
Things Most Americans Don’t Know About America - felipellrocha
http://postmasculine.com/america
======
SeanLuke
> We did not invent democracy. We didn’t even invent modern democracy. There
> were parliamentary systems in England and other parts of Europe over a
> hundred years before we created government.

This is a pretty foolish statement from an otherwise reasonable article.
Parliament in England was not remotely representative until 1867 by the most
generous measure, and more reasonably not until the early 20th century. So far
as I know, the only modern government of consequence which could lay claim to
being a "democracy" prior to the US is probably San Marino, and its
representation is, shall we say, odd.

I think that the US can indeed lay claim to being the first modern democracy:
its government was absolutely radical at the time, and more importantly it
stood as an example to other later movements (starting with the French).

~~~
ImprovedSilence
Let's be real, America is a Republic, and Republics came from Rome.

Things America doesn't know about america: We are NOT a democracy, we are a
REPUBLIC.

<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_democracy>

~~~
gnaritas
Let's be real, the word democracy doesn't just mean direct democracy. Our
"republic" is and always has been a representative democracy, and it's
perfectly appropriate to classify the U.S. as a democracy. Republic and
democracy are orthogonal concepts, we are both. The word republic just means
our leaders aren't chosen by blood or inheritance. Since we elect our leaders,
we _are_ a democracy.

~~~
tptacek
It'd be interesting to track down the origins of that misconception, that
"Republic" and "Democracy" are two different kinds of government. Is it
possible that so many people believe this because of the government types in
the original Sid Meier "Civilization" game?

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tjic
> most people in the world don’t really think about us or care about us

French newspaper has a front page article about Obamacare
<http://www.lemonde.fr/>

German newspaper has a front page article about the US election
<http://www.spiegel.de/>

UK paper has videolink of Romney on front page <http://www.telegraph.co.uk/>

Italian newspaper has Romney and Obama on front page
<http://www.repubblica.it/>

For better or worse, the US has a commanding place in the politics,
technology, and economics of the planet.

~~~
peacemaker
Your post just proves that Americans cannot take any criticism of their
country without fighting against it somehow. It's built into your nature, like
an automatic response.

Great, a few European newspapers did stories on US politics. They also did
stories on the rest of the world too which is something you don't see much in
US newspapers.

Don't get me wrong, I love America (and live here, originally from UK) but the
country has some serious issues.

~~~
ender7
Yeah...that doesn't really "prove" anything. I'll thank you to have some
better evidence before claiming things about my true "nature".

I remember traveling in France the summer before the 2008 presidential
election. Every newspaper and tabloid on the stands had Obama's face on it.

I'm not saying that a mild preoccupation with American politics is a good
thing for the world to have, but to say that it doesn't exist doesn't
seem...accurate.

~~~
vacri
When a US president can cause significant economic problems because you refuse
to join in war with them, it tends to make them a bit more important. All the
rhetoric spewed by the US executive about 'with us or against us' created the
'freedom fries' debacle and lots of open hostility of anything French by many
Americans.

The US is an important country and always will be, but the article is saying
that there's weird things about the country that he recognises, not that it's
a banana republic that doesn't know it yet.

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kloncks
"If you’re extremely talented or intelligent, the US is probably the best
place in the world to live."

This is one of the most important points.

For the average American HackerNews reader, life is radically different from
the rest of America. I am given opportunities, networks, connections and
chances that I wouldn't be able to get this easily anywhere else in the World.

The genius of America seems to come from a few very key categories that exist
to this day. Silicon Valley is one of them; Hollywood or Wall Street might be
others.

But outside that, our average is a rather poor showing compared to a lot of
other countries around the world that more collectively seem to take care of
their people.

The problem, in my humble opinion, always stems from ignorance. As a culture,
we're just not as aware or respectful as we should be. Other countries know
more about the World than we do. That leads to more open-ness and respect.

~~~
mbesto
I 100% agree with your quote from the article as well. The US is an absolutely
amazing place when you are "the best". You get to live the hyperbole and talk
about it too. What better place to do so? For example, the US healthcare
doesn't suck, it's actually really good. But it's only good for those who can
afford it. I've had to go to the doctor three times now in the UK (eye
infection, sports injury and regular checkup) and every time I've had to wait
3+ hours to get diagnosed/treated. In the US, my healthcare meant I was in and
out in 30 minutes. The US is a great place when you can afford it. That being
said, I happily waited in line for the 3+ hours because I knew that other
people are being treated for things they normally can't afford in the US. The
problem in America, is that no one can even fathom a system like this. It's so
foreign to the way we operate our lives (i.e. our culture) because everything
we do is deeply rooted in transferences of goods and services in the form of
money.

ps- I'm also an American who has lived in the UK, Germany, and been to 30+
countries. I share a lot of the same views as the author.

