USA, Thank You, Two Days Too Late!

[IndiraLightfoot]

I've been meaning to write something like this for quite a while now.

The United States of America get so much flak from all sorts of groups and political parties and organizations hither and dither.

Some of it may be justified to some extent. Heck, what do I know?

 

Well, I know this for sure:

 

My everyday life, most of the objects I use and love and surround myself with, have their origins in American culture and innovation.

I suspect, it's like 90%. It's almost bizarre. No country, as far as cultural artefacts are concerned, have been som darn successful and copied in such a short amount of time, historically speaking. When anthropologists went and sought out the last remote "undiscovered" cultures in the 1980s - they had a few American items in their huts and dugout canoes. No kidding!

 

The lifestyle of my family and friends is almost American. Many of the shows we watch are certainly American. The vast majority of our media entertainment is all-American (that's a good chunk of our lifetime right there.) At work, we all use American inventions that have changed the way we view the world and even the entire universe, forever.

 

Whenever we enjoy the freedom of democracy (already in the late 1700s, the French Revolution), sexuality, the pill, the gay rights movement, you name it. It has USA written all over it. Americans died en masse just to save our asses big time from madmen and dictatorship, and this twice in a row in two world wars. I'm humbled by your contribution, and wish the world never forget these wider strokes of reality. Still, the US tries its hardest to sort out bloddy messes that almost nobody else dare to. Often, you hear that Americans act in self interest - weapon lobbies and trade all that - but nearly every country does the same thing, but rarely sacrifice anything in return. Peaceful and neutral Sweden is a huge weapon export country per capita, for instance. Ironically, Sweden was one of the poorest countries in Europe in the late 1800s, and a quarter of the entire population emigrated to Ellis Island to start a decent life, and up until 1945, German was the second language of choice here, especially in the upper classes and in academy. I wonder why that changed?

Then, it slowly trickled into English, and now American English, which Swedes do love. We also changed our traffic system, from the British left system to the American right. Sometimes, you actually hear that Sweden ought to be the 51th state of America, because all of the influences now permeating almost everything past the year 2000.

 

Happy 4th of July, America!

 

You deserve it in spades, and I say this as someone that would be best described as a Left liberal. I don't care. Right now, my eyes are star-spangled!

Edited July 6, 2016 by IndiraLightfoot

[Longknife]

 

Sometimes, you actually hear that Sweden ought to be the 51th state of America, because all of the influences now permeating almost everything past the year 2000.

 

Your women log on MMOs looking for military husbands to get citizenship and military benefits off of.

[IndiraLightfoot]

 

 

Sometimes, you actually hear that Sweden ought to be the 51th state of America, because all of the influences now permeating almost everything past the year 2000.

 

Your women log on MMOs looking for military husbands to get citizenship and military benefits off of.

 

Oddly enough, Swedish TV3 has a long-running successful TV-show that you can translate as Swedish Hollywood Wives. You're onto something...

Brain drain, and now this!

[Leferd]

[IndiraLightfoot]

Leferd: Mary Blige has a great voice, but one of my favorite singers is...

 

[Youtube]

 

...Lauryn Hill.

 

This is my favourite song. Once, I listened to it for a whole day, and saw that it was time to go to bed:

[Youtube]

 

And when I said Americans saved the asses of us Europeans, I truly meant all Americans.

A week ago, I watched this documentary, as a 4th of July prep thingie on one of the channels over here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j5XzpA2s4H0

Edited July 6, 2016 by IndiraLightfoot

[HoonDing]

"Ironically, Sweden was the poorest country in Europe in the late 1800s"

 

citation needed

[IndiraLightfoot]

"Ironically, Sweden was the poorest country in Europe in the late 1800s"

 

citation needed

It's one of the most covered subjects in Swedish history. I should have written "one of the poorest", but here's an exhaustive title to sink your teeth in and whet them on:

https://books.google.se/books?id=_3std3h6K6oC&pg=PA128&lpg=PA128&dq=Sweden+1880s+poor+country+Europe&source=bl&ots=USGSiM4-rX&sig=jCO0NCzpkOW6IAmumZzDSqS-kso&hl=sv&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwi49r2fhd_NAhXBZpoKHTMKDtAQ6AEILzAD#v=onepage&q=Sweden%201880s%20poor%20country%20Europe&f=false

[Amentep]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_regions_by_past_GDP_(PPP)#Europe_1830.E2.80.931938_.28Bairoch.29

 

Bairoch estimated Sweden as ahead of Denmark, Finland, Norway, Serbia, Bulgaria, Portugal and Greece ranging somewhere from 4th - 8th lowest GDP during the 1830-1890 period.

