General Music Chat

Dave, I will not apologize for being a U.S. citizen and Damn proud to be one. I have never heard all this about how rude U.S. citizens are while traveling. I am sure there are some just as there are with any culture. The majority of the traveling I have done was to Mexico and I was treated like a peice of trash there (get all the money you can from the gringo Jessa) I won't go back there. In fact I don't think I want to go to another country for the rest of my life. Plenty for me yet to see here in the U.S. and I buy American every chance I get I'll pay more. The reason for this is it's not safe. I think you hit the nail right on the head when you said Dave you love the U.S. as much as you hate. Down here in the good Ole U.S.A. we call that talkin out of both sides of your mouth and most of us take that as an insult. No hard feelings though Dave I don't hate you or Canada. You are entiteled to your opinion and I am entiteled to mine. My reply to all those people that say the U.S. is a bully would be I guess we were being bullies when we ran the germans out of most of France and Europe huh! I guess we were bullies when we tried to liberate Vietnam and Korea what possible benefit could we have gained from that except to spread the ideaoligy of freedom and stabilize the world economies. You see we believe that a prosperous industrialized world is a stabile world. We also believe that wars are bread through desperation and poverty. That is what I take as an insult, for all the U.S. and my tax dollars have done to TRY to make this world a better place the thanks we get for it is I love the U.S. as much as I hate it. Sure we have made a lot of mistakes. As the world sucks and bleeds the U.S.A dry and our politicians let them, all of our jobs are going over sea's and down south to Mexico I am definately hearing the tremendous sucking sound that Ross Perot tried to warn us about 20 years ago. Then I hear my fellow countrymen running down this country and agreeing with how horrible the U.S. is Philby it just breaks my heart. IMO the reason why the rest of the world so loves to hate the U.S.A. is because they hold us to a higher standard. Sure as an American our government is selling us out. Thats why I said yesterday that I fear my own Government and so many states here are talking sussesion (spelling) No hard feelings again Dave or Philby. I wouldn't worry about hating on the U.S. to much longer if the liberal hater citizens of the Horrible bad ole U.S. have there way we will be an unrecognizable whisper of what we were

haha, it's alright man, as long as you understand that I'm not trashing or insulting the US. I'm just trying to look at situations objectively, by looking at ALL aspects; good and bad!

Trust me when I say this, the USA is far from being the country that I hate most

JH - I love my country. I fear & hate my country's gov't. I also hate & fear some of its citizenry. That's pretty normal, from what I see around me.

Perhaps I'd feel differently if I'd joined the military or got heavily into country music, or if I'd grown up in Texas. I dunno.

Still, when I attack my gov't, I don't feel like I'm attacking any particular individual, & it always surprizes me when ppl take what I say personally. I hold my country at a different level than I hold you (but I hold it to the same standards - if you did the same stuff I see our gov't doing, I'd be all over ya like powdered sugar on a doughnut). When I see things I think are wrong, I speak out. I'd do the same for you, for that matter, but I don't think we've ever had reason to butt heads, really. I wouldn't think that my opinion of the USA should affect you as a person one way or the other, but I find that I'm wrong on that quite often, & it always puzzles me.

I am trying to say that I mean no offense, no matter how offensive I may sound, JH. Please take it all in the spirit it's intended.

I think what it all boils down to is, Americans love America, but hate most of the things the government is doing because it is bringing this great country down. People from other countries also hate our government (and rightly so for a lot of reasons) but don't take the time to distinguish between America and it's government. We do the same thing when looking at other countries. It's hard to put one's feelings into words that all will understand.

lol very profound..

...People from other countries also hate our government (and rightly so for a lot of reasons) but don't take the time to distinguish between America and it's government. We do the same thing when looking at other countries...

Exactly! Everybody generalizes and everybody judges a Country based on the government's actions. "Most" of the world agrees that G.W. is an idiot and during his presidency, "most" of the world considered Americans as a the reflection of its president...mainly since he was "elected" twice

But, now, it's the general conscientious that Obama is a smart man. I'm not saying he is all good and everything he does is right, but he is still a very well educated man and ppl tends to respect that. I can already feel the world's opinion changing to the positive, about America....every day!!!

Ratsass, thats what I have been trying to say all along there is a huge difference between the U.S. government and the U.S. citizens. Perhaps I need to learn to practice what I preach LOL.

J, I knew what you were trying to say. Like I said, it's hard to put your feelings into words that others can understand, and it's especially true if the subject is real close to your heart. Just shows what a good American you are, even if you could stand to brush up on your people skills.

LOL Jeff, I definately need work in that area. I think it stems from being silent all my life. I have been to nice for my own good. All my life never stood up for myself non-confrontational. I was the nicest guy anyone ever met. Up untill about 10 years ago. Something happened to my daughter that I have mentioned on here several times and it made me bitter enough to start speaking up. Perhaps I should find some balance in my people skills LOL! The nice guy is still here just wayyy more vocal.

I think it stems from being silent all my life.

Silent AND from Texas? Now I've heard it all.

While I can't argue anyone's distrust for the gvmnt, I can say this about the healthcare debate. Most of the reasons the Reagen anti gvmnt revolution rose up was the horrible flaws in the structure they created through bearaucracies which would make it impossible to do anything efficiently. Any of these qualms are now 10 times worse when dealing with the corporations today.

If you find yourself trusting a corporation more than your gvmnt you are in a lot of trouble. The idea of corporate interests, their flawed structure, poor work ethics and profit margin over my health could not be more scary. The DMV is ten times better than it used to be, the post office gets a letter across the country in a day. This is all much better than the insurance structure we have today (note not the quality of care).

It is a choice between two lesser evils and this system is so broken and getting worse the fact that we may have a chance to actually pay less taxes because this system turns around but if we keep the same system in place we have no chance of it getting better, at least taking the power out of corporate interests gives us a chance for reform.

Gee, the Government is a corporation of sorts. One that cant be sued or taken to court for malpractice / illegal or immoral activites.
Seems to trade one boss for another with more power and less moral responsibility in hopes it "might be better" is folly.
And the post office, if not in the business of buying billion dollar mansions to relocate their "corporate leaders" into, could perhaps, ship that same letter for a half cent each.
I fear we are on that slippery slope towards a real global blood bath.
Not the popular have vs have nots, theory.
But the, wanna takes vs the wanna keeps.

Sorry if this is out of place, as I don't have time to read this whole thread, but I caught something about how "bad" American tourists are?

Actually a recent survey, showed that the French are considered the WORST tourists in the world for rudeness and not speaking any language other than French. America is actually in the top-10 of "good tourists" with their generosity being touted as among the best in the world. The bad points Americans get is on being loud, complaining too much, and their dress choices.

Here are the top-10 "good tourist" nations in the world:


Japan
Britain
Canada
Germany
Switzerland
Holland
Australia
Sweden
USA
Denmark

Ha, I'm not surprised that Japan is the first! I also second the survey's results about France.....quite a few French seem to think that their sh*t don't stink!!!