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Anti Federalist
07-12-2012, 03:21 PM
An interesting read.

ETA - Ugh, copypasta format fail, sorry, fixed.




10 Things Most Americans Don’t Know About America

http://postmasculine.com/america

Imagine you have a brother and he’s an alcoholic. He has his moments, but you keep your distance from him. You don’t mind him for the occasional family gathering or holiday. You still love him. But you don’t want to be around him.

This is how I lovingly describe my current relationship with the United States. The United States is my alcoholic brother. And although I will always love him, I don’t want to be near him at the moment.

I know that’s harsh, but I really feel my home country is not in a good place these days. That’s not a socio-economic statement (although that’s on the decline as well), but rather a cultural one.

I realize it’s going to be impossible to write sentences like the ones above without coming across as a raging prick, so let me try to soften the blow to my American readers with an analogy:

You know when you move out of your parents’ house and live on your own, how you start hanging out with your friends’ families and you realize that actually, your family was a little screwed up? Stuff you always assumed was normal your entire childhood, it turns out was pretty weird and may have actually fucked you up a little bit. You know, dad thinking it was funny to wear a Santa Claus hat in his underwear every Christmas or the fact that you and your sister slept in the same bed until you were 22, or that your mother routinely cried over a bottle of wine while listening to Elton John.

The point is we don’t really get perspective on what’s close to us until we spend time away from it. Just like you didn’t realize the weird quirks and nuances of your family until you left and spent time with others, the same is true for country and culture. You often don’t see what’s messed up about your country and culture until you step outside of it.

And so even though this article is going to come across as fairly scathing, I want my American readers to know: some of the stuff we do, some of the stuff that we always assumed was normal, it’s kind of screwed up. And that’s OK. Because that’s true with every culture. It’s just easier to spot it in others (i.e., the French) so we don’t always notice it in ourselves.

So as you read this article, know that I’m saying everything with tough love, the same tough love with which I’d sit down and lecture an alcoholic family member. It doesn’t mean I don’t love you. It doesn’t mean there aren’t some awesome things about you (BRO, THAT’S AWESOME!!!). And it doesn’t mean I’m some saint either, because god knows I’m pretty screwed up (I’m American, after all). There are just a few things you need to hear. And as a friend, I’m going to tell them to you.

And to my foreign readers, get your necks ready, because this is going to be a nod-a-thon.

A Little “What The Hell Does This Guy Know?” Background:

I’ve lived in different parts of the US, both the deep south and the northeast. I have visited most of the US’s 50 states. I’ve spent the past three years living almost entirely outside of the United States. I’ve lived in multiple countries in Europe, Asia and South America. I’ve visited over 40 countries in all and have spent far more time with non-Americans than with Americans during this period. I speak multiple languages. I’m not a tourist. I don’t stay in resorts and rarely stay in hostels. I rent apartments and try to integrate myself into each country I visit as much as possible. So there.

(Note: I realize these are generalizations and I realize there are always exceptions. I get it. You don’t have to post 55 comments telling me that you and your best friend are exceptions. If you really get that offended from some guy’s blog post, you may want to double-check your life priorities.)

OK, we’re ready now. 10 things Americans don’t know about America.

1. Few People Are Impressed By Us

Unless you’re speaking with a real estate agent or a prostitute, chances are they’re not going to be excited that you’re American. It’s not some badge of honor we get to parade around. Yes, we had Steve Jobs and Thomas Edison, but unless you actually are Steve Jobs or Thomas Edison (which is unlikely) then most people around the world are simply not going to care. There are exceptions of course. And those exceptions are called English and Australian people. Whoopdie-fucking-doo.

As Americans, we’re brought up our entire lives being taught that we’re the best, we did everything first and that the rest of the world follows our lead. Not only is this not true, but people get irritated when you bring it to their country with you. So don’t.

