Views on America

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Replies

  • dinovino_59
    dinovino_59 Posts: 1,700
    I live in America, and frankly I hate living here.

    I work my butt off monday through friday for pay that barely covers my bills and groceries.
    I go to college monday through thursday nights, for which I pay out of pocket for. (yes full time school and work leaves me tired all the time!)
    I don't have any health insurance, so I just try to keep myself as healthy as possible.
    I only get 1 week, yes 1 week of vacation a year - and it's not even paid vacation.
    The political system scares the *kitten* out of me.
    And the way people here view the gay community, and people of other cultures/skin color/etc is just horrific.

    The boyfriend and I are just trying to get through college, and then we're looking to gain citizenship elsewhere and get out of here!


    Unlike some countries in this world...you are free to leave anytime. Cuba might work for you...free healthcare as long as you mind standing in line for your groceries.
  • katielauren2001
    katielauren2001 Posts: 171 Member
    Ron paul for president......dont be an idiot and listen to the media......it is all controlled my the federal government, paul is our only hope, he will show us the destruction the government has been doing to us for years
    Some of his policies are not very good though? Yes I agree he is alot better than the rest of the candidates.
  • debrapeterson
    debrapeterson Posts: 84 Member
    America is my home. The older America where we were a proud people, honest, hard workers and didn't want handouts. I miss this America. It has been replaced with give me give me. I still believe that if you want to work and make your own choices you should be able to. I don't want a ruler or free health care. I think abortions are a private decision mine would be not to abort. I believe two people should be able to choose to live, love and work together which means if they choose to marry they should be able to. America didn't become one of the strongest contries in the world by being ruled. Our constitution is what makes us free. I don't want Obama as a King.My life has been hard lots of struggles but I don't blame America it's up to me what I make it. I will end by saying i love America and will always love America
  • macpatti
    macpatti Posts: 4,280 Member
    yes it is not the wild west.
    What? Texas is not the "wild west"???? Ha!
  • tig_ol_bitties
    tig_ol_bitties Posts: 561 Member
    I understand that the person who started the thread asked for the opinions but as I go through the thread reading I just have to laugh at how ignorant some of the responses are. I am not trying to be mean but really all you have to do is see the high rate of people trying to get citizenship here and the fact that there are quite a few people here illegally. As for politics all countries have their own problems no matter where you live. If people were to go back and brush up on their US history they would understand why and how this country was settled. As for complaining about our school systems when you have never attended an American school...... Lets just say I would not complain about your school system.

    Really? You are calling people ignorant for speaking poorly of our educational system? Have YOU ever attended school outside of America? Have you ever read a report on how POORLY our educational system is doing in regards to the rest of the world? Obviously not. I actually did attend school in the United States (in 9 different states) as well as in Argentina and in Spain. I can honestly say that the education I received outside of the USA was by far superior than any that I received in the USA. I even attended one of the top high schools in the country for about a year and a half (clearly, my family moved around a lot), and it didn't even come close in comparison to the studies I received outside of the US. Before you call someone ignorant for not attending a US school, you may want to step back and take a look at the bigger picture.

    Thank you for pointing this out before me.

    As an American mother who is raising two little English girls, I can confirm that they are receiving a much better education than I ever did.

    My eldest is nearly done with her second year of full time education. She's 5 1/2.... if we were living back home she wouldn't even be starting school until September. She reads incredibly well... I still can't get over it. I was older than her when I started kindergarten... I went for half a day and the majority of that time was spent playing or tracing out letters in a work book.

    You are very welcome! Best of luck with your girls! I have dual citizenship, and if the man and I ever produce crotch-spawns (lol), we will most definitely be seeking citizenship for him and our kids outside of the US for them to gain a REAL education!
  • Molly182
    Molly182 Posts: 406
    In one of my classes a girl said that before she came to America she thought all Americans were cowboys. She was not joking. I couldn't believe it lol
  • Onesnap
    Onesnap Posts: 2,819 Member
    I don't have any health insurance, so I just try to keep myself as healthy as possible.
    I only get 1 week, yes 1 week of vacation a year - and it's not even paid vacation.
    The political system scares the *kitten* out of me.
    And the way people here view the gay community, and people of other cultures/skin color/etc is just horrific.

