Reparations paid to Guantanamo detainees...

[Mr. Coffee]

Here's a question, how many of the Americans in this thread that take offense to being lumped in with your nations manifold crimes against humanity have so much as written a letter to your local/state representative about the current state of affairs? How about if I make it easier how many of you have donated to somebody who has? Still nothing... Umm, signed an online petition you saw on facebook?

By that same logic I can hold all russians responsible for every single thing Putin has ever done. Congrats at failing.

FYI, I've written my congressman, my senator, and even three Presidents. Know what I got back? A fucking form letter. You were saying, dick?

For all the shit you guys are flinging how many of you have actually done anything besides sit on your hands because it takes work to effect change?

Stop trying to justify the use of generalizations, you fucking retard. Goddamnit, how fucking hard is this for you shitheads to understand?

[The Romulan Republic]

Here's a question, how many of the Americans in this thread that take offense to being lumped in with your nations manifold crimes against humanity have so much as written a letter to your local/state representative about the current state of affairs? How about if I make it easier how many of you have donated to somebody who has? Still nothing... Umm, signed an online petition you saw on facebook?

For all the shit you guys are flinging how many of you have actually done anything besides sit on your hands because it takes work to effect change?

Does making plans to emigrate as soon as possible count?

Trying to emigrate because you don't like America (i.e. run away while doing nothing to improve your country) is the antithesis of trying to change what America is doing for the better.

And Jub, your rhetorical questioning with the obvious snide assumption that none of us have done anything and are therefore all equally guilt in everything bad America has ever done is insulting and offensive. Unless you know the life story of everyone here, fuck off. And if you do know the life story of everyone here, I guess you work for the NSA, so fuck off.

Edit: I am aware that my comments on emigration may appear hypocritical coming from an American living in Canada, but in my defence, I moved here with my parents when I was a child and live here for reasons other than a rejection of the United States.

[Mr. Coffee]

And Jub, your rhetorical questioning with the obvious snide assumption that none of us have done anything and are therefore all equally guilt in everything bad America has ever done is insulting and offensive. Unless you know the life story of everyone here, fuck off. And if you do know the life story of everyone here, I guess you work for the NSA, so fuck off.

Or, it's Jub posting again and he should just fuck off.

[Jub]

By that same logic I can hold all russians responsible for every single thing Putin has ever done. Congrats at failing.

Except that I'm not blaming you for anything, I'm just saying you shouldn't be offended at being lumped in with the people who are a problem if you've done nothing about it.

-----

So thus far one of the offended parties has potentially done something about America's crimes, and that one person is Coffee who's hard to take seriously at the best of times. Aside from that we have one ex-pat and one soon to be ex-pat who've thus far not said they've actively done anything about this issue. So basically I'm batting 67% so far and the one person who does claim to have tried something is Coffee and I have no clue if he's being honest or not given his posting history.

[Thanas]

Easy goddamn way to clear up the misunderstanding then. Stop using generalizations. Goddamn, how fucking hard is it to get that if you want to criticize, say, the US government then say "US Government" instead of a term that can be taken as a generalization against all US citizens. If Thanas can't do that much then I am going to assume that, yes, he was talking about my country collectively and not talking specifically about the actions of my government.

It was clarified in this very thread, so how about you and all the other howler monkeys in this thread shut the fuck up. Because right now all this is is one giant thread hijack by butthurt americans who are too stupid to understand the difference between a jab at their self-proclaimed country ethos and an attack on themselves as individuals.

[Mr. Coffee]

Easy goddamn way to clear up the misunderstanding then. Stop using generalizations. Goddamn, how fucking hard is it to get that if you want to criticize, say, the US government then say "US Government" instead of a term that can be taken as a generalization against all US citizens. If Thanas can't do that much then I am going to assume that, yes, he was talking about my country collectively and not talking specifically about the actions of my government.

It was clarified in this very thread, so how about you and all the other howler monkeys in this thread shut the fuck up. Because right now all this is is one giant thread hijack by butthurt americans who are too stupid to understand the difference between a jab at their self-proclaimed country ethos and an attack on themselves as individuals.

