Understanding the U.S.

Originally posted by Mixcoatl Originally posted by hugoestr The U.S. is a country of inovation and efficiency. Why have two containers when you can onlt have one? because peanut butter an jam taste bad together. Peanut butter is much better without jam.

Lol, although I agree, I think many would differ with us on that.

Edited by morticia

Some of the questions for Americans are presented lightheartedly. I do not think any harm is done when others curiously and purposefully question our peanut butter. Maybe most others eat American peanut butter anyway. Nutello gives me allergic reactions by the way (a gift from our friends overseas).

We are opening ourselves to all kinds of questioning. Afterall, we as Americans, started this thread in the first place.

There are a few serious questions out of the bunch too. So maybe we could concentrate on answering those with good faith.

So lighten up fellow compatriots. We could take a thousand more questions before we become tired of answering them.

Edited by Seko

Originally posted by Seko Some of the questions for Americans are presented lightheartedly. I do not think any harm is done when others curiously and purposefully question our peanut butter. Maybe most others eat American peanut butter anyway. Nutello gives me allergic reactions by the way (a gift from our friends overseas). We are opening ourselves to all kinds of questioning. Afterall, we as Americans, started this thread in the first place. There are a few serious questions out of the bunch too. So maybe we could concentrate on answering those with good faith. So lighten up fellow compatriots. We could take a thousand more questions before we become tired of answering them.

I see nothing wrong with lighthearted questions, but what starts me up is when questions like "Where are the WMD?" and "Why shoot to kill?".  These questions have, for one, been answered many times, and are just posted to start more flame wars.  Like flame wars are somethign we really need more of!

So, maybe this was a bad idea, but, if it all works out well, it would have been a good learning experience for our European, Asian, and other friends.  However, I suggest we tread carefully for threat of breaking ice and letting the flames ensue!

Hate to keep talking about this subject, but people just eat plain peanut butter sandwiches? They are so dry that way...

This is one I'd like to know the answer too,

Why is the murder/gun crime rate so high in the US.

I've heard many people provide the explaination it's due to lax gun control and high gun ownership.

However many countries have more lax gun controls, much higher gun ownership but virtually no gun crime.

So far I've only ever heard one viable explaination from Michael Moore.

The crime has gone down alot. I think the crime rates gave us a bad name from the early to mid 90s. But crime has gone down substantially and continues to drop.

Also from what I understand the guns that are usually used aren't registered which means they come from the black market.

Originally posted by Paul This is one I'd like to know the answer too, Why is the murder/gun crime rate so high in the US. I've heard many people provide the explaination it's due to lax gun control and high gun ownership. However many countries have more lax gun controls, much higher gun ownership but virtually no gun crime. So far I've only ever heard one viable explaination from Michael Moore.

First, gun violence is not widespread in the U.S. Most of the violence occurs in the South and in certain metropolitan areas. The U.S. is a rather safe country.

The most plausible explanation that I have heard is that gun violence occurs where there is an honor culture. In an honor culture, insults to one's honor have to be solved quickly. If satisfaction is not found fast enough, violence follows.

The American South has such a culture among white and black people. Black people must have inherited some aspects of the honor culture from the South, but some must have been brought from Africa. Latin-Americans also share have an honor culture. Gun violence is high in all of these groups, and in many cases it is a crime of passion of because the muderer felt dishonored by the victim.

Why Americans vote against their interests......

People from the south don�t go cry "where is the government" when they hit hard times. America for the longest time has emphasized limited government...the idea that a man should build his own bridge rather than have tax payers and the government do it for him.

As for our gun problem....it isn�t that people have guns. It is that we are a violent society with millions of children with no family life. TV and video games raise our kids and parents are too busy with work to notice. Then again, you also have crime where there is need. In poor areas this is especially true. Plus, the black �leaders� in America aren�t all that helpful. Jesse Jackson owns the largest Budweiser distributor in Chicago. Louis Farrackon (spelling) is some crazy cult leader (the Jim Jones of Islam).

Overall, the answer isn�t always government. In fact, government can do more harm than good.

 

As to America's wealth distribution.....the tax code is written in a way in which those richest people pay the majority of the taxes despite what you hear from American liberals. Not everybody can be rich but there is opportunity to become rich...that is what all of strive to do and all of us who aren�t rich hate rich people because we are jealous of their success.

Originally posted by pikeshot1600 Numerous responses here have been fatuous or juvenile:  "Why don't you lock your cars?; who mixes peanut butter and jelly?"  Give us all a break.  Criticize your own governments and cultures as well.

There was nothing fatuous about my questions about effervescent tablets, electric kettles and whole fish. I've spent a lot of time and effort (and in the case of the imported kettle, money) on them. I was hoping someone could tell me where or how I could get them.

Unimportant to you possibly, but none the less genuine. I mostly understand the 'important' political and economic issues.