Americans suffer from tunnel-vision (Specifically ATS'ers)

Originally posted by DariusHames
reply to post by VoidHawk

 

Yup, only took me a few days to realize the narrowness of the discussions taking place here. Should actually be a sign of how obvious it is.

Anyway, like most new members I use to lurk around here, but I've always felt, even before joining, that ats can be one-sided when it comes to the rest of the world.

So, what would you like to discuss?
The so-called arab spring; european socialism; chineese economic manipulation; russia's post ussr expansionism; north korea's sabre rattling; japan's post earthquake woes....the list goes on and on.
You pick a topic.

Originally posted by 1PLA1

So, what would you like to discuss?
The so-called arab spring; european socialism; chineese economic manipulation; russia's post ussr expansionism; north korea's sabre rattling; japan's post earthquake woes....the list goes on and on.
You pick a topic.

The OT is quite fine, the OP has made a decent proposition and his evidence is the threads being displayed right now on the main page. He's got a good point allthough perhaps he should expand the statement about Americans to include more members of ATS since it seems to me at least 95% of members on ATS suffer from this tunnel-vision, allbeit not all tunneled towards the election.

Your list for example is for me an example of tunnel-vision, even though your tunnel might be slightly more roomy than just the election, there seem to be clear definable boundaries to that particular tunnel (your topics are very similar in nature, even if you add to that list, they will remain within that group, a conspiracy exposer I once heard used a well known cliché to describe the same problem, "Are you going to keep studying the leaf and not ask where the root is?").

It's at the end of this video but the rest may explain it more clearer, so don't skip if you're going to watch:



To view this video into context, here's the playlist:

The Great Conspiracy 2009 compilation

Originally posted by DariusHames
I'm tired of hearing about the U.S. presidential election, the middle-east and China. The majority of threads cover the issues in these regions and for the most part the rest of the world couldn't give hoot about it.

Originally posted by 1PLA1

The so-called arab spring; european socialism; chineese economic manipulation; russia's post ussr expansionism; north korea's sabre rattling; japan's post earthquake woes...

And if you're still not convinced that you are suffering from tunnel-vision (and something that is causing some form of illogical reasoning, I'll leave it up to you to figure that one out), have another look at your suggested list compared to what the OP was actually complaining about. You could have at least left out the ones he had already mentioned? No? Don't see them? What's the matter?

arab spring = middle-east
chineese economic manipulation = China
russia's post ussr expansionism; north korea's sabre rattling; japan's post earthquake woes... = these regions perhaps? (China region, assuming he means Asia as a region, or at least the eastern part of Asia, allthough I doubt he's followed his comment through that far, let's say the general area there then cause if he's really referring to geographic areas then there isn't all that much left, I think he's just generally searching for something new and refreshing and it's hard to express the exact dimensions and definitions of the tunnel his intuition is telling him is there, at least that's my best guess on the little information I have, nothing conclusive)

EDIT: at least I think I'm right in guessing that the OP would consider the subject of "north korea's sabre rattling" as part of the same tunnel (since he's referring to the American/Western tunnel if you want to give it a name, there are more tunnels, most of them lead into circles or dead ends, however you wanna see it)

Originally posted by HabiruThorstein
Ah yes, yet another brilliant observation generalizing about the US citizenry! Because it is absolutely certain that a) a hasidic Jew in Manhattan would certainly have the same outlook and worldview of b) a rapper from South Central and both would have identical outlooks with c) a drilling engineer from Austin, TX and there would also be no distinction between these 3 and a d) a farmer from western Iowa.and of course e) the retired Chicago dentist who retired down to Tampa would be sociologically indistinguishable from the aformentioned Americans, all of whom could be lumped in with f) the unemployed steelworker in Pittsburgh without anyone noticing a difference.

Sorry OP, your observation is neither unique, valid, nor particularly intelligent. Although it has been pseudo-intellectual chic to bash the U.S. for several decades now, it doesn't mean it's anymore valid than bashing Belgium for instance.. In all fairness, stereotyping is something all of us do, it's a neural shortcut that does have value IRL. But using an internet forum board, ATS or otherwise, as your sample base, well you do the math 8>D

The real reason I am posting is I'd like to hear from the many on ATS who share OP's opinion of U.S. citizens ona few topics. The first being, if Americans are so horribly non-Cosmopolitan, what specifily SHOULD they be talking about that would make you happier? The local politics of Vienna's 23 districts perhaps? The finer points of terracing moutainsides for rice farming in Japan? And why do so many obsess on the worldview of US citizens anyway? Is it a feeling of cultural inferiority? It's a real fact that the cultural impact of the US has been pretty massive over the last 10-15 decades, I suppose some resentment is bound to come back whether the farmer in Iowa had anything at all to do with it or not. Perhaps it's the 'Superpower' effect? The US is widely to considered to be the world's top dog militarily, whether it be Rome back in the day, Great Britain 1815 up til WWI, France just previous to that, etc, whoever is #1 is going to be resented by someone somewhere, even if the retired dentist didn't really want his tax dollars going to foreign soil military bases.

In short, even if Americans are a bit more culturally self-absorbed than the worldwide average... are say the Russians, Chinese, Italian or French any less so? And even if one feels the US populace are worse than any culture, anywhere in this respect, why should it matter? Are we that important to YOUR life? And if we are so important or interesting to non-US citizens, shouldn't that be considered a factor as well?

As a well-travelled person (even by Cosmoplitan Euro standards-*gasp* the horror!) I've heard the same tired whinging about me as an American citizen in at least 10 languages and what I never get to hear is: why are you complaining to us, about us, anyway? Please enlighten me 8>D

edit on 5-11-2012 by HabiruThorstein because: (no reason given)

edit on 5-11-2012 by HabiruThorstein because: typo/grammar

Sure wish I'd said all that!
It is a puzzle why those outside USA are so concerned with our worldview and how narrow or wide minded we are.
Being an American and living in America I am interested in things that affect America whether it is our national election or the middle east or any other region that has an impact outside their own sphere.

And I'm still wondering what the op wants to discuss.