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Nice things about America

Discussion in 'Chit Chat' started by Flowey, Dec 15, 2017.

  1. Flowey

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    First off, don't be a pedantic internet jerk and pretending not to know which America I'm talking about: the continent or the country. Of course it's the US of A you dum-dum. I just prefer to call it America! Anyway, since every thread about 'rica on the internet inevitably descents into America sucks: Racism, sexism, homophobia, loud, obnoxious, arrogant, ignorant, close-minded, Trump, bible thumping, I'm moving to Canada/UK, warmongering, climate change deniers, healthcare!, debt, gun nuts, police brutality and on and on. Just the things people most often mention when talking about America on top of my head. So let's start saying nice things!

    I like their movies. For all their cliches and flaws, I do like their movies.
     
  2. quebec

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    Flowey....For all our flaws, many of us do try to be good people! ....David
     
  3. BadassFrost

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    Definitely their movies as well. And the nature, from what I've seen from photos.
     
  4. Chiroptera

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    Side note: Not to be "pedantic", but calling the USA "America" is not an unpretentious choice of words. It has much to do with power (even if you aren't doing it intentionally). So, while some people just want to cause trouble, i think that choosing to avoid calling the USA "America" is frequently a political choice - and a valid one.

    @Topic: As Flowey and BadassFrost said, i think not only many good movies are made in the US, but, in general, there are many great artists there (on cinema or other areas) that do deserve recognition.

    Mark Hamill is obviously on that list. :stuck_out_tongue_closed_eyes:
     
    #4 Chiroptera, Dec 15, 2017
    Last edited: Dec 15, 2017
  5. OGS

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    I think the USA (I actually agree with Chiroptera on the whole "America" thing) is a truly amazing idea, an intellectual gambit that transformed the world.
     
  6. Mugitono

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    I really like USA's architecture, not only the huge skyscrapers, but also the houses from residential areas, they seem quite cozy.
     
  7. Shoei Loei

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    I always just call it the US, or the United States, tbh. Most people that I know here call it the US. Anyways, I like that we’re a diverse country (or we have some parts that are diverse anyway). I like that (for the most part) a person can be whoever they want to be in the US. We also have some beautiful nature and national parks here. Also, food is plentiful here, and we can grow all sorts of neat foods.
     
    #7 Shoei Loei, Dec 15, 2017
    Last edited by a moderator: Dec 15, 2017
  8. Chiroptera

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    Oh my, I forgot Scatman John! He deserves to be mentioned here. :slight_smile:
     
  9. Glitters

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    People are nice where I'm from. A lot of stereotypes are quite hurtful.
     
  10. Reciprocal

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    I'm not from the USA, but you Yanks have the best breakfast cereals! I always see photos online of American cereals and they're all interesting and colourful: here in the UK they're mostly just plain and brown.
    I also like how the USA has all different climates in one country. There's places in the north where it's colder than the UK, and places further south where it's much hotter. There's cities mountains, forests, deserts, beaches: basically everything a country could ask for.
    American schools don't usually have uniforms, which is amazing. Here, practically all schools have a uniform: at high school, it's normally an ugly blazer, shirt and tie. That's one thing the USA does better than the UK.
     
  11. Secrets5

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    I like F.R.I.E.N.D.S
     
  12. TrevinMichael

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    I totally disagree with this I do not call my country United States of America ever always have called it America. Not political at all, easier. These are both opinions, but as a fact I hear only America by others I meet on the street. No one is going around saying I live in the USA or United States of America. Continent wise it is North American and South America and Central America so there is no confusion ever.
     
  13. TrevinMichael

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    Just like any country we have good and bad people. We have things others my like or dislike.

    There are many places in the world I like, including many parts of my country.
     
  14. Lin1

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    But North America isn't just composed of the US though, Canada is also right there, you don't hear Canadian say they are from "America", and I am assuming it is partly because they don't want to be associated with the US but also because they realize it's vague enough to confuse people (and yes it does have a lot to do with power).

    When I was a kid we were taught about 5 continents which were : Europe, Asia, Oceania, Antartica AND America (we didn't divide America in 3 parts).

    Usually when someone tell me they are from America I assume they are from the US because they are often the only ones who can't be bothered to be specific and like to claim the entire continent as their own. If anyone from Europe told you they were "European" you would ask for precision because Europe is big and varies and being from Poland or Ukraine isn't the same as being from Germany and if they were to tell you they were from "western Europe" you would still ask for precision because being from Spain isn't exactly the same as being from France or England either.