You mean "One giant thread jack started by rightfully angered people who are upset at you for lumping all of us in with our Government's actions because you are either to much of an asshole or to fucking stupid to not make a massive, sweeping generalization against all of us"?

Next time, cup cake, use precise terminology and you can prevent this. Next time, I start again with the Nazi generalizations and I goddamn dare you to say something about as you are doing the EXACT SAME FUCKING THING in this thread, you fucking half-wit.

P.S. kiss my ass, Thanas.

[Thanas]

You mean "One giant thread jack started by rightfully angered people who are upset at you for lumping all of us in with our Government's actions because you are either to much of an asshole or to fucking stupid to not make a massive, sweeping generalization against all of us"?

Next time, cup cake, use precise terminology and you can prevent this. Next time, I start again with the Nazi generalizations and I goddamn dare you to say something about as you are doing the EXACT SAME FUCKING THING in this thread, you fucking half-wit.

No, asshole, the exact fucking thing (meaning reaching back sixty+ years ago and find past wrongs as opposed to complaining about stuff happening right now) would be to call the US slavers. In case you fail to get this point, I will make it simple - slandering a Government by accusing it of doing stuff in ancient history when the people in Government weren't even born is not the same as using bad words about current actions by the US Government. Do you get that or do I have to put it in crayon?

[Mr. Coffee]

No, asshole, the exact fucking thing (meaning reaching back sixty+ years ago and find past wrongs as opposed to complaining about stuff happening right now) would be to call the US slavers. In case you fail to get this point, I will make it simple - slandering a Government by accusing it of doing stuff in ancient history when the people in Government weren't even born is not the same as using bad words about current actions by the US Government. Do you get that or do I have to put it in crayon?

Hey, fucker, generalizations are generalizations. You use them, then I will use them. Don't like it? Stop using them or so help me God and Sonny Jesus, I will use them. If you can't get the simple fact that generalizations are wrong then you are a fucking idiot and deserve every single fucking bit of anger I level in your direction for being a stereotyping fuckwit.

Say what you want about my government. I don't like them either. Say it about me and all Americans, then we have a goddamn problem, asshole. So, do we have a problem or can you finally fucking understand that generalizations are wrong?

[Thanas]

No, asshole, the exact fucking thing (meaning reaching back sixty+ years ago and find past wrongs as opposed to complaining about stuff happening right now) would be to call the US slavers. In case you fail to get this point, I will make it simple - slandering a Government by accusing it of doing stuff in ancient history when the people in Government weren't even born is not the same as using bad words about current actions by the US Government. Do you get that or do I have to put it in crayon?

Hey, fucker, generalizations are generalizations. You use them, then I will use them. Don't like it? Stop using them or so help me God and Sonny Jesus, I will use them. If you can't get the simple fact that generalizations are wrong then you are a fucking idiot and deserve every single fucking bit of anger I level in your direction for being a stereotyping fuckwit.

Since you clearly failed to understand me, let us try this another way. How are the US actions towards Guantanamo and innocent people they tortured not the act of cowards?

Because I will quite easily explain how any of Germany's actions are not genociding people.

[Simon_Jester]

I would like to reiterate my un-addressed question.

If it is acceptable to make offensive generalizations about Americans, is it equally OK to make offensive generalizations about people from other countries?

If it is thus acceptable, could someone explain why Americans are uniquely antiprivileged on this forum in this respect?

And if it is thus acceptable, could someone explain to me why it is against the rules to use ethnic slurs against specific nationalities (e.g. calling Germans "Krauts"), but not against the rules to use equivalently false and offensive stereotypes against the same nationalities on the basis of a generalized dislike of their government?

[Gandalf]

If it is acceptable to make offensive generalizations about Americans, is it equally OK to make offensive generalizations about people from other countries?

If you're basing this question on the idea presented in the OP, I would assume that it comes down to the question of whether or not a populace can be considered accountable for the actions of its elected leaders.

[Mr. Coffee]

blah balh blah, I;'m an asshole that despite my entre people being labeled as Nazis doesn't understand fucking generalizations and why they are wrong blah blah blah

How about you go fuck yourself, Thanas? I'm a coward? All Americans are cowards? That's what you said, fucker. You can correct yourself all you like, but you fucking said it, despite being asked repeatedly not to be a generalizing douche, yet here we are.

