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Icarium View Drop Down
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 23 2014 at 04:00
American culture   http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=SXy3f6f9DxI ;)
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 23 2014 at 04:03
I suppose culture means an assortment of behaviour and beliefs that are unique to a particular country or region. Of this I suppose would include food, clothing and arts. I don't really know much about American culture (I've only visited NYC for a couple of weeks) but over in Britain, we have no identity I feel. Britain has always been a melting pot of different cultures that it's sacked and colonised over the years, so I would definitely argue that the country where I live doesn't have an inherent and singular culture. Having said that though, does any nation?
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 23 2014 at 04:09
Mayvmbe not a brittish identity but naybe an english, weleshian, scottish etc,

English identity for a norwegian is ale, dry humor and a ironic look at world
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 23 2014 at 04:14
^ This all depends on the individual's point-of-view. We are all born of a particular race. We are all conditioned to 'that' way of life, behaviours, beliefs etc. My understanding of cultural understanding is the willingness to embrace various factors of foreign countries to that which you live. If one doesn't 'accept' certain culture, then I feel that there is a degree of racism involved, or at least, some superiority complex at play.
I don't know sh*t from clay, so don't crucify me, but I believe that any country/race which has a diverse representation of people's from foreign countries, have culture.
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 23 2014 at 04:38
Originally posted by Tom Ozric Tom Ozric wrote:

^ This all depends on the individual's point-of-view. We are all born of a particular race. We are all conditioned to 'that' way of life, behaviours, beliefs etc. My understanding of cultural understanding is the willingness to embrace various factors of foreign countries to that which you live. If one doesn't 'accept' certain culture, then I feel that there is a degree of racism involved, or at least, some superiority complex at play.
I don't know sh*t from clay, so don't crucify me, but I believe that any country/race which has a diverse representation of people's from foreign countries, have culture.


Good post certainly. I've long held the view that the tensions and frictions we encounter between cultures and races are often caused when the respect and tolerance occurs from one side only i.e. multi culturalism has to be a two way street otherwise it's a dead end. It is unreasonable to expect that you can migrate from say, a devoutly religious society to a secular liberal one and be afforded the same protection from materials that would be prohibited in the former.

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Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 23 2014 at 06:41
Language is the main element that defines culture for me (and all the rest that come with language).
I guess a better title for your thread David might be "Americans have no common culture".
 
The "multicultural" tag generally tends to annoy me, but so does a right-out negative statement such as the title, especially if it comes without arguments.
 
And you might say since English is spoken by all in USA, this defines a common culture, but nay, this is an exception, rather than the rule. And for USA, this is somehow understandable as the native Americans are the minority (please correct me if I am wrong).
 
I can talk about this forever so I will get back when I have more time.
 
And yes I do speak out on cultural conversations, confront etc. but you would not want  me to do that now, would you Tongue
 
Thanks for starting such an interesting thread


Edited by aapatsos - May 23 2014 at 06:47
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 23 2014 at 06:46
It seems as if for the most time Americans have been in a bad mood.The public in general does not like or understand art. Which speaks volumes about the education system. America shows it's low class immigrant roots.I listen to live recordings for example of ELP,Allman Bros. and the Rolling Stones on US tour. And all i hear manic screams as if the audience is having an epic acid trip with no clue as to what is happening.They have a gun culture, and everything revolves around porn.
 
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 23 2014 at 06:58
^ I never knew weetabix had hallucinogenic properties
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 23 2014 at 07:03
I've never been to America but my perception is that it's got many cultures with as many differences as similarities. Seattle, California, New York, the Deep South, the Mid West etc, my view is that these places are as different as they are similar and it's not really that surprising, given that the country spans several thousand miles, it would be foolish to suggest that such a large and geographically diverse nation would have a single unifying culture. Look at Russia, the western side can be distinctly different to the far eastern end which can have more in common with Mongolia and Northern China.

There's also the immigration side of things and that Americans themselves come from a diverse range of cultures.     
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 23 2014 at 07:04
Originally posted by ExittheLemming ExittheLemming wrote:

^ I never knew weetabix had hallucinogenic properties

Depends on what you put on them.
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 23 2014 at 07:33
IDK I've always said we don't really have much of one. 

It's never said directly, but isn't capitalism there to do away (to some extent not totally of course) with things like nationalism and culture? 
In some ways it's good....past nationality, religion, language creed etc aren't supposed to matter here, we're that melting pot, You come here to make as much of a living as you can for your current and future families. 

Basically our culture is capitalism, which has it's goods and bads, and kind of is an "anti culture" if you get what I mean. Also, we do have a long history of immigration that (despite the sour patches) always end up getting melted in. 
Honestly, I think it's good we don't have much of  a "culture" !


Musically though the US did have a unique culture there: blues and jazz. Sadly neither is relevant today, but we know the mighty influence of both. Also I may be wrong, but I thought experimentalism in music had a pretty good history in America. 



Edited by JJLehto - May 23 2014 at 07:35
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 23 2014 at 08:30
It's a pretty stupid statement but sounds like you need to work more on your anger issues. If something as trivial as that can get you hot and bothered maybe you should just back the f**k off.
 
Seriously who gives a flying F what someone else thinks. I've lived in the USA for 15 years, I'm a citizen, and have no plans to leave, but some yanks seriously get their panties in a bunch about mindless stuff. And yes I'm critical of my home country as well.
 
People have opinions, many of them mindless, grow a skin and live with it.
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 23 2014 at 08:50
I think national pride of any kind is a bad idea.  Too many people derive their sense of self and sense of worth from where they live or where they were born.  I prefer not to think of myself as part of a general group.  So the upshot of this is, I don't take any sort of offense at anything on this topic, immigrant or not. 

