So you would be a rude guest, that’s just…swell, I guess. I hope that works out for you.
It worked out fine for me. I’ve never had any issue with anybody. Sometimes, people do really want to know your opinion and are not just making conversation. This is how we get to know about each other. Don’t you ever want to hear an outsider’s perspective? If I ask somebody’s opinion, I want an honest opinion, not some bullshit window dressing to make me feel good about myself. And the people asking me questions could smell bullshit a mile away. I couldn’t get away with a typical “polite” American answer.
Carol Stream and Cisco seem to be the quintessential internet warriors. Flaming the living shit out of anyone on the internet for not being a complete candy-ass in real life conversation, like they are forced to be.
What amazes me is the lack of curiosity and the fear of criticism displayed by certain posters here. If you ask a visitor their honest opinion of your country/state/city/neighborhood, do you really not want to hear an honest answer? Why are you even asking the fucking question if all you want to hear is “oh, it’s rather lovely indeed?”
You obviously cannot grasp an argument that is more complicated than fist-pounding absolutes, so I I’m done here for now. If anyone has anything new and rational to say, I’ll have no problem responding.
Eh, forget it. Waste of time.
For the guy who started off the thread with idiotic fist-pounding absolutes, you sure got a lot of nerve trying to pull the superior act. Just thought I’d let you know you’re not fooling anyone.
Oh, You speak for the entire dope? Damn, and I thought I had You (royal You) fooled.
I’ve made over 30 posts to this thread since then, but you sound idiotic in both of yours.
But by responding, you admit that what I posted was both new and rational. Ha ha.
Yep, you got me. Commanding the minds of every Doper gives you immense powers that I cannot resist or deny.
You seem to be quite carried away with this so I should point out, I guess, that “You’re not fooling anyone” is a common expression and isn’t generally meant to imply spokesmanship or mental command. Usually it’s meant to convey the personal opinion that your act is entirely unconvincing.
Anyway, I’m here all night to respond to your inane jabs. And I’m just as serious about that statement as you were about “I’m done here for now”.
I’ve been living in the US slightly longer than you have, and I’d have to say that yes, the Americans DO fly a hell of a lot more flags than anyplace else I’ve been in either Canada or Europe. Admittedly, I haven’t been to Asia, Africa, or Australia but the OP is from Europe and compared to Europe we DO fly a fuckload of flags every day of the year. The number of flags flying the US doesn’t seem excessive to us because we’re used to it - so used to it that I suspect many of us don’t consciously register their presence any more.
The idea that simply noting that Americans fly their flag a hell of a lot more than anyone else seems to, not to mention the average person being far more conversant with the formal ceremony of displaying their national flag than many other people are, is not, in and of itself “Anti-American”. It is simply noting a custom we do not share with others and that others find rather odd about us, even if it seems perfectly normal to us. If a man says “I feel terribly awkward wearing a kilt” is he being anti-Scottish, or is it just that he grew up in society where men wear only pants?
Americans do venerate and obsess about the flag more than just about anyone else in the world. I’m sorry if that’s shocking news to anyone. Personally, it doesn’t bother me - I learned long ago it’s a custom others do find odd. Hence, when a foreigner expresses discomfort at display of flags I do not take it personally, although I point out that not only do we fly the national flag a lot we fly a lot of other flags, too - state, municipal, flags from our ancestor’s nations, etc. We like flags. Why, I’m not sure, but we do.
I’m a bit surprised that there can be an argument that there’s no flag fetish in the US. This really puzzles me. Just to illustrate how other nations deal with their flags, let me just point out some stuff about the Netherlands, which I think is not at all too deviant in Europe when it comes to flags.
The Dutch flag flies from important government buildings about 10 times a year, + when someone senior in the Dutch Royal Family dies. Less important buildings fly their flags about half as often. Some individuals, but not very many, fly their flags on these days as well. Companies are usually closed on these days, so they don’t fly a flag. That’s it. Other than in these circumstances you never really see a Dutch flag flown officially - but people use it to support the Dutch football team or when someone graduate or when a baby was born. But not as a display of nationalism or patriotism. Unless they’re skinheads.
You’re comments are an appreciated addition to this mêlée, but I must offer my condolences to you my friend. If a group as ignorant as the skinheads are the prominent representatives of your countries national pride you gentlemen have some housecleaning to do. Gangs in general are to be despised in my opinion, especially one based on something as foul as nazis. With gangs it’s only a question of when you’ll become one of their enemies. In America I like to think we stand tall and proud, and even if “we” don’t I know “I” sure as hell do. No offense intended to you or your country, sir, but I hope your government won’t put up with their crap for long. Vermin breed and grow in ranks fouling everything they touch, they must be dealt with quickly and harshly to insure they don’t contaminate the community as a whole.
Again we are dealing with different things and I don’t think you get it.
Yes there are plenty of racist idiots in NL but they do not represent national pride by using the flag. That’s your American POV talking. I lived in A’dam for 3 months a few years ago and the Dutch are a very proud lot. They have lots to be proud of IMO, they just go about things in a different way. Yes the skins use the flag a lot but if they didn’t I don’t think the Dutch people or the Irish or many other EU countries would start flying the flag or caring about it like a lot of Americans do. We do it our own ways. Probably some of them would seem strange to you.
Yojimbo is right, Omegaman, the skinheads are by no means the sole representatives of Dutch pride. But they (and some of the newer, more mainstream right-wing populist movements, to be sure) are the only ones to use the flag to do so. Which is probably why lots of other people (and this might go for people elsewhere in Europe as well) are apprehensive to express pride of their country through flag display. To put it bluntly - and do not take this as my view of the institution of the American flag and the role it plays in US society, 'cause it’s not - excessive flaggage is associated with jingoism, fascism and the nazis.
Well I’m not going to get offended and although I could go on wiki to learn this stuff I would prefer to just talk with other men like myself to learn things. It’s not like I’m really old or anything but I feel one of the great things about this message board is learning. Learning from people who live in other countries is something that I would pay way more than 15.00 dollars for as your insight being in the thick of things can’t be learned by some article.Be sure that I have the utmost respect for both you and your country, I do not judge men as it is not my providence to do so. My comments about nazis are made as a whole and just like every other person in the world they have someone who loves them dearly so in that aspect they are just like everyone else. I don’t wan’t to keep going on about being a man but as a person this is why the world is so fucked up in the first place is because we let fear and hate rule us instead of love and compassion. Be sure that as a man I’ve seen more of the hate side of things but as I mature I learn and speak more about love. I know this is kind of off track but as of late I’ve had certain persons attempt to question my honesty and while I realize this is a message board, still I do not put on airs or lie either. I speak the truth because lying is for those who live on the darker side of mens minds. It is what causes us to be weak when really once you conquer your fear and your mind you can do anything you put your mind too. Not to get preachy but this is what I have learned from Jesus. One man *can * make a difference. So thanks for your time sir, as well your perspective.
That’s what I tried to tell them earlier…
This is completely unrelated, but I’ve been meaning to ask you, ken jy van die Lewende Hoop?
Asking you since you’re probably local.
Does anyone else hear the Twilight Zone music?
Dude, you were doing so well for a while there…