I can definitely see how this comes from a European perspective. And I will definitely say that my little bit of Latin knowledge has helped my understanding of English, particularly with vocabulary. My question is why does just about every single cultural American idea somehow turn into a strike by Europeans (and other parts of the world) at America’s “self-centeredness?”
I am NOT against learning more languages and NOT against the welfare of other countries. But here in the US, learning another language is generally optional for the most part because our country wants our people to know the language MOST Americans speak, and learn it well. Unlike Europe, we want our country unified under one language we can all understand. When we start splitting that unity apart, it just becomes a guessing game about how to speak what.
Excuse me if this is too far off-topic but, above all, I want everyone who thinks that America does not care about other countries, in this example those that are European, to remember this one thing:
When the Nazi Regime threatened and overtook most of the European continent during WW II, which country was it that came to the rescue and helped to put in end to the madness, freeing pretty much all of Europe and allowing those countries to go about their own way? America.
I am not saying that America is perfect, nor that all Americans understand and respect the importance of other nations. We have fallen short with other nations many times. But I want to be very clear when I say that I don’t appreciate when everyone in my country is generalized under the category of “self-centerdness.” Such people lack thorough historical knowledge and are, quite possibly, extremely self-centered themselves.
No.
America came for Nazi tech and Holocaust gold. You are no savors.
Germany fought very hard to right their wrongs. USA just casually goes around the globe bombing people, no self-awareness at all.
You will never stop killing each other if you don’t step down from your imaginary throne. Learn to respect others.
This is all I’m going to say on this and I don’t like you hijacking my open-to-all-languages thread to preach your imaginary superiority.
The king is naked. Educate yourselves before it’s too late, you’ve done enough damage already.
Edit: the fact that you compare “American” and “European” (a continent with many countries) is laughable.
I for one take offence in the idea that there exists “a European perspective”. No person who actually took the time to take a look at Europe would use a term like that.
This is exactly part of the problem. People who don’t speak English are treated as outsiders. About 12% of your population speaks Spanish as a native language, why not make Spanish a compulsory language in the whole country? Approaching the Spanish-speaking citizens as equals is what creates unity, having them learn the English language while making no (governmental) effort for the rest of the country to learn Spanish does not.
Also, you’re really driving the point home about self-centredness with this argument What about those other countries that fought alongside you?
In fact, I find this paragraph of yours absolutely disgusting.
I read somewhere that shortly after WW2, the commonly shared perspective among the Allied nations was that the Russians had sacrificed the most toward defeating the Nazis, which seems to be a reasonable judgement given their immense military and civilian losses. However, over time, the perspective of Americans has shifted more towards claiming the credit for victory in Europe, with the anti-Soviet feelings from the Cold War catalyzing this change.
It’s kind of ironic that some Americans view English as so distinctly American, when it is in fact from England, which played a much larger role in spreading it around the world via their empire. I feel like sometimes it’s almost like we try to take credit for the language as well.
However, the views in America are wildly diverse, and please keep in mind that many (perhaps even a growing majority) do not approve of the current politicians in power or the general situation.
I don’t know how to express it in a coherent way right now, but I want to state that I acknowledge the fact that USA brought to us (it’s complicated but it did) this globalization, which allows me to even have this discussion. America has worked as a catalyst, with its major influence, and with being a common point of reference. I can learn languages online because (almost) everyone has been affected by American culture, we all have common platforms and references. It is a meeting point. I don’t want to take this away.
@Mr.GoBoard Since you mentioned you are still in school, I wanted to part with you with some words that you might want to read later, at a quieter time:
I come from two families of freedom fighters. If we go to the mountains above my village, I can show you where some relatives died during the War, or relatives from other people in the village, or some more famous freedom fighters (a bit further away in the mountains). They died in the mountains above their homes, because they were protecting their homes. If you feel like it, check how many wars have taken place in that place of the world that is so far from you in the last 40 years. I remember seeing the bombs in the news in Yugoslavia as a kid, you have no idea how close this was to my hometown.
I suggest, when you have some time, to think how fortunate you are to have no war in your country for as long as your grandparents remember. Yes, you have had problems, serious problems, but not war. Don’t work towards it, it would be heart-breaking.
