The US Economy

Post by **Trestkon** » Fri Oct 03, 2008 10:22 pm

Jonas wrote:
Trestkon wrote:That is a sweet hat. Jonas, please send me one.
Those guys are Dutch, you arse.

I can't tell the difference, send hat, please.

Post by **Jonas** » Sat Oct 04, 2008 12:08 am

I think I'm going to call you an American from now on and make jokes about firearms in your presence.

Post by **Trestkon** » Sat Oct 04, 2008 12:57 am

But....my arms are not aflame

Solid_Choke · Post by **Solid_Choke** » Sat Oct 04, 2008 7:16 am

EER wrote:The Dutch state just bought one of the major banks, Fortis. Completely unexpected I might add.

More info in English: http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/aea50888-9169 ... ck_check=1

Yikes. It looks like many of the European banks are in even worse shape than their American counterparts. You should check the balance sheets of some of the financial institutions in Germany!

Jonas wrote:I think I'm going to call you an American from now on and make jokes about firearms in your presence.

I think this might be one of the stereotypes about Americans that I actually share (I have tons of guns). Although, I find that most of the stereotypes about Americans are only really about certain regions and generally don't apply to most of the country.

EER · Post by **EER** » Sat Oct 04, 2008 7:58 am

Solid_Choke wrote:Yikes. It looks like many of the European banks are in even worse shape than their American counterparts. You should check the balance sheets of some of the financial institutions in Germany!

Yeah, but I trust my bank. And even if I wouldn't, there's a savings guarantee for 38 000 Euro in the Netherlands, and I don't think I have more than that on the bank.

People who are "OMG! IT MIGHT COLLAPSE, TAKE ALL MONEY AND RUN!" are the people who killed Fortis. I trust that that won't happen to ING, and if it does ... well, shit.

I think this might be one of the stereotypes about Americans that I actually share (I have tons of guns). Although, I find that most of the stereotypes about Americans are only really about certain regions and generally don't apply to most of the country.

That's only because your country almost spans an entire continent. It's like saying British stereotypes don't apply to Poland

chris the cynic · Post by **chris the cynic** » Sat Oct 04, 2008 6:59 pm

People who have American stereotypes seem to ignore the size. Europe has six countries that would fit inside Rhode Island (our smallest state) and Rhode Island would fit inside Houston (one of our cites.)

In my short visit to France I discovered that people I met outside of Paris seemed totally undeserving of the negative stereotypes towards the French, where those that I met inside of Paris deserved far, far worse. France is smaller than Texas so it makes sense that Texas would be more varied than France. You would think that people would realize the US, being so much larger than both, is more varied than either.

I'm hopeful that most do understand that.

-

It's nearly impossible to come up with a description of me that can be expected to apply to those in my town in general. It is certainly impossible to describe northern and southern Maine with the same stereotype. Describing us in the same way as Massachusetts residents is insane. Trying to group us with Hawaii is beyond nuts.

Jetsetlemming · Post by **Jetsetlemming** » Sat Oct 04, 2008 11:13 pm

EER wrote:That's only because your country almost spans an entire continent.

Yeah, we're pretty much awesome.
I heard five different languages spoken naturally today!

Post by **Jonas** » Sun Oct 05, 2008 12:55 am

Psscht Russia spans 9 timezones and Australia litterally is an entire continent, you guys are nothing.

Jetsetlemming · Post by **Jetsetlemming** » Sun Oct 05, 2008 5:51 am

Jonas wrote:Psscht Russia spans 9 timezones and Australia litterally is an entire continent, you guys are nothing.

Russia's all empty shitty places. How much of those 9 timezones is Siberia, huh?

I found out the other day that the US is actually tied for third place with China for world's biggest country by area, and third largest total population. :O
Where else in the world can you walk to a street corner, hear Mandarin, Korean, Spanish, Italian, English, and... uh, whatever the real name for Arabic is (I know it's not just called Arabic but I can't remember

) in one place, while standing in front of a booth of a local "Anime Club" selling brownies?
While the Indian teenage girl manning the booth is dressed as Link?
While next to them is a couple of small children in a Red Rider wagon with a McCain/Palin sign attached, handing out fliers?

(True story. Goddamn otakus wouldn't for whatever reason respond to my presence in front of their booth and SELL ME SOME GODDAMN BROWNIES

so I walked down the street a bit further and bought some pizza from a tent in the middle of the street. God I love festivals.

)

Smike · Post by **Smike** » Sun Oct 05, 2008 8:45 pm

* Yeah, we can't beat Russia except that we're mostly NOT a frozen wasteland, as Jetset points out, and of course we're mostly inhabited.
* We DO have the entire continent. We just lease out the areas with extreme temperatures because governing them bores us. Obviously.
* Stereotypes regarding guns apply only to non-liberals, yet the US as a whole is vastly more liberal than conservative - a fact that makes the election of many conservative politicians (like our governor) based solely on liberal voter apathy.
* Stereotypes about Americans in general usually apply to either Texans exclusively or to Southern Californians who are North of San Diego but South-East of Vandenberg Air Force Base.
(Deus Ex TIE-IN! +501,000,739 points!)
* Australia is a big island park with people crowding some of the coastline.

Post by **Jonas** » Sun Oct 05, 2008 9:10 pm

Excuse me, did you just bring FACTS into a discussion of stereotypes? I think that means you lose, guys. Sorry.

Jetsetlemming · Post by **Jetsetlemming** » Sun Oct 05, 2008 10:09 pm

I'll let you know that there are plenty of liberals that own guns, how DARE you stereotype them Smike.
Guns really are really, really, really ubiquitous in America.

It's not just a bunch of crazy conservatives, a few collectors, and hick hunters.

Post by **Jonas** » Sun Oct 05, 2008 10:27 pm

It's like America collects stereotypes, but then at regular intervals, some article will pop up to say "actually it's all true". I'm going to move to Canada when I get my degree. It's like America, just way less scary.

Jetsetlemming · Post by **Jetsetlemming** » Sun Oct 05, 2008 11:29 pm

Canada's just like Alaska, except the eastern bits speak french. Would you like that, huh Jonas? A bunch of french speaking Sarah Palin clones? HUH JONAS
Also mooses. You jsust can't trust a moose, that's an obvious fact.
Also mounties.

I should get a gun so I fit in here in America.

I know how to shoot (of course), but I don't own one personally.

Post by **Jonas** » Sun Oct 05, 2008 11:43 pm

I can shoot rifles. I'm actually reasonably good at it. I would fit right into the USA.

Also I think most Canadians are smarter than Sarah Palin.

In fact come to think of it, I think most human beings are smarter than Sarah Palin.

Because I think Sarah Palin is a dumb bitch.

In case I wasn't making myself clear.