Hi there! You are currently browsing as a guest. Why not create an account? Then you get less ads, can thank creators, post feedback, keep a list of your favourites, and more!
Scholar
#76 Old 7th Aug 2012 at 7:20 AM
If something's a 49/51 split, almost half of the people in the country don't get what they want. Even if the margin is larger, there's almost nothing that every single American will agree on.

"You're born naked, and everything else is drag."
dA
Last.fm
tumblr
Advertisement
Scholar
#77 Old 7th Aug 2012 at 8:20 AM
I don't know if I ever saw a true democracy anywhere in this world. What would that be anyway? Whatever else we might say about it though, one thing seems certain: representative governement isn't democracy. Especially with lobbying involved. The entire enterprise gets skewed through the process of "representation" and not only on the level of the principle, since all that money is what actually gets things rolling.

No, no democracy around. There's certainly not one in my country, not in America either, not even in those mystified social democracies of the Scandinavian world. It's all play pretend, a show for the masses, panem et circenses, as always.

And you know what is the only thing that stops the current circus? If the bread runs out at one point. This is what has the potential to instill the change, possibly even destroy the so called democracy. And since only God knows what will happen instead of "democracy", I'm not really looking forward to it.
We're definitely living in interesting times... When the only thing left is hope, there's not much to hope for, right?

The best thing about a good thing is that it inspires a better thing. ♥ Receptacle Refugee ♥
Test Subject
#78 Old 22nd Mar 2014 at 3:07 PM
Quote: Originally posted by SimsLover50
It's an abbreviation.. Sadly, the people who named our country didn't think, how awkward it would be to call yourself a USA'an or USAian.

or worse: a united states of american. <edited>


I think the fault for the assumption of the USA being referred to America goes well beyond the U.S. Britain always referred to their American colonies, and the "American rebels" during the revolutionary war in the 18th century, etc. Point is, we grow up being called Americans. When travelled the world in my youth I always said I was from the U.S. or U.S.A. because it was simpler. Especially when I had to translate where I was from into French, Spanish or what-have-you.
Instructor
#79 Old 25th Mar 2014 at 7:31 AM
My mom and I were just having a conversation similar to this recently. Someone we know was complaining about how people should be ashamed to be American because of all the problems we have. My mom and I share the same view on this, which is that though we have problems, (and I mean who doesn't have problems), we're also pretty darn lucky compared to other parts of the world and even though there is evil, there is also good. We as people are working to fix our problems and eliminate prejudice of minorities, at least in some parts. I am proud to be an American. Being proud to be an American doesn't mean I am implying we have no problems, nor am I implying we are better than any other country in the world. I am simply proud because I believe there is more good at work than evil.

♫ She's got sunset on her breath, I inhaled just a little bit now I got no fear of death ♫
Theorist
#80 Old 10th Apr 2014 at 9:20 AM
It seems that you really have a problem with americans that are patriotic in a way that's rotten. That's already reduced it from all americans to some americans. Repeat until your true bane is found.
Instructor
#81 Old 11th Apr 2014 at 8:52 AM
The thing I am saying might sound a little OT given the way this thread is going to, but I want to share a little thought of mine about the States.