As for confrontation, I've never really confronted anybody.  I think I'm afraid that once I let my emotions go, I'll lose control and maybe hurt somebody, or that the person I'm confronting will do the same.  I grew up in Miami where people carried guns in their cars, and I learned early on not to flip anyone off in traffic or you'd probably get shot.  And if you mess with someone on the street, they'll knife you.  I don't trust people not to kill me. I keep it to myself, and any anger just fades away given a few minutes' time.  Not worth it to me to impose my anger on anyone else.


Edited by HolyMoly - May 23 2014 at 08:55
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 23 2014 at 08:56
Originally posted by JJLehto JJLehto wrote:

IDK I've always said we don't really have much of one. 

It's never said directly, but isn't capitalism there to do away (to some extent not totally of course) with things like nationalism and culture? 
In some ways it's good....past nationality, religion, language creed etc aren't supposed to matter here, we're that melting pot, You come here to make as much of a living as you can for your current and future families. 

Basically our culture is capitalism, which has it's goods and bads, and kind of is an "anti culture" if you get what I mean. Also, we do have a long history of immigration that (despite the sour patches) always end up getting melted in. 
Honestly, I think it's good we don't have much of  a "culture" !


Musically though the US did have a unique culture there: blues and jazz. Sadly neither is relevant today, but we know the mighty influence of both. Also I may be wrong, but I thought experimentalism in music had a pretty good history in America. 


I agree 90% with this; I just don’t think it is good not to have much of a culture or, worse, to have capitalism as your culture. Capitalism as economic system superior to Marxism-Leninism or Fascism is ok; capitalism as the driver and motor of life and values is not. I think this is the single most despised element of American culture outside of the US, even though to anyone who has lived or lives here it is evident that that is a somewhat incorrect generalization, an exaggeration, too. 

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Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 23 2014 at 09:15
Originally posted by Nogbad_The_Bad Nogbad_The_Bad wrote:

It's a pretty stupid statement but sounds like you need to work more on your anger issues. If something as trivial as that can get you hot and bothered maybe you should just back the f**k off.
 
Seriously who gives a flying F what someone else thinks. I've lived in the USA for 15 years, I'm a citizen, and have no plans to leave, but some yanks seriously get their panties in a bunch about mindless stuff. And yes I'm critical of my home country as well.
 
People have opinions, many of them mindless, grow a skin and live with it.


If someone of influence with significant leverage at a sufficiently high political or financial level has an opinion that will directly effect my well being then yeah, put me down for a flying f*ck with all the trimmings. The plankton who annoyed David clearly doesn't fall into this category but are you really naive enough to believe that if racist opinions and their concomitant ideologies founded on ignorance and intolerance go unchallenged they will somehow just politely and harmlessly go away? Pick up a history book and fast track to genocide, pogroms and that tiresome little bohemian corporal who frequented Viennese and Munich  taverns at the turn of the century and think twice about that experimental mustache. Tolerate the intolerant at your peril.
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 23 2014 at 09:19

We shouldn’t really conflate culture and race though. They are not the same thing, not even close. One can criticize aspects of a culture without being a racist. The opposite though might be more difficult.

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Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 23 2014 at 09:20
The idea that any geographical area inhabited by humans lacks culture is absurd. 
"One had to be a Newton to notice that the moon is falling, when everyone sees that it doesn't fall. "
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 23 2014 at 09:23
Originally posted by Nogbad_The_Bad Nogbad_The_Bad wrote:

It's a pretty stupid statement but sounds like you need to work more on your anger issues. If something as trivial as that can get you hot and bothered maybe you should just back the f**k off.
 
Seriously who gives a flying F what someone else thinks. I've lived in the USA for 15 years, I'm a citizen, and have no plans to leave, but some yanks seriously get their panties in a bunch about mindless stuff. And yes I'm critical of my home country as well.
 
People have opinions, many of them mindless, grow a skin and live with it.


A bit harsh yeself Wink but totally agreed
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 23 2014 at 09:23
It quite is. Though South Beach would beg to disagree Tongue
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 23 2014 at 09:23
Originally posted by The T The T wrote:

Originally posted by JJLehto JJLehto wrote:

IDK I've always said we don't really have much of one. 

It's never said directly, but isn't capitalism there to do away (to some extent not totally of course) with things like nationalism and culture? 
In some ways it's good....past nationality, religion, language creed etc aren't supposed to matter here, we're that melting pot, You come here to make as much of a living as you can for your current and future families. 

Basically our culture is capitalism, which has it's goods and bads, and kind of is an "anti culture" if you get what I mean. Also, we do have a long history of immigration that (despite the sour patches) always end up getting melted in. 
Honestly, I think it's good we don't have much of  a "culture" !


Musically though the US did have a unique culture there: blues and jazz. Sadly neither is relevant today, but we know the mighty influence of both. Also I may be wrong, but I thought experimentalism in music had a pretty good history in America. 


I agree 90% with this; I just don’t think it is good not to have much of a culture or, worse, to have capitalism as your culture. Capitalism as economic system superior to Marxism-Leninism or Fascism is ok; capitalism as the driver and motor of life and values is not. I think this is the single most despised element of American culture outside of the US, even though to anyone who has lived or lives here it is evident that that is a somewhat incorrect generalization, an exaggeration, too. 



I don't believe this from an  intelligent and cultured man. Are you saying that culture is a bad or unhealthy thing? What do you consider constitutes 'culture'? Yes, economic systems could be inferred as 'shared behaviour and beliefs' but given the globalisation of the financial markets, such is no longer a localised phenomenon surely? (Socialism is no longer extant in any credible form in the first world)
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