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Fellow Americans, do you realize how much people envy us?
- Thread starter Korey
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I spoke with a student that is originally from Ethiopia today as he has an internship at a facility next door to where I work. We spent part of the day teaching he and another intern about automation and then went to lunch together.
He had also studied in Germany and knew some of the culture there as well
I asked him, "What was the first strange thing you noticed about the US?"
He responded that people generally seem to be much more friendly and sociable here than in Germany. He found it strange that in Germany people are almost always referred to via their last name and that it seemed kind of distant and cold.
He found it amazing that when he was at school someone took him down a few flights of stairs and outside to point and direct him to the place he was trying to get to.
I also asked him how the working hours operated elsewhere compared to here in the US and he responded that most were 8-5 with breaks and about a 40 hour work week as many countries seem to follow the US lead on things of that nature.
He had also studied in Germany and knew some of the culture there as well
I asked him, "What was the first strange thing you noticed about the US?"
He responded that people generally seem to be much more friendly and sociable here than in Germany. He found it strange that in Germany people are almost always referred to via their last name and that it seemed kind of distant and cold.
He found it amazing that when he was at school someone took him down a few flights of stairs and outside to point and direct him to the place he was trying to get to.
I also asked him how the working hours operated elsewhere compared to here in the US and he responded that most were 8-5 with breaks and about a 40 hour work week as many countries seem to follow the US lead on things of that nature.
Yeah, for a while we (and the French Resistance) stood tall alone.
He has been at this for a long time, best thread he has made though.
A bastardized version.
Fixed1979
Member
nice...
IISANDERII
Member
Crazy; that's exactly what I'd say about the US.
Seriously I didn't think that anyone would really have this mentality.
"Fuck you, poor people. Stop being poor you idiots. Fuck you Africa, stop starving."
And we gave the luftwaffe a good kick up the arse.
Boss Man
Member
I learned recently that the "Southern" accent in the U.S. is actually a vestige of British aristocracy. People in the South are actually just talkin' more fancy like. The drawls and other nuances were seen as being more sophisticated.
Ok lol.
Have you ever been to Mexico? Like, actual Mexico?
There's much more than just working hours related to work conditions though. A full month of paid summer vacation is a nice thing to have as a standard for example.
You should see the thread about vacations here. Europeans on average have many more vacations days than Americans. It's not really a question about wanting to live to work, it's just how the system and culture is. Most probably it comes from protestant/puritan beliefs about work ethics.
Death Dealer
Member
The medicare and medicaid budget is higher than the defense dept but don't let the facts get in your way.
America took your language, fixed it up, and got the rest of the world to speak it.
I think they took better care of it. You can have the old version.
Yup (well i don´t know if it´s actually comming from the US but we have the same structure), but we get 5 weeks of paid vacation here in NL at least.. I´ve heard it´s only 2 weeks overthere in the US, i don´t know if that is true.
I don´t recall anyone calling me by my last name, besides at docter or dentist appointments.
Death Dealer
Member
Relatively speaking, the US is less corrupt than most countries.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corruption_Perceptions_Index
I'm also a mechanical engineering student that goes to a university with one of the highest job recruits in the nation....every single one of my friends in all sorts of degrees have gotten salary jobs with benefits after graduation, and I'm probably going to make more money than any of them.
I probably don't know how difficult a lot of it is, but I know I worked my ass off in school, made as smart of choices as I could make for my capabilities, and I'm paying for things with loans and I don't expect things to be handed to me.
Either way, don't get me wrong, I don't think America's perfect. I envy a lot of things about some European systems...and a lot of their culture. I especially hate how expensive school is and how the middle class is absurdly fucked in this country in lots of aspects, but especially education (rich enough to not be qualified for any help, but rich enough to take the full brunt of costs to go to school).
And how come we practically invented the internet but our internet speeds suck in comparison to parts of Europe and South America? :l
A better version
a version where "r"s are pronounced consistently.
Yeah, relatively speaking. Then again, the US has almost legalized bribery of government officials.
America's government is actually much less corrupt than most countries, which is even more impressive given the size of the US and its government, which would normally allow many more opportunities for corruption.
Corruption is not what hurts the US government, it's its own ineptitude.
Wasn't really comparing them, but the fact that we had such a strong influence and/ in rebuilding Europe after WWII yet we have Mexico which is shit right under our toe.
So if liberal and peaceful Canada cannot exist without the US protecting it (according to you), then why is the rest of Western civilization also so socially advanced compared to the US? Could they all not exist without the US? Do you realize that makes no sense?
And to reply to the OP, this is why people hate the US: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeline_of_United_States_military_operations
Don't kid yourself into thinking there's so much worth envying here, at least compared to other developed countries.
That's why I said I had the freedom to travel anywhere I WANT. Who said I wanted to go to Cuba?
Damn it, making me use the same joke twice in the same thread.
If anything, outside of pop culture, I find foreigners tend to pity Americans or view them as wasted potential. They all wish that they had our wealth because they'd put it to better use. I consistently get the feeling they view America sort of sadly, "There's air conditioning in every home, but if you break your leg you're screwed. Wanna go get a higher education? Enjoy cratering yourself financially."
Really, we are greater than what we have become.
Remember...remember...
Really, we are greater than what we have become.
Remember...remember...
Alligatorjandro
Banned
America could beat any other country in a fight.
That is the type of analogy you will have to describe further for anybody to understand what you were trying to say.
What you stated is way too open to interpretation.
But it certainly falls far below just about all of the nations of Northern Europe.
I wonder if one of the reasons the US is rated so relatively uncorrupt is because of how much lobbying by interest groups is perfectly legal. In other words, these are activities that in other countries would be illegal and therefore detrimental to the corruption rating.
Death Dealer
Member
What are you talking about ?
Do you mean politicians ?
Bribing government officials doesn't work here. This isn't Mexico/Russia etc..
What's funny about the fella saying that Canada can only exist due to its proximity to the States and if not it would've been invaded/eradicated long ago, is just how often the US themselves tried to invade and take over Canada in the 19th century... and failed miserably.
Hey, I'll admit, no one can go toe to toe with the US military, and Canada's military is pathetic something fierce and in this modern world we're toast... but if you bring it down to a mano-a-mano brouhaha, you don't fuck with Canadians.
I like to think we get that from our heavy European ancestry/upbringings.
Hey, I'll admit, no one can go toe to toe with the US military, and Canada's military is pathetic something fierce and in this modern world we're toast... but if you bring it down to a mano-a-mano brouhaha, you don't fuck with Canadians.
I like to think we get that from our heavy European ancestry/upbringings.
Warm Machine
Member
Beat me to it.
You have energy though.
"Socially Advanced"
That is a matter of opinion. Is the US not capable of instituting different social policies? The US has chosen the social policies it currently has and that does not make the US less socially advanced, it just makes the US socially different.
It's called "lobbying."
hes talking about lobbying
But you know, bribery in many cases, especially legislative bribery, is actually a crime here in the U.S.
So your statement makes no sense to me lol
Sri Lanka?
All unemployed posters please raise your hand, it would be handy if you mention where you are from too.
We had a shitty military back then pretty much. The start of the american MIC happened in the buildup to WWI.
Greece?
It is less...
Do you also wish your tax dollars not provide you with school, police, fire dept, etc...
Not including healthcare is greedy, if you think this way, remove the others also.
Healthcare is just as needed as the others.
Like others said, lobbying. Also the ridiculous amount of "special interest" money in the political campaigns. Your politicians are bought.
Alligatorjandro
Banned
Everyone should just be glad they werent born in a third world country.
shadyspace
Banned
People have so many misconceptions about lobbying. Lobbyists don't go to politicians, it's the other way around.
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