So again, go fuck yourself, Nazi. I'm a coward? Then you're a fucking Nazi, dick. Don't like it, then stop the generalizing, fucker.

[Thanas]

I would like to reiterate my un-addressed question.

It was addressed, it was answered.

a) It should be well known by now (and I have clarified multiple times in the past) that attacking a country is not the same as attacking its citizens.

How about you go fuck yourself, Thanas? I'm a coward? All Americans are cowards? That's what you said, fucker. You can correct yourself all you like, but you fucking said it, despite being asked repeatedly not to be a generalizing douche, yet here we are.

a) It should be well known by now (and I have clarified multiple times in the past) that attacking a country is not the same as attacking its citizens.

[Mr. Coffee]

Thanas, my words still stand. Do you or do you not support using generalizations to describe entire populations?

[Thanas]

If the overwhelming majority has shown to act a certain way, then in general I would think it fair to describe them as a group in that manner. Kinda like calling the South the Slave States when the Civil war is concerned despite not all southerners owning slaves.

EDIT: So while individual southerners could rightly say "but I didn't own a slave" in general the terminology was apt.

[ThatOneCatC]

It boils down to the fact that as a privileged society, the onus is on all Americans equally from the impoverished single mother in Alabama to the wealthiest white politician to use all available resources to combat the system that has given us all the equal opportunity to torture, kill, and maim others within and outside of our nation with impunity. Anything less is a statement of our culpability in these crimes which go back to the inception of our nation and as such allows the harsh condemnation of citizens of more enlightened nations. To deny or overlook the crimes we all have taken part in as citizens is an affront to humanity and we should consistently feel ashamed to live here until all actions have ceased and all reparations have been made. To do anything less makes us all cowards. We should look up to and strive to be better than the base animals we prove ourselves to be by our existence and inaction, personal resources be damned. All Americans should be held to a stricter standard as we apparently all contribute fully to the actions the few in power take. All 330 million or so of us are just as culpable for these actions as if we had lined up and done them ourselves.

At least this is the gist of the statement of cowardice that I read.

[Mr. Coffee]

If the overwhelming majority has shown to act a certain way, then in general I would think it fair to describe them as a group in that manner. Kinda like calling the South the Slave States when the Civil war is concerned despite not all southerners owning slaves.

If I'm a slaver, then you're a Nazi.

EDIT: So while individual southerners could rightly say "but I didn't own a slave" in general the terminology was apt.

Really? If I'm a slaver then you're definitely a goddamn Nazi. See neither of my parents families were even in America while that was going on (In fact, my fathers side didn't emigrate until 1936, because of the Nazis, you asshole), but here you are lumping me in with the rest, you fucking Nazi.

You really want to keep up the sweeping generalizations, you Nazi cocksuck?

[White Haven]

Thanas, I think the crux of the matter is that you keep saying that 'it's been addressed,' and yet the same text labeling the US as the 'home of the cowards' and thus Americans as cowards is still there and all you've said is 'well, I don't mean it thaaat way' without stopping or even acknowledging that you fucked up. If I had posted a thread saying 'oh look, the Nazis are playing up again' with an article about Angela Merkel doing something fascist-colored, you'd be flipping your shit, and rightfully so, and you wouldn't be amenable to accepting the excuse of 'well, I didn't mean Nazis, I meant that Merkel is acting like a fascist.' You'd be demanding a full retraction and an apology, and we both fucking know it, so kindly dismount your fucking high horse.

[White Haven]

If the overwhelming majority has shown to act a certain way, then in general I would think it fair to describe them as a group in that manner. Kinda like calling the South the Slave States when the Civil war is concerned despite not all southerners owning slaves.

EDIT: So while individual southerners could rightly say "but I didn't own a slave" in general the terminology was apt.

You get to call the South the Slave States. You don't get to call all southerners slavers because most of them weren't, even if their nation had that as one of its major issues. Do. You. Fucking. Get. The. Distinction.