One of the biggest problems in the US (and the one most Americans seem to have a very strong opinion about) is illegal immigration.
Now, everyone who is American has to realize that those people who want to live (and I will get back on this term, "live", later) in the US don't just want to live off tax-payers money. Not everybody cares about money.
Take technology and science, for instance. In Europe LTE is still extremely rare to find and contracts are super expensive. Researchers have an hard time collecting funds and doing their job because opportunities are very limited here. Entertainment, whether it's CDs, DVDs, video games, movie tickets are much more expensive, let alone the fact that the price of EVERYTHING is directly converted in Euros for some fucked up reason (if a Macbook costs 999$ in the US, you'll find it in Europe at 999€, which is almost 1400$).
People want to live in America because they want to experience these things, and MOST are willing to do it legally, trust me.
I'm not saying that I would like to live the rest of my life there (since there are countless fucked up things in America that I don't like and won't mention ) but it would be awesome to have some kind of working experience there for, I don't know, 6 months or a year. But the country is like a safe, the only visas one can get easily are tourist. You can't be offered a job unless you are super-specialized and some big company intercedes for you with the government. And even in that case, the day your working contract expires, you're sent home immediately. It's kind of obvious that this "encourages" illegal immigration.
Take Australia, for instance. Foreigners can go there, and if they work their ass off doing hard jobs (like farms and factories) for, I think, 40 days, they get a working permit of a year, that can be easily re-issued. For girls it's even easier, since they just need to be au-pairs in a farm for the same amount of time. They pay their taxes and do jobs that locals aren't that willing to do, and they are rewarded with the chance to stay there and find the job they want.
I think this is a great idea, and I don't know why other countries don't do the same.
If I wanted to have a working experience, even just a few months, in the US and pay my taxes and everything, I simply can't. Becoming a citizen or a resident doesn't have anything to do with this: I understand that giving citizenship to someone who "just got there" is wrong, and I completely agree. I just don't see why someone who is willing to work hard, pay their taxes and also knows the language can't have a working experience there. It's just dumb to me.

Me, me, me against them, me against enemies, me against friends, somehow they all seem to become one, a sea full of sharks and they all smell blood.
Mad Poster
#82 Old 12th Apr 2014 at 3:24 AM
Quote: Originally posted by Gabrymato
The thing I am saying might sound a little OT given the way this thread is going to, but I want to share a little thought of mine about the States.

One of the biggest problems in the US (and the one most Americans seem to have a very strong opinion about) is illegal immigration.
Now, everyone who is American has to realize that those people who want to live (and I will get back on this term, "live", later) in the US don't just want to live off tax-payers money. Not everybody cares about money.
Take technology and science, for instance. In Europe LTE is still extremely rare to find and contracts are super expensive. Researchers have an hard time collecting funds and doing their job because opportunities are very limited here. Entertainment, whether it's CDs, DVDs, video games, movie tickets are much more expensive, let alone the fact that the price of EVERYTHING is directly converted in Euros for some fucked up reason (if a Macbook costs 999$ in the US, you'll find it in Europe at 999€, which is almost 1400$).
People want to live in America because they want to experience these things, and MOST are willing to do it legally, trust me.
I'm not saying that I would like to live the rest of my life there (since there are countless fucked up things in America that I don't like and won't mention ) but it would be awesome to have some kind of working experience there for, I don't know, 6 months or a year. But the country is like a safe, the only visas one can get easily are tourist. You can't be offered a job unless you are super-specialized and some big company intercedes for you with the government. And even in that case, the day your working contract expires, you're sent home immediately. It's kind of obvious that this "encourages" illegal immigration..

I don't think most people enter the US illegally because they want to buy electronics - often it's so they can send money back to their families in Mexico, etc. You could shop here with a tourist visa. Illegal immigrants often pay taxes without the benefits, such as they are, of citizenship or residence. Poverty encourages illegal immigration - otherwise most people would stay where they are or get a temporary visa. There are millions of impoverished people around the world and in Mexico in particular who want residency. Thus the quota of work visas that are available every year are quickly gone.
Also there are millions of citizens who are unemployed now and millions more who only have part-time work and/or minimum wage jobs.
Instructor
#83 Old 14th Apr 2014 at 12:36 PM
Quote: Originally posted by RoseCity
I don't think most people enter the US illegally because they want to buy electronics - often it's so they can send money back to their families in Mexico, etc. You could shop here with a tourist visa. Illegal immigrants often pay taxes without the benefits, such as they are, of citizenship or residence. Poverty encourages illegal immigration - otherwise most people would stay where they are or get a temporary visa. There are millions of impoverished people around the world and in Mexico in particular who want residency. Thus the quota of work visas that are available every year are quickly gone.
Also there are millions of citizens who are unemployed now and millions more who only have part-time work and/or minimum wage jobs.

