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Post by uncltim on Jun 24, 2008 15:56:47 GMT -7
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Post by Atlantis5 on Jun 24, 2008 16:18:19 GMT -7
Tim
There is some thing of that url, my soft ware refuses to open it.
Charles
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Post by uncltim on Jun 24, 2008 17:22:15 GMT -7
Anyone else have troubles?
Tim
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Post by hollister on Jun 24, 2008 19:05:33 GMT -7
Unc,
I am beginning to think we hang out at the same websites!
I didn't have a problem with the url for what that is worth - however, you do realize that the guy is German - not an American.
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Post by uncltim on Jun 24, 2008 19:46:00 GMT -7
Pretty sure he's American, I think he chose A1 and A2 German as a handle because he owns Audi cars. Anyways, If he is German he's still more American than most Americans!! He's in Tempe, Arizona.
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Post by tuftabis on Jun 25, 2008 7:59:00 GMT -7
Holli. what does it mean 'to be American'. Does the passport make an American, or one needs to be born there. Hard question I know, but if you feel it worth giving a try - it would be deeply appreciated.
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Post by kaima on Jun 25, 2008 11:13:45 GMT -7
Tufta,
Your question is addressed to Holly, but if you ask two Americans what does it mean 'to be American', you likely will get three opinions. One of the things I heard in Germany from Americans was 'you can become American, but you cannot become German.' I take what I consider a broad view and figure that anyone born here or who is naturalized is American. Given the constant immigration that ends up constantly changing what is 'typically American.'
Now I will disagree with Holly, I believe the guy is a native American. His incorrect English is due to not paying attention in school rather than having learned English as a second language. He has obvious native intelligence and expresses himself well, but it is in an uneducated manner.
Kai
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Post by Atlantis5 on Jun 25, 2008 11:30:16 GMT -7
Pretty sure he's American, I think he chose A1 and A2 German as a handle because he owns Audi cars. Anyways, If he is German he's still more American than most Americans!! He's in Tempe, Arizona. Tim I was to access the url after a bit of working. What a revelation of trial! That poor fellow was placed through hell by that private police company, this for sure... The laws must be different in that area. For whilst reading through, it was logical with the entire area as being private property, with public access as a contained community. There appears to be 2 different criteria involved in-as-much to private property. 1} Individually owned residence {Condo} with individual separate deeded land {lot}. 2}Whilst the remainder {common area} of street ways and any land not deeded as private residence. 3}Understandable, there is a legal covenant of contract that each resident must sign as a legal document for over all common land services and maintenance. What I do not understand, is the reasoning of pay for hire private parking enforcement company. For though the gated community is private property {with limited public access} for not why they not contract with the police for traffic/parking enforcement on a year to year basis? For this would have made good sense. It was interesting reading with the daily up-date event as a continuous basis. It was as if the private for hire company valued stupidity as a virtue in place of good judgment. Charles |
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Post by hollister on Jun 25, 2008 20:20:08 GMT -7
Holli. what does it mean 'to be American'. Does the passport make an American, or one needs to be born there. Hard question I know, but if you feel it worth giving a try - it would be deeply appreciated. WOW! I guess it is my turn on the hot seat. The question ranks right up there with Fred's "What do women want?" question. First, I would ask what do you mean by American? A person born in the United States or to parent who has US citizenship? A person from the North American continent? South America? or both? I assume in the light of prior discussion you are referring to someone born in the United States, been naturalized or is the child of at least one US citizen. I think the question is simply unanswerable, meaning that there is and can never be a simple answer. As Kai pointed out, you ask two people who identify themselves as American and you will get three different (and often contradictory) answers. Frederick Turner stated in 1863, that the experience of the frontier is what made Americans different from other nations and cultures. The necessity of living by one's wits, brute strength, and willingness to start with nothing and build it into a prosperous farm, business, or mine was the crucible that stripped one from the old European ideals and forged a new national identity and focus. One can (easily) argue with Turner's assumptions - but - in 1863 people latched onto his thesis as a sort of gospel truth (religious overtone intended) and the BELIEVED in it - mostly because is made them special - and the idea of American Exceptionalism became not an idea but a reality. And it provided an explanation for what people had gone through and were going through - Americans are big on identifying and subsuming explanations - they are not good at things that don't make sense! I go off on this tangent to make a larger point  The genius of America is that it is ever evolving and adapting to the needs and views of the current populace. Thus the definition is never set but slips and slides around to make sense of the current set of realities faced by people living within the borders of the United States. It is a sign of health when Americans grapple with this very issue and decide what they think it means - it is a sign of illness in the national psyche when the People allow the Government, the Media, National Party operatives to tell them what America is and that if you don't believe as they do - you are not a "true" American. I had a professor who said that America swings back and forth as a pendulum. Taking his imagery, if one side of the swing is healthy discussion and the opposite swing is Americans allowing themselves to be "sheeple" (allowing other to make decisions for them) I think it is obvious where we are on that pendulum swing. The question is - will the pendulum swing back the other way? There seems to be some VERY troubling signs that it will not. I love my country - and to that end I hope not. Now, I ask you, Tuftabis - what do you think it means to be an American? Also, I got the impression from reading the comments on Reddit that the guy was German - I freely admit that I may very well be wrong (wouldn't be the first time!) |
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Post by uncltim on Jun 25, 2008 22:43:52 GMT -7
You can always spot the American in the crowd cant you? Why is that?
