Why Halloween is depressing
POSTED BY: MAL4PREZ
UPDATED: Tuesday, September 9, 2025 06:32
VIEWED: 15515
PAGE 12 of 16
Never let it be said I'm not an equal opportunity offender.
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Quote:
Originally posted by BYTEMITE:
Ha, pretty accurate that. I think I would probably know less than that.
Did you know its not uncommon for Australians in America to be told how well they speak English (it being our second language and all)
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Quote:
Originally posted by Magonsdaughter:Quote:
Originally posted by BYTEMITE:
Ha, pretty accurate that. I think I would probably know less than that.
Did you know its not uncommon for Australians in America to be told how well they speak English (it being our second language and all)
That's cool, I didn't know that.
Say something in wallaby.
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The Ugly American is a 1958 political novel by Eugene Burdick
and William Ledere.
Also a 1963 movie starring Marlon Brando. (that long ago?!)
I guess I must have read the book. All I recall was a scene where
a young soldier, a scout?, returns to base with one eye hanging out
down on his cheek to report that his companions were now VC
captives or dead.
I was even more politically unaware then than now, so I didn't
get the message or recall the book. Just the title. I did read a
magazine article or two at the time, the '60's. They were straight
forward about: American tourists are unpopular around the world;
because they are ignorant, arrogant and rude.
Back when Great Britain's Empire shone in the sun, they had some
class & decorum about it. ... They didn't pretend to be fair as they
trod the serfs under their heel; they just pretended to be right!
======================
A man's gotta know his limitations. ~Dirty Harry
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Quote:
Originally posted by Magonsdaughter:
I think perhaps its hard for you to imagine or empathise, given that you live in the domininant world power, but this is one of the reasons people get snippy with Americans. Not only are you are powerful and happy to weild your power militarily, economically and culturally, but you've got that kind of dopey 'we're just trying to be the good guys' naivity going on. Or worse, a refusal to see it as your responsibility. It's just individual choice, right? I think you are smarter than that. That's the kind of argument I expect from Rap or Jongs or Geezer.
Yeeeaahhh. So many problems with this.
I know it's comforting to define some "other" as the enemy, as you are doing with America, so you know exactly who and where the bad guys are. But the real world doesn't work that way. The badness is much more complex than that. The Evil is something that attacked us before it attacked you, which is my flu reference. I feel like I'm lying in a hospital bed fighting off a nasty bug and you're in the next bed over blaming me that you're sick too.
Commercialization and the military industrial complex is a kind of mental sickness that people all over the world have fallen or are falling prey to. The "bugs," the actual Evil People, are a small group who aren't exclusively American. They are all over. One of the worst came from your land: the vile Murdoch.
You seem to be claiming that Americans are all evil for giving into the influence of these assholes, yet the Aussies who make the same bad decisions are helpless victims. Those Down Under are somehow not really responsible for the change they have wrought on their own culture, such as "letting" big bad Halloween take over. Individual responsibility for Aussies much?
You also claim credit for the few Aussies who put up a fight, as if the good decisions of a few automatically excuses everyone on the continent. At the same time you deny the existence of any such people in the US, and paint us as all McDonald's eating warmongers.
It's quite hypocritical of you.
I know you are aware that there are shades of grey. You seem not to understand that this applies to America as much as to Australia. There are stupid assholes and heroic fighters in both places. If you want to get anywhere in the fight, you'd do best to recognize this. See the true enemy, see the true allies.
Or stay comfortably and helplessly in your blame America mode if it makes you feel better. In any case, keep your blame and your broad paintbrush off me. I won't accept them.
*---------------------------------------*
The French Revolution would have never happened if Marie Antoinette had just given every peasant an iPhone.
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Quote:
Originally posted by G:
Happy?? You say stuff like that and it's obvious you want to paint every American with the same brush, something I'd expect from Whozit. You confuse governments and corporations for the people of a country, which is kind of International understanding 101. One of the major reasons Obama got in the WH was to get us out of Iraq and Afghanistan, which we're actually doing, painfully and too slowly, but it is happening. The populace voiced their majority opinion recently against bombing Syria, and overwhelming support for new gun registration and requirements - which our f*cking nutters in Congress decided to ignore. But, yanno, nevermind all that, enjoy your hate, obvious to me at least that's what this is about for you.
Gee, G, I don't think you've been around that long and you certainly don't know me if you think I'm filled with hate. Kind of harsh statements when what I've said is pretty mild. (Except for my comments to Byte.)
