What is the one and only thing that all Americans have in common..?

[TEPO]

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

You’ve made some very good points here, in that its nearly impossible for 100% of all Americans to share one common characteristic… But I’ve been brainstorming, and I’ve studied a few things on how common characteristics of nations can change…

…And I’ve come up with a solution…!

There needs to be a “Great American Jubilee”…! Yes, it will be a Christian “Celebration of Humanity” in America, which will break the current monopoly of American political and national “Holidays”, and install a new Christian week-long celebration that would occur once every 12 years.

During this Jubilee, all Christians will unite together as one, where debts will be forgiven, parties will be had, and charity on its highest level will take place… For once, the current system will be shocked, change will slowly take place, and eventually Charital “Agape” will occur through pure Christian union.

Sort of like the Junilees that the Jews, and Egyptians had, which have always brought people together… It was a good thing… What do you think?

 

[revert_jen]

There needs to be a “Great American Jubilee”…! Yes, it will be a Christian “Celebration of Humanity” in America, which will break the current monopoly of political and national “Holidays”, and install a new Christian week-long celebration that would occur once every 12 years.

During this Jubilee, all Christians will unite together as one, where debts will be forgiven, parties will be had, and charity on its highest level will take place… For once, the current system will be shocked, change will slowly take place, and eventually Charital “Agape” will take place through pure Christian union.

Yes, I know that would be copying off of the Jews, and Egyptians, but still -the jubilees have always brought people together… It was a good thing… What do you think?

It sounds interesting, but since Christians by no means make up the entire nation, I don’t think that it would draw people in the nation together. It would merely enhance our religious divisions, without necessarily healing any of the political, class, or race divisions that politicians work so hard to make worse.

And of course, one of the key parts of a universal debt relief is that people really had to know about it when they loaned the money in the first place. Anyway, a five-day holiday isn’t going to change human nature.

Interesting idea, but I’m not convinced it would help…

–Jen

 

[TEPO]

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.

Norm, you’re a wise man… What do you think about a Great American Jubilee…? You know, to try and off-set our one minded drive for success through currency, as well as our over-dependency on politics. National Jubilees in the past such as in ancient Israel, where workers of all likes, the wealthy and the poor together have always acted unlike the barbaric people of other lands, who never valued the lives of their slaves. The Jews were never really that cold compared to their neighbors -possibly in part because they freed slaves and forgave debts during their Jubilees, which occurred once every 50 years.

 

[TEPO]

It sounds interesting, but since Christians by no means make up the entire nation, I don’t think that it would draw people in the nation together. It would merely enhance our religious divisions, without necessarily healing any of the political, class, or race divisions that politicians work so hard to make worse.

And of course, one of the key parts of a universal debt relief is that people really had to know about it when they loaned the money in the first place. Anyway, a five-day holiday isn’t going to change human nature.

Interesting idea, but I’m not convinced it would help…

–Jen

No, that’s why it would be called the Great AMERICAN Jubilee, because it would become a tradition in which Charital acts would take place… It would be about forgiving debt, and it’s theme is “A celebration of humanity”…

So It’s more about humanity in America than anything else, which is really the only good thing that all Americans have in common anyway… Our humanity.

…Also, Christians all unite together in celebrating Easter and Christmas, so we know that holidays don’t usually cause divisions.

(maybe it would be better as a one month celebration. )

 

[TimeEntrance]

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 )

The United States is the richest nation in the world in terms of GDP but not in terms of per capita income.

The small Muslim nation of Qatar and the small Catholic nation of Luxemburg are wealthier nations than United States in terms of per capita income.

Source: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_GDP_%28PPP%29_per_capita

You’ll see down the list that both China and India are further down the list than Brazil. You would not know that if you listen to or read the media reports. However, China had 7% and 10% growth rates for so many years that its economic development was much more rapid than Brazil’s. All three nations have a growing middle-class and growing consumer culture. But China and India have far more people stuck in abject poverty.

A certain percentage of unemployment is built into the capitalist system. It’s inherent and theoretically has to be. So, some have to lose in capitalism.

However, even the losers can operate in underground, untaxed, economies. Most the poor in nations like China, India, and Brazil survived that way - and still do.

Unlike in the United States the middle-class in Brazil typically has domestic servants that clean their homes and feed their children. Most the domestic workers are females from the favelas. Both Northern and Southern cities of the United States had a similar culture up into the 1960’s were the poor domestic workers were Black-American women. To a lesser extent upper-middle-class and rich Americans in suburbs now employ female Mexicans as domestic servants.

But my point is I think this domestic work is not entirely bad in Brazil in so much as it provides a source of income for females in the favelas and consequently their children benefit in a small way.

“Americans” are also - technically - anyone that is a national of any of the countries in the Americas. The United States counts to continents in the Americas but really there is only one. And we “Americans” are really more technically “United Statesians” with respects to our nationality.

 

[TEPO]

Read this…
whatreallyhappened.com/WRHARTICLES/jubilee.php

Yes! The time for Charity in Truth is now. Caritas in Veritate.

 

[Regina_Love]

Look, a five ounce bird could not carry a fifty pound Irish Lad!

awe ladie have you not heard, faith can move a mountain. So is the birdie named faith?

 

[Nigel7]

What is the one and only thing that all Americans have in common…?

That they’re Americans, obviously.

 

[centurionguard]

They’re human, as are non-Americans.

My favorite thus far.

The entire Human Race were all made in God’s image.

Personally I don’t even think of my nationality when having a common sentiment of friendship and goodness with others.