gftChris Posted February 9, 2016 Report Share Posted February 9, 2016 But seriously, the main response here is not introspection but attack. Well the Brit's are this the Europeans are that. Not hey do people really think that about us? OBF - things have changed in the last 40 years, yes. They're currently looking better though, mainly because of Obama. Important to remember I'm talking about perception here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gftChris Posted February 9, 2016 Report Share Posted February 9, 2016 Nice troll gft. Every american thinks that Europeans are fat, have bad teeth and live off the American Defense spending. If I troll, I try to be a little more sophisticated than that. If you are unwilling to accept how a lot of the developed world sees your country, that's not my fault. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gftChris Posted February 9, 2016 Report Share Posted February 9, 2016 Also yes, dentistry here is seriously lagging. We're also overweight nearly as much as the US (as shown in some graph above). We're quite similar countries at a personal level - there are plenty of fat lazy people, too much fast food, processed shit and sugary drinks, kids staying inside playing video games not exercising, that kind of thing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Legacy Fan Posted February 9, 2016 Report Share Posted February 9, 2016 Yes, there is a giant pile of useless humans in the USA. Precisely why I'm not super psyched to pay for their shit lifestyle and pay for their healthcare when their organs start failing at 35 years old. Currently, the Democratic Party has other plans. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gftChris Posted February 9, 2016 Report Share Posted February 9, 2016 Yes, there is a giant pile of useless humans in the USA. Precisely why I'm not super psyched to pay for their shit lifestyle and pay for their healthcare when their organs start failing at 35 years old. Currently, the Democratic Party has other plans. Well on the one side you have the republicans saying "they can eat and do whatever the fuck they like, just don't come crying to me when their weight begins with a 3" and on the other you have the democrats saying "we should control what people eat to stop them from getting so fucking fat all the time" and that's an actual political debate, with legitimate cases to be argued on both sides. I personally would lean to the republicans on that side, but with the requirement that people be taught how to eat healthily, since clearly a generation (or two) is not learning this at home, and certainly not from TV, and think the only way to eat cheaply, and quickly (since they don't have much time after working long hours for example) is to eat shit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Legacy Fan Posted February 9, 2016 Report Share Posted February 9, 2016 A tough predicament for sure Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gftChris Posted February 9, 2016 Report Share Posted February 9, 2016 A tough predicament for sure An indictment of our culture that this is even a predicament. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Westside Steve Posted February 9, 2016 Report Share Posted February 9, 2016 Hurt feelings? Well it wouldn't be normal to cheer a laundry list of things your people dislike about our people. Human nature? Read the Browns board and see what Cleveland fans say about Pittsburgh residents. Basically we feel the contempt at least partially because the Pittsburgh Steelers have been dominant over the Cleveland Browns for a good long time, not unlike the evaporation of world influence by the once-powerful Great Britain. I can see how you folks might be bitter. But, of course, stereotypes exist for a reason. On the list of the fattest nations the United States ranks around number 9 somewhere behind some places you've never heard of and probably have very little in the way of outbound tourism. Ireland, for example, is the drunkest country in the world. Anyone else remember the novel and subsequent film and accompanying discussion about The Ugly American? That was written in 1958. I can easily imagine the stereotype of the loud mouth braggart American tourist boasting about the superiority of particular facilities back home in the States in a country with a second or third rate infrastructure etc. I'm sure it's annoying to the residents to point out how much better this or that might be in America. As for myself I'm usually just charmed and intrigued when I go abroad, but I guess not everyone has that type of personality. You think of us as a bunch of racist and homophobes even though your own country just accepted gay marriage what, a couple years ago? As for racism I would guess that if jolly old England had 13% of her population made up by the most crime ridden, undereducated and violent members of society you might understand. As it is you think every black person is a singer or basketball player. Anti Muslim? Yes I guess some of our people are outspoken on that, eh? Maybe that has something to do with the fact that the United States seems much less anti-semitic than Europe? Add a lot of that is thanks to the news media, correct? When we see riots and bombings and murders and rapes around the world it's not rogue bands of Indians, Polish or