The USA is screwed up...

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The difference between suing a 4 year old and having the parents pay out and suing the parents and having the parents pay out is.....right. Nil. So again, word games. But now, the case is sufficiently ridiculous to be laughed out of court.

So, because of the protective nature of your country, which isn't a bad thing in the least, you have absolutely no authority with which to state one should not sue the person responsible for destroying you physically and financially. As you were speaking about my opinion on the matter, it stands to reason we were also talking about the US. So....yeah, you didn't know what you were talking about as a result of your inexperience, which lead to your inability to empathize with the plight of those who are less fortunate than yourself. Good to go.
The thing is, I do try to empathize. and I can honestly NOT understand why you would ruin someones live over an accident. suing someone so the other person loses everything he has, so you can continue your life. the whole concept is just mind boggling to me, and I honestly wonder how people can live with themselves after making such a choice.

And what I find even worse is that a government could put it's citizens in such a situation. "I need to ruin him inorder to keep my standard of living"
What's the use of a nation if everyone just puts themselves first?
 
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The thing is, I do try to empathize. and I can honestly NOT understand why you would ruin someones live over an accident. suing someone so the other person loses everything he has, so you can continue your life. the whole concept is just mind boggling to me, and I honestly wonder how people can live with themselves after making such a choice.

And what I find even worse is that a government could put it's citizens in such a situation. "I need to ruin him inorder to keep my standard of living"
What's the use of a nation if everyone just puts themselves first?
If a person is driving without car insurance, they didn't belong on the road in the first place. If they do have insurance, as is generally required throughout the country, an arrangement can be made and the insurance will pay for some or all where, in the former, the driver will pay for the rest. Hardly a life-ruining scenario. In fact, the driver makes out quite well considering he just hit me with a missile. I don't even know how you'd accidentally hit someone unless it was completely the pedestrian's fault. In any case, insurance is the answer to your question.

I don't understand how "the government" is ruining a person in order to maintain its "standard of living". Quotations are used because the government consists of a multitude of branches and millions of people. The answer to the second question you didn't ask is Capitalism gone awry.
 
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They have no conscience.
Yeah. That must be it.

It's funny how I went out of my way to dissuade generalizations about the UK in the previous thread, only to have to do the same in this thread in defense of a nation most of you know nothing about, especially since we came to the conclusion that such generalizations were idiotic.
 
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It's funny though, that 95% of all people make the same generalizations of America. You'd almost start to think that some of these generalizations might actually be true. Seriously, America is known for it's aggressive nature (just ask Nuttsy), it's stance on the care and well-being of it's people, and the so-called American Dream that everyone pursues, only to be financially broke afterwards. And every time we 'attack' your country and start asking questions about whatever backward policy you guys handle, you get overly defensive and patriotic, another 'trademark' of the American. Every negative thing we have to say about your country, will be met with defense from your side, only to be debunked a day later because America was in the news again, doing something 'stupid'.

I'm not saying life is a bed of roses here in the EU, but we sure as hell have a lot of stuff better thought out than you guys have. Nor do we have the obsessive need to defend ourself against each and every argument from another country. I could start the gun argument again. Some of you will agree, some of you won't. But the fact that the Americans that say that guns are part of the history of your country, and should therefore stay, is the exact backwards thinking you send out there with a message and is leading to all these generalizations. It's not that we think of these generalizations ourselves, you just hand them to us on a plate, ask us what wine we want with it, and then tell us the food is for free; you are simply begging us to eat it.

I'm not saying all Americans fit in this generalization, but you guys aren't doing your best to stay out of it either.
 
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Personally I don't give a damn about my nation. To me its just an island on Earth. This is just me. Maybe I just don't see Americans, Canadians, Mexicans, Europeans, and anything else. All I see is a human in everyone. No reason to separate anyone from anything.
 
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@fortnox:

Non-religious people are more critical of themselves and their own viewpoints than religious people are. This was shown in a brain-scan experiment a while back. One can, however, question whether this is a result of nature or if it is a result of nurture. Perhaps religion in itself is the cause of this "certainty", but then again, perhaps certain people are more inclined to be certain of themselves by merit of genetics.

Either way, I doubt Cucumba was unaware that organized religion has largely been a political tool since its creation. I think he is objecting to the generalization rather than the matter at hand.

On topic:

Most countries have a few severe and bizarre flaws that are tied up with either cultural tradition or judicial tradition. My country's judicial system spends twice as much money prosecuting robbers than what their robbery was actually worth. Case in point, the NOKAS robbery, where 9 million dollars were stolen, and 25 million dollars were used on the trial.