    Move to my state. Massachusetts. We have Universal Health Care (the only state that does) and also gay marriage.
  • TinkrBelz
    TinkrBelz Posts: 866 Member
    We are not perfect all you have to do is look at the government assisstance programs and how easy it is to get this assisstance in many states and to live off of it. All you have to do is walk into any grocery store at the beginning of the month where I live and watch people fill their carts pay with a benefit card then walk outside and load their groceries in a new vehicle. Or buy steaks for their dogs because dog food is not covered (True story I was behind this in line one time) . It just shows how easy governments can be manipulated.

    Seen this too many times in line, I have my cart filled with generic food. The lady in front of me buys food with her money. Then does a separate purchase of name brand name juices and bread using her WIC card. Or, they buy their food with Food Stamps. Then a separate purchase by cigarettes with their own money. Or paying for their food with Food Stamp, meanwhile they and their kids have smart phones and I have a crap phone and I paying for all of my generic label food for my family of 8!!

    Let me play devil's advocate. I'm not talking about government assistance lifer's. How do you know the person you see paying their food with food stamps has not just recently lost their job and are struggling at the present time. They already owned a nice car, the kids already had smart phones etc... They need temporary assistance to get them through a tough time period. We already know how terrible many Americans are in saving money. :) . Are they suppose to sell everything they own immediately? Let's say they got a another nice paying job within a couple of months, they still have the car, the phones etc.... You may be surprised how many people use government assistance in a the way that it was intended, for short term temporary relief.

    I do not mind our government helping people out temporarily! In fact, as a wealthy and compassionate country, we should do this. And you are right, I do not know if this is a temporary situation.

    But, when my kids were in the public school, there were kids at my sons' school that receive and have always received free breakfast and lunch and they had cell phones when my kids did not and they wore expensive clothes. I remember one of my sons asking how come I packed their lunch when other kids got the nicer food for free. (The school had a basic lunch, but you could pay more money for the yummier food). I said because their parents do not make enough money, and the boys told me that they have money for nice clothes and phones.
  • Captain_Tightpants
    Captain_Tightpants Posts: 2,215 Member
    Americas biggest problem: "me me me, mine mine mine"

    When you really cut to the chase, this is the core culture and the basis behind most of the problems here.

    America is a land of individual responsibility, competition, and progress. Sadly the dark sides of those things are entitlement, lack of compassion, and a tendency towards believing our way is the one true way.
  • blink1021
    blink1021 Posts: 1,115 Member
    I understand that the person who started the thread asked for the opinions but as I go through the thread reading I just have to laugh at how ignorant some of the responses are. I am not trying to be mean but really all you have to do is see the high rate of people trying to get citizenship here and the fact that there are quite a few people here illegally. As for politics all countries have their own problems no matter where you live. If people were to go back and brush up on their US history they would understand why and how this country was settled. As for complaining about our school systems when you have never attended an American school...... Lets just say I would not complain about your school system.

    Really? You are calling people ignorant for speaking poorly of our educational system? Have YOU ever attended school outside of America? Have you ever read a report on how POORLY our educational system is doing in regards to the rest of the world? Obviously not. I actually did attend school in the United States (in 9 different states) as well as in Argentina and in Spain. I can honestly say that the education I received outside of the USA was by far superior than any that I received in the USA. I even attended one of the top high schools in the country for about a year and a half (clearly, my family moved around a lot), and it didn't even come close in comparison to the studies I received outside of the US. Before you call someone ignorant for not attending a US school, you may want to step back and take a look at the bigger picture.


    Good for you. Yes I attended school outside of the US. It is ignorant to discuss educational systems you know nothing about. I do not express my opinion unless I personally have experienced it. Most of these people are going on stereotypes and generalizations so before you attack people you should read what they write.

    And exactly which educational system is it that I know nothing about? Refresh my memory please.