Liechtensteiners, at the core is it? And basically when you speak of jihad it is against the west, primarily us, the United States. So forgive us for not being as loving and accepting as you. (but unless I'm mistaken it certainly seems some members of the EU aren't quite as generous as you are.) And I would agree we might come off as a shoot first kind of nation when it comes to foreign affairs. Keep in mind that whenever an armed conflict seems to be necessary who are Europeans allies most often come to us with their hats, or berets, in their hands asking for military assistance. You think? And yes, we are still allowed to own weapons. Too bad our legal system won't prosecute those who commit crimes with them as stringently as it should. Look again to that 13%. Not only that but many self-loathing Americans and folks abroad love to spout the idea that the United States doesn't rank very highly in STEM education. Yet remove African Americans and Hispanics from that graph and we are at the top of the world. So... As far as some stereotypes might go I guess Great Britain ranks near the bottom in dental care and personal hygiene, fair to say? But you wouldn't take offense by that mention would you? body odor seems to be more accepted amongst Europeans. Anyhow I think it's human nature for one community to be prejudiced against the other community especially if one is seeming to be more successful than the other, and also just good old territorial loyalty. And the English have some damn good rock music, unlike some of the other members of the EU, even if the BBC looks pretty dull in comparison to Hollywood. But we still love you sir, and English accent make people sound smarter even if they aren't. WSS Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gftChris Posted February 9, 2016 Report Share Posted February 9, 2016 Nerve touched, clearly! Again, you're trying to defend by attacking me and the UK. Yes, we have some poor dentistry compared to the rest of the world. It's getting better, I think, but still lagging. But that's more a stereotype of people, not the nation, which is what the OP was talking about. Being gay has been pretty much a non-issue here for some time, and I think it was just a case of getting things through the courts that made it take so long. There wasn't much in the way of opposition, either way. I would not be shocked if many parts of the world saw the UK in a similar light to the US in terms of recent history - yes the US is typically at the vanguard of any bombing run, but usually followed by us, the little brother. In broader terms, though, we're seen as still clinging desperately to a fading/faded empire, still with that island nation mentality, that sort of thing. At least, that's what I believe. And to a degree it's correct, plenty of people here are like that. Some people don't even leave the country for holidays ever - "why would I leave when I have everything I want here?" I can understand that, sort of, in the US, where you basically do have everything, but it's ridiculous here. The jihad against the west is primarily directed at the US, I agree. If you were closer, connected to europe by land, you'd see a lot more terrorism, I don't doubt. But, at the risk of going off topic, I'd wager there's a pretty direct link to the active role the US takes in bombing the middle east. As for fattest nations? I'm guessing a lot of those are pacific islands - tonga, fiji, samoa etc. where being fat is still seen as a status symbol, and with the very cooperative environment, relatively easy (unlike desert africa for example). Again, please bear in mind this isn't meant to be an attack, this is me conveying the impression people here in London (who make up a pretty comprehensive cross section of europe) and my friends around the world have of the US. At a personal level, people think most americans are lovely, but at a national level, still way behind. That's what I'm trying to say. That's what the OP was about, how the nation is perceived by people in other countries, and being a person from and in another country, who works (and lives) with people from other, other countries, I wanted to give some feedback on that. In short - it was *bad* and under Obama has improved a lot, contrary to the OP's assertion. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Westside Steve Posted February 9, 2016 Report Share Posted February 9, 2016 My friend I was no more attacking you and Great Britain then you were attacking the United States. Just talking about world stereotypes, correct? As far as the op, I could imagine that Obama has made us seem more favorable in the eyes of countries envious of our power and place in world influence. If a new coach took over the Steelers and they started going 3 + 13 for years on end I would hate them less. And yes indeed there are some of those island nations that beat us out for chubbosity. I was surprised to see Kuwait in the top 10 or so! I'm not making excuses, we do have a lot of fat people. But we bathe more often than Europeans I think. We need to since we are fat. WSS Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Westside Steve Posted February 9, 2016 Report Share Posted February 9, 2016 Plus if you guys think we are more enlightened because we voted for a negro, who would be the