because it was a debate topic in my 8th-grade English class, which did formal debate. Apparently that ruling made it to the Supreme Court, and the Supreme Court killed the case because the father couldn't act for the daughter or something. They didn't rule on whether "under God" was constitutional.
--
I'm going to go right ahead and confirm that our foreign friends aren't imagining the connection between patriotism and the military. Widespread notion that opposition to the Iraq war is unpatriotic? Check. Constant and annoying attempts to conflate red, white, blue, "support our troops" and "support the president"? Check. Jingoistic us-vs-them mentality? Check. I mean... come on.
Goddam you guys can be assholes to Australians. :P
Seriously.
At McDonalds (had to try it, but couldn't buy a supersize meal! ), some 25 year old girl working behind the counter, They wouldn't fucking serve me until they'd got their friend 2 registers over to come and listen to me order.
As for how the general public over here sees america? There's a lot of dislike. A lot of it. I don't get in on it but a lot of people are very pissed off that we got dragged into Iraq on your coatails; and are just getting sick of the americanisation of everything in Australia. I know that my family is planning on moving to New Zealend at some stage during the next 10 years because Australia is just not a country that I (and I think an increasing amount of others) am proud to be a part of any more. I mean, we're going to go nuclear if Howard wins again. The country with the best land on the entire earth to adopt alternate forms of energy is going to go nuclear. :roll:
OZ/NZ is responsible for Mel Gibson and Russell Crowe so if anything we should blame those countries for the wrongs in the world today.
Seriously though, I'm pretty sure most countries like to talk shit about the US but if they really don't like us then why don't they boycott us by not watching our films and such???
I think the whole military and patriotism thing we have in the US is because we really base our national identity off of wars, mainly the Revolutionary War, the Civil War, and WWII.
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ZimmydoomAccept no substitutesRegistered Userregular
edited December 2006
I had my own wierd experiences at the McDonalds near my dorm in Japan. There was always this one really cute girl with a prominent lisp who always insisted on correcting my grammar, even if I repeated verbatim what she told me the previous trip. I still have no idea if I ever successfully ordered my double-cheeseburger in complete, correct sentences, but I always did manage to get what I ordered.
She would always do this really adorable thing that I dubbed the "Eureka Finger" when she corrected me. That's when you stick your index finger up in the "#1" sign and thrust it upwards with a big smile, like you just discovered cold fusion or something. If I hadn't had such catastrophically bad luck earlier in the semester with Japanese girls I probably would have asked her for her number at some point.
Zimmydoom, Zimmydoom
Flew away in a balloon
Had sex with polar bears
While sitting in a reclining chair
Now there are Zim-Bear hybrids
Running around and clawing eyelids
Watch out, a Zim-Bear is about to have sex with yooooooou!
Goddam you guys can be assholes to Australians. :P
Seriously.
At McDonalds (had to try it, but couldn't buy a supersize meal! ), some 25 year old girl working behind the counter, They wouldn't fucking serve me until they'd got their friend 2 registers over to come and listen to me order.
As for how the general public over here sees america? There's a lot of dislike. A lot of it. I don't get in on it but a lot of people are very pissed off that we got dragged into Iraq on your coatails; and are just getting sick of the americanisation of everything in Australia. I know that my family is planning on moving to New Zealend at some stage during the next 10 years because Australia is just not a country that I (and I think an increasing amount of others) am proud to be a part of any more. I mean, we're going to go nuclear if Howard wins again. The country with the best land on the entire earth to adopt alternate forms of energy is going to go nuclear. :roll:
Also, when I went to Texas... my god..... the patriotism. Flags and people reciting stuff and saluting and parades with guns. People parading down the streed holding a goddam gun and showing it off like it's a good thing. The violent connotations and connection to the military in American patriotism is something that always gets to me.
That's not to say I would ever have anything but good will to an American I just met, but the same stands for anyone.
Texas, man, Texas. No wonder.
On the flipside of things, I've always been creeped out by the censorships I sometimes hear taking place in Australia.
Goddam you guys can be assholes to Australians. :P
Seriously.
At McDonalds (had to try it, but couldn't buy a supersize meal! ), some 25 year old girl working behind the counter, They wouldn't fucking serve me until they'd got their friend 2 registers over to come and listen to me order.
