What makes an American

What makes someone an American as opposed to, say, an European.

 

They live in the United States of America.

It's not very clear what you're asking.

 

They have american citizen ship, either by birth or other legal means.

If you mean from the heart approach to being an american, I personally think Americans have greater respect for each other, for their leaders, and for their country than most Europeans do of theirs. Obviously that's a big stereotype there, and does NOT apply to every American or indeed every European IMHO

 

mel gibson is an american by birth but grew up in australia
bruce lee born in america from Chineas parents, american by birth
Jim carrey canadian by birth immigrated legally american
as an example

 

I woud like to hold myself up as an example. Of What??? I'll leave you to decide that! HAHA

Your ever-hugging Europena American...or is that American European.

 

lol. . well, are you a legal us citizan?
or just chilln out?

 

I'm chillin', and working on the former. Have my interview at the end of next month

 

Eh, I would say americans are more patriotic. I love england, but I wouldnt think of myself as patriotic, lol. It's easier to be patriotic as an American, since a) the socialist movement in europe is ideologically opposed to national boundaries and b) the American flag is generally only used by people who either love the country or hate it, (e.g. flag burners in the middle east), and not by people with.. less then pleasant approaches to politics (e.g. the BNP or football hooligans.)

What makes an american? two other people in america, getting their luuurve thing on. Really, you should have had some sort of sex education in school

 

Thank you halo I think i get wittier as i lose more sleep


hhmmm... night all *schnooze*

 

They have bigger and better storks over here Sizjam

 

lol, ok, well, in the case of Lev, who got sex ed. done as an extra curricular kinda thing

 

LOL...maybe...I have 7 of the lil' critters

 

I've just skimmed it for now, but will go back and read it in full. EXCELLENT find (especially considering the date on it).

 

Americans for the most part are fiercely patriotic. Also...Americans are very quick to aid thier allies. Much the same may be said about the British or Germans...and Spaniards or most European countries...the problem with Europe is the French. The French from what I`ve seen or heard or read are concerned with the French and the hell with everyone else until they need someone to pull thier unwashed asses out of the fire. Think what you want of me...and I care not in this instance...but since De Gaulle passed the French have been the whipping boy for the lunatic fringe and don`t seem to care what the rational world thinks. They`ll come back to the mainstream if the Germans decide to invade again and they need the STAND-UP countries of the world to bail thier asses out again.

 

Obviously you haven't seen, heard or read enough. All the French-bashing is getting old.
The French supported us before we were even a country and aided us during the American Revolution.
And sure, the French put their own interests first. As does the U.S. to a far greater extent . . . . or do you really believe the tired rhetoric that the rest of the world "hates us for our freedom . . ." Gimme a break!

 

When the French aided us in our revolution it was in THIER best interests because they were sick of the English beating thier asses every 30 years or so. It had NOTHING to do with loyalty to us...it was setting the groundwork for us pulling thier asses out of the swill for a couple hundred years. Don`t give me that CRAP about rhetoric...if the terrorists were blowing the hell out of innocent women and children in France instead of the USA and Britain. or other places...and oh yeah....effecting THIER economy(of course when you sleep with terror terror doesn`t affect you)...like I said....when it happens to them then they`ll say..."OUI WE LOVE THE USA."...

 

And another thing....being a veteran...and having served with MANY of the world`s foreign services...the weakest I saw were the ROK`s and the French...and being a Marine I`ve no use for weak.

 

Just a friendly reminder. There are, as we all know, certain topics that can quickly get out of hand, mainly religion and politics. Everyone is entitled to their opinions but if you don't feel you can state your opinion without resorting to personal attacks (name calling, etc.) please step back and refrain from posting in this thread. There is a thin line between a passionate, interesting discussion and a flame war so lets keep it clean. This thread turns the wrong way, it will be gone.

You may now resume the aforementioned discussion.

 

All the French-bashing is getting old

Sorry...truth hurts...eh?

 

My apologies...I will stop. Sore spot for me and if it got a bit out of hand I`ll stand down.

 

LOL...no apologies necessary...yet! My post is directed toward anyone who may post in this thread. It's kind of a standard reply to reiterate forum policies re: personal attacks on members, etc....political/religious threads tend to blow sooner or later so we watch them pretty close.

 

No argument there. But all countries act in their own best interests!

Do not forget that the U.S. supported Saddam Hussein in the Iran/Iraq war. We supported Osama bin Laden (and others) in the fight to drive Russia out of Afganistan. In both cases, it was in our best interest to do so.
I know it is fashionable to bash the French these days, but you are just lowering yourself to the same level as those who call the U.S. "the Great Satan."

I apologize to pdcooper for getting the thread off track and will stop now as well

 

Thanks for the clarification lol. I`d never resort to personal name-calling here. I read and understood the rules when I joined. Like you said spirited and lively conversation...heh heh heh.