[IndiraLightfoot]

For instance, during the 1880s, over 1% of the entire population emigrated annually. What a bleed!

Loving genealogy as I do, I have over 40 confirmed American emigrants during that period in my family alone.

[pmp10]

I understand celebrating some of US political and technical achievements.

But their cultural and economic dominance over Europe is nothing to be happy about.

[Gorgon]

 

 

Sometimes, you actually hear that Sweden ought to be the 51th state of America, because all of the influences now permeating almost everything past the year 2000.

 

Your women log on MMOs looking for military husbands to get citizenship and military benefits off of.

 

Why would you want to go from Sweden to the US. They already have more benifits of every conceivable kind than practically everywhere else. 

[Malcador]

 

 

 

 

Sometimes, you actually hear that Sweden ought to be the 51th state of America, because all of the influences now permeating almost everything past the year 2000.

Your women log on MMOs looking for military husbands to get citizenship and military benefits off of.

Why would you want to go from Sweden to the US. They already have more benifits of every conceivable kind than practically everywhere else.

They really hate the climate?

[Gromnir]

I understand celebrating some of US political and technical achievements. But their cultural and economic dominance over Europe is nothing to be happy about.

why not? even in socialist nations, the marketplace o' ideas is the dominant paradigm.  thank goodness.

 

am also not certain what people thinks is american culture, given just how eclectic and diverse is the usa... particular compared to european nations.  usa culture is constant changing and indefinable.  is always absorbing, refining and exporting ideas from every corner o' the earth.  

 

"Why would you want to go from Sweden to the US. They already have more benifits of every conceivable kind than practically everywhere else."

 

well, if you are self-sufficient and successful, you don't need rely on benefits.  that being said, the increasing polarization o' the haves and have-nots in the USA is discouraging.  the middle class isn't actual disappearing, but the working class american, once the foundation o' the US population and economy, is now becoming relegated to second-class citizen status.  recent studies show that virtual all new jobs created since the recent economic downturn has been for folks with at least some level o' college education.  changes need be made.  even so, if you is successful, the USA is a fantastic place to live.

 

HA! Good Fun!

[Gorgon]

I've been to Florida, your underwear sticks to your crack and you get a thin layer of sweat everywhere. New york, pretty much comperable to Europe. Cold winters, hot summers. Whereabouts is this fabled amazing American weather.

[Gromnir]

I've been to Florida, your underwear sticks to your crack and you get a thin layer of sweat everywhere. New york, pretty much comperable to Europe. Cold winters, hot summers. Whereabouts is this fabled amazing American weather.

california coast is very nice.  

 

usa is enormous, so you can find pretty much any climate you wish.  heck, some states is large enough such that they is having every conceivable weather category within the boarders.  snowiest place in the usa is in ca, and a two hour drive from snowiest will get you desert or mediterranean or whatever...

 

HA! Good Fun!

 

ps manifested may have some legit claim to best weather.  personal, we find endless perfect weather to be boring, but we can see the appeal.

Edited July 6, 2016 by Gromnir

[pmp10]

 

I understand celebrating some of US political and technical achievements. But their cultural and economic dominance over Europe is nothing to be happy about.

why not? even in socialist nations, the marketplace o' ideas is the dominant paradigm.  thank goodness.

It's a remainder of growing European weakness on the world stage despite all the efforts to halt it.

[Gromnir]

be stronger.

 

*shrug*

 

US has many states that is bigger than european countries.  on a global stage, small is at a distinct disadvantage.  perhaps luxembourg has a vibrant movie industry, but how does it compete with USA?  the disparity in volume is impossible to ignore.

 

is also kinda hypocritical.  how many cultures in europe was wiped out, absorbed, and/or forgotten over the centuries?  have sherman set the way-back machine for a time remote enough from the present, and every fertile river valley in europe woulda had its own unique culture.  current euro nations destroyed and absorbed many cultures now forgotten. inevitable. the world keeps getting smaller, and cultures is becoming increasing shared rather than unique.  and the pace o' change is increasing.

 

fear o' assimilation, sadly, will only hasten the demise o' smallish nations and peoples.  in the current world that is changing and evolving at a dizzying pace, the way to combat assimilation is not through isolation or rejection o' the more dominant cultures on the planet.  share.  become integrated and integral so you ain't lost and forgotten.  as a member o' an endangered culture, we do have concerns 'bout the seeming inevitability o' our lost language, history and identity.  is a concern for us.  even so, we realize that fear o' the dominant paradigm will not stop or even slow the rate o' cultural decay and loss.

