Author Topic: Hey Beetle (Read 1399 times)

Fatty · « **Reply #15 on:** July 19, 2003, 08:04:58 AM »

You might have something closer to that if you had more than 10 people living on that island, too.

Not that stats can be skewed or anything.

Dowding · « **Reply #16 on:** July 19, 2003, 09:19:34 AM »

58 million actually. You do the maths and see what the result is.

beet1e · « **Reply #17 on:** July 19, 2003, 11:02:48 AM »

Thank you, Dowding. What Fatty said bears out what I said in an earlier post. Many Americans (though by no means all) have no clue about the world beyond the county they live in.

SOB · « **Reply #18 on:** July 19, 2003, 12:39:04 PM »

Actually, what Fatty's post bears out is that the UK has a much smaller population than the US. Sorry you were too thick to understand that. Or perhaps you don't understand American culture enough to know he didn't literally think only 10 people live in the UK.

Current US Pop: ~291,548,559

SOB

Fatty · « **Reply #19 on:** July 19, 2003, 12:50:31 PM »

Evidently you were not aware I am British, Beet One E. Does your statement still apply or does that suddenly make it witty?

Steve · « **Reply #20 on:** July 19, 2003, 01:02:19 PM »

And Beet1e, you have no clue about America. You think the little time you may have spent here and what you read makes you an expert? You think you are more worldy than "many" Americans? What an arrogant thing to say. How would you know? Stop pretending to know what "many" Americans have a clue about, you have no way of knowing that.

Dowding · « **Reply #21 on:** July 19, 2003, 02:17:26 PM »

I agree actually. Perhaps he should have said 'some'? 'Many' is a very specific generality.

beet1e · « **Reply #22 on:** July 19, 2003, 02:23:46 PM »

Quote

Originally posted by Fatty
You might have something closer to that if you had more than 10 people living on that island, too.

Not that stats can be skewed or anything.

OK, so what was the point of these statements, in light of the outbursts that followed?

Steve - I spent 3 years living in America in the 80s, and as a result of being married to an American, made annual trips back to her home town of Chicago, followed by a visit of our own somewhere else in the US. In fact 2002 was the first year I didn't set foot in the US since 1977. Worked for an American company for a year 1996/97, and part of that year was spent working from their Denver office - well, Golden actually. So it's ended up that there are only nine states left that I haven't seen. Whatever you say, I feel that "you don't have a clue about America" is a bit of an overstatement. I met plenty of people who never left their home state, and even those who didn't realise that European countries had their own currency - not the US dollar - lol. A lot of yanks are ok, but some are kind of blinkered.

Steve · « **Reply #23 on:** July 19, 2003, 02:59:53 PM »

Blinkered? hehehe I like that one.

Well, any country is going to have it's ignorant masses, certainly we have our share. Since we have more bodies, we probably have more yokels than the brits. My point is really, that we Americans aren't nearly as block headed as some euro's seem to think. Yes, many of us tend to put things in more "black and white" than Euro folks seem to do, but that doesn't mean we're uninformed.
As far as foreign currency... I can, almost...almost understand why some folks wouldn't consider it.. I mean most international trading is done on the dollar, correct? Of course, maybe these people were paying attention in school...maybe you were hanging out at Cabrini Green. Beet1e, we have our share of blissfully ignorant folk, but I do not think to the degree that you surmised.

SOB · « **Reply #24 on:** July 19, 2003, 03:00:03 PM »

"I met plenty of people who never left their home state, and even those who didn't realise that European countries had their own currency - not the US dollar - lol."

So, then, you'd say that this would represent the average citizen of the United States? If not, what's your point? There are idiots everywhere, and they are not limited to the US. As for not travelling, I personlly don't know anyone who has not travelled out of their home state ... that is, people I know beyond mere acquaintances. Most of my friends, myself included, have been to other countries, but I would bet not nearly as many different countries as Europeans - but then, that's more a function of geographic location than anything else.

You may have a "clue" about America, but that's about it. Visiting here is quite a bit different than growing up here and living here. So, if someone who has and does live here thinks a statement you make about the US is clueless, then it probably is. Regardless of how much of an expert you think you are on our country and society.

SOB

Fatty · « **Reply #25 on:** July 19, 2003, 03:40:28 PM »

The point of the statements was to highlight the simplification in the statistics you used. I had no idea it would be required to spell it out.

As for ignorant posturing, visiting a few parks and then assuming to understand the gun issue in the United States about sums it up. I haven't seen anyone here draw conclusions about the intelligence of the average brit based on your comments though.

beet1e · « **Reply #26 on:** July 19, 2003, 05:43:57 PM »

Quote

Originally posted by Fatty
As for ignorant posturing, visiting a few parks and then assuming to understand the gun issue in the United States about sums it up.

I don't think you read my posts. Visiting a few parks? I LIVED there for three years is what I said. Not understanding the gun issue? Still does not compute. Annual gun death tally in the UK: about 60. Annual gun death tally in the US: Many thousands. What more is there to understand? Simple maths is all.

SOB. Yep, when I was working for that US company, they tried to schedule a visit by about 30 of their employees to Britain. Kind of last minute - it had to be aborted when it was found that fewer than half had passports. So they reversed it. Later that year (1996) 106 of us went over to the US for several months. We all had passports. Thank you for conceding that I have a clue about America. I doubt that you'll ever know Europe as well as I know America, so I'll stick my neck out and say that you don't have a clue about Europe. And you're a bit of a dickhead to boot.

Steve - oddly enough, I did some work at Monkey Ward - right opposite Cabrini Green. I remember the day that a stray bullet was found in a tenth floor window - lol. And Mayor Jane Byrne having to move into CG when the crime got really bad - 11 gun murders in 9 weeks - lol - a pittance, rival drug gangs - yada yada...

Fatty · « **Reply #27 on:** July 19, 2003, 06:01:46 PM »

I read your posts, and I still see no evidence that you are any more familiar with the United States than someone who sat down and watched a few Spike Lee films.

Ripsnort · « **Reply #28 on:** July 19, 2003, 06:51:56 PM »

Its beetle day, Punt!

SOB · « **Reply #29 on:** July 19, 2003, 07:22:52 PM »

I'm sorry for pointing out your ignorance Beet1e, but really I couldn't point it out if you didn't flaunt it. All of your European co-workers had passports and few of their American counterparts didn't? Amazing! Could it be that we don't need a passport to legally enter the countries bordering the US (Canada & Mexico)? Why yes, yes it could be! We DON'T need passports to enter Canada & Mexico, nor do we need passports to visit the many states of the US with a broad diversity in culture and lifestyle.

Also, I would like to confirm that I do not now, nor will I likely ever know as much about Europe as you or anyone else born and living over there. Whether I'll ever know more about Europe then you do about the US, I really don't care, as I don't ever plan on educating Europeans about them and their respective countries and cultures. You see, they live where they live and probably know a whole hell of a lot more about where they live than I ever will, but I already said that - maybe if I repeat it enough tho', you'll understand. Or perhaps not.

SOB