Why do Americans not have to announce which country they are from?

A place to discuss casual topics amongst spiritual friends.
Post Reply
User avatar
No_Mind
Posts: 2211
Joined: Fri May 23, 2014 4:12 pm
Location: India

Why do Americans not have to announce which country they are from?

Post by No_Mind »

Why do Americans not have to announce which country they are from?

Such as -

David is from Las Vegas, Nevada (as shown in brief description)

But Sam is from Sussex, U.K

Why do people from rest of the world announce which country they are from but American place names are supposed to be universally recognised ..

That is so even in Intro .. the way people write the subject line

and American would just write "Hi from Idaho"

But a Norwegian would write "Hi from Norway" and not "Hi from Hordaland"

Here is what I collected from first few pages - Wyoming, Arkansas, Bible Belt, Delaware, Ohio and with no mention in the opening post about where those places/provinces are .. a visitor from Jordan or Cambodia is automatically supposed to know which country Delaware or Bible Belt is located in.

Not very egalitarian.

Edit Add - Unlike the American Exceptionalism episode I am not trying to pick a fight .. I noticed it in Intro and wrote about it a few minutes later with no malicious intent

:namaste:
Last edited by No_Mind on Mon Mar 05, 2018 3:14 pm, edited 4 times in total.
"The struggle itself toward the heights is enough to fill a man's heart. One must imagine Sisyphus happy.”― Albert Camus
User avatar
Sam Vara
Site Admin
Posts: 13482
Joined: Sun Jun 05, 2011 5:42 pm
Location: Portsmouth, U.K.

Re: Why do Americans not have to announce which country they are from?

Post by Sam Vara »

I'm thinking of moving here:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/California,_Berkshire

- just to confuse people!
chownah
Posts: 9336
Joined: Wed Aug 12, 2009 2:19 pm

Re: Why do Americans not have to announce which country they are from?

Post by chownah »

How many people here don't know what country las vegas, nevada is in?

See, everyone knows what country it is in......why state the obvious.
chownah
User avatar
DNS
Site Admin
Posts: 17186
Joined: Tue Dec 30, 2008 4:15 am
Location: Las Vegas, Nevada, Estados Unidos de América
Contact:

Re: Why do Americans not have to announce which country they are from?

Post by DNS »

I won't say the U.S. is the greatest nation, because it's not :tongue: but it is the number one economy in the world and I notice most of the world tends to follow U.S. politics and news even if they have never visited the U.S. And then Americans rarely follow the politics of other nations, except for just a little bit for the UK and EU.

Las Vegas has over 40 million tourist visitors per year, so most people know where that is. But believe it or not there is another Las Vegas, in New Mexico, population 13,000 and I visited it once. So I specify: Las Vegas, Nevada.

I suppose you're right though for other cities and places, for example I doubt if most people know Ypsilanti is a city in Michigan named after Demetrios Ypsilantis, a hero in the Greek War of Independence. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ypsilanti,_Michigan
User avatar
No_Mind
Posts: 2211
Joined: Fri May 23, 2014 4:12 pm
Location: India

Re: Why do Americans not have to announce which country they are from?

Post by No_Mind »

DNS wrote: Mon Mar 05, 2018 3:27 pm I won't say the U.S. is the greatest nation, because it's not :tongue: but it is the number one economy in the world and I notice most of the world tends to follow U.S. politics and news even if they have never visited the U.S. And then Americans rarely follow the politics of other nations, except for just a little bit for the UK and EU.

David do you really believe that a locomotive driver in Scotland cares about U.S politics .. and also do you really believe that those who follow U.S politics closely from abroad (like me) do not also follow U.K, Europe, China, Japan, Middle East, Russia, Israel as closely?

Yes the loco driver knows that Trump is U.S President and he also knows Putin and that is where his knowing ends.

Do you honestly believe most others in the world except people with time to waste like me know the name of every U.S state, its location and capital?

