Main diff between Europe and USA

Lowaicue said:
Well naturally I am referring to RP (what you quaintly refer to as 'Queen's English'.
But on a more serious note, it is as well to understand that nations are defined by their culture (no, not their etiqette). Culture is inextricably tied to language. So when you change language you are in danger of burying your culture for ever.
So when American schools accept Ebonics or British schools accept what, I think, is known in some quarters as 'street' they are part of the out-of-control machine that is destroying who we were.
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Ridiculous. Culture should be allowed to change as it desires. Language isn't defined by academics in some dust ridden room, it's defined by the people who speak it. People have been talking of the decline of culture and civilization since it began, and it gets tiring. There is no "better" language, there is no "better" culture. That is absurdity.
 
Watermarx said:
Ridiculous. Culture should be allowed to change as it desires. Language isn't defined by academics in some dust ridden room, it's defined by the people who speak it. People have been talking of the decline of culture and civilization since it began, and it gets tiring. There is no "better" language, there is no "better" culture. That is absurdity.
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au contrare, there are better cultures.
compare our culture to that of Somalia.
also a cheese culture is far better than a throat culture.
 
Watermarx said:
Ridiculous. Culture should be allowed to change as it desires. Language isn't defined by academics in some dust ridden room, it's defined by the people who speak it. People have been talking of the decline of culture and civilization since it began, and it gets tiring. There is no "better" language, there is no "better" culture. That is absurdity.
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You are entitled to your opinion but I am a little surprised. You, after all, represent a nation almost totally devoid of both history and culture on the one hand and a nation willing to do almost anything in its power to accumulate either. How often have you heard "I am one thirty-second Scottish" for example. How many millions of Americans flock to see the pied a terre of Whisky Liz and Phil the Greek?
But, if you have a moment, look at how our language was formed and has developed. How Latin grammar has built its foundations, how Latin and Greek affixes help us form words. Look at how many words you use that are the names of places and people, Gillette, Hoover, (Doones)bury.
No it's not ridiculous and yes language should be allowed to evolve BUT that evolution should respect the long an interesting journey the language has taken, from Indo European, through Germanic, Latin, Greek, French etc, etc.
It's who we are. It's why, despite the natural boorishness of the average American, Britain and America will always have a significant core of commonality.
 
*preemptively posts for uscitizen:

"oh well i guess that's why you are posting in this thread" :clink:
 
You can kiss my old ass Ground.
You are past tense.
an ex bushie talking about someone else failing. That is pathetic.
 
uscitizen said:
au contrare, there are better cultures.
compare our culture to that of Somalia.
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I was overgeneralizing I guess. Some cultures are rather barbaric and not well advanced.

I just don't think that slang and vernacular language is necessarily a bad thing. There are certain thoughts and moods that can't be expressed in highbrow language that can easily be expressed in vernacular. It expands languages communicative ability.
 
Lowaicue said:
You are entitled to your opinion but I am a little surprised. You, after all, represent a nation almost totally devoid of both history and culture on the one hand and a nation willing to do almost anything in its power to accumulate either. How often have you heard "I am one thirty-second Scottish" for example. How many millions of Americans flock to see the pied a terre of Whisky Liz and Phil the Greek?
But, if you have a moment, look at how our language was formed and has developed. How Latin grammar has built its foundations, how Latin and Greek affixes help us form words. Look at how many words you use that are the names of places and people, Gillette, Hoover, (Doones)bury.
No it's not ridiculous and yes language should be allowed to evolve BUT that evolution should respect the long an interesting journey the language has taken, from Indo European, through Germanic, Latin, Greek, French etc, etc.
It's who we are. It's why, despite the natural boorishness of the average American, Britain and America will always have a significant core of commonality.
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I am 1/2 Irish.

Not much to be proud of there. Mostly we just got conquered a lot and drank too much. It's the main reason there are probably more Irish in America than in Ireland.
 
Watermarx said:
I was overgeneralizing I guess. Some cultures are rather barbaric and not well advanced.

I just don't think that slang and vernacular language is necessarily a bad thing. There are certain thoughts and moods that can't be expressed in highbrow language that can easily be expressed in vernacular. It expands languages communicative ability.
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As long as our schools teach hillphonics.
 
curbstomp.jpg
 
that's what the guy gets for trying to steal his car O_O Didn't he learn his lesson on the basketball court?
 
Watermarx said:
I am 1/2 Irish.

Not much to be proud of there. Mostly we just got conquered a lot and drank too much. It's the main reason there are probably more Irish in America than in Ireland.
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and you are half something else. Is that half less important?
The Irish went to America thinking they were going to England. Thats why we got the smart one and you got the rest!
Seriously though it had quite a bit to do with taters not drunkeness. Ireland didn't get conquered much either.
 
charver said:
Europe has the gift of being able to write some new material.
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There are some really interesting differences between Americans and Europe.

For example;

Europeans invented beer. Americans invented the refrigerator to keep it cold.

Americans invented the airplane. Europeans discoved airplanes could be used to carpet bomb cities.

Americans invented constitutional democratic republican government. Europeans invented communism.

Europeans invented wrestling. Americans invented wrasslin.

Europeans have Royalty and Kings/Queens. Americans laugh at such antiquated and outmoded notions.

Europeans (with one notable exception) have fabulous cuisine. Americans have McDonalds.

Europeans developed modern science. Americans still believe in creationism.

But the most ironic difference between Americans and Europeans is that the Europeans sent much of their unwanted scum, criminals and villians to America and those unwanted scum, criminals and villians turned out to be the better people than those who stayed in Europe! LOL
 
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Mottleydude said:
There are some really interesting differences between Americans and Europe.

For example;

Europeans invented beer. Americans invented the refrigerator to keep it cold.

Americans invented the airplane. Europeans discoved airplanes could be used to carpet bomb cities.

Americans invented constitutional democratic republican government. Europeans invented communism.

Europeans invented wrestling. Americans invented wrasslin.

Europeans have Royalty and Kings/Queens. Americans laugh at such antiquated and outmoded notions.

Europeans have fabulous cuisine. Americans have McDonalds.

Europeans developed modern science. Americans still believe in creationism.

But the most ironic difference between Americans and Europeans is that the Europeans sent much of their unwanted scum, criminals and villians to America and those unwanted scum, criminals and villians turned out to be the better people than those who stayed in Europe! LOL
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Oh, I almost forgot. Europeans invented the automobile. Americans showed them how to build them.
 
Lowaicue said:
and you are half something else. Is that half less important?
The Irish went to America thinking they were going to England. Thats why we got the smart one and you got the rest!
Seriously though it had quite a bit to do with taters not drunkeness. Ireland didn't get conquered much either.
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Well it wasn't just about the taters. The fact that the British crown had enacted a policy of genocide against the Irish catholic peasantry may have had just a wee lil bit to do with the Irish Immigration.

My ancestors came over during the potato famine. It was a horrible time in history and was the most shamefull period in British history. It's one of the most disgusting examples of a Government and a society sanctioning genocide and clearly ranks up with the the Jewish holocaust as one of worst examples of mass murder by one society against another in human history.
 
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