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  1. #1
    Super Moderator curious aardvark's Avatar
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    You foreigners is strange peoples

    strictly paypal.
    No comeback in that respect

    Paypal only has to refund for 180 days in the uk and 30 days most other countries - Anyone not waited that long for a product from a startup 3d printing company ?
    Exactly.

    And on the sidetracked issue.

    The really interesting thing about americans versus australians is this:

    Ask an american what nationality he/she is and they will answer german, polish, italian, irish, hungarian - basically anything other than american (or english for that matter - I'm sure a lot of the settlers were english - but they're descendant refuse to ever mention it - that kinda makes me proud :-) .

    The rule seems to be: nationaliy of ancestors first, state of origin second and American dead last.
    I test this theory with every new american I communicate with - and it has never yet failed.

    Ask an aussie where they're from and they will answer - emphatically - Australia first and foremost. Only reluctantly, if pushed, will they mention any nationality of ancestors.

    I personally Am english first and british second. I am not - under any circumstances whatsoever - a europaen.

    People went to australia - often involuntarily - to start new lives. And so happily abandoned their ethnic past.

    People went to america to maintain their way of life and as a consequence only reluctantly admit that they're no longer italians, or dutch or german - but actually born and bred in america.

    there are other anthropological reasons - but essentially, america is a young country whose inhabitants seem to believe they live somewhere else.
    And australia is an equally young country who's inhabitants wouldn't live anywhere else and they'll fight you for suggesting otherwise.

    I suspect that's one reason the average brit gets on better with australians than with americans.

    Me, personally I like americans, and australians (well i say 'like', there's a strong element of national competition in there somewhere. As an englishman I value sporting victories over australia much much higher than over the us :-) And I'd hazard a guess aussies feel the same :-)
    Last edited by curious aardvark; 11-10-2014 at 03:14 PM.

  2. #2
    Staff Engineer
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    I swear, money has gotten disgustingly complicated of late...

    Quote Originally Posted by curious aardvark View Post
    Ask an american what nationality he/she is and they will answer german, polish, italian, irish, hungarian - basically anything other than american (or english for that matter - I'm sure a lot of the settlers were english - but they're descendant refuse to ever mention it - that kinda makes me proud :-) .
    If you had asked in the 1960s you'd have gotten a whole different impression. People tend to lean on ancestry to other places when it feels appropriate to do so, after the war backlash of the 70s and the globalization campaigns of the 80s through today, and it's not as "cool" to be American (at least in pop culture) as it used to be.

    Personally, I say I'm from Georgia first not because I dislike America, but because there's not really a way to get an impression of one's environment by just saying "America" any more than there is for someone just saying "Europe"... If someone says they're from America, it gives a much different impression than them being from New York or Utah, for instance.

    As for people who identify with ancestral cultures, you tend to find that in either very urban areas on the coasts or very rural farming areas. Industrial towns and military towns tend to have people in them that care less about their family culture and more readily integrate into "the melting pot" of society. I have my own theories on this but I'm off topic enough already. Long story short, if you want to find proud Americans, you have to go to parts of America that aren't tourist destinations.

  3. #3
    Engineer Marm's Avatar
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    Sidetrack:

    It's because of our origins. The country itself is not even 250 years old. We don't have a lot of history to lean on, and so we know, mostly, our roots and still tend to clign to them

    Now When I'm asked that question (what nationality), it depends on who's asking. A fellow American, I'll list of my heritage, which is German, French, and Welsh about 200 years back on my Father's side (Both of my grandparents' grnadparents fought on oppposite sides of the Civil War). My mother's side can be traced back to the Mayflower. To a non-American (and that includes Canadians! :P), I'm an American. But due to the nature of the America's history there is almost always a traceable lineage back to some mother country that our families have emigrated from.

    Most Europeans cannot trace their lineage back to a 'parent' country. Yes, quite a few can, but they know their family emigrated from somewhere else. Those original locations run out of traceable lineage at some point. Either nobody wrote stuff down, or the records were lost to the sands of time. I'm talking thousands of years. Eventually you just run out of data. Therefore, you're German, or English, or French, or wherever you're from.

    We also associate with our lineage because it used to show what neighborhood you're from. When people moved here, they usually ended up in areas that were around their own native nationality. I can name the various, Polish, Croat, Slovakian, Puerto Rican, Etc neighborhoods here in town. "I'm from the East side of Cleveland". That alone puts you, usually, into a handful of nationalities.

    The US is BIG. Very big. I dated a girl years ago who's father was English (Welsh to be specific), and while visiting with their family, I learned something. Europeans think 200 miles is a long drive and Americans think 200 years is a long time. While at dinner one night, in Cleveland, Ohio, her cousin asked if we could go see the grand canyon the next day.

    Each region has their own accents and other customs. Ask a Virginian for a Pop, and they look at you funny. Up here in the Great Lakes region, if they say "soda" we all laugh at them. Out west, it's Coke apparently, even if you want a Pepsi. That's why we identify by state. Most states in the US are the size of most European countries. Hell, we went and BOUGHT a state that is 1/4 the size of Europe. And we have 49 others to go with it. Each state is so territorial, that when they made the nation's capital, it had to be NOT in a state in order to not upset another state. If the US splintered into 50 separate countries right now, at least a few of the new Nations would have economies big enough to join the G20 on their own. We had a Civil War completely on the right for states to govern themselves.

