*Sighs*

Tell me, is it really so wrong to dislike aspects of the US?

She has the right.

Lets break the bit down, shall we?

"I like living here [the UK] because I don't fit into the bad side of American psychology."

If that's what she believes, then I don't see what is so bad with that. I know some people who were born and bred in "BFE, hickville, usa," and now live in paris, or the like. It's where they feel they fit in. There's nothing wrong with that.

"The British are much more intelligent and civilised than Americans."

~Well, she does have a point there. The British did define civilized behavior, for the most part. (i.e. monarchy, aristocracy, nobles, kings,ettc..) They had a global empire, which was choc full of "civilized behavior." Intelligence, meh, not sure.

" I love the English lifestyle because it's not as capitalistic as America, people don't talk about work or money, we talk about other things at dinner."

~Again, she is correct. America is capitalistic. Does that necessarily make it bad, or such....? No, it doesn't.

I understand where you're coming from FS, I do.

Peace, ~L

You can't blame the silly American hussy for stating the obvious.

I will grant her part of her statement. They are more civilized. But then civilized does not mean intelligent. And that is why we are not English, but Americans. Most of us could not stand living such a dull and boring life as the nobility of England do. We would go stir crazy!

But I guess Gwyneth likes that - being dull and boring.

You can't blame the silly American hussy for stating the obvious.

Yea, I guess the hussy didn't have anything intelligent to say so bad mouthing brings more press! And blogging discussion!!

Rampant crime, yobs everywhere, excessive cost of living and expensive food.

See, it's everywhere, not just here!

I will grant her part of her statement. They are more civilized. But then civilized does not mean intelligent.

So we're just chicken feed now? Uh, wait, maybe like those Geico commercials, cavemen and cavewomen?!

I'd imagine that Gwennie has a very unboring life--after all she is married to hottie Coldplay frontman Chris Martin.

I guess she does at that! And being busy with the little Spoon too!

lol, this is really rich. I'm sitting here imagining what people would have said if Mel Gibson had said that Americans were smarter than some other country. What would SilentPoet say if someone here blogged that Americans were smarter than Iraqi people, I wonder? I have a feeling in other circumstances degrading people based upon their nationality wouldn't be so hard to declare "wrong", but when it is America people tend to take a pass on their ideals.

I've seen several interviews with Paltrow, and she always struck me as being about as intelligent as a sack of wet hair. Given that, her estimation of what intelligent means doesn't strike me as very authoritative. Maybe she should run for office. I'd love to see her in a debate with a less intelligent American.

So we're just chicken feed now? Uh, wait, maybe like those Geico commercials, cavemen and cavewomen?!

Yep! And we are the ones that bring the wheel and fire to the world. So they can keep their civilized tookus warm and peddling!

(cont...)

I said she had a point with the civilize part, because the british established themselves as the cultural, and civilized empire. They held honor, and civilized behavior to the extreme.

They were, at one time, 'the' kings of civilization, so to speak.

Think about this, "A civilization can refer to a city-dwelling human society, human culture in general, etiquette and sophistication, or the imperialistic act of 'civilizing lesser peoples'."

Culture wise, they were once the best.

Etiquette/sophistication, the were once the best.

Imperialism, yep, they were once the best. Their empire (See: British Empire), is the largest empire known to date, ever.

That is what I was talking about, etc...


So, Whip...read first, be an ass later.

I quoted what Gwyneth said. I didn't say it.

Granted, I was pointing out what was what...in terms of that was your side of the exchange.

No need for that Lucas. Each of us is entitled to our opinion, calling it like we see it. Just as you did. OK?

But it that was my opinion as well, and I called it like I saw it.

*coughs*

However, no matter how much I dislike her....it came out, and it was wrong, my apologies. I will respect your wishes and be nice.

Peace, ~Lucas

Meh. She didn't think before speaking. Soo many groundless generalizations in that little statement that you could almost imagine it was written by someone who would put an at the end their sentences.

Tell me, is it really so wrong to dislike aspects of the US? She has the right.

She has the right and we have the right to criticize.

Her comment really says more about the company she keeps than the country she lives in.  When I get together with friends, we don't sit around talking about money or whatever, we talk about all kinds of interesting things. I'd put the "intelligence" of the conversations my friends and I have up against hers any day. Pick a random transcript from either one and compare would be absolutely ideal.

What I suspect is her real issue is that she has no concept of geography.  How many places in the United States has she been to?  Talk about a clear case where "generalizing" looks ridiculous -- generalizing the people of the United States who live on a continent-spanning nation state with her experiences in an urbanized area of an island nation state.

 

I still think it's amusing watching Silent Poet being oblivious to the fact that GP just generalized the entire United States and sees nothing wrong with that

Brad, I never said I liked it, or in fact, that i didnt like it. Truth be told, i don't. Perhaps, you could've asked me if i did, maybe?

"Brad, I never said I liked it, or in fact, that i didnt like it. Truth be told, i don't. Perhaps, you could've asked me if i did, maybe?"

No, you went a tad further and agreed with her. Post #1. Now she is even saying that isn't true. Will you agree with her retraction now?

No, you went a tad further and agreed with her. Post #1. Now she is even saying that isn't true. Will you agree with her retraction now?

If she truly means it, that she would "never...," etc... then yes, but...i don't think anyone will ever know.

So, to answer your question...no.

SP - you applaud her right to smear Americans in a startling generalization but if other people generalize other cultures or nations you chide them.

I was wrong in supporting the generalization, no matter what my intentions, the support of the right to criticize.

~L