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Post by A Kat Person on Jan 20, 2007 11:04:32 GMT 2
I'll start with my reply to the other thread and continue from there... my reply to that thread was: Yeah, I have seen it myself, and it makes me very disappointed When I went to St. Petersburg Russia I was in for a shock, at how commercialized and American it is starting to appear... ugh the American culture is so shallow and plastic, and I've lived here most of my life so (unfortunately) I know this all too well, I can't stand it here, and it greatly saddens me to see so many other people of the world wanting (WHY?!?!) to become like America... But from a few things I've read here, I have to add something else... there is a difference between American politics and American culture. There is discussion of politics infused into this topic of cultural "Americanization" but really these are two different things. Many countries are becoming Americanized without being even remotely similar in terms of politics and foreign policy. Canada comes to mind. Some people seem to think that governments are to blame for this. But it is not so. The people in those "Americanized" countries are to blame. If people in your country did not go to McDonald's and buy cheeseburgers, then the franchises in your country would be out of business! The business goes where there is demand; Coca Cola McDonalds etc. do not force themselves on you, it is you who choose to give them your money and keep them there. I myself, despite being American, NEVER EVER eat that crap, and I shake my head in disbelief at how foreign individuals go for this American garbage. I see a crowded McDonald's in St. Petersburg and I can't understand why these people eat this when their own traditional Russian food is SO MUCH BETTER. And it is not only the big corporate food, drinks etc. like Coca Cola etc. I see people in foreign countries going for many other aspects of American culture of their own volition. Why is rap/hip-hop so big in so many countries?! It is an American creation and yet the youth culture all over the world has eaten it right up. Which is probably the major contributor to the gangster-hoodie-pimp-ho-blang culture all over the world which in turn has increased crime everywhere. How can the American government be to blame for this?! It is the youths of all these countries who fall in love with the gangsta rap culture themselves; none of it is shoved down their throats. Anyway, I hope you all get my point.... I cannot stand American culture and it frustrates me to no end to see traditional cultures all over the world get wiped away in favor of this garbage... But I don't think Americans can fix this, I think that individuals in all other countries have to stand up for their traditions and win over the youths who are being seduced by this crap...
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uklfc
Eagle
Finn metal lover
Posts: 197
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Post by uklfc on Jan 21, 2007 20:05:39 GMT 2
How can you win over people who have already been seduced by the cars, the power, and the girls that rap and hip hop purports to have within it? By the success stories of two supposedly normal rappers (50 Cent and Eminem), who have had a hard life. Any influencial teen who listens to this and thinks hmm, so all i gotta do is this and this, and i could get famous/rich/have anyone I want. That isnt the way it should be, everyone has their own path, influenced by things or not. People still flock like sheep to what they think is popular, and America, being such a big influence, culturally and politically, specifically and the UK, is a major factor in the life of anyone growing up.
Also, American politics. Anyone remember the referndum held about an EU constitution? Anyone remember the reasons why, meant to unify the EU under one flag. But isnt that was the constitution in America is meant to do, even now, ehen reporters cite the First Amendment, would it have the same power and effect.
The UK, on a war front. We were only dragged into Iraq by the Us, we were only dragged in cos Tony Blair is a politically useless buffoon whose biggest mistake was hanging on the words of a Southern warmonger who couldnt get his own way, George Bush. Even Tony Blair has admitted it was a mistake, so have some of the Cabinet members. If this isnt influence on a political and cultural level than what is?
And yes, for the record. I do dislike America. I hate the way it commercialises everything, from birth to death and beyond. I hate the way they subvert our own country through the Prime Minister, I hate the fact we went to war and weren't given a choice in the matter. Mainly cos they knew, we wouldnt go if the people of the country had a say so.
