Nyenrodian

This would be viewed as a case of typical American Arrogance in Europe.

There isn't a single country in Europe that will tell you they want to be like America. In France there are protests against McDonals because of the infringement on French culture.

Furthermore, you don't have the freedom of speech you think you have. How often don't we hear about some highschool kid being expelled because he/she is wearing a "BUSH SUCKS" t-shirt. Not to mention the control the government influences on the press. Especially around the Iraq war.

But I must admit that in Britain it was worse. There the newspapers actually came with an extra edtion stating that they would not be responsible for the contents of articles about the Iraq war due to government censorship. Also just a few days ago it was proved that both the U.S. and British government messed with the 'evidence' that there were weapons of Mass Destruction in Iraq. The Blair government put several word files with evidence online, but they forgot that word stores the edits made in the file and also WHO made the edits. Which were very easy to read for the people that downloaded these files.

Most Western European countries are also in other terms so much more 'free' than the U.S. And even a lot more democratic. A prime example is Switzerland. Switzerland is both more democratic (On every important issue a referendum is held) and richer (in per capita terms) than the U.S.A.

Then the case of Free Trade. We'd WISH there was free trade between Asia, the U.S.A. and Europe. Buth the U.S. government imposes a great many trade barriers. Until about a dozen years ago there was a quota on Japanese cars which caused massive damage to your economy. More recent examples are the wheat and steel 'wars'.

I do not want to start a USA vs. Europe war. Because I love the U.S.A. I've visited your country several times and I hope to continue to visit for a long time. Also Europe has plenty bad points and problems of its own, it is by no means better than the USA. In some cases it is more advanced and in many others it is behind. There are just some 'myths' that Americans have about their country being the most free, democratic and richest in the world that quite simply are not true.

What I love about the U.S.A. is that everywhere I went the people were always very kind, helpful and interested when they found out I was from a foreign country. I actually have a pretty American accent because I went to an American school in Amsterdam.


By the way, how about the Roman ,Charlemagne's and British empires? Not to do short what the U.S.A. has achieved, but you weren't the first by far. Not even the ones that have been going on the longest. And i haven't even mentioned the old Chinese Empire yet.

porkpie

I love the red, white and blue. Stripes, stars... great flag.
The Bill Of Rights is a great thing too, it keeps the right in check. If they repeal any part of it (and they're trying), they begin to win.
Media is a problem, TV, music, movies, "news", but if you look hard you'll find the truth and some unique entertainment. After all jazz was created here.
I don't know a damn thing about Switzerland except it's pretty small comparatively. It would be nice to work less, to retire earlier, and to have free health care, but I still love it here.

But I'd probably love Botswana had I been born and raised there.

Nyenrodian

Oh, I haven't been born and raised in Switzerland. But all in all it's a good place to live.

porkpie

I'm sure it's a very good place to live....
BUT DO THEY HAVE.... Pro-wrestling? Survivor? NASCAR? The NRA? Little League Baseball? 60% Obesity? Bill O'Reilly? Gas-Guzzling Hummers?
I think not, my world-traveled friend.
I think not.

USA!!

I'm just kidding. Go Earth!

Nyenrodian

Who fucking needs the NRA? Every Swiss person gets arms from the government. Everyone is in the army untill they're 45 or something. They keep their weapons at their homes. And unlike Americans they don't shoot people with them

Almost every building that has been built in the last 40 yeas has a bunker to withstand the impact of an H-bomb. Survivor we do have and who needs baseball if you have soccer? We do have gas guzzling G classes and sportscars. And NASCAR? Get real dude, Formula 1 it is, der königsklasse of automotive sports ! Schumacher for world champ again!

Well except for the little differences as we have mentioned above, you will be amazed how much western Europe is like the U.S.A. Nowadays we even have a common currency which was unthinkable 20 years ago. But it will be a long, long time before we can speak of an European culture in the same way we can speak of an American culture.

You got me on the obesity and Bill 'O Reilly. No clue who that dude is

Liquor Dealer

A bunch of furriners runnin' around in fancy go-carts!

If it ain't rubbin' it ain't racin'!

__________________
Life isn't always a bowl of cherries, sometimes it's more like a jar of Jalapenos --- what you say or do today might burn your ass tomorrow!!!

Nyenrodian

I should have known you American wouldn't understand it

Formula 1 is a sport of technology, strategy, tactics and sheer ability by the drivers. No other form of sport uses technology that is that advanced.