I also want you to check, if you want, how many of us in this forum might have been on the same or on the opposite side in the Second World War. We probably had relatives that killed each other. You have no idea how hard we work, throughout history, fail and try again, to reconcile. Knowing deep down that, human nature being what it is, we may have to be on opposite sides again soon.
I suggest, when you have time, to maybe think if this could work for your country’s problems. You have a deep, cutting division that hurts everyone. Try, if you can, to see how people try to coexist in places with centuries of warfare behind them.
I wanted to leave you with some considerate and not angry words. Please, open up to the possibility that you may be wrong and there’s a better way.
I am well aware of the diversity of European people. Indeed, I jumped the gun on this because, just like in the USA, people have a wide range of beliefs and perspectives. My apologies.
Or, as my grandpa would say, if you are going to come to America, you had better learn English. Spanish-speaking immigrants don’t have to learn English; it would just be very difficult for them without it. But, to be perfectly honest, I have mixed feelings about this. I can see where many people come from with this idea and I do not intend to be racist. I definitely don’t think Spanish should be compulsory in USA though.
Of course withstanding Europeans are going to fight alongside the Allies. Their nations were being threatened. What else did you expect? I find your lack of appreciation for the help the US gave to Europe absolutely disgusting.
But that’s the point: they’re not immigrants (or at least no less than you probably are). They are citizens, some even living in the same place their ancestors have lived since the time of colonisation. Don’t forget that Texas, for example, used to be Spanish.
I don’t lack appreciation for the US help, that’s not at all what I was pointing out. It’s the claim on being the sole reason the Allies won the war that is disturbing. My country was freed by the Canadians. More than half of Nazist territory was liberated by the Russians. Germany was liberated by the Americans and the British, French, Canadians, Russians, and so on.
It should also be added, for clarity, that the US did not join the war to free Europe. They were actually declared war against before they joined the Allies (Germany declared war four days after the Japanese took initiative with the attack on Pearl Harbor), thus technically the US was a defending nation.
Nevertheless, it is absolutely correct that the US played a large role in the liberation of Europe.
I’m watching a random Yeonwoo YT video and her streaming chat is all about “Taiwan is part of China/ no it’s not”, “America and Australia are part of England/ no they are not”.
I couldn’t stage this if I tried.
Ah, it works in mysterious ways.
I watched that too. The person defending Taiwan might actually be Joanne Missingham (or at least claims to be, using the Korean writing 헤이자자), who is Taiwanese. It’s extra strange, because the guy who claimed Taiwan is China later also says he wants to meet Joanne, and she could tell him first hand “no thanks”.
It made me wonder if Yeonwoo has appointed chat moderators, because they would’ve been nice at that moment.
Yes indeed, this is very true. America realized that our country had to take action one way or another.
@moderators I agree with Gia that this topic should be split though I don’t think I will comment much more on it. It is very off topic now. By the way @Gia, I will send you a PM later regarding your last post. For the time being, I just want to let you know that that was a powerful statement and should be respected by everyone. I absolutely love it.
Today America is, in all but name, a country. But the original idea was closer to that of a stronger Confederacy. A union of these several States. That’s why you get States’ Rights movements in America, because they should, in principle, be sovereign States united together for a strictly limited set of advantageous which may thereby be gained. It’s not hard to imagine the same sort of dissolution of State rights happening within the EU over the next 200 years, so I don’t think the comparison is laughable at all. I think it’s not a 1:1 comparison, but it’s the closest to be found today.
If your point here is that they were heroes for doing this and that this is the appropriate use of military force: to protect one’s home, then I wholeheartedly agree. I’m torn on whether or not it’s sometimes justified to get involved in foreign conflicts, but I’d like the answer to be no, only go to war if another country attacks you first, but I’m not sure if that’s a tenable position. It might be, but there are some wars which were not to defend our country, but which I don’t know if I can just outright say that there isn’t a good case to be made that they were justified. I’d like to be a hardline non-interventionist libertarian, but I’m not quite convinced that’s possible.
Regardless, I think the only clearly justifiable war is defending your home. I read a quote once: if you find yourself fighting against guerillas, look again at whether they’re invading you, or you’re invading them.
What about those other countries that fought alongside you?