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Post by sleipetorva on Jan 24, 2007 21:01:34 GMT 2
I see people in foreign countries going for many other aspects of American culture of their own volition. Why is rap/hip-hop so big in so many countries?! It is an American creation and yet the youth culture all over the world has eaten it right up. Which is probably the major contributor to the gangster-hoodie-pimp-ho-blang culture all over the world which in turn has increased crime everywhere. How can the American government be to blame for this?! It is the youths of all these countries who fall in love with the gangsta rap culture themselves; none of it is shoved down their throats. I do not think that American rap/hip-hop culture and its absorption by youths of other countries is to blame for rising crime. I am more inclined to believe that rap/hip-hop culture contains themes of rebellion and rejection of authority which are appealing to the disenchanted youth (who are probably already out there committing petty crimes) of these other countries. In this I am referring to more "old school" rap rather than the "bling and bitches" pop-rap that is rampant on MTV. Also, can you really blame a person for being drawn to a culture which (in theory) promises excessive wealth to the individual? Especially young people in third-world countries, young people who see the suffering and poverty of their own country and culture and then compare it to what they see in American products. Can you blame those young people for thinking to themselves, "if I want to have a better life than my parents, then I want to have an American life, I MUST have an American life?" Yes, it is unreasonable for a person to think that buying American products will give them a better chance of having an "American" life, but it is a psychologically appealing and emotionally validating act to buy American in an attempt to BE American. (Of course, I do not mean to say that everyone in other countries wants to be American. Sometimes I question if I still want to be an American!) uklfc, while I do agree that American culture can at times be excessive in its commercialization of practically everything, I think it is unreasonable to hate all of America for it. Please remember that most Americans are oblivious to any other culture. In school we learn that there are other countries where the people speak different languages, but the American public school system does a very bad job of imparting the significance of these countries and their individual cultures on students. You cannot blame someone for being oblivious to what they do not know exists, especially when there is not even a message of "you will not learn it here, but you should go learn about it on your own" given to students. Hating all of America for the actions of its government is like hating all of Germany for the actions of the Third Reich. As A Kat Person earlier pointed out that there is a difference between American culture and American politics, I think it is important to differentiate between American commercialism & industry (which I think is to blame for the so-called "Americanization" we all so despise) and actual American culture, which consists of our art, our values, our way of life. Citing MTV as an example of American culture is laughable. MTV appeals only to pop culture, which is more about getting young people to buy into trends than about actual culture (art, music, etc). Yes, American culture has its bad points. As a people, we can be very ignorant, lazy, excessive, greedy and self-obsessed. But at the same time we can be intelligent, capable, hard-working, determined, and generous. In fact, I would be willing to bet that there are people who match those descriptions in EVERY country. So please don't pigeonhole us!
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Post by Lionheart on Jan 31, 2007 22:15:27 GMT 2
Well I think America ( mainly it's government) which is responsible for the pigeonholing american culture. They are trying to spread it ( with or without force) over the whole world. Look at Iraq, Afghanistan, and some less known examples: their backyard, known to the world as South America. Look at how they try to influence world politics.
For a LOT of people american culture equals American politics which i can imagine even though it is not right.
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Post by DiabolicalSaintSalem on Feb 22, 2007 3:05:47 GMT 2
"Is it too much that America is trying to foist itself on many other countries?" Is America actually forcing itself on other countries and in the process, diluting those countrie's own identities? Or is there simply blending of multiple cultures now going on on a global scale? Before waving an accusing finger at 'horrible' America, remember... the US was built around immigrants from many different countries. America isn't an abomination that just appeared out of nowhere some 200-odd years ago. It was a country born out of many different people's desire for what they considered a better way of life. I in no way intend to sound arrogant here, but I think America may have the most diverse society of any country. It's a 'melting pot', a big blend of so many different and unique cultures... It astounds me that anyone would say that "Americanization" destroys the rich history and culture of other countries. Not so at all. For example: I grew up in Wisconsin, which was originally settled by many German and Scandanavian immigrants. There wasn't a month that went by without some sort of celebration of old world traditions. For those who came over to America many years ago, this is a great way to keep their heritage strong, even though they're Americans now; of course native-born