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SOOHWA101
Joined: 04 Mar 2006
Location: Makin moves...trying to find 24pyung
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 Posted: Wed May 17, 2006 2:50 pm Post subject: Americans? What really irks you about us? |
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I can understand the majority of the world disliking the American Government right now, but what about the people? Surely most people are intelligent enough to differentiate a countrys citizens and government.
Does this include ALL Americans, or just the ones from specific parts of the US? Because here in the South, most can't really stand the Americans from the North, or even most from the West. Most of the complaints I hear about Americans are VERY indicative of those from the North.
I am really just curious because this country is 300 mil. plus people of very diverse and different characteristics, manners, education, and mentality.
Is it the arrogance, rudeness, loudness, etc......Is it just the white Americans, or are the stereotypes indiscriminate? |
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ajgeddes
Joined: 28 Apr 2004
Location: Yongsan
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| Posted: Wed May 17, 2006 3:58 pm Post subject: |
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I can't believe I am responding to this, but.... you say this
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| Because here in the South, most can't really stand the Americans from the North, or even most from the West |
and then you say this
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| Surely most people are intelligent enough to differentiate a countrys citizens and government. |
So, let me ask you this. Why do you dislike 80% of Americans? It can't be because of their government, can't you distinguish the difference between the people and the government? |
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SOOHWA101
Joined: 04 Mar 2006
Location: Makin moves...trying to find 24pyung
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| Posted: Wed May 17, 2006 4:38 pm Post subject: |
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| ajgeddes wrote: |
I can't believe I am responding to this, but.... you say this
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| Because here in the South, most can't really stand the Americans from the North, or even most from the West |
and then you say this
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| Surely most people are intelligent enough to differentiate a countrys citizens and government. |
So, let me ask you this. Why do you dislike 80% of Americans? It can't be because of their government, can't you distinguish the difference between the people and the government? |
I am glad you did post, thank you. Your aggression is exactly what I am curious about. I simply don't feel that me asking a question merits an attack like that. I hear alot of anti-American sentiment on here, and I am not offended, just curious.
First, where in my post did I say "I" dislike Northerners or Westerners?
Second, you missed my question completely. Example: Americans didn't hate the citizens of the USSR, only their government. Just because we were at war with them did not mean we hated the "people," we simply disliked the government and the choices their "government" made.
Third, living in a country allows you to distinguish the differences between the people that live in that country based on geography. One of my questions was "do people that live outside the US know the differences between Americans or are they all grouped into one?"
Fourth, I am still trying to decipher your questions. 80% of the people in America do not live outside the South. Who told you that? And your other question I can't make sense of. If most Southerners dislike Northerners, it won't be because of their government.lol |
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mmstyle
Joined: 17 Apr 2006
Location: wherever
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| Posted: Wed May 17, 2006 5:08 pm Post subject: Re: Americans? What really irks you about us? |
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| SOOHWA101 wrote: |
Because here in the South, most can't really stand the Americans from the North, or even most from the West. Most of the complaints I hear about Americans are VERY indicative of those from the North.
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Wow, dude, this makes no sense to me! I am so confused by this. You say right here that a bunch of people from one place don't like a bunch of people based strictly on geography. For some one like me that has lived in the South (loved it), the West (loved it) and the North (loved some of it, not other parts of it), I can say that some people in each of these places a re fabulous and some in each are the polar opposite. Besides, by North do you mean Washington and Oregon and Idaho-or is that just West? Or by North do you mean New England and New York and the general Northeast only? What about all that space in the middle?
Anyway, I belabor that point only because as an American, I can understand why other people might be a bit by confused by your question.
As an American, I may not technically be qualified to answer your question as an outsider, but my experience (because I don't really care if I am qualified or not) is simply: no, many (not all) cultures seem to lump the whole lot of us together. After all, outside of the country I have been referred to as a Yank, even though in America I definitely am not.
I'm curious, Soohwa, what kind of complaints do you hear that you think typify northerners rather than the country as a whole? |
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ajgeddes
Joined: 28 Apr 2004
Location: Yongsan
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| Posted: Wed May 17, 2006 5:26 pm Post subject: |
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I am glad you did post, thank you. Your aggression is exactly what I am curious about. I simply don't feel that me asking a question merits an attack like that. I hear alot of anti-American sentiment on here, and I am not offended, just curious.
First, where in my post did I say "I" dislike Northerners or Westerners?
Second, you missed my question completely. Example: Americans didn't hate the citizens of the USSR, only their government. Just because we were at war with them did not mean we hated the "people," we simply disliked the government and the choices their "government" made.
Third, living in a country allows you to distinguish the differences between the people that live in that country based on geography. One of my questions was "do people that live outside the US know the differences between Americans or are they all grouped into one?"