:namaste:
Last edited by No_Mind on Tue Mar 06, 2018 1:30 am, edited 2 times in total.
"The struggle itself toward the heights is enough to fill a man's heart. One must imagine Sisyphus happy.”― Albert Camus
User avatar
DNS
Site Admin
Posts: 17186
Joined: Tue Dec 30, 2008 4:15 am
Location: Las Vegas, Nevada, Estados Unidos de América
Contact:

Re: Why do Americans not have to announce which country they are from?

Post by DNS »

I didn't say everyone, no not everyone but a sizable number. I've lived in several other nations and witnessed it myself.

Yes, they follow other nations' politics too, as well as the U.S. politics. You won't find it in the reverse much; that is, Americans following Asian politics, etc.
User avatar
No_Mind
Posts: 2211
Joined: Fri May 23, 2014 4:12 pm
Location: India

Re: Why do Americans not have to announce which country they are from?

Post by No_Mind »

DNS wrote: Mon Mar 05, 2018 3:36 pm I didn't say everyone, no not everyone but a sizable number. I've lived in several other nations and witnessed it myself.

Yes, they follow other nations' politics too, as well as the U.S. politics. You won't find it in the reverse much; that is, Americans following Asian politics, etc.
Which basically means to an Asian like me .. there is not much difference between between you and Sam as a co-passenger on a night long train journey from Delhi to Bodh Gaya .. I am equally comfortable chatting about 2nd Amendment and/or Brexit .. or if I am ill informed about the world .. not chat at all with either of you.

And that means Americans should mention where they are from .. Hi, I am Lorna and I am from Kentucky U.S and not Hi, I am Lorna and I am from Kentucky .. they do not have a special place in other people's lives as you have observed.

:namaste:
Last edited by No_Mind on Mon Mar 05, 2018 3:49 pm, edited 3 times in total.
"The struggle itself toward the heights is enough to fill a man's heart. One must imagine Sisyphus happy.”― Albert Camus
User avatar
Sam Vara
Site Admin
Posts: 13482
Joined: Sun Jun 05, 2011 5:42 pm
Location: Portsmouth, U.K.

Re: Why do Americans not have to announce which country they are from?

Post by Sam Vara »

No_Mind wrote: Mon Mar 05, 2018 3:46 pm
Some of my English is from British education we follow .. and reading lot of novels written by British authors as a kid (Agatha Christie, P. G Wodehouse, Conan Doyle, Ken Follet, Jeff Archer, Desmond Bagley, Ian Fleming and so on)

There is another English you know where colour is not color

:namaste:
Long live Indian English! It reminds me of more civilised and courteous times. I remember being told by a doctor in Trivandrum that my health was "tickety-boo". Apart from that, I have never heard the term outside of an ironic context.
User avatar
No_Mind
Posts: 2211
Joined: Fri May 23, 2014 4:12 pm
Location: India

Re: Why do Americans not have to announce which country they are from?

Post by No_Mind »

Sam Vara wrote: Mon Mar 05, 2018 4:06 pm
No_Mind wrote: Mon Mar 05, 2018 3:46 pm
Some of my English is from British education we follow .. and reading lot of novels written by British authors as a kid (Agatha Christie, P. G Wodehouse, Conan Doyle, Ken Follet, Jeff Archer, Desmond Bagley, Ian Fleming and so on)

There is another English you know where colour is not color

:namaste:
Long live Indian English! It reminds me of more civilised and courteous times. I remember being told by a doctor in Trivandrum that my health was "tickety-boo". Apart from that, I have never heard the term outside of an ironic context.
tickety-boo reminds me of this song for some reason .. hearing this on a 45 rpm record .. good ol' days



:namaste:
"The struggle itself toward the heights is enough to fill a man's heart. One must imagine Sisyphus happy.”― Albert Camus
JohnK
Posts: 1332
Joined: Wed Jan 06, 2016 11:06 pm
Location: Tetons, Wyoming, USA

Re: Why do Americans not have to announce which country they are from?