2. Few People Hate Us

Despite the occasional eye-rolling, and complete inability to understand why anyone would vote for George W. Bush, people from other countries don’t hate us either. In fact — and I know this is a really sobering realization for us — most people in the world don’t really think about us or care about us. I know, that sounds absurd, especially with CNN and Fox News showing the same 20 angry Arab men on repeat for ten years straight. But unless we’re invading someone’s country or threatening to invade someone’s country (which is likely), then there’s a 99.99% chance they don’t care about us. Just like we rarely think about the people in Bolivia or Mongolia, most people don’t think about us much. They have jobs, kids, house payments — you know, those things called lives — to worry about. Kind of like us.

Americans tend to assume that the rest of the world either loves us or hates us (this is actually a good litmus test to tell if someone is conservative or liberal). The fact is, most people feel neither. Most people don’t think much about us.

Remember that immature girl in high school, who every little thing that happened to her meant that someone either hated her or was obsessed with her; who thought every teacher who ever gave her a bad grade was being totally unfair and everything good that happened to her was because of how amazing she was? Yeah, we’re that immature high school girl.

3. We Know Nothing About The Rest Of The World

For all of our talk about being global leaders and how everyone follows us, we don’t seem to know much about our supposed “followers.” Here were some brain-stumpers for me: the Vietnamese believe the Vietnam War was about China (not us), Hitler was primarily defeated by Russia (not us), Native Americans were wiped out by a plague (not us), and the American Revolution was “won” because the British cared more about beating France (not us). Notice a running theme here?

(Hint: It’s not all about us.)

We did not invent democracy. We didn’t even invent modern democracy. There were parliamentary systems in England and other parts of Europe over a hundred years before we created government. In a recent survey of young Americans, 63% could not find Iraq on a map (despite being at war with them), and 54% did not know Sudan was a country in Africa. Yet, somehow we’re positive that everyone else looks up to us.

4. We Are Poor At Expressing Gratitude And Affection

There’s a saying about English-speakers. We say “Go fuck yourself,” when we really mean “I like you,” and we say “I like you,” when we really mean “Go fuck yourself.”

Outside of getting shit-housed drunk and screaming “I LOVE YOU, MAN!”, open displays of affection in American culture are tepid and rare. Latin and some European cultures describe us as “cold” and “passionless” and for good reason. In our social lives we don’t say what we mean and we don’t mean what we say.

In our culture, appreciation and affection are implied rather than spoken outright. Two guy friends call each other names to reinforce their friendship; men and women tease and make fun of each other to imply interest. Feelings are almost never shared openly and freely. Consumer culture has cheapened our language of gratitude. Something like, “It’s so good to see you” is empty now because it’s expected and heard from everybody.

In dating, when I find a woman attractive, I almost always walk right up to her and tell her that a) I wanted to meet her, and b) she’s beautiful. In America, women usually get incredibly nervous and confused when I do this. They’ll make jokes to defuse the situation or sometimes ask me if I’m part of a TV show or something playing a prank. Even when they’re interested and go on dates with me, they get a bit disoriented when I’m so blunt with my interest. Whereas, in almost every other culture approaching women this way is met with a confident smile and a “Thank you.”

5. The Quality of Life For The Average American Is Not That Great

If you’re extremely talented or intelligent, the US is probably the best place in the world to live. The system is stacked heavily to allow people of talent and advantage to rise to the top quickly.

The problem with the US is that everyone thinks they are of talent and advantage. As John Steinbeck famously said, the problem with poor Americans is that “they don’t believe they’re poor, but rather temporarily embarrassed millionaires.” It’s this culture of self-delusion that allows America to continue to innovate and churn out new industry more than anyone else in the world. But this shared delusion also unfortunately keeps perpetuating large social inequalities and the quality of life for the average citizen lower than most other developed countries. It’s the price we pay to maintain our growth and economic dominance.

