Hey, Americans certainly do NOT take everything way too seriously! Jesus Christ! How can you say that? I’m offended! Oh my god! How dare you!
@(rot)(fodder: I am also American, and I seem to offend Chickenprotector on a daily basis.
I think the US suffers from its ironic isolation. A whole lot of Americans never set foot outside the US. The US is culturally diverse to an extent but not that large an extent. Even with its ethnic diversity assimilation is like in all cultures pushed for so even this presence doesn’t help much to correct misguided thoughts. So misconceptions arise from this ignorance and they propagate because it becomes so ingrained and so many Americans are unlikely to ever see for their own eyes why what they think is wrong (the most compelling way to change someones mind) that they stay in their mindset.
European countries are fucking tiny compared to the US or Canada. The amount of culture you can experience there for much less expense and travel (I haven’t actually been but I imagine) is much more vast. A Europeans exposure to the “world” is far greater than an American’s.
Also culturally the Patriotism, in my understanding of it from reading online discussions in the past is far greater in the US. Post fascism-WWII in Europe lead to a bit of fear of this type of mindset. I do not understand how my fellow Americans do not find forcing children to PLEDGE their allegiance, to submit to an existence and system they do not yet comprehend unsettling. A government exists to serve its people, representatives to represent their people and American’s often don’t seem to understand this because of the culture of patriotism. There is often a hostility for criticism of the United States and implications that we are not “falling behind” or “might be falling behind” but we’ve “fallen behind”.
Statistically speaking there are numerous places where the US isn’t a leader anymore or never was one. Not to imply the US is the worst. I can name a fuck load of places I’m glad I wasn’t born in. However, in spite of this, I know a lot of Americans that seem to think that the US is still leagues ahead of the world except maybe the UK. The don’t understand that most of Europe is as modernized as the US. And the middle east isn’t just a bunch of sand huts and that they have modern cities with amenities we have come to expect.
A lot of American’s seem to stock some of their self-worth in being “An American” and American failure reflects poorly on them because of this culture of patriotism.
Add this general lack of understanding and patriot-complex with the fact that the US has been a force of not just US policies but GLOBAL POLICIES. Cold War events and recent skirmishes forming a lot of the current political landscape from the Middle East to Korea to South America.
The US has had in good ways and in terrible ways a massive influence more so than a lot of individual nations on the world and its gotta be really frustrating when you are exposed to Americans who are ignorant of the world more so than ignorant people from any other country so this is why I belief this stereo-type is ascribed to Americans.
Edit: What’cha know about walls of text?
I like this guy.
Which highlights another point, a stereotype can be formed by people looking for certain traits in a culture group too. Here we have Lord 707, Tiki and chicken protector, and only one of them is acting like an American. Why is this? Because I’m expecting Americans to act a certain way.
I think you’ve got probably the best explanation here. 10/10 read whole wall of text and wasn’t bored.
Ditto. Nice read.
TL;DR My apologies, it’s a broad topic as well you know.
Most of the shit I’ve read in Idi’s posts have been garbled and/or pointless to read. I already said I ignored the stuff he types out. I didn’t read it in the first place. Hence why I posted what I did.
If he acted less like a fucking troll, I’d take what he says at face value instead of calling him a simpleton.
I never said once that a person had to be on their own to be self-sufficient. You’re making assumptions Bur.
Fiscal (financial) needs and making day-to-day needs are two completely different things.
EX: If you give a few guys or gals some bows/crossbows/guns and the appropriate ammunition, train them how to hunt, fish, or farm or what have you, I guarantee you, you can get a meal or two at least once a day if they do it right.
This is what I meant by self-sufficiency. This all depends on the location of the individual(s), however. If the conditions are not favorable, move. How do you think people prior to colonial times survived?
That said, there could be a large margin of factors in one way or another on how or why they can or cannot make a proper living. They’re far too broad to consider.
I’m not saying people are not worthy of help, but you need to solve the problem at its root. You need to give them the skills they need to delay needing help for a longer period of time. You’ll save a lot more funds in the long run if you do.
People’ll find another means of killing one another, doesn’t matter if its a bullet, cannon ball, sword, or what have you. What’s the weapon of choice for criminals around where you live? It’s the same concept. Removing bullets from the equation saves lives, yes, but what’s to stop the black market from smuggling them in. It’s two sides of the same coin.
Am I one of those gun nuts who thinks everyone should have one? No. My stance on the matter is to get proper training before owning one, like a car.
That said, geographic location? My country’s in the midst of a great change at the moment. The congressional congress is the most inept since its inception in the late 1800s, the past two presidents have been fucking ditzes (admittedly, Obama to a lesser extent), and our foreign policy is atrocious among other things (such as the patriot act, SOPA/PIPA). The debt is soaring and our credit’s going down slowly, but surely.
This is hypocritical of me, what’s to be proud of? Fuck if I know, but it’s a developed country, things could be worse. I’m satisfied with where I live, however.
It’s the same question to ask yourself, why do you live where you live?
It existed in Greece prior to everywhere else. 
Over all, the same attitude annoys the living fuck out of me too even when I live here.
The first half of your post was snarky.
Ignoring the latter half. That’s why I got pissed and called you an idiot fyi. If you went with different wording (hint) or just went with the latter paragraph, things’d been different.
I’m one of those people who narrows in on something that catches my attention and ignores the rest of the post.
I never said it was an uniquely American problem or anything of the sort. I agree that there are stupid people all over the fucking place. In this case, I’m very well one of them, and I’m trying to make it right.
That said, I do apologize to you, Bur, for losing my temper in the manner I did. You’re just as guilty for jumping to conclusions about my own beliefs, however. Have you met me or actually had a conversation with me outside of this forum when I was angry? No.
