The Logic Off Topic list

> European "Friends"?
> 
> I've been standing back reading all these true feelings and
> comments from all the european members here have, and I want to say
> how it has affected me. I am American, I was born here, and have never
> been fortunate enough to be able to travel outside of this country.
> Truly I will admit my ignorance on many levels about world affairs,
> and what may or may not be truth about what has been said here on this
> list.

the problem here is that not all people living in the US think exactly like
their government, like in any other country. When we talk about "Americans"
are we talking about the American government or the people in general in
America? Are we indeed talking about "all" Americans? I don't think all the
people in Pakistan agree with what their government is doing right now, so
when I talk about Pakistan I try to discern between the people and their
government. I would never say, "Damn, I can't believe the Pakistanis are
letting the US use their airspace!", if you know what I mean...

I think cultural generalizing is something lots of Americans don't
understand since our country is filled with different people from all over
the world. We have a totally different set of cultural generalizations here,
mostly based on what fast food you like or what sneakers you wear. Europeans
however, love to generalize about their neighbors. I can't tell you how many
times I've been in a bar in some European country talking to a very lovely
and intelligent European who just can't stop talking about how that guy from
Switzerland (for example) is so this or that and that's "how all the Swiss
are"...

That said, I am American. I don't believe in everything (or hardly anything,
for that matter) my government does supposedly on my behalf. Heck, my
candidates never get even close to winning elections. I am pretty pissed
about how the media controls Americans and how our corporate society has
gone so far from morality and safe judgement. I think the bulk of Americans
are pretty innocent, very naive, relatively happy even without a lot of
money and very giving and good people. I also think that about Europeans,
Mexicans, Pakistanis and Koreans, by the way. Maybe I'm naive too...

anyway... don't let them hurt your feelings "david@...",
ignorance cuts both ways.

Teddy Kumpel
~
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http://www.teddybut.com and http://www.mp3.com/teddybut
~~Teddy Kumpel<teddybut@...>Kumpelstiltskin Music, Inc./EMI Music
Publishing~~
Burning Beagle Studios, Brooklyn, NY
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