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Nom_the_Wise
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The Germans have beer. Und brats.
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TEPO
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I learned the speed of a falling object in 9th grade… 9.8 meters per second squared.
Can I have some accolades for that?
. just joking, and I haven’t seen the Monty python films in years…
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Nom_the_Wise
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Look, a five ounce bird could not carry a fifty pound Irish Lad!
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TEPO
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I know…!Why don’t we have LIKE tabs on these posts? It would be so much more fun!
Well, at least we can always use the old –
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Nom_the_Wise
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This thread is doing wonders for my post count, but am I butting in on a serious thread. When you said money, TEPO, were you serious? I thought it was a hypothetical question. Then I checked and realized this is the “Philosophy” forum and not “The Water Cooler.” 
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TEPO
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Oh no, it’s not that serious… I’m just poking around -and I’m always good for a laugh or two, or three… But Definantly not four…!!!This thread is doing wonders for my post count, but am I butting in on a serious thread. When you said money, TEPO, were you serious? I thought it was a hypothetical question. Then I checked and realized this is the “Philosophy” forum and not “The Water Cooler.”
No, really there’s no limits on having fun here…
. 
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Julia_Mae
Guest
OHHHHHHHH!!! I so envy your ability to read the minds of over 200 million people. Heck, I didn’t even know I was obsessed with it.
Wait. Maybe *I’m *Albanian!
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TEPO
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Well, well, well… So in general, materialism isn’t a problem in America…? That’s not what I’ve heard.
Besides, aside from toilet paper, citizenship, human-ship, and money there isn’t really anything else that anyone has been able to come up with as a common factor for all Americans… So we need to make one.
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ReapReason
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What?
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ReapReason
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A corrupt and decadent government
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Nom_the_Wise
Guest
For whatever reason, I think I know what you were getting at now, TEPO.
For all of our rebellion recently against “the 1%” in this country (*the *U.S.A., not to be confused with Mexico which is also *a *United States of America), globally speaking, the U.S.A. is the 1% of the world.
Not everyone in the U.S.A. has gobs and gobs of money, but the greater majority of United States citizens have access to goods on a scale that most of the rest of the world does not. Also, most citizens of the U.S. are (or appear) ignorant to the sufferings of the rest of the world due to, among other things, a lack of in-depth global news (which is why we should all watch BBC news as much as possible if you have access).
There could be arguments made that we are the “fatted calf,” ready for slaughter (if we want to create a panic), a kind of global pinata. Or could it be wanton consumerism? (witness the rise of crimes on “Black Friday”).
I just thought I’d help brainstorm. These observations are too broad to be effective, but I thought I’d try to help out.
For all of our rebellion recently against “the 1%” in this country (*the *U.S.A., not to be confused with Mexico which is also *a *United States of America), globally speaking, the U.S.A. is the 1% of the world.
Not everyone in the U.S.A. has gobs and gobs of money, but the greater majority of United States citizens have access to goods on a scale that most of the rest of the world does not. Also, most citizens of the U.S. are (or appear) ignorant to the sufferings of the rest of the world due to, among other things, a lack of in-depth global news (which is why we should all watch BBC news as much as possible if you have access).
There could be arguments made that we are the “fatted calf,” ready for slaughter (if we want to create a panic), a kind of global pinata. Or could it be wanton consumerism? (witness the rise of crimes on “Black Friday”).
I just thought I’d help brainstorm. These observations are too broad to be effective, but I thought I’d try to help out.
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Nom_the_Wise
Guest
I wanted to add that I don’t think it’s that easy to classify the country under one heading in general. The east coast and the west coast could almost be considered different countries, as well as the south and the midwest. We have accents and different local cultures. I live in north east Illinois, Chicago area, but if you drive 45 minutes out of the city in any direction you’re on the set of Hee-Haw (uber rural, farmlands, et. al.)
But in the end, the U.S.A. as whole is the richest country in the world (or at least it has been–are there new statistics?), and that’s whether or not there’s “trickle-down” to us “poor folks” (I’m currently unemployed–say a prayer)
But in the end, the U.S.A. as whole is the richest country in the world (or at least it has been–are there new statistics?), and that’s whether or not there’s “trickle-down” to us “poor folks” (I’m currently unemployed–say a prayer
)
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jimmy
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You could have stated it more accurately, ‘the very fabric of our society is to support ourselves’. And that would be a better judgement because it actually fits with the American philosophy. America has always stressed the freedom of each person, and also their right and duty to support themselves. That is why we seek to make money. Most people aren’t aiming to get rich, their goal is to support themselves.Yep, the very fabric of our culture is the drive for money… Ahhhh, home sweet home.
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ReapReason
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Most people can’t get rich; the nature of the system prevents it.
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jimmy
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The nature of the world is that not everyone can get rich. That is irrelevant though. Everyone can support themselves, which doesn’t require them to get rich.
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ReapReason
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Its not true that everybody can support themselves; the nature of the system prevents it.
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jimmy
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No it doesn’t. Every man can find a way to support himself. It might take work, but that is nothing to complain about. Life includes work.
You are going to have to back your statement up with reasons, and explain why people can’t support themselves.
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Marc_Anthony
Guest
I suppose, in one sense of the term “support”.
I had a wonderful theology teacher last year when I was a Senior in High School. He sometimes volunteered at the Soup Kitchen. Around Thanksgiving they’d give out turkeys to poor families. He said that when he was done he was walking outside of the Soup Kitchen when he heard a man sobbing-literally sobbing-because he burnt his turkey. It was his family’s Thanksgiving dinner. Of course they got the poor guy another turkey.
So people may be able to support themselves in one sense of the word. But that’s not a way people should be living.
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Linusthe2nd
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Speaking of toilet paper, we have the Huffington Post, the New York Times, etc. of which I have a pile of in that little house out back with the moon on the door.Well, well, well… So in general, materialism isn’t a problem in America…? That’s not what I’ve heard.
Besides, aside from toilet paper, citizenship, human-ship, and money there isn’t really anything else that anyone has been able to come up with as a common factor for all Americans… So we need to make one.
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revert_jen
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Living closer to a Starbucks.
But to the real point of the thread, in order to have a national character, it is not necessary for 100% of people to share it. In fact it’s nearly impossible for that to happen anywhere.
And for a country founded on (among other things) liberty, it’s not only impossible for 100% of people to share the same characteristic, it’s not even desirable.
In any case, a national character is by its nature difficult to describe, and even more difficult to distil into “one and only thing.”
Besides that, the one and only thing would hardly be unique to people in the US, and if being unique to the US isn’t a qualification, I’m going with:
We’re all subject to the laws of gravity. (Yes, even astronauts, because it is not necessary to feel the effects of gravity in order to be subject to its laws.) Actually, I’ll go further than that and say that we are all subject to all of the relevant laws of physics.
–Jen
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