Arrogant Americans!

Oh, c'mon, there's nothing wrong with loving your home country -- it's having a hatred for another country that's dangerous. I live in Texas, one of the 50 U.S. States, and I have two flags out in front of my house -- a U.S. flag and a Texas flag. I love the U.S., and I love Texas. Does that mean I have any ill will to the other 191 countries on Earth (or the other 49 States in the U.S.)? No.

What's wrong with someone who lives in the Netherlands and loves the Netherlands having a Netherlands flag in front of their house? Seems perfectly reasonable to me.


Now, I wouldn't dare go to another country and start waving U.S. and Texas flags around -- I have respect for other countries, and I hope others would have the same respect for my country. There's nothing arrogant about flag waving inside your own country; it's only arrogant when you start flag waving outside your own country...

with the exception of the olympics of course... *wink*

But some people even find americans waving their flag there is offensive...

I'm going to assume that they have the problem then...

Much negativity, much lack of empathy for other countries, and much hatred ....

It all comes down to understanding......Which many people don't...

I see too many people on this board with canned thoughts......

And not much originality.

I'm just glad to finally see someone admitting that racism and stuff like KKK are alive and well in the North and that it's not just a bunch of toothless rednecks down south pulling that crap!

If the rest of the world sees patriotism and displaying flags as being on the road to Hitlerville, they'll just have to live with it. The difference here is that there are quite a few groups, VOCAL groups, who won't let anyone forget that it's not one country of one type citizen. If anything, we're a nation of many flags flying under the stars and stripes. I don't see why we should be sensitive to other countries' feelings when in our own country. I agree about not waving and bannering when visiting another country, but when at home I feel we should be able to display our patriotism without restraint. I don't think it's so much "Love it or leave it" as "Love it or not, but let me love it as I wish".

I'll tell you what should make the other countries worry about us. There's a woman who lives at the end of my road. I thought she was having a yard sale the first time I went by there, or that she made crafts to sell. But no, it's decoration. She's got easily over 100 elves, trolls, fairies, etc all through her yard. Some are hanging on her house. I saw more stockpiled that haven't been placed yet. Or the guy who lived across from my ex-sister in law in Maryland. He had a flagpole in his front yard... perfectly normal... and in front of it was a full suit of armor. Sometimes he'd dress up a dummy in it and sometimes he'd put it on himself and stand out there. Sometimes it was posed and other times it was sitting on his front porch. And I just saw a thing on tv about a woman so obsessed with Lord of the Rings that she has cutouts of them standing around and talks with them. Takes them to restaurants. A flag or two is very sane. But we're a big country with a LOT of weirdos. THAT'S what should worry everybody.

Originally posted by ThunderCloud

What's wrong with someone who lives in the Netherlands and loves the Netherlands having a Netherlands flag in front of their house? Seems perfectly reasonable to me.

Nothing wrong at all. You have to be in the Netherlands once on April 30th (queens birthday). The whole country is waving flags, wearing orange and red white & blue hats, partying, getting drunk and getting crazy. Young and old. Even in Aruba there are numerous houses with Dutch flags up on that day (it's a national holiday for us too). And people drive around with flags on their car.

Originally posted by Jakko
And Soul Reaper, you have no clue what you're saying.
Wishing that the netherlands would have stayed under german command.
That's just beyond ignorance.

Sorry it has taken so long to respond. First I know exactly what I was
saying.........just because your country and countrymen do not believe
in the death penalty or in owning weapons, it doesn't give you the right
to judge the United States as arrogant or whatever.

Second, If your country can hate it's FORMER enemies as much as I
have seen, how long before Netherland starts to make new enemies
and hate them as well? I deny Ignorance in any form, and that starts
by opening your mind to new experiences which sooner or later leads
to forgiving past wrongs. My people were slaughtered by Europeans
(the first Americans), that doesn't mean I summarily judge them
all to be Homicidal maniacs.

Get a grip, and get a life.............(and stop wearing wooden shoes as
it is cutting off the blood flow to your brain).

[edit on 9/3/2004 by Soul Reaper]

I wouldnt say americans are arrogant , but what can definitely be said without fear of uncertainty is that an important portion of americans are ignorant and schizophrenic, for they refuse to see George W. Bush for what he is a vile and common war criminal that is responsible for the illegal and brutal murder of tens of thousands civilians without justification whatsoever.


[edit on 3-9-2004 by Mokuhadzushi]

THESE THREADS ARE TEARING US APART!!!






Why don't you all just share a slushy!?! Or a slurpy if you prefer.

The Prevalance Rate for schizophrenia is approximately 1.1% of the population over the age of 18 (source: NIMH) or, in other words, at any one time as many as 51 million people worldwide suffer from schizophrenia, including;

12 million people in China
8.7 million people in India
2.2 million people in USA
285,000 people in Australia
Over 280,000 people in Canada
Over 250,000 diagnosed cases in Britain


www.schizophrenia.com...

