Jaythulhu said:
*Snort* Egotistical claptrap. Australia is a far superior country to america
I actually registered an account on the escapist to respond to this (I normally just lurk and read over the conversations that frequent the forums)
But jumping directly to my point: I've met about 20 Australians. Every last one of them says Australia is a superior country to America. You can say I'm ignorant for basing this on the words of a few; however, merely claiming to be superior than us is a case of 'the pot calling the kettle black'.
EDIT: And saying that I'm ignorant in this assumption is another case of the above. That's how the people of the U.S. are always treated (the voice of the ignorant always seem to come out over the rest of us)
And here's some reasons the U.S. is awesome:
1. Stereotypes are a joke here. The only time they're even mentioned is in jest. Seems like everywhere else bases their entire conception of us on the stereotype.
2. As stated above, we give out arse loads of money without asking for anything in return.
3. No matter how much we're mocked (for various things), we continue trying to prove those misconceptions wrong.
4. 'Jefferson's Revolution'. If you're not from here, you've likely never heard of this. It's the first occurrence in history that two completely different parties have shifted power without bloodshed. And it continues to this day.
5. Despite how 'nationalist' we are, if you check through all of the threads similar to this one, guess what you see? People like Zorro and I, calmly debating that we're not all ignorant bastards who inhale cheeseburgers and exhale propaganda. You only see the occasional ultra-nationalist around (just like the country itself!). And as I said in the original response, you see more people who aren't from the U.S. claiming to be from a superior country.
6. -See Zorro's excerpt from that Canadian writer (I didn't copy it even though I should have >.> )
7. We actually accept another country mocking us. The videos posted here alone would be enough to incite wars if the U.S. made them about other countries.
8. Despite us having a corrupt government (which all countries do), there's a new chance every few years for a fresh start. (And I am well aware that our electoral system needs to be seriously revised)
I'll stop there for the time being. But I've another counterpoint to make to a frequent response I've seen. One of American propaganda being the cause of nationalism here. Two words to that.
Pure.
Bollocks.
Even though we're assaulted with messages saying we're the best country in the world, we're smacked around by all the foreigners here and on the internet (along with general geopolitical opinion we hear of) that says quite the opposite. I would even venture to say there's more negative propaganda about the U.S. than positive.
Rightio then. I think I've made my thoughts clear enough. Hopefully this appeal to my fellow citizens of the world won't come off as ignorant, egotistical, or any other terms that are applied to the U.S. and it's people.