Well, the electronics thing was just an example. Obviously people don't enter illegally to shop. And yes, in a certain way illegal immigrants do pay taxes, but in a very small amount: they only pay them for the items they buy and in some particular cases like when they rent or buy a house. But the percentage of their wage that would go in taxes if they weren't working off the book is quite consistent, and in my opinion that's what really counts. I admit that I don't know exactly how much that amount is in the US, but here in Italy I know that more than a third of my monthly wage goes in taxes.
And yes, there are millions of people who live in poverty and want to get in, but isn't it like this in a lot of places?
Here we regularly have every kind of floating object landing on the coasts of Southern Italy and thousands of illegal immigrants get in every day. Sometimes this ends up in tragedy, like last year when a boat sunk near the shore and hundreds of people died. I wonder how many of these sink in the open sea and nobody even acknowledges their existence.
I see your point, and I do agree that you can't let everyone in, but I don't think that such a closed approach to the foreign is right, whether it's in my country or yours. With a fair amount of requirements fulfilled, one should be allowed to work, especially if he's good at it, has experience and is willing not only to take from a country but also give something to it.

Me, me, me against them, me against enemies, me against friends, somehow they all seem to become one, a sea full of sharks and they all smell blood.
Forum Resident
#84 Old 15th Apr 2014 at 4:37 PM Last edited by parrot999 : 15th Apr 2014 at 7:21 PM.
In my opinion, instead of punishing those who enter the nation illegally, we should punish companies that hire illegal immigrants... If they can't find work, they won't come over...

Unfortunately, the politics of my nation have been twisted and warped for so long, that even suggesting that government should regulate businesses, so they don't cause trouble is treated like some kind of sin... If people in charge of businesses don't have any reason not to do the wrong thing, they'll often do the wrong thing... Ultimately, you cannot give people massive amounts of power without checks and balances... Our country was founded on the idea of preventing this kind of thing, which is why there is seperation of government, and the president isn't a king...

This is The United States biggest problem... Well, and our messed up education system which seems to teach people to fear learning more than anything else... Yeah, that makes sense...
Instructor
#85 Old 4th May 2014 at 1:20 AM
Quote: Originally posted by Robodl95
I think people from Europe or Asia are more prone to say "I'm European" or "I'm Asian" but it's not the same in the Americas. If you want to say I'm from ____ continent then they would say "I'm North American" or "I'm from South America". Just saying that you're from America would mean that you're from the US. A Canadian person wouldn't say they're from America.

I wasn't taught that America was the greatest nation ever either. There definitely is a lot of national pride and you're taught to be proud of our history and accomplishments, etc. but it was never so arrogant.


People in Europe more often refer to what country they are from, when the talk to other Europeans,but perhaps Europeans traveling in the States would call themselves European first and foremost when visiting another continent? Because I never met anyone saying "I´m European" in my whole life, -if there not talking about a very general mannerism or level of education, they would say "Im Swedish" or "I`m French" rather tham European. More snobbish Europeans would probably call themselves "continental" to describe that feeling of belonging all over the map

I think that Europeans in the most general sense actually both respect and admire the American people, and we do import everything you have to offer and make it ours (products,TV-shows,lifestyle etc), but that we sometimes find your ignorance/arrogance regarding history a bit annoying. I have no idea what you Americans told in school,but it seems part of your cultural indoctrination (and every country have that!) to put yourself first,not necessarily as individuals, but as nation and especially regarding foreign politics and war.

I have many nice American friends on facebook etc. who are just awesome and lovely people too, and who behave just like people do most. We are very alike.Threadstarters problem is that he/she takes the criticism too personally ,imho.

Remember , we are all just human beings, wherever we are.

