Subject:
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Ok, why such anti-American sentiment? (Was Re: the metric system)
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Newsgroups:
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lugnet.off-topic.debate
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Date:
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Tue, 1 May 2001 17:08:12 GMT
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Viewed:
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278 times
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In lugnet.off-topic.debate, Timothy Culberson writes:
> Christopher Tracey wrote:
> >
> > yay or nay?
> >
> > -chris
>
> Abosolutely yay. The US should get out of their redneck rut and realize
> that they are decades behind the rest of the world when it comes to this
> issue. The US is simply stinking up everybody else with their stupid
> old system (especially here in Canada where we rely on so many of their
> products and such).
First, regarding the metric system, use whatever pleases you. Personally, I
don't care. I like the old system, simply because i grew up with it, and i
therefore find it more (personally) natural to think in terms of feet and inches
than meters and centimeters, and i frankly always will Big deal. Anyway, to
the meat of my issue:
I really tire of all the anti-American comments thrown around in debate.
Frankly, i'm offended by it, although i hate to let down my guard and admit
that. I am an American citizen, and have done absolutely no wrong whatsoever to
Canadians, Germans, British, Dutch, Swazilanders, Mauretanians, Yemenese,
Sudanese, Bhutanese, etc., etc. I have never personally trampled on any of said
nations' national senses of identity, and, to the best of my knowledge, i have
never sent a truckload of cultural detritus/propaganda/rhetoric either north,
south, east, west of my border. I do not, in a nutshell, consider myself the
"Ugly American."
Now, I am, however, really trying not to become the "Resentful American," but i
admit that its sometimes hard. I've been to Europe. My father is from Europe--
an expatriate of Scotland who still retains his British citizenship. At some
important level, i consider myself to be "European" because the bones of my
ancestors (whom i honor) lie in European soil. But the bones of my American
kindred also lie in European soil. Shall we go there?
I have become something of an isolationist, though. I'm not sure that I'll ever
return to Europe. I don't particularly care to go to a place in which i am
(vicariously, at least) scoffed at and villified for being an American. Heck,
even my English relatives do that. They can't stand America, but they still
vacation at Disney World.
American citizens make enormous contributions to foreign aid. But most
countries shake a fist at America, while keeping the other hand open in case
they need something. Maybe that's wrong, but it feels that way. I relish a
civilized clash-of-arms; let's debate foreign policy, let's debate history and
economics, but leave your whining "redneck" crap on your side of the border.
james
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Message has 3 Replies:
Message is in Reply To:
 | | Re: the metric system
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| (...) Abosolutely yay. The US should get out of their redneck rut and realize that they are decades behind the rest of the world when it comes to this issue. The US is simply stinking up everybody else with their stupid old system (especially here (...) (24 years ago, 29-Apr-01, to lugnet.off-topic.debate)
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