 

Pick your poison....terrorism is terrorism....my point was the French doing what was in THIER best interests GODHELPEVERYONEELSE...unlike the other countries in the world who may have the BROADER view in mind.

 

but you are just lowering yourself to the same level as those who call the U.S. "the Great Satan."


you did well until this point....

 

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Cleveland Indians?

 

Yes, and the Americans do whatever is good for their interests. Bay of Pigs? Contra Affair? Anyway, the French have had terrorist attacks, mostly by algerians. You'll see that Britain and France declared war on Germany simultaneously on the 3/9/1939, in response to the invasion of poland.

I wouldnt suggest that the americans are all that quick to help their allies, as a matter of fact. Where were you for the UK in the Falklands or the the Suez crisis?

"unwashed asses"... hmm, im sure many people could think of some rude names to call americans or brits. I really would appreciate it if you didnt have to lower the tone by bringing in racist insults.

I think what you dislike about the French is their strong socialist perspective. So what if they are willing to tax more, just so they can have good schooling and a national healthcare system which is among the best in the world? It is the choice of the people, because they live in a democracy. Claiming to hate weakness is immature - do you hate little kids?

<<edit>> im really sorry to have gone off topic to such an extent.



hmmm, Ive got another idea of what makes an american! How to make a great burger, and great breakfasts (pancakes? a whole stack of them? covered with maple syrup and blueberry ...stuff? I dunno where you get those ideas from, but i love it )

 

The conclusion (aka point) of the article is too pat and seems overtly targeted. It is well written, but naive and simplistic in its purpose.
The first half that pertains to the title seems very familier, but I can't right now place where I may have seen it before. I may be thinking of something else.
I do not agree with the conclusion.

 

. . . and English, and French, and Germans, and Russians, and Africans, and Egyptians, and Asians, and . . . well, pretty much all the ethnic and national groups that have had control of the world for . . . hmm . . . THOUSANDS of years and couldn't seem to fix all the social ills of humanity in that time. Gee, no wonder so many people come here. We've been around for . . . hmmm . . . a couple hundred years?
By the way, Franklin - what list did you consult here? You've left a bunch out - and left out all mention of the Iroquois League, which consisted of at first five then later six of the Indian Nations. Why is that, I wonder? And did you have a point?

 

I wouldnt suggest that the americans are all that quick to help their allies, as a matter of fact. Where were you for the UK in the Falklands or the the Suez crisis?

"unwashed asses"... hmm, im sure many people could think of some rude names to call americans or brits. I really would appreciate it if you didnt have to lower the tone by bringing in racist insults.

I think what you dislike about the French is their strong socialist perspective.

[/QUOTE]

The Falklands and the Suez thing were an example of colonialism dying. The Algerians comitting terrorist acts upon the French was ALSO an example of colonialism dying...or better yet...open rebellion ala ours against the British. Perhaps ny "unwashed" thing was a bit uncalled for...I`ve been to Europe, and some of the French I met do bathe. What I really dislike about the French is thier apparent lack of empathy or thanks(isolationism?)for people that really need help.

 

Please explain how attacks in the 80's and 90's are examples of colonialism dying. (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/2378997.stm)

The falklands are british. They were colonised, true, but there was noone on them to begin with. The war begun by the argies was a means to divert an unhappy populations attention through nationalistic pride. The argies invaded the islands, and we took them back. At no point can colonialism be construed (on britians side at least) for a basis to start the war. But, because the american administration came down on the side of protecting their anti-communist interests in the region (read; unelected, undemocratic governments), they decided to dither and dally and provide satellite intel, instead of providing military assistance as we go on to do in easten Europe, and Iraq twice.

France gave full support to the UK, going so far as to provide French versions of Argentine weapons and aricraft for our soldiers to train against and find ways of defeating.

Well, the French give 0.42% of their GDP away as forien aid, compared to America who gives 0.16%, so they might not seem to sympathise with needy people, but they do provide funding for them. They've also pledged to up this to 0.7% of their GDP, by 2013, which is pretty generous. (source: http://politics.guardian.co.uk/development/story/0,15709,1457443,00.html)

I don't know why you don't like the French ,but it seems a bit.. unnecessary. They're different to you, but so am I. So are ....um...the Inuit. It really doesn't matter in the end. They're not the ones saying that your culture must be destroyed, theyre not bombing or funding any terrorists either.

 

You missed Cherokee, which I have a little piece of.

What do the French have to do with defining an American?

I'm always a little uncomfortable with the name American, since Canadians and Brazilians are as much "American" as those from the U.S. Not to mention Cherokee. But the name is so ubiquitous that it's impossible to avoid.

So what does it mean to be (United States Of) American? That's changed some over the years/centuries, and as in any large group, there are many exceptions to the general views.

Historically and traditionally, it has meant:

A strong sense of independence and self-reliance. Solve your own problems, live your own life, make your own future, suffer your own losses, reap your own rewards based totally on how good you are and how hard you work.

Belief that basic human rights are God-given, not handed out by a king or a central government, and that the People give a limited subset of those rights back to the federal (and state, and local) governments to deal with a limited number of things that are better done centrally.

A basic distrust of large powerful government.

A strong commitment to pitch in personally and voluntarily and help those in need, supporting the community as needed, rather than expecting a central government to solve all problems.

A very broad-based belief in God and Christianity, in all it's flavors, and the moral principles found in the Bible, without coercing any non-Christians to accept any religion.


I too like the first part of the article Star linked to, and have some problems with the ending conclusions, primarily in the intensity of his conclusions. We're not yet where he's describing, although the general trend IS in that direction. Today we see less independence and self-reliance, and more dependence on central government. We see less personal freedom in business and persoanl lives, and far more regulations, required licenses and permits, and restrictions of all kinds than in prior generations, including far less privacy and far broader and more oppressive police power, and a FAR more powerful and intrusive federal government. The very concept of "limited government" constrained by the limits of the Constitution has been utterly abandoned.

 

GT, how about (phonetically) you-ess-ee-an

I have to agree with those principles. Would you say that self determination could be on that list?

 

Certainly. Self-determination basically IS independence and self-reliance; making your own way in the world.

 

I meant in regard to Woodrow Wilson's useage Sorry I wasn't more explicit

To be honest, I prefer a federative system of government. But the US looks like turning into a unitary system behind your backs, what with the consolidation of political powers by people.

 

Well I'm both British, since I was born there, and an American Citizen, since I did the oath thang years ago, and half of my relatives are there. My son was born in California, my wife in Sweden, my daughter in Australia, where I currently live.

So what is it to be American? Basically to be aware of your identity and of your past, and a concept of what you want to be, and to be prepared to defend it, right or wrong. A general statement? Yep, guess you have to decide for yourself wether you want to balance pride with a tolerance (not weakness); strength with compassion; wealth with the needy; and nationalism with an international world.

I consider myself partly American, partly English, partly Australian since I've been here a good while, but mostly a citizen of planet Earth.


(And, for the record, I'm a war vet. too, and know all about nationalism, it's values, and often it's abuses)

 

My confusion as well.

And again, I find myself in total agreement. "American" should mean "of the Americas", which would be North, Central, and South. But somehow it's come to mean "US citizen".

 

Nor are they doing anything to defend the free-thinking people of the world from unwarranted murder. As far as the French giving a larger PERCENTAGE of thier GNP in foriegn aid...that figure, while may be attractive to the far left...is not an accurate depiction of the actual dollar value given the MUCH lower GNP of the aforementioned countries. I`m going to stop commenting in this thread. While I am not a right-wing whacko...I consider myself a centrist....it disturbs me that black and white can`t be seen as black and white. Perhaps if YOUR children were killed by a car-bomb or sitting in a resteraunt and destroyed by a suicide bomber...while minding thier own business...seems to me that the proper route would be to do whatever possible to exterminate the vermin...no matter what the cost...that say that thier "GOD"...Allah told them to do the evil that they do. Evil knows no political party....

 

God bless you Cindy Sheehan. God bless you for the courage to stand and with your righteous determination stare into the jackals den.

 

the same woman who the family said is no longer a part of them?

The same woman who when she was interviewed after the time President Bush met with her said she was happy at the outcome.

Another media whore..... not interested in nothing but limelight.


Say, what was the ORIGINAL QUESTION anyways?????

 

ditto, but i was born in Texas and lived in england, and am a true child of the universe. I'm not at all sure what Hawaii qualifies as, but despite the fact that i live here, i wouldn't claim to be one.

 

Here's a lovely American lady.

 

i have NO sympathy. that is nothing to what they would/do to us.

 

Sad to say, I think that these days what makes an American is too much of the kind of "thought" expressed by Sasquatch77. I wouldn't soil the word patriotism by using it, I'd probably use "nationalism." No country is perfect, France or the U.S., but it takes a special kind of self-imposed blindness to hold it against the French for not sticking their noses in other peoples' business while at the same time blatantly ignoring the past 50 years of the United States oft poisonous foreign policy.

I think what it means to be an American has changed a lot over the years, perhaps ineveitably. Americans used to have a fervent desire to keep the Church out of the affairs of the State, something our founding fathers spoke on at length. What America used to be: Thomas Jefferson, Ben Franklin. What America is now: Dubya Bush and Senator Santorum. Hopefully the pendulum swings back the other way before it's too late, though sometimes I fear that it already is.

Oh, and Sasquatch, keep in mind that our President has made it quite clear that he is also doing what Allah has told him to do.

I marvel at how people with such divergent views can both consider themselves "centrist"...perhaps that's what it means to be an American

Yikes, didn't want my first post of substance here to be so serious, but I just couldn't let that spewing go unchallenged. My apologies in advance to anyone I may have offended with my tone (though I don't apologize for the substance).