Americans are always welcome to join in the traditions and a lot of us do. Or to take a more recent example, my home state was also a popular place for Hmong immigrants from Laos. They are some of the proudest Americans I've ever met...and even though they integrate well into American society, they remain fiercely loyal to their customs and traditions, as well. I had the honor of attending a large Hmong New Year's celebration last year and honestly, it was one of the more enjoyable events I've ever attended. They were very happy to share their lifestyle with people who weren't familiar with their ways. Is the world at large really becoming so closed-minded that we can't accept traditions that are foreign to our own? Wise Men or Santa, Buddha, Jesus, Allah... seriously, why do so many people feel it has to be 'We're right, they're wrong?" Culture is something to be embraced, shared and enjoyed. It's what makes each of us who we are. If you're going to blame anyone for all the Wal-Marts and McDonalds popping up in other countries, blame your fellow consumers. If it weren't profitable, if a large number of people in your countries didn't want them there, they would eventually go out of business. Nope. They're more popular than ever...not to mention creating jobs in some places that desperately needed them. I passionately hate Wal-Mart for forcing so many US 'Mom n' Pop' stores to close, but it does two good things: 1.) creates jobs and 2.) allows people with low incomes to buy things they may not be able to afford otherwise.... Look, I don't like going to some countries and it looks like I'm still in my hometown, either. If I were overseas, I'd rather sample the local restaurants and stores than something I can buy any time in the States. But the sad truth is, people in your countries do want those products. Money talks, and foreign currency is just as good for a business as a dollar.... Moving on... "They do this under the motto of them being tyrannic and terrorists. A sad way to go I think." How, exactly, is a democracy 'tyrannic'? There are very few countries/goverments in which an average citizen like you or I can openly disagree with government policy, oppose the party/person in power, even go so far as to call him/her an 'idiot' or call for their overthrowing (see GW Bush).... in America, you can do that. In democracy, everyone has a voice and daring to speak up won't get you killed, tortured, or imprisoned. If enough people become disatisfied with the people in power, the power switches sides. I keep hearing people mocking the US attempting to assist Iraq in setting up a democracy...it's been a few years, and Iraq is unstable to say the least. Gee, democracy can't possibly work there, can it? Well, remember this...America took decades to get democracy right, but once it did, they country did some amazing things. One thing I will concede here though, is that the US needs two things: 1.) a legitimate third party, one that's moderate between conservative and liberal (which is actually what the majority of Americans are). Unfortunately, most independent parties presently are either very far left of very far right and their ideas won't capture a majority. 2.) money/campaign spending needs to be curbed; it's ridiculous that a well-educated average citizen with ideas and ideals others support can't run for a major office, simply because rich candidates have more to spend. "At this rate, with the current on going wars experts have calculated that at about 2025 the USA will be bankrupt, have higher debts than African countries. It will end." Yeah, suppose the USA does go bankrupt... think that won't deal some severe damage to the economies of all of the countries the US imports products from? When the US economy suffers, global economy suffers. I realize this is cliche, but remember 9/11, and the effect the loss of the Trade Centers had on so many other countries? Love it, hate it...you're entitled to your opinion. As for me, I've lived my whole life in this great nation. Raised half German, half Polish...I know my roots, but I also know that I'm an American and I'm damned proud of it. Oh, the US is far from perfect, every country is...but I'd take it over anywhere else in the world. Here, I know that, no matter how low my caste I was born into, I can overcome. If I work hard and apply myself, I can accomplish whatever goals I set out to achieve, based on the freedoms I enjoy here. How many other nations allow for a person to go from the proverbial 'rags to riches', by completely self-made means? Look at Whoopie Goldberg, look at Bill Gates, look at so many sports stars....they were 'nobodies', they started out poor, came from humble beginnings, started from nothing and built a great legacy....just like America. Yes, there are 'nightmares' in this country; there is some corruption in the leadership on all sides, as there always is in politics. Certainly don't think other governments are exempt from this, simply because they opposed invading Iraq. But the American Dream still lives on, not just here, but in other countries, where people desire a better life... look how many immigrants risk their lives, how many die from trying to cross the border into the US, legally or otherwise. Is that the mark of a 'bad' country? And finally, the hip-hop culture. Excuse me for a moment, while I shake my head in sorrow. This is America's great shame. Drugs, objectification of sex and the idea that wealth is all-important are sickening 'morals' and I weep for my fellow youth who have been sucked into such poisonous mentality. God, at least in the '80's, when the whole 'living in excess' notion started gaining popularity, the mainstream here didn't wear such ridiculous clothes...LOL
Okay. I'm done. For now.