As for how the general public over here sees america? There's a lot of dislike. A lot of it. I don't get in on it but a lot of people are very pissed off that we got dragged into Iraq on your coatails; and are just getting sick of the americanisation of everything in Australia. I know that my family is planning on moving to New Zealend at some stage during the next 10 years because Australia is just not a country that I (and I think an increasing amount of others) am proud to be a part of any more. I mean, we're going to go nuclear if Howard wins again. The country with the best land on the entire earth to adopt alternate forms of energy is going to go nuclear. :roll:
Also, when I went to Texas... my god..... the patriotism. Flags and people reciting stuff and saluting and parades with guns. People parading down the streed holding a goddam gun and showing it off like it's a good thing. The violent connotations and connection to the military in American patriotism is something that always gets to me.
That's not to say I would ever have anything but good will to an American I just met, but the same stands for anyone.
Texas, man, Texas. No wonder.
On the flipside of things, I've always been creeped out by the censorships I sometimes hear taking place in Australia.
Yes, YES, it is defintly one of the primary factors of moving away.
The government tried to ban porn a while back, now they want to make it so if you don't want your internet filtered you have to ring your ISP up and tell them to let you watch porn. That would be a fun one for all those teenagers. "Hey mom, can you ring Optus up and let me keep looking at porn?"
Our news stations are almost as bad as the american ones as well.
And Tony Abbot. Fuuuuuck yooooou you asshole fundie. Die in a fire.
the thing is... see... america... we are a big fucking country. and not like... austrailia big. We are fucking gianomous and populous.
there is a fucking shit tonne of diversity, and stuff.
the point?
Texans scare the ever living shit out of a lot of americans. I almost postive i'd feel more comfotable in a diffrent country than I would in Texas.
You see the joke maps where there is Jesus-land and then there is blueville or whatere? Or the one where new england and the west coast are parts of canada?
Those arn't really jokes so much. There is a whole bucket load of truth to that. A whole bucket and a 6 piece order of biscuts and 2 large sides.
You kinda act like we don't know it is going on. Or that simply cause we live in the same country we give it some sort of approval. Most of us know just how fucking insane and retarded it is. We know it better than you do, because we have to deal with the reprecussion everyfuckingday. We just don't have the option of going home to get away from it.
And you don't even think about the god damned fundies. While on some level you most likely understand that there are people even more retarded and backwards, you don't have to talk to them. You don't have to see them on TV every day. You don't have to hear people you intend to vote for give lip service the their fucking moronic ideologies.
Hell, you look at how america is fucking up and you at least can have a little distance. We have to look at it and know that because we didn't do enough during the last election, it is our fault. We let it happen. We let america and its dumb fucking texans and its horible culture fuck up the rest of the world. Yeah, we tried. But it still happened, just like we knew it would.
Was me showing up at a shitty dead end job worth us going to war in Iraq? no. Could I have talked to the right 5 or 6 hundred people and personally changed the election in 2000? probably. I didn't even fucking vote. I did nothing. I let it happen cause I didn't give a damn. 2004 was a lot wider spread, but still... I could have done more. And by then we already knew pretty much absolutly just how bad it was going to get. It sucks a whole lot knowing that in even a small way you are responsable for the deaths of more than a quarter million Iraqies, Americans and coalition members.
meh... I'm proud of a whole lot of things. Being an america? that just ain't one of them.
Don't feel so bad about Australia going nuclear. Your pretty well off, because it is also about the best country/continent for storing nuclear waste. Little in the way of earthquakes, and a whole lot of nothing that is basicly inaritable and inhospitiable. There are far worse things your country could be doing.
Personally, I'm a little sick of hearing "You don't understaaaannnnnndddd. We're so biiiiggggg and diveerrrrsssee. Those guys don't speak for all of us!"
On the nuclear issue, I just don't like the idea of something that can never be gotten rid of being produced for... what?
The power is still not fully sustainable (It's far more so than coal, though) and we could so easily adopt wind and hydro-electric power- for the same reasons we can adopt Nuclear power: Big-ass open spaces.
Also guns.
I really don't get it. Why does the stereotype american you see on sitcoms or in movies (I really don't know another kind, so feel free to correct me/call me a moron if this isn't the way many think) remain so stanchly pro-guns. They kill people. I don't think they should be outlawed - they certainly have their purposes, but goddam there's no need to keep one in the house 'for protection'.
Personally, I'm a little sick of hearing "You don't understaaaannnnnndddd. We're so biiiiggggg and diveerrrrsssee. Those guys don't speak for all of us!"