    Your ridiculous trying to start an argument once again read the post did I call you ignorant? No if you want to blast the country you live in by all means go ahead but do not fault me for finding an issue with people who have no knowledge running off at the mouth because of something they heard or saw on t.v.
  • christine24t
    christine24t Posts: 6,063 Member
    After talking to a friend last night who said that a girl from China giving a speech to her class about China is not allowed to say certain things against her government, I was soooooo happy to live in America.
  • macpatti
    macpatti Posts: 4,280 Member
    Unlike some countries in this world...you are free to leave anytime. Cuba might work for you...free healthcare as long as you mind standing in line for your groceries.
    :flowerforyou: My son is studying in Rome this semester and went to Tunisia on a mission trip. He met some wonderful college students in Tunisia........who can never leave their own country. So, for those of you who loathe The United States of America, remember........you are FREE to leave!
  • Onesnap
    Onesnap Posts: 2,819 Member
    yes it is not the wild west.
    What? Texas is not the "wild west"???? Ha!

    Tell that to my friends in Montana. They have had not one but TWO dogs shot and killed by neighbors. No fines or penalties either. 4 broken-hearted children as a result.
  • netchik
    netchik Posts: 587 Member
    Tell me which other countries has a policy in fill-out application forms indicating their ethnicity or race.....

    Every country I've lived in. It's not because the government is racist, it's for social profiling and can be used for good instead of evil. FOR EXAMPLE: understanding that a particular ethnicity is more prone to / exempt from certain cancers or diseases leads to research which can potentially provide vaccines / cures etc. You have to learn to look at the glass half-full aspect of this!

    OK if that is the case then why the inaccurate label? For example the label Hispanic/Latino, as I said a while ago its not an ethnicity & many Latin Americans don't have direct Spanish lineage to qualify for that Hispanic label. A Mexican of mostly Indigenous descent & a white Argentine who is of German descent are ethnicities apart & yet there in the US, both of them are called Hispanics :noway: Yes we speak Spanish but it doesn't make us Spaniards anymore than a German who is fluent in Japanese language be called Japanese.

    And Asian race? C'mon its not a race nor ethnicity, it simply means anyone from the CONTINENT OF ASIA which happen to include Middle East & Central Asians & yet the US defines them as "White".

    When you look at the dna of people there are always references to their cultural backgrounds. The white argentine of German decent isn't hispanic! They are caucasian, or should be for the purposes of social profiling and medical research. I think that whoever is making up these forms you describe has done so in ignorance. I understand your confusion and anger - if you're going to do something, do it properly. I was born in Papua New Guinea, and an ignorant schoolteacher once told me I was lying because I wasn't black! Idiots are everywhere in the world... Regardless of where I live, and where I was born, on a form my ethnic profiling is Caucasian - Other. And even though I am a minority group, I'm not angry about being asked to state my ethnicity. It doesn't define me.
  • boomboom011
    boomboom011 Posts: 1,459
    yes it is not the wild west.
    What? Texas is not the "wild west"???? Ha!

    they have obviously never been to the panhandle! lol

    BTW not all Texans have horses and not all Texans have pick up trucks with gun racks in the back window. Some of us just have pick up trucks. Not all of us though. Just some.
  • Doreen_Murray
    Doreen_Murray Posts: 396 Member
    America is my home. The older America where we were a proud people, honest, hard workers and didn't want handouts. I miss this America. It has been replaced with give me give me. I still believe that if you want to work and make your own choices you should be able to. I don't want a ruler or free health care. I think abortions are a private decision mine would be not to abort. I believe two people should be able to choose to live, love and work together which means if they choose to marry they should be able to. America didn't become one of the strongest contries in the world by being ruled. Our constitution is what makes us free. I don't want Obama as a King.My life has been hard lots of struggles but I don't blame America it's up to me what I make it. I will end by saying i love America and will always love America

    Sing it sister! :flowerforyou:
  • bio_fit
    bio_fit Posts: 307 Member
    This is the only country I know people kill themselves to get over here whether its getting shipped here via cargo container, getting smuggled in a trunk across the border, or floating on a car door.

    Well, maybe you should read some more, because there are plenty of others!
  • Rhea30
    Rhea30 Posts: 625 Member
    I'm always hearing that other countries hate America. If they do, I'm not going to argue, because America does need to mind their own business sometimes. But, I live here, I love it, wouldn't live anywhere else.

    Here's a rare opportunity for me to listen to other people's (from other countries) views on America.
    So, what do you think?

    No wrong answers here, ready to listen!
    Americans can chime in too!!