Fourth, I am still trying to decipher your questions. 80% of the people in America do not live outside the South. Who told you that? And your other question I can't make sense of. If most Southerners dislike Northerners, it won't be because of their government.lol |
Okay, I see I am going to have to make this more simple for you. I was not showing aggression in my post, I was just showing the whole hypocritical aspect of your post.
First, you ask why so many people dislike Americans and ask why people can't distinguish between the government and the people, making it seem that people dislike Americans because of the government.
However, then you go on to say that most people from the south (sorry, just read this again and now I see you didn't say "I") dislike people from the west and north.
What I don't understand is, when non-Americans 'dislike' Americans, why do you try to put it on people not being able to distinguish between the people and the government, but when it is Americans disliking other Americans, you don't put it on the government (obviously because it is the same government, do you understand now?)
If you read your whole post, not only do you make it seem that people from other countries dislike Americans, but also Americans dislike Americans.
I don't dislike Americans, in fact a large part of my family is American. What I am trying to do was show you how hypocritical your post was.
Also, if you can please point out where I attacked you, I would really appreciate it.
| Quote: |
| 80% of the people in America do not live outside the South. |
Irrelevant, and who cares anyways. I just chose a random number  |
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SOOHWA101
Joined: 04 Mar 2006
Location: Makin moves...trying to find 24pyung
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| Posted: Wed May 17, 2006 5:49 pm Post subject: Re: Americans? What really irks you about us? |
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| mmstyle wrote: |
| SOOHWA101 wrote: |
Because here in the South, most can't really stand the Americans from the North, or even most from the West. Most of the complaints I hear about Americans are VERY indicative of those from the North.
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Wow, dude, this makes no sense to me! I am so confused by this. You say right here that a bunch of people from one place don't like a bunch of people based strictly on geography.
Anyway, I belabor that point only because as an American, I can understand why other people might be a bit by confused by your question.
no, many (not all) cultures seem to lump the whole lot of us together. After all, outside of the country I have been referred to as a Yank, even though in America I definitely am not.
I'm curious, Soohwa, what kind of complaints do you hear that you think typify northerners rather than the country as a whole? |
mmstyle, yes a buch of people dislike other people because of geography. But there is obviously more that goes into it. History for one (ie. civil war) and political ideology for another.
As far as other people being confused by the question, this may be an excellent example of why I am asking these questions. If people simply don't understand my question, then the answer has been given to me.
What complaints do I hear that typify Northerners? Hmm. Well, I will tell you what goes against the grain of "Southern Hospitality." Anyone that has spent time in the deep South and then goes to say..New York will be able to feel a sharp contrast in manners. I hear on here that Americans are ugly, rude, impersonal, loud, and arrogant. Now I have been around the US and have friends and family in all parts, and you can obviously find people in all corners that possess these qualities, but I am talking about the noticable differences when you travel.
mmstyle, how long did you live in the US? If you would like to talk about American History and get into why these traits are so pronounced in some places and not others, I would be more than happy to. My original post was more referrring to what other people may think of Americans. I would just like to get a feel of what stereotypes I am up against and why I am up against them. |
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i can do
Joined: 10 May 2006
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| Posted: Wed May 17, 2006 6:53 pm Post subject: |
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| Anyone that has spent time in the deep South and then goes to say..New York will be able to feel a sharp contrast in manners. |
I lived in deep, deep south GA for years. I then left to go to college in NY. Given the choice between the masked front of 'manners' in GA and the directness of NY, I choose the latter. |
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SOOHWA101
Joined: 04 Mar 2006
Location: Makin moves...trying to find 24pyung
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| Posted: Wed May 17, 2006 7:13 pm Post subject: |
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| i can do wrote: |
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| Anyone that has spent time in the deep South and then goes to say..New York will be able to feel a sharp contrast in manners. |
I lived in deep, deep south GA for years. I then left to go to college in NY. Given the choice between the masked front of 'manners' in GA and the directness of NY, I choose the latter. |
I like hearing things like that. I tend to appreciate directness a bit more myself. Though I do enjoy people holding the door open for me, saying excuse me when they accidently bump into you, the pleasantries of small talk, and GREAT customer service that you find in almost all capacities of the service industry. These things were not found in NY.