In my Guide to Wealth, I defined being wealthy as, “Having the freedom to maximize one’s life experiences.” In those terms, despite the average American having more material wealth than citizens of most other countries (more cars, bigger houses, nicer televisions), their overall quality of life suffers in my opinion. American people on average work more hours with less vacation, spend more time commuting every day, and are saddled with over $10,000 of debt. That’s a lot of time spent working and buying crap and little time or disposable income for relationships, activities or new experiences.

6. The Rest Of The World Is Not A Slum-Ridden Shithole Compared To Us

In 2010, I got into a taxi in Bangkok to take me to a new six-story cineplex. It was accessible by metro, but I chose a taxi instead. On the seat in front of me was a sign with a wifi password. Wait, what? I asked the driver if he had wifi in his taxi. He flashed a huge smile. The squat Thai man, with his pidgin English, explained that he had installed it himself. He then turned on his new sound system and disco lights. His taxi instantly became a cheesy nightclub on wheels… with free wifi.

If there’s one constant in my travels over the past three years, it has been that almost every place I’ve visited (especially in Asia and South America) is much nicer and safer than I expected it to be. Singapore is pristine. Hong Kong makes Manhattan look like a suburb. My neighborhood in Colombia is nicer than the one I lived in in Boston (and cheaper).

As Americans, we have this naïve assumption that people all over the world are struggling and way behind us. They’re not. Sweden and South Korea have more advanced high speed internet networks. Japan has the most advanced trains and transportation systems. Norwegians make more money. The biggest and most advanced plane in the world is flown out of Singapore. The tallest buildings in the world are now in Dubai and Shanghai. Meanwhile, the US has the highest incarceration rate in the world.

What’s so surprising about the world is how unsurprising most of it is. I spent a week with some local guys in Cambodia. You know what their biggest concerns were? Paying for school, getting to work on time, and what their friends were saying about them. In Brazil, people have debt problems, hate getting stuck in traffic and complain about their overbearing mothers. Every country thinks they have the worst drivers. Every country thinks their weather is unpredictable. The world becomes, err… predictable.

7. We’re Paranoid

Not only are we emotionally insecure as a culture, but I’ve come to realize how paranoid we are about our physical security. You don’t have to watch Fox News or CNN for more than 10 minutes to hear about how our drinking water is going to kill us, our neighbor is going to rape our children, some terrorist in Yemen is going to kill us because we didn’t torture him, Mexicans are going to kill us, or some virus from a bird is going to kill us. There’s a reason we have more guns than people.

In the US, security trumps everything, even liberty. We’re paranoid.

I’ve probably been to 10 countries now that friends and family back home told me explicitly not to go because someone was going to kill me, kidnap me, stab me, rob me, rape me, sell me into sex trade, give me HIV, or whatever else. None of that has happened. I’ve never been robbed and I’ve walked through some of the shittiest parts of Asia, Latin America and Eastern Europe.

In fact, the experience has been the opposite. In countries like Russia, Colombia or Guatemala, people were so friendly it actually scared me. Some stranger in a bar would invite me to his house for a bar-b-que with his family, a random person on the street would offer to show me around and give me directions to a store I was trying to find. My American instincts were always that, “Wait, this guy is going to try to rob me or kill me,” but they never did. They were just insanely friendly.

8. We’re Status-Obsessed And Seek Attention

I’ve noticed that the way we Americans communicate is usually designed to create a lot of attention and hype. Again, I think this is a product of our consumer culture: the belief that something isn’t worthwhile or important unless it’s perceived to be the best (BEST EVER!!!) or unless it gets a lot of attention (see: every reality-television show ever made).

This is why Americans have a peculiar habit of thinking everything is “totally awesome,” and even the most mundane activities were “the best thing ever!” It’s the unconscious drive we share for importance and significance, this unmentioned belief, socially beaten into us since birth that if we’re not the best at something, then we don’t matter.