"The only reason people get lost in thought is because it's unfamiliar territory. "
Instructor
#86 Old 26th May 2014 at 5:32 AM
Believe me when i say moving to another country won't solve your problems, it's as bad here in the UK if not worse, right now the job center is a JOKE! they are intentionally not giving people their housing benefits or job seekers, they are manipulating and tricking people off it (i've been one of the many people they have done this to), they treat you horribly there, the regimes of all the governments have gone completely bonkers. I haven't been on the job center for at least 2 years now and anyone crazy enough to be on it now has to sign on every single day even when there is no jobs out there, i myself have tried tirelessly to find an apprenticeship even but the interviews end up to be a complete joke. I know you have a job center in america but they stop your money after 6 months of being on it but i'm not surprised they now have the same "Goal List" as over here now, that "Goal List" is how many people have they have to trick and kick off the job center every month and each job center are competing against each other to see how many they can get for a big bonus pay :\. The governemtns all over the world have put out the same harsh and spiteful regimes as here or the US, some poorer countries even more spiteful regimes, here in the UK they have causes disabled and ill people to die because they ether commited sucide or died because they could no longer afford medical treatment from them ether stopping their housing benefits or cutting it in half, they did it to those in council houses but i can gurantee people in other households are suffering too, they are causing the death of other people too in other countries, have you seen the protests in some of them? they litterely shoot them dead.
Mad Poster
#87 Old 4th Jun 2014 at 6:41 PM Last edited by RoseCity : 4th Jun 2014 at 11:34 PM.
I never had faith in America because faith is pointless and also I grew up during Vietnam and it's not like it's been great going forward, but something that made me totally snap was the vitriol after Hurricane Sandy. The whole 'why should we have to pay for the aid and cleanup when they chose to live where a hurricane could hit them?' bullshit. And Congress dragging its feet on the aid. Now I wouldn't mind if the Northeast (where I live in case it wasn't apparent) seceded. Edit: In fact it's my fondest dream.
Mad Poster
#88 Old 4th Jun 2014 at 8:28 PM
From what I've seen, most countries have governments that either don't get things done when they should get done, are dysfunctional in other ways, or are corrupted in some way or another. It's just that there are only varying degrees of dysfunctionality and/or corruption going around. There's no such thing as a perfectly working government nowadays, and I'm almost sure there's never been such a thing.

Just be glad as long as your country isn't on the verge of war, as long as you can walk the streets without a constant fear of getting kidnapped, killed, raped, or getting mistreated in some way or another (I don't mean irrational fear as in it 'may' happen, but actual fear because you know it most likely will happen to you sooner or later), and as long as you can get emergency medical help if you need it, and don't have to live in complete poverty, or have to live on the streets or a city dump, or go hungry every single day, and even if you're lucky enough to have clean water, then you actually have a better life than most of the people on Earth.

If you can complain about minor things being not so perfect as you'd want them to be, and these things are really things you can live with (and probably have lived with for a while), then be glad - because it means you don't really have much to complain about.

I'm pretty sure that (most of) America is one of the better places to live, once you're faced with much worse options. You can find bashing of certain groups of people - be it gay people or people of a different religion, or people with a different skin tone, take your pick - in most countries. No one is perfect, not even those who think they are. Rude people exist in all countries, and in my view it's only getting worse because it seems kids aren't any longer brought up to be polite, and that doesn't help on the adult generation, either. Talking shit was frowned upon earlier, but now people use swear words in every sentence as if it's a completely normal thing to do.

I also don't think there's anything in the "all Americans are so-and-so", or "all Europeans are so-and so", or "all French are so-and-so". While you might see some stereotypes or variations of stereotypes in certain countries, that does not mean every single person is like the stereotype. People are individuals, after all.

Most countries have their horror stories. Anything from slavery to warfare to mistreatment of minorities. At least most of them have learned how not to repeat their mistakes. That's probably why there's still warfare in certain countries - they simply won't learn from their mistakes, and keep on doing the same mistakes over and over again.