    Judge the individual! Not the country!
    American here and I haven't had any of my friends who are non American or even people I meet who are non American have any ill feelings towards me because of that, at least that I'm aware of just as I wouldn't them either.
  • callmeBAM
    callmeBAM Posts: 445 Member
    I live in America, and frankly I hate living here.

    I work my butt off monday through friday for pay that barely covers my bills and groceries.
    I go to college monday through thursday nights, for which I pay out of pocket for. (yes full time school and work leaves me tired all the time!)
    I don't have any health insurance, so I just try to keep myself as healthy as possible.
    I only get 1 week, yes 1 week of vacation a year - and it's not even paid vacation.
    The political system scares the *kitten* out of me.
    And the way people here view the gay community, and people of other cultures/skin color/etc is just horrific.

    The boyfriend and I are just trying to get through college, and then we're looking to gain citizenship elsewhere and get out of here!

    I would love to help you leave. Good riddance!
  • tig_ol_bitties
    tig_ol_bitties Posts: 561 Member
    I understand that the person who started the thread asked for the opinions but as I go through the thread reading I just have to laugh at how ignorant some of the responses are. I am not trying to be mean but really all you have to do is see the high rate of people trying to get citizenship here and the fact that there are quite a few people here illegally. As for politics all countries have their own problems no matter where you live. If people were to go back and brush up on their US history they would understand why and how this country was settled. As for complaining about our school systems when you have never attended an American school...... Lets just say I would not complain about your school system.

    Really? You are calling people ignorant for speaking poorly of our educational system? Have YOU ever attended school outside of America? Have you ever read a report on how POORLY our educational system is doing in regards to the rest of the world? Obviously not. I actually did attend school in the United States (in 9 different states) as well as in Argentina and in Spain. I can honestly say that the education I received outside of the USA was by far superior than any that I received in the USA. I even attended one of the top high schools in the country for about a year and a half (clearly, my family moved around a lot), and it didn't even come close in comparison to the studies I received outside of the US. Before you call someone ignorant for not attending a US school, you may want to step back and take a look at the bigger picture.


    Good for you. Yes I attended school outside of the US. It is ignorant to discuss educational systems you know nothing about. I do not express my opinion unless I personally have experienced it. Most of these people are going on stereotypes and generalizations so before you attack people you should read what they write.

    And exactly which educational system is it that I know nothing about? Refresh my memory please.

    Your ridiculous trying to start an argument once again read the post did I call you ignorant? No if you want to blast the country you live in by all means go ahead but do not fault me for finding an issue with people who have no knowledge running off at the mouth because of something they heard or saw on t.v.

    I asked which educational system I know nothing about, because you said I was speaking of a system I knew nothing about (it's in the quotes, see for yourself). I was just asking you to enlighten me on which system I am speaking of without knowledge. I'm not ridiculous, I'm curious. And I rarely turn on a television, and when I do, you can rest assured believe it wouldn't be to watch US news stations!
  • Italian_Buju
    Italian_Buju Posts: 8,030 Member
    We are not perfect all you have to do is look at the government assisstance programs and how easy it is to get this assisstance in many states and to live off of it. All you have to do is walk into any grocery store at the beginning of the month where I live and watch people fill their carts pay with a benefit card then walk outside and load their groceries in a new vehicle. Or buy steaks for their dogs because dog food is not covered (True story I was behind this in line one time) . It just shows how easy governments can be manipulated.

    Seen this too many times in line, I have my cart filled with generic food. The lady in front of me buys food with her money. Then does a separate purchase of name brand name juices and bread using her WIC card. Or, they buy their food with Food Stamps. Then a separate purchase by cigarettes with their own money. Or paying for their food with Food Stamp, meanwhile they and their kids have smart phones and I have a crap phone and I paying for all of my generic label food for my family of 8!!

    It's really not that simple. Look at society, look at the media. Constantly being told what to buy, what to strive for, "if you don't have this item then you aren't cool". These pressures are still put on kids regardless if they are under class, working class, middle class or upper class.


    That last statement is VERY true....