Own your shit.
We do own our shit.
It makes me ashamed to know that we actually fought a fucking war to own Texas.
Personally, I'm a little sick of hearing "You don't understaaaannnnnndddd. We're so biiiiggggg and diveerrrrsssee. Those guys don't speak for all of us!"
Own your shit.
We do own our shit.
It makes me ashamed to know that we actually fought a fucking war to own Texas.
Personally, I'm a little sick of hearing "You don't understaaaannnnnndddd. We're so biiiiggggg and diveerrrrsssee. Those guys don't speak for all of us!"
Own your shit.
...
you know... that kinda hurts.
those bigots down there that treat your aboriganies like shit, trading them food and shit for bathing.
your fucking issues with islamic aliens.
those are your fault?
even if you do feel responsible, what are you doing to stop it?
I don't think you can fairly judge the United States by people from one state. Because honestly, the states (or at least the regions) in the United States are fairly different from each other.
Also, I find it pompous that citizens of the United States of America call themselves Americans, when there are two whole continents that bear the name America.
Personally, I'm a little sick of hearing "You don't understaaaannnnnndddd. We're so biiiiggggg and diveerrrrsssee. Those guys don't speak for all of us!"
Own your shit.
I don't get it. Do I wholeheartedly support the fundamentalist and Texan message? Do I somehow trample on their freedom of speech and make them stfu?
Or do I speak the ways in which I disagree, vote appropriately, and continue to inform the world that no, that guy doesn't speak for me?
--
Also: Where is the Land of the Free? Every time I think I've settled on the best place for immigration I hear about some censorship or other nonsense that puts it back on par with glorious America.
Personally, I'm a little sick of hearing "You don't understaaaannnnnndddd. We're so biiiiggggg and diveerrrrsssee. Those guys don't speak for all of us!"
Own your shit.
...
you know... that kinda hurts.
those bigots down there that treat your aboriganies like shit, trading them food and shit for bathing.
your fucking issues with islamic aliens.
those are your fault?
even if you do feel responsible, what are you doing to stop it?
Well, I'm a member of a few anti-racism groups, but not active in any of them.
Other than that I just tell racist guys that they're fuckin cockblocks whenever I see them doing their thang'.
Also, I find it pompous that citizens of the United States of America call themselves Americans, when there are two whole continents that bear the name America.
Also, I find it pompous that citizens of the United States of America call themselves Americans, when there are two whole continents that bear the name America.
I don't think you can fairly judge the United States by people from one state. Because honestly, the states (or at least the regions) in the United States are fairly different from each other.
Also, I find it pompous that citizens of the United States of America call themselves Americans, when there are two whole continents that bear the name America.
Personally, I'm a little sick of hearing "You don't understaaaannnnnndddd. We're so biiiiggggg and diveerrrrsssee. Those guys don't speak for all of us!"
Own your shit.
We do own our shit.
It makes me ashamed to know that we actually fought a fucking war to own Texas.
Well Texas fought the war then we just took them over.
And I also do not understand how you people can not be proud to be an American? Im am absolutely proud to be an American and if the time arouse I would stand up and defend her. I am proud of the constitution and what this country stands for. To me the founding fathers are the greatest men to ever live. The constitution is one of the greatest documents ever written, and the only reason we have to have anti slavery and voting right amendments is because of fucking prick trying to control shit.
The thing Im not proud of is our government and leaders of this present day. Never would I fight for Bush. If the founding fathers would see this country in its present state they would start a new revolution. Hell I made the point before Jefferson even says the people of a country have the right to do away with their government and form a new one. That people should not fear their government but that it should fear its people.
Theres is so much wrong with our country because alot of fucktards think things should be their way.
Personally, I'm a little sick of hearing "You don't understaaaannnnnndddd. We're so biiiiggggg and diveerrrrsssee. Those guys don't speak for all of us!"
Own your shit.
...
you know... that kinda hurts.
those bigots down there that treat your aboriganies like shit, trading them food and shit for bathing.
your fucking issues with islamic aliens.
those are your fault?
even if you do feel responsible, what are you doing to stop it?
yeah, we're cunts.
The point is not that anyone is a bigger cunt than anyone else, the point isn't that you should be personally responsible for what other people do, or even necessarily what your government does. The point is merely that I don't say "Oh, well, Queensland ... it's a different country up there. You gotta understand our diversity." We're nasty, brutish, racist bigots and the localized distribution of idiots doesn't make them any less attached to me, and it soils my country whereever they live.