We’re status-obsessed. Our culture is built around achievement, production and being exceptional. Therefore comparing ourselves and attempting to out-do one another has infiltrated our social relationships as well. Who can slam the most beers first? Who can get reservations at the best restaurant? Who knows the promoter to the club? Who dated a girl on the cheerleading squad? Socializing becomes objectified and turned into a competition. And if you’re not winning, the implication is that you are not important and no one will like you.

9. We Are Very Unhealthy

Unless you have cancer or something equally dire, the health care system in the US sucks. The World Health Organization ranked the US 37th in the world for health care, despite the fact that we spend the most per capita by a large margin.

The hospitals are nicer in Asia (with European-educated doctors and nurses) and cost a tenth as much. Something as routine as a vaccination costs multiple hundreds of dollars in the US and less than $10 in Colombia. And before you make fun of Colombian hospitals, Colombia is 28th in the world on that WHO list, nine spots higher than us.

A routine STD test that can run you over $200 in the US is free in many countries to anyone, citizen or not. My health insurance the past year? $65 a month. Why? Because I live outside of the US. An American guy I met living in Buenos Aires got knee surgery on his ACL that would have cost $10,000 in the US… for free.

But this isn’t really getting into the real problems of our health. Our food is killing us. I’m not going to go crazy with the details, but we eat chemically-laced crap because it’s cheaper and tastes better (profit, profit). Our portion sizes are absurd (more profit). And we’re by far the most prescribed nation in the world AND our drugs cost five to ten times more than they do even in Canada (ohhhhhhh, profit, you sexy bitch).

In terms of life expectancy, despite being the richest country in the world, we come in a paltry 38th. Right behind Cuba, Malta and the United Arab Emirates, and slightly ahead of Slovenia, Kuwait and Uruguay. Enjoy your Big Mac.

10. We Mistake Comfort For Happiness

The United States is a country built on the exaltation of economic growth and personal ingenuity. Small businesses and constant growth are celebrated and supported above all else — above affordable health care, above respectable education, above everything. Americans believe it’s your responsibility to take care of yourself and make something of yourself, not the state’s, not your community’s, not even your friend’s or family’s in some instances.

Comfort sells easier than happiness. Comfort is easy. It requires no effort and no work. Happiness takes effort. It requires being proactive, confronting fears, facing difficult situations, and having unpleasant conversations.

Comfort equals sales. We’ve been sold comfort for generations and for generations we bought: bigger houses, separated further and further out into the suburbs; bigger TV’s, more movies, and take-out. The American public is becoming docile and complacent. We’re obese and entitled. When we travel, we look for giant hotels that will insulate us and pamper us rather than for legitimate cultural experiences that may challenge our perspectives or help us grow as individuals.

Depression and anxiety disorders are soaring within the US. Our inability to confront anything unpleasant around us has not only created a national sense of entitlement, but it’s disconnected us from what actually drives happiness: relationships, unique experiences, feeling self-validated, achieving personal goals. It’s easier to watch a NASCAR race on television and tweet about it than to actually get out and try something new with a friend.

Unfortunately, a by-product of our massive commercial success is that we’re able to avoid the necessary emotional struggles of life in lieu of easy superficial pleasures.

*********************

Throughout history, every dominant civilization eventually collapsed because it became TOO successful. What made it powerful and unique grows out of proportion and consumes its society. I think this is true for American society. We’re complacent, entitled and unhealthy. My generation is the first generation of Americans who will be worse off than their parents, economically, physically and emotionally. And this is not due to a lack of resources, to a lack of education or to a lack of ingenuity. It’s corruption and complacency. The corruption from the massive industries that control our government’s policies, and the fat complacency of the people to sit around and let it happen.

There are things I love about my country. I don’t hate the US and I still return to it a few times a year. But I think the greatest flaw of American culture is our blind self-absorption. In the past it only hurt other countries. But now it’s starting to hurt ourselves.

So this is my lecture to my alcoholic brother — my own flavor of arrogance and self-absorption, even if slightly more informed — in hopes he’ll give up his wayward ways. I imagine it’ll fall on deaf ears, but it’s the most I can do for now. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have some funny cat pictures to look at.

tod evans
07-12-2012, 03:28 PM
Worth the time!

