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Forums - General Discussion - What do foreigners think of the United States of America?

PBBN43 on 06 March 2012
insomniac17 said:
PBBN43 said:

I know it's not your intention, but it comes across as arrogant. US is shorter than America and it's not ambiguous. I don't see any reason to use America. About "I said it is in the name of the country", that doesn't mean anything, America is in reference to the continent. I said that it's not the name of the country, which it really isn't, so there's no point using it.

Then get everyone who uses it to change what they say. Across the world. If there was a different term when I was young, I would have grown up using that. It is because everyone uses it that I do too. There isn't really another word that is widely accepted for identifying a US citizen. Everyone just uses American.

And US is shorter than America. I think most people do use US when talking about the country. I do, and the people I know do. But you do hear America, and that is because it is a part of the name of the country that we use it. You are right; it isn't the name of the country. But it is part of the name. And the name is long and unwieldy. No one wants to say United States of America every time we talk about the US. So we use other terms. America is one of them, because it is part of the name. US/USA are others because they are acronyms for the name.

I'm not trying to be a jerk here, and we are really arguing over semantics, but my point is just to say that... People here grew up using those terms because everyone else does. Everyone in the world uses them. We could blame people way back when for starting it, but they aren't alive now. Saying that we're arrogant for using the terms that we grew up with, and that everyone in the world uses seems rather cruel because it isn't just us, and we didn't start it. Yes, we aren't changing it... but no one else is either.

Netyaroze said:

I might just do that. You should apologize to the mexicans and canadians that your ancestors were rude and without manners.

Certainly. Let this be my formal apology to all Canadians and Mexicans (and anyone from South America) out there who have ever taken offense to the term "American" being used to refer to a US citizen. My ancestors should be ashamed to ignore such a significant part of the world. I'm sorry.

Bolded part: That's exactly the problem. If no one is willing to change simply because the term is seldom used, then it will always be wrong. Maybe we can't change the world, but we certainly can do our part.

Other part: If that's not sarcasm, it's rather nice of you. Can't really say much more, though.



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insomniac17 on 06 March 2012
PBBN43 said:

Bolded part: That's exactly the problem. If no one is willing to change simply because the term is seldom used, then it will always be wrong. Maybe we can't change the world, but we certainly can do our part.

Other part: If that's not sarcasm, it's rather nice of you. Can't really say much more, though.

And my point is just to say that we are arrogant for not fixing something that is not all our fault is rather unfair. I have no problems using another word to refer to a US citizen, but it has to be something that people will understand to mean a US citizen. And I have no problems referring to the country as the US, because it is shorter than America and because it isn't ambiguous and it clearly defines what I'm referring to.

It isn't. My sarcasm is always accompanied by an emoticon of some sort. I can't really say why people back then started using America to refer to the US, but I'll apologize anyway if it offended anyone. I'd like to think that wasn't the purpose behind its use.



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benao87 on 06 March 2012
 
Netyaroze said:

I might just do that. You should apologize to the mexicans and canadians that your ancestors were rude and without manners.

Certainly. Let this be my formal apology to all Canadians and Mexicans (and anyone from South America) out there who have ever taken offense to the term "American" being used to refer to a US citizen. My ancestors should be ashamed to ignore such a significant part of the world. I'm sorry.


O.o Apologies accepted. Now, there are still some other pending. Starting the rebellion in Panama, and taking away from our country, supporting the Contras in Nicaragua, Trujillo's dictatorship in Dominican Republic, assasination of Allende and the support of Pinochet in Chile, the Cuban Embargo, lol I really don't like your government.

 

Edit: Lol at the joke of Serious_frusting, weird thing as I rarely like your posts :)



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PBBN43 on 06 March 2012
insomniac17 said:
PBBN43 said:

Bolded part: That's exactly the problem. If no one is willing to change simply because the term is seldom used, then it will always be wrong. Maybe we can't change the world, but we certainly can do our part.

Other part: If that's not sarcasm, it's rather nice of you. Can't really say much more, though.

And my point is just to say that we are arrogant for not fixing something that is not all our fault is rather unfair. I have no problems using another word to refer to a US citizen, but it has to be something that people will understand to mean a US citizen. And I have no problems referring to the country as the US, because it is shorter than America and because it isn't ambiguous and it clearly defines what I'm referring to.

It isn't. My sarcasm is always accompanied by an emoticon of some sort. I can't really say why people back then started using America to refer to the US, but I'll apologize anyway if it offended anyone. I'd like to think that wasn't the purpose behind its use.


I congratulate you on your understanding and logical reasoning. You're the only US citizen I've ever met that didn't try to shove down my throat that America and American are correct to refer to the US and its citizens.



NintendoPie on 06 March 2012
PBBN43 said:
insomniac17 said:
PBBN43 said:

Bolded part: That's exactly the problem. If no one is willing to change simply because the term is seldom used, then it will always be wrong. Maybe we can't change the world, but we certainly can do our part.

Other part: If that's not sarcasm, it's rather nice of you. Can't really say much more, though.

And my point is just to say that we are arrogant for not fixing something that is not all our fault is rather unfair. I have no problems using another word to refer to a US citizen, but it has to be something that people will understand to mean a US citizen. And I have no problems referring to the country as the US, because it is shorter than America and because it isn't ambiguous and it clearly defines what I'm referring to.

It isn't. My sarcasm is always accompanied by an emoticon of some sort. I can't really say why people back then started using America to refer to the US, but I'll apologize anyway if it offended anyone. I'd like to think that wasn't the purpose behind its use.