~~~
ericd
Yeah, in visiting other countries, my impression is that the average person is
way happier with life, regardless of their financial standing. This in turn
makes me happier. I'd be happy to pay way more in taxes in the US to support
that kind of living environment.

It's hard to realize the difference it makes without traveling and meeting
lots of people when you do so, though, and the tragedy is that the current
system in the US doesn't allow most people the resources to travel and educate
themselves, which seems to negatively effect the chances of having a well
educated voting populace.

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enraged_camel
As an immigrant, I definitely agree with the "[Americans] Are Poor At
Expressing Gratitude And Affection".

Every single ex-girlfriend has pointed out to me that I am very affectionate,
whereas all I was doing was being myself. I guess this is because where I come
from (Turkey), people are expected to show their affection and appreciation
with lots of touching and hugging. For example, when you run into a friend,
you usually kiss each other on both cheeks as a greeting. In the US though,
this would be considered aberrant behavior - might even be perceived as "gay"
if it's two guy friends. Instead it's either handshake or fist-bump.

Suppressing affection is pretty hard. Often times I find myself with an urge
to give people hugs, but refrain from doing so.

~~~
heretohelp
For an enraged camel, you seem rather affectionate.

Also, not all Americans are like that.

~~~
enraged_camel
I've lived in four different states over the past ten years, and found that
most people I have met are indeed like that. The difference becomes especially
obvious when I hang out with visitors or other immigrants. European women for
example are much more comfortable with holding hands or throwing their arms
around my waist when walking down the street, and they do it even when we are
just friends. Americans are the opposite: they seem to have "touch-phobia".

~~~
heretohelp
It's a barrier thing.

Our public life is less touchy, but when I'm dating someone I am very
affectionate.

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bluekeybox
> We are poor at expressing gratitude and affection

This is not exclusively (or even originally) an American thing. The author
makes the same mistake he complains about: it's not all about America!
(Corollary: do not blame the Americans for what the British are actually
responsible!) Apparently we inherited "phatic" conversation from the same
people we took our language from. For example, in German, unlike in English,
there is no word for "small talk": <http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-
europe-13545386>

~~~
saraid216
...he wrote an article exclusively about America... why exactly would he
discuss the failings of other countries?

~~~
bluekeybox
Because it may help to understand where one comes from to understand where one
is going.

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tweiss
From my experience (German, studied and worked in the states, traveler) the
list is pretty spot on. BUT I think it applies mostly to Joe Sixpack. Most of
my friends and people I met are not really like that. Maybe just enough so
that you can tell them apart from Canadians ;) Don't beat yourself up about
it, it is what it is and you are who you are. And I personally like the
American mentality, mostly because I can't take most of it seriously. And Joe
Sixpack isn't any better in other countries. So keep on shouting U - S - A, U
- S - A, I'll even join in :)

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degenerate
I think this is the first time in my life I laughed out loud at "Error
establishing a database connection".

~~~
smcnally
I thought among the first things the titled referred to was "how to do HA
dbs;" "how to shard in wp-config"; "how not to get hackernewsed"

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alrs
Cached:

[http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&#...</a>

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vacri
One I'd like to add from my travels across the US. 'Freedom' is not just
freedom. Less so in the north-east, but in the south and southwest in
particular, you can hear the capital F when people say it. It's a political
entity that you can either love (with us) or hate (against us). You can't be
pro-Freedom if you're not pro-American sort of stuff.

Elsewhere 'freedom' is definitely a desirable quality, but it's not a concept
that has a life of its own and must be tended to like a pet. 'freedom' isn't
something that will stir in your breast and make you fight harder. 'Freedom'
seems to be a word that has been incorporated into the US religion of state,
and seems to have a tangibly different meaning there.

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powertower
> 6\. The Rest Of The World Is Not A Slum-Ridden Shithole Compared To Us

The author never watched this video...

[http://www.vice.com/the-vice-guide-to-travel/the-vice-
guide-...](http://www.vice.com/the-vice-guide-to-travel/the-vice-guide-to-
liberia-full-length)

------
abecedarius
_8\. We’re Status-Obsessed And Seek Attention_

I thought status obsession is a human universal and the cultural variation is
in how it's expressed. Am I wrong?

(I'm one of those little-traveled Americans.)

------
xiaoma
As an American who has spend over a decade (most my adult life!) abroad, I
really can't agree with most of this list.

Living in China (and being able to speak and read Chinese) made it abundantly
obvious to me that #1 and #2 are completely wrong. I often encountered either
nationalist jabs royal treatment from strangers simply due to what was on TV
at the time. In quite a few people I encountered both views. Some told me
point blank that they thought that the US was the best place in the world and
that they didn't understand why I left... only to change gears minutes later
and tell me what a dangerous, terrible country America is. A love-hate
relationship with America and Americans is very common in China. In Taiwan,
where I lived for 7 years, I pretty much only encountered love. In Guatemala,
I saw both, but very muted compared to China. I did encounter some serious
hate from some Canadians there, though... I spent hours helping them translate
and apartment hunt, after which they realized I was American, not Canadian.
Amazingly, this was such a big deal to them that they pretty much forgot my
kind deed and blew me off!

