what it means to be *insert your nationality*

 

in the past few months i've noticed something about australian society that has really started to annoy me. earlier in the year the country experienced some terrible natural disasters and i heard the same rhetoric being thrown around continuously. "it's the aussie way to be tough and carefree. it's the aussie thing to be fighter and caring for your people" so on and so forth. it's great that they all felt that way but it just came across in a way that we think we're better than people from other countries. that we're loyal, hard working and nice and the rest of the world isn't.

 

in the past few weeks the illegal immigrant situation is blowing up and once again the same stuff is being said. "they should learn to be more like us and learn to be hard working and honest" it's just such an elitist attitude.

 

do people in other countries get the same thing? is this just patriotism or elitism? pride or ignorance?

It is the American way to be ignorant, conceited, dumb, fat, and elitist

 

Don't get me wrong, I love living here but people are very closeminded and elitist through the country. The majority of the country thinks that we are the best people in the world and I think we seem to look down upon other countries. I don't look down, but I know so many people that think we are superior just because of the country we live in... which I think is ridiculous. I think our value system is something that the world should adopt in having the opportunity of free speech/beliefs/lifestyles/etc. but I shouldn't be pressed on other countries.

 

 

I think that there's too much pride. To be honest I never understood nationalism or patriotism to be honest. It is something that is just there and you don't earn. I can understand accomplishing something great, and being proud. But being proud of being born in a country doesn't make sense to me.

i hate new zealanders they are annoying

What I think it is is identification and simplification with some group, and nations offer a sense of team oneness.

Often though what a country really stands for is a set of principles, or a way of thinking or being, cultural beliefs that are similar, or some shared history. Nationalism makes citizens act like a cheering section for their home team, and that can be bad or good, depending on the motivator and mood the country is in. More and more we are going global, so I think there is sometimes a reaction to this, in the fear from the loss of identity makes some turn inward. And crisis can bring out the best or the worst in people (Aussies resemble us Americans that way I think. Tea party marches against Mexican workers is a prime example here of the xenophobia. Zealanders I just figured would be more relaxed, given the natural disposition of citizens from exotic places - what gives there?).

But also, the media has a lot to do with it - they sell airtime with excitement, and the escalation in the intensity of that excitement makes them emphasize things that will draw an audience, and I suspect for political reasons they incite people to act as angry mobs towards others not from their group / country. Often it can be for economic reasons, the fear of job loss to someone from another country, the rich playing games with the minds of working class citizens.

It is a thing though, isn't it?! Rome had it, all countries share some sense of the zaniness of nationalism - defining ourselves by some identifier, as though that conferred some superiority, or some uniqueness. Uniqueness is good, snootiness isn't. And this "us" vs "them" thing - I think Pink Floyd had a good song about that...

I never know which Nationality to consider myself.

It is the American way to be ignorant, conceded, dumb, fat, and elitist

 

Don't get me wrong, I love living here but people are very closeminded and elitist through the country. The majority of the country thinks that we are the best people in the world and I think we seem to look down upon other countries. I don't look down, but I know so many people that think we are superior just because of the country we live in... which I think is ridiculous. I think our value system is something that the world should adopt in having the opportunity of free speech/beliefs/lifestyles/etc. but I shouldn't be pressed on other countries.

 

 

I think that there's too much pride. To be honest I never understood nationalism or patriotism to be honest. It is something that is just there and you don't earn. I can understand accomplishing something great, and being proud. But being proud of being born in a country doesn't make sense to me.

 

In your first statement, did you mean "conceited?" It seems to make more sense than what you typed, which is a different word completely.

 

Anyway, going off what you said, I'm sure that here in the US, you could even go further and talk about how this applies to states. The slogan here in my state is that "everything's bigger and better in Texas." Bigger doesn't always mean better, and even if it did, I don't think that's the case here. In the bigger cities (e.g. Dallas, Houston), people are more apt to be open-minded about things, but I live in a small East Texas town right in the middle of the Bible belt, and there are times when that gets REALLY irritating. There are too many people here who are close-minded. In fact, I'm sure Texas is a place where your comments apply. I wouldn't be surprised if you were talking about us. HAHA.

I'm going to have a minor rant here which is a bit of a tangent but still dealing with the topic.

