What is an American?

peapod

Hall of Fame Member
Jun 26, 2004
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pumpkin pie bungalow
Its your new york minute think :p that was a really good description. No mention of even one trailer park :p Just one thing tho think, I would not be telling to many people about joan collins, number one, she's british, nuff said :p number two, she is a bitch, well that might come in handy. :twisted: Unless of course you were implying that peapod reminds you of joan collins, well than thats different ain't it! :twisted: Why you little :twisted: :twisted: Nah, just kidding. You will get use to it :p Now if you had saw Carrie Bradshaw, that would be a different matter, just ask twinks. Thanks for the read.
 

I think not

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Apr 12, 2005
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peapod said:
Its your new york minute think :p that was a really good description. No mention of even one trailer park :p Just one thing tho think, I would not be telling to many people about joan collins, number one, she's british, nuff said :p number two, she is a bitch, well that might come in handy. :twisted: Unless of course you were implying that peapod reminds you of joan collins, well than thats different ain't it! :twisted: Why you little :twisted: :twisted: Nah, just kidding. You will get use to it :p Now if you had saw Carrie Bradshaw, that would be a different matter, just ask twinks. Thanks for the read.

I know Joan Collins is British, I dig that British accent of hers, or I should be more specific, used to anyway. I always liked her on dynasty way back then. I have seen Carrie Bradshaw and a few others, can't remember them all. So many women so little time 8O

Trailer parks are located usually in the sticks with the hicks (no offense to those who do). No Sticks in manhattan :lol:

How about where you live peapod? I'd love to hear about it.
 

peapod

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Jun 26, 2004
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There is not enough paper here for that. You can read all about where me and the islanders live in the thread called island ramblings in the british columbia thread. We are a humble group, sure we got our ups and downs, but wotthehell wotthehell is our motto. Most of the time we just like to caper, sing and leap. Blah! wothehell.
 

Gonzo

Electoral Member
Dec 5, 2004
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Was Victoria, now Ottawa
I'm joining this thread a bit late. What is an American? A person like anyone else in the world. On average, people are the same no matter where they're from. Just different accents. You have cool people, jerks, left leaning, right leaning people. You cant paint the whole country with the same brush stroke. Canadians hate it when people from other parts of the world do that to us.
 

ElPolaco

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Nov 5, 2004
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I didn't really know what thread to post this on and it's not worth it's own thread, but I think you had previously discussed american nationalism as a defining trait of the american "national character". Anyway, this is one of the many hate replies I got in response to anti-war posts I made on a discussion forum from a place I used to live in florida over 35 years ago. Note the cross burning threat:




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Havent been able to put my 2 cents in for awhile...but have done alot of post reading...First of all as a veteran of this great Nation I will thank all serving and their families...Second....if you disagree to they way this Nation handles its affairs by war or show of force then leave it...we dont want you here...if you continue to speak against her you along with the one you support will maybe find a burning cross in your yard if you get my meaning...... El Ponoicco...it is your ignorance and unapreciative attitude that burns the fire in our guts...and your cowerdly ways...God Bless the USA
 

I think not

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Apr 12, 2005
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Re: RE: What is an American?

ElPolaco said:
I didn't really know what thread to post this on and it's not worth it's own thread, but I think you had previously discussed american nationalism as a defining trait of the american "national character". Anyway, this is one of the many hate replies I got in response to anti-war posts I made on a discussion forum from a place I used to live in florida over 35 years ago. Note the cross burning threat:




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Havent been able to put my 2 cents in for awhile...but have done alot of post reading...First of all as a veteran of this great Nation I will thank all serving and their families...Second....if you disagree to they way this Nation handles its affairs by war or show of force then leave it...we dont want you here...if you continue to speak against her you along with the one you support will maybe find a burning cross in your yard if you get my meaning...... El Ponoicco...it is your ignorance and unapreciative attitude that burns the fire in our guts...and your cowerdly ways...God Bless the USA

Appalling.
 

Reverend Blair

Council Member
Apr 3, 2004
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Letitfly said:
I may be wandering off your subject Rev but you did make the comment and I want to go to it . You said that you went to a catholic school and they MADE you pray to their God. I doubt that.

