Read this and then never give that asshole any recognition ever again. [http://theoatmeal.com/comics/tesla]Yassen said:
10 Things Most Americans Don?t Know About America
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Interesting and I do know that our culture is incredibly cold and passionless. Though with the history points I would like to raise a few things. 1. Vietnam was basically a war between communism and capitalism and which should dictate the future of a country. Both America and China were important to this. 2. America was vital in the war against Hitler, we essentially held the Western Front which had entirely collapsed except Britain. Yes Russia with their incredibly cold winter and massive army of conscript soldiers was very important but so were we. 3. Yes various European diseases played a massive part in the demise of the Native Americans. We mostly just finished off already weakened tribes and the whole Trail of Tears thing didn't help. 4. Well duh, britain was a massive military power, they could have utterly crushed America, it was just that they didn't want to weaken their military by a long drawn out war with guerilla enemies. 5. Also duh we didn't invent modern democracy but we certainly played a part in it. We took british systems and strengthened them taking away all ideas of divine absolutist authority. Also I am glad to hear people don't hate us. Dealing with Europeans on the internet anti-American sentiment is always frustrating. Oh but we do have a very high GDP per capita though edged out by a few countries so I would disagree on quality of life thing.
Most Americans are Christian (unfortunately) and do it for the same reason as Muslims and Jews.DonTsetsi said:
Generalizations are not subjective. Some people make incorrect generalizations, but that just means they're wrong.ElPatron said:
Now if you want to complain that maybe the generalizations in the first post were based off of anecdotal evidence then that's cool, but all this nonsense about generalizations being worthless is basically just saying that opinions are invalid because they're opinions, which is stupid and wrong.
As a matter of fact, most scientific hypotheses could be described as generalizations. You come up with an idea about how the world works, and then you test it. I find this idea that groups of humans are somehow incapable of having statistically significant traits to be anti-intellectual.
ITT: People who are unqualified to make sweeping statements about 300 million people do so anyway.
Wow, that was a good read, I really learned a lot, it really makes me want to get out there and visit other countries more than ever. 
I knew these. I do both agree and disagree with the paranoia one. Yes we are paranoid, but also yes thieves do target us because they assume we are rich because we are American. Perhaps not in this guys experience, but I'm assuming he's some form of businessman who doesn't spend lots of time in the slums. I'm speaking from my international experiences in Eastern Europe and Haiti, mainly.
Other than that, I agree. It depresses me to raise my son here, but I don't have the emotional fortitude to pack up and move elsewhere (Oh, Ireland...).
Other than that, I agree. It depresses me to raise my son here, but I don't have the emotional fortitude to pack up and move elsewhere (Oh, Ireland...).
No, just no. This list is an embarrassing fail. I am going to say these things are either blatantly obvious to most ( meaning that they are in fact things that most Americans know) or they are simply not true. Let's count the ways. . .
1. Few People Are Impressed By Us
Duh. As with most people in the world, it is an indiviual who is impressive, not the country they come from.
2. Few People Hate Us
Again, Duh. Politician and buisness competitors might get pissed at each other, but the average person is more concerned with living their life than being pissed at the people of another country.
3. We Know Nothing About The Rest Of The World
This applies to most of the world, and isn't news to anyone. As with number 2, people are more concerned with their own lives than learning about another country or it's history. Since this is about America, I assume this generalization comes largly from the interlaced and exstensive history that Europian countries share, and is no doubt taught in schools in those countries. As oppossed to America and it's limited history and limited interaction ( by comparison) to countries in Europe. Which would explain the lack of detail about other countries when teaching history in American schools. Regardless, unless your country had specific incidents with another country, you probably didn't learn about, and definitely don't care.
4. We Are Poor At Expressing Gratitude And Affection
Ok I call bullshit. America is no more or less ( on average) emotional than any other country. Culture is everything in this question, and you cannot hold an idea of how "correct" or " proper" a level of gratitude or affection is by comparing to a select few countries. This is exacerbated by layers of culture within regions of a country. In America, go down any city street and wave and smile at people as you pass, you'll probably get a few returns, a large number of blank stares, and even a few crude gestures. Go down a country road and do the same, you might get invited to a nice dinner. I am guessing, but I would imagine a similar situation is true for all countries.
5. The Quality of Life For The Average American Is Not That Great
Again bullshit. This question seems to be attacking the issue from a "happiness" standpoint rather than actual quality of life. Quality of Life refers to the ability to get what you need to survive ( food, water, healthcare) and the comforts provided ( shelter, transportation, power) which for America (and most other modern countries) is actually quite nice. Now obviously this is not universally true for every citizen or every area of country, but the average is more than adequate on quality of life. Third world countries and a few poorly run dictatorships are the only countries in which the average citizen might have what could be considered a "poor" quality of life.