[Gandalf]

Thanas, I think the crux of the matter is that you keep saying that 'it's been addressed,' and yet the same text labeling the US as the 'home of the cowards' and thus Americans as cowards is still there and all you've said is 'well, I don't mean it thaaat way' without stopping or even acknowledging that you fucked up. If I had posted a thread saying 'oh look, the Nazis are playing up again' with an article about Angela Merkel doing something fascist-colored, you'd be flipping your shit, and rightfully so, and you wouldn't be amenable to accepting the excuse of 'well, I didn't mean Nazis, I meant that Merkel is acting like a fascist.' You'd be demanding a full retraction and an apology, and we both fucking know it, so kindly dismount your fucking high horse.

Why does "home of the cowards" become "all Americans are cowards?"

[Thanas]

Thanas, I think the crux of the matter is that you keep saying that 'it's been addressed,' and yet the same text labeling the US as the 'home of the cowards' and thus Americans as cowards is still there and all you've said is 'well, I don't mean it thaaat way' without stopping or even acknowledging that you fucked up. If I had posted a thread saying 'oh look, the Nazis are playing up again' with an article about Angela Merkel doing something fascist-colored, you'd be flipping your shit, and rightfully so, and you wouldn't be amenable to accepting the excuse of 'well, I didn't mean Nazis, I meant that Merkel is acting like a fascist.' You'd be demanding a full retraction and an apology, and we both fucking know it, so kindly dismount your fucking high horse.

Why does "home of the cowards" become "all Americans are cowards?"

EXACTLY FUCKING THIS.

[White Haven]

It's a pretty fucking blatant phrase. Home of the cowards. Cowards' home. People who live here are cowards. Don't try to 'aww, it's not so bad, Nigger and Niger sound alike, and Niger is a place where black people are in charge' it. Grow the fuck up.

[AniThyng]

Thanas, I think the crux of the matter is that you keep saying that 'it's been addressed,' and yet the same text labeling the US as the 'home of the cowards' and thus Americans as cowards is still there and all you've said is 'well, I don't mean it thaaat way' without stopping or even acknowledging that you fucked up. If I had posted a thread saying 'oh look, the Nazis are playing up again' with an article about Angela Merkel doing something fascist-colored, you'd be flipping your shit, and rightfully so, and you wouldn't be amenable to accepting the excuse of 'well, I didn't mean Nazis, I meant that Merkel is acting like a fascist.' You'd be demanding a full retraction and an apology, and we both fucking know it, so kindly dismount your fucking high horse.

Why does "home of the cowards" become "all Americans are cowards?"

#notallamericans

Isn't it the target of the slur that gets to define if they are offended or not? That's how it works elsewhere, yes?

But eh, we had this back in my country a while back.

"boycott chinese traders to stop profiteering" became a matter of "how dare you call all chinese greedy", "not all chinese are traders or greedy" and best of all "i actually meant all greedy traders not just chinese ones"

[Gunhead]

Thanas, I think the crux of the matter is that you keep saying that 'it's been addressed,' and yet the same text labeling the US as the 'home of the cowards' and thus Americans as cowards is still there and all you've said is 'well, I don't mean it thaaat way' without stopping or even acknowledging that you fucked up. If I had posted a thread saying 'oh look, the Nazis are playing up again' with an article about Angela Merkel doing something fascist-colored, you'd be flipping your shit, and rightfully so, and you wouldn't be amenable to accepting the excuse of 'well, I didn't mean Nazis, I meant that Merkel is acting like a fascist.' You'd be demanding a full retraction and an apology, and we both fucking know it, so kindly dismount your fucking high horse.

Why does "home of the cowards" become "all Americans are cowards?"

I don't know what Thanas thinks, and will not answer for him. I do think the idea stems from the lack of widespread condemnation of the prison camps, and the lack of compensation for the people who have been released from the camps, compounded with their inability to get compensation through the legal system in the U.S. In a sense this does count as form of "cowardice" as country, but I don't think people on this board at least are cowards and would grant people who were wrongly accused their due.


-Gunhead

[Thanas]

It's a pretty fucking blatant phrase. Home of the cowards. Cowards' home. People who live here are cowards. Don't try to 'aww, it's not so bad, Nigger and Niger sound alike, and Niger is a place where black people are in charge' it. Grow the fuck up.

You yourself have "capitol of treason" in your location. I guess that means you are a traitor now.