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What makes you think this is an 'American thing' in particular? How do you expect 21st Century Dutch people to live? In windmills wearing clogs?
So the 21st century resumes to suburban homes and shopping to you?
It's a quite American thing to have big home, big car, big things, big shopping mall nearby.
I experienced American life for two years and I couldn't wait to leave. (I seriously detest the wasteful, simple minded, non-thinking required, shopping mall, car dependent mentality found in english speaking countries like australia, USA, Canada, UK) unfortunately Netherlands, Sweden, Germany are becoming like that too.
So the 21st century resumes to suburban homes and shopping to you?
It's a quite American thing to have big home, big car, big things, big shopping mall nearby.
I experienced American life for two years and I couldn't wait to leave. (I seriously detest the wasteful, simple minded, non-thinking required, shop shop and shop, shopping mall mentality)
I need something deeper.
I'm not sure what you mean by resumes but the 21st century has happened all over the world not just in the US, having a home, car, electronic gadgetery, and shopping in malls is not unique to the US, its not particular to the US and it isn't something that the US 'invented' either, its simply how all Western, developed nations live in this century. Just because you shop at Tesco or because the Dutch like to have a 'flash car' doesn't make them wannabe Americans like you claim???? In fact because the 'Germans' invented the automobile does the fact that 'Americans' like to drive around in cars make them 'wannabe' Germans?
I'm not sure what you mean by resumes but the 21st century has happened all over the world not just in the US, having a home, car, electronic gadgetery, and shopping in malls is not unique to the US, its not particular to the US and it isn't something that the US 'invented' either, its simply how all Western, developed nations live in this century. Just because you shop at Tesco or because the Dutch like to have a 'flash car' doesn't make them wannabe Americans like you claim???? In fact because the 'Germans' invented the automobile does the fact that 'Americans' like to drive around in cars make them 'wannabe' Germans?
You're not understanding my point
Those things are ok to have, but in America that is life and nothing else for most people outside big cities like NYC.
Most American cities lack public transportation so you have to drive everywhere.
Most American cities are composed of wide spread suburban homes and divided into suburban subdivisions and linked by highways, so to go from point A to point B you need a car, and often times they like them gigantic!
Since cities are so widespread and most things are so far away, and most Americans work and work and work (that is the lifestyle in America, to work!) then most have no time to do anything else besides going to the shopping mall which are always conveniently nearby!
In fact I remember many americans would do things like go to the shopping mall as a family on the weekends. (that was their sunday out idea)
Canada and Australia are exactly like that (I have visited both), Australia is even more suburban and widespread than America! It was extremely shocking to me when I went to Australia and it was sunny and balmy outside and I went out for a walk and there was no one anywhere, just suburban homes and highways just like America and the only people around were on the street driving.
That is what I don't like! And yes that suburban lifestyle is quintessentially American, born in the 50's during the automobile boom in the US.
Those things are ok to have, but in America that is life and nothing else for most people outside big cities like NYC.
Most American cities lack public transportation so you have to drive everywhere.
Most American cities are composed of wide spread suburban homes and divided into suburban subdivisions and linked by highways, so to go from point A to point B you need a car, and often times they like them gigantic!
Since cities are so widespread and most things are so far away, and most Americans work and work and work (that is the lifestyle in America, to work!) then most have no time to do anything else besides going to the shopping mall which are always conveniently nearby!
In fact I remember many americans would do things like go to the shopping mall as a family on the weekends. (that was their sunday out idea)
Canada and Australia are exactly like that (I have visited both), Australia is even more suburban and widespread than America! It was extremely shocking to me when I went to Australia and it was sunny and balmy outside and I went out for a walk and there was no one anywhere, just suburban homes and highways just like America and the only people around were on the street driving.
That is what I don't like! And yes that suburban lifestyle is quintessentially American, born in the 50's during the automobile boom in the US.
