Americans Have No Culture

rogerthat wrote:   While I mentioned Heathrow, in my mind I compared the friendliness of staff in those American airports with those back in India, where everybody wears this permanent scowl, no matter the reason or reason.  It is considered insane to smile at a stranger in India so to that extent, America was a refreshing change while Heathrow felt a bit more familiar (perhaps also because many of the airport staff were of Indian or sub continental origin and old habits die hard).   I did find the security check intrusive.  But on the other hand, we live in fear of terrorist attacks all the time here and find the security procedures very lax compared to USA.  My grandpa's eyedrops (packed in hand baggage) easily cleared the security check at Mumbai but Heathrow nabbed it and took a long time before they let us go.  Didn't take any bribes and didn't harass us, though.

Dean wrote:   I've never travelled to India but I understand from my colleagues that do that bribery is a matter of course when passing through Indian airports, they have to take more "corporate gifts" such as logo-ed pens and key-rings than they need just to get through security. On one visit to Bangalore the payment was taken in cheap cotton bags with the company logo on that they were going to give out at a trade fare for people to put brochures in... the irony being those bags were made in India then shipped to the UK for printing...

Yeah, and good luck getting a 'licence to ride it around the sea unless you are a terrorist. 

Hahar - and be careful of the Pirates who will bump you off and take your goodies.....

America has come along way from the world saying, all you need is love, to HipHop and "rap" screaming "You filthy Ho" Rap and hip hop never got out of the 1980's any way. It seems like blacks had found something hiphop and rap' whites won't go near, and even if it is sh*te music, the youth hold on to it.

^^^ Indeed.  I don't really like rap/hip hop but hey, if somebody else does, great.  For Afro Americans in 1970s New York, it probably played a similar rock as rock for whites in the 60s and was an outlet of expression.  

Or maybe it simply reflects that, like blues, hip hop has grown from what was essentially an Afro American music  to something more widely embraced and liked.  Psy is neither white nor black, in fact he is just Korean.  Um, I don't think we get to choose the culture of our time, it just happens and our like or dislike of it has little bearing on whether it is good or bad.  And to repeat a point I made, to me the ability of a person to be at least considerate to another who has brought no harm to him is a more important reflection of culture than whether he listens to classical or hip hop.  If one is a classical aficionado and terribly arrogant and rude, I don't think I could respect such a person or regard him/her as cultured.

Edited by rogerthat - May 24 2014 at 07:25

Especially if they are colleagues that would stab you in the back to get ahead.  

tszirmay wrote: ExittheLemming wrote: tszirmay wrote: Anger = waste of time, energy and thought.  Someone's in need of apathy management? Not at all, guv'!  I have been to the nadir and climbed back into the sunshine. My nature is actually quite sensitive but learned from tragedies to master the negatives and transform them into positives. Anger is a waste of time because its ultimately nothing more than a self-imposed decision. (I can explain further, should you wish)  Me apathetic? My goodness Exit, you are one of the wisest men here, have you ever read any of my reviews?  Perhaps someone is in need of a little more Buddhist philosophy?

OK, calling you apathetic was probably unwarranted but I was just pointing out that unchallenged bad behavior can escalate to become a much wider ranging social malaise. Parents who fail to control their children is a good example of how ignoring bad behavior can lead to some uber obnoxious adults. Destructive anger is clearly no use to man nor beast but it is anger that serves as the catalyst for much positive change and the righting of many civil wrongs. You're right though, I do have a short fuse but at least I'm not a suicide bomber for a peace loving religion


Edited by ExittheLemming - May 24 2014 at 16:48

weetabix wrote: America has come along way from the world saying, all you need is love, to HipHop and "rap" screaming "You filthy Ho" Rap and hip hop never got out of the 1980's any way. It seems like blacks had found something hiphop and rap' whites won't go near, and even if it is sh*te music, the youth hold on to it.

I get the impression that you've barely listened to any rap before, and that you're probably kind of racist.