Actor doesn't like southerners...but see my movie anyway...

[Chris Parker]

Steve, I gotta tell you, Tez is right. We really do see all American's as "American's", not particularly Northern, Southern, East Coast, West Coast, Mid West, Pacific Northwest, or anything similar. To us, if you're from New York, or LA, or Texas, the distinction isn't really particularly noted - you're American first and foremost. Internally, of course, the differences are noticable, particularly for those who are within the culture, but to those external, you do get lumped into one homogenized whole. Is it accurate? Sometimes, other times not. But it's the reality. I mean, if I was to ask you if you define Australians as Victorians, Tasmanians, West Australians, New South Welshmen, or anything else, could you honestly say you make such a definition? After all, we're as big (geographically speaking) as the US.

To put it another way, for non-martial artists, is there a perceived difference between karate systems? Or is it all just "karate"?

 

[Xue Sheng]

Wow, I just read the lion’s share of what this thread has become and to be honest I do not really want to be part of it anymore so I deleted whatI posted since it really would make no difference to what is happening here.

Here is the thing, after years of dealing with people and conflict face to face, in a job I happily left, I have come to the conclusion that there are at least 3 sides to every story. What person A “Knows” to be true what person B “Knows” to be true and some where in between there is the actual truth and it is next to impossible for person A and B to see that. We tend to see things based on our point of view whether that point of view be right, wrong, 1/2 right or 1/2 wrong. We are not lying, actually we are telling the truth from our perspective....but it is not the truth. And I do realize I am at least person C or D in this with my very own view of truth

Good luck to you…I’m out
Final note -You do all realize that this entire thread was started pretty much based on the alleged views of an actor in the movie Abraham Lincoln, Vampire Hunter and to be honest I can't take anything based on the movie Abraham Lincoln, Vampire Hunter

 

[Tgace]

Its because you "foreigners" base your concept of American on media...the same accusation we face re being "ignorant Americans" with our opinions about other nations. A Midwestern American can be as different from a New Yorker as a Brit is from a Frenchman...and is geographically farther away.

Our states are called States for a reason.

What we all share is a common language and common American culture. Stronger than but similar to the common culture of the British Commonwealth nations.

Sent from my DROIDX using Tapatalk

 

[Steve]

Steve, I gotta tell you, Tez is right. We really do see all American's as "American's".

Chris, the point is simple. I believe you when you say that you see us as "Americans" regardless of where in America we're from, and certainly, we all are American. Okay? Are we all clear so far?

AND (as in, building on that last statement), if you don't understand the profound distinctions that exist regionally in America, you are ignorant (as in 'lacking knowledge or understanding'). It is as ignorant as some Americans seeing all of Great Britain's people as British. I don't see it as insulting, but it remains a simplistic, mistaken impression. And, as I've said before, if the USA is seen in these overly simplistic terms, it's no wonder our politics are difficult to understand.

Internally, of course, the differences are noticable, particularly for those who are within the culture, but to those external, you do get lumped into one homogenized whole. Is it accurate? Sometimes, other times not. But it's the reality. I mean, if I was to ask you if you define Australians as Victorians, Tasmanians, West Australians, New South Welshmen, or anything else, could you honestly say you make such a definition? After all, we're as big (geographically speaking) as the US.

The key here is that I would not, in a discussion about Australia, presume to suggest to you that my ignorance of your country is a compliment to you and that you are the one who is mistaken. If I were to say, "You do realize Chris, that outside of Australia you are all the same," this may be a true statement, but would it be accurate? No. It's an uneducated statement, even if it's true. If everyone in the world believes that it is flat, they are all in agreement, but does that make them all right? It remains an ignorant position, even if it is popular.

