VERY simple question about the usa

[hecovalot]

I have lived outside of the US for 3 years, and the last time I went back for a visit it took me a while to convince some of my friends that burritos and jalapeño peppers are NOT in the typical Spanish diet! It also shocked them that Spain has three recognized official languages apart from Spanish!

That said, I don't think most Americans have a clue what another culture is. Yes, there are ethnic restaurants and Chinatowns in every major city around the country, but they don't reflect the TRUE culture of those countries; they are, instead, a homogenized form adopted in the US. The only way an American could know about different cultures would be to have interest and to travel around to experience the differences. Still, only about 18% of the population has a valid passport, and even less people have used it more than once.

On the other side of the coin, if you asked the average Spaniard- or, in my case, Catalan- how many states there are in the US, they couldn't answer the question accurately. Heck! They still think that the president is the head of the US government! (Oh! Wait! Even average Americans think that, dont they!)

 

[iamjack]

I have lived outside of the US for 3 years, and the last time I went back for a visit it took me a while to convince some of my friends that burritos and jalapeño peppers are NOT in the typical Spanish diet! It also shocked them that Spain has three recognized official languages apart from Spanish!

Wow, what a travesty of belligerence. Proof that American multiculture is a myth. Not having precise knowledge of a society with such undisputable worldly significance as Spain.

On the other side of the coin, if you asked the average Spaniard- or, in my case, Catalan- how many states there are in the US, they couldn't answer the question accurately.

Who cares?

Heck! They still think that the president is the head of the US government! (Oh! Wait! Even average Americans think that, dont they!)

Impotent.

 

[hecovalot]

In light of your snotty retort, iamjack, am I to belive that you don't KNOW jack? It looks as if you need to get out of your four walls for a while and find out what the rest of the world is like.

Then, again, you'd probably be like many American tourists in Spain seeking out Mexican sombreros to wear around town asking where the nearest taco stand is whist the rest of Europe laughs at your flagrant naivete.

Thanks, by the way, for answering the question! You are an example to be marveled.:applaud

 

[teacher]

does the average person(take that as you will) in America understand the simple concept that there are different cultures in the world, that mean people think differently and dont want the same things they do?

Just come out and say what you mean.

 

[iamjack]

In light of your snotty retort, iamjack, am I to belive that you don't KNOW jack?

Wow, speaking of retorts and razor wit.

It looks as if you need to get out of your four walls for a while and find out what the rest of the world is like.

Yeah, exept the greater point is that after I explore my enormous interest in Asian subculture, absorb a greater aspect of European ambiance, and satisfy my passing curiousity of Latin America, Spain would still be damn near the bottom of my list of destinations.

Of course you would never have though of that, would you? Because you would still be right there impotently demanding recognition of the the immenant significance of Spain like the rest of the cultural narciccists in that passive-aggressive country. Case in point:

Then, again, you'd probably be like many American tourists in Spain seeking out Mexican sombreros to wear around town asking where the nearest taco stand is whist the rest of Europe laughs at your flagrant naivete.

It would hurt if it were true. Instead, you show to every American reading how desparate and (ironically enough) xenophobic you really are, thus proving the general response made here to the VERY simple question: that the image of the stereo typing American is, in and of itself, a stereotype. One used to mask the shame and insecurity of self-absorbed people.

Of course you can continue to convince yourself that "Europe" actually cares what American tourists do, no less subscribe to that sad and ridiculous premise of yours, no less that they would, even if some actually acted that way, believe it would even justify your childish generalization. But then you'd find that any self-assured adult would be "laughing at" your flagrent naivete.

 

[Bergslagstroll]

Just another question you americans if I'm not correct have military precens in around 100 countries. But how much do you american know about those countries? Can you name 20 of them? And that do you know about those 20 countries? Do you know that they are democratic or not, maybee the people don't even want you there? Do you know anything about the history and culture in those 20 countries? Do you that your miltary does in those countries and that impact it has of the people?

 

[hecovalot]

Yeah, exept the greater point is that after I explore my enormous interest in Asian subculture, absorb a greater aspect of European ambiance, and satisfy my passing curiousity of Latin America, Spain would still be damn near the bottom of my list of destinations.