    With that said, I am VERY sad that I have to leave now and go to work, this thread is moving so fast I can barely keep up and now I am gonna be hours behind when I get home......
  • MaraDiaz
    MaraDiaz Posts: 4,604 Member
    I live in America, and frankly I hate living here.

    I work my butt off monday through friday for pay that barely covers my bills and groceries.
    I go to college monday through thursday nights, for which I pay out of pocket for. (yes full time school and work leaves me tired all the time!)
    I don't have any health insurance, so I just try to keep myself as healthy as possible.
    I only get 1 week, yes 1 week of vacation a year - and it's not even paid vacation.
    The political system scares the *kitten* out of me.
    And the way people here view the gay community, and people of other cultures/skin color/etc is just horrific.

    The boyfriend and I are just trying to get through college, and then we're looking to gain citizenship elsewhere and get out of here!


    Unlike some countries in this world...you are free to leave anytime. Cuba might work for you...free healthcare as long as you mind standing in line for your groceries.

    Or they could move to one of the many countries in Europe where the standard of living is much higher than it is in the United States and where they will also be free to leave when and if they please.

    Americans need to get their head around the fact that, by all indicators, we do not live in the best country in the world. That doesn't mean it's not okay to like it here and to stay anyway, but telling people who want to leave that everywhere else is like a small, impoverished island nation suffering under decades of trade sanctions is a bit ridiculous, don't you think?
  • gmctech
    gmctech Posts: 104 Member
    I love the USA... I visit my sister in South Carolina from time to time and i drive down. Hate going through the border but after that it's all aces! Oh those "Waffle Houses" LoL I swear there's one every mile when i hot the golden triangle! :) One thing a applaud the USA for is your right to bear arms, and how you so fight to keep that important liberty. We in CAnada have become a wishy washy Europenaized state where the police and politicans are slowly trying to get every firearm out of our hands and have only the police and government having access to them. There, that's my rant LoL....

    There's not much difference between the USA and Canada for the most part though... but i love how it gets warmer the further south i drive in the great ole USA! :) Big shout out to all you Yanks from a friendly Canuck! :drinker:
  • Onesnap
    Onesnap Posts: 2,819 Member
    I have a lot of friends in America. I love them to bits. As individuals they're amazing women.

    But, err... (damn it, I hope I don't offend anyone right now) monitoring your political situation scares me so bad. Religion has no place in politics and I'm fortunate to live in a country which has separated Church and State.

    I just can't get over that you don't have Universal Healthcare.
    I can't get over the abortion bill in Virginia.
    I can't get over the fact that the bill to allow employers to pick and choose what healthcare to cover only marginally got kicked out (we're talking like 4 votes between them).
    I can't get over the fact that someone like Rick Sanitorium could run for president and spread his hateful views on gays, coloured people and women, and name it all as a religious virtue.
    And although I love Barack Obama, I can't get over the fact that your President acts more like a celebrity than he does as a ruler of a country.

    But your people. I love your people. For the most part. Everywhere has bad eggs. Just your politics I cannot abide.

    You are ignorant.

    Agreed. Also, there is a state with Universal Healthcare. And gay marriage. Proud to call myself a resident of Massachusetts.
  • blink1021
    blink1021 Posts: 1,115 Member
    We are not perfect all you have to do is look at the government assisstance programs and how easy it is to get this assisstance in many states and to live off of it. All you have to do is walk into any grocery store at the beginning of the month where I live and watch people fill their carts pay with a benefit card then walk outside and load their groceries in a new vehicle. Or buy steaks for their dogs because dog food is not covered (True story I was behind this in line one time) . It just shows how easy governments can be manipulated.

    Seen this too many times in line, I have my cart filled with generic food. The lady in front of me buys food with her money. Then does a separate purchase of name brand name juices and bread using her WIC card. Or, they buy their food with Food Stamps. Then a separate purchase by cigarettes with their own money. Or paying for their food with Food Stamp, meanwhile they and their kids have smart phones and I have a crap phone and I paying for all of my generic label food for my family of 8!!

    Let me play devil's advocate. I'm not talking about government assistance lifer's. How do you know the person you see paying their food with food stamps has not just recently lost their job and are struggling at the present time. They already owned a nice car, the kids already had smart phones etc... They need temporary assistance to get them through a tough time period. We already know how terrible many Americans are in saving money. :) . Are they suppose to sell everything they own immediately? Let's say they got a another nice paying job within a couple of months, they still have the car, the phones etc.... You may be surprised how many people use government assistance in a the way that it was intended, for short term temporary relief.

