USofA - why there is (still) hope, IMHO

Ugh! Even after North America and Europe are one confederation, this rivalry will continue won't it?

No offense FireTom, I respect humility above all else, but your other innuendos often speak volumes. Some things you can still hear when they are not spoken and see when they are not on display. More often then not they are objectification in my personal view. That being said, I think the conflict is one of contradiction for me when reading one thing you've authored that sets a decisively general tone, then another such as the one above.

"what still gives me hope are not nations and their politricks... but individuals..."

IMHO, this individual, Brandon Neely, is simply part of a great social upheaval occurring in The US. I do, however, understand and agree with the train of thought you've set out with, in this instance. Some of your others, not so much.

Do you know what I love about Australia? Aside from, they should learn how to say fish and chips properly and fix their one dollar and two dollar coins so they make sense.

It's just like The US, and there are individuals that still give me hope....

hell no!!

and there will always be rivelry. Even with the euro union, the countries that make it up still fly their own flag; represent their own country in the olympic games. America will always drive on the wrong side of the road.

Good point on rivalry WLA. I think "hell no" was a good point too, but I don't think you had on stubbies when you wrote it.

As for driving on the wrong side, you'll hear little argument from me. I am far more concerned that their light switches are upside down.

ha, Im too much of a hippy to be an okka.

You know what, I take back what I said earlier. There is no longer any hope for America...

that was pretty funny.

Love the 'Freak out video', but totally fake. Was he trying to shove that remote up his ass?

FT get some footage of the German idiots that called in a strike on civilians and give up beating the American horse. Seriously, your bias is becoming tedious!

Hey did anybody hear a plane flying from Poland to Russia crashed and almost a hundred people died including the Polish president and the top members of their government while going to create peace and solidarity for past war crimes. But oh wait, the United States can't be blamed so I guess this really wasn't news worthy.

R. Crew, it really looks like it. It makes no sense, but strangely it makes more sense than say stabbing a remote into the small of his back. All I've got to say is good luck for that kid finding a girlfriend. Having millions of hits is one thing, but completely different for being known as that guy kind of drains the glamour. You'd think he'd learn to not have such tantrums!

it was totally news worthy and was pages long all through british newspapers. just not in the USA, which seems to have enough news of its own about itself

on topic... after reading a book about the camorra in italy and a reflection on Australia in the 1970s, i really dont think that the US is in any worse a situation than anywhere else in the world, just that its economic power has made everyone look at it more. i´d like to elaborate but time constraints are in place

It was pages long in the States too. Bren was just being sarcastic, noting that the Polish tragedy wasn't even mentioned in HoP, and other things seem far more note worthy to some individuals.

Majestik, I believe that you've made the one point would all agree on. The tears of the world....

but in addition: RC - thanks for pointing out that I come across as passive aggressive (or biased)... there actually is as much "wrong" anywhere else on the planet - I notice that - and only because I have started quite a number of threads "targeting" the US it appears as if I'm turning a blind eye on this fact.

Actually I tried to balance it with here, but seem to again fail miserably...

the republican in me wants to talk, but the rationalist in me tells him to keep in check

honestly right now we're being a little wacky, and I'm not happy with our current administration but its still my home, so I will defend it to the end, even if I'm simultaneously punching it myself

'Mein Kampf', was a good title as well.

Are the eyes soooooo blue here too?

My mother is American, so I may be injecting some emotion and bias of my own. I didn't grow up here but it's a terribly beautiful part of me that goes back 10,000 years.

I will agree that the US is a tempest and self-glorifying, but they are equally cynical of themselves. Have you not seen the Simpsons?(just one example of many) If I am not mistaken it doesn't get any more Americana.

I have found no evidence that you aren't ready to condemn the US. I'd like to understand the nature of your obsession. It has appeared as malevolence for lack of engagement or believing what you WANT to believe regardless of the facts.

Is it not 'self glorification' to point out the flaws of one society when all are as equally flawed. Is this meant to make one's society feel better about their own misdeeds?

