Quote:
Originally Posted by kia252
You know, this is funny coming from someone who adopts a pseudonym from a British television series.
Humor aside, what's you standard for what "matters." I hope I'm not out of line pulling from your context to think you mean military and economic power are what makes a nation "matter." While this is not to say that those are not important, certainly there has been tremendous social, cultural, and scientific progress in many countries that rival the U.S. even if they may not have military might or wealth we do. If we're such a great nation, then a little humility and respect for others shouldn't be beyond our grasp
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Do HO!
Fell right into my evil trap you did there. *Evil Grin*
I was a dual national at one time. British and American thanks to the roaming nature of my parents. I am very well versed in British culture as well as American culture and CHOSE to drop my British citizenship all together when the U.K. became a Socialist nightmare.
Ok, I can, as an historian, walk through any museum in the world and appreciate every artifact in it. I can, as a matter of one of the fields I teach in, regale you with the glory that WAS Rome and the incredible nature of Ancient Greece. Does it matter? Nope, not really. Makes me a wiz at Trivial Pursuit and I thoroughly adore discussing and teaching history but, will it buy you a cup of coffee to be able to name the Julio-Claudian Emperors? Sorry, don?t think so.
So, does this make Rome and Greece less than say the U.S. or China? Today? You bet. If you spoke no language, I would be really mean to teach you only Latin or only Greek in today?s world. English, Chinese and Russian will serve you far better. WHY? DUH! Read a paper of late? Watch TV news at all? No one CARES about Latin or Ancient Greek aside from fuzzy headed Profs who get their jollies from tormenting young minds with various declensions and grammar in languages most will never use.
In the 20th C, there is little point to debating the obvious fact that the U.S. was an empire even though being an empire never suited it. England had lost its power from the previous century and Spain, France and Portugal had not mattered since wind driven ships of wood sailed the oceans. Mean? Prove me wrong. Mean has nothing to do with it. Is there any doubt that the U.S. led the way in technology, innovation, LIBERTY and still continues to be the provider of FOOD for a sizable portion of the world? Now, as we lumber into the 21st C, CHINA is rising as the world power. Do I like this? Not really. I find their dictatorship abhorrent and refuse to buy any product made in China because I oppose slave labor and murder. Call me odd. If they surpass the U.S. as the center of the modern world in this century, that will, in my opinion be a shame but if we come to the same fate as Europe, needy, economically flat and morally timid to oppose evil in a real and meaningful way, we too shall not matter.
Face it, as nice, pretty, cool and downright sexy Europe can be, at this point they are the party guest who can only bring a single six pack of beer when we have tons. Invite them? Sure, they are fun. Worry if they do not show? Nope, not really. For a single six pack of beer, who cares really.