Yeah, I get that a lot of Americans feel strongly, especially now, about military intervention. Vastly different to 10 years ago on the Internet I can tell you.
But its been interesting seeing the responses right here to my comments about feeling somewhat swamped about the amount of American culture I get to endure on a day to day basis. Wow, the incredibly, overwhelming hostile reaction because I DONT LIKE HALLOWEEN. Everything from being accused of being a someone who hates others enjoying themselves, to having a victim mentality to now being filled with hate.
Interesting how sharp the defensive reactions have been.
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Quote:
Originally posted by Magonsdaughter:
Wow, the incredibly, overwhelming hostile reaction because I DONT LIKE HALLOWEEN.
You've said a lot more than that yo.
Check again as to which statements of yours people are reacting to.
*---------------------------------------*
The French Revolution would have never happened if Marie Antoinette had just given every peasant an iPhone.
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Quote:
Originally posted by MAL4PREZ:
Yeeeaahhh. So many problems with this.
I think the problem is that you are not reading my posts. Just getting defensive and going on the attack.
I think far from me taking any responsibibility on behalf of my country, which I have, its YOU who denies any responsibility on behalf of your own.
Quote:
I know it's comforting to define some "other" as the enemy, as you are doing with America, so you know exactly who and where the bad guys are. But the real world doesn't work that way. The badness is much more complex than that. The Evil is something that attacked us before it attacked you, which is my flu reference. I feel like I'm lying in a hospital bed fighting off a nasty bug and you're in the next bed over blaming me that you're sick too.
Again, tiring that you dont read my posts and then I have to post the same things over again. so I'll repost them for you
"So is it all bad and evil. Of course not. I'm reminded of the Life of Brian when a group of Judaians sit around and bitch about the Romans.
And that is what imperialism is, whether its England bringing railways and effective bureacracies to India, or the Romans and the aquaducts and decent roads. And yes, thank you America for Firefly and Joss Whedon and a lot of stuff I enjoy. But it still pisses the locals off. "
I posted a Monty Python clip from Life of Brian where the Judaians complain about the Romans but keep bringing up all the good things they have given to the culture.
So please don't accuse me of painting the US as the Big Evil when I haven't
Quote:
Commercialization and the military industrial complex is a kind of mental sickness that people all over the world have fallen or are falling prey to. The "bugs," the actual Evil People, are a small group who aren't exclusively American. They are all over. One of the worst came from your land: the vile Murdoch.
Yep true enough. But currently the US is the leader in the world in this, and therefore the dominant culture. Again, you're the one who brings up evil not me. Wait a few years and it'll be the Chinese and we'll all be popping off to the the chinese opera and listening to something that sounds like cats being strangled. You might even be nostalgically musing to your grandkids about when Thanksgiving was a bigger holiday than Chinese New Year.
Quote:
You seem to be claiming that Americans are all evil for giving into the influence of these assholes, yet the Aussies who make the same bad decisions are helpless victims. Those Down Under are somehow not really responsible for the change they have wrought on their own culture, such as "letting" big bad Halloween take over. Individual responsibility for Aussies much?
Yeah. Again. It would be nice if you read my posts. Or read more than the first line. Never said Americans evil. I think dopey and naive were the words I actually have used. Never not taken responsibility. This conversation really is tedious, isnt it?
Quote:
You also claim credit for the few Aussies who put up a fight, as if the good decisions of a few automatically excuses everyone on the continent. At the same time you deny the existence of any such people in the US, and paint us as all McDonald's eating warmongers.
I was trying to point out how hard it is to actually prevent the cultural creep from happening. It's small groups of individuals up against powerful multinationals, or very strong world market forces. It also feels quite benign for a lot of people, its kind of 'who cares, its just a hamburger joint'. You have to be quite fanatical to put your financial security on the line, and yet some people do.
It's not just an Aussie thing, btw. If anything, we've probably embraced American culture more than many countries. We're a young hotchpotch of cultures anyway, but its worldwide. Ask any French person, and they&
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Quote:
Originally posted by MAL4PREZ:
You've said a lot more than that yo.
Check again as to which statements of yours people are reacting to.
Okay, please tell me which ones.
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Quote:
Originally posted by BYTEMITE:Quote:
Originally posted by Magonsdaughter:Quote:
Originally posted by BYTEMITE:
Ha, pretty accurate that. I think I would probably know less than that.
Did you know its not uncommon for Australians in America to be told how well they speak English (it being our second language and all)
That's cool, I didn't know that.
Say something in wallaby.
Hehe.
It's not personal. It's just war.
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