I think I know what you mean but I am referring particularly to your point about the UK, Germany and the Netherlands 'trying hard to be like America', in what way? The American way of life is simply a result of progress, exactly like the way of life in the UK, Germany and the Netherlands, wanting a car, a house and to shop in malls isn't an 'American' thing, its something that has developed with progress in all modern societies therefore I fail to see how wanting to live a modern life means you are somehow 'trying hard to be American'!? If you say you prefer countries that are less Capitalist, less developed or have a more rural based economy then I can understand that.
I think I know what you mean but I am referring particularly to your point about the UK, Germany and the Netherlands 'trying hard to be like America', in what way? The American way of life is simply a result of progress, exactly like the way of life in the UK, Germany and the Netherlands, wanting a car, a house and to shop in malls isn't an 'American' thing, its something that has developed with progress in all modern societies therefore I fail to see how wanting to live a modern life means you are somehow 'trying hard to be American'!? If you say you prefer countries that are less Capitalist, less developed or have a more rural based economy then I can understand that.
This is how most cities in the US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand look like. Just endless parts of the city like this, and then gigantic highways connecting to the downtown which is mostly just glass towers with offices.
Unlike downtowns in the UK, which are filled with museums, stores, coffeeshops, bars, pubs and thousands of pedestrians everywhere. America, Aussie and Canadian downtowns are office buildings that become desolate at night. So as entertainment you have shopping malls!
I have the theory that this atmosphere is what contributes largely to the large number of mental health patients in those countries.
Growing up in a suburbia must be quite tough on the mind, imagine the boredom!
The UK, Germany and Netherlands are not like that, fortunately we have cities that were made for pedestrians, not for cars. But if we do not pay attention, our politicians will turn us into that!
This is how most cities in the US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand look like. Just endless parts of the city like this, and then gigantic highways connecting to the downtown which is mostly just glass towers with offices.
Unlike downtowns in the UK, which are filled with museums, stores, coffeeshops, bars, pubs and thousands of pedestrians everywhere. America, Aussie and Canadian downtowns are office buildings that become desolate at night. So as entertainment you have shopping malls!
I have the theory that this atmosphere is what contributes largely to the large number of mental health patients in those countries.
Growing up in a suburbia must be quite tough on the mind, imagine the boredom!
The UK, Germany and Netherlands are not like that, fortunately we have cities that were made for pedestrians, not for cars. But if we do not pay attention, our politicians will turn us into that!
There are plenty of roads that look like that here too, suburbia has been a reality since people 'fled' the slums of the old industrial towns and cities, I think the coffee shops, bars, museums and pubs of central London are a result of the modern world, I agree suburbia has a rather 'dull' image but I guess its got to be better than the way it was.
So why doesn't living in Texas raise a red flag for you then? It seems you don't like capital punishment...
It does and I don't. But I keep my head down, so it doesn't get shot off. Executions are like any other form of terrorism -- they are too infrequent to get all bothered about, so you deal with one as an occasional anomaly, and shake your head and say Shame on the people who are responsible. Like cockroaches, they will always be there.
I live here because at this point in time, it happens to be the best and most practical place for me to live in my present circumstances. No place else is sufficiently compelling to draw me away, It's where my belongings and my affairs are conveniently located. Most places in the world have pretty much the same equilibrium of pluses and minuses, and moving is too much of a PITA.
But alcohol and cocaine doesn't have the same societal effect, so they aren't really comparable.
The societal effect arises from the legality of it. When anything is driven into the criminal underworld, and there is a shooting war over its marketing, that by itself is the societal effect.
If cocaine could be bought in a supermarket at prices that reflect the actual cost of production and distribution, its societal effect would be no greater than that of alcohol.
Back to Muslims and alcohol: The "Muslim world" doesn't "ban" alcohol. In most Islamic countries, it is perfectly legal to buy and consume alcohol, and it even less regulated than in the USA. But Muslims are not hypocrites. They honestly believe their true faith and live by it, so they voluntarily exclude alcohol from their lifestyle, as directed by the principles of their religion, and there is a social stigma attached to violation. Just as Christians voluntarily exclude theft and murder from their lifestyle, and most would not do it, even if there were no laws against theft and murder. The other eight commandments are not codified into law, but Christians obey them anyway, except the hypocrites, which are many.
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