Is it just Americans

[whomewhat]

Originally Posted by DeSica

A friend of mine had his cousins visit from Windsor, and they had some stories about the Michigan crowd that comes over to party. Drunken scraps galore.

75% don't have passports...

I pointed out that Americans commit a significantly greater amount of violent crimes/1000 people than Canadians do, and he accuse me of lying.

"some stories about the Michigan crowd that comes over to party."

Yeah, it's those damn Yankees from down under that are screwing things up, not the peaceful Canadians that live here.

"75% don't have passports..."

Don't those stupid Yankees know how horrible it is in their horrible country? I mean, no passports, then you are like stuck there! Just ask the 12,000,000 Mexicans crossing the border on their way to Canada!

What irks ME is when people bash America and Americans in forums like these and the overwhelming majority of those Americans just sit back and say nothing. Not because this nonsense is true, because they don't want to offend anyone here. Let me offend then.

I took my last, end of the summer family vacation in Victoria, British Columbia last year. We drove there, taking the ferry from Port Angeles. We stayed in the beautiful Fairmont Empress. After settling in we went down to the garage to take the car out for some sightseeing. The rear window had been beaten with a baseball bat and flyers thrown about the car saying that Americans are "criminals," and "Bush is a murderer," and "American troops kill women and babies." I made the mistake of forgetting to take off the bumber sticker on my car that said "We support the troops." Of course on the bright side, our stay in the Fairmont and all of our meals were comped, but then we had no use of the car either!

As we wandered out and about, walking the streets (see no car above), we came across slews of homeless teenagers. When I inquired in one of the shops about this I was told they were ALL drug addicts. I said: "I thought Canada had healthcare for everyone? Can't they get the help they need?" No, they don't want to be helped, was the answer, because surely if they did they would get it.

I still found Victoria to be a beautiful place. I did not eat in a single bad reataurant my entire time there. Aside from the crowd that hates America and everything we stand for (except for the influx of our money), they treated us rather well and were even quite apologetic for the "idiots" who did attack us. That said, I must say, as I read in this particular post as well, that they are very quick to point out just how great their country is, and any portion of it that is not, well, it's those damned Yankees who are at fault!

I spent several years in Brasil. While there, I heard a common theme over and over. "America is a rich country and they should GIVE us money to help our poor." I pointed out that America does give billions of dollars to other countries, including Brasil, and the response: "Yes, but you want it back!" Imagine that! We actually expect to be paid back when we loan money to them? I have never heard of anything so barbaric!

I then asked them if they knew the difference between the USA and Brasil? Without hesitation they always answered the same thing: "Americans are rich." I proposed to them what I propose here. Brasil is a much bigger country, geographically, than the US. It has far more resources and some of the most incredible terrain anywhere in the world. If somehow you could transport the entire population of Brasil to the US and then transport the entire population of the US to Brasil, what would happen? Let me tell you what would happen, Brasil would become the most prosperous, powerful country in the world and the US would become a Third World country! Why? AMERICANS! We would make it that way because that is who we are. It is not just a piece of land, it is a state of mind.

To the poster who said: "I'm an American. I love living here. But for the most part Americans repulse me." Sorry, it's not the geography that makes America great, it is AMERICANS!

So, as Jack Nicholson said: "Sell crazy somewhere else. We're all filled up here."

 

[gdl203]

Originally Posted by jr88

+1
^2

 

[vanity]

Originally Posted by DeSica

You wanna go around knocking out soccer moms and cabbies, have fun (was gonna say knock yourself out, but that would just be wrong).

I do sort of agree with you on one point. It seems like years ago (like in Bogie films), when someone really got out of line, a person could give him a straight right across the chin, and that was it. Simple. No retribution, no knifings, no friends jumping in...like it was understood that the guy had it coming. These days, it's just complicated.

Just curious...do you get into arguments with these people, or do you just walk away fuming?

When I lived downtown I was a lot more confrontational, but mostly b/c people were so dense you had to be to get through to them. Cabbies that would drive you all over thinking you don't know the route, racking up tolls. Or people cutting in front of you in lines and trying to ignore you behind them, b/c they know what they just did. You know that look they get...pretending to be oblvious to everything and refuse to make eye contact with you? Whenever someone is screwing you over on purpose, they always get that exact same look.

Those were situations where you had to be a dick like "HEY, WTF are you doing?" They know exactly what they're doing but they're counting on you to be polite and let it go. I came really close to snapping on people b/c even though they were clearly in the wrong, they'd try to keep pushing it anyway. Like I'm the asshole here.

 

[whomewhat]

Originally Posted by vanity

Like I'm the asshole here.

How does one respond?

Dude, get off the juice! Those 'roids will kill you!

 

[tiger02]

Originally Posted by vanity

...Or people cutting in front of you in lines and trying to ignore you behind them, b/c they know what they just did. You know that look they get...pretending to be oblvious to everything and refuse to make eye contact with you? Whenever someone is screwing you over on purpose, they always get that exact same look...
Have you ever tried standing on line in Europe? Well, you can't, because they don't exist. And in Asia I had little old ladies trying to push me out of the way while I was buying train tickets. (Okay, so M@t was buying them, I was throwing elbows at the little old ladies to keep them away).

The real question is, why do you care about these kind of things? So a cabbie honks at you...that's what cabbies do, deal with it. I've found that if I don't project an "I'm a dick" aura, they also don't drive in circles, even when I don't know where I'm going. Crazy how that works.

 

[Violinist]

I've found that these problems of rudeness go away, the higher you move up on the economic ladder.

Of course, then you have a whole new set of problems to deal with, but the little annoying things instantly go away. Once I am able I will probably move to Luxembourg or perhaps Monaco. America is a fantastic country and I look forward to living there, but unfortunately, it's all full of Americans. At the end of the day, small towns have much nice people, and perhaps Canadians are nicer on average, but I'll tell you that you encounter a lot of rudeness in a place like Montreal. I've found that the more socialist the place is, the ruder the employees are, because they somehow think that they're equal to the people they're serving (which in most cases is completely untrue save for their basic human rights). Here in a grocery store for example, employees won't think twice about mistreating a customer. They act in ways that stereotypical employees at places like Bergdorfs act to a bum who comes in off a street. To me that's unacceptable. It's very hard to find a place in Montreal save for high end stores which caters to a well to do clientel, that treats people like human beings.

Just forget about it and if possible, try to live in a more upscale neighborhood. Rich people try to avoid confrontation so even if they want to Patrick Bateman you, they will refrain from it because their yoga instructor said so.

 

[Violinist]

Originally Posted by tiger02

Have you ever tried standing on line in Europe? Well, you can't, because they don't exist. And in Asia I had little old ladies trying to push me out of the way while I was buying train tickets.

I'd say that you are right in some cases, in cities with heavy tourist populations. I've encountered a lot of rudeness in Rome, and in the less desireable parts of Paris, which is why I try not to go anywhere like that. Also the myth that Southern Italians are nicer is not true. Maybe when you get to know them it's true, but whenever I've been in the South, the rudeness you encounter in the streets triples whatever you'll come across up north in Florence or Cremona. I've always found Vienna to be incredibly pleasant. Some people think the Viennese are cold, I just think it's a general respectful demeanor.

I cannot speak for Asia, but I have heard what you're saying.

 

[DeSica]

Originally Posted by whomewhat

"some stories about the Michigan crowd that comes over to party."

Yeah, it's those damn Yankees from down under that are screwing things up, not the peaceful Canadians that live here.

"75% don't have passports..."

Don't those stupid Yankees know how horrible it is in their horrible country? I mean, no passports, then you are like stuck there! Just ask the 12,000,000 Mexicans crossing the border on their way to Canada!

Not because this nonsense is true, because they don't want to offend anyone here. Let me offend then.

. When I inquired in one of the shops about this I was told they were ALL drug addicts. I said: "I thought Canada had healthcare for everyone? Can't they get the help they need?" No, they don't want to be helped, was the answer, because surely if they did they would get it.



"Yes, but you want it back!" Imagine that! We actually expect to be paid back when we loan money to them? I have never heard of anything so barbaric!

If somehow you could transport the entire population of Brasil to the US and then transport the entire population of the US to Brasil, what would happen? Let me tell you what would happen, Brasil would become the most prosperous, powerful country in the world and the US would become a Third World country! Why? AMERICANS! We would make it that way because that is who we are. It is not just a piece of land, it is a state of mind.


So, as Jack Nicholson said: "Sell crazy somewhere else. We're all filled up here."

Nobody's bashing. It is what it is. No country is perfect. Most Canadians are critical of our own government...we're allowed to be, since it's a free country.

Mexicans are running to the states because it is the land of milk and honey, (plus it's closer). Like Albanians to Italy. It's all relative. Picking fruit for $2/a bushel is big money. Washing cars for $3/hr is huge cash. Opportunity. And you have no idea how many Central and South Americans are up here.

Meanwhile, so many Americans were sneaking over our border to use (steal) our free healthcare for major operations, that we had to get photo ID on our health cards. They were using relative's OHIP (or whatever) cards to get treatent they could never afford back home. We do have free medical care....as do most G7 nations...in fact, America might be the only one who doesn't.

Im sorry about your car. The statistics hold up. Canada does in fact have a higher rate of breaking into automotive vehicles.


And don't worry about the money Brazil owes you...worry about the money you owe China. Worry about a 9 trillion dollar debt (translates to half a mil per household)....worry about the interest on that $9 trillion. Worry that Cuba, a third world country, has a higher literacy rate, and also free health care. And if you had Brazil, you'd do the same as in the US....gun violence, racism, pollution, no health care, and a whopping debt...not to mention invading Venezuela for oil. You're correct, it is a state of mind.

As for selling crazy, tell it to the Americans who show up here in june with coats because they think it is always cold here, and they don't know what celsius is, because when the time came for the world to switch to metric, the American overnment backed out, saying it would be too difficult to implement and learn.

I'm watching the Bookman espisode of Seinfeld right now. Given your comments, I find it quite apropos.

 

[DeSica]

Originally Posted by Violinist

I've found that the more socialist the place is, the ruder the employees are, because they somehow think that they're equal to the people they're serving (which in most cases is completely untrue save for their basic human rights).

Just forget about it and if possible, try to live in a more upscale neighborhood. Rich people try to avoid confrontation so even if they want to Patrick Bateman you, they will refrain from it because their yoga instructor said so.

Tell me, do you beat your slaves, or do you have someone do it for you?

Cuba is socialist, and I got great treatment in Havana, and the suburbs. Nice people.

And everyone knows Montreal can be rough if you don't speak the language...even if you speak Parisian french, they hate you. ("You tink yoor bedder den me?")

 

[FLMountainMan]

Vanity, I thought you just disliked black people? Or blacks, if you will. Is it all Americans? Life must be tough for a refined individual like yourself.

 

[vanity]

Originally Posted by FLMountainMan

Vanity, I thought you just disliked black people? Or blacks, if you will. Is it all Americans? Life must be tough for a refined individual like yourself.

I dislike most people equally. But I just saw on the news that Anna Nicole Smith has died. It's only 3:15pm but I may start drinking to celebrate.

 

[Violinist]

Originally Posted by DeSica

Tell me, do you beat your slaves, or do you have someone do it for you?

Cuba is socialist, and I got great treatment in Havana, and the suburbs. Nice people.

And everyone knows Montreal can be rough if you don't speak the language...even if you speak Parisian french, they hate you. ("You tink yoor bedder den me?")

I think if servants are well paid they don't need to be beaten.

In any case, this isn't a language issue since my roomate is a quebecer and he also, like everyone else, gets treated like ****. And actually at some places, I get a lot of points as an english person who speaks french, not to mention that all decent Quebecers really admire people who try to speak french. It is not like it is in France.

 

[briancl]

Originally Posted by DeSica

A friend of mine had his cousins visit from Windsor, and they had some stories about the Michigan crowd that comes over to party. Drunken scraps galore.

I'll agree with this; however it is disingenuous to claim this without discussing the drinking age in Windsor (19) and proximity (5 minute door-to-door, including customs from Detroit). I only ever go to Windsor for the occasional dinner, but I did happen to go for a Bachelor party last year, and I realized the only Americans in Windsor are 19 and 20. So take an entire city's population of 19 and 20 year olds that aren't allowed to drink legally, and give them an opportunity to drink easily and cheaply... and guess what happens?

Windsor, ON happens. It's the dirtiest and most American Canadian city I've ever seen, but it's basically just one giant college bar.

 

[DeSica]

Originally Posted by vanity

But I just saw on the news that Anna Nicole Smith has died.

Geez...this imitating Marilyn Monroe thing has gone too far.

 

[lawyerdad]

Originally Posted by FLMountainMan

Vanity, I thought you just disliked black people? Or blacks, if you will. Is it all Americans? Life must be tough for a refined individual like yourself.
Well, blacks in burberry, anyway.