Of course you would never have though of that, would you? Because you would still be right there impotently demanding recognition of the the immenant significance of Spain like the rest of the cultural narciccists in that passive-aggressive country.

HAHAHAHahahahahah, you DON'T know jack, do you! Talk about narcissism! Where are you exploring your "enormous interest" in Asian subculture, Chinatown, USA or, perhaps, University? Get a life!

BTW, Spain, like any country in the world, deserves the same significant recognition as being its own identity even though you don't seem to think that it does. It has a STRONG sense of identity and a long history. The US, on the other hand, stands behind this fallacy called "multi-culturalism" without ANY sense of the word. In reality, it is one of the most socially, racially segregated societies in the world that wraps itself up in a flag and preaches "national pride" whilst living under a veil of fear. When you know what it's like to LIVE within a true culture that has a sense of what it is to BE that culture (not subculture), get back to me.

On a final note, being that I'm American, my depiction of the stupid American tourist in Spain is a sad daily reality that used to embarrass me. Now it makes me chuckle every time I see it. I haven't got any reason to make it up. You seem to want to unjustifiably discredit my foreign experience by calling my posts "impotent" or writing "who cares?". I am neither self-absorbed nor xenophobic, and your little shitty name calling shows that you can't face up to the fact that you are looking in the mirror trying to deflect your own stupidity and hate.

 

[iamjack]

HAHAHAHahahahahah, you DON'T know jack, do you! Talk about narcissism! Where are you exploring your "enormous interest" in Asian subculture, Chinatown, USA or, perhaps, University? Get a life!

Who said anything about Asian American subculture? I was trying to communicate that I have a preference to eastern culture but I guess that's not okay to you either. You chose to continue to indulge your preoccupation with "Chinatown" and attack American diversity in order to deflect attention from your own country's mediocrity, never mind use juvinile prose to mask your own misgivings about it. But if insulting Asian-Americans strikes as valid to you I'll leave it at that.

BTW, Spain, like any country in the world, deserves the same significant recognition as being its own identity even though you don't seem to think that it does. It has a STRONG sense of identity and a long history. The US, on the other hand, stands behind this fallacy called "multi-culturalism" without ANY sense of the word. In reality, it is one of the most socially, racially segregated societies in the world that wraps itself up in a flag and preaches "national pride" whilst living under a veil of fear. When you know what it's like to LIVE within a true culture that has a sense of what it is to BE that culture (not subculture), get back to me.

But of course, what was I thinking? Any enlightened person knows that choice has nowhere in the same realm of significance as "identity."


And the fact that you would toss accusations of the US preaching "national pride" while you live in Spain further tells me that not only you can't percieve beyond yourself but you have no sense of yourself. Even liberals would find that comment bizzare and laughable, you claiming they argue in favor of "national identity" in much the way you do.

On a final note, being that I'm American, my depiction of the stupid American tourist in Spain is a sad daily reality that used to embarrass me. Now it makes me chuckle every time I see it. I haven't got any reason to make it up. You seem to want to unjustifiably discredit my foreign experience by calling my posts "impotent" or writing "who cares?". I am neither self-absorbed nor xenophobic, and your little shitty name calling shows that you can't face up to the fact that you are looking in the mirror trying to deflect your own stupidity and hate.

As everyone can see I said "Who cares?" in response to the fact that most spainiards can't name all 50 states because, in point of fact, nobody cares. They don't have to know them all because nobody here has such a frustrated sense of inadicuacy that we demand they know the details of our country.

You're off-hand comment was pointless and yes, impotent.

And I degrade your "foriegn experience" because you use it to justify your stereotype, the act of a self-important chauvanist. You can live wherever you like, you pretend to be glib, and you can make crude accusations of stupidity and foul language, but everyone can see you sure have an angry disposition towards nonconformity, again exposing the hypocracy of the accusation that America is actually less universal then any other country.

 

[Kelzie]

[mod mode]

Kids, play nice or I will turn this car around.

[/mod mode]

 

[hecovalot]

[mod mode]

Kids, play nice or I will turn this car around.

[/mod mode]

Kelzie, I wish you WOULD turn this car around!