Have you ever met an American who was unwilling to speak to you?
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Post by tuftabis on Jun 25, 2008 23:36:21 GMT -7
Thanks a lot to all. I will try to answer when I do some some more thinking about what I think  and about what you wrote. This is just to let you know I enjoyed reading. |
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Post by kaima on Jun 25, 2008 23:37:00 GMT -7
Have you ever met an American who was unwilling to speak to you? Well, yes. In Slovakia I believe it was. The two of us were traveling alone and each of us was immersed in experiencing the foreign culture on our own. When we met we gave a polite greeting and nothing more. Neither of us wanted to interrupt our private immersion by some "American" side-track. True, that was a unique experience. Some other Americans I have avoided because I did not wish to be identified with their behavior. Kai |
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Post by Atlantis5 on Jun 26, 2008 7:43:12 GMT -7
You can always spot the American in the crowd cant you? Why is that? Have you ever met an American who was unwilling to speak to you? Tim This is of course a generalization, for the most part, people are people. But, yes, Americans are distinctive individually and for the most part, whilst in a crowd. For they are generally tourist with many business people out of time, checking their watch, and with very tight butts about them. Most in our location {North Germany} were students, business people or in transit to the south. The tourist are a multitude of style/dress/ and intelligence. For the few I was to enjoy a few minutes conversation, it was a mix of wonderful/disappointment and confusion. It was a mix of disappointments to exchange with some tourist. Some knew nothing, and offered nothing but 1 thousand questions they should have known. It was wonderful to hear their accent in American. But, to learn from them was a dismal experience. Whilst others, it was fun. The fun was the openness of exchange in conversation and exploration of each of our differences in our respective worlds, and yet, the similarity. What the speed limit was on their express way, the price of milk, price of home purchase, what they paid in payroll tax, were they required to pay a church tax and so forth. Americans generally always have happy eyes. Military people are more difficult. For most are the appearance of short cut hair/disciplined appearance and speak. They could be American {most are} French, Russian or Ital. Russians are more easy. For the immigrants, they have the appearance of the 30s {mid-age/elderly} {the younger are as of any}, they stay with their habits, sandal shoes for summer/odd stile leather for winter with blank faces. Russians for the most part, are very informative and realistic. I have learnt much from some of the former war time military veterans. It is easy to discuss with them for the most part with out prejudice or argument. In these discussions, I had learnt and great deal of respect for them. French are fun. They are helpful only as it is apparent. Very out spoken and even with sloppy attire, there dress attire is very noticeable as with style. And the ladies for the most part, are delightful with their own stile of allure. They seem to speak with only a look, that it is ok and all is well. Just of observations Charles |
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Post by tuftabis on Jun 26, 2008 8:36:53 GMT -7
What is it to be American to me. Well, frankly - I have a problem with that, and your responses seem to confirm there's some problem with that among Americans. I would say being American to me is being more loyal to the country of US than to any other country. As an European I am used to understanding national affiliation through culture and language. Culture means to me a set of predictable reactions-likes-tastes. As a Pole I am historically used to understanding Polish national affiliation without linking it to the state. This is very much in opposition to how I see 'being American'. And that's one of the reasons I find US as a general phenomenon so fascinating.
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and about what you wrote. This is just to let you know I enjoyed reading.