meatcleaver
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quote:
ORIGINAL: Pulpsmack
Well, for better or worse that is what happens when you don't live in a restrictive socialistic society (although we seem like we are descending the downward spiral into the stale/complacent European way of life). You see, the founding fathers had believed that all men were created equal (granted, all white males of property holding status, but their message still translates well). Ahem... All men are created equal... what they make of themselves is up to them. This is a stunning departure from the social controls in Europe that recognizes all mean may/may not be created equal, but we will stunt those who excel and prop those who don't with social controls. Thus, Western Europe may be a nice place for everybody to live, whereas America may be a nice, great, or piss poor place to live, depending on your potential. Personally, I would prefer the freedom to make something of myself over the security of being as bland and uniform as my neighbor, and his and his, and hers, and his...
The founding fathers were the mirror image of their conservative counterparts in Parliament in London and when the colonists were demanding their rights it was as free born Englishmen, not as free born Americans. Where do you think the ideas came from? Americans appear to have bought into the myth that these wealthy 18th century capitalists really did believe in what they spouted, though their personal lives showed they were just good old fashioned corrupt politicians who talked the talk but couldn't or more likely, had no intention of walking the walk. They never gave the average colonist any more rights than they had under the British and less rights than the average Englishman had at the time.
quote:
ORIGINAL: Pulpsmack
Perhaps... Of course, I noticed directors like Guy Ritchie don't hail from America. And while we Americans invented violence and inflicted it on the world in policy and entertainment, I can't help but notice how well our invention has caught on in Europe and other places. As thoroughly as I enjoy the BBC's "Young Ones" and "Bottom", our censors would never have allowed that kind of violence on primetime network television. Maybe if you were able to view that subject with a less-myopic lens, you would understand there are only two stories that sell: sex and violence, and your world celebrates it just as ours does... only not nearly as properly or as glamorously.
I have to admit scum rises to the surfaces and it certainly does with culture. I guess most people prefer to take the line of least resistance, it takes less effort.
quote:
ORIGINAL: Pulpsmack
Of course, that might be the issue at hand. While criticism over an American issue/topic is inevitable in a germane discussion, I find it quite interesting how "pre-occupied" certain Europeans are with America with every thread in which they post. I mean, I can think of quite a few things to criticize certain countries in the Middle East or Asia, for example. The fundamental difference is that I think about the nation in question, make my value judgment and dismiss the third world shithole for what it is (perhaps adjusting my ideas and attitude as information presents itself) and I leave it at that. What I don't do is look for a pretext to bash the nation in question in every thread possible, like a schoolboy who tries to conceal his schoolyard crush to all the other little boys by teasing her relentlessly. I have to wonder if all this undue attention is from personality (defect), or if it is from resentment and/or closet admiration by a foreign national who resides in a second-world footnote of history. Whatever the reason, this unhealthy preoccupation with our "terrible country" certainly says a great deal about the obsession that goes on in the meatcleaver living room. Perhaps you can use another night out in your wonderful country and celebrate those "freedoms" so you can have a clearer perspective on things.
I'm not interested in your country per se, I am interested in the politics because it does affect the rest of the world and I guess the gun issue a window into the psychology of the US, the belief that violence solves problems.
Oh. Feel free to criticize any country you like, I'm not a nationalist of any sort and don't live in my own country because I've always prefered to live somewhere else. Flags are for morons.
< Message edited by meatcleaver -- 4/25/2007 5:34:27 AM >
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