Post by JohnK »

No_Mind wrote: Mon Mar 05, 2018 12:13 pm Here is what I collected from first few pages - Wyoming,...
I have to stick up for Wyoming. :)
I suspect I'm the only Wyoming (USA) poster -- smallest population of all USA States.
(We have more Senators than Representatives in DC -- however that statement may only be comprehensible to those from the USA or who follow USA politics.)
I just double-checked, and I did include USA in the location field under my "avatar."
(I was going to add USA if was not already there -- see, we are nice people here in Wyoming; great global citizens. ;) )
Lounging...
Last edited by JohnK on Mon Mar 05, 2018 4:17 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Those who grasp at perceptions & views wander the internet creating friction. [based on Sn4:9,v.847]
User avatar
Sam Vara
Site Admin
Posts: 13482
Joined: Sun Jun 05, 2011 5:42 pm
Location: Portsmouth, U.K.

Re: Why do Americans not have to announce which country they are from?

Post by Sam Vara »

No_Mind wrote: Mon Mar 05, 2018 4:11 pm
tickety-boo reminds me of this song for some reason .. hearing this on a 45 rpm record .. good ol' days
:namaste:
Yes, I remember it well. You'd never hear it on the radio in the UK now though. "Racist stereotyping".
User avatar
Sam Vara
Site Admin
Posts: 13482
Joined: Sun Jun 05, 2011 5:42 pm
Location: Portsmouth, U.K.

Re: Why do Americans not have to announce which country they are from?

Post by Sam Vara »

JohnK wrote: Mon Mar 05, 2018 4:14 pm
I have to stick up for Wyoming. :)
I suspect I'm the only Wyoming (USA) poster -- smallest population of all USA States.
(We have more Senators than Representatives in DC -- however that statement may only be comprehensible to those from the USA or who follow USA politics.)
I just double-checked, and I did include USA in the location field under my "avatar."
(I was going to add USA if was not already there -- see, we are nice people here in Wyoming; great global citizens. ;) )
Lounging...
User avatar
No_Mind
Posts: 2211
Joined: Fri May 23, 2014 4:12 pm
Location: India

Re: Why do Americans not have to announce which country they are from?

Post by No_Mind »

JohnK wrote: Mon Mar 05, 2018 4:14 pm
No_Mind wrote: Mon Mar 05, 2018 12:13 pm Here is what I collected from first few pages - Wyoming,...
I have to stick up for Wyoming. :)
I suspect I'm the only Wyoming (USA) poster -- smallest population of all USA States.
(We have more Senators than Representatives in DC -- however that statement may only be comprehensible to those from the USA or who follow USA politics.)
I just double-checked, and I did include USA in the location field under my "avatar."
(I was going to add USA if was not already there -- see, we are nice people here in Wyoming; great global citizens. ;) )
Lounging...
Wyoming is the setting for large number of movies Close Encounters, Butch Cassidy, Unforgiven, The Hateful Eight .. quite a well known place
:thumbsup:
User1249x wrote: Mon Mar 05, 2018 4:20 pm if you keep doing this i might just have to take a look at your posting history, compile a case and make a formal complaint. This is not a threat, this is my plan.
:reading: better get on with it .. 1450 posts or so ..

:namaste:
"The struggle itself toward the heights is enough to fill a man's heart. One must imagine Sisyphus happy.”― Albert Camus
JohnK
Posts: 1332
Joined: Wed Jan 06, 2016 11:06 pm
Location: Tetons, Wyoming, USA

Re: Why do Americans not have to announce which country they are from?

Post by JohnK »

While we are talking about bias in location descriptions, I chose "Tetons" first (a mountain range) to avoid the anthropocentric bias of emphasizing mere humanly-fabricated political boundaries. :)
Mountains are of course impermanent, too -- but a bit less so!
Those who grasp at perceptions & views wander the internet creating friction. [based on Sn4:9,v.847]
JohnK
Posts: 1332
Joined: Wed Jan 06, 2016 11:06 pm
Location: Tetons, Wyoming, USA

Re: Why do Americans not have to announce which country they are from?

Post by JohnK »

Sam Vara wrote: Mon Mar 05, 2018 4:18 pm...
Yes, I love that scene in Dog Day Afternoon!
Those who grasp at perceptions & views wander the internet creating friction. [based on Sn4:9,v.847]
Post Reply