This is not necessarily at red, who made some good points. But I hear "oh well, state X is a hole, we're not like that" and it's not a very useful attitude. It's defensive buck-passing. Bitch and moan, be a bigot, don't be a bigot, live in Texas, live in New England, whatever. I resent the way that america's supposed diversity is used as an excuse by people to distance themselves from problems.
Personally, I'm a little sick of hearing "You don't understaaaannnnnndddd. We're so biiiiggggg and diveerrrrsssee. Those guys don't speak for all of us!"
Own your shit.
...
you know... that kinda hurts.
those bigots down there that treat your aboriganies like shit, trading them food and shit for bathing.
your fucking issues with islamic aliens.
those are your fault?
even if you do feel responsible, what are you doing to stop it?
Well, I'm a member of a few anti-racism groups, but not active in any of them.
Other than that I just tell racist guys that they're fuckin cockblocks whenever I see them doing their thang'.
but it is all still going on. Dispite your efforts. You try and it make no diffrence.
Like, what is there to own besides failure, when it happen dispite your efforts?
What is there for you to own other than what you haven't done?
I didn't chose to be born here. I didn't do anything to help create the problem. I just didn't do enough to stop them. I guess there have been a lot of people who could say the same thing thoughout history, and I don't really have a lot of empathy for them either.
Personally, I'm a little sick of hearing "You don't understaaaannnnnndddd. We're so biiiiggggg and diveerrrrsssee. Those guys don't speak for all of us!"
Own your shit.
...
you know... that kinda hurts.
those bigots down there that treat your aboriganies like shit, trading them food and shit for bathing.
your fucking issues with islamic aliens.
those are your fault?
even if you do feel responsible, what are you doing to stop it?
yeah, we're cunts.
The point is not that anyone is a bigger cunt than anyone else, the point isn't that you should be personally responsible for what other people do, or even necessarily what your government does. The point is merely that I don't say "Oh, well, Queensland ... it's a different country up there. You gotta understand our diversity." We're nasty, brutish, racist bigots and the localized distribution of idiots doesn't make them any less attached to me, and it soils my country whereever they live.
This is not necessarily at red, who made some good points. But I hear "oh well, state X is a hole, we're not like that" and it's not a very useful attitude. It's defensive buck-passing. Bitch and moan, be a bigot, don't be a bigot, live in Texas, live in New England, whatever. I resent the way that america's supposed diversity is used as an excuse by people to distance themselves from problems.
What would you rather us do? "Oh, yeah. Americans really are ultra-conservative, mind-blowingly stupid fundamentalist christians. It's all true."
Personally, I'm a little sick of hearing "You don't understaaaannnnnndddd. We're so biiiiggggg and diveerrrrsssee. Those guys don't speak for all of us!"
Own your shit.
We do own our shit.
It makes me ashamed to know that we actually fought a fucking war to own Texas.
Well Texas fought the war then we just took them over.
And I also do not understand how you people can not be proud to be an American? Im am absolutely proud to be an American and if the time arouse I would stand up and defend her. I am proud of the constitution and what this country stands for. To me the founding fathers are the greatest men to ever live. The constitution is one of the greatest documents ever written, and the only reason we have to have anti slavery and voting right amendments is because of fucking prick trying to control shit.
The thing Im not proud of is our government and leaders of this present day. Never would I fight for Bush. If the founding fathers would see this country in its present state they would start a new revolution. Hell I made the point before Jefferson even says the people of a country have the right to do away with their government and form a new one. That people should not fear their government but that it should fear its people.
Theres is so much wrong with our country because alot of fucktards think things should be their way.
There's no actual logical basis for nationalism, at least that I've seen. Even if you agree with the ideals, it's just a piece of land. All the ideals that people invoke to justify all of it can be found in numerous places, not to mention the long history of the country contradicting itself (the obvious example being slavery). When it comes down to it, it's just a place. You live there, and yes, you should try and make it better. But there's no reason to identify with it or put it on a pedestal.
Personally, I'm a little sick of hearing "You don't understaaaannnnnndddd. We're so biiiiggggg and diveerrrrsssee. Those guys don't speak for all of us!"
Own your shit.
...
you know... that kinda hurts.
those bigots down there that treat your aboriganies like shit, trading them food and shit for bathing.
your fucking issues with islamic aliens.
those are your fault?
even if you do feel responsible, what are you doing to stop it?
