Don’t drink and post. :rolleyes:
I am who I am and by European standards, I’m a Yank. I’m not going to try to affect the whole phony-accent thing like a bad production of Robin Hood.
That said: who is this person who needs to know my nationality? Is it for official reasons? Is this someone on a bus tour with us? Is it someone who I’m getting a bad vibe from who might be the “hook” with muscle near by?
About the only person I know it won’t be would be Marko from Tropojë…
I’m not going to lie on official documents & end up in jail. I’m saving that for bigger stakes. 
[INDENT][INDENT]GRANDPIERRE: And yet you registered in measure as Mr. Joshua.
Don’t you know it was against the law to register under an
assumed name?
REGINA It’s done in America all the time…[/INDENT][/INDENT]
[INDENT][INDENT][INDENT][INDENT][INDENT][INDENT]- Charade, 1963[/INDENT][/INDENT][/INDENT][/INDENT][/INDENT][/INDENT]
Of course I admit to being an American. Why the fuck would I care what a bunch of Euro trash think?
My general rule is that there’s nothing wrong with lying to somebody who pries into stuff that is none of their legitimate business.
I don’t follow politics.
Who cares. He’s a politician. They’re all lying corrupt scum.
I don’t participate in a scam that gives power to lying corrupt assholes who only look out for themselves and they’re own power and don’t give a shit about the people they are supposed to look out for.
And this.
I can’t imagine most Americans could be successful at passing as another nationality. They’re obvious at a glance – overweight, inappropriately underdressed, and usually loud. When I visited China it was immediately obvious who were the Americans and who were other nationalities; no need to hear accents.
It appears that you might lack imagination. just sayin’
Some people can, some people can’t.
I voted “Yes, it’s wrong,” but maybe because I’m Canadian and I don’t like it when Americans do that.
I’ve had issues with people refusing to believe my nationality or accusing me of faking an accent; I’ve had people in my own country assault me for being from my region; but I file the first under M for Moron and the second under I for Idiot To Be Avoided. If I think a place or group is going to have problems with where I’m from, what I do is avoid them.
I don’t think it’s unethical, but it’s unnecessary.
Don’t be the American that treats Europe as a “neat” theme park. Be the American that takes an interest in local people and culture. I’ve rarely seen American in the second category have any problems.
(underline added)
But you have seen it happen.
Walking away is one option. You could also make an attempt to confuse the aggressor, and then walk away, thereby giving you a little more time and distance between you and the aggressor. Or you can stand you ground and get into a meaningless argument, or fight.
I see no reason to discuss whatever ObamaBushClintonReaganCarterNixonJohnsonKennedyEisenhowerTruman policy that seems to be bothering some random miscreant. I prefer to use the “I am not the droid you are looking for” defense.
Interesting. I didn’t realize you still considered yourself primarily American. I don’t think I would in your situation. An American ex-pat? Sure. But not actually American. I’d’ve been gone too long and be too acclimated to where I currently live.
I’ve never left the country, but I do have experience with not wanting to tell people where I live due to the implications. But I can pull off just being vague. I don’t lie, so I wouldn’t say I was Canadian, but I’m not sure what else you can do.
BTW, I don’t think it’s rude to ask you where you are from, as long as you ask the right way. It’s just something that comes up when you talk to people. It’s especially a big thing when you are a tourist.
Are you kidding me?
BigT doesn’t kid.
When in foreign lands we try to make our country sound as unpleasant as possible with hope that it will discourage you guys from immigrating here. Sadly it doesn’t seem to be working.
I’m another one who identifies more by state than country. If someone asks me where I’m from, I say California. If someone asks me if I’m American, I say yes, from California. People I’ve encountered in Europe have all been much more interested in the fact that I live in California than that I am American.
I just figure, “Why lie?” What’s the WORST thing that can happen to a tourist in, say, Paris if locals figure out he’s American?
Is he going to get arrested? Executed? No!
Are protestors going to carry signs in front of his hotel room? No!
MAYBE someone will try to argue politics with him (even that’s unlikely- no stranger in another country has ever tried to start a political debate with me), but even then, all he has to do is say politely, “I’m not a politician, I’m just here on vacation,” and the problem is solved.
Typical exchange:
“So, where are you guys from?”
“Umm, close to Pittsburgh?”
“Oh, yes!! GO STEELERS!!! Right?”
In all my travels, the subject of my citizenship has never come up in casual conversation so pretending to be Canadian in a public setting would not occur to me. Besides, I not good looking enough to convince someone that I was from Canada. 