Maybe I'm just really, really tired, and maybe Tez was tetchy about the use of the word "ignorant." If that's the case, I apologize for use of the term. I'm not offended. I'm not angry at all. I've reread my posts in the thread and I can't see how I can be more clear. I'm not commenting on how the world sees America. I won't presume to know what "the world" thinks about anything. I'm not commenting how you or Tez see Americans. I believe you and will take you at your word. I'm strictly pointing out that if you fail to distinguish between Americans from geographically diverse areas of the country, you are mistaken. The two individuals are as different as the Scots and the Brits and the Welsh. The histories are different. The demographics are different. The cultures are different. The food, holidays and traditions are different. The laws and governments and constitutions are different. And in some areas, the languages are different, too.

So, in a discussion about the North and the South, while assuredly true, the statement that you see us as "just Americans" isn't insulting, but it is clearly uneducated and ill-informed (i.e., ignorant).

In addition to all of the above, as I said earlier, I see this diversity as being a true strength of our country. Homogeny is NOT in the best interest of the USA. We're not a big vat of melted goo in a melting pot and that's a GOOD thing.

 

[Steve]

Wow, I just read the lion’s share of what this thread has become and to be honest I do not really want to be part of it anymore so I deleted whatI posted since it really would make no difference to what is happening here.

Here is the thing, after years of dealing with people and conflict face to face, in a job I happily left, I have come to the conclusion that there are at least 3 sides to every story. What person A “Knows” to be true what person B “Knows” to be true and some where in between there is the actual truth and it is next to impossible for person A and B to see that. We tend to see things based on our point of view whether that point of view be right, wrong, 1/2 right or 1/2 wrong. We are not lying, actually we are telling the truth from our perspective....but it is not the truth. And I do realize I am at least person C or D in this with my very own view of truth

Good luck to you…I’m out
Final note -You do all realize that this entire thread was started pretty much based on the alleged views of an actor in the movie Abraham Lincoln, Vampire Hunter and to be honest I can't take anything based on the movie Abraham Lincoln, Vampire Hunter

This isn't conflict, Xue. This is how Tez and I talk. At the end, I promise we'll still be friends.

 

[Tez3]

This isn't conflict, Xue. This is how Tez and I talk. At the end, I promise we'll still be friends.

Quite true, I'm not arguing with Steve, I'm explaining why I'm right! try that one on your other halves, I can guarantee you'll be sleeping on your own that night rofl!

I don't think we can have a productive discussion on Abraham Lincoln as a vampire hunter to be honest, it's a fictional film, though last week a Victorian vampire hunters kit was sold at auction just up the road from me for quite a bit of money. http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2012/06/23/victorian-vampire-slaying_n_1620652.html

We do sometimes a bit of a problem with vampire sheep up here.

 

[Tez3]

Its because you "foreigners" base your concept of American on media...the same accusation we face re being "ignorant Americans" with our opinions about other nations. A Midwestern American can be as different from a New Yorker as a Brit is from a Frenchman...and is geographically farther away.

Our states are called States for a reason.

What we all share is a common language and common American culture. Stronger than but similar to the common culture of the British Commonwealth nations.

Sent from my DROIDX using Tapatalk

Actually we do know that but that wasn't the context in which I was referring to you as Americans, people were squabbling here about the north v south ( the word stupid was even used to describe one side), I was pointing out that you are all Americans, a thing greater than little arguments about which side was right in your civil war and other things. We see you as Americans, a united people not a divided one. This was my point not that you aren't different from each other which frankly you'd have to be an idiot not to know, and we aren't idiots trust me.

 

[Carol]

Actually we do know that but that wasn't the context in which I was referring to you as Americans, people were squabbling here about the north v south ( the word stupid was even used to describe one side), I was pointing out that you are all Americans, a thing greater than little arguments about which side was right in your civil war and other things. We see you as Americans, a united people not a divided one. This was my point not that you aren't different from each other which frankly you'd have to be an idiot not to know, and we aren't idiots trust me.