    I do not mind our government helping people out temporarily! In fact, as a wealthy and compassionate country, we should do this. And you are right, I do not know if this is a temporary situation.

    But, when my kids were in the public school, there were kids at my sons' school that receive and have always received free breakfast and lunch and they had cell phones when my kids did not and they wore expensive clothes. I remember one of my sons asking how come I packed their lunch when other kids got the nicer food for free. (The school had a basic lunch, but you could pay more money for the yummier food). I said because their parents do not make enough money, and the boys told me that they have money for nice clothes and phones.

    I know where I live it is easy to live off of government assisstance you see it everyday and sometimes for the truly needy it is not. At my son's baby sitters a father lost his job and they would not give him assisstance because they wanted him to sell his car. He needed the transpo because where we live there is no public transpo. Most people who are temporarily on assistance are embarrassed by it and should not be but they are and others display it and argue over the price of soda.
  • savage22hp
    savage22hp Posts: 278 Member
    Too bad the food produced here is very dependent on the fuel. walking to the store is great if there is food there when you arrive , in quantities adequate to feed all , and at a price that can be afforded . I know what you mean in decrying the amount of fossil fuel consumed but the un necessary trips in the family car isn't all thats at stake here . We have by and large regulated ourselves into being a service and consumption economy . Let's at least retain the ability to feed ourselves and export food overseas too .



    Yes,I agree it is too bad. The rail system is so underutilized, and the agriculture system is so messed up here that consuming most of the world fossil fuels is an unfortunate side effect. There should be more regulation, less BIG AG and more farmers markets and family farms. We would stand to do well too, with not polluting our water and foods with more regulations on the type of crap we spray with. Organic farms are sustainable and don't take massive amounts of pesticides or fuel to spray those pesticides.

    I agree, there's more effed up here than just low gas prices.








    it is amazing how few people realize what it takes to feed the nation and the world . How big for instance would the farmers market be to supply the needs of New York ? How many acres now fallow would have to be employed to grow organically enough grain to feed that same city ? As someone who works in Agriculture and once grew all that was necessary to feed two households for the entire year and give the small amount of surplus away I can tell you that to halt the agriculture that exists in the US because of the political b.s you hint at would result in the poor being eliminated by starvation . Regulation and blaming the rich are great slogans for an agenda that is not in any way shape or form sustainable . Following bumber stickered cars through the McDonalds drive thru with slogans of "green products only"and "stop animal husbandry" is funny until you wake up and find that while they didnt realy believe what they were saying enough to live it themselves they went and voted that way . I shop farmers markets myself and sometimes choose organic options but it is only the existance of agribusiness that makes those choices possible due to the abundance of food . Agribusiness has come about by the way because small operations cannot compete for the pennies on the dollar return of the regulated farming that has been legislated into existence in the US . Only by huge volume production can the costs be absorbed . Farmers market production has been exempted from much of the regulations that is a reality for most of agriculture but most of that is not the sole source of income for the seller . I can feed myu family with my land and my heirloom seeds but I can't feed yours too . Who has the bigger problem ?
  • Onesnap
    Onesnap Posts: 2,819 Member

    Americans need to get their head around the fact that, by all indicators, we do not live in the best country in the world. That doesn't mean it's not okay to like it here and to stay anyway, but telling people who want to leave that everywhere else is like a small, impoverished island nation suffering under decades of trade sanctions is a bit ridiculous, don't you think?

    Like Ancient Rome, every great Empire has to fall sometime. America is no longer the "ruler of the free world" or the "greatest country on Earth" Those days are long gone.
  • UUZennie
    UUZennie Posts: 26 Member
    I have a lot of friends in America. I love them to bits. As individuals they're amazing women.

    But, err... (damn it, I hope I don't offend anyone right now) monitoring your political situation scares me so bad. Religion has no place in politics and I'm fortunate to live in a country which has separated Church and State.

