(February 7, 2016 at 4:42 am)Aractus Wrote:

(February 6, 2016 at 4:59 am)Pandæmonium Wrote: I'm not sure bringing a tin foil hat to this thread was what the OP had in mind, scooby.

Not at all. I said right in the OP "feel free to make your own points", his post is exactly what I want to see, although preferentially more concise.

And don't pretend that the Calabrian mafia doesn't exist. Though that's Italy's shame, not America's.

-edit-

Oh I just thought of another point:

• They support Israel.
  

And yet they condemn China for supporting North Korea. Talk about the pot calling the kettle black.

Oh lol I don't care ^_^

(February 7, 2016 at 4:59 am)SnakeOilWarrior Wrote: Still swiping us all with the same broad brush I see.

There's a lot of that here. It's just become kind of boring at this point.

It saddens me to think that the US does absolutely no good in the world.

(February 7, 2016 at 4:42 am)Aractus Wrote: Oh I just thought of another point:

• They support Israel.
  

And yet they condemn China for supporting North Korea. Talk about the pot calling the kettle black.

Seriously? You think Israel / North Korea is a fair comparison?!? You're delusional.

Also, Australia has a trade agreement with Israel worth almost $1 billion. So...why does Australia support North Korea?!? DISGRACE!

(February 6, 2016 at 10:12 pm)Catholic_Lady Wrote:

(February 6, 2016 at 8:56 pm)God of Mr. Hanky Wrote: No, to be honest I really don't see any point in such chest-beating at all. I think this is a rare Pollyenna moment for you to presume you know everyone in your life so well, when depression still carries enough of a social stigma that people don't freely discuss their personal status on that.

What? Chest beating? 

Pool said he's never met an American who don't take these meds. I was assuring him that there are plenty of us who don't. And yes, I do know that all these people I listed have never taken them.

Mmmmkay - but it may have been spun as or read as a denial of Pool's stated facts, or as self-vindication relative to your "morally inferior" (subtext) countrymen. Obviously, the statement that 10% are on depression meds is not one to say that all Americans are, therefore it's hard to see a redeeming point for your response to this. Nobody said you need depression meds, nor have they implied this in any way.

As with other grievances listed by Pool which would make living in America a tough sell with him, the fact that a lot of people live on antidepressants isn't a sweeping generalization against Americans, but a condition which he would not want to live with. Moreover, I suspect that it's less about a dislike for those who are on antidepressants as the implication that life here is stressful, and it's too easy for anyone here to become one of those 10% (or 15%, when we zombies reach that level).

(February 7, 2016 at 12:12 pm)God of Mr. Hanky Wrote:

(February 6, 2016 at 10:12 pm)Catholic_Lady Wrote: What? Chest beating? 

Pool said he's never met an American who don't take these meds. I was assuring him that there are plenty of us who don't. And yes, I do know that all these people I listed have never taken them.

Mmmmkay - but it may have been spun as or read as a denial of Pool's stated facts, or as self-vindication relative to your "morally inferior" (subtext) countrymen. Obviously, the statement that 10% are on depression meds is not one to say that all Americans are, therefore it's hard to see a redeeming point for your response to this. Nobody said you need depression meds, nor have they implied this in any way.

As with other grievances listed by Pool which would make living in America a tough sell with him, the fact that a lot of people live on antidepressants isn't a sweeping generalization against Americans, but a condition which he would not want to live with. Moreover, I suspect that it's less about a dislike for those who are on antidepressants as the implication that life here is stressful, and it's too easy for anyone here to become one of those 10% (or 15%, when we zombies reach that level).

My response was to this statement:

(February 6, 2016 at 4:33 pm)pool the great Wrote: I have yet to meet an American that doesn't take or hasn't taken some kind of anti depressant at some point in their life. 

I think you're looking way too much into what I said.

It always amazes me to see how one thinks he can broach certain complex issues in such a simplistic manner as the OP.

Look. The world doesn't exactly revolve around the U.S., no matter how powerful a statal entity it is at this moment in history. If you have a problem with its foreign policies, all you can do to address them is through your own country's ones, in the indirect and small way that you can. But other than that, it doesn't exactly concern you as long as you don't live there. And it certainly isn't in your best interest to simply provoke a few people in an internet forum because you take issue with a country of hundreds of millions. As I already said, it's irrational and petty and this anger of yours is simply misplaced to begin with.

All that being said, I'm an advocate of world government. I think the world will eventually get there as it is. The rate at which the world is evolving is increasing, if anything, and this is a reality that is bound to produce even more change than we've experienced in the last few centuries. Hopefully, it will be all for the better.

But we're not there yet. And it's simply impractical to border on xenophobia in the meanwhile. Mentalities differ from country to country. I know for a fact Europeans generally wouldn't mind(as much, at least) being criticised in a similar manner but there are certain historical and cultural realities to take into account if you want to understand why that is.

(February 7, 2016 at 12:16 pm)Catholic_Lady Wrote:

(February 7, 2016 at 12:12 pm)God of Mr. Hanky Wrote: Mmmmkay - but it may have been spun as or read as a denial of Pool's stated facts, or as self-vindication relative to your "morally inferior" (subtext) countrymen. Obviously, the statement that 10% are on depression meds is not one to say that all Americans are, therefore it's hard to see a redeeming point for your response to this. Nobody said you need depression meds, nor have they implied this in any way.

As with other grievances listed by Pool which would make living in America a tough sell with him, the fact that a lot of people live on antidepressants isn't a sweeping generalization against Americans, but a condition which he would not want to live with. Moreover, I suspect that it's less about a dislike for those who are on antidepressants as the implication that life here is stressful, and it's too easy for anyone here to become one of those 10% (or 15%, when we zombies reach that level).

My response was to this statement:

(February 6, 2016 at 4:33 pm)pool the great Wrote: I have yet to meet an American that doesn't take or hasn't taken some kind of anti depressant at some point in their life. 

I think you're looking way too much into what I said.

Fair enough. Obviously, Pool hasn't met too many Americans, and then I have to wonder just how many discuss their mental state when they first meet Pool.

(February 7, 2016 at 11:53 am)Gawdzilla Wrote: It saddens me to think that the US does absolutely no good in the world.

Thing is, the US is following it's interests all over the world. Just like every other nation does. But the US is more powerful, economically as well as militarily. So the possible damage is greater, as could be seen by the American banks failing in 1929 and 2008.

We shouldn't assume for a moment that any nation does anything for altruistic reasons. There are always interests involved. Individuals may work for the greater good, NGOs may do it, nations don't. Not if there isn't another driving motif in the background.

(February 7, 2016 at 1:34 pm)abaris Wrote:

(February 7, 2016 at 11:53 am)Gawdzilla Wrote: It saddens me to think that the US does absolutely no good in the world.

Thing is, the US is following it's interests all over the world. Just like every other nation does. But the US is more powerful, economically as well as militarily. So the possible damage is greater, as could be seen by the American banks failing in 1929 and 2008.

We shouldn't assume for a moment that any nation does anything for altruistic reasons. There are always interests involved. Individuals may work for the greater good, NGOs may do it, nations don't. Not if there isn't another driving motif in the background.

If you take that stance, however, you have to think the same way about individuals and NGO's as well. After all, a nation is the sum of its people. If the people can be altruistic, so can a nation, and conversely, if people happen to be self-serving, so do whole groups of them.