Zippyjuan
07-12-2012, 03:55 PM
Full of excellent points!

PierzStyx
07-12-2012, 04:22 PM
True true. My only complaint is that he successively put America's weaknesses against other nation's strengths. It may prove his point, put only so far.

Acala
07-12-2012, 04:30 PM
The only thing that ever made this country special was liberty. And we have pissed it away.

ghengis86
07-12-2012, 04:44 PM
I disagree on some, or at least think some things are mischaracterized. But on the whole, a very good read. Thanks for sharing.

Anti Federalist
07-12-2012, 04:47 PM
The only thing that ever made this country special was liberty. And we have pissed it away.

At the end of the day, after all the dust settles, that.

sevin
07-12-2012, 05:03 PM
Wow, great read! I already knew a few of the points, but it still changed my perspective.

I love this pic from the article:

http://postmasculine.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/23215191.jpg

heavenlyboy34
07-12-2012, 05:04 PM
Nice piece. Reminds me of this now-famous image:

http://wemeantwell.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/USA-map.jpg

Demigod
07-12-2012, 05:08 PM
Everyone of this points can be fixed by simply taking your head our of the ass.

The USA politicians how the USA should not be isolationist and on the other hand everything you do as a society is to build a wall between your self's and the world.And this is part of every aspect in your life.This divide can be easily seen in your entertainment industry from movies and music to sports.

FFS the NBA calls its self the world championship without eveн playing anyone from around the world.In Europe we have the League of Champions but we do not consider it a World Championship.

heavenlyboy34
07-12-2012, 05:35 PM
Everyone of this points can be fixed by simply taking your head our of the ass.

The USA politicians how the USA should not be isolationist and on the other hand everything you do as a society is to build a wall between your self's and the world.And this is part of every aspect in your life.This divide can be easily seen in your entertainment industry from movies and music to sports.

FFS the NBA calls its self the world championship without eveн playing anyone from around the world.In Europe we have the League of Champions but we do not consider it a World Championship.
NBA championships are called just that-not "world championships". You're probably thinking of the World Series in baseball. However, that is just a tradition that developed along with the sport.

Demigod
07-12-2012, 05:44 PM
NBA championships are called just that-not "world championships". You're probably thinking of the World Series in baseball. However, that is just a tradition that developed along with the sport.


I noticed the world championship part this season for the first time.There was a commercial this playoffs with Paul Pierce where he talked about the championship titles Boston had won and how much effort it took to get them and i noticed that 4 of the banners had world championship written on them.But in any case here is a link from the Celtics official site where it says they have 14 world championships

http://www.nba.com/celtics/history/ChampionshipWins.html

I don't care about baseball and american football because you are the only ones that play those sports anyway so you can cal the winners what ever you want.

MelissaWV
07-12-2012, 06:32 PM
True true. My only complaint is that he successively put America's weaknesses against other nation's strengths. It may prove his point, put only so far.

Devil's Advocate:

Doesn't the author also go out of his way to talk about America, while not living in America, hence kind of contradicting the notion that residents of other nations don't think about us that much? :p

RickyJ
07-12-2012, 06:32 PM
I don't care about baseball and american football because you are the only ones that play those sports anyway so you can cal the winners what ever you want.

What country are you from and why do you think only the USA plays baseball?

Baseball is the number one sport in Japan.

Mani
07-12-2012, 11:28 PM
I noticed the world championship part this season for the first time.There was a commercial this playoffs with Paul Pierce where he talked about the championship titles Boston had won and how much effort it took to get them and i noticed that 4 of the banners had world championship written on them.But in any case here is a link from the Celtics official site where it says they have 14 world championships

http://www.nba.com/celtics/history/ChampionshipWins.html

I don't care about baseball and american football because you are the only ones that play those sports anyway so you can cal the winners what ever you want.

