Agreed, it was from all sides in the discussion, but for matthew to try and make it sound like he had little to nothing to do with it was just well, funny.

sometime somewhere someone

All you humans are arrogant, why can you not see that you still understand nothing puny mortals?

oh and... wait.. I live in America, I must be ignant XD and yes.. in NORTH AMERICA...

Would it help if I said I love humanity? Here is a perception I would like to project upon the world. I hope and dream of the day that all people (the entire world) will be able to view each other as equals... I doubt that day will come any time soon really..

<insert lots of text as to my conjectured reasons as to why people will not easily overcome superiority complexes>

But really a persons a person no matter how small.

(I could not help it)

o and... GOD BLESS EVERYONE WHO WANTS TO BE BLESSED :D (well hopefully anyway)

Fixed!

Back to mathew's points - you had me. I could see the validity of much (but not all) of what you were saying in your most recent post.

And then you did something that I find particularly arrogant, and whilst I'm not meaning to apply it as a stereotype, you did something that I can only say I've seen in Americans.

You accused the people who had engaged you in a (mostly) reasonable dissuasion of being "the tilted left". Oh dear.

Why is it that:
1) Some Americans seem to behave as if reasoned argument indicates slavish membership of some dark cabal, and
2) The same Americans assign that cabal to the political left.

Why is free thought seen as endorsement of socialism?

I have no doubt at all that the political spectrum covered by myself, silent jay, Taylor, Baraka Guru, hannuka harry, Leto etc is broad and divergent. In fact I would expect that we would disagree on many fundamental issues.

Dude, you're totally wrong.

Oh go blowit out of your ass!

Bloody Canadians think you're all that. Eh!

It is perfectly natural to think that one's own tribe, religion, nation ... is the "natural" and "normal" one. If one's particular group is more advanced in one way or another than other groups, this can lead to arrogance, and undoubtedly has, for some Americans.

As the world draws slowly together, though, arrogance becomes a handicap.

I recall sitting in a bar in Leningrad, during the Perestroika period, before the city was renamed, and watching a group of American kids lighting their cigarettes with Russian rouble notes. I thought at the time, how stupid they were, since we (I am an American) need the Russians as allies, and there could be no better way of instilling a deep hatred of America among them, than doing this.

We're not arrogant. We're just better than the rest of you savages.

/troll

Vespucci is rolling in his grave.

why's that?

Just a play on the word America... explorer Americus Vespucius AKA Amerigo Vespucci - some say "America" (Old Brazil) was named for Americus. So if Americans are arrogant, it could apply to Brazilians or Americus himself. Nerdy attempt to lighten things up.

I will agree that there are failings within American society. I will agree that there are failings in the American education system. I will agree that our health care system needs substantial work to function effectively for all. The United States is far from perfect, though show me a country that is truly "perfect." I do think that some do confuse patriotism for arrogance though. I see failings, and I vote accordingly in hopes that some of these issues can be changed. I do not see the United States as a complete failure, I have lived here all my life and cannot imagine spending the rest of my years in another country. Does that make me arrogant though?