What does it mean to be American?

[Jonathan]

Well America has become over the past hundred years quite remarkable, America is a police of the world, and for all intensive purposes fights what needs to be fought, and sometimes of course what doesn’t (Vietnam). Some Americans have their own view about themselves, ranging from purely positive remarks, or of course some of them follow along this line of thinking. I wont mention which one I agree with.

“We’re the baddest-assed sons of b*tches that ever jogged in Reeboks. We’re three-quarters grizzly bear and two-thirds car wreck and descending from a stock market crash on our mother’s sides. You take your Germany, France and Spain, roll them all together and it wouldn’t give us room to park our cars. We’re the big boys, Jack, the original giant, economy-sized, new and improved butt kickers of all time. When we snort coke in Houston, people lose their hats in Cap d’Antibes. And we’ve got an American Express card credit higher than your piss-ant metric number go.
“you say our country’s never been invaded? You’re right, little buddy. Because I’d like to see the needle-d*&ed foreigners who’d have the guts to try. We drink napalm to get our hearts started in the morning. A rape and mugging is our way of saying ‘Cherrio.’ Hell can’t hold our sock-hops. We walk taller, talk louder, spit further, f%$k longer and buy more things than you know the names of. I’d rather be a junkie in a New York jail than king, queen and jack of all you Europeans. We eat little countries like this for breakfast and sh#t them out before lunch.”
P.J. O’Rourke-Holidays in Hell

Now I know P.J. was kidding when he placed this in his book, I would do the same thing if it would rile up some of the closed off minds of some foreigners. But the point in me placing this in the thread is to point out how no doubt some Americans might feel about themselves, and maybe even other countries.

This thread is intended so I can get an idea of how others feel about Americans, and how some other Americans feel about themselves. So please don’t mistake it for an outburst against other countries, it’s a quote, and not one from me, its coming from a guy who is joking about touring the world. And I don’t blame him.

[Mu Shu]

The US has been the center of economic, technological, military and cultural power for the last century. But this position can't last forever. The rest of the world is catching up and eventually the world will become homogenized. American influence will still be dominant for many years to come but certainly not forever.

I think much of the world has mixed feelings about the US. It is greatly admired but also envied and sometimes even feared. But Americans also have these feelings about the rest of the world. Americans fear Iraq and North Korea perhaps to an unreasonable degree. During Japans economic boom in the 1980s, Americans envied Japanese economic power.

I think overall people in this world are more similar than different. No matter what country they come from.

[Travis]

That segement form PJ was great

Really though, it sorta reflects reality currently. The US is clearly the only Superpower in the World, and does have it's braggin rights. Also lets not forget, as the rest of the World gets stronger, the US does as well. The US benefits from them getting strong, be cause we are making them that way.

[James]

The United States can be arrogant, and so can many of the members in this nation. It is one of those places where people can grow up thinking everything else in the world is a second-class slum, but that isn’t because of hate or bias though. It is because of ignorance. As for us as a nation in the world, I think we are many times more responsible than most other superpowers would be. There is always room for improvement, and international offense still happens, but I think the Internet will do a lot to level this type of ignorance.

[Rhiannon]

Americans are overconfident, ignorant, overtrusting of authority, and rely on a majority that is codependent instead of independant. However, I also think that most Americans are good-intended at heart; it's just that we don't promote much independent thinking and cultural awareness (or if we do, most people ignore it).

[Travis]

Americans are overconfident, ignorant, overtrusting of authority, and rely on a majority that is codependent instead of independant. However, I also think that most Americans are good-intended at heart; it's just that we don't promote much independent thinking and cultural awareness (or if we do, most people ignore it).

Darn Straight! That's what makes us who we are!

[James]

Darn Straight! That's what makes us who we are!

Which unfortunately isn’t something to be proud of.

[Travis]

Really would you want to live in an America where they down it all the time, I would rather be arrogant than spitful of my Nation.

[Iznoach, Legendary Dragon]

I'm proud to be American. We have the greatest nation on earth, with freedom to do, say, and be whatever we want to. I look around sometimes, and see that most people take all this for granted, and it irritates me, because they don't know how great they really have it. I've been to other countries, and I see what they have and what we have, and I wouldn't give it up for anything. Also, I like the so-called "american spirit" that most of us has. Many people will call it arrogant, and maybe that's the correct word, but I like to think of it as a people that know we can do anything we want to, with little or no real limits. It's pride. And I'm full of it, not just for myself, but for all the great things americans have ever done.

[James]

Really would you want to live in an America where they down it all the time, I would rather be arrogant than spitful of my Nation.

I too am proud to be American; I love this country. I love my freedom even if people have presented good arguments on that very topic. What I am not proud of is the international ignorance of many of my countrymen, but I am glad that we care, Americans for the most part want the best for everyone in the world.