The US has a history of ridiculous lawsuits. It's no surprise to any of us when we hear of this, really. In a country where lawyers earn what, three hundred thousand dollars a year and up if they're good at suing people, can you really expect anything else?
 
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It's funny though, that 95% of all people make the same generalizations of America. You'd almost start to think that some of these generalizations might actually be true. Seriously, America is known for it's aggressive nature (just ask Nuttsy), it's stance on the care and well-being of it's people, and the so-called American Dream that everyone pursues, only to be financially broke afterwards. And every time we 'attack' your country and start asking questions about whatever backward policy you guys handle, you get overly defensive and patriotic, another 'trademark' of the American. Every negative thing we have to say about your country, will be met with defense from your side, only to be debunked a day later because America was in the news again, doing something 'stupid'.

So clearly, generalizations made by people who are simply mimicking others observations with little to no first-hand experience as to whether or not a nation can be judged by single events should be weighed equally with those made by people who have actually traveled outside of their tiny sphere. Clearly.

Aggressive nature or overtly aggressive foreign policy resulting from its need to procure natural resources for its benefit today and in the future, distant or otherwise, for the benefit of the nation? Of course, the nation ****s everyone else in the process....oh wait. Not everyone. That's right. Because all the **** we do is approved of by your leaders behind closed doors. Why? Because what benefits the US typically benefits Europe. Do some of your leaders complain in public? Yes. Do they actually do anything to thwart our imperialist ways? No. In fact, they only encourage us and empower us further.

Patriotism? Really? Here's my problem with you kids. There are a million and five different ways to tear apart American society, and this is the stupid **** you focus on. Suing a 4 year old? That's what you're bringing to the table? Not creating a private army and unleashing it in your backyard? Not having our every decision affect your clumsy assembly of nations? Not the imperialism, not the senseless wars, not the obvious plutocracy? Sure, these are all things that both the EU and America share, but the atrocities we commit aren't what sets you off? There isn't enough existing ammunition out there for you to build a coherent, intelligent argument? Obviously not. Obviously,"you guys are mean and dont like when people talk bad!" are all you were able to come up with. And that's terrible. And it's sad. It shows a complete lack of awareness of current events, and that's something for me to get annoyed at. Why? Because you suffer from the same disease as Americans. You can afford not to pay attention; not to care. Why? Because you're untouched by it all.


I'm not saying life is a bed of roses here in the EU, but we sure as hell have a lot of stuff better thought out than you guys have. Nor do we have the obsessive need to defend ourself against each and every argument from another country. I could start the gun argument again. Some of you will agree, some of you won't. But the fact that the Americans that say that guns are part of the history of your country, and should therefore stay, is the exact backwards thinking you send out there with a message and is leading to all these generalizations. It's not that we think of these generalizations ourselves, you just hand them to us on a plate, ask us what wine we want with it, and then tell us the food is for free; you are simply begging us to eat it.

Really? Because I seem to remember someone jumping in the moment generalizations were thrown around about the UK, asking such stupidity not be displayed followed by a thread created as a direct reaction to the one mentioned. That isn't a defensive tactic?

Like it or not, guns are a part of American culture and it isn't going anywhere. You don't like it? Cool. No one cares. It doesn't affect you. In Homogeneous Land, things work out. In the land of the Melting Pot, it doesn't always work out so well. What are we going to do? Get rid of the millions of undocumented weapons that no one officially knows exists? Yeah. Have fun with that.

I almost want to bombard you with the dozens of generalizations I've heard from people around the world concerning Europe; the perceptions the layman has of Europe (Short of Norway. Everyone loves Norway). Almost. But I won't, because it proves nothing. Granted, 95% of everyone outside of Canada and Europe believes it, but it doesn't prove anything, and it doesn't mean anything, regardless of how much it resounds with my mental image of Europe.


I'm not saying all Americans fit in this generalization, but you guys aren't doing your best to stay out of it either.

Nor is Europe doing much to dissuade others of their perceptions. But then, who cares, right?
Bottom line:

Take a look, in a book. Reading rainbow.
 
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I almost want to bombard you with the dozens of generalizations I've heard from people around the world concerning Europe; the perceptions the layman has of Europe (Short of Norway. Everyone loves Norway).
You're making me curious now.
 
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I don't get it- are you saying it's bad to be critical of yourself? I would say being less critical of yourself is a bad thing.
I merely presented you with the facts. Essentially it is an explanation of why religious people are certain in their points of view and non-religious people question themselves and the world around them. This shows that religious people are more closed minded than non-religious people. I was pointing out that I was unsure whether people are closed minded because they are religious, or religious because they are closed minded.

@Zeo:

Europe consists of countries. It's much harder to generalize over 40 nations than just one. If you decided to divide up the US into 50 nations, then it would be equally difficult to stereotype the US. No one will make generalizations of another country based on province unless they have actually lived in that country themselves (or are pseudo-intellectuals with access to Google and Wikipedia).
 
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That experiment just pointed to the key differences. I would hope that they are in the process of doing a larger study on this, what with the interesting results in the first study. Anyway, this is kind of off topic. Back to suing people for nothing. Exactly what brought about this trend in the first place? Does anyone know US law history?
 
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@Zeo:

Europe consists of countries. It's much harder to generalize over 40 nations than just one. If you decided to divide up the US into 50 nations, then it would be equally difficult to stereotype the US. No one will make generalizations of another country based on province unless they have actually lived in that country themselves (or are pseudo-intellectuals with access to Google and Wikipedia).
Considering how diverse each state is from one another, and how easy it remains to stereotype the US as a nation, it stands to reason it is equally easy to do the same to Europe, as it exists as a whole. The stereotypes exist, regardless of how difficult it would be to do so were one to actually consider "the facts", because those who would make these observations, be they valid or simply the result of parroting, don't let facts stand in the way of their stupidity.
 
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Im with Zeo on this. The US may be one country, but compared to Europe. The entirity of the USA is like the EU with each state as a european country thats a member of the EU.
 
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Considering how diverse each state is from one another, and how easy it remains to stereotype the US as a nation, it stands to reason it is equally easy to do the same to Europe, as it exists as a whole.
I thought I already told you that we think in countries? And please don't tell me you're actually suggesting that the states are equally different as the nations of Europe.

The stereotypes exist, regardless of how difficult it would be to do so were one to actually consider "the facts", because those who would make these observations, be they valid or simply the result of parroting, don't let facts stand in the way of their stupidity.
Most of the stereotypes of American culture actually stand up to investigation (beyond the "stupid" one - all countries have vocal idiots), though. The US has been a greedy, violent country from its conception. These traits have not disappeared since then, and are ever-present in American foreign-policy and domestic culture.

Please, stereotype Europe for us. Keep in mind that these stereotypes must be consistent with those of the other 50 "diverse" states in your country.
 
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I thought I already told you that we think in countries? And please don't tell me you're actually suggesting that the states are equally different as the nations of Europe.

What you think is irrelevant as it isn't Europeans who are generating generalizations and stereotypes about Europe, in much the same way you don't care that we think in terms of states and not so much a unified nation, as we are anything but nine times out of ten.

Most of the stereotypes of American culture actually stand up to investigation (beyond the "stupid" one - all countries have vocal idiots), though. The US has been a greedy, violent country from its conception. These traits have not disappeared since then, and are ever-present in American foreign-policy and domestic culture.

If you're seriously going to tell me Europe isn't greedy and/or violent, you're out of your mind. Europe, as an entity, has existed for far longer than the US, and its violence, imperialism and pursuit of wealth far exceed our own, both in the distant past and today. Keep in mind both world wars erupted in your backyard, not ours. The only difference between Europe and America is subtlety. Where America is considered the sole player in Vietnam, it was France's foreign policy that generated the quagmire in the first place. Who was it that wanted America to install the Shah in Iran? The UK, and its corporate interests, mainly BP. Who was it that gave Israel nukes? America? Try again. France. Algeria? Serbia?

Standing tall next to us on each of our adventures is Europe, waiting and eager to reap the spoils of war. This is what the world thinks of Europe. A lapdog. Weak, politically correct and eager to please its master, the United States. The US says jump, Europe doesn't even dare to ask "how high?" It jumps at various heights, hoping to get the right one, until your guys stand down because its election season. And why does this relationship exist? Because whatever benefits us, benefits you, and you guys are okay with that. You'll talk **** all day, but when it comes time to either stop us or aid us, you'll aid us.

Why is it that the biggest players in the world are also the most violent, the most destructive and also the most prosperous? It's weird how that works.

See, here's the thing. Europe and the US aren't all that different. In fact, we're pretty much the same. We're young, though. We haven't mastered the political arena. That'll come with time, perhaps at the expense of our imperialist agenda, but it'll come.
But of course, all of those generalizations are wrong. Because the world isn't that simple, and anyone who dares to say it is lacks wisdom and perspective.
 
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At least there's nothing about the Netherlands in there, Zeo. We just smoke weed, drink absinth and bang prostitutes all day. Try making that look bad.
 
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You guys banned shrooms.

And that's terrible.
 
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Now you're just nitpicking. You big nitpicker, you.
 
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Man, I missed out on having an epic argument with Nix.

Too late to jump on the "I-Hate-The-USA" bandwagon?
 

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