Is America still the coolest kid in school?

[Franklin Richards]

Alot of Allies at Normandy might disagree.

 

[Ace of Knaves]

HAHA I see your point. In no way am i undermining the bravery of the men who fought in Normandy. But i'm just saying, that if it wasn't for the British Navy completely obliterating the Nazi Navy in the Atlantic, those brave troops in Europe wouldn't get their supplies.

 

[Franklin Richards]

Bah! The real battle in Britain was waged in the air. But I digress.

 

[Ace of Knaves]

lolz yea.

But anywayzzzzz, America is cool, there are some dick heads there, in fact there are a lot of dick heads there. But every country has got dick heads, it's just that America is so big it's got more of them!!

 

[The Senator]

Tell that Plano buddy of yours to put down the heroin and convince you not to be prejudiced.

Franklin, lets put on our cowboy hats, saddle up the horses, and ride out of here

Wow... both of you still continue to miss my point...

 

[Franklin Richards]

It's a joke about Plano. Your buddy will understand.


And I do get your point. You are prejudiced. You judge an entire demographic of people by their locale through the limited evidence you've gathered through your travels.

What did I miss?

 

[The Senator]

It's a joke about Plano. Your buddy will understand.


And I do get your point. You are prejudiced. You judge an entire demographic of people by their locale through the limited evidence you've gathered through your travels.

What did I miss?

When did I say that all Texans are intolerant or ignorant? When did I say that I base my opinion on all people from Texas based on my two experiences? When did I say that I held anything against individual Texans based on my experiences?

Oh wait-- I didn't. I said that the attitudes expressed by those people collectively projects an ignorant and intolerant attitude which defines how many view the state. Including myself. The STATE, not the PEOPLE.

You enjoy putting words in others' mouths for the sake of argument, don't you?

 

[chaseter]

The people make the state??? It is just a stereotype, a prejudice I forgive you though...something bad had to have happened for you to feel that way.

 

[Franklin Richards]

Because I don't dance around euphamisms like "collective attitudes"? What the Hell is the difference between the collective attitude of a state and the people?

You're saying that an imaginary line on a map is to blame as oppossed to the people? No. You are saying that the people of that state on the whole are ignorant and intolerant. That's prejudiced.

It's ok. I'm prejudiced against religious people because I believe they all have a neurosis. You're prejudiced against Texans because you met a few dozen.

 

[The Senator]

Sigh... I do not judge individuals from Texas based on my experiences... it is just not a place I would want to live or visit again on my own based on those I encountered.

 

[The Senator]

Because I don't dance around euphamisms like "collective attitudes"? What the Hell is the difference between the collective attitude of a state and the people?

You're saying that an imaginary line on a map is to blame as oppossed to the people? No. You are saying that the people of that state on the whole are ignorant and intolerant. That's prejudiced.

It's ok. I'm prejudiced against religious people because I believe they all have a neurosis. You're prejudiced against Texans because you met a few dozen.

**** it. I'm done with this childish name calling.

 

[chaseter]

Sigh... I do not judge individuals from Texas based on my experiences... it is just not a place I would want to live or visit again on my own based on those I encountered.

So what happened?

 

[Franklin Richards]

Sorry... but when I walk around in Houston and Dallas and end up told that I'm going to hell for not believing in Jesus Christ by absolute strangers, while also putting up with the jingoistic "You don't mess with Texas" attitude virtually every white middle aged Texan male, while also forced to hear people discuss how them Mexicans are stealing jobs and how those queers ought to not be allowed to teach children in schools, I consider that ignorance. And I have no problem judging people who judge others when they can't take care of themselves.

Sounds pretty judgemental to me.

**** it. I'm done with this childish name calling.

Mark the day and time.

 

[BMM]

HAHA yea there is that saying "only in America". And the thing is, a lot of the time it's true. All those people getting hyped up for Palin, a woman who is a absolute idiot and has no clue about anything outside of America.

America is bizarre during election time (and that isn't limited to Sarah Palin hype). I can't explain it, other than to say we lose our minds. Anything goes.

 

[Captain Planet!]

Damn right we still are. USA, MAN!

 

[SLVRSR4]

How is it overhyped? If we didn't win that battle, the whole east coast of England would be a crater, including London. Plus the channel would be swamped with German landing ships. But anyway, the real fight was won in the Atlantic, British Navy FTMFW

Lend-lease act. They didn't do it alone. Nothing against Britain but get your facts straight. It was an American crew that cracked the u-boat codes too. It was a team effort by the Allies

 

[union_jak]

Lend-lease act. They didn't do it alone. Nothing against Britain but get your facts straight. It was an American crew that cracked the u-boat codes too. It was a team effort by the Allies

Facts based on the fictional movie U-571? America was not in the war until after the British has captured the first Enigma machine and deciphered it...

 

[SLVRSR4]

Facts based on the fictional movie U-571? America was not in the war until after the British has captured the first Enigma machine and deciphered it...

America was fighting alongside U.K long before it was officially declared is my overarcing point. I'm saying that U.K. could not have done it alone. That was my bad with taking movie for reality.

 

[Silk Spectre]

Tell that Plano buddy of yours to put down the heroin and convince you not to be prejudiced.

Oh god Plano, now there is the epitome of lily white bible thumping suburbia. It's a suburb that exist because of white flight. People here are not overtly racist, but many are afraid to live near a minority. The entire Dallas metro keeps pushing further north with white flight.

About 10-12 years ago a bunch of kids from Plano OD'd on Heroin, apparently they had more money than sense.