6. The Rest Of The World Is Not A Slum-Ridden Shithole Compared To Us
This one, I might have to agree with. I know better, most of my friends know better. But this one might just be true, as I am not convinced that the average American has full realization of this.
7. We're Paranoid
Every country with a media ( read: virtually every country) is going to run into sensationilism in the news and promotion of mass problems ( that's how the media stays in buisness) , and the reality is that there isn't that much to worry about. In short, not specific to America.
8. We're Status-Obsessed And Seek Attention
Culture, culture, culture. America is an indivdual specific country, China focus's more on community. I don't know why this is on the list, as most American's will freely admit to wanting to make their lives better or being more popular. Incidently, this view isn't exclusive to America, and as the world gets smaller ( in the symbolic sense) this view becomes more prevalent. Two hundred years ago, if you were good at something, you were probably considered "the best around", the internet today shows everyone that there is always someone better than you. Thus everyone in the world struggles to feel needed, wanted, or unique.
9. We Are Very Unhealthy
I am impressed by the blatant rip on American healthcare. Propaganda and a realistic view of American healthcare aside, this one is obviously true. . .but it's relationship is with culture more than healthcare. In an individual themed nation, the promotion is what is best for ME, what is most fun for ME, what is easiest for ME. Thus fast food, and sitting playing video games or watching television, and voting no to more local school tax increases cause the increase in obesity, which in turn causes that vast majority of America's primary health issues. Oh and if you don't understand the school tax thing, one of the first programs cut in schools when they have to tighten their budget, is physical education. Again, as the world changes, this problem will become global. . .although that may take a long time. . .see the movie Wall-e as an example of the end result ( minus the leaving the planet bit) Fortunately this problem is rapidly being recognized in America and other countries, and steps are being put in place to counter-act this.
10. We Mistake Comfort For Happiness
No, we don't. What we do is value comfort over happiness. This relates right back to the cultural aspects of living in a modern world. It's easier for ME to text than to call, easier to play online rather than have friends over, and easier to look it up online than actually visit. We are losing our connections/interactions/experiences because of convience more than anything else. We are losing our purpose and uniqueness, because the internet shows us we are insignificant and inferior. That causes depression in anyone.
I am not anti-technology, or anti-indivdual, or pro-socialism. I am simply recognizing our world, and hoping that someone smarter than myself can come up with solutions to each issue as it affects the world and myself. That said, the list posted is a gross misunderstanding of Americans and the world at best, and at worst a propaganda tool for the ideas that it's creator values.
1. Few People Are Impressed By Us
Duh. As with most people in the world, it is an indiviual who is impressive, not the country they come from.
2. Few People Hate Us
Again, Duh. Politician and buisness competitors might get pissed at each other, but the average person is more concerned with living their life than being pissed at the people of another country.
3. We Know Nothing About The Rest Of The World
This applies to most of the world, and isn't news to anyone. As with number 2, people are more concerned with their own lives than learning about another country or it's history. Since this is about America, I assume this generalization comes largly from the interlaced and exstensive history that Europian countries share, and is no doubt taught in schools in those countries. As oppossed to America and it's limited history and limited interaction ( by comparison) to countries in Europe. Which would explain the lack of detail about other countries when teaching history in American schools. Regardless, unless your country had specific incidents with another country, you probably didn't learn about, and definitely don't care.
4. We Are Poor At Expressing Gratitude And Affection
Ok I call bullshit. America is no more or less ( on average) emotional than any other country. Culture is everything in this question, and you cannot hold an idea of how "correct" or " proper" a level of gratitude or affection is by comparing to a select few countries. This is exacerbated by layers of culture within regions of a country. In America, go down any city street and wave and smile at people as you pass, you'll probably get a few returns, a large number of blank stares, and even a few crude gestures. Go down a country road and do the same, you might get invited to a nice dinner. I am guessing, but I would imagine a similar situation is true for all countries.
5. The Quality of Life For The Average American Is Not That Great
Again bullshit. This question seems to be attacking the issue from a "happiness" standpoint rather than actual quality of life. Quality of Life refers to the ability to get what you need to survive ( food, water, healthcare) and the comforts provided ( shelter, transportation, power) which for America (and most other modern countries) is actually quite nice. Now obviously this is not universally true for every citizen or every area of country, but the average is more than adequate on quality of life. Third world countries and a few poorly run dictatorships are the only countries in which the average citizen might have what could be considered a "poor" quality of life.
