American Culture

[Edgar]

That actually isn't true as of June of this year. Still, I'm in luck, so I digress.

I think you might be confusing "passport" with a "visa".

 

[nomadic]

Well put your money where you mouth is. You have all the opportunities that can be afforded to you. You don't need a visa to go to Canada, and we have NAFTA in place - so if somebody in Canada is interested in your abilities, you are welcome to take advantage of that opportunity.

Actually for a lot of occupations, Canada is very closed to non Canadians. Like its very difficult for an American lawyer to practice in Canada, while its relatively easy for a Canadian lawyer to practice in America.

But to me, America is where the best and the brightest should congregate to innovate, research, and push boundaries, technologically, financially, etc...

Once that stops, having an American education won't be worth much anymore... which is much scarier than any housing/financial crisis.

 

[INTJ123]

hmm suddenly it seems like I was right, there is no damn culture here, start a topic about america's culture, speak nothing of it, and end it with unemployment and obesity, yes....

Another major problem here is that the definition of culture is very subjective, what does culture even mean to you people?

 

[Thalassa]

But to me, America is where the best and the brightest should congregate to innovate, research, and push boundaries, technologically, financially, etc...

Once that stops, having an American education won't be worth much anymore... which is much scarier than any housing/financial crisis.

Who said that any of that stuff is going to stop, or that they want it to? Even the most liberal of the liberals agree that people should congregate here to innovate, research, push boundaries, etc. And an American education won't mean much? What does that even mean?

I'm sorry, nothing personal, maybe I'm misunderstanding you, but that's crazy right-wing paranoia talking if I've ever seen it.

 

[Quinlan]

No, not really. It doesn't say he is starving. Just that he is a Tanzanian child.

You are working from an assumption that all Tanzanian children are malnourished.

Well in terms of Athenians original point, you can be consuming enough calories to make yourself fat but still potentially be lacking in important nutrients.

I suppose it depends how you define malnourished.

 

[Edgar]

Actually for a lot of occupations, Canada is very closed to non Canadians. Like its very difficult for an American lawyer to practice in Canada, while its relatively easy for a Canadian lawyer to practice in America.

And for a good reason too. The American Bar Association has all but destroyed the legal profession in the U.S. by creating a glut of law schools and at the same time allowing outsourcing of American legal work. Now the whole supply vs demand with attornys is totally out of wack. If anything, I applaud Canada for their prudent actions (concerning the legal profession anyway - I don't know what's up with the other professions).

But to me, America is where the best and the brightest should congregate to innovate, research, and push boundaries, technologically, financially, etc...

Once that stops, having an American education won't be worth much anymore... which is much scarier than any housing/financial crisis.

I'm afraid we've been heading down that path for a while now. There has been a tremendous inflation of education in the last couple of decades.
B.A. is now the equivalent of what high school diploma used to be. There is a mass delusion on behalf of the general public and populist politicians that if only everyone would have a degree, everyone will be a highly compensated white collar professional... which of course, is an idiotic concept. But then again, idiocy and populism often go hand in hand.

 

[lowtech redneck]

The United States is a state-nation (rather than a nation-state) organized around and based explicitly on classical liberal norms of values. The normative presumption of individualism (along with institutional incentives) has permeated, bounded, and over time either moderated or overcome both left-wing and right-wing populism. Some lament the entrenched individualist streak within American culture, but I consider it an overall strength (and certainly a defining characteristic) of the United States. Somewhat paradoxically, it has enabled (civic) nationalism to thrive alongside an individualist mindset, which seems very rare outside the United States.

 

[Edgar]

The United States is a state-nation (rather than a nation-state) organized around and based explicitly on classical liberal norms of values. The normative presumption of individualism (along with institutional incentives) has permeated, bounded, and over time either moderated or overcome both left-wing and right-wing populism. Some lament the entrenched individualist streak within American culture, but I consider it an overall strength (and certainly a defining characteristic) of the United States. Somewhat paradoxically, it has enabled (civic) nationalism to thrive alongside an individualist mindset, which seems very rare outside the United States.

I would guess that is due to the fact that America doesn't really have an internal single-culture hegemony, being a nation of immigrants and all.

 

[lowtech redneck]

I would guess that is due to the fact that America doesn't really have an internal single-culture hegemony, being a nation of immigrants and all.

That's certainly a major part of it, but look back to the debate over the Constitution; both the writers of the Federalist Papers and most of the diverse Anti-federalist writers generally agreed that classical liberal assumptions were the basis of the legitimacy of their arguments (they simply disagreed on the details). But yeah, the lack of of a dominant ethnic culture was (and has been since) a huge factor (my own contemporary American ancestors were either ethnic German or Cherokee at that time, rather than the cultural Englishman of John Jay's imagination!).

 

[Kanamori]

Athenian, I wonder how many things are totally original... I don't think very many. Culture is something people have w/o it necessarily being 100% made from them.

Actually there are people who willingly want to be in health facilities who can't stay there longer than a few days because there just isn't funding for it. Or who are just so disturbed they honestly don't know what's going on one way or the other.

And to hospitalize someone who is TRULY out of their mind with dementia, schizophrenia, alzheimers, etc. isn't "fascist" it's compassion. That's why legal documents contain statements such as "I, being of SOUND MIND..." and there also exists such a thing as power of attorney. I'm not suggesting we keep folks with mild cases of bipolar disorder or generalized anxiety disorder in institutions.

