Poor America - BBC Panorama Documentary

[Draca]

When I specifically say USA-ers it's clear that I mean the subset of Americans who are 'Americans from the USA' but it's a heck of a lot faster to type.

It's to distinguish between 'people who are from the USA' and 'people who are from America'. Why is that hard for you to comprehend? Have you forgotten that Canada is in America? Canadian friends get hacked off about the use of 'America' when people mean the USA so I am respecting their views. You seem to the the only person who is upset about it.

Then again, you probably call the UK 'England' like some of your compatriots, which shows you are not aware that the UK is more than just England, so you probably forget 'America' is more than just the USA too.

Well, I could have listed all the countries in America to demonstrate why I used 'USA-ers' insted of 'Americans', but one was suffice to make my point, and it was someone in Canada who asked me to be more specific in future so I picked that.

My friend worked in Venezuela for 25 years and just moved back here last week, so I could just have easily used that. But I didn't. Big deal. I took it as read that people on JREF would know that there are many more countries in America than just the two I listed, you've proved that you do, whoopee!

Haha, very pfunny, yes

It is a bit jingoistic to take the name of your whole continent as an alternative name for your country when you share that continent with others. Think I'll propose that Scotland renames itself 'Europe' after independence

From an American POV there is no continent named America. The continents are North America and South America. America means the USA. I would never say to a Canadian or Mexican that we were all Americans. It would be we are all North Americans. America = USA, Americans = USA, North America = Canada, USA, Mexico, etc. Central America is considered a region and people but not continent.

On a trip to El Salvador there was a children's study map on the wall with the world continents labeled. It showed a picture of both North and South America together labeled as simply America, as just one continent. They have one less continent! That kind of blew my mind.

 

[Travis]

When I specifically say USA-ers it's clear that I mean the subset of Americans who are 'Americans from the USA' but it's a heck of a lot faster to type.

It's to distinguish between 'people who are from the USA' and 'people who are from America'. Why is that hard for you to comprehend? Have you forgotten that Canada is in America? Canadian friends get hacked off about the use of 'America' when people mean the USA so I am respecting their views. You seem to the the only person who is upset about it.

Then again, you probably call the UK 'England' like some of your compatriots, which shows you are not aware that the UK is more than just England, so you probably forget 'America' is more than just the USA too.

Virtually no one in America is unaware that England is only part of the UK.

Just as no one is going to mistake Canada or Mexico as "America." Whoever told you that they had a problem with it is just some nobody idiot with a political axe to grind. "America" has been vernacular for first the original colonies and then the successor country since before dictionaries.

 

[UnrepentantSinner]

When I specifically say USA-ers it's clear that I mean the subset of Americans who are 'Americans from the USA' but it's a heck of a lot faster to type.

It's to distinguish between 'people who are from the USA' and 'people who are from America'. Why is that hard for you to comprehend? Have you forgotten that Canada is in America? Canadian friends get hacked off about the use of 'America' when people mean the USA so I am respecting their views. You seem to the the only person who is upset about it.

Then again, you probably call the UK 'England' like some of your compatriots, which shows you are not aware that the UK is more than just England, so you probably forget 'America' is more than just the USA too.

I'm not going to get into this insipid discussion again, but your bigotry is noted.

 

[Draca]

Virtually no one in America is unaware that England is only part of the UK.

Just as no one is going to mistake Canada or Mexico as "America." Whoever told you that they had a problem with it is just some nobody idiot with a political axe to grind. "America" has been vernacular for first the original colonies and then the successor country since before dictionaries.

That is an American POV. Unfortunately, and rather annoyingly, the use of the word America is not seen the same by some countries. I gave the example of the El Salvadorean map that had what I would consider the two continents North and South America labeled together as a single continent of America.

Another example, I was driving around with a couple of friends from Mexico when Neil Diamond's 'They're Coming to America' came on. They got really excited and started to sing along. Apparently it was also a hit song in Mexico. Who knew! They had thought that Mexico was part of the America people were coming to! When I explained that the song is talking about America meaning the USA they were surprised and disappointed.

It's not going to stop me from using the word America to mean the USA. They can just change their ways.

 

[Tsukasa Buddha]

Virtually no one in America is unaware that England is only part of the UK.

I highly doubt that.

 

[Dancing David]

Virtually all highway funding comes from gasoline taxes, either federal or state and not from the general fund; notwithstanding, of course, any incidental so called "stimulus" money thrown at it recently.

Recommend you do a search on "Federal Highway Trust Fund" to understand how it works.

I recommend you explain the recent transfers from the general funds and the huge shortfall in funding. Why are 'highway' bridges under repaired?

In Illinois the gas tax comes no where near funding the roads.

