What is an American?

I think not

I think not

Hall of Fame Member
Apr 12, 2005
10,506
33
48
The Evil Empire
Re: RE: What is an American?

Dexter Sinister said:
Andem said:
Isn't an American anybody from this side of the earth?
Click to expand...

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.
Click to expand...

Hmmm....well lets see Dexter.

A person from the country of Mexico is a Mexican,
Germany is a German,
The United States of America is American,
Spain is Spanish,
Canada is Canadian,
Egypt is Egyptian, but they don't call Egyptians African. I suppose thats African arrogance.
Great Britain, British.
Greece, Greeks.
China, Chinese.
Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, wow thats pretty long, in short Macedonians. And Macedonia is an area in Greece and Bulgaria. Go figure.
South Africa, South Africans.
Ah, Saudi Arabia, Saudis, now call them Middle Easterners and they will chop chop your head off.

Here's a clue, maybe it has to do with the official name of ones country? Possibly? Maybe? And has nothing to do with the geographical location?
 
I think not

I think not

Hall of Fame Member
Apr 12, 2005
10,506
33
48
The Evil Empire
Dexter Sinister said:
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.
Click to expand...

Check the Nielsen Ratings Dexter, just over 1,000,000 get news from Fox and its affiliates. Thats a far cry from 60% of the population.
 
I think not

I think not

Hall of Fame Member
Apr 12, 2005
10,506
33
48
The Evil Empire
Re: RE: What is an American?

no1important said:
The United States of America is American,
Click to expand...

"of" is the key word here. Of America, which would mean North or South America or the America's.

We could be called "Canada of America" but it does not have a nice ring to it.
Click to expand...

And Yugoslav republic OF Macedonia means what exactly, no1?
 
R

Reverend Blair

Council Member
Apr 3, 2004
1,238
1
38
Winnipeg
That we still have worry about Macedonians?

Really though...we don't call the French "Europeans" when referring to their country of origin. The whole American thing is pretty presumptious. They are claiming two contintents by adopting the name of a dead Italian who most who study history now consider to be a fraud.
 
I think not

I think not

Hall of Fame Member
Apr 12, 2005
10,506
33
48
The Evil Empire
OK then, when you find out be sure to let me know. What stopped you from calling Canada: The Big Village of America by the way? Or the Canadian Dominion of America?
 
I think not

I think not

Hall of Fame Member
Apr 12, 2005
10,506
33
48
The Evil Empire
Re: RE: What is an American?

Reverend Blair said:
That we still have worry about Macedonians?

Really though...we don't call the French "Europeans" when referring to their country of origin. The whole American thing is pretty presumptious. They are claiming two contintents by adopting the name of a dead Italian who most who study history now consider to be a fraud.
Click to expand...

Yes, they should of named it after a Viking.
 
L

LadyC

Time Out
Sep 3, 2004
1,340
0
36
the left coast
No... it would appear the Rev is incorrect.

According to The Straight Dope...

The most interesting question of all is why America was named after a guy who was otherwise so obscure. For centuries it was argued that Amerigo Vespucci was a fraud who had never traveled to the continent that bore his name and did not deserve to have either of his names applied to anything. But it is now fairly well established that he made at least two voyages to the Americas, not as leader of an expedition but possibly as navigator, the first time in 1499. He was not the first European of his era to set foot on the mainland, as was once thought, but probably was the first to realize that the land he helped explore was a separate continent and not merely the coast of Asia, as Columbus and others believed.
Click to expand...
 
R

Reverend Blair

Council Member
Apr 3, 2004
1,238
1
38
Winnipeg
Jesus Christ...I'm glad somebody backed me up on that one. I had a brawl with my grade three teacher about it...Mrs. Adams, her name was. She wasn't a nun, but I'll bet the average nun got more sex. Mrs. Adams was one sour bitch.

I won, because I had a book. That sort of thing has become a habit. Having a book, I mean.
 
I think not

I think not

Hall of Fame Member
Apr 12, 2005
10,506
33
48
The Evil Empire
Re: RE: What is an American?

LadyC said:
No... it would appear the Rev is incorrect.

According to The Straight Dope...

The most interesting question of all is why America was named after a guy who was otherwise so obscure. For centuries it was argued that Amerigo Vespucci was a fraud who had never traveled to the continent that bore his name and did not deserve to have either of his names applied to anything. But it is now fairly well established that he made at least two voyages to the Americas, not as leader of an expedition but possibly as navigator, the first time in 1499. He was not the first European of his era to set foot on the mainland, as was once thought, but probably was the first to realize that the land he helped explore was a separate continent and not merely the coast of Asia, as Columbus and others believed.
Click to expand...
Click to expand...

It gets tossed around alot LadyC, I doubt that will change the name of the continent anyway. :p
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top Bottom