racist? WSS Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gftChris Posted February 9, 2016 Report Share Posted February 9, 2016 My friend I was no more attacking you and Great Britain then you were attacking the United States. Just talking about world stereotypes, correct? As far as the op, I could imagine that Obama has made us seem more favorable in the eyes of countries envious of our power and place in world influence. If a new coach took over the Steelers and they started going 3 + 13 for years on end I would hate them less. And yes indeed there are some of those island nations that beat us out for chubbosity. I was surprised to see Kuwait in the top 10 or so! I'm not making excuses, we do have a lot of fat people. But we bathe more often than Europeans I think. We need to since we are fat. WSS That's possible, but on a 'bathing time to skin surface area' ratio we probably still win Honestly though, every country here has a stereotype about which is dirty. For us it's the french. For them it's the germans. For them it's the austrians I think. It goes on. Generally european people are clean? My old american roommate used to shower once a day, same as pretty much everyone I've lived with (save for the indian guy...that's a stereotype for a reason). Regarding Obama, it's more like the world used to think the US was backwards and racist, then he was elected and the world thought 'hey maybe we're wrong about them'. To continue the football analogy, it's like the NFL looking at cleveland, fired their coach and cut the first round QB drafted two years ago, hired a new coach and gonna draft another first round QB. That Jimmy Haslam has no idea what he's doing. And then it works out, and in two years we're in the playoffs, and people start thinking 'hey, that Jimmy Haslam, maybe he's on to something?' Now, you're at the point where Jackson and QB are retiring, and it's time to go again, and there's the chance to confirm that he knows what he's doing, or he can hire another dud and draft another 30 year old 5'6" rookie QB and it's back to 'normal'. (donald trump and ben carson are those 5'6" QBs btw; hillary is the 'safe' - high floor low ceiling QB; Sanders is that guy who always comes out of nowhere in the final year before the draft/election to become a possible draftee; etc) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Westside Steve Posted February 9, 2016 Report Share Posted February 9, 2016 Actually I probably wasn't as clear as I should be, it's mostly the French we think of with the body odor. My mention of England was something that I'd heard about daily showers not being is commonplace as they are here. Like German women who don't shave their legs or armpits. But when I speak of the Pittsburgh Cleveland rivalry it's the plethora of posts referring to Pittsburgh women as being big and fat and ugly and the male residents ignorant trailer park hillbillies. Not so much the nuts and bolts of running a football team. I'm personally not familiar with any of your more extreme candidates in any European country. I wouldn't guess Donald Trump rivals any of them. WSS Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Westside Steve Posted February 9, 2016 Report Share Posted February 9, 2016 http://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2015/02/how-often-people-in-various-countries-shower/385470/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DieHardBrownsFan Posted February 9, 2016 Report Share Posted February 9, 2016 My cousins kid (first cousin ,once removed?) is in the Air Force stationed at Ramstein AB in Germany. His American wife (a real beautiful blonde) left him while he was on a deployment to Sicily. He is a proud Bernie Sanders supporter and is now engaged to a German lady. I will have to ask him if she has hairy armpits and legs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gftChris Posted February 9, 2016 Report Share Posted February 9, 2016 There are plenty of extreme candidates across europe, but none as crass and blunt and with as much traction as trump. They may secretly share his views, i'm sure many do, but are more 'diplomatic' about it, realising that a platform of deporting people who look different isn't a vote winner. Marine Le Pen and Nigel Farage are the leaders of two french and british very right-wing parties, both anti-europe/EU, anti-immigration, anti-foreigners etc. for example, and their parties get some share of the vote - 27% in the latest french (regional) elections, about 15% in the british elections. There's a lot of anti-europe feeling going on at the moment because of the failing economies of some countries having to be bailed out by the others (mainly germany). The greeks, for example, have defaulted a couple of times on repayments. Their government and taxation in particular is hugely corrupt, with tax evasion and avoidance the norm for everybody - tax inspector comes, bribe him, pay no tax; there is a swimming pool tax (rightly or wrongly), and only 300 pools have been declared, while google maps shows thousands in athens. That kind of thing. So they default, Germany and the other richer countries put together a fiscal plan for them, and the people of greece are outraged because they (the germans) are demanding cutbacks in spending. Unbelievable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gftChris Posted February 9, 2016 Report Share Posted February 9, 2016 http://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2015/02/how-often-people-in-various-countries-shower/385470/ So US and europe is around 6-7 times per week. Basically once per day, with maybe one per weekend if you don't leave the house? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Westside Steve Posted February 9, 2016 Report Share Posted February 9, 2016 So US and europe is around 6-7 times per week. Basically once per day, with maybe one per weekend if you don't leave the house? Yep. I was surprised by a couple of countries but... WSS Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clevfan4life Posted February 9, 2016 Report Share Posted February 9, 2016 a cup of me own piss is going to have people giving me "what's so funny" looks the rest of the day. I swear to god that's greatness whoever came up with that meme. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gftChris Posted February 9, 2016 Report Share Posted February 9, 2016 a cup of me own piss is going to have people giving me "what's so funny" looks the rest of the day. I swear to god that's greatness whoever came up with that meme. I must have missed something... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
calfoxwc Posted February 9, 2016 Author Report Share Posted February 9, 2016 Once again, Chris, you attacked, self defense is a response to an attack. Posted Today, 10:35 AM http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/attack Therefore, you took the initiative to "attack". The response is self defense. Are you lost in history, in Revolutionary War british mindset? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clevfan4life Posted February 9, 2016 Report Share Posted February 9, 2016 I must have missed something... go back two pages, Cal actually posted something worth a damn. The Bear grylls meme. I'm still dyin. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
calfoxwc Posted February 9, 2016 Author Report Share Posted February 9, 2016 "Humor is the spring of every day's season" Calfox Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clevfan4life Posted February 9, 2016 Report Share Posted February 9, 2016 "Humor is the spring of every day's season" Calfox It def bought you an extra week off my ignore list just by itself. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
calfoxwc Posted February 9, 2016 Author Report Share Posted February 9, 2016 Please, put me on ignore again. It was a nicer, more peaceful time. Note: I usually don't read your posts on the football forum - but I don't have you on ignore, I read yours depending on the responses that indicate that you were reasonable and and honest in your post(s). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BaconHound Posted February 9, 2016 Report Share Posted February 9, 2016 So Obama running around the world apologizing for the United States didn't help make us be better liked? And the guy won a Nobel peace prize and everything. I don't buy into the fact that any one person can shift global sentiment concerning the US but some actions might. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Axe Posted February 12, 2016 Report Share Posted February 12, 2016 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Cysko Kid Posted February 12, 2016 Report Share Posted February 12, 2016 Just an off the wall question for chris with no real bearing on anything: Where do bits get their fresh water from? What's the main source of fresh water in England? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clevfan4life Posted February 12, 2016 Report Share Posted February 12, 2016 Not sure about the Brits but when I was a kid visitng family in Germany and Austria....man fucking Viennese water out of the tap came straight from the Alps. We here in America just think water is water, cause all we've ever known is chlorinated, softened shit water. That water in Vienna actually tasted like something. You could drink it plain no problem, and it was so cold and crisp. Years later I went on a canoeing trip way way way fucking in northern butt fucking nowhere Canada. You could dip our cup in the river and drink it....so fucking pure. the red man said the white man would shit everywhere.....lols. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
calfoxwc Posted February 12, 2016 Author Report Share Posted February 12, 2016 True. In central ontario back in the seventies, three of us went camping for graduation way, way out in the wilderness for two weeks. That's at the end of the paved highway, end of the two lane paved road, the end of the dirt road, and to the end of the jeep trail back to a remote lake. and we camped on the other side of a large lake. and we drank the water right out of the lake. It was outstanding. Of course, we checked with the ranger back at the little store at the start of the jeep trail before going out to camp. Anywhere you go where people have been....there's usually garbage. but water could always be contaminated with animal poop, too. The ranger said they test this particular lake a lot, ever since they had a forest fire years ago. Had to go to the Mississauga River to catch fish, nearly no fish in the lake, from the ash from the forest fire. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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