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bipolarber -> RE: ouch- USA people hated (1/31/2008 8:23:53 PM)
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I suppose that if the United States has defining characteristics, it's probably split among the following:
1) We came up with the idea of self rule. No kings, no Popes, no fudal lords or emperors. Just people deciding among themselves how to best hash out their difficulties for the common good. (It's a chaotic process at best, but it's amazing how we can change representation every 4 to 8 years with virtually no bloodshed.)
2) On an individual level, we can (and often do) walk away from all convention, and live our lives as we see fit. Virtually everyone on this board is living proof of that. I myself, walked away from my parents' Catholosicism, and over 100 years of my family living in the center of the country, simply because I wanted to see a little something of the planet before I cack.
No one can force us to believe in a particular way, live in a particular place, or work at a particular vocation, if we don't want to. (With the exception of military service in the time of war.)
3. We DO get arrogant at times. That much personal freedom in life, and of thought, tends to throw off arrogance the same way an atomic pile thows off free neutrons. It's not something we're particularly proud of, frankly, but we're working on it.
4. We're about as chaotic as a hornet's nest that's been hit with a stick. Everyone has their own idea of Utopia, and is busily trying to create their own version of Shangri-La somewhere. And are willing to beat someone over their head with stupid legislation, trying to force people down a certain path. So you have stupid, but well meaning, people doing embarassing things, like trying to force creationsim down people's throats, or tell women how to run their own procreation systems, or who get freaked out because they think that we're being overrun by folks from south of the boarder...
So those are some of the major attirbutes of being American, in my view. Now, as to how we view the rest of the world:
Canada: we tend to think of it as America's attic. We know it's up there, but we just don't think about it much.
England: Our best pal. We've had our differences, but so much of who we are came from the U.K., hating them would be like hating your 1st cousin. (the one who's good in history)
France: we have a love /hate relationship with the French. They have helped us many times in our history, and we've repaid them as often as we could. The recent hulabaloo betwixt our two countries basically added up to an international version of them saying, "Hey, America, you're not acting like yourself. You've gotten a bit drunk after that pipsqueak nation bloodied your nose. You might start a fight you'll regret. Here, you'd better let me have your car keys..." And America replied, "Fuck you! I can hold my liquor! I never liked hanging with you anyway, France!" And we promptly drove off intoxicated, and made a wrong turn onto the railroad tracks... (and if you've watched the news this week, we all know how THAT works out!)
Austrailia: Okay... we love Aussies. Gotta admit it. These folks remind us so much of ourselves in the early days, it ain't even funny. We're both nations made up of the people that no one else wanted. And we've both become something fantastic once we were away from the yokes of tradition.
The rest of the world: Well, for the most part, we look on it as a long and difficult reconstruction project. It's a paradox: we want people to keep their own identity, but we also want to make sure everyone has the food, water, sanitation, and freedom that they need to survive and flourish. It aint an easy task. And we fuck up... a lot.
The solar system: Well, so far, it's been pretty much us. But that's okay, we don't look on it as our territory (yet) It's all pretty much for everyone. Also, despite what a bunch of stuffy european astronomers think, Pluto's a friggin planet. It's round, it has three moons, it circles the sun, it has an atmosphere... it's a planet. And when Far Horizions arrives in 12 years, you're going to have a hard time convincing the world otherwise. (We defend it, because it was the only planet we had discovered at the time... now of course, we've added two more in system, and 250 + outside the system.) Chew on that! :P
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