America, the only country in the world online!

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   earnestshubposted 13 years ago

   I have been on the net since it's inception. During this time I have seen so many comments, references to times and days that are American only and apply to no one else.Often when filling out a form for world wide products there is no way to sign on if I don't live in one of the US states as they are simply not available in the drop-down.
   
   No other group of network users assume that they are the only people who are online or matter!
   
   I find it unnervingly arrogant to be constantly told to have a great Sunday when it is Monday, or to be constantly invited to go to a meeting of an international body in an American location when I am thousands of miles away.
   
   It smacks of ignorance and arrogance and is at best assumptive.
   
   I have been told many times not to write about American politics as I don't live there, that the rest of the world doesn't matter, that they are surprised I am not black or that we speak English here.
   
   That America is the centre of the universe is a bit hard to swallow when China and India are about to eat the states alive economically, America certainly is not even a large population by world standards, and according to street surveys half the population are so bone ignorant that they don't even know where most other countries are!
   
   Who are these people online? I have traveled as a tourist and worked in the states, yet did not see the same attitude that exists online.
   Do the online Americans live in some little backwater that I have driven through without seeing that they have the only Internet provider in the USA?
   
   I have many American friends both in Australia and in America. None of them have this attitude.
   But online?
   Totally different.
   Some of you really need to get over yourselves. Any wonder America is home to so many religious fanatics!

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      SomewayOuttaHereposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      ...no Canadian comment here....hey Earnest.....good morning! Monday morning/afternoon to you!..........................................................................................
      ..............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
      ..................................................................................................................
      .................................................................................................................
      ...........................................................................................................................
      you'll just have to figure out what i just said.........................................................

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         earnestshubposted 13 years agoin reply to this

         Neat! and absolutely correct.
         
         Depending on where you are at this time of day. Perth is still morning, it is 2.33pm in Melbourne town.

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   2. 59

      SiddSinghposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      
      
      That's marvelously funny! (Now, the spellchecker tells me the correct way to spell is "marvelously" and not "marvellously"! What do you think of that?

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         earnestshubposted 13 years agoin reply to this

         I'd go with the single "L" myself.

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2. 70

   Cagsilposted 13 years ago

   

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      Castlepalomaposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      USA seem to be the extreme of whatever Canada is. They have the best of things and worst of things.
      
      It all works out that they are no better or worst than the rest of us in the long run. I do perfer doing business in the USA and enjoy more freedom for most part.
      
      Talking about war and religion is like the fight club, the first rule about the fight club, is don't talk about the fight club.

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      Debby Bruckposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      This is a good answer. Two giggles thumbs up.

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3. 81

   earnestshubposted 13 years ago

   Hillary Clinton is here in Melbourne today, so she seems to know where Australia is.

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      f_hruzposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      ... are you sure she didn't get it mixed up with Austria? Maybe she missed the flight to Vienna ... so she went to Melbourne instead, ahahahaha

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         earnestshubposted 13 years agoin reply to this

         That has potential! I'll see if I can ask her before she leaves.

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4. 95

   wildernessposted 13 years ago

   Well, Earnest, consider:
   
   You live your entire life upside down, hanging on for dear life so that you don't fall off the earth and down into hell.
   
   You never know what time it is, and usually are confused as to what day it is.
   
   You think it snows in the summertime, you plant crops in the fall and turn on the AC in the dead of winter.
   
   Is it any wonder that no one listens??? 
   
   
   Good to see you back - I've missed your posts and comments.  Stick around this time!

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      Kidgasposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      Pretty funny.
      
      I do think that the number of online situations you describe would be a fairly small number considering that there are several 10s of millions of Americans online.  Although it certainly seems like there are a fair number of annoying ones here in the forums.

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         RedElfposted 13 years agoin reply to this

         to quote Cags, and expand on his remarks, " "

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   2. 81

      earnestshubposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      I will try to hang around a bit longer, but the knives are out in the religious forums, and if I get another brain dead loony getting me banned I will just assume the hubpages staff are as thick as house bricks!
      
      I know we are about to drop off like the dags on a sheep's bum, yet we cling to the planet relentlessly.
      
      I do know what day it is ...... roughly and time.... who cares about time?
      In Australia we don't use time, we just follow the sun's trail.
      I know in lot's of America you don't have sun, so you need watches.
      My marijuana is growing nicely through this hot winter, so soon I won't even care if no one listens!

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         SomewayOuttaHereposted 13 years agoin reply to this

         ....sounds like the west coast of British Columbia!...that's why Canadians wouldn't mind if a boat load of Aussies showed up...I think Beth said it 'we'd welcome you and have one big party!'

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            earnestshubposted 13 years agoin reply to this

            I loved my time in Canada. You guys are so Australian!

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         wildernessposted 13 years agoin reply to this

         Maybe I'll come down to the sheep's bum and offer my aid in disposal of the winter crop! Around here they're just now burning the stubble fields; perhaps we should do the same for your crop - burn it! 
         
         Earnest; just ignore the religious forums.  I seldom go there anymore;  too many that truly seem loony, a few with a philosophy I seldom can follow, and one or two that make sense.  It's not worth it.

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         1. 81

            earnestshubposted 13 years agoin reply to this

            I am coming to the same conclusion. I just don't like fiction parading as fact and find it hard to go past the goddunnits. I know how to burn my crop though!