I am simply responding to someone who fully comes out and accuses me of writing "impotent" posts! It is obvious that iamjack has NO right to try and delineate my experience. My original post was the TRUTH without any kind of bias toward either "side" (if there even WAS one)! My expressed OPINION was the following:

The only way an American could know about different cultures would be to have interest and to travel around to experience the differences. Still, only about 18% of the population has a valid passport, and even less people have used it more than once.

I wrote that because I HAVE been around the world and have had the opportunity to experience MANY cultures. For someone to say something so banal as "impotent" to an observation IS offensive. ALSO, the use of words like "xenophobic", "narciCCistic" (misspelled, by the way) and "passive-agressive" because he doesn't agree with what I wrote without ANY personal experience is OFFENSIVE, as well! I didn't see ANY "MOD MODE" put on those comments! Hmmmmm...it makes me wonder...

It was my understanding that the "rules" of this site stated,"Our forum does not have an agenda or overall political bias other than the quest for knowledge"...and..."respect others". I DON'T consider someone trashing a post without any kind of substantive argument as being respectful, and I stand by my right to defend myself. Thanks!

 

[Gardener]

Not to get in the way of a good ******* contest, but I might make a few points here.

The United States has quite been a prosperous country for some times now, and although we have experienced quite a bit of economis stratification in recent years, that prosperity has still resulted in the extension of certain luxuries towards a great many citizens. One of these luxuries is travel, and Americans who travel abroad come from a variety of walks of life rather than just the best well off, and better educated. Like any other place, America has no shortage of ignorant people, and since so many of us travel, we send the ignorant right along with the knowlegible. If we were less affluent, fewer people would travel, and it would only be the advantaged (and in most cases better educated) who did travel.

From the psychological perspective, there is a natural tendency to resent the top dog. We are the top dog, and even if we were the best educated people in the entire world, we would still experience the sort of resentment that would form biases against us. That's just the way people are. As far as education is concerned, though, I might offer that we must have a few people with a wee bit of the stuff, because it doesn't really make much sense that such inordinantly ignorant people could become the world's superpower, now, does it?

If people have such a chip on their shoulder that they wish to see Americans as ignorant louts, there is probably little anybody here could do to disabuse them of such a notion. Heck, if you live in a world full of stereotypes, what's the big deal about us ignorant Americans when the place is already full of snotty French, inscrutible Chinese, lazy Spaniards, sexed-up Italians, cold herted Germans and diabolical Russians?

 

[Kelzie]

Kelzie, I wish you WOULD turn this car around!

I am simply responding to someone who fully comes out and accuses me of writing "impotent" posts! It is obvious that iamjack has NO right to try and delineate my experience. My original post was the TRUTH without any kind of bias toward either "side" (if there even WAS one)! My expressed OPINION was the following:



I wrote that because I HAVE been around the world and have had the opportunity to experience MANY cultures. For someone to say something so banal as "impotent" to an observation IS offensive. ALSO, the use of words like "xenophobic", "narciCCistic" (misspelled, by the way) and "passive-agressive" because he doesn't agree with what I wrote without ANY personal experience is OFFENSIVE, as well! I didn't see ANY "MOD MODE" put on those comments! Hmmmmm...it makes me wonder...

It was my understanding that the "rules" of this site stated,"Our forum does not have an agenda or overall political bias other than the quest for knowledge"...and..."respect others". I DON'T consider someone trashing a post without any kind of substantive argument as being respectful, and I stand by my right to defend myself. Thanks!

[mod mode]

Listen, there was fur flying on both sides:

you DON'T know jack, do you! Talk about narcissism!

Get a life!

you are looking in the mirror trying to deflect your own stupidity and hate.

I was being nice since you're both behaving innapropriately and didn't warn either of you. I don't really care about who started it. Be a bigger person. And I was addressing iamjack as well as you.

[/mod mode]

 

[Trajan Octavian Titus]

does the average person(take that as you will) in America understand the simple concept that there are different cultures in the world, that mean people think differently and dont want the same things they do?

ya but screw them what the fuc/k do they know anyways? God damn foriegners. And what's the deal with the French? I mean learn to speak American. :mrgreen: