What's wrong with American citizens ?

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The "Ugly American" that MacBeth describes is very real, and does a good job of damaging the national reputation. The internet makes it easier for such people to spread their message.

I have known people that sound exactly like the characters in Talladega Nights - they literally believe that Pizza, Chinese food and the French fry were invented in America. Are all Americans like that? Clearly not. But the American ego can be amazingly large at inappropriate times, and ignorance is a big part of that.

Many conservatives are critical of the 'self-esteem' movement that grew in the 1960s. They don't believe that you should try to protect a child's self esteem at all costs. Without providing honest feedback (that is sometimes critical), the child becomes out of tune with the real world, and never develops or makes progress. Guess what? The same is true of nations. America could use more criticism.

If America didn't have so many people that prefer supernatural explanations to scientific evolution, it wouldn't have to defend itself on this issue. If America didn't push ineffective abstinence-only sex education, the rates of gonnorhea in the US would not be 25 times higher than in Germany, where a medically sound curriculum focuses on reducing risk factors, not promoting a religious agenda.

Still more idiotic generalization. Tsk, tsk...

First up, if you can find me an internet outlet that LACKS a "gobby yank", let me know. I'll wager its a foreign language one. Second.. every one i've been on, however fleetingly, has posts or comments by a "gobby yank". Third.. its not just ME that says that. Other people (from a variety of nations worldwide) have all mentioned the same phenomena, having travelled the net far and wide between them. People I do know, people I dont know.

I also quantified that there is a "group of individuals", if you wil excuse the obvious oxymoron. And I quote "Yes, these are individuals, and not reflective of the mindset of all americans. But they exist as a group." So I'm not talking about ALL americans, nor was I ever. From the same experience area I am aware of MANY americans who are NOT overopinionated egocentric nationalist frothers as well. I'm also aware of, and indeed close friends, with several americans who are appalled regularly by the crass behaviour of some of their countrymen. At least one woman of middle years felt forced to leave an IRC server for several weeks at a time, such was the anti-american sentiment generated there, and all generated because of a few fractious individuals of american nationality, acting in just the way I have described. She was chiefly upset NOT at the fact people were attacking HER country, but at the way these individuals managed to make her nation look bad, stupid, and uneducated. Incidentally, its not just the Internet. i know several people who have visited, lived in, or were born in America, and they've met similar sentiments quite a lot.

And I did clarify that IN MY EXPERIENCE, the better debaters come from elsewhere, so that wasn't overgeneralisation either.

So, who exactly is overgeneralising?

America's popularity in the world has dropped markedly in the past 5 years. It will have economic, political and military costs. It didn't happen by accident.

Ah, the popularity contest. AS folks know all about that.

Translation please.

My bad.. slipped into the slang again.

Directly.. Yank is a generic term for americans used "over here", mostly occuring after WW2, and predominantly derived from "Yankee." (like the germans are "krauts" or "the hun" or "fritz", or the english are "pommies" or "limeys".) Its not particularly a racial slur or a derogatory term, as it can be used in the affectionate.

Gobby.. is a bit of more local colour, a colloquialism usually indicating someone loudmouthed and overbearing, derived from the word "Gob", indicating the mouth. Its mostly an english term, methinks, and again isn't neccesarily a bad thing per se. Rather depends on where you come from.

Its also faster than writing "loud overbearing egocentric etc etc american" every other line. (Ie the group I was referring to.)

I guess I ought to thank you for so graphically illustrating my point about your blatant generalizations.

Maybe I wasnt specific enough. "Gobby yank" is a damn sight quicker and easier to read than writing "The loud-mouth american (often a teen, but just as often not.) who is convinced that there are no other countries than america, that america has won every war ever, including the ones it wasnt in, and has such an egocentric view of the world that the rest of it barely even exists to them, except as somewhere to laugh about or bomb. They owe nothing to the rest of the world, and believe that only America should even exist." which is what I was referring to. In the vernacular, it means much the same thing.

So, to be more specific.. my apparent generalisations about .. ahem..

"The loud-mouth american (often a teen, but just as often not.) who is convinced that there are no other countries than america, that america has won every war ever, including the ones it wasnt in, and has such an egocentric view of the world that the rest of it barely even exists to them, except as somewhere to laugh about or bomb. They owe nothing to the rest of the world, and believe that only America should even exist."

... are not generalisations, as i have pointed out, but specific descriptions of a vocal minority who give the rest of the world the impression that you are all .. excuse me

" The loud-mouth american (often a teen, but just as often not.) who is convinced that there are no other countries than america, that america has won every war ever, including the ones it wasnt in, and has such an egocentric view of the world that the rest of it barely even exists to them, except as somewhere to laugh about or bomb. They owe nothing to the rest of the world, and believe that only America should even exist." (You begin to see why I settled for the vernacular now.)

These people DO exist, and we have ALL met them. Or are them.. or know them, or know of them, or have heard of them.

Generalising would be if I declared you were ALL "gobby yanks." Never said that.

Alright, Kia Ora, another fine week on sports review, first up everyone is asking 'what is wrong with America?'.
What is going on over there in the Wrong Planet forum Geoff...

... well we're coming into half time and its mighty 7 for the world side but the US has failed to move of the baseline and they are still on O...

Thats right Geoff, they came out swinging and Uncle Beer made a few lame dashes for the turf hoping to Hollywood a penalty or two, but the third ref was consulted and every time closer analysis showed there was little depth to the arguments.

...Oh Brian, Macbeth and monty made fine use of a long pass from the Australian signing BazzaMcKenzie and ran circles around any US argument which mainly consisted of short rhetorical or quizical stabs, they don't seem to have the depth on the bench to truly compete at the international level here so no-one need be surprised at how this match will finish...tzzzz..tztztzzzztzzz.......tzzzzztzztz PING!....

Best laugh I've had all day! I just think that it's very difficult for some Americans to recognize that the U.S. is not the center of the universe. Yet, what do you expect from a nation founded on the premise of creating a new order where it will give "light" to the world? There's nothing like taking an idea of the Enlightenment and twisting it to the point where it becomes unenlightened and ignorant: America has been blinded by its own light!

seems some people think America has a monopoly on "ugly" citizens.

Good thing none of you have met an "ugly Australian" yet.

Personally, I would rather spend time with a Louisiana red-neck than an East End Chav.

If you plan on hanging with Louisiana boys, you might like to watch a the film about the life of Huey P. Long, one of the 'greatest' men Louisiana has ever seen. Actually, there are a bunch of movies about Long. The most recent (All the King's Men, 2006) was very good. It features Sean Penn, Jude Law, Kate Winslet, Anthony Hopkins, James Gandolfini, Patricia Clarkson, and Mark Ruffalo.

Oh, let's add a little fuel to the fire, shall we?

"Arthur Jensen: It is the international system of currency which determines the vitality of life on this planet. THAT is the natural order of things today. THAT is the atomic and subatomic and galactic structure of things today. And YOU have meddled with the primal forces of nature. And YOU WILL ATONE. Am I getting through to you, Mr. Beale? You get up on your little 21-inch screen and howl about America, and democracy. There is no America; there is no democracy. There is only IBM, and ITT, and AT&T, and DuPont, Dow, Union Carbide, and Exxon. Those are the nations of the world today."


Network (1976)

I love the Kingfish.

Too bad he was a populist,
and thus was killed.