Well, I'm a member of a few anti-racism groups, but not active in any of them.
Other than that I just tell racist guys that they're fuckin cockblocks whenever I see them doing their thang'.
but it is all still going on. Dispite your efforts. You try and it make no diffrence.
Like, what is there to own besides failure, when it happen dispite your efforts?
What is there for you to own other than what you haven't done?
I didn't chose to be born here. I didn't do anything to help create the problem. I just didn't do enough to stop them. I guess there have been a lot of people who could say the same thing thoughout history, and I don't really have a lot of empathy for them either.
OH, I'm sorry, I'm not agreeing with Tynic, he's just being an ass.
Didn't mean to confuse you, I just thought I'd pipe in saying that some people do actually do something.
Personally, I'm a little sick of hearing "You don't understaaaannnnnndddd. We're so biiiiggggg and diveerrrrsssee. Those guys don't speak for all of us!"
Own your shit.
We do own our shit.
It makes me ashamed to know that we actually fought a fucking war to own Texas.
Well Texas fought the war then we just took them over.
And I also do not understand how you people can not be proud to be an American? Im am absolutely proud to be an American and if the time arouse I would stand up and defend her. I am proud of the constitution and what this country stands for. To me the founding fathers are the greatest men to ever live. The constitution is one of the greatest documents ever written, and the only reason we have to have anti slavery and voting right amendments is because of fucking prick trying to control shit.
The thing Im not proud of is our government and leaders of this present day. Never would I fight for Bush. If the founding fathers would see this country in its present state they would start a new revolution. Hell I made the point before Jefferson even says the people of a country have the right to do away with their government and form a new one. That people should not fear their government but that it should fear its people.
Theres is so much wrong with our country because alot of fucktards think things should be their way.
There's no actual logical basis for nationalism, at least that I've seen. Even if you agree with the ideals, it's just a piece of land. All the ideals that people invoke to justify all of it can be found in numerous places, not to mention the long history of the country contradicting itself (the obvious example being slavery). When it comes down to it, it's just a place. You live there, and yes, you should try and make it better. But there's no reason to identify with it or put it on a pedestal.
What would you rather us do? "Oh, yeah. Americans really are ultra-conservative, mind-blowingly stupid fundamentalist christians. It's all true."
Well, are you?
Some of you are. Some aren't. But instead of that simple answer, we get "Oh, well, don't go to the midwest! And Texas, that's crazy! And the south, whoah! But the rest of us, we're the REAL americans. And how dare you lump us in with those others just because we happen to share a national identity?" I understand resentment at being stereotyped, and i think that's perfectly valid. But there's a lot of pre-emptive defensiveness, and it's almost impossible to speak of America collectively as an outsider and not have to put up with a busload of "You can't group us together like that! We're so different!"
Well, I'm a member of a few anti-racism groups, but not active in any of them.
Other than that I just tell racist guys that they're fuckin cockblocks whenever I see them doing their thang'.
[
I love that you're a "member of a few anti-racism groups" when you were the fuck-knuckle insisting that Australia was not a racist country a few threads back. Make up your mind, chucklehead.
What would you rather us do? "Oh, yeah. Americans really are ultra-conservative, mind-blowingly stupid fundamentalist christians. It's all true."
Well, are you?
Some of you are. Some aren't. But instead of that simple answer, we get "Oh, well, don't go to the midwest! And Texas, that's crazy! And the south, whoah! But the rest of us, we're the REAL americans. And how dare you lump us in with those others just because we happen to share a national identity?" I understand resentment at being stereotyped, and i think that's perfectly valid. But there's a lot of pre-emptive defensiveness, and it's almost impossible to speak of America collectively as an outsider and not have to put up with a busload of "You can't group us together like that! We're so different!"
But we are so different. Are you saying we aren't? Or that because we are in the same country that arguement isn't valid?
There's no actual logical basis for nationalism, at least that I've seen. Even if you agree with the ideals, it's just a piece of land. All the ideals that people invoke to justify all of it can be found in numerous places, not to mention the long history of the country contradicting itself (the obvious example being slavery). When it comes down to it, it's just a place. You live there, and yes, you should try and make it better. But there's no reason to identify with it or put it on a pedestal.
Limed for, dare I say it? the truth.[/quote]
Well, also consider that most of the population of the planet believes there is a man in the sky who is always watching you.
