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America: the world's teenagers?
Former Member
Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
Think about it.
Nation states evolve the limits of their power over time, and resolutions of conflicts via diplomatic means. Most nations have a long and relatively conflict filled history whereby they have learned the limits of their power, and that they can't throw their weight around the international arena forever.
The US is a new state, comparatively. Hell, if we take the formation of the USA as a nation-state as defined by the signature of the Constitution, then my College predates it by about 150 years. Which kinda puts it in perspective, doesn't it?
America needs to grow up. And not behave like a teenager.
Compare:
Discuss
Nation states evolve the limits of their power over time, and resolutions of conflicts via diplomatic means. Most nations have a long and relatively conflict filled history whereby they have learned the limits of their power, and that they can't throw their weight around the international arena forever.
The US is a new state, comparatively. Hell, if we take the formation of the USA as a nation-state as defined by the signature of the Constitution, then my College predates it by about 150 years. Which kinda puts it in perspective, doesn't it?
America needs to grow up. And not behave like a teenager.
Compare:
- Teenagers think they know it all: so does America.
- Teenagers sulk when they're asked to do something they don't want to do: so does America (Kyoto, *not* invading Iraq....)
- Teenagers want to do what they want, when they want: so does America (invading Iraq.... again)
- Teenagers think they're creating something new, when it's all pretty much been done before: so does America. I mean, massive defence spending, Imperial ambitions, invading Iraq repeatedly to create puppet regimes loyal to their masters; they *so* want to be 19th century Britain, right?
- Teenagers don't appreciate how lenient their superiors are with them: neither does America. The UK should slap America properly. Who do they think they are?
- Teenagers have trashy and illiterate cultures which have no meaning to anyone but them. Yeah, 'nuff said.
Discuss
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* Teenagers smoke because they think it's "cool": US creates most of the world's pollution * Teenagers have no respect for "elders": US comments to France recently. * Teenagers don't pick on anyone alone: US always asks "big brother" UK to join them in any campaign. or if we won't get involved they ask someone else (Pakistan - Somalia, Australia - Vietnam...) * Teenagers make pathetic attempts to crew their own beer: Us has Budweiser...
Teenagers love trash metal and other silly music Teenagers watch wrestling Teenagers wear trainers all the time
Is the rest of the world simply just jealous, cause of the fact that the future lies in the hand of the youth?
Not enough Americans on this thread
Sorry to go totally off-topic, but is it "on" or "in" this topic?
So, which of you parents is going to take responisibility?
The United States is a sovereign nation, not a teenager or a child. The analogy is pitiful.
Looking for a bi-centennial celebratory recreation of that little mis-adventure, almost two centuries past?
We might not play so nicely, this time around, but...
If you are are feeling froggy, go ahead and jump.
I'm an American teenager. *smirk*
I've often looked at my country the way you described although I think our pop culture IS cool. Teenagers are also good at introducing new things and keeping elders loose or helping them escape from life. Also, I don't think it's as easy to think of ourselves as dying. From inception, Canada was the good child, the US was the rebel and self-reliance is a core value.
Another way to look at America. Get an Astrology book or look up the sign Cancer on the web. Read the personality traits...that's America. France is Leo...can you say attitude...I thought you could. And the UK is Taurus. English character: loyalty, tradition, stead-fastness.
Anyways to the criticisms. Who's dumber. The dumb person creating the culture? Or the world that eats it up?
But then, what would I know. I'm just a TEENAGER.
Sorry, didn't mean to shout.
Actually, if you knew anythign about anything youd know it was Gorbachev's increasing leanings towards public freedom that gave Yeltsin the leeway to stage the coup. The US didnt even realise it was happening till Yeltsin was in the Kremlin.
The US played no role AT ALL in the downfall nof the USSR. Check your history books.
And even fewer know the whereabouts of Afghanistan, unless they paid attention when CNN had those handy maps up for even teh dumbest of the dumb to understand.
And these people want to rule the world. Stop the world, I want to get off.
There is also a basic flaw in communism/socialism: people work harder when they are working for the benefit of themselves. The influence peddling and politics at the top is always there in socialist countries. And lazy people won't work if everything is taken care of for them. Also all the paperwork involved in "big government" is an inefficient use of labor.
Hmmm...must be why we keep giving pieces of it back...
Germany, Japan, Philippines, Solomons, Panama, Grenada, Kuwait...
:rolleyes:
Our culture will conquer the world. You will be absorbed. Resistance is futile!:p
Come on! You know you can't help but love the teen age gorilla that is unbeatable. Hell, even the Vietnamese want yankee dollars. How ironic is that?:D
Now go buy some Levi's, MacDonalds, and a Coke. Turn on the tube and watch some fine American shows. We forgive you cranky old curmudgeons!
We'll take care of the nasty bad man you are all so afraid of!:D
You've got lots of planes and aircraft carriers and missiles to play with, I'll give you that.
I thought of something else DJP. The people in charge of allowing words into whatever the official dictionary is in the UK, let in less words than they do in the US. They see it as protecting the integrity of English. Whereas in the US there's a childish approach of loving everything new without regard to traditions etc. So the approach to every new word is like cool, what a wierd thing to say.
Canada let's in more words officially than the UK and less than the US.
I am afraid that it will take more than the euro tp bring europe back.
Hmmm...if that is your criteria, I think you need to look East...
http://www.iie.com/papers/bergsten0102-1.pdf
America is the world. We are people from all over the planet. Economically Europe does not stand a chance. The American worker is the most productive on the planet. The American military kicks ass and takes names.
Your time has come and is now past! Your empires are gone and you live in a socialist la-la land. For the forseeable future America is #1 across the board. (We consider soccer a wimpy game except for the riots that invariably break out in the stands.)
You and all the other countries of Europe must recognize your diminished status and deal with it. Chirac thinks for instance that he really has a say in what America does. France is just a wannabe living on glories from centuries past!
We like the people of Europe as that is where the majority of AMericans originated from. We just hope that you folks lighten up!
AMERICAN CULTURE IS CONQUERING THE PLANET!
RESISTANCE IS FUTILE!
YOU WILL BE ASSIMILATED!!!
Talk to me in ten years and we'll see where things stand comparatively.
I'd like to go to the UK, Spain, Italy and Bulgaria sometime. Bulgaria, inspiration for all those famous songs..."I love Bulgaria in the Springtime."
Youd be better off going to Romania. A backward country as well, but a damn site more scenic and the people are much more welcoming and accommadting, especially to Americans. Hungary is also a warm and welcoming place for all its underdevelopment outside of Budapest that is.
Still if you want to see Europe properly then try visiting those countries of whom youve been fed such nonsenical and untrue spin and see for yourself what great nations they are in their own right.
How do you figure anyone has a larger market? A world market is a world market...there is no larger or smaller...
American Corporations do have a significantly larger portion of that market than European Corporations. And will continue to do so.
Nothing lasts forever, you should know that by now Greenie.
True. But if European Corporations continue to do business as Nestle, Unilever and Aventis have, their American competitors will continue to dominate the markets. Heck, in some markets, there is no European competitor.