Originally
posted by
Gerdler:
My point is that I can see our flaws, I can critique them, and I accept it when you critique us for them.
You probably don't. When I state that americans dying to gun related violence is by design and that it is an acceptable price for you to have what you call "gun rights" you take it as an insult while I'm meerely stating I shouldn't care about it because it doesn't affect me and you clearly want it that way as it keeps happening and its never the time to do anything about it.
The same idea we had when we formed the State Institute for Racial Biology, that we are better than everyone else, is the same idea, maybe not based on ethnicity but perhaps on instead on some nationality/moral based idea, that while everyone is equal some part of america is just a tiny bit more equal than the rest of us, that you are so keen to portray to the rest of the world. Im not saying all americans are like that, surely not. I have met many americans that don't fit this template, even the vast majority of those I have met don't fit this at all. So its (Edit: probably)only a small subset of americans, who seem to be very loud and proud about displaying their own ignorance of their flaws and their self-percieved superiority who are the ones who take offence to what I'm saying. If you don't fit this template why are you bothered that someone points out flaws which you can clearly see with your own eyes?
Hey man. I agree on everything but the first bit and that last bit. Wholeheartedly. The classic adage of some don't speak for all is real and though it is easy to generalize and lump an entire 300m populace into the same bag (only half sarcastic here), I choose not to. I pride myself on being an American and I pride myself on accepting all races, cultures and creeds. I am also a huge fan of European history and culture, something Americans lack. Maybe start with a less defensive posture and you will be met with a less reactive one. Imagine that. An American asking a Swede to have a little more empathy.
Where I disagree, also wholeheartedly. Is the amplification of perceived flaws that is echoed across the world because we happen to be in the spotlight often. It's manipulative, it's deceiving and in a lot of cases it is false. The interpretation of we want guns and people's lives are the unfortunate casualty is where your ignorance shows.
Just re-read this sentence and tell me where the opinion starts and stops
"When I state that americans dying to gun related violence is by design and that it is an acceptable price for you to have what you call "gun rights" you take it as an insult while I'm meerely stating I shouldn't care about it because it doesn't affect me and you clearly want it that way as it keeps happening and its never the time to do anything about it."
Just because you "state" an opinion, doesn't make it true.
For Example: I am stating that sweden (I chose not to capitalize this even though I have a deep fear of red underlines) is full of big breasted blondes, and if that offends you....well clearly you don't like boobs or women. I accept when my opinions collide with facts, you should try it.
It isn't my sensitivity to seeing our flaws. They are there in abundance. But if I let one generic ignorant statement go, anyone without the will to do their research will take it at face value. Even if one person decides to keep an open mind about tolerance, then I feel completely justified in wasting my time arguing.
Trust me when I say that us Americans, DO NOT NEED HELP from anyone outside of America in seeing our own flaws. Complaining about them. Pointing them out. Debating them. Etc. We have enough blind ignorance in America (on all sides of the political fence) to worry about. We don't need interpretive regurgitation from across the seas. I can easily tell you, without a smidgen of doubt, that I have no room talking about your country and its decisions. It would be ignorant of me to think that I could understand any decision made without first understanding your culture, history, challenges, growths, etc.