I've had time to understand the American mind. They aren't as stupid as they act. I am chilled to the bone at how clever they are capable of being. They think in a context I wish I could, and when they choose to express it, I find I am moved into the most humbled part of my being.

The fact that you used the words 'passive aggressive' shows that you have given it consideration. I just believe balance is not achieved here.

I would suggest actually engaging someone. Learn to understand them. Why, is one hell of a way to encourage someone to look at the possibilities. I say encourage them to be less complacent about what's happening in the world. Ridicule only makes people angry and strengthens their resolve.

The Americans on HoP, for the most part, aren't your stereotypical, overly arrogant Americans. They are undeserving of this type of ridicule. They get it and would change America for the better, faster, if they could.

I wouldn't say that you have failed. I would say that you have done exactly what you set out to do.(Isn't English beautiful?)

RC, don't worry about him or his opinions, he has every right to have them and you have every right to determine their value! One reason why I personally departed for awhile (which I will do again at will in terms of the social forums on here) is because I refuse to attempt to rationalize with irrationality period nor am I willing to do be a part of any discussion that has no checks and balances, let alone a worthwhile purpose. The majority of SD is a bunch of liberal wonderland, hypothetical griping with a lack of realism so Americans you will get this post and you guys convinced me to come back so here it goes.

RC, I'm only hoping in to tell you and every other American on here why they are awesome. Yeah we're all pretty disgusted with our country, but when aren't we? If we weren't disgusted we'd be a bunch a bunch of lazy bums and a bunch of push overs, we're not because we're American so while these guys make it look like their lives are just wonderful with all their volunteering and happy, easy going lives they have to make threads like this because they can't even make a change in their own lives and build their own way because they were brought up in a system that equalizes everyone and provides for those who some don't deserve while charging everyone for it. I don't want that existence, it would make me depressed if I were oppressed by it and I'd write a bunch of schmack about a country that I wish I had their rights, freedom, and ability to determine my own destiny and status because they don't have the right to control these systems oppressing them in their own governments. I honestly feel that if FireTom were an American he would have a thick skin like us and he would have a plethora of the positive character traits that come along with making your way through through our proving ground, it's all good that he likes doing things his way because it is his life and he is the determiner of what works for him.

We're lucky that we have the Bill Of Rights, Civil Rights, and that "every man for themselves" way of life that keeps us striving to do well and survive. A lot of the people on here don't have the survival instincts that we do and if they don't need them that's fine, but us Americans who must have this will rise to challenges as needed and have the reflexes to raise the odds in our success. Being a Libertarian I believe our government is too big, ineffective, and that there is no such thing as a free lunch, plus the government needs to butt out of our private lives and know it's place, so is this country ideal yet for me? Absolutely not, but I will take it over European societal structure any day because outside of being in the right tribal culture or commune, there is nothing even close to what the USA was intended to be thus far.

I'll fight the good fight until we get this place where it needs to be, but until then, I'm more than happy to earn my own way, pay my dues, travel from state to state freely, settle where the laws and community structure best suits me *gets to move in October and has fingers crossed for something awesome*, understand that charity starts at home, and rock out with style because of my freedom of speech and freedom of expression. If anyone has a problem with my small amount of decadence (that I pay a great deal for in more ways than one) I work for it, I earned it, and they can get over it because that is one of the components of freedom. I feel horrible that other places don't have these freedoms, but America shouldn't be the world police/rebuilder for many important reasons. We are not perfect (no one is), we make mistakes, we work hard, we care a lot, and there is no opinion in this world that can take these things away from us. If we're foolish enough to listen to half witted criticisms coming from outsiders who don't see our daily grind, we deserve the implications that we allow. I'm not allowing it, it's everyone's choice to give credit or discredit or ambivalence to any incoming phenomena.

