pretty much blank beyond the borders

[MarkB]

Cynth wrote;

Beware! We shall be entering the province of Ontario in a few days!

Then I think that you will passing right through my home town Windsor - right - just south of Detroit?

MarkB

[Cynth]

Whether or not one believes American individuals have cornered the market on self-centeredness would, I suppose, depend on one's experience although the alert person will recognize that personal experience is limited and is not perhaps the best basis for drawing conclusions about an entire people. I have found people to be more or less the same everywhere. Some are nice, some aren't. Some are self-centered, some aren't. So I would have to say that to state that American individuals are the most self-centered people in the world is, again in my opinion, an ethnic slur.

Of course, we all wish to be considered an alert person, so we must agree.

The U.S. consumes almost half of the world's energy supplies with 5% of the population. This is a choice we make every day. It seems a bit self-centered to me.

The U.S. produces extremely high levels of pollution and ozone destroying chemicals, yet refuses to accept international standards because they might impair our economic well-being. This is a choice we make every day. It seems a bit self-centered to me.

The U.S. uses its military and economic clout to invade another country and refuses to live up to international standards of protection of innocents in that war. This is a choice we make every day. It seems a bit self-centered to me.

To call the statement "America is the most self-centered people or country in the world," an ethnic slur would, in my opinion, require that it be untrue.

I think you have made some very good points about the country and the government. Being as alert as you are, I'm sure you are aware that many US citizens abhor the policies of their government. Many of these people are seeking to educate themselves and others concerning the issues you mentioned. They vote with the goal of changing these policies. I understand that we do have to take collective responsibility for the damage our country is doing. If you wish to conclude that any person of US origin should be assumed to possess personal behaviors which correspond to the behaviors of his government, be my guest.

[djm]

Head them off at the pass, MarkB! We're counting on you.

djm

[Cynth]

Cynth wrote;

Beware! We shall be entering the province of Ontario in a few days!

Then I think that you will passing right through my home town Windsor - right - just south of Detroit?

MarkB

Okay, I found Windsor! That "south of Detroit" had me going for awhile ! No, we are headed up through Minnesota along the North Shore of Lake Superior so we will be to the northwest of Windsor by quite a distance. We're staying a little south of Thunder Bay at a place near Mink Mountain I think. I guess we'll be barely entering the province of Ontario actually.

[Cynth]

All I wanted to know is whats taught in schools over there, sorry for bothering to learn about your society/culture. It wont happen again on here. Stereotypes are said to be there for a reason, and I asked my origional question to try learn more and maybe dispell the stereotypes for myself, again I wont bother next time.

Its not as if I came out and called you stupid for spelling the word "colour" without a "u". (and no, that wasn't a round about way of trying to insult you) And yes, maybe I got a little carried away with defending my own position, but then that seems to be exactly what many of you did, so...take it, leave it, I'm done explaining myself.

Just for the record, I'm not a patriot, I'm not proud of my country, purely because I dont believe in the idea of countries. No one owns the earth, therefore its no one's right to carve it up into territories. cultures are what I believe define where we come from.

Gavin, I don't believe stereotypes are there for a reason. So okay, we disagree on that. We probably could agree, though, that people are very sensitive about being stereotyped.

I do think that it is very difficult to communicate by writing these messages. One cannot hear the tone of voice of the other person or see his facial expressions and it is easy to misunderstand someone's intentions. I believe that were we to discuss this issue in person we would most likely have a cordial conversation because we would be picking up on little non-verbal signals each of us would be sending out. I would say we both got a little carried away.

[hyldemoer]

Do I need to remind folks that,
though its very possible to have one's family live in other parts of the world for possibly hundreds of years and still be thought of as a foreigner,
the honor of being called a citizen of the USA or Canada can be had through a naturalization process?

Just about everything I can think about of the culture in the north American continent (save for Amerindian practices, and even there its kind of iffy sometimes) has been imported to this New World soil.