# America sucks! **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [September 5, 2003, 3:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/america-sucks/199655 "2003-09-05T03:52:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Kyomara](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/8edcca/32.png) [@Kyomara](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kyomara)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2003, 11:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/america-sucks/199655/41 "2003-09-05T11:32:36Z")
Quit bugging me, kid. Don’t you have a big ugly maple leaf patch you could be stitching to your shoulder bag or something? Run along now. ---
**Author:** ![Odesio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/odesio/32/20003_2.png) [@Odesio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Odesio)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2003, 11:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/america-sucks/199655/42 "2003-09-05T11:37:56Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Meteorshower \* > \*\* > Fortunately I managed to remember my biggest pet peeve. Why the heck do United State’s Citizens insist on calling themselves Americans? Why does the rest of the world insist on calling them Americans? > \*\* Well, let’s see. We’ve been calling ourselves Americans for over 200 years so I guess the name just stuck. As far as I know we’re also the only country in the hemisphere to actually include the word America as part of our nations name. We’re not the United States we’re the United States of America. Marc ---
**Author:** ![Michael\_Ellis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/977dab/32.png) [@Michael\_Ellis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Michael_Ellis)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2003, 11:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/america-sucks/199655/43 "2003-09-05T11:38:16Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Meteorshower \* > \*\*Apparently I haven’t been paying proper attention in geography. Well, with the new territory getting inserted in Canada and that awful “Eurasia” business…no wonder I’m starting to get confused. > > But of course, I’m sure that United State Citizens are somehow to blame for this. I have a suggestion. Lets re-name the United States and call it Adanac. So they can be Adanacians. > > How else are people supposed to flame me for my glaring spelling mistakes and my lousy coding? > > Oh, and thanks for the link Atreyu. \*\* Double :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![Hamadryad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/6de8d8/32.png) [@Hamadryad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hamadryad)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2003, 11:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/america-sucks/199655/44 "2003-09-05T11:40:44Z")
Everyone knows America sucks. I think the real issue is the fact that it very rarely _swallows_. ---
**Author:** ![Neurotik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/91b2a8/32.png) [@Neurotik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Neurotik)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2003, 12:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/america-sucks/199655/45 "2003-09-05T12:03:22Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Hamadryad \* > \*\*Everyone knows America sucks. I think the real issue is the fact that it very rarely _swallows_. \*\* That’s a filthy lie and you know it! Take that back! America may be many negative things, but never so crass as to spit. ---
**Author:** ![Hamadryad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/6de8d8/32.png) [@Hamadryad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hamadryad)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2003, 12:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/america-sucks/199655/46 "2003-09-05T12:27:12Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Neurotik \* > \*\*America may be many negative things, but never so crass as to spit. \*\* Yeah, America doesn’t SPIT…it just lets it dribble all over the floor. I mean, _ew_. ---
**Author:** ![jesuslynch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e99b99/32.png) [@jesuslynch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jesuslynch)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2003, 12:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/america-sucks/199655/47 "2003-09-05T12:40:02Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Meteorshower \* > \*\*… Why the heck do United State’s Citizens insist on calling themselves Americans?.. \*\* Cause Hoser was already taken.🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Zoff](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/6de8d8/32.png) [@Zoff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zoff)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2003, 12:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/america-sucks/199655/48 "2003-09-05T12:43:22Z")
> [@](#): > > _Originally posted by Aro_ > Monty: just had a quick question on this: is this the typical split of North & South America taught in the US? > > IIRC, in European teaching, North America is classed as Canada, the US and Mexico, then South America begins from Guatemala/ Belize down. Is this another little ‘variation’ the pond has caused? Just curious. I believe **Monty** was referring to the seven continents, in which case it’s taught that Central America is part of the North American continet. But, as far as other geographical indica Central America is taught as something distinct from North America. North America as a geopolitical type of classification is classified as Canada, USA and Mexico. ---