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

 

[billc]

Well, here is more on HBO a whole network that doesn't seem to like the U.S. How can you tell, well the programming for one thing...

http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Hollyw...Not-The-Greatest-Country-In-The-World-Anymore

Jeff Daniels, who stars as anchor Will McAvoy in HBO’s critically un-acclaimed “The Newsroom,” debuting Sunday nught, agrees that “America’s not the greatest country in the world anymore.”

Daniels and Aaron Sorkin, the show’s creator, were on “Piers Morgan Tonight” on Friday discussing the show when Morgan played the much-publicized clip in which McAvoy is asked by a college student why America is the best country in the world and goes on a tirade against America that is reflective of the scornful and shameful way in which Hollywood liberals, mainstream media elites, and academics in ivory towers feel about the greatest country known to man, which Abraham Lincoln referred to as “man’s last, best hope.”
(It is worth noting that the elites hypocritically benefit from America’s freedoms and way of life and choose to reside in a nation they feel is so terrible and the root of all that is wrong with the world.)

Daniels then says the speech “resonated” with him and the speech was “gold” for an actor like him.
Sorry, Mr. Daniels. Will’s words and premise are demonstrably false and only believed by those who do not think America is exceptional and is no different or better than Brazil, Turkey, Canada, China, Spain, Kenya, or Azerbaijan.
And despite the prevalence in the dominant popular culture of people like Sorkin and Daniels, who pal around with liberals like President Barack Obama, America still remains a shining city upon a hill. And if, God forbid, America ever ceases to be exceptional, it will be because of those in Hollywood, academia, and the mainstream media who, like Daniels, cheer McAvoy’s words and believe in their bones that McAvoy's sentiment about America is true.

HBO gets dinged for the hit job on Sarah Palin, having a show that playfully puts Bush's head on a pike and now Jeff Daniels and Aaron Sorkin make a whole show that shows a great dislike for the United States. Not the best of moves with the competition from Redbox and Netflix getting more and more intense...

 

[ballen0351]

As more and more northers keep screwing up places like new York and mass with high taxes and the people keep moving south you will see less and less of a difference. Shoot I know people that refer to south east Fla as south New York. And northern VA is not much different then Massachusetts anymore

 

[elder999]

Well, here is more on HBO a whole network that doesn't seem to like the U.S. How can you tell, well the programming for one thing...

http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Hollyw...Not-The-Greatest-Country-In-The-World-Anymore

How is he wrong?

 

[Sukerkin]

I have seen something like the rather stark statistics noted above before and, altho I have no proof of it whatsoever, I cant help but think if the military expenditures aspect has something to do with the other more problematic stats?

Well that and the insistence that the 'Free Market', which I assure you is a myth for those who have accumulated the serious wealth, is the best way to organise a society ... devil take the hindmost is not a viable strategy for a compassionate and cohesive community really.

 

[WC_lun]

I love my country, but when comparing it to other modern industrialized countries, we have some areas we definitley need to improve. I could see where someone looking at those numbers would get a negative outlook.

 

[billc]

One thing he is wrong about and probably more...

http://www.nypost.com/p/news/opinion/opedcolumnists/break_the_news_OpUXQeozLUjthLmAlaf9DN

As far as I can tell, Sorkin took this lie from one of several raggedy unsourced leftist websites. Or he visited the CIA Factbook, which put the US at No. 173 in infant mortality, and got the number wrong by five.

But wait: The CIA survey is in reverse order. So No. 1, Afghanistan, is the worst country for infant mortality. The best, Monaco, is No. 220. That puts the US at No. 47 (while other surveys put us slightly higher, in the 20s).
Still alarming, no? Not really. As the identity of the winner hints, a lot of the states ahead of us are not so much countries as country clubs. It’s hardly fair to compare a diverse continental power of 300 million souls with a rich city (Singapore, Hong Kong, Macau all beat us) or a tax haven (Isle of Man, Jersey, Luxembourg). You might as well break off New England and count that as a country.

Cuba beats us, but Cuba is a dictatorship that lies about everything. I doubt Sorkin would want his next child delivered in Cuba.