 

I'm perpetually annoyed by the term 'American'. Of course whenever anybody uses the term, they automatically are referring to (or think of) United States citizens. The Americas are North and South America. So technically people in Canada are Americans, as are people in Mexico, Chile, Greenland, Panama, Brazil, etc. But no, it's just used for people in the U.S.

 

I like the term UnitedStatesian but I just made that up. I don't think that would ever stick.

 

 

Rant over.

^ Yeah, it's a bit wordy. :tongue: I totally get what you mean, though.

Rome had it, all countries share some sense of the zaniness of nationalism - defining ourselves by some identifier, as though that conferred some superiority, or some uniqueness. Uniqueness is good, snootiness isn't.

 

exact roman empire that takes such barbaric soldiers and that the empire has disappeared, or mixed.

 

you have barbarians, but if you look closely at the history of one part of the barbaric is the Vandals for Rome .

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vandals

 

and the others for the england is :

http://britain.library4history.org/Andrews-Celts-Henry-III/ANGLO-SAXON-CONQUEST/Anglo-Saxons-and-Jutes.html

 

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Invasions_of_the_Roman_Empire_1.png

Michiganders are cool because they can show people where they live by pointing to their hand :charming:

Michiganders are cool because they can show people where they live by pointing to their hand :charming:

 

I had to google that :embarrassed:

Now I know what Michigan looks like :nice:

I'm going to have a minor rant here which is a bit of a tangent but still dealing with the topic.

 

I'm perpetually annoyed by the term 'American'. Of course whenever anybody uses the term, they automatically are referring to (or think of) United States citizens. The Americas are North and South America. So technically people in Canada are Americans, as are people in Mexico, Chile, Greenland, Panama, Brazil, etc. But no, it's just used for people in the U.S.

 

I like the term UnitedStatesian but I just made that up. I don't think that would ever stick.

 

 

Rant over.

 

 

I agree with what you write (the yellow above). But as to Greenland (of course GREEN) as part of America, as a Dane I felt like posting this clarification:

 

Greenland (Kalaallisut: Kalaallit Nunaat meaning "Land of the Greenlanders"; Danish: Grønland)[4] is an autonomous country within the Kingdom of Denmark, located between the Arctic and Atlantic Oceans, east of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. Though physiographically a part of the continent of North America, Greenland has been politically associated with Europe (specifically Denmark–Norway) for about a millennium. The largest island in Greenland is also named Greenland, and makes up most of the country's land area.

 

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greenland

 

 

The term UnitedStatesians is great.

People from South America are called South Americans. People from North America can be called North Americans. Usually they are just known as their country - Brazilian, Canadian, etc.

 

You are called the United States of America, and to get a word from that rather pompous title (which appears to look at you as very different to the rest of America - more civilised at least) means you are known as Americans. It has stuck. South Americans, North Americans, Brazilians, Mexicans, Canadians and AMERICANS.

 

I'm afraid that's just the way it goes for having a stupid name.

it's the Empire British who have given this name to this state ;)

 

and the Empire French that has given the statue of liberty

 

will much pompous how lol

In your first statement, did you mean "conceited?" It seems to make more sense than what you typed, which is a different word completely.

 

Anyway, going off what you said, I'm sure that here in the US, you could even go further and talk about how this applies to states. The slogan here in my state is that "everything's bigger and better in Texas." Bigger doesn't always mean better, and even if it did, I don't think that's the case here. In the bigger cities (e.g. Dallas, Houston), people are more apt to be open-minded about things, but I live in a small East Texas town right in the middle of the Bible belt, and there are times when that gets REALLY irritating. There are too many people here who are close-minded. In fact, I'm sure Texas is a place where your comments apply. I wouldn't be surprised if you were talking about us. HAHA.

 

haha... oops that's what I meant to say. I changed it.

 

I do agree with that. I think a lot of it applies to a lot of different states at times. I mean to be honest I think that the more East and West Coast parts of the countries are my favorite parts simply because they think more liberally. Mainly in terms of politics but in terms of equal rights as well as not putting a big emphasis on religion.

 

I hate to say it but it really really annoys the hell out of me when you have these religious southerners waving their flags and or turn their entire lives to American related things.

Oh no, it's fine. I live with people like that, so I understand.