What part of GA did you live in? |
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Njord
Joined: 12 Jan 2006
Location: South Korea
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| Posted: Wed May 17, 2006 7:38 pm Post subject: |
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| Well, perhaps the South has one up on "manners" in some sense. However, those of us that are from the North (particularly the "rust belt") have to take a constant stream of abuse from Southerners in the national media. You ever notice that it is acceptable to say bad things about the North or the Midwest, but if you say anything bad about the South people will be offended? Perhaps this should be no surprise from a region whose dominant political ideology is zenophobic, almost racist at times, anti-union, anti-worker, thinks women should be baby-machines, thinks we should ignore global warming, and believes that homosexuals should be second class citizens. And to top it all off Southerners are constantly lecturing the rest of the country about our supposed bad morals! |
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SOOHWA101
Joined: 04 Mar 2006
Location: Makin moves...trying to find 24pyung
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| Posted: Wed May 17, 2006 7:56 pm Post subject: |
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| Njord wrote: |
| Well, perhaps the South has one up on "manners" in some sense. However, those of us that are from the North (particularly the "rust belt") have to take a constant stream of abuse from Southerners in the national media. You ever notice that it is acceptable to say bad things about the North or the Midwest, but if you say anything bad about the South people will be offended? Perhaps this should be no surprise from a region whose dominant political ideology is zenophobic, almost racist at times, anti-union, anti-worker, thinks women should be baby-machines, thinks we should ignore global warming, and believes that homosexuals should be second class citizens. And to top it all off Southerners are constantly lecturing the rest of the country about our supposed bad morals! |
lol. But they are polite! BTW, I do not disagree with a word you said.
I live in the Bible Belt for Christ Sake. It tends to get REAL bad in this stretch of the woods. |
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cazador83
Joined: 28 Feb 2006
Location: Seoul
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| Posted: Thu May 18, 2006 1:56 am Post subject: |
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haha, *I* lived in the Bible belt....good ol' west Texas.
To answer that one guy's question about Americans disliking Americans, when it obviously has nothing to do with the government...Americans may dislike other Americans based on region, because we have different history, values, politics, and morals. |
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ttompatz
Joined: 05 Sep 2005
Location: Kwangju, South Korea
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| Posted: Thu May 18, 2006 2:58 am Post subject: Re: Americans? What really irks you about us? |
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| SOOHWA101 wrote: |
I can understand the majority of the world disliking the American Government right now, but what about the people? Surely most people are intelligent enough to differentiate a countrys citizens and government.
Does this include ALL Americans, or just the ones from specific parts of the US? Because here in the South, most can't really stand the Americans from the North, or even most from the West. Most of the complaints I hear about Americans are VERY indicative of those from the North.
I am really just curious because this country is 300 mil. plus people of very diverse and different characteristics, manners, education, and mentality.
Is it the arrogance, rudeness, loudness, etc......Is it just the white Americans, or are the stereotypes indiscriminate? |
Ya know... as a newbie you have asked a couple of good questions and made a few not so good ones... and I seldom get personal here...
BUT this has to rank up there with TROLL BAIT.....
Were you smoking something when you wrote this or just have a blonde moment (apologies to the true blondes out there).
HELL has a place for Troll bait ...
teaching in a crappy, kindy hakwan for all eternity. |
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Homer
Guest
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| Posted: Thu May 18, 2006 4:38 am Post subject: |
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SOOHWA101,
Its all about perceptions. Right now its pretty much guilty by association (association with the Bush administration and its stance on the international stage, ex: Iraq).
Is this right?
Probably not?
Is it fair that all get judged that way?
Nope.
Is it a current reality?
Unfortunately yes. |
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mmstyle
Joined: 17 Apr 2006
Location: wherever
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| Posted: Thu May 18, 2006 7:16 am Post subject: Re: Americans? What really irks you about us? |
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| SOOHWA101 wrote: |
[
mmstyle, how long did you live in the US? If you would like to talk about American History and get into why these traits are so pronounced in some places and not others, I would be more than happy to. My original post was more referrring to what other people may think of Americans. I would just like to get a feel of what stereotypes I am up against and why I am up against them. |
Just to clarify...I am an American. I have lived here for all but just over 1 year of my life. I've lived in the West, South (not deep South), and New England. I do agree that southern hospitality is a well used phrase for good reason. I also think feel that the Northwest is very open and friendly and relaxed. I hope you don't think I was trying to make a dig at you soohwa, as it is an interesting topic. I was just suprised by your post. You were asking how non-amercians felt, then making generalizations about how Americans feel about each other in the same post. That was what I was reacting to. |
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SOOHWA101
Joined: 04 Mar 2006
Location: Makin moves...trying to find 24pyung
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| Posted: Thu May 18, 2006 7:56 am Post subject: Re: Americans? What really irks you about us? |
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| ttompatz wrote: |
[Ya know... as a newbie you have asked a couple of good questions and made a few not so good ones... and I seldom get personal here...
BUT this has to rank up there with TROLL BAIT.....
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The reaction alone answers my question in it entirety. I do apologize if you felt that you needed to make it personal. I have found that many people on Daves find it necessary to MAKE it personal. |
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