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Post by DiabolicalSaintSalem on Feb 22, 2007 3:07:30 GMT 2
uklfc, while I do agree that American culture can at times be excessive in its commercialization of practically everything, I think it is unreasonable to hate all of America for it. Please remember that most Americans are oblivious to any other culture. In school we learn that there are other countries where the people speak different languages, but the American public school system does a very bad job of imparting the significance of these countries and their individual cultures on students. You cannot blame someone for being oblivious to what they do not know exists, especially when there is not even a message of "you will not learn it here, but you should go learn about it on your own" given to students. Hating all of America for the actions of its government is like hating all of Germany for the actions of the Third Reich. As A Kat Person earlier pointed out that there is a difference between American culture and American politics, I think it is important to differentiate between American commercialism & industry (which I think is to blame for the so-called "Americanization" we all so despise) and actual American culture, which consists of our art, our values, our way of life. Citing MTV as an example of American culture is laughable. MTV appeals only to pop culture, which is more about getting young people to buy into trends than about actual culture (art, music, etc). Yes, American culture has its bad points. As a people, we can be very ignorant, lazy, excessive, greedy and self-obsessed. But at the same time we can be intelligent, capable, hard-working, determined, and generous. In fact, I would be willing to bet that there are people who match those descriptions in EVERY country. So please don't pigeonhole us! Amen! Hail, sleipetorva! Quotes fixed -V.H
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Post by Lionheart on Feb 22, 2007 14:26:00 GMT 2
May I remind you that the ORIGINAL culture of America has been destroyed by all those "different people" and what is left of the original culture is, like wild animals, kept in all sorts of reservates. Not a nice start at all Is this why G.W Bush is forcing his christian heritage on the american people and on the rest of the world? Is that why americans are keeping all strangers in their own neighbourhoods? China Town for the chinese, Little Italy for the Italians etc etc. Democracy? I'm truly sorry but I can't call America a democracy really. As you mention there's only 2 parties to choose from. Second, the political views of those parties are clouded in religion and in whoever gives the most money. Take the whole weapon lobby. The only reason weapons are allowed in US is cause the national rifle association is funding both parties heavily. Political parties make their political statements to whoever gives most money. My 2 cents... Though still apart from my first point this has not much to do with american culture but more with politics. Which is the only thing I have against America, their politics. Nothing against the people. As I have never been to America or anything I can't judge that. But i do know enough about their political views to say that I think it's a very dangerous. Concerning the whole MacDonalds and stuff discussion. It's nonsense to blame the americans for this. They come here and can survive cause of us we still want our big macs etc. So it's nonsense to blame America for that. We as people CAN influence the economy, if we don't want macdonalds... we shouldn't go there... if we don't want hot dogs... we shouldn't buy them... if we don't want ugly petrol slurping cars... we shouldn't buy it.. easy as tha
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Polka
Wolfcub
Bad English Man
Posts: 25
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Post by Polka on Feb 26, 2007 1:16:36 GMT 2
Though still apart from my first point this has not much to do with american culture but more with politics. Which is the only thing I have against America, their politics. Nothing against the people. As I have never been to America or anything I can't judge that. But i do know enough about their political views to say that I think it's a very dangerous. It's so true! But note one thing: You're talking about NORTHERN AMERICAN, from the Mexico to Brasil (South America) the politic is other so diferent thing. I can say that in Brasil we are living a "Dictatorship Of Democracy", because the Lula president give money to the people, with some programs to low income people. They don't wanna work, because they receive money from the government. Then, the president conquest votes, making the people to be dependent of this program.