 

[crimresearch]

From an American POV there is no continent named America. The continents are North America and South America. America means the USA. I would never say to a Canadian or Mexican that we were all Americans. It would be we are all North Americans. America = USA, Americans = USA, North America = Canada, USA, Mexico, etc. Central America is considered a region and people but not continent.

On a trip to El Salvador there was a children's study map on the wall with the world continents labeled. It showed a picture of both North and South America together labeled as simply America, as just one continent. They have one less continent! That kind of blew my mind.

Hmmm... the Chinese have a map sort of like that too... only they call most of the world 'People's Autonomous Region #--'.

;-}

 

[joolz]

i can see your point

personally ive never talked to anyone (even canadians) who take "american" as anything other than "USA-er"<snip>

Well, as someone said, maybe my Canadian friend was being a bit hypersensitive about it. Only one person was upset about the 'USA-er' but I'm happy to take the extra few seconds to type 'people from the USA' if anyone is that bothered about it.

oddly enough, ive actually come across more people living in the US who dont want to be called "american" <snip>

We have a lot of people from all the world here too. I don't have a problem if they call themselves Scots or not. My neighbour self identifies as Pakistani, another lassie I know with Indian heritage identifies as Scottish. Another friend calls herself Scottish even though she was born in Los Angeles, she took up Brit citizenship to study Scots history.

i may be wrong, but isnt britain (british) just the one island, with england wales and scotland (so it excludes northern ireland) although i know theres issues with that too but i dont know the specifics (im "merkan" after all )

Well that's where it gets complicated on this side of the pond What you describe here is geographically 'Great Britain', the island that has Eng, Sct & Wal on it. 'The British Isles' is another geographical term, it refers to the all of the islands around and including Great Britain, so it includes the island of Ireland, Orkney Isles, Isle of Man etc etc.

If you subtract 'southern' Ireland from this mix, you get the political entity that is officially "The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland". That gets shortened to either 'UK' or 'Britain', sometimes in an arbitrary manner which can cause confusion with the geographical terms. I haven't even mentioned the Channel Islands which make it even more complicated!

Our ancestors should have been more careful when naming things haha!

personally i find no offense in "merkan" and i know someone from denmark who lists his location on forums as "yurp" (europe)

I like that! Might steal it

anyway, back on topic, i watched the documentary the other day (before seeing this thread, i get a lot of BBC shows through the intarwebz) <snip>

I haven't watch this documentary yet, but you are right to be wary. I don't trust the BBC as much as I used to so I take everything they do with a pinch of salt. They interviewed my step-niece for one of their most 'reputable' documentary series, Panorama, and they actually moved furniture out of her living room so she would look poor. I was disgusted. She was OK with it as she got paid, but my bro was very upset.

Whilst some of the documentary may be honest, it may not all be the same, and your reference to the politics of it may have some bearing.

cheerz

 

[joolz]

From an American POV there is no continent named America. The continents are North America and South America. America means the USA. I would never say to a Canadian or Mexican that we were all Americans. It would be we are all North Americans. America = USA, Americans = USA, North America = Canada, USA, Mexico, etc. Central America is considered a region and people but not continent.

On a trip to El Salvador there was a children's study map on the wall with the world continents labeled. It showed a picture of both North and South America together labeled as simply America, as just one continent. They have one less continent! That kind of blew my mind.

I learned the 7 continents at school, but I was just trying to respect my friend's view and she felt different about it. I didn't realise some people would be so freaked out, I thought what I said was clear, even if it was a made up word.

Incidentally, wiki seems to disagree with your 'American POV' (and mine too). It has a map that shows several different definitions of 'continents', one shows 'America' as a continent, so maybe my Canadian friend and your friends from Mexico/El Salvador just learned from a different map. It's not the continents I learned in school, but I guess their views are as legitimate as ours.[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Continents].

Virtually no one in America is unaware that England is only part of the UK. <snip>

Sorry Travis, this isn't correct. We hear it a lot. Admittedly more often from Hollywood and the less intelligent, like George W, but I even heard Obama use a quote about 'England' when he made a toast to the Queen here.

I'm not going to get into this insipid discussion again, but your bigotry is noted.

Who started this odd discussion?
I suggest you look up 'bigot' in the dictionary. If I was 'utterly intolerant of any differing creed, belief, or opinion' why on earth would I offer to use an alternative? Yeah, why should people bother with a sensible discussion when they can just throw a strop and call people spiteful and untruthful names. 'Ignore' me, please.

 

[theprestige]

Well, as someone said, maybe my Canadian friend was being a bit hypersensitive about it. Only one person was upset about the 'USA-er' but I'm happy to take the extra few seconds to type 'people from the USA' if anyone is that bothered about it.