**Author:** ![RAWDuke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/71e660/32.png) [@RAWDuke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RAWDuke)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2003, 12:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/america-sucks/199655/49 "2003-09-05T12:50:01Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by friedo \* > \*\*But if we called ourselved “United States Citizens,” how would we differentiate ourselves from citizens of the United States of Mexico? \*\* Isn’t that the United States of New Mexico? I’m so confused. ---
**Author:** ![tiny\_ham](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a183cd/32.png) [@tiny\_ham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tiny_ham)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2003, 1:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/america-sucks/199655/50 "2003-09-05T13:27:14Z")
This is why I avoid all confusion and call myself a “Chicagoan” ---
**Author:** ![Aro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b3f665/32.png) [@Aro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aro)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2003, 1:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/america-sucks/199655/51 "2003-09-05T13:49:30Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Zoff \* > \*\*I believe **Monty** was referring to the seven continents, in which case it’s taught that Central America is part of the North American continet. > > But, as far as other geographical indica Central America is taught as something distinct from North America. North America as a geopolitical type of classification is classified as Canada, USA and Mexico. \*\* I’ve been doing a little googling and noticed that most maps of the area agree with **Monty** and class South America as starting at Columbia, rather than including central America. (and other maps include central America as part of ‘North America’). So it must be just another of those quaint little differences in perspective we have from across the pond. 😉 Unless of course it was only MY school which taught things differently. ---
**Author:** ![Computer\_Guru](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ed655f/32.png) [@Computer\_Guru](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Computer_Guru)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2003, 1:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/america-sucks/199655/52 "2003-09-05T13:57:37Z")
Citizens of the United States are called Americans because that’s the accepted name all around the world. Also, There is only 2 continents with America in their names, and those are North and South America. Where’s the third one at? ---
**Author:** ![tomndebb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@tomndebb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomndebb)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2003, 2:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/america-sucks/199655/53 "2003-09-05T14:03:31Z")
Of _course_ America sucks. If America stopped sucking, that ice floe you live on would simply float on up to the North Pole and all the jokes about polar bears in Vancouver and Toronto would come true. Meanwhile, Mexico would simply collapse down over South America like an old sock where the elastic in the ankle had worn out, dragging Central America down with it. America anchors this continent and makes it _whole_. You should be thanking us instead of whining at us. ---
**Author:** ![Elenfair](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/cc9497/32.png) [@Elenfair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elenfair)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2003, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/america-sucks/199655/54 "2003-09-05T14:57:50Z")
\*Eille, la puce, réveille… \* French-canadian chiming in. Be angry at the darn anglos who stole our name (Canadiens) when we lost the war (thanks, France, for letting us hang…) not americans… I know very few Canadians who support your position - french or otherwise. The US has always used “American” as their nationality, and as part of their identity. Yep, we’re also north-American, but for crying out loud, why take offence to them using the word “American”! Do you REALLY badly wanna be able to sing “America the Beautiful” and claim it as our own? It’s time we develop our OWN identity. As franco-canadians. Or hell, as Canadians \* tout court \*. Personally, I’m a proud Franco-Ontarian, with my québécois roots, and I’m proud to be distinct. (Yeah yeah, so I’m a separatist. Sue me, damnit.) Meh! E. ---
**Author:** ![Weirddave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/919ad9/32.png) [@Weirddave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Weirddave)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2003, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/america-sucks/199655/55 "2003-09-05T15:19:39Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Meteorshower \* > \*\*Canada. That’s pretty. That just rolls off people’s tongues. You can easily imagine people standing up and shouting, “I AM CANADIAN”. \*\* And then using it as a slogan to sell beer. Not that there is anything wrong with selling beer, mind you, but it’s hardly on the order of housing the homeless or healing the sick. ---
**Author:** ![Waverly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/57b2e6/32.png) [@Waverly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Waverly)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2003, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/america-sucks/199655/56 "2003-09-05T15:23:56Z")
Elen, what kind of secessionist lives in Ontario? If Quebec up and kissed off - or drifted off into the Atlantic in accordance with the prayers of many anglo-Canadians - you’d be left behind. This makes about as much sense as calling in an airstrike on your own position. ---
