In article <btvjlp$h82$1@nn-tk106.ocn.ad.jp>, Dick Muhfukkin Bagswing
<laugh@my.nuts.wouldja?> wrote:

> > Cultural/national stereo-types irk you?  I hope you get all hot and
> > bothered when you see them directed at other nations, then.
> 
> Guess what. I do.

Good to know.

> > Well, certainly when the image of your ass appears, it changes the
> > character of the debate rapidly. Not to mention, the fuck, the
> > shit, the goddam and the ever-looming banner of scrotum obsession
> > you march under.
> 
> My potty mouth does not necessarily mean any type of obsession at
> all.No matter what you might think. Unless you are one of those
> armchair psych experts who sees cocks everywhere. I don't.

I'm not, and don't.

> > But why not have pride in the arroganct fuck-and-shit type
> > Unitedstatesian "spirit" rather than get defensive about it.  By
> > fuckin' shit--Unitedstatesians are the biggest nuisances from the
> > halls of Montezuma to the shores of Tripoli! And we're mighty proud
> > of it! And if you don't like it, etc. etc, testicles.
> 
> Because I get tired of hearing it. And it isn't true.

What isn't true, that Unitedstatesian tourists with idle money and time
aren't pricks and a burden on service personnel where ever they go? I
disagree.  I just don't think the represent Unitedstatesians in any
way. They generally represent Unitedstatesians with idle time and
money, and that most *certainly* isn't the average Unitedstatesian.

But I think that our national sense of self, independent, frontiersmen,
entrepreneurial, self-confident.  This can also easily come across as
arrogant, self-centered, self-absorbed.  We've also got this odd
national characteristic of being (comaratively) blunt, rude, and
unapologetic.  We see that as being strong, direct, honest.  Others see
it as lacking manners, finesse.  I can appreciate that.

It written conversations with Indians, Latins/Brazilians and some
Mid-easterners I find that in order to disagree I have to spend two
paragraphs announcing my lack ow worthiness, then the disagreement or
the didactic finger-in-the-eye at something incorrect they've said,
then another two paragrahs of "softening".  It's just a complete drain,
but otherwise they get huffy realy quick.  I can't say, "That's bogus;
these are the facts..." If I do they get really injured.  That might be
part of the Americans-as-assholes thinking.

> There you go with the balls again.

Jesus, Brian, you're the one with the monnicker "Dick Muhfukkin
Bagswing" from "laugh@my.nuts.wouldja?"!  It's not like it's *my*
personal hobby or anyting.  I just think it's surprising, but having
ribbed you about it I'll try to move on...

> > But how's this: in Alan Booth's Road to Sato, no matter *WHAT* in
> > the hell he does, no matter how often he says he's from England,
> > speaking good Japanese in the process, they nod and continue to ask
> > him questions about life in the US.  An English speaker seems to
> > only come from the USA.
> 
> And whose fault is this particular fuckup?

I was giving you bullets.

> Americans? Or the ignorant doof who believes it?

The ignorant doof who believes it of course, but the point of the story
is that we have a rep. Maybe it was doofus military boys, maybe the
idle arrogant tourist, maybe it's the image we have portrayed via our
TV/Movie hegemony, in conjunction with the attitudinal "values" we
demonstrate (see above). I don't know.

But a good solid ass-kissing won't change that one wit.

-- 
First they gerrymander us into one-party fiefs. Then they tell us they only
care about the swing districts. Then they complain about voter apathy.
 -- Gail Collins