Is everyone laughing at the US?

Originally posted by cargo
Your view of porn is what I found extremist fundamentalist.

Cultures vary from one country to another. What one group finds acceptable, another may find abhorrent.

The idea that only one culture is "correct" on an issue is known among anthropologists as "ethnocentrism", but most normal people know it as "bigotry".

Americans get accused of this a lot, and on these boards, most of the accusations are made by those who themselves demonstrate behavior that is habitually and intrinsically bigoted.

That which is considered "pornography" by one culture may not be by another. Thus to label someone as "extremist" for holding a different view on pornography is to exhibit bigoted behavior.

On a more general note, the thesis that those who disagree with you are inferior is called "intolerance". From this belief, a whole Pandora's Box of darkness spews forth, yielding crops of anger, hatred, despair, sorrow and regret.

Discarding bigotry and other behaviors rooted in ignorance is another step on the long road to intellectual maturity. Upon that, one can begin to build character and a foundation for rational thought.

In my opinion, it is a far more rewarding path than living life on the low road, but to each their own.

What was this thread about again?

Oh, I remember now. And after reading this entire thread the answer is yes. I speak for myself obviously and not 'everyone'.

Mr Stu Mason - the avatar from the Mirror is superb. The perfect thread for it.

Wise words Majic but me thinks that the porn you can get from the press of a few sticky keys on a keyboard via the internet is actually porn in anybodies book.

Mr Stu Mason - the avatar from the Mirror is superb. The perfect thread for it

Thankyou, thought so myself. Although someone else has it as well, can't remember their name though...

About California not being a world cultural centre. Yes it may be a porn capital (i don't think it's really renound internationally for that though because porn isn't watched by as many people as mainstream movies) and yes it may churn out some bad movies but it also turns out good movies and is the birth place of many water sports. Hollywood is well known for it's movies even by non-Americans whether you like it or not, it's just a fact and trying to smeer it by saying they also do porn movies in LA doesn't change that fact. What cities do you consider to be cultural centres with international renoun if not Los Angels, Washington and New York?

[edit on 4-11-2004 by Sabre262]

Originally posted by Irma
Wise words Majic but me thinks that the porn you can get from the press of a few sticky keys on a keyboard via the internet is actually porn in anybodies book.

In a culture where women walk around topless all day, pictures of topless women would not be considered pornography.

In a culture where people walk around completely naked all day, full frontal nudity would not be considered pornography.

In a culture where women are not permitted to show any part of their bodies in public, a picture of a woman in a miniskirt would be considered pornography.

All of these cultures exist in the real world. The point is that what defines "pornography" is based on cultural values, and that these are not universal.

Accepting the idea that it is okay for people to hold differing views of the world is the first step toward mutual understanding, and a better world.


[edit on 11/4/2004 by Majic]

I say let them laugh, but the United States will be fine....and we have good memories.

Originally posted by Jakomo
Mockan:

But with the media
control in the US will typical citizens ever know what the rest
of the world thinks about them and this administration?

The US corporate media whores are NOT on the side of the American people, and that's why they're so uninformed. Just look at the amount of coverage that the Scott Peterson trial gets.

Honestly, husbands kill their wives every day, though the US corp media fixates on tiny little "American" stories at the expense of, well, the rest of the planet.

jako

"..at the expense of, well, the rest of the planet."
Hell, the media doesn't just ignore most of the rest of the planet,
it ignores the rest of the solar system!
See for example
marsanomalyresearch.com...

If a fraction of the debt this administration has created had been
directed to Mars exploration by going there and learning the
technology and history there, the reasons for the Iraq war
probably would have been rendered meaningless.. along with
probably every other destructive human activity. There is
absolutely no rational to being intolerant of the Islamic part of the
world, and no reason at all for continuing a US foreign policy with
such dire "blow back" effects that have resulted in attacks against
Americans about the world. But people will never be able to
think outside the box when they don't understand the box they
are in.



[edit on 4-11-2004 by mockan]

Ahhh...Edsinger, was wondering when you would show up

How fine will you be when OPEC switches to the Euro? or if China, Japan and the rest of the countries holding US bonds decide they wont lend you any more money?

Originally posted by stumason
How fine will you be when OPEC switches to the Euro? or if China, Japan and the rest of the countries holding US bonds decide they wont lend you any more money?

Finer than all the countries you mentioned, who are heavily invested in our economy, if the markets are any guide.

If we go down, you're coming with us.

Remember that.

True, we will suffer if the US collapses, but will recover, wheras if OPEC switches etc, then you certainly wont. Suggest you call your Pres and ask him to play nice over the next 4 yrs...

Although it has to be noted that for us in the UK, our biggest trading partner is Europe, and many "US" firms have seperate European and Asian entities, which would survive, even if their "US" parents die.

Look at Worldcom for example, Worldcom Europe was making more money than the US based one (as the US company was making up its own accounts), and has survived largely intact, whereas the US side is in dire straights...