**Author:** ![Meka\_Leka\_Hi\_Meka\_Hiney\_Ho](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f19dbf/32.png) [@Meka\_Leka\_Hi\_Meka\_Hiney\_Ho](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Meka_Leka_Hi_Meka_Hiney_Ho)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2003, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/america-sucks/199655/57 "2003-09-05T15:26:36Z")
I don’t understand… is the OP saying the word “America” is ideally used to describe most of a hemisphere? That doesn’t make any sense at all. It seems pretty easy to connect the dots on this one, given that Americans are so called because they’re from America, so called because it takes a really long time to say United States of America, so called because at the time it was formed it was probably the only group of united states on the continent. Of course, somebody who knows what the hell they’re talking about is totally welcome to come along and substantiate that for me, since I really don’t care enough to research it. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![lno](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/a8b319/32.png) [@lno](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lno)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2003, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/america-sucks/199655/58 "2003-09-05T15:56:30Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Waverly \* > Elen, what kind of secessionist lives in Ontario? If Quebec up and kissed off - or drifted off into the Atlantic in accordance with the prayers of many anglo-Canadians - you’d be left behind. This makes about as much sense as calling in an airstrike on your own position. The kind that lives in Minneapolis right now, actually. So a Pole living in another country from 1795 to 1918 shouldn’t have bothered to advocate for Prussia, Austria and Russia to give their ancestral country back? Just curious - do you have to reside on the piece of land in question to take pride and interest in it? ---
**Author:** ![kingpengvin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9dc877/32.png) [@kingpengvin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kingpengvin)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2003, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/america-sucks/199655/59 "2003-09-05T15:59:28Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Waverly \* > \*\*Elen, what kind of secessionist lives in Ontario? \*\* Ahem! Just a point of clarrification Secessionist is a term of Souther United statsians North Americans from the confedreate States of America while Francophone Quebecois Canadien North Americans refer to themselves as seperatistes or Seperatists by English Canadian North American standards. If you happen to be an English Disgruntled non Manitoba non BC Western Canaidan North American the the term would be traitor. Of course some English Central Canaidan North Americans refer to them as English Western Redneck Canadian North Americans, which is in reality a disparaging term stolen from Southern, former confederate Statsian United Statsian American North Americans, which as you can see is quite unfair all around. I’m unsure what the Japanese Asian Western Canaidan North American or even the English speaking Polish Eastern European Maritime Canadian North American thinks of such things. Then again I don’t know what A spanish Speaking Polonisian ex hippie Californian United Statsian American North American thinks either but I’m sure se has an equally valid oppinion on this. See how we can avoid misunderstandings of this Nature with a simple calrrification of terms? ---
**Author:** ![kingpengvin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9dc877/32.png) [@kingpengvin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kingpengvin)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2003, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/america-sucks/199655/60 "2003-09-05T16:14:06Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by lno \* > \*\*The kind that lives in Minneapolis right now, actually. > > So a Pole living in another country from 1795 to 1918 shouldn’t have bothered to advocate for Prussia, Austria and Russia to give their ancestral country back? Just curious - do you have to reside on the piece of land in question to take pride and interest in it? \*\* Just a Hijack here, but Canada did not Conquer or Annex Quebec, Britain did. Britain ceded colonial control of that land at the time of Confederation. Canada as a nation was created by treaty between the existing colonies. Quebec co created Canada willingly by vote and by the will of its people through plebicite. Their land was not taken. Knock off the silly comparisons. If you take real interest then take the time to understand the history please. The grievence that exists between Quebec and Canada is a province and the rules of the existing confederation it is in, not as a conquered nation and occupier. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/america-sucks/199655.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/america-sucks/199655.md?page=4)