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Post by DiabolicalSaintSalem on Feb 26, 2007 20:06:25 GMT 2
May I remind you that the ORIGINAL culture of America has been destroyed by all those "different people" and what is left of the original culture is, like wild animals, kept in all sorts of reservates. Not a nice start at all As I previously stated, many people do still celebrate their 'old' ways (heritage) in the USA. Though you are right somewhat, it has become a bit diluted in mainstream society and celebrations/ways of other countries are somewhat different when celebrated in the US. But the notion that each individual culture has to keep to itself is simply false. I guess this sort of gets lost amidst the false image other countries get about the US, since it seems like the most well-known traits of the US are its 'flaws', not the good points. But every country has its good and bad points. No one is exempt from this. Old ways are still alive here; they didn't 'die', they just adapted. Is this why G.W Bush is forcing his christian heritage on the american people and on the rest of the world? Please don't hold Bush against most Americans, or even most Christians. Is that why americans are keeping all strangers in their own neighbourhoods? China Town for the chinese, Little Italy for the Italians etc etc. .... As I have never been to America or anything I can't judge that. Now, reread the previous quote. In a few places, there are 'segregated' races (China Town, etc.). However, it's important to remember that forced segregation no longer exists here; in some cases, people choose to live apart from other races by personal choice. Take Native Americans, for example. They don't have to live on their reservations and are free to live wherever they wish here. But some prefer to live on ancestral lands and exist as their ancestors did. That's their choice, and they're free to do it. Income does play a role sometimes, but this generally only holds true in the more populous areas, where income disparity is much more prevalent. In most places here, people of different nationalities/races/religions/sexual preferences intermingle and there is no problem with that. I guess it's one of those things where you'd need to live/visit here to see that it's true. Democracy? I'm truly sorry but I can't call America a democracy really. Well, to be technical, America is not a 'pure' democracy. It's not run 'by the people', nor did the founding fathers intend it to be so. The actual system in place here is a democratic republic. The citizens elect a representative whom they feel will best represent their interests in the national government. As you mention there's only 2 parties to choose from. Second, the political views of those parties are clouded in religion and in whoever gives the most money. Take the whole weapon lobby. While at the outset, only having 2-3 viable canditates to choose from may seem like it's giving people little to no choice, it's actually the best way to contest an election. For example, in most presidential elections, you have "Candidate A" and "Candidate B". Voters will develop a preference for one or the other, even if neither completely represents that voter's ideal president. Suppose Candidate A wins the election by 60% of the vote; the 40% in favor of Candidate B won't be happy. That may seem like a lot of unsatisfied voters. However... Now, suppose there were, for example, five Candidates- "A", "B", "C", "D" and "E". Candidate A receives 25% of the votes, B gets 20%, C gets 20%, D gets 20% and E gets 15%. Since Candidate A received the highest percentage of votes, he would win the election. The 25% supporting Candidate A will be happy; however, the combined 75% who didn't want Candidate A will be unsatisfied. The more choices available, the fewer people who will be satisfied with the outcome. See now how having too many choices that appeal to the masses is a bad thing? There is no such thing as a perfect candidate. In most cases, preferences for one or the other are separated by a very close margin. Additionally...the alleged 'unfairness' of the electoral college usually comes up in discussions against US government. Many would question how a candidate could win 'popular vote', but still lose an election. First off, this has only happened twice in the history of the country. Second, the electoral college was created to protect the interests of states with smaller populations. It's important to realize that each state/region of the US has its own unique concerns and needs. However, one must also take into account that some of the larger cities in the US have a population greated than the entire popular of some states here. If the presidential election were to be decided purely by popular vote, then California and 3-4 other states would in effect be the only ones that really 'matter' in an election, since they possess such a large chunk of the population compared to the rest of the country. Trust me, nobody here would want California running the US. You think it's bad now? Just look at the mess that state has made of itself. Now, picture that on a national scale! LOL Anyway, the reason we have an electoral college is so that everyone's vote matters, from the very rich to the very poor. It's not the American political system that's the problem at all. It's the politicians. I think power and prestige become intoxicating at such a high level in the government, which is why corruption, bribery, slander and other underhanded tactics have become so commonplace in high-profile elections. Again, this manner of human defect occurs in any type of government, not just a 'democracy'/representative republic. National US politics aside, the American system has shown itself to work beautifully on a 'smaller' scale (i.e., city or state level). My father has been a city mayor for nearly 8 years. He had to campaign/win an election; along with an elected 'city council' chosen by the public. While the mayor/council have final say on government matters, major issues are always discussed in a public forum, in which any citizen is free to attend and voice concerns directly to the governing officials and make sure their ideas are heard. This works phenomenally. The government system works smoothly, because people are able to talk and compromise like rational people. On the national level, however, there's often so much bickering and 'red tape' that it seems like nothing ever gets done. That is the fault of policitians not applying the system properly, not democracy itself. The idea that Bush Jr. is a 'tyrant' is also a fallacy. Their are two other branches of government to keep him in check. The US system also has provisions for impeachment, should it become necessary, and a President is limited to two terms in office, which negates any attempt at dictatorship. The only reason weapons are allowed in US is cause the national rifle association is funding both parties heavily. Actually, the US Bill of Rights grants citizens the right to bear arms: "A well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed. " And this Right was set forth by the founders with the intent that civilians be able to defend themselves, both from invasive parties and also potential US government corruption. The presence of civilian firearms has nothing to do with the NRA funding anyone.