Depends on the topic and the person discussing it. It’s not just Americans. EX: Soccer (in the US) vs Football (outside the US); sports fans bitch constantly about it.
I (abstractly) pointed to the fact I was an American before posting here & in the unofficial chat thread before…
This all boils down to it’s just a bunch of text on a screen and people jumping to conclusions (which I’m guilty of as well).
That said, Surplus brought up a good point. Interesting read, thank you.
ANOTHER WALL OF TEXT >.<
this thread should be renamed the wall of text topic 
that said, I agree with everything
Say, guys, could we perhaps move this discussion to its own thread and return to raging about 1st World Problems or whatever we were doing here before this topic came up? Thanks!
just let things happen man
Okay. Back on topic. I don’t have a decent pair of drumsticks for my gig today. Should be fun!
Well honestly, I think you’re wrong about that. Most of the stuff he posts is meant as jokes (he seems to share my appreciation for absurd humour), and the rest is usually very hyperbolic or whatever.
you’re right, sorry 
About self-sufficiency: I did jump to the conclusion that you were one of those “every person for himself” kind of people.
But still, most of the time when people can’t make ends meet, or worse, it’s not because of a lack of skills or knowledge or anything, usually it’s systemic and people are powerless to change it on their own.
You also have to understand that poverty is extremely tiring. It makes it very difficult to think in the long term. It’s comparable to depression in that way. It just drains all your energy until you’re barely able to do anything, because you have to be focused on one particular, seemingly unsolvable problem all day every day. On top of that, you’re constantly being judged by people who have no experience with what you’re going through.
I’m not saying you don’t know or understand this btw (I don’t know whether you do), just thinking out loud.
Guns/bullets - if we stop producing bullets, the black market can’t smuggle them anymore, that’s what I meant really
Also, people are a lot less likely to keel eachother in half with a broadsword than they are to pull a trigger.
Guns (and every other type of ranged weapon) puts an emotional barrier between the killer and the victim. It makes it a lot easier to dehumanize whatever you’re trying to kill. It decreases the sense of agency in ending a life.
but to be clear, I’m not against guns per sé, and I don’t judge anyone for appreciating them.
“I’m one of those people who narrows in on something that catches my attention and ignores the rest of the post.”
well, that’s on you then
I actually don’t really understand pride in general. I mean, I get that you can feel good about yourself for achieving something or being able to do something, or whatever.
What I don’t get (not that I would judge anyone that feels this way) is being proud of the achievements (or anything else) of people who you’ll never meet, who have maybe been dead for a long time, just because they live(d) within the same arbitrary lines on a map that was drawn decades ago, or longer.
You’re likely to have more of a connection with some people living just across the border than with someone living in the other side of the country.
For example, I am much more connected with someone from the southern netherlands than with someone from southern belgium. They live a lot closer to me, after all.
On a personal level, it’s completely meaningless on which side of any border you were born. The people around you have a much larger impact on your identity etc. than your “country”. Not to mention the fact that the concept of a nation or a state is only a few centuries old (at least it’s current form), yet a lot of people seem to believe that it’s the eternal immutable way of the world.
It’s a different thing than liking the place where you live. I love where I live. It’s my home, it’s all I’ve ever known apart from the couple of vacations I’ve had. I think it’s also safe to say that Belgium is one of the best countries to live in the world (though obviously there are many flaws). But that doesn’t mean I’m proud of it. It has nothing to do with me. I just happen to have been born here. And I’m happy that I was.
Hopefully in the future I’ll be proud of/happy about contributing positively to it, the same way I already do about some of my friends and family.
IMO, being proud of ones country adds to “us against them” mentality which is inherent in a system of nation states. Polarisation and “competition” are inherent to it.
sorry daniel, I’ll leave it at this although honestly, this is as much of a non-topic as the chat thread so I don’t really see why it has to be moderated
Guys, are you actually arguing about anything, or just throwing veiled insults around?
hmm? who’s insulting anyone? i just typed out my opinion on a few things
^ I think I got ninja’d by about two pages.
Everything? You mean, both sides of the argument?
Signed, the internet.
Heh. I agree there and I’d LOVE to continue the topic, but I don’t want to get another infarction. hides
If you want to discuss it more Bur, PM me. I’ll answer your questions, if you have any.
Lol I laughed at that. This isn’t veiled insults at the moment. It’s more an intellectual discussion?
There are some good points on both sides, but obviously I have my own opinions etc.
anyone here get that email about resident evil revelations being 12 bucks on steam? capcom yoinked the sale after a few hours and now it’s back to 50- hundreds of people, including myself are enraged.
ughhh, my sister thinks she adapts to me when she allows me not to adapt to her
so she thinks she ‘adapts to me enough already’ when in fact i always have to bend to her will except when she’s feeling generous
and when i try to do just do wtf i want to do, or when i would like to have some space instead of being badgered for not doing what she wants me to do, she gets hostile and brings up a shitload of emotional arguments which i cant compete against, no matter how silly they are, and i get even more trapped and suffocated, so i try to avoid it, which is just me giving up and acceding to her will lest i smash a full bottle of water on my desk and add another scar on my fingers
she might have autism, but shit like that makes me sure she does, and i wish she would leave me the fuck out of it
So a 4th year in my program came and sat with some of us at lunch and basically told us how, based on his experiences, our learning in the years to come is going to be focused on shovelware facebook games and mobile apps instead of learning how to make worthwhile games, and it’s completely drained me of any motivation to do any learning or work whatsoever, even with all the personal projects I have going on.
Fuck.