Plano is over run by materialistic morons living beyond their means shuffling kids to soccer practice in monster sized SUV's whilst drinking Starbucks and trying to make the mortgage payment on some over sized McMansion.

Honest to god I got in a huge flame war with woman from "west" plano because she thought people soliciting donations for charity on the corner did not belong in her part of town, and that they were "detracting from the aesthetic" Her attitude just rubber me the wrong way, but all the little yuppies jumped on the bandwagon and accused me of being jealous because I must live in the ghetto and could not afford precious "west" Plano.

not everyone in Plano is like that, but it's just one of those places whee people put material things first. It's in Collin County and they often brag about being the wealthiest county in Texas

 

[Ace of Knaves]

America was fighting alongside U.K long before it was officially declared is my overarcing point. I'm saying that U.K. could not have done it alone. That was my bad with taking movie for reality.

Yea it was a team effort, no doubt. I only brought it up because from my experiance a lot, and I mean a lot of Americans still actually believe that whole "If it wasn't for us you would all be speaking German" crap. If one actually said that to my face i'd head butt them.

 

[chamber-music]

In a way, yes.

I think a lot of the enmity from around the world for America comes from an American attitude of "Oh, we're the best, and any criticism of us is just envy", which I've actually seen on this board.

Because other than that, I do think that America is pretty much one of the closest things the planet has come to a perfect democracy, and I love the ideal it strives towards.

There is an arrogance that, I think, unfortunately hurts America, and distracts from some of the most beautiful ideologies to be found in the Western world.

I agree. I'm not Anti American but it seems sometimes any sort criticism or comment despite how well informed is taken as an attack on America as a whole by some Americans (a small but vocal minority). A blind sense of patriotism where somehow your not allowed to hold an opinion of any kind.

I've been over there a few times, and I really enjoyed myself. But i used to get very pissed off with the way some Americans talk to you in a condescending tone.

"Ahhhhh you have a strange accent there! Where are you from?"

"Errrrr... I'm from England mate, and I don't have a accent. You are the one with the accent."

It's not what they say, it's the way they say it. As though i'm the one speaking weird. I've had a lot of examples of this.

The accent thing is weird. I've sen that alot. Saying I like your accent is fine but saying you have a strange accent is just plain dumb. Everyone in the world has an accent.

That's definitely true in some cases.

Although, truthfully, I can't blame them totally.

When you live in America, you really DO feel like that's all that exists. All of our media from news to entertainment never really shows us anything outside our boarders.

I think that's one thing people from other countries really do have a leg up on us with; they actually get to see and share and learn of other cultures outside their own through their entertainment and news media.

Americans...really don't. You get one 5 minute piece on the middle east during the evening news, and that's it. It's really a shame.

I've been to America and your news is so weird. You might think that stuff on the daily show is just clever edits put together for comedy but it actully is that frighteningly weak.

When I'm in America I have no idea whats going on in the outside world, its like being in a little bubble so I don't blame some Americans for being ignorant. The News really doesn't say much about whats going on in the world
In the long term that constant looking internal is gonna hurt America (I think it has under Bush already but that might change now).

If you really want to be part of the world you have to look whats going on outside your borders. America needs some exposure to more foriegn culture as a whole.

I'm British. This thread might be best answered if more international members respond. The way I see it, and I have American family, is that the US has so much internal issues, and a history of poor global education, that they don't identify with other nations at all. It's "The American Way" and everything else is just alien.

The Irish look up the West and want to be like America because they refuse to look to their East as the UK and Ireland have bad history, but other than that most nations look down on America as the arrogant and "lets solve this issue with guns" country.

It hasn't been 'cool' for at least eight years, but perhaps Obama will change it. Poor guy, everyone's expecting miracles from him now.

People have already started saying Americas cool again now Obamas coming in. I think America has shown the rest of the world they didn't like what they where becoming under Bush Iraq, torture, ect and have said we to change. Americas image under bush played a big part in its unpopularness.

canada seems like the sensible older brother who has to take a rap for its lil brother's antics.

call a canadian american and they'll spit venom in your eyes

Poor Canada always getting the stick what america does. Its funny seeing Canadians get really scared when people think they are american. When Brendan Fraiser was promoting inkhart in the UK on ever show he kept going on about his canadian.

 

[November Rain]

How is it overhyped? If we didn't win that battle, the whole east coast of England would be a crater, including London. Plus the channel would be swamped with German landing ships. But anyway, the real fight was won in the Atlantic, British Navy FTMFW

That's how it's overhyped

if we didn't win, satan would have come from under the ground and swallowed the world whole and let his evil minions walk the earth plague us with eternal damnation...yadda yadda yadda....

it was the pivatol moment when all of existence was held in the balance

Riiiiiiiiiigggggggghhhhhhhhhhtttttt.............

 

[Karem-Knight]

Most of the time when someone from another country says "Americans don't know anything outside of the world", are generally the same type of people they claim Americans are.

 

[Darkfly]

I think Japan is the cool kid now

 

[November Rain]

Most of the time when someone from another country says "Americans don't know anything outside of the world", are generally the same type of people they claim Americans are.

It's funny you say this because a large proportion of the time, it's america who provides this perception of themselves to us.

When your media cuts down one of your own, especially your politicians and you describe yourselves in films and tv shows as rednecks/backwards/biblebashers/racists, then what really do you expect us to think?

take family guy for an existance, an american show which slags off americans and goes out worldwide. and everyone laughs. And whose media was the first to attack palin and george bush, it was your own. and everyone laughs still. And who makes shows about hillbillies and the backward southerners, not TalibanCentral2 but good old national shows.

so the reasons others from another country may think so is because this is what your media is showing/selling it to us primarily.