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Post by Lionheart on Feb 28, 2007 10:23:34 GMT 2
You are right up to a certain level. It is indeed in the bill of rights and that was created long before the NRA was even founded. So far so good. BUT.... since then, no party has even dared to try to change it. Because of the heavy funding of the NRA to the parties. They'd lose millions of $$ if they even dared to try to change it. And that is why I'm against giving one men the power. Take some european countries. They have parliaments which consists of several political party who form one big coalition. An agreement is made between the parties where every party gets part of their believes etc in. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Constitutional_monarchy <--- explains better what I mean. ( don't take England as an example please... ) ( and all before it...) My poiint here is... people are sort of forced to live together. Even today there are still a lot of racism trials going on in the US. Look at US companies. how many non-caucasian people are in top functions earning millions? Hardly any. If groups of people are discriminated ( which they have been and maybe still are...) they chose to live together. Together we are strong etc etc.
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Post by teuton on Mar 4, 2007 16:39:35 GMT 2
Actually, I think that at the moment the US loses lots of their influence on global issues...
The Eurpean Union, for example, is constantly growing, just take the example of the Euro, which has become the most powerful currency in the world.
In future countries like China will play an important role while the US will be maybe stuck in their sometimes megalomaniac attitude...
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Post by Lionheart on Mar 4, 2007 22:54:51 GMT 2
Which means we'll be going to exactly what George Orwell described in his novel 1984 ;-) 3 superpowers dominating the world
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Post by DiabolicalSaintSalem on Mar 10, 2007 0:22:59 GMT 2
You are right up to a certain level. It is indeed in the bill of rights and that was created long before the NRA was even founded. So far so good. BUT.... since then, no party has even dared to try to change it. Because of the heavy funding of the NRA to the parties. They'd lose millions of $$ if they even dared to try to change it. Very, very rarely does the NRA back a Democrat candidate. John Kerry and a few others have been exceptions. But the Democratic party in general wants to disarm citizens; they don't want the average person to be able to own a gun. The NRA isn't going to fund a party/candidate that's out to eradicate gun ownership. And that is why I'm against giving one men the power. Take some european countries. They have parliaments which consists of several political party who form one big coalition. An agreement is made between the parties where every party gets part of their believes etc in. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Constitutional_monarchy <--- explains better what I mean. ( don't take England as an example please... ) Several parties forming one big coalition is essentially what the US does have (Democrat/Republican/Independent). While it is of course more difficult for an independent party member to attain a major seat in the House of Representatives or Senate, it does happen. The problem lies in that a lot of politicians (political party affiliation aside) have developed a "We're entirely right, they're entirely wrong" attitude; there appears to be less willingness to compromise when debating important matters, and that is a shame, because I think the best solutions to any problems come from compromise of differing viewpoints. Also, Bush is not 'one man wielding all the power' (even if he may talk like he is sometimes). American government has three branches: Judicial (Supreme Court), Executive (President) and Legislature (House of Reps and Senate); no one branch holds absolute power over the others. They keep one another in line and there are only a few things Bush can do without consent of the other branches, like declare war. However, there is one thing I do find bafflingly stupid about the American political system, and that is our voting process. There should be one standard type of ballot used in every state (along with a 'special' one for people who are blind and/or deaf). Instead, states are able to select their own ballot, which is why there was such a fiasco with the Bush Jr. vs. Gore election. Some states use handwritten ballots, some use computers, some have the voter punch out a little box on a ballot, others require the voter to pull a lever on a machine for the candidate they want...it's stupid. If every state used the same procedure, there would be a lot less room for dishonesty.