Yes I get annoyed when the North American sports championships refer to themselves as world champions. The NBA used to be worse. They used to advertise the finals with the word "world championship" in the name and the Logos and such of the finals had world championship in it. They still talk about being world champs.

In NFL they usually just refer it just as Super Bowl winners thankfully, but I do hear the commentators and others during the victory speeches talking about being "World champions" Ugh, I groan every time. And that was BEFORE I moved abroad, I just always thought it was so lame.

Mani
07-12-2012, 11:34 PM
What country are you from and why do you think only the USA plays baseball?

Baseball is the number one sport in Japan.

1494

I was in Chiba, Japan and walked into a restaurant, turns out it was more like a sports bar and I freaked out when I saw the logo, for a brief second it reminded me of the Milwaukee Brewers, then I realized it was the Marines baseball team of the town. The colors were more blue at the restaurant and the M's are similar font. Yea, they are hardcore baseball fans over there.

oyarde
07-13-2012, 12:48 AM
Nice piece. Reminds me of this now-famous image:

http://wemeantwell.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/USA-map.jpg LOL , well , the call center & zoo animal thing looks right...

pochy1776
07-25-2012, 11:37 PM
America still has awesome things. Just watch an hour of Larry the cable guy. We also have the constitution.

idiom
07-26-2012, 12:04 AM
The things I could tell you...

America doesn't even know about sugar. Everything tastes better elsewhere because it is made with real fat and sugar instead of transfats and corn syrup.

I like you people so I won't go on.

AuH20
07-26-2012, 12:21 AM
#5 is utter bullshit. Our poor live like kings compared to real slums in Africa or South America. For 300 million people and not some tiny dot on the map like Luxembourg, the quality of life is off the charts.

oyarde
07-26-2012, 12:55 AM
1) & 2) .. make sense 3) Nah, I know a lot , much more than most from other places 4) I am good at 5) & 6) ... Meh, negligable , all about perspective , I do not think I agree 7) I am 8) Not me 9) Meh 10) Interesting , again , though , perspective..

idiom
07-26-2012, 12:55 AM
#5 is utter bullshit. Our poor live like kings compared to real slums in Africa or South America. For 300 million people and not some tiny dot on the map like Luxembourg, the quality of life is off the charts.

Its comparing to other western nations.

Nickels
07-26-2012, 01:33 AM
I'd like to know how one can be happy without comfort. Other than that, the rest is simply saying "we're not the best, or the worst". As for "unhealthy" that's the price we pay for "freedom", we don't want people telling us what to eat, when to exercise, and when to see a doctor.

I don't consider fear, anxiety, stress or depression to be "comfort". Perhaps the person means, short term physical comfort is not happiness, and I agree. But long term, constant comfort, mental and physical, without stress or obligations, IS happiness, I don't know what else you call it.

truelies
07-26-2012, 05:39 AM
Yeah well I still prefer my own folk and my native land to frenchies, hindustanis, moslems or any of the rest. Oh I also wish they would stop coming here.

Victor Grey
07-26-2012, 05:54 AM
Just sounds like leftist talking points. If the point was to humble me it didn't work. Half the things mentioned I like about america.

pochy1776
08-12-2012, 02:50 AM
BUMP. Also, AMERICA is Much Better than CANADA in the 1950s. Today, Canada is better. Unless it is healthcare.

Travlyr
08-12-2012, 08:08 AM
Nice write-up OP.


Nice piece. Reminds me of this now-famous image:

http://wemeantwell.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/USA-map.jpg

Yep. That is the way the world works according to Tom, Oprah, Bill, Rush, Mike and all the other important celebrities around America as they tell us how to view the world.

