The Nimrods wrote:To be completely honest I'm offended. That's Rednecks not Americans in general, I'm defensive of this but the other traits don't apply to me and only a small amount of those traits apply to Americans in general.
Well, stereotypes are never meant to be flattering!
Yes, I'm well aware that my basic image of "an American" is that of someone from the Bible Belt, gun-toting, staunch Republican. Not neccessarily a redneck though, more a teabagger.
I'm perfectly aware in rational thought of people in Americas history such as Thomas Jefferson who I think was a great man, or someone like Benjamin Tucker, or even in more recent times there are plenty of admirable American intellectuals, such as Noam Chomsky or PZ Myers. But stereotypes aren't really about being rational, they are your gut instinct, the first thing that comes into your head when you think of a race or nationality, and usually it's not exactly pretty, see the "French only know how to surrender" nonsense, or "the English excel at nothing except for football hooliganism" or "the Scots are all fun drunks with ginger hair who wear kilts and stab each other with knives" :p
Oh, that was one thing I forgot to mention, the stereotype American to me is also anti-intellectual. I've never really understood that gut distrust of people with a university education that certain sectors (the people who are attracted to Palin) seem to have. It obviously exists in every other country, but it is certainly alot less prominent here than in America.
The Nimrods wrote:That's what I'm thinking ,this is essentially a hate thread, people throwing stereotypes against other countries? Pretty bad idea.
You just have to take stereotypes to the absurd conclusion for everyone. I'm as happy poking fun at the stereotype for my own nation (Scotland) or even my own race (being that I am a white northern European I think you could bring something out about being a self-righteous prick who thinks every other culture is wrong and that I need to spread imperialism to "educate" those from elsewhere in the world".
Edited by user 11 May 2010 11:28:03(UTC)
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