I congratulate you on your understanding and logical reasoning. You're the only US citizen I've ever met that didn't try to shove down my throat that America and American are correct to refer to the US and its citizens.

How many Americans have you met? I can tell you barely any of us care either which way. Like Insomniac said, it was already given as a name. 



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PBBN43 on 06 March 2012
NintendoPie said:
PBBN43 said:
insomniac17 said:
PBBN43 said:

Bolded part: That's exactly the problem. If no one is willing to change simply because the term is seldom used, then it will always be wrong. Maybe we can't change the world, but we certainly can do our part.

Other part: If that's not sarcasm, it's rather nice of you. Can't really say much more, though.

And my point is just to say that we are arrogant for not fixing something that is not all our fault is rather unfair. I have no problems using another word to refer to a US citizen, but it has to be something that people will understand to mean a US citizen. And I have no problems referring to the country as the US, because it is shorter than America and because it isn't ambiguous and it clearly defines what I'm referring to.

It isn't. My sarcasm is always accompanied by an emoticon of some sort. I can't really say why people back then started using America to refer to the US, but I'll apologize anyway if it offended anyone. I'd like to think that wasn't the purpose behind its use.


I congratulate you on your understanding and logical reasoning. You're the only US citizen I've ever met that didn't try to shove down my throat that America and American are correct to refer to the US and its citizens.

How many Americans have you met? I can tell you barely any of us care either which way. Like Insomniac said, it was already given as a name. 


I've met, in person, over 50 US citizens, but I only had this discussion with maybe 7 of them. I don't blame US citizens for using these terms, because we can't really know who started the current ambiguous meanings that they currently have, I blame the lack of understanding that they're incorrect and offensive. Also, I find surprising that very few US citizens have ever tried to change it.



insomniac17 on 06 March 2012
benao87 said:

O.o Apologies accepted. Now, there are still some other pending. Starting the rebellion in Panama, and taking away from our country, supporting the Contras in Nicaragua, Trujillo's dictatorship in Dominican Republic, assasination of Allende and the support of Pinochet in Chile, the Cuban Embargo, lol I really don't like your government.

Hey, I don't approve of a lot of what my government has done either. But here; I would like to formally apologize on behalf of my country for its actions in starting the rebellion in Panama, and for taking control of the Panama Canal (if this is what you meant...?) from Panama for so many years. I would also like to apologize for the government's support of the Contras in Nicaragua, placing Trujillo into power in the Dominican Republic, the assassination of Allende and the support of Pinochet in Chile, and the Cuban Embargo (especially as it is still going on now...). I'm sorry.

While this apology doesn't matter much in the grand scheme of things, many of us US citizens are not proud of many things that our country has done (even if we don't admit it), and we do not always agree with the actions of our government.

PBBN43 said:

I congratulate you on your understanding and logical reasoning. You're the only US citizen I've ever met that didn't try to shove down my throat that America and American are correct to refer to the US and its citizens.

That's sad to hear. At least in my experience, most of us aren't like that. I'm sorry that your only experiences with the people here were with people who acted that way.



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SvennoJ on 06 March 2012

What other country has a billionaire recruit a group of b-list celebrities to advertise his daughters jewelry line in a 2 hour tv show, so they can fight over a mere 20k donation to charity.

Anyway what I think of the USA

Friendly people.
Amazing event organizers.
Great movies and tv shows as well as the worst.
Obsessed with the law.
Religion is a tool, as well as fear.
Very poor (or selective) eduction on world and their own history.
Winner takes all, socialism is evil, as bad as communism.
Money is a measure of success, capitalism is god.
Thinks a 2 party system is democracy.
Obsessed with white teeth.
Ugly/average people are not allowed on tv unless it's some daytime trash show or about 'improving' said average people.



NintendoPie on 06 March 2012
SvennoJ said:
What other country has a billionaire recruit a group of b-list celebrities to advertise his daughters jewelry line in a 2 hour tv show, so they can fight over a mere 20k donation to charity.

Anyway what I think of the USA

Friendly people.
Amazing event organizers.
Great movies and tv shows as well as the worst.
Obsessed with the law.
Religion is a tool, as well as fear.
Very poor (or selective) eduction on world and their own history.
Winner takes all, socialism is evil, as bad as communism.
Money is a measure of success, capitalism is god.
Thinks a 2 party system is democracy.
Obsessed with white teeth.
Ugly/average people are not allowed on tv unless it's some daytime trash show or about 'improving' said average people.

Oh boy is that true! xD



FinalEvangelion on 07 March 2012

Evolution and Global Warming are very "controversial" due to not being compatible to a certain religious / political viewpoint of a group of people.

Stupid alcohol laws (high drinking age, strict rules about when and where you can drink, but too lenient on drinking and driving).

Obsessed with Xbox brand / Halo / but CoD more now.

However, I think we are much better to our animals than many other nations. We don't have legal dog fighting or bull fighting.

I am American, but lived in Japan.



"Naturally the common people don't want war: Neither in Russia, nor in England, nor for that matter in Germany. That is understood. But, after all, IT IS THE LEADERS of the country who determine the policy and it is always a simple matter to drag the people along, whether it is a democracy, or a fascist dictatorship, or a parliament, or a communist dictatorship. Voice or no voice, the people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders. That is easy. All you have to do is TELL THEM THEY ARE BEING ATTACKED, and denounce the peacemakers for lack of patriotism and exposing the country to danger. IT WORKS THE SAME IN ANY COUNTRY."  --Hermann Goering, leading Nazi party member, at the Nuremberg War Crime Trials 

 

Conservatives:  Pushing for a small enough government to be a guest in your living room, or even better - your uterus.