Yeah and anyone who wants to hold the majority of our citizens accountable for things they did not do (i.e. Government Decisions, whatever the UN/NATO demands of us, The Federal Reserve and the international stock exchange, etc. etc. etc...) they can get over it because only a few people made those decisions/mistakes, our land (the actual USA geographically) and our citizens, along with our state and local government officials have nothing to do with any of it. It just sounds foolish to blame America when you can ordinarily write the actual names on a piece of paper who made a dumb decision/law/bill.

They don't want to live like us and we don't want to live like them, it's perfectly fine and why we have so many countries and different societal constructs that we do on this planet. It's all good! Anyways, honestly the USA doesn't need "hope" and it doesn't matter if an outsider has it or not, we just need to ditch the complacency and rise to the occasion on a larger level than we regularly do. Treaties and ties to Europe started most of the harm that is still perpetuated today so those in glass house shouldn't throw stones, but we need to do out part for our own well being to rid ourselves of interventionalism and the blowback on all levels that it brings regardless of who got the ball rolling.

Alright no one else is saying it so....

America- YEAH
Coming again to save the mother day yeah

Okay I'm not doing the whole song.

EoN you've said it quite well, a lot better than what I originally planned on posting so we'll leave it at that. All I will say is that people see a person much differently than that person views himself.

Bonus points for anybody who doesn't edit their posts and sticks to what they've claimed....

FT: Walter Moers... I have seen a few of his political cartoons, but that is about it. I will watch your link when my friend Anja comes over later this week, some translation from a native would help.

What gives ME hope when looking at the US? I'm not sure hope is appropriate, I think their capacity for charity is astounding. Maybe one day there will be a thread about the world and why there is still hope

Bren: I can't believe you said it! I pissed myself through that entire flick! It was like the Simpsons on steroids. I can't wait for June when everyone is here, we can shoot guns and eat McDonalds, drink Coca Cola and talk about how the USA is number 1 and God's chosen country, LOL.

EoN: "Anyways, honestly the USA doesn't need "hope" and it doesn't matter if an outsider has it or not, we just need to ditch the complacency and rise to the occasion on a larger level than we regularly do." EXACTLY!

Get over it and over yourself. Lulz Hypocrisy much? Compared to that illusion of a "lazy bum, spoiled rotten existence" you gave for your next 20 days in an exotic land I'm suffering more than you ever thought compared to you!

How is it you know a rant is addressed to you and no one else can seem to read your steadily edited posts and you're always misunderstood? You must be so much smarter than us dumb rednecks over here in the US of A! *bad hick accent*

You need to get your facts straight about the middle east and who bombed who into the stone age first (the Russians did it in the 70s taking Afghanistan right out of modern status for example, those mines are still blowing off limbs to this day over there from the USSR), plus that area has been at war steadily for over 5,000 years yet you want to focus on the wrongs America has done for 200? Do you know why people wanted to get the [censored] out of Europe??? That's really cute, you keep on doing what you do and I'll do what I do, but if you expect me to agree with you and consider my opinions bashing you're the one taking things personally and not looking at the objective reality of my social commentary.

Oh the parallels that come to light when the tables are turned, people in glass houses shouldn't throw stones!

I love http://www.classbrain.com/artteenst/publish/bill_of_rights.shtml remember to take these into account before talking schmack about America or to Americans, as it seems you think somehow if people don't agree with you we aren't entitled to them. And you're right, if I didn't break it with my 2 hands starting in 1981 when I was born, I'm not going to fix it just like I'd never ask you to fix anything you didn't do with your own two hands from the time you were born.

Oh yeah, FireTom, every time you make a generalized statement holding America/Americans to be held accountable, stereotyped, or any other wrongful statement (When all of those other countries and individual citizens need to be accountable for their involvements, like relying on the American stock market for their own economies as an example because it was their own fault for doing it) I will post this quote because I said everything perfectly and completely the first time, sorry but it is the truth and how you interpret it is on you.



Like I said I'm here strictly for American morale, not for anyone else on this topic. Anyways, do what you wish, live your life, speak your mind, and I will do the same because I believe in freedom for all.

I advise reconsideration