It is no coincedence that Schumacher is a billionaire now. His yearly salary is around 80 million dollars at Ferrari. He is the perfect driver, knows how to finetune his cars setting to the track they're racing on. A wing that isn't set to the millimeter can cause you to lose the race. The same with choosing the right compound of your tires for the track.

You Americans just want to see action

porkpie

Come on, automobile racing is silly, whether it's NASCAR or Formula 1.
Running, a sport. Swimming, a sport. Gymnastics, a sport.
Driving, a skill, and not worth the waste of fuel. rubber and time.
Of course, to each their own, but I just don't get it.
Bill O'Reilly is just a Fox News conservative talking-head twit.

MSD

A big double-edged sword is the physical isolation. It keeps us safe from just about everything, but distances us from everything.

My favorite thing, that is in danger of disappearing, would have to be that any accusation and trial is public, so people can and will see any injustices, and you can get a second chance if something gets screwed up.

msimon8

I love the fact that reguardless if you are a womanizing pot head or a idiot coke head, you can become president

msimon8

and now to jump on this threadjack...

As an American, i would much rather watch an openwheel car run around a roadcourse where it actually take timing, skill and talent to make a pass and win a race then watch a heavy awkward stock shove someone out of the way to make a "pass"


Sidenote: I am actually a big fan of both F1 and Nascar (as well as IRL cart wrc and all the others)

Nyenrodian

I feel I'm a bit responsible for the threadjack, so why not go on-topic again?

I think no one mentioned the fact that although the U.S.A. is so huge, everybody still feels American. You have one language in the entire country (although Spanish is hijacking the country i've understood) and you only have one currency. Apart from that you people can travel anywhere within the U.S.A. as you please without any problems. I think that is one the best things about the U.S.A.

geep

I love the people of the United States. I can't think of a more cocky, arrogant, hard-working, fun-loving bunch of party animals that I'd rather have a beer with.

izzzzy

ann coulter

Liquor Dealer

At this instant (8:14 PM CST ) Jr. is running first with an .11 second lead over Wallace - 188.345 MPH and they are running five and six wide on the straights at Daytona - this isn't go-cart racing - this is the big boys.

__________________
Life isn't always a bowl of cherries, sometimes it's more like a jar of Jalapenos --- what you say or do today might burn your ass tomorrow!!!

splck

Looks like they go round and round to me. Do they ever turn right?
F1 looks better to me (more skill), but rally racing tops them all.

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nice line eh?

Sun Tzu

Part of the threads here are to hopefully learn; opposed to making statements as though they're fact instead of interpreted opinion (I see alot including myself) I only say that ahead incase you think Im being passive agressive here which Im not. Sometimes its easier to utilize what we have here ( a meeting place of people from all over the world instead of going to google and getting a non interactive dose of info )

I wanted to know what the process is for someone that wanted to start their own business there in Belgium. How it works: does the government help? encourage? regulate? Is it a socialistic form of government there? Im asking to see if this could possibly be one of the major differences. Thanks.

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To confine our attention to terrestrial matters would be to limit the human spirit.- Stephen Hawking

msimon8

Daytona and Talladega further go to prove my point that it takes much less skill and talent to compete in a stock than it does on a road course. You cant just rely on the draft and drive around till the end. You have to actually race the entire time on a road course (also in a rally, for the wrc fan above).
Ask any of the drivers, at the restrictor tracks, and increasingly on the other large tracks, all you do is wait untill the last 10-15 laps and then you are dependent on help from someone else to get a win. Which is a reason which DEI has been so dominant on restrictor tracks, Jr. and Waltrip work very well with eachother.

Again, I hate to threadjack, but i felt that it had to be said

Sidenote: despite what I say, I will be watching the Firecracker 400 tomorrow night

crow_daw

I love the fact that we are fat and lazy..........because we can be. We can do whatever the hell we want. Freedom baby.

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"We each have a star, all we have to do is find it. Once you do, everyone who sees it will be blinded." - Earl Simmons

Sun Tzu

You make it sound as though it were two people.

__________________
To confine our attention to terrestrial matters would be to limit the human spirit.- Stephen Hawking

msimon8

Our last two presidents (at least, im sure there were more)

Kabsnow

I love how everyone has different heritage.

there is no 'pure american'. everyone is different.