    I just can't get over that you don't have Universal Healthcare.
    I can't get over the abortion bill in Virginia.
    I can't get over the fact that the bill to allow employers to pick and choose what healthcare to cover only marginally got kicked out (we're talking like 4 votes between them).
    I can't get over the fact that someone like Rick Sanitorium could run for president and spread his hateful views on gays, coloured people and women, and name it all as a religious virtue.
    And although I love Barack Obama, I can't get over the fact that your President acts more like a celebrity than he does as a ruler of a country.

    But your people. I love your people. For the most part. Everywhere has bad eggs. Just your politics I cannot abide.


    Ummm most of us can't get over these things either. There are vocal minorities in our country. The problem is that most Americans, agree or disagree are more than happy to let these things be. It'snot worth their own personal effort to do anything about it or stand against it. There are those who are beginning to stand up (See Occupy Wall Street Movement) and those who have stood ideologically against religious extremism (See Unitarian Universalists and Liberal Christians which make up most Christians in the USA) and intolerance for decades.

    It's hard to see some of these things going on from the outside, I'm sure. There is dissent from these divisive policies, I assure you.
  • Mr_Cape219
    Mr_Cape219 Posts: 1,345 Member
    Since Americans can chime in too, I agree with what alot of the other awesome peeps have said.

    As an American, I feel that our govt. is just as messed up as everyone else sees it. I can go on and list everything that has already been said, but If you read this thread up until my post, then you already know what I am talking about.

    Moving on, I find anyone that isnt from America isntantly fascinating, no matter what the country. Thats not to say Americans bore me, fellow brothers and sisters of our states. Just that I have a few friends on MFP from England and they tend to just be so much more interesting. I think it might be their slang, which I think I have picked up most of it. Unless someone throws a curve-ball like "That is munch!" and I am like "wha--?"

    Wanna see the world some day, just kinda self-concious about traveling in European countrie, that stigma of being American will probably follow me. Thats why if I do, I will dress in the current trends of the cities I visit, to blend. I will also consider a speach coach to learn the lingo and assimilate flawlessly into society. No one will know the better!!!
  • LaMujerMasBonitaDelMundo
    LaMujerMasBonitaDelMundo Posts: 3,634 Member
    Tell me which other countries has a policy in fill-out application forms indicating their ethnicity or race. Only in the US. Not to mention that they love to give out stupid useless labels to minorities such as "Hispanic/Latino", "Asian". FYI Hispanic belongs to the Spaniards & not all Latin Americans have direct Spanish lineage. Asia is a CONTINENT & saying one is of "Asian race" is such stupid. The funny thing is that the term "Asian" doesn't include Middle East, Central Asia or sometimes even India as part of "Asian" category whereas they are technically part of Asia.

    Every country I've lived in. It's not because the government is racist, it's for social profiling and can be used for good instead of evil. FOR EXAMPLE: understanding that a particular ethnicity is more prone to / exempt from certain cancers or diseases leads to research which can potentially provide vaccines / cures etc. You have to learn to look at the glass half-full aspect of this!

    OK if that is the case then why the inaccurate label? For example the label Hispanic/Latino, as I said a while ago its not an ethnicity & many Latin Americans don't have direct Spanish lineage to qualify for that Hispanic label. A Mexican of mostly Indigenous descent & a white Argentine who is of German descent are ethnicities apart & yet there in the US, both of them are called Hispanics :noway: Yes we speak Spanish but it doesn't make us Spaniards anymore than a German who is fluent in Japanese language be called Japanese.

    And Asian race? C'mon its not a race nor ethnicity, it simply means anyone from the CONTINENT OF ASIA which happen to include Middle East & Central Asians & yet the US defines them as "White".


    Seriously? I refer to people who are either Chinese, Japanese, Korean or whatnot as Asian simply because I cannot tell the difference. I refer to people in the middle east as middle eastern - I do not call them white.

    In the US census, there are 5 races (White, Black, Asian, Some other race, 2 or more races) & they classify Middle Eastern & Central Asians under the "White" category. Honestly I also can't tell the difference between Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Vietnamese or sometimes even some Filipinos & Thais apart from each other. I mistook two Chinese for a Filipino & some Filipinos as Chinese or Japanese. However I can tell the difference between a German and an Arab or a British and an Iranian.