Originally posted by torque
The Prevalance Rate for schizophrenia is approximately 1.1% of the population over the age of 18 (source: NIMH) or, in other words, at any one time as many as 51 million people worldwide suffer from schizophrenia, including;

12 million people in China
8.7 million people in India
2.2 million people in USA
285,000 people in Australia
Over 280,000 people in Canada
Over 250,000 diagnosed cases in Britain


www.schizophrenia.com...

That's right!!! We beat your collective Europian asses when if comes to higher schizophranic rates. USA! USA! USA!

I partially agree, i should have used the terms psychotic and mass psychosis. Is there someone acquainted to the subject here ? What is the clinical diagnosis for Bush ?

[edit on 3-9-2004 by Mokuhadzushi]

Originally posted by Mokuhadzushi
I partially agree, i should have used the terms psychotic and mass psychosis. Is there someone acquainted to the subject here ? What is the clinical diagnosis for Bush ?

[edit on 3-9-2004 by Mokuhadzushi]

Just to be fair, what about Kerry too? I've been told by people that he seems to have some sociopathic symptoms, and they reference the Dick Cavett show as a reference...

Thank you for your input, and though you are sincere in your hate of America, you are wrong.

There is nothing wrong with a "Nation of Courage"

Originally posted by soulforge

Originally posted by Mokuhadzushi
I partially agree, i should have used the terms psychotic and mass psychosis. Is there someone acquainted to the subject here ? What is the clinical diagnosis for Bush ?

[edit on 3-9-2004 by Mokuhadzushi]

Just to be fair, what about Kerry too? I've been told by people that he seems to have some sociopathic symptoms, and they reference the Dick Cavett show as a reference...

That is less dangerous. he could be fed up with his secretaries and fire them or something, in the worst eventuality. But someone who is chasing invisible spider farts on the other side of the globe is a waste of money and human lives.

Originally posted by Soul Reaper
just because your country and countrymen do not believe
in the death penalty or in owning weapons, it doesn't give you the right
to judge the United States as arrogant or whatever.

I wasn't judging the USA, I was amazed by the attitude and culture of a part of the people living in America.
Don't be all hysterical about it Soul, you're just confirming the prejudice there allready is, about Americans taking themselves way too serious.

Second, If your country can hate it's FORMER enemies as much as I
have seen, how long before Netherland starts to make new enemies
and hate them as well? I deny Ignorance in any form, and that starts
by opening your mind to new experiences which sooner or later leads
to forgiving past wrongs. My people were slaughtered by Europeans
(the first Americans), that doesn't mean I summarily judge them
all to be Homicidal maniacs.

Lol!
If my country can hate?
As far as I know, my country does not hate anyone, I am not sure who you talked to, not that you know anything about what happened in the WWII, or you would not be making these surreal comparisons between WWII and your own wars.

The problem is that you probably know less (from what I hear) about Europe, than I know about the USA.
Trust me, you're living up to the "self consumed american" sterotype just fine, being all insulted when I am merely stating I am amazed by how some americans are full of themselves.
You obviously felt I was talking about you?

Originally posted by Jakko
Wow, it seems as if some people feel insulted. Probably the hamburgers right?

It's not that I am not proud of my country, if I would look at it like you look at it I guess I could be proud about the huge dutch resistance in the WWII, something that was not the case in other countries.
Or maybe I could be proud about our very social system and tolerant climate.

But the thing is, why should I be proud about something I did not do/choose/achieve?
I mean I can either like it that I am living in a country like this, or I can dislike it. But if I like it, why should I be proud about it?

Waving around your "OH WE ARE SUCH COURAGEOUS NATION" banner is one step further even, why on earth would someone (even if that someone is very courageous) do such a thing?

Are we Europeans maybe too polite?

The dutch put up with a lot of crap because of the end around Hitler did in WW2 around The Magiot line. I've seen some History Channel stuff where they were probably the biggest resistors of Nazi occupation, per capita, with the possible exception of the Baltics.

You have a lot the be proud of. The dutch aren't going to go to the moon anytime soon, but smaller is sometimes better. Especially when it comes to standard of living and education. Less chance at exceptions to the rule, like in the U.S.

there is nothing wrong with beiong proud of one's country. The problem is when it turns into jingoism (look it up) No country is all holy and right, but even fewer are all evil (Except for North Korea and Iran, and sometimes Germany, oh...and France when Germany is occupying it....lol)

[edit on 9/3/2004 by soulforge]

I can see why this thread got moved to the Mud Pit. So unnecessary............

Why can't we all just play nice?

Originally posted by SuperKyle
Thank you for your input, and though you are sincere in your hate of America, you are wrong.

There is nothing wrong with a "Nation of Courage"

Hi! I'm in New Jersey. What the # universe do you live in?

Hi again! I just made the suggestion on the "Arrogant Europeans" thread that everyone read "A History of the American People" by Paul Johnson. The thought behind that suggestion is that it is the best and most readable history I have seen to date, and most Americans would come away with a much greater self-understanding, while Europeans would get a better idea of who we are and how we got to where we are today. We all have a lot more in common than we have in the way of differences.

Of course, I have no realistic expectation that anyone will actually read it. It's easier, and MUCH more fun, to hurl insults and form opinions based on uninformed emotion..............

That's all. Let the stuff fly...............