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

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

Post by binocular »

No_Mind wrote: Mon Mar 05, 2018 12:13 pmWhy do Americans not have to announce which country they are from?
Because there is no law or decree to do so.
Why do people from rest of the world announce which country they are from
Because we are more cultured.
but American place names are supposed to be universally recognised ..
Says who?

That said, even though I speak American English, I might actually switch to British spelling, just because I don't want to be associated with Americans. But British English is much more difficult for me to articulate than American English. Hm. I'll have to figure this out, to avoid the contumely of proud men!
Not very egalitarian.
All humans are equal, but some are more equal -- or more American -- than others ...
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thepea
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Re: Why do Americans not have to announce which country they are from?

Post by thepea »

When I was a kid I travelled to Texas, U.S. to visit my relatives, I’m from Canada.
I went to school with my cousin for the day and he introduced me as his cousin from Canada. One kid said that’s the white state up north.
I went up to the school map and pulled it down, it was a roll up style classroom map, intent on pointing out the province and city I lived in. Shocked I found that the map was incredibly detailed with regard to the US but Canada was shown as a big white section with Canada written across it no division of provinces or cities at all.
I don’t think most Americans are aware of anywhere but the US.
I think my Texas cousin billy bob is travelling to the state of Australia next month with a short stopover in the state of Figi.
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SDC
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Re: Why do Americans not have to announce which country they are from?

Post by SDC »

thepea wrote: Mon Mar 05, 2018 11:58 pm When I was a kid I travelled to Texas, U.S. to visit my relatives, I’m from Canada.
I went to school with my cousin for the day and he introduced me as his cousin from Canada. One kid said that’s the white state up north.
I went up to the school map and pulled it down, it was a roll up style classroom map, intent on pointing out the province and city I lived in. Shocked I found that the map was incredibly detailed with regard to the US but Canada was shown as a big white section with Canada written across it no division of provinces or cities at all.
I don’t think most Americans are aware of anywhere but the US.
I think my Texas cousin billy bob is travelling to the state of Australia next month with a short stopover in the state of Figi.
Our ignorance is slight more sophisticated than that...
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Re: Why do Americans not have to announce which country they are from?

Post by DooDoot »

No_Mind wrote: Mon Mar 05, 2018 12:13 pm Why do Americans not have to announce which country they are from?
I was taught at school the majority of Americans are extremely poorly educated on non-USA matters therefore we non-Americans must help them. Even including 'U.K' or 'India' may not help them. As for us, we are indoctrinated by US media therefore we hear lots about the USA. In short, this conspiracy maintains the miccha ditthi of 'American Exceptionalism'. For the sake of US Imperialism, its a 'Terra Nullius' doctrine in respect to the rest of the earth.

;)
Last edited by DooDoot on Tue Mar 06, 2018 12:27 am, edited 3 times in total.
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thepea
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Re: Why do Americans not have to announce which country they are from?

Post by thepea »

SDC wrote: Tue Mar 06, 2018 12:17 am
Our ignorance is slight more sophisticated than that...
Unless you reside from the state of USA, in Texas.
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SDC
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Re: Why do Americans not have to announce which country they are from?

Post by SDC »

thepea wrote: Tue Mar 06, 2018 12:25 am
SDC wrote: Tue Mar 06, 2018 12:17 am
Our ignorance is slight more sophisticated than that...
Unless you reside from the state of USA, in Texas.
[bodom excluded of course]
“Life is swept along, short is the life span; no shelters exist for one who has reached old age. Seeing clearly this danger in death, a seeker of peace should drop the world’s bait.” SN 1.3
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Re: Why do Americans not have to announce which country they are from?

Post by chownah »

No_Mind wrote: Mon Mar 05, 2018 3:42 pm
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:
Come on!...get real!...there is not train from delhi to bodh gaya!...if there was it would be more than 8,000 kilometers and would have to cross an ocean! Better to just take a drive from delhi to new orleans....it is only 264 miles, takes just under 5 hours. You could have a nice week end adventure listening to some authentic american jazz and drinking some authentic american bourbon whiskey and return in time to pick cotton on monday morning!
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JeffR
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Re: Why do Americans not have to announce which country they are from?

Post by JeffR »

No_Mind wrote: Mon Mar 05, 2018 12:13 pm 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:
1-Perspective. I have the opposite question, for example, if someone tells me they are from India I still don't know where they are from. I have to ask again. India is large with a variety of unique regions. This is true of many countries and geographic areas.

2-Similar, if I tell you I'm from the USA, I've told you nothing. While traveling in other countries I've had people ask what country I'm from; when I answer, 'USA', they inevitably start a conversation or ask questions about things like Texas, California, LasVegas, New York. What the hell? How am I supposed to know anything about that? I'm not from anywhere near those places. Yet they are like, 'well, you're from the USA' (morons). The USA is a big place and the various locations, although with many similarities, also have many differing cultures.