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Post by MaliceGarden on Mar 13, 2007 0:50:48 GMT 2
well, im going to comment on a kind of old reply made by DiabolicSS (no pun intended ). im sorry my line of thoughts is a bit diffuse! regarding that ppl living with their own community, that doesn't happen just in the US (in the Uk you find chinatown and so). its generally a choice made the same ppl to live with their own. a person in a foreign coutnry likes to speak their own language and their culture. of course, it doesn't help when the president (even if almost everyone in the world knows that the guy's brain was recycled from nuclear waste buried in Nevada or Arizona) comes out with sentences, such as "I believe God speaks through me. Without that, I couldn't do my job". i agree that "americanization" its like 50/50 fault of both parts. other nations consume "american culture", being their own fault for doing so. but i think that americans push it with their heavy marketing etc. i grew up with a lot of "american culture" due to all the movies and series i've watched. thats why, i think i'm very disappointed with the egocentrism of the US. well, an obvious example its the 25% of pollution of the world comes from 5% of the world population. i agree that the US its maybe the country in the world that resembles the most with that "land of dreams". but at what cost for the rest of the world? americans like to wage war. in or out of their country. in, because as in 1 of Michael Moore's (who is now victim of one movie-documentary too ) movies, more than 11000 ppl are murdered anually while in countries , such as the Uk or France (obsviously I don't need to mention my Portugal's numbers) not even reach 100. out, its obvious. northern korea, iran, etc..... and why the hell almost all the crazy news come from the States? like "woman sues company over dead cat stuck in the microwave". or all the kids that decide that its "cool" to enter a school and shoot down ppl. the "good" news is that this is becoming so common that soon will stop being cool. but americans are inventive, im sure that they'll come up with something to "bust some caps on some ppl". it might be jsut me, but it seems that having in the Constitution that everyone has the right to own a gun, tends to lead to violence a little too much. just a little. i don't even want to start on the amount of "religions" and "sects" you have there....."Brother, as we don't like the dress that saint has, lets found our own faith". im not an expert on your history, of course. but i have the impression that most of your influent politicians are from "redneck" states. maybe because they are a lot, but even so..... i agree that your politicians suck!i believe that beign ruled by some suck-ass politicians all over the years is an indication that your super political system is a bit "on the streets of bitterness" (portuguese expression). again, i might be skipping something, but how the hell did Bush Jr. entered harvard (or another member of the Ivy league)?! Daddy's magic fingers? its true wal-marts gives jobs. but for what i've read, they are usual called exploiters. ye, i like your country and would like to see the landscpae from Forrest Gump's movie. i also would thank you for all the information and shows you give, if your country didnt occupy half of the world with empty pretexts and didnt ruin the wild with your super "american dream". but i sure think that the average american feels that is entitled to have their presence noticed wherever and whenever they go. and also that they aren't very enlightned, as many voted on Bush Jr. and continues to buy that Cold War motto of "the enemy is there". i wonder when will the next McCarthy show up. i bet it would team up with Falwell to wage war on gay ppl and others for provoking wars. well, regardin hip-hop.. gimme a break! you don'tn think the 70s and 80s outfits to be 100000000 more homosexual and lame than hip-hop ones?! look at all those colours!!!!!it seemed every rocker was going to participate in some ice skating show or something. dont get me started on the makeup!
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Post by slavian on Mar 18, 2007 18:38:32 GMT 2
hahaha...that's one of the good things about serbia...we had been a communist country from 1945-1991 and in isolation 1991-2000 so we didn't have those 55 years of americawannabeing unlike western european countries
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