BSU kid
08-12-2012, 08:11 AM
3. We Know Nothing About The Rest Of The World

I lol'd at that, I know people who can't even find Canada on a map. :rolleyes:

donnay
08-12-2012, 09:15 AM
Not only are we emotionally insecure as a culture, but I’ve come to realize how paranoid we are about our physical security. You don’t have to watch Fox News or CNN for more than 10 minutes to hear about how our drinking water is going to kill us, our neighbor is going to rape our children, some terrorist in Yemen is going to kill us because we didn’t torture him, Mexicans are going to kill us, or some virus from a bird is going to kill us. There’s a reason we have more guns than people.

In the US, security trumps everything, even liberty. We’re paranoid.

I’ve probably been to 10 countries now that friends and family back home told me explicitly not to go because someone was going to kill me, kidnap me, stab me, rob me, rape me, sell me into sex trade, give me HIV, or whatever else. None of that has happened. I’ve never been robbed and I’ve walked through some of the shittiest parts of Asia, Latin America and Eastern Europe.

In fact, the experience has been the opposite. In countries like Russia, Colombia or Guatemala, people were so friendly it actually scared me. Some stranger in a bar would invite me to his house for a bar-b-que with his family, a random person on the street would offer to show me around and give me directions to a store I was trying to find. My American instincts were always that, “Wait, this guy is going to try to rob me or kill me,” but they never did. They were just insanely friendly.


This is it in a nutshell. Isolation causes paranoia. Then the boobtube/radio/print will tell you all these things are going to happen to you, and that government needs to protect us from these phantoms. They called Ron Paul and Isolationist? No, the system wants us isolated from our own countrymen and the rest of the world, and they love to tell what us to think. This is all done by design. This is why the system is trying to co-opt people into being snitches, to make people become isolated recluses that are paranoid.

We need to get out, talk to people, stop believing what the system tells you. It is a psychological war done to our minds--it's only effective if we allow it.

angelatc
08-12-2012, 09:23 AM
Just sounds like leftist talking points. If the point was to humble me it didn't work. Half the things mentioned I like about america.

Agreed. Especially the socialized medicine crap.

The part about us not knowing much about the rest of the world is true. I was surprised by that when I traveled. The international news was just that - international news. IN the US, international news is about the effect of international news on America. Or vice versa.

Danke
08-12-2012, 09:40 AM
post masculine . com ? Is that your website AF?

Anti Federalist
08-12-2012, 10:30 AM
I'm the first to call out Boobus Americanus, but, this did make a funny point.

http://i.imgur.com/UB0b2.jpg

oyarde
08-12-2012, 11:27 AM
I'm the first to call out Boobus Americanus, but, this did make a funny point.

http://i.imgur.com/UB0b2.jpg Pretty good ;)

Kotin
08-12-2012, 11:31 AM
The point on mistaking comfort for happiness is very poignant.


Thanks for posting.

Anti Federalist
08-12-2012, 12:14 PM
The point on mistaking comfort for happiness is very poignant.


Thanks for posting.

You're welcome, and I thought so too.

And of course, any threat to that comfort that equates incorrectly to happiness, is more than enough to get everybody to step in line and do what they are told.

heavenlyboy34
08-12-2012, 09:16 PM
Nice write-up OP.



Yep. That is the way the world works according to Tom, Oprah, Bill, Rush, Mike and all the other important celebrities around America as they tell us how to view the world.
lol, so true. The combination of epic ignorance and arrogance of Boobus ​is quite amazing.

pochy1776
08-13-2012, 02:49 AM
What is the Libertarian answer to this question?
If Universal healthcare is so bad, why does it work in Europe and every other industrialized nation?

John F Kennedy III
08-13-2012, 02:57 AM
What is the Libertarian answer to this question?
If Universal healthcare is so bad, why does it work in Europe and every other industrialized nation?

It doesn't.

pochy1776
08-13-2012, 03:02 AM
It doesn't.

COULD YOU ELABORATE? I WANT TO SMOKE THOSE PEOPLE. (smug americans, foreigners.)

John F Kennedy III
08-13-2012, 03:45 AM
COULD YOU ELABORATE? I WANT TO SMOKE THOSE PEOPLE. (smug americans, foreigners.)