Never apologize for being American!

Screw the other countries - they only envy us. We are the greatest country in the world even with our faults. We are not perfect but I've traveled and lived in most European countries and parts of Asia - we are the best.

Other countries do understand that we have more freedoms than they do and they don't like it.

If everyone hates us we must be doing something right!

What we are forgetting here is the fact that we can DO SOMETHING about this. As soon as Bush won the election everyone started saying they were gonna move out of the country.

I was like ... what in the world. You are going to give up YOUR rights that easily. This country was founded upon our right to live in a country governed by the people and for the people.

How easily we forget the power that we have. We would just rather lie down and remain ignorant of that fact.

Never apologize for being American

Never apologize for being American!

Screw the other countries - they only envy us. We are the greatest country in the world even with our faults. We are not perfect but I've traveled and lived in most European countries and parts of Asia - we are the best.

Other countries do understand that we have more freedoms than they do and they don't like it.

If everyone hates us we must be doing something right!

Wont see any envy here mate. like I have already said earlier in this thread (which i doubt you read), you are not the best place to live, Norway is, but I am free to do more in the UK than you ever are in the US (except own a gun, but who cares?), and have better services provided for us by the Government (Education,healthcare etc)...

In fact, name one thing that you guys can do (apart from guns) that we cannot. i can list you many things we can that you cannot.

Not a spot of jealousy here, nope, not one iota....

Originally posted by dparrish
If everyone hates us we must be doing something right!

Well I guess the same statement could come from Mr Bin Laden when talking to his cohorts......

Surely respecting and understanding is far better than screwing other countries?

Originally posted by stumason
Ahhh...Edsinger, was wondering when you would show up

How fine will you be when OPEC switches to the Euro? or if China, Japan and the rest of the countries holding US bonds decide they wont lend you any more money?

Well I guess that means they can not particpate in our economy and it will hurt them also. Remember we have borrowed 75% of the debt from ourselves, so who gets the interest? We do.

Originally posted by stumason

Wont see any envy here mate. like I have already said earlier in this thread (which i doubt you read), you are not the best place to live, Norway is, but I am free to do more in the UK than you ever are in the US (except own a gun, but who cares?), and have better services provided for us by the Government (Education,healthcare etc)...

In fact, name one thing that you guys can do (apart from guns) that we cannot. i can list you many things we can that you cannot.

Not a spot of jealousy here, nope, not one iota....

Well I can name some, mainly DISPOSABLE income, gas much cheaper than $6 a gallon/Liter etc...we get stuff cheaper and can buy more useless # I will agree.....I know quite a few UK folks who like working in the states because they actually get to keep some of the wages instead of just giving to the Government.

[edit on 4-11-2004 by edsinger]

Well I guess that means they can not particpate in our economy and it will hurt them also. Remember we have borrowed 75% of the debt from ourselves, so who gets the interest? We do

that makes it worse... you weaken your own currency for starters.

Plus, imagine if you borrowed $100 from yourself, then had to pay that back plus interest. Where you gonna get the extra money from to pay the interest, when you didnt have the money to start with?

Originally posted by edsinger
I say let them laugh, but the United States will be fine....and we have good memories.

Well most of your critics seem to be English and Australians and according to your president himself are among your best allies. Along with Canadian critics who may not be your best allies as far as Iraq is concerned but are probably better allies then anyone else when it comes down to it. We may argue with words but you should remember that your real enemies aren't Democrats, English, Canadian or Australian but the people that prove their point by killing you and do not share values that are even close to your own. We disagree with many of your policies but know that you are still the leader of the free world and we have strongly supported you from the get go in the Iraq war which divided the people in Australia and England much like it did in the US. This is a reasonably recent poll on how much the said countries are divided when it comes to that issue.

msnbc.msn.com...

[edit on 4-11-2004 by Sabre262]

Originally posted by Sabre262

Originally posted by edsinger
I say let them laugh, but the United States will be fine....and we have good memories.

Well most of your critics seem to be English and Australians and according to your president himself are among your best allies. Along with Canadian critics who may not be your best allies as far as Iraq is concerned but are probably better allies then anyone else when it comes down to it. We may argue with words but you should remember that your real enemies aren't Democrats, English, Canadian or Australian but the people that prove their point by killing you and do not share values that are even close to your own. We disagree with many of your policies but know that you are still the leader of the free world and we have strongly supported you from the get go in the Iraq war which divided the people in Australia and England much like it did in the US. This is a reasonably recent poll on how much the said countries are divided when it comes to that issue.

msnbc.msn.com...

[edit on 4-11-2004 by Sabre262]

I understand that, and I was not refering to either of those nations, France will not be a destination for my vacation dollars EVER.....

if the fact that your country is controlled by elite nasis isnt a problem then i dont know what is



[edit on 4-11-2004 by MysticOfRadiance]

[edit on 4-11-2004 by MysticOfRadiance]