The fact that you keep referring to him as your Canadian friend indicates that there's no identification problem after all. Why not use "American" to refer to Americans, and "Canadian" to refer to Canadians, and politely invite your friend to relax a little?

You can always use "North Americans" if for some godforsaken reason you find yourself trapped in a conversation with a sociologist at a cocktail party, and it suddenly becomes necessary to lump Canadians, Americans, and Mexicans together based on some hitherto-unsuspected quality they all share with each other but not with the rest of the human race.

 

[UnrepentantSinner]

Who started this odd discussion?
I suggest you look up 'bigot' in the dictionary. If I was 'utterly intolerant of any differing creed, belief, or opinion' why on earth would I offer to use an alternative? Yeah, why should people bother with a sensible discussion when they can just throw a strop and call people spiteful and untruthful names. 'Ignore' me, please.

I've been around this forum having this same insipid discussion with other smug Brits that don't know what the hell they're talking about for 6 years. You show up a few months ago and presume to lecture me on something about which you are entirely incorrect because I asked a simple question? Further you insult me with bigoted crap like this:

Then again, you probably call the UK 'England' like some of your compatriots, which shows you are not aware that the UK is more than just England, so you probably forget 'America' is more than just the USA too.

Get over yourself Scotty. It's off topic so I won't persue it further in this thread, but I may start a new one in an appropriate subforum.

 

[Corsair 115]

When I specifically say USA-ers it's clear that I mean the subset of Americans who are 'Americans from the USA' but it's a heck of a lot faster to type.

It is understood by usage that the term "Americans" refers to citizens and people of the United States of America. It is similarly understood by usage that the term "America" refers to the nation of the United States of America.

Have you forgotten that Canada is in America?

No, Canada is in North America.

Canadian friends get hacked off about the use of 'America' when people mean the USA so I am respecting their views.

You have some odd Canadian friends then. This Canadian finds nothing wrong with the term "Americans" or "America" since, as I stated previously, by usage the terms refer to citizens and people of the United States of America and the country of the United States of America, respectively. If you want to refer to citizens and people of Canada or the country of Canada you would use the terms "Canadians" and "Canada", respectively.

 

[3point14]

I'm not going to get into this insipid discussion again, but your bigotry is noted.

Really? You're that upset by the term.

Are you aware how utterly petty that sounds? Especially when the user is simply trying to ascede to the wishes of someone who lives on the same continent as you.

How do you propose we diffentiate between 'citizen of the USA' and all those other people who live in America who aren't citizens of the USA?

ETA - When trying to talk about the contient as a whole, rather than the individual countries, which is when it becomes an issue

 

[3point14]

I've been around this forum having this same insipid discussion with other smug Brits that don't know what the hell they're talking about for 6 years. You show up a few months ago and presume to lecture me on something about which you are entirely incorrect because I asked a simple question? Further you insult me with bigoted crap like this:


Get over yourself Scotty. It's off topic so I won't persue it further in this thread, but I may start a new one in an appropriate subforum.

Blimey, who put kerosene on your cornflakes? Is it really that touchy a subject?

You can call me what you like. you can call Me English, British, A UKer, from Yrop or whatever. Blimey, you can call me Scottish (I'm not) and I will gently correct you, but to get this far up the saddle of your high horse when someone uses a term you don't like seems a little extreme.

Ho-hum.

So, back on topick, Are there really poor people in The United States of America? (did I get that right? I hope I didn't miss a letter) or is it simply propoganda put out by the British Broadcasting Corporation of the Peoples Republic of the United Kingdom of the Isles of Britain and Wales (excluding EIRE and possibly Scotland at some point in the future, but we're not really sure yet)

 

[3point14]

Ignore

 

[Matthew Best]

Blimey, who put kerosene on your cornflakes? Is it really that touchy a subject?

Apparently, to some USians, it is.

 

[Dancing David]

Apparently, to some USians, it is.

I prefer USers.

 

[jhunter1163]

The topic of this thread is the BBC Documentary. Let's get back to it, shall we?

Replying to this modbox in thread will be off topic  Posted By: jhunter1163

 

[NeilC]

I certainly would not be holding up the UK benefits system as an example of what the USA should be doing! Good grief. Yes you too can have a benefits bill that exceeds your (high) income tax revenue.

 

[Bad Lieutenant]

I certainly would not be holding up the UK benefits system as an example of what the USA should be doing! Good grief. Yes you too can have a benefits bill that exceeds your (high) income tax revenue.

Preferable to having people living in poverty...but yeah, capitalism is broken - no doubt. Time for a planned economy. Reset the debt.