Here's a great example for Canada's system:

http://www.dominicantoday.com/dr/forum/living-in-the-dr/general-info/1849/The-Canadian-health-care-system-is-a-textbook-case-of-government-failure

whippoorwill
08-13-2012, 06:45 AM
Well he did not shy away from sucking that "Free Health Care" cock.

And what was his point here?
"The United States is a country built on the exaltation of economic growth and personal ingenuity. Small businesses and constant growth are celebrated and supported above all else — above affordable health care, above respectable education, above everything. Americans believe it’s your responsibility to take care of yourself and make something of yourself, not the state’s, not your community’s, not even your friend’s or family’s in some instances."

I guess personal "responsibility" and "making something of yourself" is something I should be ashamed of. Go Fuck Yourself!

whippoorwill
08-13-2012, 06:50 AM
What is the Libertarian answer to this question?
If Universal healthcare is so bad, why does it work in Europe and every other industrialized nation?

Here's a good place to start..but I'll add this Socialism is Slavery, lite.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cf65ULoHlds

and

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8JEXMW9WSlg&feature=g-vrec

specsaregood
08-13-2012, 07:14 AM
COULD YOU ELABORATE? I WANT TO SMOKE THOSE PEOPLE. (smug americans, foreigners.)

It doesn't work because I shouldn't have to pay for your healthcare costs because you chose to smoke people.

Athan
08-13-2012, 02:05 PM
Add a few more to the list. Our elections are rigged, we are bankrupt, we are slaves to the central bankers, and our government is corrupt.

heavenlyboy34
08-13-2012, 02:15 PM
Add a few more to the list. Our elections are rigged, we are bankrupt, we are slaves to the central bankers, and our government is corrupt.
that^^

ZenBowman
08-13-2012, 02:22 PM
Great points. So many people over here literally believe the world is crashing down, all the fucking time.

We need to learn to take things in stride and not piss all over themselves when things get hard. Whatever happened to the "can-do" attitude (and please don't blame liberals, I see this just as much among self-described conservatives and libertarians)? Everyone is a whiner.

Cutlerzzz
08-13-2012, 05:15 PM
Some good points, but a lot of that article came off as "Americans are stupid and the rest of the world isn't", or "Europe is awesome cuz of all of their government mandated holidays".

PaulConventionWV
08-14-2012, 03:36 PM
Devil's Advocate:

Doesn't the author also go out of his way to talk about America, while not living in America, hence kind of contradicting the notion that residents of other nations don't think about us that much? :p

I think he was talking about natives, not "residents."

PaulConventionWV
08-14-2012, 03:48 PM
Well he did not shy away from sucking that "Free Health Care" cock.

And what was his point here?
"The United States is a country built on the exaltation of economic growth and personal ingenuity. Small businesses and constant growth are celebrated and supported above all else — above affordable health care, above respectable education, above everything. Americans believe it’s your responsibility to take care of yourself and make something of yourself, not the state’s, not your community’s, not even your friend’s or family’s in some instances."

I guess personal "responsibility" and "making something of yourself" is something I should be ashamed of. Go Fuck Yourself!

And the "vaccination saves lives" cock.

Also, I just realized he was making fun of "responsibility" and "making something of yourself." It would seem he's a collectivist when examined closely.

pochy1776
08-24-2012, 01:02 PM
And the "vaccination saves lives" cock.

Also, I just realized he was making fun of "responsibility" and "making something of yourself." It would seem he's a collectivist when examined closely.
I am not a collectivist. I just want to know why "free healthcare" seems to work in europe, britain and other "industrialized" countries while universal healthcare here sucked BIG TIME. People seem to forget that people in those countries have patients that DONT want everything the doctor can take out of his handbook. Why do you think the naturopathic industry in the united states is the biggest. Responsibility and making something of yourself is very important in life. That is why the united states is still turning while europe is going to hell.