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Looking at the parcial results: Greece, Germany, Iraq and Israel are really underrated, in the other hand, India is heavily overrated. The rest are OK.
Yes, Taco Bell is my favorite.
I'll occasionally eat that healthy crap like Panaera Bread and Chipotle
and remember the richest Americans make jobs for middle and low class Americans.
We have plenty of independent owned restaurants,
Oh please, there is a Starbucks in the Lourve.
Okay, small business owners who used to run independent stores and restaurants finally become employees at WalMart and McDonald's earning minimum wages.
That's the way the richest Americans create jobs for middle-class former small business owners.
Taco Bell is your favorite??? Are you aware of the ingredients they use? or you just don't care? Taco Bell Beef
Great Britain is a slouch compared to maybe a handful of countries out there for classical music; Germany (though split into multiple nations for a good long time), Italy (also split), Austria, Russia, and possibly France. Holst and Handel aren't really that bad.
Handel is really a German composer, he sounds like one, even if he moved to England.
So UK is definitely a slouch when it comes to classical music department.
Art is a weird one. Certainly in the mid to later 20th century, British artists have had an outsized reputation compared to other countries with people like David Hockney, Francis Bacon, and the YBAs. Going further into the past, the only truly great figure is William Blake who was ridiculously idiosyncratic and less than rational.
So... comparably to the French, the Italians, the Germans, the Russians - UK is a slouch in painting department yet again.
How about such category as "dance" ( as it's mentioned in OP) ?
Nope, not again - nothing outstanding in UK as well.
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Anyhow, yea, British literature and theatre are arts, so it's unfair to not give these arts their dues. Given what you've said about the rationality and rigidness of the British, it seems like you're missing a large counterpoint by excluding some of their poets and writers who sometimes dived headfirst into spirituality and passion. They even had ridiculous figures who lived such (i.e. Lord Byron, the original Byronic hero).
Their poets are not bad, but English language itself is not as fine instrument for poetry as, say, French. Or Russian language for this matter. So that really leaves us with literature, and literature as I've already mentioned is closely related to philosophy. THAT of course Great Britain has, but it sits well with the rational mind, and that's what I've said - British culture is more about the law and rationality than anything else.
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Additionally, there's more than just the arts. The British had a wealth of philosophers, thinkers, scientists, and engineers that have contributed a great deal to culture.
Yes, yes - but that's the point, while British culture is rather rich in this department, it's clearly lacking points in other departments, and so are other offshoots of British culture - the US, Canada and Australia. You can see there the same traits, ( although up to a certain degree they are even worse off in "rich culture department" than the UK itself.)
Okay, small business owners who used to run independent stores and restaurants finally become employees at WalMart and McDonald's earning minimum wages.
Idk about that, all i see is teenagers working at WalMart and McDonald's.
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Originally Posted by Ag77845
Taco Bell is your favorite??? Are you aware of the ingredients they use? or you just don't care? Taco Bell Beef
You know Doritos locos tacos is one of the most amazing things on the face of this earth.
the only food better is the Boca Chica's Taco House in Saint Paul.
if you are ever in MN you have to stop there.
Remember - those are your words, not mine. I would never call Russia a "beautiful country," since I am all too aware about her dark side, but when it comes to a "beautiful side of Russia" - yes, it sure has it as well; it's rich in culture, it's profoundly deep and very original.
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I have some REAL matryoshka dolls from Saint Petersburg!
but how many Russian show do you see when you turn on the television? how many Russian restaurants are in your city? Russian music on your radio stations?
That's precisely because Russian culture ( as French, German or Italian) does not have a universal appeal.
When you are watching Russian ballet, you are getting an idea that it's something for the connoisseurs, a strive for something extraordinary, where not everyone can reach those heights. When you look at some other "things Russian," "things German" or "things French" - again, you are getting the idea right away that you have to belong to the club.
But American culture is a simplified culture comparably to the old European cultures, and that's why it has a mass appeal. This simplified culture is specifically designed for it.
You may not like fast food but look how much money McDonald's, BK, Subway, etc... are making.
What does how much money they're making have to do with culture, or cultural value? Some of the greatest painters and composers were ignored or despised during their lifetime. Money isn't a measure of anything but herd taste and the influence of marketing. If you want to stick up for American culture, talk about America's celebrated architects, sculptors, writers, painters, designers and philosophers. Everyone else is discussing the equivalent of Thoreau, Hemingway, Frank Lloyd Wright, etc. and you're talking about McDonalds and Coca-Cola. What about gang warfare? Were you aware that that's one of the US' most successful exports to Central America? I haven't heard you mention that.
Handel is really a German composer, he sounds like one, even if he moved to England.
So UK is definitely a slouch when it comes to classical music department.
So... comparably to the French, the Italians, the Germans, the Russians - UK is a slouch in painting department yet again.
How about such category as "dance" ( as it's mentioned in OP) ?
Nope, not again - nothing outstanding in UK as well.
Their poets are not bad, but English language itself is not as fine instrument for poetry as, say, French. Or Russian language for this matter. So that really leaves us with literature, and literature as I've already mentioned is closely related to philosophy. THAT of course Great Britain has, but it sits well with the rational mind, and that's what I've said - British culture is more about the law and rationality than anything else.
Yes, yes - but that's the point, while British culture is rather rich in this department, it's clearly lacking points in other departments, and so are other offshoots of British culture - the US, Canada and Australia. You can see there the same traits, ( although up to a certain degree they are even worse off in "rich culture department" than the UK itself.)
You don't know what you're talking about! British literature and music is known throughout the world! Turner and Constable are revered the world over instead of spouting rubbish show some proof that they are 'sub par' Elgar is a renowned composer, English sports are played all over the world (the EPL is the worlds most popular sports league) English actors and actresses are known all over the world - the English language IS the worlds language, The UK had an Empire that covered 1/4 of the worlds population and during that time British culture was exported worldwide. The world knows about Robin Hood, the nights of the round table, Sherlock Holmes and god knows what other historical stories. Shakespeare is the worlds foremost literature figure and he is studied all over the world. Now lerts talk about music, Britain has contributed more to music in the last 80 years than the whole of the rest of Europe put together, if you want we can compare lists of world famous musicians, groups like The Beatles, The Stones, Led Zeppelin, Queen, Elton John etc etc etc I could go on for pages. As for youre bizarre statement on dance Im afraid I dont know much about that - is the foxtrot a British dance? The quickstep? Perhaps you would be kind enough to list dances and their 'inventors for me if you sre such an expert? You proclaiming that Britain is culturally poor is just making you look silly!
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So that really leaves us with literature, and literature as I've already mentioned is closely related to philosophy. THAT of course Great Britain has, but it sits well with the rational mind, and that's what I've said - British culture is more about the law and rationality than anything else.