I was once working on commisioning a bottling plant in Shanghai before China's great economic leap forward. All the capital equipment came from various parts of the USA so we had field engineers from North Coralina, Boston, Texas, California and myself. We'd go to dinner together with a number the Chinese people on the start-up crew. The locals had a difficult time because they [mistakenly] thought we were all from the same place, the USA. They couldn't figure out why we all talked different; with different accents and different ways of expression. It was like we were from different places to them; and that's because we WERE from different places. I explained it's like China and asked, 'if you have someone from Shanghai, Beijing, Wuhan and Guangdong: will they be the same?' Then they understood.

3- In traveling abroad I've learned that there are a variety of reasons being an American can be a burden. I'd rather be an Earthling or something else in these cases.

4- Related; non-American people do tend to see Americans as "American". Although when abroad you can pretty much spot an American a mile away by their mannerisms, this simply is not true; we vary a lot. I can even spot different cultures within Minnesota (don't ever talk to me like the people in the movie "Fargo". Yes, they are real; but I'm not scandanavian. Although that culture is large, it's less than half of Minnesotans). I'm even more different from West coasters, New Englanders, Southerners, Texans, Hawians, Alaskans, etc. etc.

So, if I put USA, I've told you nothing. Just like puting things like; India, China, Europe etc. tell me little to nothing. I'm from Minnesota, if you don't know what that means, ask me. Of course, if we're on the phone or in person, I hope you're free for the next couple hours. :D

I hope this has answered your curiousity, Nomind.

p.s. You'll notice I did state that Minnesota is in the USA.
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alan
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Re: Why do Americans not have to announce which country they are from?

Post by alan »

Sorry, I should have mentioned that Florida is in the U.S. I'm from California, but live in Florida. Where is California? It is so hard to figure out. California being such a small place, that no one has ever heard about. Where the heck is that place?

Also, Florida--there are so many other Floridas!. Like the Florida that is in Europe. Or the Florida that is in Asia. Or the Florida that is in Britain. So many places are called Florida!
It is really hard to figure this out.
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No_Mind
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Re: Why do Americans not have to announce which country they are from?

Post by No_Mind »

alan wrote: Tue Mar 06, 2018 3:17 am Sorry, I should have mentioned that Florida is in the U.S. I'm from California, but live in Florida. Where is California? It is so hard no figure out. California being such a small place, that no one has ever heard about.
Also, Florida--there are so many other Floridas!. Like the Florida that is in Europe. So many places are called Florida.
Too many to count!
Which is why your description should read USA or Florida, USA or Miramar Beach, Florida, USA

not Miramar Beach, Florida or Florida

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

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Is there a Florida in India? If not, you can assume I'm in Florida, USA.
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Re: Why do Americans not have to announce which country they are from?

Post by No_Mind »

alan wrote: Tue Mar 06, 2018 3:33 am Is there a Florida in India? If not, you can assume I'm in Florida, USA.
Why would I assume Florida is in USA .. why can you not be polite enough to mention it if people from other 160 countries are ..

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

Post by Polar Bear »

If somebody has never heard of California and has no idea where it is they also probably don't have internet access. Also, I identify more as a Californian than an American. I'd almost consider voting to secede from the union but I'd be concerned about the fate of the world if the US was not at all kept in check by the Bear Republic.


(P.S. Now that I think about it, I may change my location to be Bear Republic, because it would work with my avatar and be accurate but obscure, hence also funny)

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

Post by No_Mind »

polarbear101 wrote: Tue Mar 06, 2018 3:46 am If somebody has never heard of California and has no idea where it is they also probably don't have internet access.
It is not a matter of who knows what .. but simple etiquette which rest of the world has no trouble following but seems quite difficult to make you comprehend.

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

Post by Polar Bear »

No_Mind wrote: Tue Mar 06, 2018 3:48 am
polarbear101 wrote: Tue Mar 06, 2018 3:46 am If somebody has never heard of California and has no idea where it is they also probably don't have internet access.
It is not a matter of who knows what .. but simple etiquette which rest of the world has no trouble following but seems quite difficult to make you comprehend.

:namaste:
Why don't you just say you're from Kolkata or West Bengal?
"I don't envision a single thing that, when developed & cultivated, leads to such great benefit as the mind. The mind, when developed & cultivated, leads to great benefit."

"I don't envision a single thing that, when undeveloped & uncultivated, brings about such suffering & stress as the mind. The mind, when undeveloped & uncultivated, brings about suffering & stress."
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