As for affection, I think pretty much everywhere I lived in Asia saw Americans
as outgoing and affectionate. In Guatemala, we were seen as reserved. I'd put
us at the middle of the continuum, not at the extreme non-affectionate end.

Americans aren't that status obsessed. Just look at sales of luxury cars and
handbags. Chinese people tend to be status-obsessed. Rich people in the US are
surprisingly restrained by comparison.

Ditto on unhealthiness. After moving to the US 2 months ago I find there's
very little drinking, people never smoke in offices, not many people smoke at
all, and I haven't seen a single scuffle outside a restaurant yet. It's
certainly not as health-focused as someplace like Japan, and food portions are
too big, but there is a culture of exercise. On the whole I'd say Boulder,
Colorado is the healthiest place I've ever lived. SF isn't bad.

I agree that the health care system leaves a lot to be desired. I do miss
Taiwan's quite a bit. It amazed me how it was cheap, high quality and somehow
supported by a very low tax rate. I prefer the US system to China's or
Guatemala's though.

One constant I've found over the past 10 years is that no matter where I live,
I encounter American movies at the theaters, news about the US on TV, American
restaurants and businesses in the streets, and a lot of people who very much
want to understand my home country better. Sometimes it was frustrating when I
was looking for total immersion and an experience living someplace completely
different from home. My Swedish and Argentinian classmates in Taiwan could go
weeks without hearing their mother tongues or seeing anything about their
countries in any media, but I could not. Even a single day would be almost
impossible because in truth the US _is_ exceptional among countries.

In short, I think this list is closer to a European caricature of the US than
it is to reality.

~~~
mc32
>In short, I think this list is closer to a European caricature of the US than
it is to reality.

I think this is a pretty good assessment. It's not as if any of what he says
is untrue, in some place, at some time, but they do not hold as
generalizations. As generalizations, they are way off. It's like stepping into
a country for a couple of weeks and trying to write a definitive review of a
country --and writing that which was most impressive (glaring differences, for
example) in an exaggerated way.

>I do miss Taiwan's quite a bit. It amazed me how it was cheap, high quality
and somehow supported by a very low tax rate.

This impressed me too. Altho I understand that one way they were able to
afford it was by capturing medical students for like 7 years (or something,
like that. i.e. pay for schooling, but then have them under contract for 7
years at below market wages) In addition, salaries were cut several times and
now the system is looking to be reformed because its becoming indebted.

One other thing I never quite understood was the big packets of 20 pills for a
cold you'd take several times a day for several days. I can't imagine what was
in them.

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aaronbrethorst
Cached:
[http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:mv1XfrS...](http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:mv1XfrS9_lMJ:postmasculine.com/america+%3F+http://postmasculine.com/america&cd=1&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us&client=safari)

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marquis
> In America, women usually get incredibly nervous and confused when I do
> this. They’ll make jokes to defuse the situation or sometimes ask me if I’m
> part of a TV show or something playing a prank.

Hm, I see this as largely part of the way the media in the U.S. portrays
random communication between strangers: it must be malicious behaviour. When
I'm in the U.S. striking up conversations with strangers and my friends there
think I'm crazy. I'm just not american, which maybe gives me a buffer (and
something to talk about).

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barking
My guess is that the people who were insanely friendly lived in areas where
they didn't get to meet too many foreigners. Familiarity breeds contempt as
they say.

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3amOpsGuy
Haha, a page of comments (well, 3/4, i stopped scrolling, seen enough!) on HN
from Americans living up to their stereotypes.

Top work guys :-P

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hkmurakami
_> The point is we don’t really get perspective on what’s close to us until we
spend time away from it._

This is so true for so many aspects of our lives, particularly with respect to
culture -- whether it be the "America, Fuck Yeah!" attitude or the "Silicon
Valley coolaid".

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prawn
Could say most of these things about any first-world country's people, IMO.
Australian's probably inflate our country's world value, can be fairly
unhealthy, strive for status, etc.

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Kelliot
> most people in the world don’t really think about us or care about us

The only times I've glanced an eye across the pond is when something
incredible stupid happens. Examples: George bush gets elected, George bush
gets elected again, Vote against free health care, Illegal wars for resource
grabbing.

Gonna be down voted massively for this but its important to understand we
don't always pay attention because your doing something right, quite often its
the opposite.

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rsanchez1
Thanks Reddit, now go fuck yourself.

Hint: I don't mean I like you.

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BadassFractal
Great article!