Sometimes the patriotism of some Americans just really baffles me ... because (and I don't want to offend anyone here) there are countries in Europe whose values and political systems are far more developed. :blank:

Sometimes the patriotism of some Americans just really baffles me ... because (and I don't want to offend anyone here) there are countries in Europe whose values and political systems are far more developed. :blank:

I agree. And I think a lot of other Americans would agree with that.

 

I like the term UnitedStatesian but I just made that up. I don't think that would ever stick.

 

 

.

 

Well, in Spanish, at least here in Argentina, we do call them "estadounidenses" so at least that's something :P

Sometimes the patriotism of some Americans just really baffles me ... because (and I don't want to offend anyone here) there are countries in Europe whose values and political systems are far more developed. :blank:

 

I agree. And I think a lot of other Americans would agree with that.

 

:nod:

 

 

 

I've never really understood patriotism to be honest. I love living here, but I think it's a bit egocentric to brag or say how much or better we think we are. The funny thing is that compared to the rest of the world we lack in so many important categories such as education and innovation.

 

 

 

but hell... we sure know how to have one hell of a military :|

:nod:

 

 

 

I've never really understood patriotism to be honest. I love living here, but I think it's a bit egocentric to brag or say how much or better we think we are. The funny thing is that compared to the rest of the world we lack in so many important categories such as education and innovation.

 

 

 

but hell... we sure know how to have one hell of a military :|

 

The scary thing is that the patriotism and the military force are so strongly linked.

You're a good American if you enroll and it's always the soldiers who are the true American heroes.

It scares me sometimes, because this nation, which many claim to be the best and most developed of the world, is so focused on its military.

The scary thing is that the patriotism and the military force are so strongly linked.

You're a good American if you enroll and it's always the soldiers who are the true American heroes.

It scares me sometimes, because this nation, which many claim to be the best and most developed of the world, is so focused on its military.

 

I agree.

 

I mean just look at this image of military spending

 

 

Is it really necessary to waste all that money on killing our fellow human beings when it could go to much better things like helping our education system or giving our citizens more opportunities or more importantly helping the world economy?

 

 

It doesn't say much as us as a nation to put so much emphasis on a military. It makes it basically seem that we are bloodthirsty.

 

In terms of the soldiers I give them respect in terms of they are putting their lives on the line. But the thing I don't understand is people constantly say that they're fighting for our freedom when we've had our freedom for over 200 years already.

Oh, I didn't mean to disrespect the soldiers.

They are putting their lives on the line ... but I think that many do it because they feel like they owe it to their nation.

I have the impression that the military knows how to use (or abuse) the patriotism, that most people are taught from birth onward.

Oh, I didn't mean to disrespect the soldiers.

They are putting their lives on the line ... but I think that many do it because they feel like they owe it to their nation.

I have the impression that the military knows how to use (or abuse) the patriotism, that most people are taught from birth onward.

 

I agree. I mean I give them a lot of respect in putting their lives on the line because it's something that I personally could never or want to do.

 

But yeah I think the military definitely does that. I mean I think a lot of the idea of patriotism seems to deal with serving your country in the military or waving flags or just making a point of the love of your country. Don't get me wrong I love living in this country for a lot it allows me to do (especially looking at some other countries), but I don't think not being outwardly patriotic means you hate living in a country, which I know after 9/11 was the case. Basically people felt that if you were against the Afghan or Iraq War that you were not being an American or Patriotic... which when you think about it in the most basic sense is pretty fucked up. It's having the mentality that we are going to kill people and try to change their lifestyle to our liking, and that's what you need to be proud of... a bit ridiculous thing to be proud of. If anything I find it shameful.

I agree.

 

I mean just look at this image of military spending

 

 

Is it really necessary to waste all that money on killing our fellow human beings when it could go to much better things like helping our education system or giving our citizens more opportunities or more importantly helping the world economy?

 

 

It doesn't say much as us as a nation to put so much emphasis on a military. It makes it basically seem that we are bloodthirsty.

 

In terms of the soldiers I give them respect in terms of they are putting their lives on the line. But the thing I don't understand is people constantly say that they're fighting for our freedom when we've had our freedom for over 200 years already.

 

Preach it, Mike!