Site Search:
 
Speak Korean Now!
Teach English Abroad and Get Paid to see the World!
Korean Job Discussion Forums Forum Index Korean Job Discussion Forums
"The Internet's Meeting Place for ESL/EFL Teachers from Around the World!"
 
 FAQFAQ   SearchSearch   MemberlistMemberlist   UsergroupsUsergroups   RegisterRegister 
 ProfileProfile   Log in to check your private messagesLog in to check your private messages   Log inLog in 

An American looking for an explanation
Goto page Previous  1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10  Next
 
Post new topic   Reply to topic    Korean Job Discussion Forums Forum Index -> Off-Topic Forum
View previous topic :: View next topic  
Author Message
mises



Joined: 05 Nov 2007
Location: retired

PostPosted: Sun Nov 14, 2010 11:53 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Wishmaster wrote:
You're either with us or you're against us..........


Wasn't that speech written by a Canadian? David Frum? He also wrote the Axis of Evil ditty.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
cert43



Joined: 17 Jun 2010

PostPosted: Sun Nov 14, 2010 1:49 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

You think it's bad on this board?
Try working with a bunch of haters"..who constantly ask, "why do
Americans's such and such"?! Well, maybe because we have to support everyone else's foreign debt, and military , including yours' ( Loas and India). Rolling Eyes People are so ungrateful towards Americans', yet the world would not function with our government support.

I mean,what the hell do canadian, aussie and brit governments' do?

WTF?!!!
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
cert43



Joined: 17 Jun 2010

PostPosted: Sun Nov 14, 2010 1:55 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

This is why I want to go into Policy.

So, all of this can change for the better.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Who's Your Daddy?



Joined: 30 May 2010
Location: Victoria, Canada.

PostPosted: Sun Nov 14, 2010 3:32 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

American's are good people that are blamed for all the problems. Just like people hate the police until they need one.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
warren pease



Joined: 12 May 2008

PostPosted: Sun Nov 14, 2010 5:47 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I've definitely made fun of Canada on here. But as we all know Canada is not a real country (still one of the queen's side projects) so it's not really a big deal.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
oldfatfarang



Joined: 19 May 2005
Location: On the road to somewhere.

PostPosted: Sun Nov 14, 2010 10:50 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Sleepy in Seoul wrote:
Gopher wrote:
Finally, yours is the standard fallacy: the Eurocentric Second World War. The Americans singlehandedly defeated the Japanese empire in the Pacific theater

You really are as ignorant as you appear. Please try to learn some history before commenting on it.

mateomiguel wrote:
Just try to imagine New Zealand, Australia, England, or (god forbid) Canada taking a political stance significantly different from US foreign policy (or domestic for that matter). Congress would come down on them like a ton of bricks.


Not only can I imagine it, it has happened. In 1985 New Zealand declared itself nuclear-free. A sovereign country making an independent decision without the approval of America, and against the wishes of America, was such a shock that America has consistently (until now) tried to bully New Zealand into doing exactly what America wants. And New Zealand has never backed down. Ah, yes, America the defender of freedom and democracy. What a crock.


Thanks for that Sleepy in Seoul. I'm sure that most recently graduated 22 year old Americans simply have no idea how their government bullies it's 'allies' (trade deals, open markets etc).
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
gypsymaria



Joined: 08 Jun 2010
Location: Anyang-si, Gyeonggi-do

PostPosted: Mon Nov 15, 2010 2:05 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I've often felt a little embarrassed admitting to people in Korea that I'm from America, worried that they'll associate me with the right-wing ignorant redneck crazies that seem to be the "face" of our country right now, but I've never experienced any actual hate from any Koreans yet. Or the Canadian or Welsh teachers at my school (I'm the only American here). Of course, I've only been here about 6 weeks... Wink

I love my country. I admit it has many flaws, and I don't agree with everything our government does, but I think that it's overall a pretty decent place to live with a lot of good people living in it. You take the good with the bad. Yes, we've got the crazies, but we've also got a lot of people who are hard working, educated, globally aware, and trying to make things better for everyone. I think a lot of countries could be described this way.

So, let the haters rotate. They're the ones being close-minded. Rise above it.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Visit poster's website AIM Address
McGenghis



Joined: 14 Oct 2008
Location: Gangneung

PostPosted: Mon Nov 15, 2010 2:22 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

For better or for worse, America is writing the narrative for the English-speaking world, and will continue to do so for a few more decades.

