# Why do Europeans seem so ungrateful to the US
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-europeans-seem-so-ungrateful-to-the-us/630199
**Category:** The BBQ Pit
**Created:** [August 2, 2012, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-europeans-seem-so-ungrateful-to-the-us/630199 "2012-08-02T18:08:38Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@etv78](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/etv78)
#### Post date: [August 2, 2012, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-europeans-seem-so-ungrateful-to-the-us/630199/1 "2012-08-02T18:08:38Z")
In a Game Room thread about Olympic sports, people are talking about how they’d like to change sports to make them more “European”, not recognizing that US culture is\*\* the\*\* dominant culture on Earth, and that it is becasue of our blood, sweat and $$ that Europeans countries are even around to have to worry about the issue. So Europe: show some gratitiude!
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### Author:  [@EmAnJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EmAnJ)
#### Post date: [August 2, 2012, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-europeans-seem-so-ungrateful-to-the-us/630199/2 "2012-08-02T18:14:14Z")
This is probably going to end up in the pit.
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### Author:  [@AK84](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AK84)
#### Post date: [August 2, 2012, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-europeans-seem-so-ungrateful-to-the-us/630199/3 "2012-08-02T18:18:22Z")
^
And or a banning and suspension.
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### Author:  [@dam0](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dam0)
#### Post date: [August 2, 2012, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-europeans-seem-so-ungrateful-to-the-us/630199/4 "2012-08-02T18:28:38Z")
Seriously…? I don’t know where to start here, but it doesn’t begin with gratitude so I’ll not bite.
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### Author:  [@Tom\_Tildrum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Tildrum)
#### Post date: [August 2, 2012, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-europeans-seem-so-ungrateful-to-the-us/630199/5 "2012-08-02T18:29:24Z")
At least maybe this means an end to the hijacking of the Game Room thread.
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### Author:  [@etv78](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/etv78)
#### Post date: [August 2, 2012, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-europeans-seem-so-ungrateful-to-the-us/630199/6 "2012-08-02T18:31:08Z")
> [@Tom\_Tildrum](#):
>
> At least maybe this means an end to the hijacking of the Game Room thread.
Yup. BTW, why is this a banabke offense?
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### Author:  [@Onomatopoeia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Onomatopoeia)
#### Post date: [August 2, 2012, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-europeans-seem-so-ungrateful-to-the-us/630199/7 "2012-08-02T18:31:16Z")
> [@etv78](#):
>
> In a Game Room thread about Olympic sports, people are talking about how they’d like to change sports to make them more “European”, not recognizing that US culture is\*\* the\*\* dominant culture on Earth, and that it is becasue of our blood, sweat and $$ that Europeans countries are even around to have to worry about the issue. So Europe: show some gratitiude!
You’re joking, right?
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### Author:  [@Living\_Well\_Is\_Best\_Revenge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Living_Well_Is_Best_Revenge)
#### Post date: [August 2, 2012, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-europeans-seem-so-ungrateful-to-the-us/630199/8 "2012-08-02T18:32:07Z")
This will be fun.
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### Author:  [@garygnu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/garygnu)
#### Post date: [August 2, 2012, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-europeans-seem-so-ungrateful-to-the-us/630199/9 "2012-08-02T18:37:07Z")
Let me just pull up a chair…
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### Author:  [@kmshrader](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kmshrader)
#### Post date: [August 2, 2012, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-europeans-seem-so-ungrateful-to-the-us/630199/10 "2012-08-02T18:38:21Z")
This American would like to point out that she doesn’t agree with the OP at all, and hopes that if this does end up pitted the rest of the lovely multicultural world will remember that we’re a country with a whole spectrum of people, and pretty please avoid generalizing.
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### Author:  [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)
#### Post date: [August 2, 2012, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-europeans-seem-so-ungrateful-to-the-us/630199/11 "2012-08-02T18:43:11Z")
Not knowing the original thread, I have to ask: **etv78** , are you being serious here? I presume you’re talking about gratitude related to World War II. American involvement in the war was a big deal, but how does that translate to deference in regard to sports? Internationally, European views on sports are probably closer to the norm than U.S. views. And not to dismiss histroy, but the war ended almost 70 years ago and the U.S. did not win it by itself and certainly didn’t suffer the greatest losses, so maybe playing this card at this date and in this context is _a little_ inappropriate?