    So yes, We do associate with our state. But part of that may be the naivety of the typical American who assumes that everybody else in the world knows where Ohio, Kentucky, or Idaho is.

    And as to that naive American, I would assume that your answer to your nationality is from the fact you, historically, were forced there. Why associate with the mother country who tossed you out? Nope, you're Australian.

    How Naive are we as Americans? Had a foreign exchange student live with us years ago that was from Austria. He hated, HATED, being asked repeatedly if he's seen a Kangaroo.

  4. #4
    Super Moderator Roxy's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Marm View Post
    Most states in the US are the size of most European countries. Hell, we went and BOUGHT a state that is 1/4 the size of Europe. And we have 49 others to go with it.
    Putin says we only leased Alaska. He says the lease is almost up and we have to give it back.

  5. #5
    Super Moderator curious aardvark's Avatar
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    I dated a girl years ago who's father was English (Welsh to be specific),
    lmao - that right there shows a MASSIVE misunderstanding of the uk.
    the welsh pretty much hate the english. The english still have statutes on the books that allow welsmen to be shot with longbows in certain cities.

    It's like calling a canadian an american - they get extremely upset !
    I've seen canadians practically start fights with people who accuse them of being american.

    You could get away with saying her father was british - that covers just about everyone. But under no circumstances accuse a welshman of being english or an englishman of being welsh :-)

    The other thing I've found - and is illustrated in the preceeding posts, is that americans are extremely defensive of their choice to not be an american first and foremost.

    At the end of the day you're actually NOT scots or irish or whatever nationality you claim.
    Had a guy join the food forum I'm on. said he was a scot. So I asked, 'are you american scots or actually scottish ? '
    He got quite snippy - but it's a genuine question.

    The difference is that if he were actually scottish there's 2000 years of cultural enmity he and I shared, with any amount of in-jokes and banter, none of which exists between an englishman and an american who wants to be scottish.

    So while it makes perfect sense for an american to claim a seperate nationality to another americcan - to the rest of us (you know everyone, not an american) it's just weird :-)

  6. #6
    Engineer Marm's Avatar
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    You're absolutely right, that was a typo on my part. I know Wales is not part of England. My apologies to the Welshmen of the world. He was British, not English. It's that UK vs England thing that most Americans don't understand.

    I don't know if it's defensive, at least on my part, because I agree with the notion we don't have a national heritage or culture. We're still a teenager in world history.

    On the flip side, we kinda think it's weird that you think you're scottish or Welsh or Irish or English, when to us "It's all the same country".

    And what the heck is with the monarchy? Does it even serve a purpose any more?


    Yup, them's fighting words, I know, but Legit questions from us American's.
    Last edited by Marm; 11-13-2014 at 06:51 AM.

  7. #7
    Staff Engineer old man emu's Avatar
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    You foreigners is strange peoples

    We are an international community on this forum, aren't we? We've all got lots to learn about each other's Societies, and sometimes lack of knowledge leads to fights. I've started this thread to provide a place for some to ask questions and make comments and for others to defend a society they feel has been maligned by the comments.

    Now, I'm perfectly aware that some posts here could be taken to heart and raise the ire of people about whose society is criticised, but please accept that all comments are intended to be part of a free and frank discussion amongst friends. So, if you post something that is potentially inflammatory, tack an emoticon onto the end so show that you aren't looking for a fight.

    Be nice, and let's see how this pans out.

    Old Man Emu

  8. #8
    Staff Engineer old man emu's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by curious aardvark View Post
    Me, personally I like americans, and australians. As an englishman I value sporting victories over australia much much higher than over the us :-) And I'd hazard a guess aussies feel the same :-)
    Funny you should say that. The first of this summer's One Day International Cricket matches is being played today. Australia -v- South Africa, and its is on TV. Just got my 2-year-old grandson up from his afternoon nap and plonked him in front of the TV. Got him practising his "Owzat!!!"

    Practising during a game with the South Africans is a bit like being in the nets preparing for a Test against the Poms - you don't want to get bowled, but it's not the real thing.

    (The sound you hear is all the Yanks scratching their heads trying to figure out what I just said.

    Old Man Emu

  9. #9
    Super Moderator Geoff's Avatar
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    Ask an aussie where they're from and they will answer - emphatically - Australia first and foremost. Only reluctantly, if pushed, will they mention any nationality of ancestors.
    My family came here by choice, on a boat (we still have the boat tickets from the 1800's) and I am an 8th generation Australian.. so I've never thought of myself by anything but Australian. No one really needs to push me to mention British ancestry because I thought that was something that was just generally known about Australia ( ) I am not opposed to the monarchy because let's be honest, it's all just a formality now really isnt it? we could become a republic tomorrow and very little would change here in terms of the country running.
    Hex3D - 3D Printing and Design http://www.hex3d.com

  10. #10
    Engineer Marm's Avatar
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    I hope none of my comments were taken as inflammatory, it was not intended.

    Spent a month in England and Wales in the late 90's, loved it there, great country. Got sick on a Tuesday, dozed off in bed, watching cricket for background noise. Woke up on Thursday, and the same damn match was on, that was really messing with my head. Went to an engineering college, looked out my dorm window one day and all the Indians at school had a cricket game going in the quad, with lots of confused Americans watching on. I feel most non-americans feel the same way about Hand-Egg (American Football?).

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