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Definitely. In every country I've been, I've met far more cool people than unbearable people, so I have a hard time tolerating any nonsense I hear about any specific country being populated by bad or horrible people.
Even taking my own nationality out of the equation, I see more lobbed at citizens of the US than anywhere else in the world, which is probably a side effect of it being basically center stage in the world... but, it gets really old.
A couple weeks ago, I was at a friend's birthday party here in GZ and he had a coworker who was a Chinese gal and Anglophile. She asked where I was from.
"England!"
"Nope."
"Canada!"
"Nope."
"Australia!"
"Nope."
"Ireland?"
"Nope."
"...Sweden?"
"Nope."
"America?"
"Yep!"
"... EW."
"Why, 'ew?'"
"America is just so... ew."
"Have you ever been there?"
"No, but, I..."
"But you...?"
"I work with a lot of English and Candians, and they are so gentleman."
"Do you work with any Americans?"
"No."
"Do you know any Americans?"
"No..."
"Well, thank you for making the most childish and ignorant comment I've heard in the last few months, and following it up with the stupidest answer I've heard on top of it."
"... oh, I'm sorry, I just... uh..."
"Yeah, you just, 'ew.' Have a good night."
I've bumped into her a couple more times and she is visibly awkward. People just seem to think that it's perfectly acceptable to say the same sort of things about America or Americans that would get you shouted down as an ignorant xenophobe if you said the same things about any other country on earth.
I love how straightforward you were lol. What a moron.
In the Netherlands it is common for people to say that even Poland isn't really European. Hardly anyone considers Russia European. The term "European" is only reserved for the supposedly civilized countries like Germany, France, and so on. A place like Ukraine often isn't called European even though Finland would be because Finland is considered "civilized". I think this is really silly though, and I agree that Russia should be Europe, at least the western part of it like Moscow and especially Saint Pietersburg.
Yep, I agree with you. I believe he confused "Europe" with the Shengen countries.
PS. In the mean times Russia was called as "the plague of Asia" in Finland
I believe this is true about every nation, tribe, and tongue, and each individual too. Respect can't be demanded, it has to be commanded/earned.
Mahrie.
I think that America was seen in a better light back in the 90's. Then after the 9/11 event it all started eroding, mainly because of the unnecessary wars. At least this is how I experienced it.
I am not criticizing American patriotism - I'm criticizing ignorance, something that you are evidently in no short supply of. I don't believe that there is anything wrong with having national pride, but we are taught from an early age that we live in the greatest country in the world so the patriotism is not in the least bit surprising. However, whenever we cross the water and come out with things like "I'm from America, the greatest country in the world" it is not only untrue in the eyes of others, but insulting to whoever's country we've stepped foot in. I've seen this happen on several occasions and it really grinds my gears.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mr. Joshua
I have been to many countries and still believe that America is the all-around winner. The quality of life is certainly high in other nations but this is a recent phenomenon. It's been fewer than 70 years since Europe saw the end of the most violent and bloody 20 year period Earth has ever known and that's the longest stretch of peace the continent has experienced in.. oh.. about 3,000 years. The reason that such a prolonged period of peace and prosperity has even been possible is because of the security and largesse along with the example of a free and equal democratic society the US provided to post war Europe.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mr. Joshua
I'll agree with the insulated part, it's the benefit of having fish as neighbors to our east and west.
If you believe America is the greatest, that's fine, but the quality of life in other nations is a recent phenomenon? Come on, what do you think the Renaissance was all about? And Europe's stretch of peace? I suppose we can just write off Kosovo, Bosnia, the Basque Conflict, the IRA's border campaign, two Chechen wars, and of course Crimea among many others, can we? Don't be delusional. There is always conflict everywhere in the world. I studied history at St. Andrews University in Scotland, thank you for asking, and I concluded that our version of history is very America-centric. I learned a lot more about world history abroad. I guess another benefit of being insulated is that you won't often hear about the other conflicts that happen around the world hey. Wise up.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mr. Joshua
I wonder if all of your family and friends know that you think that they are ignorant and arrogant.
So from "the majority of us..." you took that to read as "all my family and friends". Surely even someone as simple-minded as you can see that made you look like a fool.
You think that rant was to gain respect? It was born out of frustration. Frustration of years of seeing people from my country acting like you do. Don't you see that it's the crap that you come out with that people hate? It's exactly the kind of thing I was referring to in my original post.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mahrie
Now there's the attitude that people hate - if they're prone to hatred, that is.
Humility earns respect - arrogance does not.
Mahrie.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Greysholic
No. Power earns suckers, it does not earn respect.
You'll do well to listen to these people as they are clearly far more intelligent. Now, I'll apologise to anybody I might have offended with my rant, but I don't get riled up because I'm unpatriotic, I get riled up because I actually give a damn about how we are perceived as a nation. Unfortunately Joshua, there are too many people like yourself that seem intent on painting a portrait of stupidity and THAT is why I blow up.
I am not criticizing American patriotism - I'm criticizing ignorance, something that you are evidently in no short supply of. I don't believe that there is anything wrong with having national pride, but we are taught from an early age that we live in the greatest country in the world so the patriotism is not in the least bit surprising. However, whenever we cross the water and come out with things like "I'm from America, the greatest country in the world" it is not only untrue in the eyes of others, but insulting to whoever's country we've stepped foot in. I've seen this happen on several occasions and it really grinds my gears.
Come on. WHo does that? Your whole rant is based on a ridiculous straw man.
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