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5. 68

   lrohnerposted 13 years ago

   Eh, you're all just jealous.

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6. 77

   Mighty Momposted 13 years ago

   We're not all as bad as all that, are we?
   On second thought.... don't answer that

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   1. 81

      earnestshubposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      That's OK MM I can answer that.
      
      Some of my best lifelong friends are Americans. I find some to be intelligent, well read and worldly as well. Hubpages itself has some exceptional people that I consider real friends too.
      
      For example, you have never seemed that way to me, and I hold you in high regard.

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         china manposted 13 years agoin reply to this

         I have just spoken to a friendly, young, enthusiastic, well educated and charming American guy on the way back to my apartment - the first in five years here -  whoo oo - things are looking up !

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            earnestshubposted 13 years agoin reply to this

            Cool CM I guess that made your day!

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   kimberlyslyricsposted 13 years ago

   

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8. 76

   Hugh Williamsonposted 13 years ago

   Americans are interested in learning about Australia. We have TV ads which familiarize us with the nuances of your expressions. Example:
   
   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f3RYHKWXIwI

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      earnestshubposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      That is a real screamer! Thanks for the belly laugh!

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         Hugh Williamsonposted 13 years agoin reply to this

         Glad you enjoyed. I guess we do sometimes get caught up in ourselves.

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      f_hruzposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      Expose your fellow americans about the rest of the world ...
      Bavaria and Brasil are good places to start!
      
      Here is lessen # 1
      
      http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JfeOkTf_ … re=related

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      1. 81

         earnestshubposted 13 years agoin reply to this

         Ist class! There is a lot of money in selling beer, and the ads are sensational. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y1czclq8ztI
         This one was banned!

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9. 65

   Debby Bruckposted 13 years ago

   Look what you started with this question. I spent four hours writing this hub to tell my point of view. LOL American's Skewed Perspective of the World

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      earnestshubposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      Well I am back from the docs & he reckons I will live, so I better go take a peak eh?

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10. 65

    Tusitala Tomposted 13 years ago

    Bit like the English BBC's T.V.character, Alf Garnett, in 'Until Death Do We Part.  "All wogs start a Calais," Alf would declare, meaning that outside of the United Kingdom everyone else was of an inferior species.  I don't think the Yanks mean to be so one-eyed.  It's just been drummed into them since childhood.   
    
    But then again, I think all nations tend to think that they are 'the chosen people.'   It's an ego thing...

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    1. 81

       earnestshubposted 13 years agoin reply to this

       Well I disagree a bit with this. For example Australians can be patriotic, but seldom display the nationalistic fervor that some Americans do.

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11. 76

    Kangaroo_Jaseposted 13 years ago

    I do not know or understand why anyone would not appreciate and accept that Melbourne is the centre of the Universe, even was before it existed for mankind.

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       earnestshubposted 13 years agoin reply to this

       Well said Kanga! We are going to take over the world soon so it won't matter what others think then.

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12. 0

    Toby Hansenposted 13 years ago

    Aussie, Aussie, Aussie!
    Oi, oi, oi!
    Aussie!
    Oi!
    Aussie!
    Oi!
    Aussie, Aussie, Aussie!
    Oi, Oi, Oi!
    
    Now that I have got that out of my system, I would just like to remind Secretary Clinton that Mozart was born in Austria, not here in Australia.
    As for her suggestion that American troops served in the trenches alongside our Diggers in World War 1, the Seppos did eventually join in... in 1917. Three and a half years after Australia & NZ.
    Oh, and WWII... that was 1939 to 1945. NOT 1941 to 1945.

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       Uninvited Writerposted 13 years agoin reply to this

       You must be thinking of George W.

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    EmpressFelicityposted 13 years ago

    
    
    ::ducks::

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       WryLiltposted 13 years agoin reply to this

       LOVE IT!
       
       And on topic - Earnest you summed up my thoughts exactly.
       
       There have been SO many sites I've tried to sign up for that come back with the 'sorry, we're not accepting applications outside the US' or just simply don't even let you select a state outside the US.
       
       And I really don't want to hear any more people ask me 'Are kangaroos endangered?' Please! We shoot them because they breed and overrun the place!
       
       It's bloody ridiculous.

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          Toby Hansenposted 13 years agoin reply to this

          "We shoot them because they breed and overrun the place! "
          
          And because they taste good barbecued! Personally, though, I prefer emu or crocodile. Not as rich as 'roo.
          
          What's that Skip? Dad tried to stuff you in  the Webber? Geeee, Skip!

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14. 79

    Sufidreamerposted 13 years ago

    We have just been listening to President Obama's speech in India, where he claims that the US is 'the world's oldest democracy.' That old chestnut always causes mirth amongst the Greeks!
    
    I think that Iceland (oldest elected continuous parliament), and New Zealand and The Isle of Man (universal suffrage), have strong claims, too
    
    You are right about the difference between the online and offline world thing, Earnest. Usually, when I say that I live near Sparta, I am asked if I mean Sparta, TN; Sparta, PA; or Sparta, NJ!
    
    By contrast, we meet a lot of American tourists over here and they are warm, intelligent people with a great sense of humour. They don't mind a bit of friendly banter

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