And he can judge whether you've been a good or bad person.
What would you rather us do? "Oh, yeah. Americans really are ultra-conservative, mind-blowingly stupid fundamentalist christians. It's all true."
Well, are you?
Some of you are. Some aren't. But instead of that simple answer, we get "Oh, well, don't go to the midwest! And Texas, that's crazy! And the south, whoah! But the rest of us, we're the REAL americans. And how dare you lump us in with those others just because we happen to share a national identity?" I understand resentment at being stereotyped, and i think that's perfectly valid. But there's a lot of pre-emptive defensiveness, and it's almost impossible to speak of America collectively as an outsider and not have to put up with a busload of "You can't group us together like that! We're so different!"
And if I said that all of the United Kingdom fucked sheep, I'm sure I would get a defensive response from anyone from the UK. Yeah, stereotypes offend people, that's why they try to explain to you that they aren't like the stereotypes.
Well, I'm a member of a few anti-racism groups, but not active in any of them.
Other than that I just tell racist guys that they're fuckin cockblocks whenever I see them doing their thang'.
[
I love that you're a "member of a few anti-racism groups" when you were the fuck-knuckle insisting that Australia was not a racist country a few threads back. Make up your mind, chucklehead.
I can't remember what you're talking about but I don't remember much so I'll assume you're right. I still maintain that as a whole Australia is not a particually racist country, but even the best countries in the world (best is a sill word here, talking about the Swedens and the New Zealands of the world) have a level of racism.
There's no actual logical basis for nationalism, at least that I've seen. Even if you agree with the ideals, it's just a piece of land. All the ideals that people invoke to justify all of it can be found in numerous places, not to mention the long history of the country contradicting itself (the obvious example being slavery). When it comes down to it, it's just a place. You live there, and yes, you should try and make it better. But there's no reason to identify with it or put it on a pedestal.
Limed for, dare I say it? the truth.
Well, also consider that most of the population of the planet believes there is a man in the sky who is always watching you.
And he can judge whether you've been a good or bad person.
Posts
Remember my other friends from Hong Kong that I mentioned? One of them was in a suite with three other girls. Two of her three roommates thought that Hong Kong was the capital of mainland China.
Ahahahaha.
I used to think that when I was little, but then I also used to think Seattle was the capital of the state because it's the biggest city.
But I really think everyone has a messed up view of other countries that they don't border, and sometimes than as well.
I've got the aclu's phone number around here. I'd recomend not doing that, and encouraging your teacher to try to do something about it. If they are forcing you to do it, even just the hand gestures they are absolutely violating your rights.
it has nothing at all to do with the phrase "under god" and a whole lot to do with various faiths' (SoF for one(thank you very much)) prohibitions against taking pledges or oaths of any form.
Seriously.
At McDonalds (had to try it, but couldn't buy a supersize meal!
As for how the general public over here sees america? There's a lot of dislike. A lot of it. I don't get in on it but a lot of people are very pissed off that we got dragged into Iraq on your coatails; and are just getting sick of the americanisation of everything in Australia. I know that my family is planning on moving to New Zealend at some stage during the next 10 years because Australia is just not a country that I (and I think an increasing amount of others) am proud to be a part of any more. I mean, we're going to go nuclear if Howard wins again. The country with the best land on the entire earth to adopt alternate forms of energy is going to go nuclear. :roll:
Also, when I went to Texas... my god..... the patriotism. Flags and people reciting stuff and saluting and parades with guns. People parading down the streed holding a goddam gun and showing it off like it's a good thing. The violent connotations and connection to the military in American patriotism is something that always gets to me.
That's not to say I would ever have anything but good will to an American I just met, but the same stands for anyone.
Yeah, you're right. I just read the rest of the wiki. I was familiar with the church-and-state argument because it was a debate topic in my 8th-grade English class, which did formal debate. Apparently that ruling made it to the Supreme Court, and the Supreme Court killed the case because the father couldn't act for the daughter or something. They didn't rule on whether "under God" was constitutional.
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I'm going to go right ahead and confirm that our foreign friends aren't imagining the connection between patriotism and the military. Widespread notion that opposition to the Iraq war is unpatriotic? Check. Constant and annoying attempts to conflate red, white, blue, "support our troops" and "support the president"? Check. Jingoistic us-vs-them mentality? Check. I mean... come on.