Ever been inside one?? Most of the people don't seem too happy about being drugged up with lithium and shizz, and being stuck there and then forcibly drugged up seems to make them feel shittier than they did before the dude stuck them in the arm.

 

[nomadic]

Who said that any of that stuff is going to stop, or that they want it to? Even the most liberal of the liberals agree that people should congregate here to innovate, research, push boundaries, etc. And an American education won't mean much? What does that even mean?

I'm sorry, nothing personal, maybe I'm misunderstanding you, but that's crazy right-wing paranoia talking if I've ever seen it.

yeah i think ur saying something that im not saying

i actually used to argue that blue states house most of the US top universities for a reason, but i don't care about that left vs. right stuff anymore.

but technological innovation is being lost in the US. going from Silicon Valley to other countries. london is becoming a new financial capital instead of nyc. US doesn't have the allure of being the ONLY place of top class education and research as it once did. that stuff is worrisome. honestly, i don't care if the founder of apple is an indian, chinese, uzbekistanian, or whatever. as long as its founded and researched in the US and the money is being spent here.

 

[Ginkgo]

One thing a lot of people cite is the idea of valuing the individual, freedom, equality, and democracy, but many of those things are from as far back as Greece or the Enlightenment.

These phrases are just thrown around by politicians as a means of appeasing everyone who's listening. They are open to interpretations by all people, so they really don't have any tangible meaning. Furthermore, they are particularly inspiring when a black man says them.

 

[FDG]

Strong empahsis on competition. Some bigotry. Ethnocentrism (although this can be argued, since there are so many different ethnicities). Strong meritocracy. This is what crosses my mind when I think about american culture. I must admit I'm not a big supporter of this approach (although I recognize its merits), thus I'm not trying to give an objective opinion. I'm actually kind of workaholic myself, but I don't like a culture that appreciates this trait - I prefer to enjoy being more laid back when I decide to be.

Btw, we have food delivery here too - mostly pizza, arabic food, and chinese.

 

[Haphazard]

It's strange about American colleges... I didn't even know that until I helped tutor ESL last summer. I said I wanted to look at McGill for college but they were all like "no you go to America for uni."

 

[Silly_Siren]

American Culture, that's an oxymoron if I ever saw one.

 

[Athenian200]

American Culture, that's an oxymoron if I ever saw one.

I take it you think that American Culture is somewhat... generic/bland, at times?

 

[Silly_Siren]

I take it you think that American Culture is somewhat... generic/bland, at times?

Well, to be truthful it was more of a joke. To say American culture is bland when you live in Canada is a bit rich. I mean, there is that vapid consumerism aspect I don't find measures up to Bach and Van Gogh. But 'A" it's a younger country and 'B' there is actually a lot of good American art, literature, music out there.

 

[01011010]

I wouldn't lump Asians into one category. There is a huge difference between Japanese and Chinese culture. I would say Americans are very polite compared to the Chinese, and rather rude compared to the Japanese.

Extremely rude in comparison. I think someone mentioned Japan seemed like a nation of INFJs, due to overt politeness and meticulous hygiene.

No, the American Dream is a destinct concept that anyone, despite their ethnic background or class, can achieve immense wealth and prestige based solely on their work ethic and innovation - and that America is the only country that would allow such success to flourish.

Nail on the head. Some of these complainers should try living in India.

Eating out of garbage cans as much and as quickly as you can before someone sees you will do that. Poor people are often fat, actually, because they go on a constant cycle between starvation mode and stuffing their face, saving all the energy they can get.

Poor people are fat because it costs less to eat processed garbage.

Once that stops, having an American education won't be worth much anymore... which is much scarier than any housing/financial crisis.

Interesting observation.

All the non-American Chinese people I've encountered, say they come here to purchase their degrees. America to them, is a place where one can buy education.

 

[substitute]

So far, the only uniquely American idea I've found is the idea that we're a "melting pot," and not any kind of single, homogeneous group....
and isn't shared with Western/European/English civilization as a whole?

Not unique and not uh, not shared with general Western Europe. UK for example: Saxon, Viking, Celtic, Roman, just about every other European ethnicity has been involved in its making and population (not to mention the contact with "Saracens" during the Crusades and the huge influence it had on philosophy, architecture and other aspects of the culture) and in more recent, modern times, massive influxes of Asians, Caribbeans and Africans, too, which is ongoing. Most British cities (and French too) have whole regions where you can barely find a shop front or passer by that can tell you anything in English. There are those who say that's a bad thing, though I love, embrace and welcome it.

Looking from the outside here, I'd say what stands out to me as being different to Europe is the intensity and ubiquity of the patriotism you got going on over there, first off.

Also, a general ignorance and disinterest in the wherabouts even, let alone the languages and cultures of the non-English speaking world.

And unashamed capitalism - sure it's as rampant as anything else in the UK and perhaps Germany (less so in those countries that have Mediterranean coastline, in my observation), but there's a sense of "filthiness" and guilt about it still that I don't see in American culture, where it's praised and encouraged.

And the idea of never having to get out of your car or actually be outdoors in the open air if you can help it ... heheh... at least that's the impression I get when I visit my sisters in NC!

I'm sorry that I can only think of things that are bad to my mind, off the cuff... I'll come back later if I can think of more positive things... though one positive thing that always leaps to my mind about American culture is Mark Twain - and rock n roll, of course!

 

[OrangeAppled]

American Culture, that's an oxymoron if I ever saw one.

What? You don't like pop culture?
I think the US has taken pop culture to a new height (and low).