I Am An American

[hobbes]

Why do we call ourselves Americans?

"United States of America" is a description of a relationship and a vague locale. At the time it was coined, it was probably a sufficient description. New World (the Americas)vs Old World (Europe).

So the issue is NOT, why do we call ourselves Americans, but rather, why have we not named our country!


It's so simple, it's not about attitude or swagger, but simply that "I'm a United Stateser of America" sounds absolutely ridiculous. I'm not saying it, no way.

If you want to make this an issue, then each and everytime someone calls themselves "American", just respond with, "Yeah, but where?, Greenland or Argentina?"

Eventually we will get so sick of clarifying this that we will finally name our country. As it is now, since we are the only country containing the continent name, "American" functions quite nicely.






(Moved from other thread)
As an aside,(I think from your other thread) you quoted the Bible in discussing the "wrongness" of the death penalty. Yeah, well God should learn to lead by example. Remember the time he DESTROYED everyone on the planet, except Noah and his homies?

Why, we misbehaved and broke his law? Hmmmm .

Do what I say, not what I do, that is a poor motivational tool.


Anyway, the United States emphasises the separation of the church and states and; therfore, we are not bound by the Bible in the creation of our laws. Any references to God on coins and in anthems are historic appendages which have not been severed. There is a certain Christian religious core in this country to whom politicians cater and it would be politcal suicide to be the "guy in favor of removing God from coins". (Hey, that should have been part of that SNL skit, "Bad Idea" jeans).

[j2k4]

Hobbes-

You raise an excellent point.

Let's name this sucker.

How about the "United States of Testosterone"?

The "United States of Really Effective Ordnance"?

The "United States of Dubya"?

The "United States of Wildly Variant Public Opinion"?

The "United States Which are Located Latitudinally Between Canada and Mexico"?

[hobbes]

Originally posted by j2k4@8 May 2003 - 23:26
Hobbes-

You raise an excellent point.

Let's name this sucker.

How about the "United States of Testosterone"?

The "United States of Really Effective Ordinance"?

The "United States of Dubya"?

The "United States of Wildly Variant Public Opinion"?

The "United States Which are Located Latitudinally Between Canada and Mexico"?

     

Would I appear

egocentric if I submitted:

1) Hobbesknobbesistan
2) Hobbesadonia


or biased by suggesting:

3) StLouisCardinalstan
4) Gatewaytowestadonia


or gratingly truthful by proposing

5) Trailerparktrashistan
6) JerrySpringerdonia

They all roll of the tongue very nicely and my chest wells with pride as I recite them all, like some sort of mantra.

[j2k4]

Originally posted by hobbes+8 May 2003 - 18:07--></span><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td>QUOTE (hobbes @ 8 May 2003 - 18:07)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'> <!--QuoteBegin--j2k4@8 May 2003 - 23:26
Hobbes-

You raise an excellent point.

Let&#39;s name this sucker.

How about the "United States of Testosterone"?

The "United States of Really Effective Ordinance"?

The "United States of Dubya"?

The "United States of Wildly Variant Public Opinion"?

The "United States Which are Located Latitudinally Between Canada and Mexico"?

Would I appear

egocentric if I submitted:

1) Hobbesknobbesistan
2) Hobbesadonia


or biased by suggesting:

3) StLouisCardinalstan
4) Gatewaytowestadonia


or gratingly truthful by proposing

5) Trailerparktrashistan
6) JerrySpringerdonia

They all roll of the tongue very nicely and my chest wells with pride as I recite them all, like some sort of mantra. [/b][/quote]
WE NEED HELP HERE&#33;&#33;&#33;&#33;

[Rat Faced]

But is the USA a country?

Or a Federation?


And, if the USA is a country...what about the parts that arent States?

Has the USA got &#39;colonies&#39;??

Such as American Somalia, Guam, US Virgin Isles.........


EDIT: Those 3 places are from memory, and im getting old.... I&#39;ll look up the places i mean if they&#39;re wrong. (Or just look on the US Customs Website )

[100%]

I was in NY

Before 911
The americans i met ruled the world and could do everything

I was in NY after 911
The americans i met where paranoid and careful

The pakistani taxi drivers where the same.

[clocker]

I think we should rename ourselves The world.

"Oh me? Why I&#39;m a citizen of the World&#33;"

We already own everything, don&#39;t we?

[echidna]

Originally posted by hobbes@9 May 2003 - 05:28
Anyway, the United States emphasises the separation of the church and states and; therfore, we are not bound by the Bible in the creation of our laws. Any references to God on coins and in anthems are historic appendages which have not been severed. There is a certain Christian religious core in this country to whom politicians cater and it would be politcal suicide to be the "guy in favor of removing God from coins". (Hey, that should have been part of that SNL skit, "Bad Idea" jeans).

@hobbes ::
check i&#39;m pretty sure you&#39;ll find &#39;in god we trust&#39; started being printed after the 1929 crash
PS. i like to try to ask United Staters[sic] if they&#39;re canadian &#39;are you from toronto?&#39;

@everyone ::
thanx this is the most constructive thoughts on the issue i&#39;ve heard for umm.. ever

i have heard strange things about the federation and state independence, being able to have state troopers [militias] so maybe you could all be like &#39;Illinoisonians&#39; and &#39;Connecticuticutions&#39;
US media is so saturating that you could get away with it
and it would tell us way more about where you&#39;re from.
i mean you&#39;re unlikely to hear;

protagonist 0.0 - &#39;what&#39;s that accent?&#39;
protagonist 0.1 - "european"

i mean &#39;i hate illinois nazis&#39; and i haven&#39;t even met one

quite off topic [but look where we are] i&#39;ve heard a couple of times that US dollars aren&#39;t the property of the state ie. the Fed is a coalition of private bankers from back in the day
i understand this to be unique and don&#39;t fully understand the consequeces of the world economy running on private bank notes
but if anyone knows more please tell

Ed.typo - i&#39;m no editor

[soopaman]

Originally posted by j2k4@8 May 2003 - 23:26
Hobbes-

You raise an excellent point.

Let&#39;s name this sucker.

How about the "United States of Testosterone"?

The "United States of Really Effective Ordinance"?

The "United States of Dubya"?

The "United States of Wildly Variant Public Opinion"?

The "United States Which are Located Latitudinally Between Canada and Mexico"?

What about:

New Britain

South Canada

North Mexico

Friendlyfiretonia

Vespuccia ( Why not use his surname instead of his christian name?)

Kaq

[Barbarossa]

When people talk about "Americans" they usually mean someone from the USA. Otherwise they would say, "Canadians", or "Mexicans", or "Brazilians", etc.

Likewise, someone from Canada will say they are Canadian, someone from Mexico will say they are Mexican, someone from Brazil will say they are Brazilian, and someone from the USA will say they are American. (Unless they&#39;re from Texas, who are of course Texan)

We&#39;ve got the same sort of thing in the UK (Another badly named "country"). Quite often people from England will say their nationality is British, however people from Wales will say their nationality is Welsh, and people from Scotland will say their nationality is Scottish.

Americans of course call everyone in the UK "English", which is clearly wrong. That&#39;s just the language we "share" (kind of.. I was in favour of renting it out to you, but by now you&#39;d have lost your deposit anyway, too much damage incurred)