OZ/NZ is responsible for Mel Gibson and Russell Crowe so if anything we should blame those countries for the wrongs in the world today.
Seriously though, I'm pretty sure most countries like to talk shit about the US but if they really don't like us then why don't they boycott us by not watching our films and such???
She would always do this really adorable thing that I dubbed the "Eureka Finger" when she corrected me. That's when you stick your index finger up in the "#1" sign and thrust it upwards with a big smile, like you just discovered cold fusion or something. If I hadn't had such catastrophically bad luck earlier in the semester with Japanese girls I probably would have asked her for her number at some point.
EDIT: Thugi no okyakuthama douthou!
Texas, man, Texas. No wonder.
On the flipside of things, I've always been creeped out by the censorships I sometimes hear taking place in Australia.
Yes, YES, it is defintly one of the primary factors of moving away.
The government tried to ban porn a while back, now they want to make it so if you don't want your internet filtered you have to ring your ISP up and tell them to let you watch porn. That would be a fun one for all those teenagers. "Hey mom, can you ring Optus up and let me keep looking at porn?"
Our news stations are almost as bad as the american ones as well.
And Tony Abbot. Fuuuuuck yooooou you asshole fundie. Die in a fire.
there is a fucking shit tonne of diversity, and stuff.
the point?
Texans scare the ever living shit out of a lot of americans. I almost postive i'd feel more comfotable in a diffrent country than I would in Texas.
You see the joke maps where there is Jesus-land and then there is blueville or whatere? Or the one where new england and the west coast are parts of canada?
Those arn't really jokes so much. There is a whole bucket load of truth to that. A whole bucket and a 6 piece order of biscuts and 2 large sides.
You kinda act like we don't know it is going on. Or that simply cause we live in the same country we give it some sort of approval. Most of us know just how fucking insane and retarded it is. We know it better than you do, because we have to deal with the reprecussion everyfuckingday. We just don't have the option of going home to get away from it.
And you don't even think about the god damned fundies. While on some level you most likely understand that there are people even more retarded and backwards, you don't have to talk to them. You don't have to see them on TV every day. You don't have to hear people you intend to vote for give lip service the their fucking moronic ideologies.
Hell, you look at how america is fucking up and you at least can have a little distance. We have to look at it and know that because we didn't do enough during the last election, it is our fault. We let it happen. We let america and its dumb fucking texans and its horible culture fuck up the rest of the world. Yeah, we tried. But it still happened, just like we knew it would.
Was me showing up at a shitty dead end job worth us going to war in Iraq? no. Could I have talked to the right 5 or 6 hundred people and personally changed the election in 2000? probably. I didn't even fucking vote. I did nothing. I let it happen cause I didn't give a damn. 2004 was a lot wider spread, but still... I could have done more. And by then we already knew pretty much absolutly just how bad it was going to get. It sucks a whole lot knowing that in even a small way you are responsable for the deaths of more than a quarter million Iraqies, Americans and coalition members.
meh... I'm proud of a whole lot of things. Being an america? that just ain't one of them.
Don't feel so bad about Australia going nuclear. Your pretty well off, because it is also about the best country/continent for storing nuclear waste. Little in the way of earthquakes, and a whole lot of nothing that is basicly inaritable and inhospitiable. There are far worse things your country could be doing.
Own your shit.
The power is still not fully sustainable (It's far more so than coal, though) and we could so easily adopt wind and hydro-electric power- for the same reasons we can adopt Nuclear power: Big-ass open spaces.
Also guns.
I really don't get it. Why does the stereotype american you see on sitcoms or in movies (I really don't know another kind, so feel free to correct me/call me a moron if this isn't the way many think) remain so stanchly pro-guns. They kill people. I don't think they should be outlawed - they certainly have their purposes, but goddam there's no need to keep one in the house 'for protection'.
We do own our shit.
It makes me ashamed to know that we actually fought a fucking war to own Texas.
...
you know... that kinda hurts.
those bigots down there that treat your aboriganies like shit, trading them food and shit for bathing.
your fucking issues with islamic aliens.
those are your fault?
even if you do feel responsible, what are you doing to stop it?
Also, I find it pompous that citizens of the United States of America call themselves Americans, when there are two whole continents that bear the name America.
I don't get it. Do I wholeheartedly support the fundamentalist and Texan message? Do I somehow trample on their freedom of speech and make them stfu?
Or do I speak the ways in which I disagree, vote appropriately, and continue to inform the world that no, that guy doesn't speak for me?