(If I'm just rambling about something completely unrelated now, it's probably because my head was screwed on the wrong way when I woke up).
Instructor
#89 Old 6th Jun 2014 at 12:46 PM
Quote: Originally posted by RoseCity
I never had faith in America because faith is pointless and also I grew up during Vietnam and it's not like it's been great going forward, but something that made me totally snap was the vitriol after Hurricane Sandy. The whole 'why should we have to pay for the aid and cleanup when they chose to live where a hurricane could hit them?' bullshit. And Congress dragging its feet on the aid. Now I wouldn't mind if the Northeast (where I live in case it wasn't apparent) seceded. Edit: In fact it's my fondest dream.


I find it funny you say congress dragged their feet on the aid. They senselessly give thousands of dollars to other countries when they have a disaster or just a fininancial crisis but can't take care of their own soil? You know who is to blame for this and it ain't congress. It's that #&$!@ Hussein sitting in office. This dipwad is still recently giving money to freaking Haiti of all places. Yeah the shame of the carribeans, the worst island, that nobody likes, the island where a singer who had girls in bikinis shaking their butt and crap turned president. They beg for aid from France and USA and the govt steals the money for themselves!! They got millions after their earthquake ! They are still the poorest island! People have cholera and contaminated water, the people in the villages eat patties made from dirt and clay. Real shit. This is happening today. Haiti has been screwed up over 100 years and will always be screwed up. Instead of the USA paying their own debts, no lets give money to third world countries instead of helping our own people. It's like giving a homeless person twenty bucks hoping they will use it for a hot meal only to find them buying alcohol with it begging for cash next week!
Urrrrggghhh I had to vent.
I'll be glad when we get somebody else who can make smart and unselfish decisions for their country.
Cuz this guy is a heaping sack of crap. Shame on him.
Besides every place in the us is in risk of some type of natural disaster. Earthquakes on the west, tornadoes in the Midwest and south, hurricanes all along the coasts! Wtf do they expect? We shouldn't live anywhere ?

The govt is so corrupted... Smh

Peace, Harmony & Balance... Libra is Love..
Mad Poster
#90 Old 6th Jun 2014 at 5:36 PM
Quote: Originally posted by frenchyxo22
I find it funny you say congress dragged their feet on the aid. They senselessly give thousands of dollars to other countries when they have a disaster or just a fininancial crisis but can't take care of their own soil? You know who is to blame for this and it ain't congress. It's that #&$!@ Hussein sitting in office. This dipwad is still recently giving money to freaking Haiti of all places. Yeah the shame of the carribeans, the worst island, that nobody likes, the island where a singer who had girls in bikinis shaking their butt and crap turned president. They beg for aid from France and USA and the govt steals the money for themselves!! They got millions after their earthquake ! They are still the poorest island! People have cholera and contaminated water, the people in the villages eat patties made from dirt and clay. Real shit. This is happening today. Haiti has been screwed up over 100 years and will always be screwed up. Instead of the USA paying their own debts, no lets give money to third world countries instead of helping our own people. It's like giving a homeless person twenty bucks hoping they will use it for a hot meal only to find them buying alcohol with it begging for cash next week!
Urrrrggghhh I had to vent.
I'll be glad when we get somebody else who can make smart and unselfish decisions for their country.
Cuz this guy is a heaping sack of crap. Shame on him.
Besides every place in the us is in risk of some type of natural disaster. Earthquakes on the west, tornadoes in the Midwest and south, hurricanes all along the coasts! Wtf do they expect? We shouldn't live anywhere ?

The govt is so corrupted... Smh


I know if something is bad it must be Barack Obama's fault /sarcasm, but in the case of the Sandy aid, it was Congress and he has nothing to do with what they choose to do or not do. They were punishing the Northeast for being a hotbed of liberalism. If you read accounts of NYC post hurricane in parts of Brooklyn, Queens and Staten Island, the Red Cross was doing nothing and FEMA was doing nothing. Individuals created response teams on their own because nobody was helping.
As for Haiti, yes it's corrupt and aid money doesn't get to the people who need it, but, again, that's not Barack Obama's doing.
Theorist
#91 Old 7th Jun 2014 at 5:14 AM
B-b-ut didn't you hear? He said his name is Hussein. Surely, he must be history's greatest monster!
 
Page 4 of 4
Back to top