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Topic ClosedHow do you view the American?

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Poll Question: How do you view the American?
Poll Choice Votes Poll Statistics
5 [7.58%]
14 [21.21%]
2 [3.03%]
37 [56.06%]
8 [12.12%]
This topic is closed, no new votes accepted

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Peter View Drop Down
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 30 2005 at 22:53
[QUOTE=nacho]

Hey Borealis, that's not fair at all. I don't believe than in Québec "most people hate americans" (by "americans" I guess you mean people from the USA, I don't think you hate yourselves).

/QUOTE]

The continent that Canada, the USA, and Mexico share is not simply called "America," but North America. Canadians and Mexicans do not call themselves "Americans." On this continent, that word describes people from the USA only -- it is a political, not a geographic, designation. I know that in Europe the word "American" is sometimes (erroneously) used to describe any citizen of North, Central, or South America, but around here, "American" NEVER means Canadian or Mexican.Stern Smile

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O frabjous day! Callooh! Callay!'
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 30 2005 at 23:13

As a Canadian, I naturally view Americans from above.Wink

Seriously though, I view them as individuals, and thus --as with people everywhere -- as a mixed bag, with much more variety than is implied here.Ermm

I certainly don't view an individual as being equal to a government.

(That being said, I hope that next time Americans elect a government that seriously values consensus-building and acting within the constraints of international law. I could wish that such a US government were much more environmentally-responsible, and less driven by big oil, the military/industrial complex, and the religious right, than the current administration.)Stern Smile

I believe that most Americans are basically decent (if a bit navel-gazing) and friendly, and that I have more in common with them than there is that which divides us.Smile

 



Edited by Peter
"And, has thou slain the Jabberwock?
Come to my arms, my beamish boy!
O frabjous day! Callooh! Callay!'
He chortled in his joy.
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 31 2005 at 03:59
I think the problem with many peoples' perception of Americans (certainly in the UK) is the huge amount of cheap lowest common denominator television programming purchased by the UK TV networks. In these, your average American is seen as being right wing, reactionary, obese, religiously intolerant etc, etc.

These traits are by no means exclusively American, and you have to see past the glitz & cheap glamours, and try to see Mr Average USA - just like us, except they talk funny

Edited by Jim Garten

Jon Lord 1941 - 2012
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 31 2005 at 04:00

Why is that bloody quote thing not working? Anyway, Peter: "I know that in Europe the word "American" is sometimes (erroneously) used to describe any citizen of North, Central, or South America, but around here, "American" NEVER means Canadian or Mexican".

I guess that explains it. I'll try to be less touchy about it. I'm however still confused with your "erroneously" adverb: I think if I say that a Mexican is an American that's not erroneous, and that using American only for the States is a clear example of an erroneous term becoming admissible by habit...

But anyway I'd better not argue with you about English language matters

 

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Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 31 2005 at 04:33
Tony R
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Posted: 2005 13 May at 7:02am | IP Logged Report Post Quote Tony R

I see Americans as much the same as all Western peoples at the mercy of rampant Capitalism.

We are thrown enough titbits from the master's table to keep us sweet and compliant.Meanwhile the "great and good" defecate all over the planet in our name.They make sure that enough of us want to sit at their table (even though there aren't any seats available) to maintain the status quo.

Yet the man in the street sings about the Land Of The Free.....

We are all blind,cowardly and ignorant and that is how "they" like it.

 

Unfortunately I agree with you Tony,most western countries had some great ideals in the beginning which have been perverted by pure greed. I just came back from a small european trip and the average European household is rather going well, still everybody is complaining how bad things are without realizing how lucky we are economically speaking compared to the rest of the world. 

For the question :  a country that had Frank Zappa as citizen has a reason to be proud!

 

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Direct Link To This Post Posted: June 11 2005 at 16:16
what a stupid f**k*ng poll- if you answered this question- your a dumbass- like you can pin-point An american in a single poll- YOU MORONS
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: June 11 2005 at 21:21
What kind of a question is this? I find it rather insulting being an american. Look at the results. What the hell? I thought this was a music forum- that makes me think less of you other countures. Shame on you.
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: June 11 2005 at 22:15
^ Well an American asked the question. What shall we do, ignore him?
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: June 11 2005 at 23:18
You fools who hate americans are just as ignorant as the people you hate. You are plagued by the same "blind patriotism" as we are. Last time I checked over half of america disagrees with the war and the president that no one elected. (and whose counterpart no one nominated)
Your media has given you these false impressions of Americans. They point the finger at us. While the real enemy (your government) goes unchecked. Our media does the same thing, - points its finger at the Europeans, all to keep us happily figting and arguing about the same godamn "issues" (socialism vs capitalism,whose greedy, whose this that, bleh bleh blah blah ) while they slide their unconstitutional legislation (patriot I, II etc.) under the table. Its all a method of control. And take a look at Tony Blair, this guy has been lying since day one (hes been on bush's d***) but you europeans are too "blindly patriotic" to do anything about it.

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Direct Link To This Post Posted: June 12 2005 at 00:12
Right On Hierophant- The Finger pointing gets rather old. Most do look at the media for their views. Rather pathetic. I am damn proud to be an American, but it doesent mean that I blindly support every freking thing we do as a country. What a horrible question to ask in the 1st place.
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: July 20 2005 at 15:32
Originally posted by Tony R Tony R wrote:

Anyone pro-gun is a moron in my humble opinion.