Still, France, Spain, Italy, Germany, the UK, Canada, Australia and Japan beat us. Why is that?
Because doctors in other countries look at a premature fetus and think “medical waste.” Our doctors think, “life to be saved,” because in fact ours is the greatest country and that’s how we roll.
Premature birth, which is the leading cause of infant mortality, is much higher in the US than in other countries — 65% higher than in Britain. The National Center for Health Statistics calls this the “primary reason” Western Europe has better numbers.
The World Health Organization notes it is “common practice” in Western Europe not to count a delivery as a live birth until the child has survived for a set period of time. If the baby draws one breath outside the womb in the US, that’s a live birth. A lot of these babies don’t make it and drive up our mortality numbers.

And for now, as far as defense spending goes, all the other countries on the list use the U.S. as their primary source of military protection. If any of them had to provide for their own defense, in a realistic way, they would not have the luxury to have welfare states that are currently bankrupting their countries.

American education, Sorkin and his lefty friends are the primary reason our scores are so low. They defend the teachers unions which are the main obstacle to education reform in this country. They fight school vouchers, one of the proven methods of improving education and condemn American school children to poor quality educations which affect their entire lives.

Add to that being the first on the scene to most if not all natural disasters around the world, funding about every third world basket case with food, money and other support and I have to say yes, America is still the greatest country in the world.
​

 

[Sukerkin]

Maybe second greatest ... or perhaps third ... or maybe fourth ...

 

[billc]

Which country gives more to charity, on top of all the rest of they do for the world...

http://www.forbes.com/2008/12/24/america-philanthropy-income-oped-cx_ee_1226eaves.html

Americans give more to charity, per capita and as a percentage of gross domestic product, than the citizens of other nations. But why?

It would be nice to believe that as a group they are just more generous. Of course, it's more complicated than that.
For instance in the U.S., which is notably religious among wealthy Western nations, about a third of all charitable giving goes to houses of worship. Some of that money, in turn, goes to projects that have an obvious benefit to the needy, like soup kitchens. But some does not, rather going toward paying the church secretary and the rent.
Volunteerism also complicates the picture. The Comparative Nonprofit Sector Project at the Johns Hopkins Center for Civil Society Studies compiled a ranking of private philanthropy in 36 countries from 1995 to 2002. Based on giving alone, the U.S. comes first, giving 1.85% of GDP, followed by Israel at 1.34% and Canada at 1.17%. But based on volunteerism alone, the Netherlands comes first, followed by Sweden and then the U.S.

Indeed, America has a culture of giving that goes far beyond tax breaks. While the wealthiest citizens give the most in sheer dollar amounts--the top 10% accounting for at least a quarter of giving, according to Arthur C. Brooks--it's in fact low-income employed Americans who give the highest portion of their income, or 4.5%.

For all its polyglot shifting, U.S. culture is unique when it comes to a belief in philanthropy. It's a value that may be rooted in Christian tithing, but has spread to the secular world. Maybe it's a recognition that with individual freedom comes responsibility, too.

 

[Sukerkin]

I don't think you really want to play that game seriously, BillC.

The charity 'stat' is a nice feather to wear it is true and I would not dream of denigrating anyone for doing such a thing. Altho' I would say that bragging about how generous you are rather undermines the point.

The "what we do for the rest of the world" aspect tho, I wouldn't beat on that drum too loudly. You can quite happily think that in your own head if you wish but I have no doubt there are those who would dispute that international-philanthropy stance quite vigorously.

 

[Instructor]

I am proud of my country but also freely admit that it has plenty of room for improvement. All of us want a better country but getting there that's the hard part.

 

[CanuckMA]

It would be interesting to see those charitable stats if you took away dues to organizations. I can tell you that of my charitable giving, nearly half are the dues to my synagogue.

 

[billc]

One stat he missed, more Nobel prizes in medical innovation came from the United states than for the rest of the world combined.