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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

or are there a lot of experts on the states on mumsnet?

56 replies

SantasBigBaubles · 15/12/2012 02:50

I've noticed a lot of people on mumsnet seem to think making massive sweeping statements about a fucking huuuge country is totally OK. As long as its america. I strongly suspect most are basing there shit generalisations on a 2 week holiday to Orlando once when they were 12 too. Its a big country. You are not an expert.

OP posts:
McChristmasPants2012 · 15/12/2012 02:57

not every MN poster is loke this so imo you are making a massive sweeping statement

Original poster
SantasBigBaubles · 15/12/2012 03:00

Sorry I realise you are trying to be clever,but do you mind showing me where I said everyone on Mn and not a lot of posters?

OP posts:
AgentZigzag · 15/12/2012 03:02

I've probably been guilty of it in my MN (naive) past, but because of the way 'America' (if it were an entity) talks about itself, it's difficult not to try and get a grip on the whole by making generalisations.

It's within a country's interest to make itself seem a cohesive society to other people, it makes it seem powerful and attractive.

Although it can of course backfire and people just spout the shit they've come up with after listening to all the bits and bobs.

So just as you think people shouldn't see the worst in the collection of people, it's just as legit to say you shouldn't always try to see the best?

McChristmasPants2012 · 15/12/2012 03:04

as this is your post, then can you link at least 100 posters.

mn has a lot of poster if you are going to start a thread saying a lot then you back it up

AgentZigzag · 15/12/2012 03:08

Have I had too much to drink, or have you McHappy? Grin

Cause that don't make an awful lot of sense Grin

McChristmasPants2012 · 15/12/2012 03:13

far too much to drink, but i hate it when people start a thread saying a lot of posters.

Original poster
SantasBigBaubles · 15/12/2012 03:16

no, thats fair enough zigzag, no one needs to see america as this all powerful anything really. just as a group of peope some good some bad. mcchristmas has clearly been on the sauce. full of christmas spirits :)

OP posts:
Original poster
SantasBigBaubles · 15/12/2012 03:17

sorry but there have been a lot. there was a massivethread about how shit america was just a couple weeks ago.

OP posts:
AgentZigzag · 15/12/2012 03:18

Hope you had a f-off great time McH.

A time that'll overcome tomorrow mornings hangover Grin

Original poster
SantasBigBaubles · 15/12/2012 03:19

i am using dhs nexus so thats why i have no capital letters or punctuation, btw

OP posts:
AgentZigzag · 15/12/2012 03:21

That's just MN concentrating all the people who are down on the US Santas.

I don't feel anything either way really, but I'm realistic enough to know it's the most amazing country at the same time as knowing it's a fucking shit hole in places.

I would just take it as people wanting to chat rather than them actually hating everything American.

McChristmasPants2012 · 15/12/2012 03:23

until i see the news tomorow i have no clue why there is so many post about america.

op, please ignore me. I am drunk.

Original poster
SantasBigBaubles · 15/12/2012 03:26

i guess, at least its not just america bashing lately. weve got loads of dodgy posters at the moment who sèem to hate all foreign countries equally.

OP posts:
Original poster
SantasBigBaubles · 15/12/2012 03:27

its ok mcchristmas, enjoy your buzz.

OP posts:
echt · 15/12/2012 03:31

Relax, OP.

Just see how often a post assessing the desirability of living in the UK (the one about multicultural Britain springs to mind) has posts saying how shit Australia is.

The US gets off lightly in this respect.

TanteRose · 15/12/2012 03:32

Another awful school shooting in the States. 26 children dead. It's just awful Sad

I think that there are quite a few MNers who are interested and well- read about US policies, both foreign policy (such as military actions) and the domestic situation (gun control, health care)

I think it's very positive that we can discuss international topics on MN

  • I often learn a lot Smile

Having said that, there are some knee-jerk reactions, that can be offensive, especially as there are lots of MNers who are American nationals, or who live in the States

AgentZigzag · 15/12/2012 03:32

The thing to take comfort from, if it's fucking you off Santas, is that if there's any America bashing on MN, there are always more posters coming down on the bashers like a ton of bricks than there are bashers.

And that's that main thing, that it's not gone unchallenged.

Original poster
SantasBigBaubles · 15/12/2012 03:36

all good points guys,

OP posts:
echt · 15/12/2012 03:42

A more interesting aspect of such shootings could be:

Why is it men?

Why is it white men?

Sooo much easier to ask why is it American.Hmm

Original poster
SantasBigBaubles · 15/12/2012 03:48

ooh echt, very interesting. especially as its the same profile even when its not in america

OP posts:
AgentZigzag · 15/12/2012 03:51

Not on the same scale, but Brenda Spencer (of 'I don't like Mondays' infamy) shows it's not always so clear cut echt.

CaliforniaSucksSnowballs · 15/12/2012 04:02

Well I've been here a long time (19 years this time around), hence my name, and have a little one in school so the news was very shocking to me, I had run the house to change clothes so I could pick up from school only to find it was being talked about on all channels. Very upsetting as my own Dd has spent a few hours on lock down cramped in the school kitchen with another class, some teachers and the dinner ladies as she was at lunch when a gun man was spotted on campus last year. He was found by police hours later walking down the highway.
So I'm pretty sure if this was happening in UK you'd have been brought close to tears and felt like getting in the car and picking up from school early.
However, this is one huge huge country, there are wonderful parts, OK parts and shit parts, just like anywhere else including UK. Gun violence is rampant, guns are a normal part of life for many. Our local high school owns it own guns of all kinds, used in the Police sciences vocational classes, older Ds used them at the gun range as part of the class. Guns are glorified, and seen as normal, it's in the constitution and will never go away. We are heading home to UK the sooner the better. In the city 45 min from us where we used to live, they are up to 70 gun deaths so far this year, a new record I believe, we moved out after our car had it's rear window shot out twice while parked in our drive.
It's pretty easy to generalize about this place, they really put themselves out for the world to judge with TV and movies and so it's only natural for people all over the world the make judgments.

GirlWithTheMouseyHair · 15/12/2012 04:31

I think people just voice their opinions in America like they do on anything else tbh

Personally I've lived here for all of 10months but am aware enough to know most generalizations I make about the US probably comes from sweeping generalizations made by my American friends!

Whiteteeth · 15/12/2012 04:55

Bigbaubles, what are you actually complaining about? Do you think people can't have a view on America's gun laws? Really? What happened today was such a horrible horrible tragedy, but you belive non-Americans have no right to speak out against the archaic, destructive gun laws?

MummytoKatie · 15/12/2012 05:00

I'm not sure I agree.

America is very vocal about who it is and why it is great. Far more than any other English speaking country I would say. (I suspect it is more than any other country full stop but there are many countries where I don't speak the language so could be missing large amounts of self-aggrandising. Actually - scratch that - there are other more vocal countries that I do know about but they are more run by guns and fear than ballot boxes.)

Anyway........

As they are saying "x, y ,z makes America great" and I don't agree that x,y,z makes any country great then I am fairly comfortable saying that.