Not Sure if I can Deal with the American Dream much longer
Jun 6th 2009, 6:20 am
#31
BE Forum Addict
Joined: Jan 2008
Location: Toasty in Texas
Posts: 4,240
Re: Not Sure if I can Deal with the American Dream much longer
Okay spoiler alert*** I am going to rant about the US please be aware this is the only place I can do this so US members cut me some slack...
Its been a crappy week working too hard, wondering when I will take another holiday etc, but the things that are really driving me crazy are...
the Lou Dobbs- foreigners should kiss our ass, take your gun to church, best country in the world stories, along with people telling me that we should cut the guys some slack cos this is the south and they are used to being in control and they are providers so shouldnt be questioned, but women dont need to work outside school times cos well family first and I dont understand and can pick up the slack cos I dont have kids - step children dont count apparently. And every thing I question is cos I dont understand cos it must be different in England.
I am dreading July 4th and next week the Army Ball where we will sing the Army song and celebrate the creation of the US Army as a result of defeating the pesky Brits.
Help seriously if I feel like this after nearly four years...
PS I have some very cool and smart US friends who dont talk crap like the above!
Its been a crappy week working too hard, wondering when I will take another holiday etc, but the things that are really driving me crazy are...
the Lou Dobbs- foreigners should kiss our ass, take your gun to church, best country in the world stories, along with people telling me that we should cut the guys some slack cos this is the south and they are used to being in control and they are providers so shouldnt be questioned, but women dont need to work outside school times cos well family first and I dont understand and can pick up the slack cos I dont have kids - step children dont count apparently. And every thing I question is cos I dont understand cos it must be different in England.
I am dreading July 4th and next week the Army Ball where we will sing the Army song and celebrate the creation of the US Army as a result of defeating the pesky Brits.
Help seriously if I feel like this after nearly four years...
PS I have some very cool and smart US friends who dont talk crap like the above!
I'm having a BBQ this afternoon with about 35 Brits in attendance (and no Yanks!)..you're more than welcome to come a long and vent with the rest of us!!
Jun 6th 2009, 6:25 am
#32
Ping-ponger
Joined: Jul 2002
Location: Dreich Alba
Posts: 12,024
Re: Not Sure if I can Deal with the American Dream much longer
I hear yah, Bradford Lass...
I come across them every now and again in New York State as well, so it's nothing special about the Floridians.
America has a long standing "We're No 1!!" thing going on and, in some cases, I've seen Americans argue the superiority of the US even on subjects about which they have no real comparable, worldly knowledge.
Usually, I ignore people who try that crap on me... People stopped trying the whole "We saved your ass in World War Two" and "we whooped your ass twice...Hurr Hurr!" thing when they realised it's a good way to ruin a party.
I think that, unless you want to get into argument, ignoring them is the best idea. You can't help some people, so no point trying.
-Simon
I come across them every now and again in New York State as well, so it's nothing special about the Floridians.
America has a long standing "We're No 1!!" thing going on and, in some cases, I've seen Americans argue the superiority of the US even on subjects about which they have no real comparable, worldly knowledge.
Usually, I ignore people who try that crap on me... People stopped trying the whole "We saved your ass in World War Two" and "we whooped your ass twice...Hurr Hurr!" thing when they realised it's a good way to ruin a party.
I think that, unless you want to get into argument, ignoring them is the best idea. You can't help some people, so no point trying.
-Simon
My best friend in the US has Irish heritage (yeah, the usual story) and after a while we just realised Ireland was a topic we should steer clear of. Despite his high level of intelligence and education, he just seemed to have a complete lack of objectivity and ignorance about any Irish issue. Similar "nationalism"/pride thing going on. He'd even start talking in a quasi American-Irish accent whenever the topic came up, it was amazing to watch the transformation.
Mind you, I did take him and his family to visit his old "hometown" (from umpteen generations back) of Tipperary and he was a little disconcerted about how much dogsh*t there was on the pavement ... I think his romatic ideas took a slight beating on that occasion!
Sorry OP, just realised I'm getting off-topic.
Last edited by dunroving; Jun 6th 2009 at 6:27 am. Reason: Usual - mis-typed the word "quasi" ... I really need typing lessons
Jun 6th 2009, 6:52 am
#33
BE Forum Addict
Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 3,259
Re: Not Sure if I can Deal with the American Dream much longer
Jun 6th 2009, 7:11 am
#34
BE Forum Addict
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 1,583
Re: Not Sure if I can Deal with the American Dream much longer
Well that's the fine line between Patriotism and Nationalism... Loving your country as opposed to the undying view that your country is superior to other countries. Britain needs more patriotism but, as you said, the US can keep the nationalism.
Having said that, nationalism may be a side-effect of a country being the undoubted number one country in the world for too long... When the British Empire was at it's peak, you can't tell me that the British didn't look down on other countries.
Having said that, nationalism may be a side-effect of a country being the undoubted number one country in the world for too long... When the British Empire was at it's peak, you can't tell me that the British didn't look down on other countries.
Jun 6th 2009, 7:14 am
#35
Joined: Apr 2005
Location: Milwaukie, Oregon
Posts: 9,977
Re: Not Sure if I can Deal with the American Dream much longer
Jun 6th 2009, 7:16 am
#36
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 7,605
Re: Not Sure if I can Deal with the American Dream much longer
Jun 6th 2009, 7:45 am
#41
Banned
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 234
Re: Not Sure if I can Deal with the American Dream much longer
Jun 6th 2009, 9:00 am
#42
Forum Regular
Joined: Apr 2006
Location: NW Georgia
Posts: 79
Re: Not Sure if I can Deal with the American Dream much longer
Remember you're in the South. Conservative attitudes die hard. Ironically, the very thing that sparked the Revolutionary War, Taxation without Representation, we are now trying to do to the rest of the world! A change of location would probably help a lot. Even though I chose to become an American, I despair when I look around me here at the average level of intelligence. As the old saying goes, the further South you go, the worse the education system is.
Jun 6th 2009, 9:54 am
#43
BE Site Lead
Joined: Aug 2004
Location: MA, USA
Posts: 92,176
Re: Not Sure if I can Deal with the American Dream much longer
Get drunk and learn to throw a spiral better than the locals, that pisses them off, plus it's a piece of piss
That and chuck cricket balls at them...hah...that's how real people catch balls rather than those mitts
Joking aside, how do you catch with a mitt without feeling like a plonker? Guess I'm just not used to it, but catching a baseball bare handed is so much easier than using a mitt...
That and chuck cricket balls at them...hah...that's how real people catch balls rather than those mitts
Joking aside, how do you catch with a mitt without feeling like a plonker? Guess I'm just not used to it, but catching a baseball bare handed is so much easier than using a mitt...
Jun 6th 2009, 10:41 am
#44
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 7,605
Re: Not Sure if I can Deal with the American Dream much longer
Somebody, I forget who right now, wrote a classic SF story about that idea. The upshot was that a sighted man in the land of the blind gets those squishy spherical tumours removed from his head, because they're clearly causing delusions.
Jun 6th 2009, 10:58 am
#45
Forum Regular
Joined: Apr 2006
Location: NW Georgia
Posts: 79
Re: Not Sure if I can Deal with the American Dream much longer
Wow... sounds like something Bradbury would write. If you ever remember who wrote it, shoot me the author's name and the title so I can give it a read.
