Presidential Election 2012 USA

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[Spartan_Marine88]

I don't think you know what the word country means, because USA is one whereas the European Union isn't.

Maybe you should do some research on the sovereignty of each American State that gives each nearly as much power and individuality as any European country. You might want to do some research on Federated States, noting the distinctions that the united states gives each of its states (also the power difference between the

[Vermillion_Hawk]

I like how you guys, when protesting the generalization of Europeans, end up generalizing Americans.

[nikomas]

So you're saying I'm wrong in thinking that the US as a country shares a common culture, language and history?

[AmPM]

So you're saying I'm wrong in thinking that you share a common culture, language and history? Shit like that does matter.

Umm....actually yes.

The culture of California is vastly different from the culture of say, Missouri, or New York.

That's like saying Europe all shares one culture because they have similar language, and a joint history. Hell, Belgium speaks French and German, Austria speaks German, WTF!! Why they not Germany or France?

[nikomas]

The culture of California is vastly different from the culture of say, Missouri, or New York.

And you'd compare that to going from Sweden, down to Portugal and then back around to Belarus?

[TheIcelandicManiac]

Well considering almost the entire population of USA is from migrants i wouldn't be surprised that if he is saying is right because people have the habit of settling in community's like the Icelandic community thats there, or the in NY China town.

Another thing i am quite sure Texas is a lot different from California or NY state so unlike Europe they may share English as a laugnige(i cant be arsed to figure out how that word is spelled) but for them its just German is Europe or Russian in The former soviet union.

[acker]

America shares a common language.

Culture is very different depending where you live. The West Coast and Northeast Coast states are quite liberal in both economic and social policy. The South is conservative. Great Lakes areas are socially conservative to a degree, but labor is heavily integrated into the area, leading to semi-liberal economics policy.

I am, of course, painting broad strokes.

It's hard to describe, but people in the United States really don't see eye to eye. Alabama regularly flies Confederate Flags on their state buildings to honor their heritage and their dedication to states' rights. Attempting to do the same in, say, New Jersey, would get you universally ridiculed. Mississippi has lots of African Americans, with the historical baggage that entails. Washington has lots of Asian immigrants who fled their home countries during the Cold War, with resulting cultural changes.

What Americans do is believe they are all American, despite the cultural gulf between regions. That's not true in Europe. It allows states to unconditionally care for one another through fiscal transfers. The same is obviously not true between, say, Germany and Greece.

[Spartan_Marine88]

And you'd compare that to going from Sweden, down to Portugal and then back around to Belarus?

Well, if you start around Illinois you can find a good amount of people with Swedish backgrounds proceed to areas of Newyork you can find large amounts of people with ancestry from Belarus then head to California where there are large pockets of people with Portuguese backgrounds

[Tymathee]

acker put it very well.

[IJustDontCare]

Surprisingly United States doesn't have an official language like most countries, at-least not at a federal level.

The main languages are English(82%) and Spanish (10%)

Primary immigrant languages are Spanish, Chinese, French, German, Tagalog, Vietnamese, Italian

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Languages_of_the_United_States.

Figured I throw this out there.

[Sachaztan]

Maybe you should do some research on the sovereignty of each American State that gives each nearly as much power and individuality as any European country. You might want to do some research on Federated States, noting the distinctions that the united states gives each of its states (also the power difference between the

I know all about that and USA is still a country. For an example you have a US passport, not a texan/californian/whatever one. There are US embassies around the world, not one for each state. There is a US mission to the UN, not one for each state. It is considered a country in the CIA factbook. etc, etc.

All pretty good clues that the United States of America is a country in case you for some reason wasn't aware of the rather well known fact in the first place. A Federal country is still a country.

[Vermillion_Hawk]

We're not discussing whether or not it is a country. That is self-evident. However, the states act as a union, and conduct foreign affairs as a union, but domestically each have their own individual cultures and sets of laws, under the limited guidance of the Federal government.

Yes, they share a passport and currency. As I recall, however, one can possess a European Union passport as well, and of course ther is the Euro, which is nearly universal across Europe. The States and the European Union are not as different as you'd like to think, perhaps different only in semantics.

[Spartan_Marine88]

I know all about that and USA is still a country. For an example you have a US passport, not a texan/californian/whatever one. There are US embassies around the world, not one for each state. There is a US mission to the UN, not one for each state. It is considered a country in the CIA factbook. etc, etc.

All pretty good clues that the United States of America is a country in case you for some reason wasn't aware of the rather well known fact in the first place. A Federal country is still a country.

I see your hung up on words. Im sorry your retarded like that. Hows this for clarification, the US while a country bears many similarities to the EU. Its states also have many laws that make them nearly as individualistic as the countries inside the EU which was my point. If you still have doubts i could start comparing the legal powers that the governing bodies of the average European country and the average American State wield if you still feel like arguing.

Try a response other then "But its country, not same thing!"

[Killer344]

The cultural discrepancy is on a different scale, Portugal-Spain-Germany-etc don't even share a language.

[AmPM]

I have about 6 major ethnic centers in my town all with different languages. This doesn't include dialects like Cajun.

There is as much cultural variation in the US as in the EU and maybe more

[Killer344]

Last time I checked USA's official language was english, and I'm fairly certain everyone can speak english there.

I never talked about "variation", but scale.

[DarkSoldierX]

I'm fairly certain everyone can speak english there.

You would be surprised how many immigrants only speak limited english here.

[Killer344]

You would be surprised how many immigrants only speak limited spanish here as well......... lol... they're irrelevant.

[Spartan_Marine88]

The cultural discrepancy is on a different scale, Portugal-Spain-Germany-etc don't even share a language.

But they do share an alphabet

[nikomas]

But they do share an alphabet

Not exactly, they don't have åäö