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### Author:  [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)
#### Post date: [August 2, 2012, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-europeans-seem-so-ungrateful-to-the-us/630199/12 "2012-08-02T18:43:14Z")
> [@etv78](#):
>
> In a Game Room thread about Olympic sports, people are talking about how they’d like to change sports to make them more “European”, not recognizing that US culture is\*\* the\*\* dominant culture on Earth, and that it is becasue of our blood, sweat and $$ that Europeans countries are even around to have to worry about the issue. So Europe: show some gratitiude!
I whole-heartedly agree. You forgot to add “saved their asses in WWI and WWII”, which is a standard part of the argument. And the Olympics are all European anyway. They didn’t even want us hillbillies in the damn thing to start with. If the Olympics were American we’d have the best pro athletes in the world competing in every event since the modern games started. And maybe we didn’t invent beer, but it wasn’t a real business until we got hold of it. And they talk funny too.
ETA: Marley, this is not an issue that can be answered with reason.
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### Author:  [@MandaJo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MandaJo)
#### Post date: [August 2, 2012, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-europeans-seem-so-ungrateful-to-the-us/630199/13 "2012-08-02T18:44:19Z")
> [@etv78](#):
>
> Yup. BTW, why is this a banabke offense?
It’s not now. It’s what will grow from it. Someone–could be you, could be someone else–will be moved to ever escalating heights of rhetoric until they burst into flames and burn into ash.
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### Author:  [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)
#### Post date: [August 2, 2012, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-europeans-seem-so-ungrateful-to-the-us/630199/14 "2012-08-02T18:46:05Z")
> [@etv78](#):
>
> In a Game Room thread about Olympic sports, people are talking about how they’d like to change sports to make them more “European”, not recognizing that US culture is\*\* the\*\* dominant culture on Earth, and that it is becasue of our blood, sweat and $$ that Europeans countries are even around to have to worry about the issue. So Europe: show some gratitiude!
I seem to remember something about France giving the colonies some help in The American Revolution.
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### Author:  [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)
#### Post date: [August 2, 2012, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-europeans-seem-so-ungrateful-to-the-us/630199/15 "2012-08-02T18:46:22Z")
[From the “Worst Olympic sports” thread:](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?p=15336379#post15336379)
> [@Worst Olympic Sports](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-olympic-sports/630001/60):
>
> I understand that you ended your post with a wink, but PLEASE get this through your skull: The people who call football soccer are the people who saved you from annahilation, many times. ANd allow you to have the wonderful health care and work conditions you so enjoy! Show some appreciation! (Sorry, I just couldn’t let this attitude go unchallegened again)
Please, please, please tell me I am being whooshed without making me read the whole thread to find out. This reads like a trifling but painfully stereotypical instance of ugly Americanism.
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### Author:  [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)
#### Post date: [August 2, 2012, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-europeans-seem-so-ungrateful-to-the-us/630199/16 "2012-08-02T18:46:45Z")
> [@MandaJo](#):
>
> It’s not now. It’s what will grow from it. Someone–could be you, could be someone else–will be moved to ever escalating heights of rhetoric until they burst into flames and burn into ash.
You sure he’s not talking about a sexual act there?
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### Author:  [@Ellen\_Cherry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ellen_Cherry)
#### Post date: [August 2, 2012, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-europeans-seem-so-ungrateful-to-the-us/630199/17 "2012-08-02T19:13:10Z")
I doubt, OP, that you’re going to get anybody to answer your question, given the restraint we ask people to practice here in Good Old IMHO. So, I’m moving this thread to the toastier confines of the BBQ Pit.
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### Author:  [@woodstockbirdybird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/woodstockbirdybird)
#### Post date: [August 2, 2012, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-europeans-seem-so-ungrateful-to-the-us/630199/18 "2012-08-02T19:19:13Z")
When I read an OP like this, I realize how difficult it must be for special ed teachers to explain even the most basic concepts.
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### Author:  [@PaulParkhead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PaulParkhead)
#### Post date: [August 2, 2012, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-europeans-seem-so-ungrateful-to-the-us/630199/19 "2012-08-02T19:20:01Z")
Ah. That explains [this post](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=15339434&postcount=30). Made no sense to me - a bizarre response to what was obviously intended as a joke.
Edit: I say “obviously”, but I suppose I was the one who made the purported joke, so I don’t actually know for sure that it was obvious. I believe so.
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### Author:  [@Kobal2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kobal2)
#### Post date: [August 2, 2012, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-europeans-seem-so-ungrateful-to-the-us/630199/20 "2012-08-02T19:26:22Z")
I don’t usually go for that sort of thing, but this OP is begging for a “can’t tell if trolling or just stupid” image macro.
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