 

and perhaps it makes you feel better to know that the lifestyle and culture o' a place such as williston, north dakota, a fracking boom town going bust, is gonna be far different than south beach in miami florida. heck, every couple years we gets to hear 'bout the south's culture and heritage is in danger o' being lost.  bits and pieces o' what was once unique and essential American culture is lost and altered all the time.  your same concerns is echoed in small towns 'cross every state in the USA.

 

HA! Good Fun!

[Amentep]

We get the "south's culture and heritage is in danger of being lost" locally every time some transplant doesn't follow the local custom of pulling over when a funeral procession drives by.  People fret about those "northerners" with no respect for the dead, which leads to no respect for southern culture which leads to the inevitable "go back where you came from" sort of thing.

 

That said, I think the worst enemy of "the South"'s culture and heritage is the south itself...

[HoonDing]

i must confess, USA is totally my 73th favourite country to live in

[Meshugger]

I've been there twice, visited over 20 states in my travels and i have family relatives there. Keep on rocking and blow something up for me.

[Longknife]

 

 

 

Sometimes, you actually hear that Sweden ought to be the 51th state of America, because all of the influences now permeating almost everything past the year 2000.

 

Your women log on MMOs looking for military husbands to get citizenship and military benefits off of.

 

Why would you want to go from Sweden to the US. They already have more benifits of every conceivable kind than practically everywhere else. 

 

 

That's what I told them, but I think they're blinded by the military benefits. Some girls like that: they marry a guy whose seldomly around but automatically provides them with all the financial support they could ever need, but I think they underestimate basic differences, such as a lack of affordable university costs (doesn't Sweden PAY YOU to study at university? Distinctly recall some dude advertising Sweden as a foreign semester opportunity and selling it by saying "dude they'll pay you lol") or health care. When their potential kid needs to attend university, they'll regret giving up that passport and realize just how short term they were thinking. Really, Swedish women taught me to avoid any woman that says she likes military men, cause in my experience that typically equates to "I like using people for money." Never really understood the appeal of Swedish women either, because the ones I've met have all wanted American soldiers for that exact reason, both ones I met in real life and in online MMOs. (which is apparently the go-to for finding soldiers, which is kinda funny and strange in it's own way)

Edited July 6, 2016 by Longknife

[ShadySands]

[BruceVC]

I've been meaning to write something like this for quite a while now.

The United States of America get so much flak from all sorts of groups and political parties and organizations hither and dither.

Some of it may be justified to some extent. Heck, what do I know?

 

Well, I know this for sure:

 

My everyday life, most of the objects I use and love and surround myself with, have their origins in American culture and innovation.

I suspect, it's like 90%. It's almost bizarre. No country, as far as cultural artefacts are concerned, have been som darn successful and copied in such a short amount of time, historically speaking. When anthropologists went and sought out the last remote "undiscovered" cultures in the 1980s - they had a few American items in their huts and dugout canoes. No kidding!

 

The lifestyle of my family and friends is almost American. Many of the shows we watch are certainly American. The vast majority of our media entertainment is all-American (that's a good chunk of our lifetime right there.) At work, we all use American inventions that have changed the way we view the world and even the entire universe, forever.

 

Whenever we enjoy the freedom of democracy (already in the late 1700s, the French Revolution), sexuality, the pill, the gay rights movement, you name it. It has USA written all over it. Americans died en masse just to save our asses big time from madmen and dictatorship, and this twice in a row in two world wars. I'm humbled by your contribution, and wish the world never forget these wider strokes of reality. Still, the US tries its hardest to sort out bloddy messes that almost nobody else dare to. Often, you hear that Americans act in self interest - weapon lobbies and trade all that - but nearly every country does the same thing, but rarely sacrifice anything in return. Peaceful and neutral Sweden is a huge weapon export country per capita, for instance. Ironically, Sweden was one of the poorest countries in Europe in the late 1800s, and a quarter of the entire population emigrated to Ellis Island to start a decent life, and up until 1945, German was the second language of choice here, especially in the upper classes and in academy. I wonder why that changed?

Then, it slowly trickled into English, and now American English, which Swedes do love. We also changed our traffic system, from the British left system to the American right. Sometimes, you actually hear that Sweden ought to be the 51th state of America, because all of the influences now permeating almost everything past the year 2000.

 

Happy 4th of July, America!

 

You deserve it in spades, and I say this as someone that would be best described as a Left liberal. I don't care. Right now, my eyes are star-spangled!

What a nice and honest post 

 

 

Well played Indira, I always appreciate your insight because I find you to be very reasonable and you have accurate views  on  certain topics 

[Leferd]

 

I get it.

[Rosbjerg]

American culture is a bit like Dutch, a mix of everything to the point that everyone can find it familiar.