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Also: Where is the Land of the Free? Every time I think I've settled on the best place for immigration I hear about some censorship or other nonsense that puts it back on par with glorious America.
Well, I'm a member of a few anti-racism groups, but not active in any of them.
Other than that I just tell racist guys that they're fuckin cockblocks whenever I see them doing their thang'.
United States-ian sounds pretty retarded.
What else are we going to call ourselves?
United Staters?
Uniters?
Staters?
Edit: Beated
Well Texas fought the war then we just took them over.
And I also do not understand how you people can not be proud to be an American? Im am absolutely proud to be an American and if the time arouse I would stand up and defend her. I am proud of the constitution and what this country stands for. To me the founding fathers are the greatest men to ever live. The constitution is one of the greatest documents ever written, and the only reason we have to have anti slavery and voting right amendments is because of fucking prick trying to control shit.
The thing Im not proud of is our government and leaders of this present day. Never would I fight for Bush. If the founding fathers would see this country in its present state they would start a new revolution. Hell I made the point before Jefferson even says the people of a country have the right to do away with their government and form a new one. That people should not fear their government but that it should fear its people.
Theres is so much wrong with our country because alot of fucktards think things should be their way.
Huh?
As a name instead of American?
yeah, we're cunts.
The point is not that anyone is a bigger cunt than anyone else, the point isn't that you should be personally responsible for what other people do, or even necessarily what your government does. The point is merely that I don't say "Oh, well, Queensland ... it's a different country up there. You gotta understand our diversity." We're nasty, brutish, racist bigots and the localized distribution of idiots doesn't make them any less attached to me, and it soils my country whereever they live.
This is not necessarily at red, who made some good points. But I hear "oh well, state X is a hole, we're not like that" and it's not a very useful attitude. It's defensive buck-passing. Bitch and moan, be a bigot, don't be a bigot, live in Texas, live in New England, whatever. I resent the way that america's supposed diversity is used as an excuse by people to distance themselves from problems.
Plus, the baseball team ruined it for everyone.
You are against the 14th amendment and 19th amendment?
but it is all still going on. Dispite your efforts. You try and it make no diffrence.
Like, what is there to own besides failure, when it happen dispite your efforts?
What is there for you to own other than what you haven't done?
I didn't chose to be born here. I didn't do anything to help create the problem. I just didn't do enough to stop them. I guess there have been a lot of people who could say the same thing thoughout history, and I don't really have a lot of empathy for them either.
What would you rather us do? "Oh, yeah. Americans really are ultra-conservative, mind-blowingly stupid fundamentalist christians. It's all true."
There's no actual logical basis for nationalism, at least that I've seen. Even if you agree with the ideals, it's just a piece of land. All the ideals that people invoke to justify all of it can be found in numerous places, not to mention the long history of the country contradicting itself (the obvious example being slavery). When it comes down to it, it's just a place. You live there, and yes, you should try and make it better. But there's no reason to identify with it or put it on a pedestal.
OH, I'm sorry, I'm not agreeing with Tynic, he's just being an ass.
Didn't mean to confuse you, I just thought I'd pipe in saying that some people do actually do something.
Limed for, dare I say it? the truth.
Some of you are. Some aren't. But instead of that simple answer, we get "Oh, well, don't go to the midwest! And Texas, that's crazy! And the south, whoah! But the rest of us, we're the REAL americans. And how dare you lump us in with those others just because we happen to share a national identity?" I understand resentment at being stereotyped, and i think that's perfectly valid. But there's a lot of pre-emptive defensiveness, and it's almost impossible to speak of America collectively as an outsider and not have to put up with a busload of "You can't group us together like that! We're so different!"
I love that you're a "member of a few anti-racism groups" when you were the fuck-knuckle insisting that Australia was not a racist country a few threads back. Make up your mind, chucklehead.
But we are so different. Are you saying we aren't? Or that because we are in the same country that arguement isn't valid?
Limed for, dare I say it? the truth.[/quote]
Well, also consider that most of the population of the planet believes there is a man in the sky who is always watching you.
And he can judge whether you've been a good or bad person.
Edit: Fuck quotes.
I can't remember what you're talking about but I don't remember much so I'll assume you're right. I still maintain that as a whole Australia is not a particually racist country, but even the best countries in the world (best is a sill word here, talking about the Swedens and the New Zealands of the world) have a level of racism.