6. The Rest Of The World Is Not A Slum-Ridden Shithole Compared To Us
This one, I might have to agree with. I know better, most of my friends know better. But this one might just be true, as I am not convinced that the average American has full realization of this.
7. We're Paranoid
Every country with a media ( read: virtually every country) is going to run into sensationilism in the news and promotion of mass problems ( that's how the media stays in buisness) , and the reality is that there isn't that much to worry about. In short, not specific to America.
8. We're Status-Obsessed And Seek Attention
Culture, culture, culture. America is an indivdual specific country, China focus's more on community. I don't know why this is on the list, as most American's will freely admit to wanting to make their lives better or being more popular. Incidently, this view isn't exclusive to America, and as the world gets smaller ( in the symbolic sense) this view becomes more prevalent. Two hundred years ago, if you were good at something, you were probably considered "the best around", the internet today shows everyone that there is always someone better than you. Thus everyone in the world struggles to feel needed, wanted, or unique.
9. We Are Very Unhealthy
I am impressed by the blatant rip on American healthcare. Propaganda and a realistic view of American healthcare aside, this one is obviously true. . .but it's relationship is with culture more than healthcare. In an individual themed nation, the promotion is what is best for ME, what is most fun for ME, what is easiest for ME. Thus fast food, and sitting playing video games or watching television, and voting no to more local school tax increases cause the increase in obesity, which in turn causes that vast majority of America's primary health issues. Oh and if you don't understand the school tax thing, one of the first programs cut in schools when they have to tighten their budget, is physical education. Again, as the world changes, this problem will become global. . .although that may take a long time. . .see the movie Wall-e as an example of the end result ( minus the leaving the planet bit) Fortunately this problem is rapidly being recognized in America and other countries, and steps are being put in place to counter-act this.
10. We Mistake Comfort For Happiness
No, we don't. What we do is value comfort over happiness. This relates right back to the cultural aspects of living in a modern world. It's easier for ME to text than to call, easier to play online rather than have friends over, and easier to look it up online than actually visit. We are losing our connections/interactions/experiences because of convience more than anything else. We are losing our purpose and uniqueness, because the internet shows us we are insignificant and inferior. That causes depression in anyone.
I am not anti-technology, or anti-indivdual, or pro-socialism. I am simply recognizing our world, and hoping that someone smarter than myself can come up with solutions to each issue as it affects the world and myself. That said, the list posted is a gross misunderstanding of Americans and the world at best, and at worst a propaganda tool for the ideas that it's creator values.
Actually, there is a growing number of people who are proud to be hated "by the rest of the world". It means "we" are jealous and somehow proves that their country is better.Semitendon said:
Half of that thing doesn't even interest me and I never made the connection between the generalizations and the anecdotal evidence. They are just there. And there's not much else.ZephrC said:
Don't ever think for even a second any allied country came close to "being as" important to the outcome of the war as russia. Russians without allies pushing from west would have won, it would just have taken much more time. Allies without russians? Forget about it.Lonewolfm16 said:
You have been deceived big time on this one i'm afraid :/
From wiki on the page of history of nuclear weapons: "At the time of the unconditional surrender of Germany on May 8, 1945, the Manhattan Project was still months away from producing a working weapon."Mortai Gravesend said:
So nay, would have been too late even if nuking berlin before russians got there certainly would have been an original way to say "first".
Unless you mean what if allies went to war against a germany that wasn't focused on russia?
Well frankly that is...difficult to answer. By the time nukes would be invented, uk would be a goner for sure so would usa even still be in war and not just asking for a form of white peace with nazis now that it had no more reason to fight besides vengeance on the japs?
You've got a slight typo there, it should read 'Gist of Article: "A mix of the painfully obvious and the kitchen sink crazy."'Zachary Amaranth said:
A lot of it is pretty obvious stuff that can get lost in the recent jingoism, but a fair amount is just batshit nuts.
You're confusing the gist with the specifics.Starke said:
The specifics are a combination of the painfully obvious and batshit nuts. The gist is "America, you're not all that and a bag of chips. The rest of the world does not obsess over you (for better or worse) like you think it does."
While I actually agree with your stance on the article, I have to ask. Are you a robot? You're telling me that if someone walked up to you in the street and called you a piece of shit to your face (and I don't think you are one btw), you wouldn't feel even a little offended even though their statement has no merit?Agayek said: