Americans, and their World Knowledge - scary

[minkton]

Posted by pie'n'eal (here)

Posted by minkton (here)
I baulk at the label 'sheeple', it seems to lack compassion, to me. Am I wrong on that?

"The meek shall inherit the earth"....or maybe meaning, when we have no more sides to us, we become weighty with compassion.

Brilliant, thankyou. As soon as I read what you wrote I saw it was my own prejudice against sheep that was boggin me down!

[jorr lundstrom]

Posted by minkton (here)

Posted by pie'n'eal (here)

Posted by minkton (here)
I baulk at the label 'sheeple', it seems to lack compassion, to me. Am I wrong on that?

"The meek shall inherit the earth"....or maybe meaning, when we have no more sides to us, we become weighty with compassion.

Brilliant, thankyou. As soon as I read what you wrote I saw it was my own prejudice against sheep that was boggin me down!

Couldnt we have a poll to determine who this meek is. I mean, i feel its important

that the right person inherit this planet, maybe some handyman as its quite a task

to take care of the place.





And Minkton, I like sheep with garlc. You should try it.

Love and carrots to all NUGGETS

[Seikou-Kishi]

I think what this thread shows is that there might be some really stupid people in the USA, but there are also some very clever people. That's true anywhere, of course, but America seems to be a land of extremes and contradictions: it's a land with a constitutionally enshrined separation of church and state, with a president who was God's voice on Earth and with elections to public office nigh on impossible without the support of the religious right; it's a land of diversity and despite the current president being the first black president, people are still wary of Mitt Romney's Mormonism; it's a land in which people are either culturally ignorant and don't know much about the outside world, maybe even outside their own state, and yet also a land in which some people are truly global and culturally metropolitan; it's a land with a fierce, nationalistic brand of patriotism, yet so many Americans seem ashamed of their country (the famous 'let's pretend to be Canadian' thing); it is a land convinced of the virtues of a republican form of government, yet it has a fascination with monarchy from high school prom queens to the huge swathes of spectators for visiting monarchs.

In all these things, and others, America defies definition and explanation. My own guess would be that as America is still a relatively young country, still trying to establish its own identity. It's progressed from the rebellious stage of youth and is looking inward to find its identity — it certainly knows it can't rebel forever. America's attitude towards other countries is also very telling: it seems to resent Canada for having gone a different route in a way that shows that America really wants to believe that it took the right route and thinks the best way to do that is by mocking those who took the other. Its relationship with the UK is also full of contradiction: our tourist centres are usually full to the brim with American tourists yet the American attitude towards Britain very often seems petulant. There is definitely a love-hate relationship when it comes to America's view of the UK, especially England; I've seen with my own eyes how enthusiastic Americans can get with British and English things, but also they seem to dislike quite a bit — very often the same bits they like the most. That's not to say that there aren't things to like and dislike about the UK, of course there are, but with America it always seems very personal.

All of this goes to build up the idea that America doesn't yet have a stable self-image; its attitude seems to vacillate between brash self-confidence and an endearing insecurity. It seems to shout "I'm amazing, world, love me!" while at the same time timidly thinking to itself "omg, I hope they like me. I think they don't like me!". My guess would be that America is insecure and wants to be liked and it uses that brash self-confidence to hide the fact that it is insecure. And if America doesn't look too far beyond its borders, perhaps it is because it is still looking inward, feeling unable to be liked for who and what it is until it has found out who and what it is for itself.

That brash self confidence is, I think, a façade to hide a crippling insecurity and an isolating loneliness.

It doesn't have to be that way :-)

[Calz]

Posted by jorr lundstrom (here)

Posted by minkton (here)

Posted by pie'n'eal (here)

Posted by minkton (here)
I baulk at the label 'sheeple', it seems to lack compassion, to me. Am I wrong on that?

"The meek shall inherit the earth"....or maybe meaning, when we have no more sides to us, we become weighty with compassion.

Brilliant, thankyou. As soon as I read what you wrote I saw it was my own prejudice against sheep that was boggin me down!

Couldnt we have a poll to determine who this meek is. I mean, i feel its important

that the right person inherit this planet, maybe some handyman as its quite a task

to take care of the place.





And Minkton, I like sheep with garlc. You should try it.

Love and carrots to all NUGGETS

I dunno ... I have met some rather talented sheeple ...

[Jeffrey]

I was half tempted to start a thread entitled--Europeans are stupid--and copy and paste what the OP wrote with some videos that I dug up.

Instead, just to prove my point, I think I'll share this video on this thread.

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=ONCrE4IoSsY

Are we all going to start sharing our favorite montages of Britain's Got Talent now? Or should we leave these types of videos to PMs? (Rhetorical question).

[HORIZONS]

Posted by Vivek (here)
I was half tempted to start a thread entitled--Europeans are stupid--and copy and paste what the OP wrote with some videos that I dug up.

Instead, just to prove my point, I think I'll share this video on this thread.

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=ONCrE4IoSsY

Are we all going to start sharing our favorite montages of Britain's Got Talent now? Or should we leave these types of videos to PMs? (Rhetorical question).

How about "in every country of the world, some people are stupid" - I think that should about cover it.

[EnergyGardener]

All of this goes to build up the idea that America doesn't yet have a stable self-image; its attitude seems to vacillate between brash self-confidence and an endearing insecurity. It seems to shout "I'm amazing, world, love me!" while at the same time timidly thinking to itself "omg, I hope they like me. I think they don't like me!". My guess would be that America is insecure and wants to be liked and it uses that brash self-confidence to hide the fact that it is insecure. And if America doesn't look too far beyond its borders, perhaps it is because it is still looking inward, feeling unable to be liked for who and what it is until it has found out who and what it is for itself.

That brash self confidence is, I think, a façade to hide a crippling insecurity and an isolating loneliness.

Yes, the US is a young, insecure and strong country: we are a mixed bag of extremes, yadda yadda yadda....

As the constitutional beacon for freedom, many incarnated here to exact the most change, positive change.

I am tiring of the negativity of all things, including now, by such creative and gifted (inferred to be more secure) people.

Can we move on already? We've turned the other cheek, we Yanks can take it: I don't recall one of us (on this tread) throwing a single stone back at any other specific country. What would be the point or purpose? What is yours?

Haven't you beat this horse enough already?

[jorr lundstrom]

HORIZONS wrote:

How about "in every country of the world, some people are stupid" - I think that should about cover it.

I dont agree, me tinka we are just misunderstood.

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=WIzaYbIrRUQ

[Calz]

There are plenty of spiritual folk who might suggest we keep coming back to Gaia to experience every type of imaginable "lesson".

Sometimes smart ... sometimes not.

Sometimes this ... sometimes that.

Sometimes here ... sometimes there.

[Seikou-Kishi]

Posted by EnergyGardener (here)

All of this goes to build up the idea that America doesn't yet have a stable self-image; its attitude seems to vacillate between brash self-confidence and an endearing insecurity. It seems to shout "I'm amazing, world, love me!" while at the same time timidly thinking to itself "omg, I hope they like me. I think they don't like me!". My guess would be that America is insecure and wants to be liked and it uses that brash self-confidence to hide the fact that it is insecure. And if America doesn't look too far beyond its borders, perhaps it is because it is still looking inward, feeling unable to be liked for who and what it is until it has found out who and what it is for itself.

That brash self confidence is, I think, a façade to hide a crippling insecurity and an isolating loneliness.

Yes, the US is a young, insecure and strong country: we are a mixed bag of extremes, yadda yadda yadda....

As the constitutional beacon for freedom, many incarnated here to exact the most change, positive change.

I am tiring of the negativity of all things, including now, by such creative and gifted (inferred to be more secure) people.

Can we move on already? We've turned the other cheek, we Yanks can take it: I don't recall one of us (on this tread) throwing a single stone back at any other specific country. What would be the point or purpose? What is yours?

Haven't you beat this horse enough already?

My post wasn't supposed to be negative at all.

[Calz]

Posted by EnergyGardener (here)

All of this goes to build up the idea that America doesn't yet have a stable self-image; its attitude seems to vacillate between brash self-confidence and an endearing insecurity. It seems to shout "I'm amazing, world, love me!" while at the same time timidly thinking to itself "omg, I hope they like me. I think they don't like me!". My guess would be that America is insecure and wants to be liked and it uses that brash self-confidence to hide the fact that it is insecure. And if America doesn't look too far beyond its borders, perhaps it is because it is still looking inward, feeling unable to be liked for who and what it is until it has found out who and what it is for itself.

That brash self confidence is, I think, a façade to hide a crippling insecurity and an isolating loneliness.

Yes, the US is a young, insecure and strong country: we are a mixed bag of extremes, yadda yadda yadda....

As the constitutional beacon for freedom, many incarnated here to exact the most change, positive change.

I am tiring of the negativity of all things, including now, by such creative and gifted (inferred to be more secure) people.

Can we move on already? We've turned the other cheek, we Yanks can take it: I don't recall one of us (on this tread) throwing a single stone back at any other specific country. What would be the point or purpose? What is yours?

Haven't you beat this horse enough already?

Perhaps not ...



All joking aside it would appear the vast majority of posts here have moved beyond any national attacks.

Since WW2 with all the ordinance dropped around the globe it should be quite understandable some would harbor resentment.

If someone/somewhere/somehow was dropping bombs and killing your friends, neighbors and family ... I suspect you would feel the same.

I think (or at least would hope) most members here on this forum understand the US military does not represent the people but are, in fact, doing the bidding of the global elite.

As the constitutional beacon for freedom

What part of the constitution currently being shredded to bits isn't clear???

Nuff said???


... but just to slide back into the lighter side ...

[Seikou-Kishi]

Posted by Calz_Avaretard (here)
I think (or at least would hope) most members here on this forum understand the US military does not represent the people but are, in fact, doing the bidding of the global elite.

No, of course not, the military is just something that has misappropriated your name. You deserve to be the most angry, though I know anger's not your thing.

[EnergyGardener]

Posted by Seikou-Kishi (here)

Posted by EnergyGardener (here)

All of this goes to build up the idea that America doesn't yet have a stable self-image; its attitude seems to vacillate between brash self-confidence and an endearing insecurity. It seems to shout "I'm amazing, world, love me!" while at the same time timidly thinking to itself "omg, I hope they like me. I think they don't like me!". My guess would be that America is insecure and wants to be liked and it uses that brash self-confidence to hide the fact that it is insecure. And if America doesn't look too far beyond its borders, perhaps it is because it is still looking inward, feeling unable to be liked for who and what it is until it has found out who and what it is for itself.

That brash self confidence is, I think, a façade to hide a crippling insecurity and an isolating loneliness.

Yes, the US is a young, insecure and strong country: we are a mixed bag of extremes, yadda yadda yadda....

As the constitutional beacon for freedom, many incarnated here to exact the most change, positive change.

I am tiring of the negativity of all things, including now, by such creative and gifted (inferred to be more secure) people.

Can we move on already? We've turned the other cheek, we Yanks can take it: I don't recall one of us (on this tread) throwing a single stone back at any other specific country. What would be the point or purpose? What is yours?

Haven't you beat this horse enough already?

My post wasn't supposed to be negative at all.

I am supposing you are referring the ending band-aid I had omitted:

That brash self confidence is, I think, a façade to hide a crippling insecurity and an isolating loneliness.

It doesn't have to be that way :-)

I appreciate your points; this is nothing new to me. I often receive "valid" pent-up energy when traveling abroad. Fortunately, I always receive much more positive interaction on a one-to-one basis.

Again, we are indeed embarrassed by our "internationally owned" military industrial complex, the failure to utilize the riches of this planet for all mankind, including one would think, elimination of ignorance of our citizenry. This ignorance is not an accident; hopefully that realization is the most positive result of this Thread.

But, Seikou-Kishi, if we are attempting to be serious, who is blame for these failed policies? Who is actually running the US and every other country (run/owned by the central bank)? Should we pretend that is coming from the White House? Or are these policies coming from Geneva, Rome, London, Jerusalem and/ or Pine Gap?

Seikou-Kishi, I am accepting your positive ending and response, hoping that we can work together to bring the universal benefits to our entire earth family, ignorant or not.

Cheers,

[firstlook]

Posted by modwiz (here)
OK. I'll concede. I took the easy way out and just agreed with the original wording. My bad. It is not scary and I am not scared. It is frustrating and annoying. Compassion and enabling are two different critters that often get conflated. I am compassionate, but I will not enable. Tantrums from adults are particularly unattractive and only make the resolve to not enable stronger. Helping a butterfly out of its chrysalis can and usually will, cripple it for life. Compassion might make one wish to aid it in its struggle to get out, but it is not helpful. Enabling willful ignorance is not just about the individual, it is about society at large. The weak link in the chain metaphor applies here. We are each others keepers. Keeping oneself ignorant is not being a team player.

The ignorance is not the shame, it is the shamelessness of being ignorant.

OK so the weak link in chain. I knew weakness was in the subtext, waiting for it to slip out.

This is where i find Most people share the common thread of thought as those in positions of power. Your post although pretty balanced, does reveal that you are hurt when people do not preform well and you work so hard to. Is this accurate? Meaning, you feel that others should live up to your effort at least, even if they fail?

I'm trying to find out why people get offended by failure. Its the common defense mechanism in American society and probably through out the world. The Mentor and Student dynamic plays a role I would imagine. We choose how we spend our energy and with whom. Our ability to help others to reach some sort of mental goal or awareness really is what this whole show is about. We share, We connect, The whole we are One thing.

What I find interesting about this is the balance. Calling people fools and sheep seems like a off balance step from leaping to far. Assumption is the bringer of resentment, sometimes masked as aggressive passive remarks, which in reality is just another form of chaos. The ability to forgive others is the ability forgive your own faults, which in turn allows for better communication. And better communication allows the mentor role to find what is the best method of allowing another to find their own ability to progress.

All in all, I don't see this as a thread about stupid people, but instead about how we can be better mentors in how we want to make peoples lives more enjoyable. I think thats why certain members find labels like "sheep" as not offensive, just.....stationary.

Interesting thread. I Appreciate the debate on this topic. I think people should admit though how much they want to help, but feel like they don't know how (Me first, Me first). I've been told its the first step to solving a problem.

[Seikou-Kishi]

Posted by EnergyGardener (here)
Yes, the US is a young, insecure and strong country: we are a mixed bag of extremes, yadda yadda yadda....

As the constitutional beacon for freedom, many incarnated here to exact the most change, positive change.

I am tiring of the negativity of all things, including now, by such creative and gifted (inferred to be more secure) people.

Can we move on already? We've turned the other cheek, we Yanks can take it: I don't recall one of us (on this tread) throwing a single stone back at any other specific country. What would be the point or purpose? What is yours?

Haven't you beat this horse enough already?

Posted by EnergyGardener
I am supposing you are referring the ending band-aid I had omitted:

That brash self confidence is, I think, a façade to hide a crippling insecurity and an isolating loneliness.

It doesn't have to be that way :-)

I appreciate your points; this is nothing new to me. I often receive "valid" pent-up energy when traveling abroad. Fortunately, I always receive much more positive interaction on a one-to-one basis.

Again, we are indeed embarrassed by our "internationally owned" military industrial complex, the failure to utilize the riches of this planet for all mankind, including one would think, elimination of ignorance of our citizenry. This ignorance is not an accident; hopefully that realization is the most positive result of this Thread.

But, Seikou-Kishi, if we are attempting to be serious, who is blame for these failed policies? Who is actually running the US and every other country (run/owned by the central bank)? Should we pretend that is coming from the White House? Or are these policies coming from Geneva, Rome, London, Jerusalem and/ or Pine Gap?

Seikou-Kishi, I am accepting your positive ending and response, hoping that we can work together to bring the universal benefits to our entire earth family, ignorant or not.

Cheers,

I don't think I said anything negative, and I don't think I tacked something sort-of positive on the end as way of... well, as a way of what? I didn't actually see that you'd omitted my 'band-aid', but then I didn't consider it a band-aid at all. I think you have interpreted me negatively but I have to say if you have done so it is entirely your interpretation; I had no intention of being negative and do not believe I was negative. I certainly have no wish to increase the level of negativity in the world and would like to think I'm working towards positive change in the world too

Forgive me, but you seemed to want to interpret me in a negative way because you immediately became defensive. I'm sure you saw a need to become defensive but I really don't want people to have be defensive around me, so I try not to make them feel as though they have to be. You criticised me for saying America was insecure in itself, well has your defensiveness and dismissiveness just proven it?

You will notice, I hope, that I said in my post "... there might be some really stupid people in the USA, but there are also some very clever people. That's true anywhere, of course...". Ignorance is carefully inculcated and it's inculcated everywhere. When it comes to foreign ownership of the US Military-Industrial Complex... well, that is not America, is it? America is not the government, it's not the army, it's the people. My point was that America was born from revolution, but now America is the world's only remaining super-power — against what is it rebelling? Itself? Hence my analysis of a crisis of identity. Please don't read criticism into that, there isn't any.

(It was only a degree of squeamishness towards sentimentality that stopped me posting the video of the Buckingham Palace guards playing the Star Spangled Banner when the news came of the 9/11 atrocity in my first post. I have no need, desire or wish to make people feel bad)

[EnergyGardener]

Posted by Seikou-Kishi (here)

Posted by EnergyGardener (here)
Yes, the US is a young, insecure and strong country: we are a mixed bag of extremes, yadda yadda yadda....

As the constitutional beacon for freedom, many incarnated here to exact the most change, positive change.

I am tiring of the negativity of all things, including now, by such creative and gifted (inferred to be more secure) people.

Can we move on already? We've turned the other cheek, we Yanks can take it: I don't recall one of us (on this tread) throwing a single stone back at any other specific country. What would be the point or purpose? What is yours?

Haven't you beat this horse enough already?

Posted by EnergyGardener
I am supposing you are referring the ending band-aid I had omitted:

That brash self confidence is, I think, a façade to hide a crippling insecurity and an isolating loneliness.

It doesn't have to be that way :-)

I appreciate your points; this is nothing new to me. I often receive "valid" pent-up energy when traveling abroad. Fortunately, I always receive much more positive interaction on a one-to-one basis.

Again, we are indeed embarrassed by our "internationally owned" military industrial complex, the failure to utilize the riches of this planet for all mankind, including one would think, elimination of ignorance of our citizenry. This ignorance is not an accident; hopefully that realization is the most positive result of this Thread.

But, Seikou-Kishi, if we are attempting to be serious, who is blame for these failed policies? Who is actually running the US and every other country (run/owned by the central bank)? Should we pretend that is coming from the White House? Or are these policies coming from Geneva, Rome, London, Jerusalem and/ or Pine Gap?

Seikou-Kishi, I am accepting your positive ending and response, hoping that we can work together to bring the universal benefits to our entire earth family, ignorant or not.

Cheers,

I don't think I said anything negative, and I don't think I tacked something sort-of positive on the end as way of... well, as a way of what? I didn't actually see that you'd omitted my 'band-aid', but then I didn't consider it a band-aid at all. I think you have interpreted me negatively but I have to say if you have done so it is entirely your interpretation; I had no intention of being negative and do not believe I was negative. I certainly have no wish to increase the level of negativity in the world and would like to think I'm working towards positive change in the world too

Forgive me, but you seemed to want to interpret me in a negative way because you immediately became defensive. I'm sure you saw a need to become defensive but I really don't want people to have be defensive around me, so I try not to make them feel as though they have to be. You criticised me for saying America was insecure in itself, well has your defensiveness and dismissiveness just proven it?

You will notice, I hope, that I said in my post "... there might be some really stupid people in the USA, but there are also some very clever people. That's true anywhere, of course...". Ignorance is carefully inculcated and it's inculcated everywhere. When it comes to foreign ownership of the US Military-Industrial Complex... well, that is not America, is it? America is not the government, it's not the army, it's the people. My point was that America was born from revolution, but now America is the world's only remaining super-power — against what is it rebelling? Itself? Hence my analysis of a crisis of identity. Please don't read criticism into that, there isn't any.

(It was only a degree of squeamish towards sentimentality that stopped me posting the video of the Buckingham Palace guards playing the Star Spangled Banner when the news came of the 9/11 atrocity in my first post. I have no need, desire or wish to make people feel bad)

Seikou-Kishi,

Cheers.

[Calz]

At the risk of continuing to move off-topic (aka world knowledge) we really need to recognize what the military industrial complex (at the behest of the elite) has done to promote anti-americanism.

Showing my age here ... I grew up in the vietnam "war" and the draft era. Lots of baggage there. My reality when growing up ... who knew?

Listen to the lyrics here ... just a bit of "history" not written by the elite minion erasers of our real history. No one in their right mind *ANYWHERE* wants war!!!

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=EDFKphodBQI

(America)
America where are you now?
Don't you care about your sons and daughters?
Don't you know we need you now
We can't fight alone against the monster

(Monster)
Once the religious, the hunted and weary
Chasing the promise of freedom and hope
Came to this country to build a new vision
Far from the reaches of kingdom and pope
Like good Christians, some would burn the witches
Later some got slaves to gather riches

But still from near and far to seek America
They came by thousands to court the wild
And she just patiently smiled and bore a child
To be their spirit and guiding light

And once the ties with the crown had been broken
Westward in saddle and wagon it went
And 'til the railroad linked ocean to ocean
Many the lives which had come to an end
While we bullied, stole and bought our a homeland
We began the slaughter of the red man

But still from near and far to seek America
They came by thousands to court the wild
And she just patiently smiled and bore a child
To be their spirit and guiding light

The blue and grey they stomped it
They kicked it just like a dog
And when the war over
They stuffed it just like a hog

And though the past has it's share of injustice
Kind was the spirit in many a way
But it's protectors and friends have been sleeping
Now it's a monster and will not obey

(Suicide)
The spirit was freedom and justice
And it's keepers seem generous and kind
It's leaders were supposed to serve the country
But now they won't pay it no mind
'Cause the people grew fat and got lazy
And now their vote is a meaningless joke
They babble about law and order
But it's all just an echo of what they've been told
Yeah, there's a monster on the loose
It's got our heads into a noose
And it just sits there watchin'

Our cities have turned into jungles
And corruption is stranglin' the land
The police force is watching the people
And the people just can't understand
We don't know how to mind our own business
'Cause the whole worlds got to be just like us
Now we are fighting a war over there
No matter who's the winner
We can't pay the cost
'Cause there's a monster on the loose
It's got our heads into a noose
And it just sits there watching

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=_d8C4AIFgUg

[write4change]

I knew I did not want to click on this thread. OMG. I only watched first clip. Can't take any more. Not even sure I want to read the comments.

[GaelVictor]

Posted by write4change (here)
I knew I did not want to click on this thread. OMG. I only watched first clip. Can't take any more. Not even sure I want to read the comments.

You dont have to be afraid, there are plenty of intelligent and helpfull posts in this thread, take a leap..

with Love, Hate.

[DeDukshyn]

Did this thread get serious again? Geez guys ... It had some really great moments ...

Now, I wonder though, if the thread was titled "Stupid people, and their knowledge" - but the content of the OP remained exactly the same except with no reference to "Americans" - would there be all this hoopla? The content stays the same, yet the emotional response may change 180? So what is the real offense here? The emotional response of the association of the word "Americans"? -- just food for thought ... my 2 cents. When I see something like the presented video, I am obviously intelligent enough to realize there are no stats attached .. this is not an intelligence test, I know USA is full of brilliant minds, and I know that this is just purely entertainment - and it is more or less presented as such. I also assume that others on this forum are intelligent enough to figure that out as well, and the ones who aren't - well I just skipped past those posts without reading them - not my vibrational resonance.

I think there's lessons to be had from every direction on the topics in this thread. My 2 cents.