Subject:
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offtopic: UScentric Americans, why worry?
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Newsgroups:
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lugnet.loc.au
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Date:
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Thu, 4 May 2000 00:46:09 GMT
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Viewed:
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515 times
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Guys guys guys!
I'm not sure there's a lot to be gained here.
The Americans rule the planet by weight of economic resources and the
success of their economic/military model. Get used to it. That success has
brought a bunch of real advantages for the rest of us. And that's all most
Americans think of when they hear criticism, and they wonder why the rest of
us are so <<expletive deleted on request>> ungrateful. And then they
remember that we're not as successful as they are by their measures, so they
ignore us and press on regardless.
For ours, we're pleased as punch for the advantages, but still rail at the
edges where things are uncomfortable. I'm pleased that there is still a
clash of cultures thing going - at least it means that there are still
differences.
And on the Lego side, it annoys the <<expletive deleted on request>> out of
me that I get responses like this out of TLC:
Hello,
Thank you for the e-mail!
Find your local LEGO Consumer Services at
http://www.lego.com/info/addresses and contact them.
If you live in the US, please contact LEGO Consumer
Service at 1800 822 4534.
They will be able to help you.
Best Regards
to a email that plainly came from .au, and raised an issue which is not an
issue in America, because it only reminds me what fly on the <<expletive
deleted on request>> of the America TLC thinks we are down here/how much
respect TLC shows America. You'd have to assume TLC has worked out that
America contains the largest amount of money being spent on toys in the
world, and is going after it with a passion usually attributed to Americans.
But these are all givens. These are predictable consequences of factors not
open to our influence.
America - despite the odd exception - is internally focussed regardless of
posturing, in contrast perhaps to the British, who - despite the odd
exception - actually took responsibility for its empire. Britain looked at
itself as a king with a duty to all his subjects (in contrast to a chieftain
who had won his last battle). Maybe after another hundred years or so, if
America survives as a world power, it will get around to taking the same
longer view and responsibility to which the British aspired (and probably
still aspire).
You have no idea how hard that was to write for a man with a decent
proportion of Irish blood running around in him.
So, what purpose the thread?
We come off as whiners, which is more or less a useless outcome, and kind of
at odds with our view of ourselves.
It seems to me you get what you can from Lugnet <<customary head nod to
Todd>>, expect it to be UScentric, and be amazed when it is not. I have no
plans to make Port Block or Studs anything other than Auscentic (but then I
wouldn't posture otherwise ;-) Just ignore the posturing and don't sweat
it. Hit the individual points as you go (language, sale posts in .general,
set names etc) but don't generalise them nationally. True as it may be, its
unlikely to be helpful.
Dear oh dear. It all reads like I'm trying to take the high ground. Not
so! I guess it all boils down to the idea that most of this is what it is,
isn't going to change at speed, and not worth stressing over. Not for me
;-)
Regards
Richard
Still baldly going...
Check out Port Block at http://www.hinet.net.au/~rparsons/port/
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