    Now, regarding the main topic I would say that the US have a lot to offer landscape-wise, art-wise, technology-wise and science-wise, it's a shame that its pros is often over-shadowed by its cons but the US can be a great place to visit and I have met some of the nicest/most-welcoming people there, so it's of course not all bad and if some laws and policies were to be changed it could actually become a very good place to live long-term for most people.
     
  15. ThatBorussenGuy

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    And then you have Michigan, where you get all four seasons in a week. It'll be 70 degrees and sunny one day, and a freaking blizzard three days later. But I don't mind. I guess that's one of the things I like about the US, too, especially around here. Also the landscapes. Because as much as I ride my state in particular for being kind of backwards sometimes, there are some beautiful landscapes here; not just in Michigan, but in the US as a whole.
     
  16. Libertino

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    The United States of America is the only nation with the word "America" in its name. Must we call every nation by its full name? If that were a requirement, Mexico would be called the "United Mexican States" (Estados Unidos Mexicanos). The "United States" is a known common name, in the same vein as "United Kingdom", but in these names there is no identifying geographical region. There can be united states or united kingdoms anywhere (as the full name of Mexico illustrates), hence why less generic shortenings are used, i.e. "America" and "Great Britain".

    And that's a bizarre division of continents there: where's Africa? Furthermore, Africa is only separated from Asia by a canal (which is what separates North and South America). Sometimes the two continents of the Western Hemisphere are referred to as "The Americas", but I've never heard them collectively referred to simply as "America".

    Anyway...

    How about our natural geography? Have you ever been to Yosemite or the Grand Canyon? They are surely two of the most beautiful places on earth, truly deserving of the adjective "awesome" (i.e. "inspiring awe"). For all of America's issues, and for the all times I consider the possibility of living in another nation, the natural geography makes me want to stay here, at least so I can do something to preserve it!
     
  17. Lin1

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    I obviously forgot to write Africa as a separate continent, my point was that we simply never divided America in three parts. In fact, in high school we were prohibited from writing the word "American" when refering to people from the USA in my history class in my native language and we had to refer to US citizens as this : US citizens not "Americans". Failing to do that would cost you having a bad grade.

    Except you are using the wrong examples. Is Mexico a continent as well as a country? I don't think so, therefore wether you refer to Mexico by its full-name or not you know that you are refering to Mexico, now if Mexican started saying they were from the United States instead of Mexico or its full name, can you see how it would become confusing?

    Also the "United Kingdom" and "Great Britain" are two different things, hence the two different names. And no, most people wouldn't say they are from "Great Britain" or the UK when you ask them where they are from and will often tell you "I am from England" or " I am from Wales". Because the UK and Great Britain just like "America" refer to a mass of countries not just a specific ones.

    Like I said though, only people from the US seem to find it logical to say they are from America instead of giving the name of their country and in my point of vew, saying " The USA" isn't much harder than saying "America". I am personally unbothered by it but I can totally see why it bothers other people also coming from America (the continent).
     
    #17 Lin1, Dec 16, 2017
    Last edited: Dec 16, 2017
  18. Libertino

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    America is the name of the country, though, that's the point I'm getting at, and there is much more cause to refer to yourself as coming from a country than from a continent. We use the terms "Latin American", "Central American", "North American", but "American" itself refers to the one country that has "America" as part of its name. Few people, if ever it happens, have a need to refer to themselves as coming from "The Americas" as a whole.

    Anyway, I will not be continuing this discussion in this thread. PM me if you wish me to respond further. Sorry for derailing the thread with needless pedantry.
     
    #18 Libertino, Dec 16, 2017
    Last edited: Dec 16, 2017
  19. TrevinMichael

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    the word America is in our name. America is not in Canada's name.
    We are the only country referred to as America.
    The whole world knows that.
    Your assumptions and opinions of who we are as a people are not quite on target, and the reasoern
    is you are stereotyping us into one kind of people when we are very diverse.

    Tech Canada did not become a country until after we did. And America has been an acceptable name for the USA. We are America. the Continent is North America. Nothing you are saying will change that. Also we are not a bunch of countries we are one country with 50 states and a few territories.

    I was born here in the USA I call my country America for over 50 years nothing you can say will change that and just because you were told otherwise does not make it correct for the rest of the world. And it is quite silly to even discuss this. I do not tell you what you should call your country so do not tell me what I should call mine.

    This is the silliest thread I have read on here. The title says nice things about America nothing to do with why we call our country that.
    .
    I love many places on Earth, and further more the whole earth belongs to all the living creatures on it.
     
  20. GlassWalls

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    Nice thing about America: It's super close to Canada.