People who want to reduce America to foreign policy or free trade agreements still love to read Jack Kerouac and watch Family Guy. America, plain and simple, is irreducible. It is a giant hodgepodge of creativity that simply outshines my own country in terms of output.

Any country that produces Davis Sedaris, Tim Robbins and Rush Limbaugh and allows each to shape the entire makeup of the country is essentially democratic. As I see it.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message MSN Messenger
take a rest



Joined: 15 Sep 2010
Location: self-banned

PostPosted: Mon Nov 15, 2010 6:58 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I gotta admit, I'm not so huge on how America presents itself to the rest of the world... but at the same time, I know it's what they have to do, and it could be a lot worse.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
cragesmure



Joined: 23 Oct 2010

PostPosted: Mon Nov 15, 2010 6:43 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

gypsymaria wrote:
So, let the haters rotate. They're the ones being close-minded. Rise above it.


I couldn't agree with this more. Ignorance is everywhere. Why spend time and energy on these people? You aren't going to change their attitudes, so live and let live.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
methdxman



Joined: 14 Sep 2010

PostPosted: Tue Nov 16, 2010 5:21 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Who's Your Daddy? wrote:
American's are good people that are blamed for all the problems. Just like people hate the police until they need one.


Policemen are inherently douche bags. Douche bags that have no other influence in life gravitate towards this career where they are bestowed an authority that they wouldn't otherwise be able to earn in their life.

Cops, club bouncers, security guards, military, and criminals all cut from the same cloth.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
comm



Joined: 22 Jun 2010

PostPosted: Tue Nov 16, 2010 6:11 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

methdxman wrote:

Policemen are inherently douche bags.


I'm not going to get sucked under the troll's bridge on this one. I'll only say that I sincerely hope that the people who believe this never see another police officer again for the rest of their lives, especially if they call for one.

Getting back to the topic of the thread:
America's GDP is almost 3x the size of the next highest country. Its cultural influence is nearly universal. The American military couldn't conceivably be opposed by any other nation on Earth.
This conveys a lot of benefits onto countries and people that share interests with the US, and denies benefits to countries and people which do not. That near hegemony is enough to inspire some hatred.

The thing is that people forget what things were like before there was a single hegemonic (and mostly benevolent) superpower. It was significantly less pretty.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
DorkothyParker



Joined: 11 Apr 2009
Location: Jeju

PostPosted: Tue Nov 16, 2010 6:18 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Some policeman are douchebags. Some are just lawful neutral.
For those of us with a chaotic-good alignment, this can be sticky.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
gypsymaria



Joined: 08 Jun 2010
Location: Anyang-si, Gyeonggi-do

PostPosted: Tue Nov 16, 2010 6:25 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

DorkothyParker wrote:
Some policeman are douchebags. Some are just lawful neutral.
For those of us with a chaotic-good alignment, this can be sticky.


LOL, MY GEEK PEOPLE! *nerd high five* :B

Ok, back to topic. Razz

I've known some really excellent people who happened to be cops, and some really excellent cops, and some really douchy folks that should never have been handed a badge. It takes all kinds, just like in any profession. *coughcoughESLteachersanyone?coughcough* Wink

Not that I think America is/should be the world's police, but apparently that is the common perception, and I can see why. Eh. Whaddya do? Neutral
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Visit poster's website AIM Address
Fat_Elvis



Joined: 17 Aug 2006
Location: In the ghetto

PostPosted: Tue Nov 16, 2010 6:04 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Being the world's policeman is great, the only problem is, U.S. foreign policy creates its own problems. Saddam Hussein received U.S. funds and arms for years because he fought Iran. Osama bin Laden was also funded by the CIA because he fought against the Soviet Union in Afghanistan in the 1980s. Maybe if the U.S. stopped meddling so much in other countries politics people might have a greater respect for the things that are great about the United States of America - movies, music, some great writers etc
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Display posts from previous:   
Post new topic   Reply to topic    Korean Job Discussion Forums Forum Index -> Off-Topic Forum All times are GMT - 8 Hours
Goto page Previous  1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10  Next
Page 9 of 10

 
Jump to:  
You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot vote in polls in this forum


This page is maintained by the one and only Dave Sperling.
Contact Dave's ESL Cafe
Copyright © 2018 Dave Sperling. All Rights Reserved.

Powered by phpBB © 2001, 2002 phpBB Group

TEFL International Supports Dave's ESL Cafe
TEFL Courses, TESOL Course, English Teaching Jobs - TEFL International