USA Politics

The clichéd criticisms of the US are just as tiresome as the stale unquestioning jingoism on display by many people in the US.
I agree, and I live in Canada. I like America and Americans. I dislike many of the things America and Americans do, sure, but I think in general Americans want to do the right thing. And every country has their idiots, it's very smug to assume otherwise.

I do believe there are justified critiques of the American education system, though, but durrrrr can't find Paris on a map isn't one of them.
 
I don't agree with some things written here. There's something about knowing the world around you. And there is something about thinking that world ends at your country's borders.

I'm sorry if this comes out as high horse position, I am not smarter than the average guy wherever we may come from. We're all the same. But we don't prioritize the same knowledge. Actually in my elementary school we had those point at the map tests. The map that's in class isn't a continental map, it is a world map. The tests weren't hard or I don't recall them as such. But I'm sure if you didn't know where France was you'd fail.

The clichéd criticisms of the US are just as tiresome

The criticisms have valid ground. The education system is not actually well there (nor it is here atm), due to a number of internal factors, regardless of the external factors which would be the willingness of a certain individual to learn part of the geography. Many, many good comedians from Carlin to Burr have commented on the education system and loosening the requirements for passing a certain subject. That would be an internal factor.

For example, in Croatia they tried, or succeeded in implementing a priority for veterans kids on university enroll. If class takes 100 kids, and they're all "normal", they go through exam, they need to score above 50%, and then first 100 goes in. But if a veteran's kid decides to come along, he just takes place in 100 without any tests. Someone that actually passed the test, goes out. It is not hard to see how policies like these degrade the overall quality.

But, I don't poke shots at other countries because no other country 1) exerts such amount of influence on others 2) has such power in economy or military 3) considers itself exceptional.

When you have all three checked in a same society, and when those people can't point at their archenemy's territory (ex USSR), then we have a bit of a laughable situation there.

I never said Americans are dumb or dumber, I just said they seriously lack knowledge outside of their own borders. And I blame the education system for that. They vehemently support overseas deployment of their brothers and sisters without actually knowing where or why. I find that fascinating. To be able to have such a strong opinion on something, but lack 95% of facts behind it.

And for conclusion, I like the country and the people. When I was 15 I thought I'll go live and work there for sure. I had a very whitewashed view of the country. Now when I know all the dirty and bad stuff too, I'd still go there to live and work. It is a good place to be for a sizable amount of the population, which is a good benchmark. But I will criticize it as an outsider because America is special. They have such a cultural reach, they'll influence your life somehow even if you were a Tibetan shepherd. I don't see why he should hesitate to speak his opinion on America loud and clear. And I certainly would give him a pass if he's pissed off if those people don't know where Tibet is.
 
^ I don't see/read anything in this thread over the past few pages that really justifies the current rant you seem to be on. The American sports point I think was genuinely made (by a few) & is probably closer to the truth (in respect to sports fans) that you'd think. Didn't seem like a huge criticism of the US or US culture.
 
I disagree with the military affairs but that's a really old topic and we can do that some other time. I fully agree with your last two paragraphs.
 
The American sports point

To make the matters even worse, there's basketball, an international sport that Americans so excel at, they're in another league. The NBA kid in all possibility won't take interest or bite into fandom of an European club the way football kids in Europe do with, let's say Brazil, and consequently learn about the place where the club comes from.
 
^ I don't see/read anything in this thread over the past few pages that really justifies the current rant you seem to be on. The American sports point I think was genuinely made (by a few) & is probably closer to the truth (in respect to sports fans) that you'd think. Didn't seem like a huge criticism of the US or US culture.

You must have skipped Zare’s post prior to mine.
 
(inferring by your comments here you’re from the former Yugoslavian region). I’m proud to have served in operations Deny Flight, Provide Promise and Shining Hope.



The relationship between US and Croatia in the homeland war are very detailed and I may know more details on that one than you, albeit you being deployed. The US part is in no way a friendly favour, it's a deal that has been done for money. If US was that friendly, you would let us import armament right in 1991 after Yugoslav Army unlawfully disarmed Croatian Territorial Guard, and not lead others into sanctioning us. We had to import 70s era bullshit from Ukraine via Hungary with Russia's blessing and it was very expensive.

That's politics and politics is bullshit. Although opinions can differ, I thank you for your service. Deny Flight was important for end of war in Bosnia and I have family there.
 
Because they aren’t as good.

We’re happy, however, to import any decent players you might have to the NBA where they can earn better money and play at a higher skill level.

doh.

Read with understanding please.
 
The relationship between US and Croatia in the homeland war are very detailed and I may know more details on that one than you, albeit you being deployed. The US part is in no way a friendly favour, it's a deal that has been done for money. If US was that friendly, you would let us import armament right in 1991 after Yugoslav Army unlawfully disarmed Croatian Territorial Guard, and not lead others into sanctioning us. We had to import 70s era bullshit from Ukraine via Hungary with Russia's blessing and it was very expensive.

That's politics and politics is bullshit. Although opinions can differ, I thank you for your service. Deny Flight was important for end of war in Bosnia and I have family there.

You may be mistaking UN actions for US actions with regard to the arms importation ban.

Lift and Strike: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lift_and_strike_(Bosnian_War)
 
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You brought it up.

If you want it that way, let's start with some art

ls5s2yyj5n221.jpg
 
Okay, I think this exchange has gone as far as it's ever going to go. Can we stick to more sober discussions of American politics?
 
Okay, I think this exchange has gone as far as it's ever going to go. Can we stick to more sober discussions of American politics?

Actually we aren't discussing politics. I've politely closed every topic I might have mistakenly opened here. Currently, this person does not understand what we're talking about sports.
 
Just to make it clear, my comment on sports was to be taken as light-hearted banter. I hope we can still do that on the forum, even in serious threads.

We must not come to a situation where every little thing is taken bloody seriously whereas serious issues are brushed off as trivialities.
 
Actually we aren't discussing politics. I've politely closed every topic I might have mistakenly opened here. Currently, this person does not understand what we're talking about sports.
This is the US politics thread.
 
You must have skipped Zare’s post prior to mine.
Nope, I was referring to this:
“America have inferior potassium, my country have greatest world potassium”

“Why Americans so foolish to not enjoy
Sport of other nations?”

“Anericans so dumb! Hamburger make fat.”

Heard it all before — I lived in Europe for half a decade in the 90’s when tbey sent me over there to help sort out a violent disagreement over how to pronounce words like “telephone” that some former socialist republic was having.

The clichéd criticisms of the US are just as tiresome as the stale unquestioning jingoism on display by many people in the US.
 
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