However,given that James is obviously not a moron,I wonder at his pro-gun stance.Care to elabourate?

You know your a bush lover if your caliber is higher than your I.Q.

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Direct Link To This Post Posted: July 20 2005 at 16:50

I've visited America twice and I always admired the open mindedness of the people I met there. And their social talents. I've crossed though the United States by bus, train and plane and only at one place I was on my own and nobody talked to me: Yosemite Park where there were only families who were on their own. The rest of my trip, people were constantly trying to communicate with me. I know reality is much more complex than that, that a lot of bad things happen in America just as well as in Europe, but my two visits to America were really a very good experience. So this time I want to be really subjective: 

 

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Direct Link To This Post Posted: July 24 2005 at 15:56
I voted for option 4
[IMG]http://www.travelwithachallenge.com/Images/Travel_Article_Library/Sacred-Travel/Machu-Picchu-350.jpg"> [IMG]http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a63/panchopc1/machupicchu-1.jpg">
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: July 24 2005 at 18:55

I think you last election highlighted the fact that there are two America's, and that you have a very divided country...i

t would be difficult to give a tick in any of the boxes, because I know you aren't all Republican, Bible Belt, NRA Rednecks...

Music has always been a matter of energy to me. On some nights I believe that a car with the needle on empty can run 50 more miles if you have the right music very loud on the radio. Hunter S Thompson
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: July 24 2005 at 19:13
Originally posted by fandango fandango wrote:

I think you last election highlighted the fact that there are two America's, and that you have a very divided country...i

t would be difficult to give a tick in any of the boxes, because I know you aren't all Republican, Bible Belt, NRA Rednecks...

Thank you for noticing that

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Direct Link To This Post Posted: July 24 2005 at 22:15

It would seem to me that most US citizens, like the others in the rest of the world, are at the mercy of their Governments (but we voted them in). Strange isn't it, that in the year 2005 after all those years of refining democratic principles and constitutions, after all the bloodshed and revolution, pain and suffering in the fight for 'rights', all the courageous and honourable lives lost through wars fought to uphold the 'freedoms' that we believe are the cornerstone of a 'true and liberated' society, we still haven't made it.

When a society (any society) can turn their backs on starving children and attrocities, as our societies in the west have been doing for years, you know that your societies are in trouble at their heart. Our societies are sick, ladies and gentlemen because we place greater emphasis on $$$$ and selfgratification than we do on compassion, mercy and justice. This is not just a US problem but a problem that has existed in man since the year dot. In 1980 when Africa was facing incredible drought and starvation there was enough grain in silos in the west to give every person 1000kgs each. Two bags each would have solved the problem.

Why wasn't it released??

IN NIGER right now, children are skin and bone. They are dying. The WORLDS governments were told about this looming crisis, six months ago and only now is there a response. WHY???   When we point the finger at someone else, the other 3 are pointing straight back at us. Place any other government in the world in the US position and find out how they would act. You may think differently and some would probably act more wisely and astutely with matters but there would be some who would make the US look like a sweet ol apple pie bakin grandma.

There are many things that the US could do better and should not have done at all, but the arguments I have been hearing are imbalanced. Have a look at China and try and find out how many people go missing there every week because they believe in (or are just suspected of) believing in something different to the 'power' in charge. Chances are you won't find out about it for week  or months because countries like that are not open to the scrutiny that others are. The reason the US and her people are bagged out so much is because it is, at least, a reasonably open society.
Eternity
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: July 25 2005 at 07:27

Originally posted by barbs barbs wrote:


It would seem to me that most US citizens, like the others in the rest of the world, are at the mercy of their Governments (but we voted them in).

Yes barbs,

in our recent general election, the Labour Party received 36% of the vote and got in... being as only about 65% of the voting public turned out, that's significantly less than 1 in 4 voted for Tony Blair's return to office, and of those, at least 50% did so on the basis that he is going to stand down during this term... that's the 'power' of democracy for you...

 

Music has always been a matter of energy to me. On some nights I believe that a car with the needle on empty can run 50 more miles if you have the right music very loud on the radio. Hunter S Thompson
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: July 30 2005 at 18:13
I voted for god-fearing traditionalist dedicated to family and country.

As a Scandinavian I see USA as a VERY religious country.
While I think Sweden is the most secularised country in the world.

As I'm studying town planning, my opinion is that the american way of planning cities realy sucks, but my teachers points out Portland, OR, to be an example of good town planning.
Nowadays cities all over the world are being planned the american way.

The only point where I see america being worse than Europe is that most of the states of US practise death-sentence. I don't know if any countries in Europe practise that anymore.
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: July 31 2005 at 02:04
americans were cool before bush. now we suck because most of us voted for him. i hate him. ignorant republicans. if we had left the civil war be, we wouldn't have any of this voting trouble.
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: July 31 2005 at 02:49

Anyone notice that a "Bush supporter" seems to be more like a female undergarment?

Seriously, though. Right now, I'm not overly proud to be an American. I don't despise everything about this country, but a lot of things could be better. I'm from Oregon, a fairly liberal State, so you don't find many fascist neo-conservative pricks around. Therefore, it could also be worse.

I don't believe in demons
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I only believe in you
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