I don't doubt it all. You got an immediate trip to the office for not standing for prayer in the schools I went to. You could be suspended for three days for skipping a mass during school hours (we had them for Easter, X-mas, deaths etc.). Religion (grades 1-8) and Christian Ethics (grades 9-12) were not optional classes. That is an attempt to force us to pray.

el Polaco said:
Anyway, this is one of the many hate replies I got in response to anti-war posts I made on a discussion forum from a place I used to live in florida over 35 years ago. Note the cross burning threat:

I've seen that kind of thing many times before, El Polaco. The really frightening thing is their inability to question their government.
 

I think not

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Apr 12, 2005
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Reverend Blair said:
el Polaco said:
Anyway, this is one of the many hate replies I got in response to anti-war posts I made on a discussion forum from a place I used to live in florida over 35 years ago. Note the cross burning threat:

I've seen that kind of thing many times before, El Polaco. The really frightening thing is their inability to question their government.

Not to mention their own actions.
 

Jo Canadian

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Mar 15, 2005
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I've seen that kind of thing many times before, El Polaco. The really frightening thing is their inability to question their government.


 

Dexter Sinister

Unspecified Specialist
Oct 1, 2004
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That's a really good question Rev. I've been thinking on it since you first posted it, without coming up with anything worth saying that somebody else didn't say first. What I've gleaned from reading this thread so far is the rather obvious conclusion that there's no simple answer beyond the trivial: an American is a citizen of the United States of America. But that was obvious from the beginning. There are also a lot of statistical statements to be made that characterize Americans as a group, some of which are a little alarming, like the stat I heard this morning that over 60% of Americans get their news almost exclusively from Fox, and believe it, which certainly explains why a large percentage of them still think Sodamn Insane did have WMD, did have a viable nuclear weapons development program, and did have something to do with 911. But I don't think that kind of stuff answers the burden of your question either.

So I began thinking instead of the individual Americans I've encountered. Like a lot of thoughtful Canadians, I find it difficult not to harbour a certain degree of anti-Americanism, though that's directed at their government, not the people. I used to be able to say that all the Americans I've ever met have been good people, it's the ones I don't know that vex me, until I met the prototypical ugly American. That guy was almost a parody of everything America has been criticised for, here and elsewhere. Arrogant, ignorant, racist, imperialist, an altogether despicable human being. His message to the black community in America, for instance, was, in his own words, "conform or die." He's also the guy who told me that there's no justification for any manufacturing industry to exist in Canada, 'cause America could do it better, cheaper, faster, yada yada, and sell us anything we want.

But he was the one jerk out of hundreds of Americans I've met, and alas, there are fools everywhere. I've met Canadians like him too, and Europeans; his type is certainly not unique to America. But his type is rare: all the other Americans I've encountered, as tourists here in Regina, or as a tourist myself in the border states south of me (and I have some American relatives), have been, without exception, friendly, generous, interested, and interesting, people.

In particular, I remember the people who rescued me and my family when our car broke down (failed fuel pump) literally in the middle of nowhere in Montana on a breathlessly hot summer day 15 years ago. They arranged a tow to the dealer (Cranky Ranky's Midland Dodge; does that inspire confidence?) in Billings 100 miles away, where they were headed as well, they followed the tow truck with us, they took us to a couple of motels and would not leave us until they were sure we had a place to stay, and they came back the next day to check up on us, to be sure we were getting the services we needed before heading back home to Roundup (yes, that's a real place in Montana).

Those are the people I try to remember when I think of Americans. I've seen some of the best of them, and some of the worst, but the good people far outnumber the bad, by at least 100 to 1. I'm not impressed by the current American government, I'd characterize them as fascist assholes, and very bad things have happened to the American psyche since 911, but I choose to believe, based on my personal experience, that the average American is a kind, generous, good-hearted person who'll go far out of the way to lend you a hand. That's my experience of them.
 

Dexter Sinister

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Oct 1, 2004
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Re: RE: What is an American?

Andem said:
Isn't an American anybody from this side of the earth?

Strictly speaking, yes, except the dominant nation on this side of the planet has arrogated that label to itself alone, and I won't therefore accept that label for myself. I'm a citizen of Canada, one of the planet's more sane and civilized places, and the world, and anybody who calls me an American is likely to get a punch in the nose.