Yes there is a large number of Americans who are so full of themselves it is really pathetic. However there are those of us who are not ignorant of things outside our countries boundries. (yes I call us Americans because we have America as part of our country name and since nobody else does it shouldn't matter)

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Originally posted by MC Infinity:
...By that I am not including all of those "fundy" countries that are inhabited by creatures with the intellectual capacity of sheep.

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I think that I may be grossly offended by this apparently radically stereotyped statement, however, I am not certain to what you are referring. Please let me be wrong.

I've just registered to this forum, although I've been reading it regularly for several years now (no joke!). I'm a longtime member of the trek bbs (*URL removed, for obvious reasons*, visit us, we'd be happy!). I didn't dare to post here because of my only fundamental knowledge of the English language, but this topic is too interesting for not taking part in the discussion. Please apologise and don't take me for a moron if I make a lot of spelling mistakes.

To the topic: I'm from Switzerland, and this country is known to be a very conservative one. It's the only country in middle-europe which is not part of the European Union. The average citizen in Switzerland is very sceptical about the U.S., because the U.S. democracy is completely underdeveloped compared to the Swiss version, so don't be to proud of your "Bill of Rights." Swiss citizens are allowed to vote several times a year about different political matters. This is called "Direct Democracy".- What you need is about 100'000 signatures of Swiss citizens who are above 18 years, and you can start a vote which concerns every possible matter which doesn't touch our Version of "the Bill of rights", "die Bundesverfassung".

I don't want to bash the U.S.A. in any ways, but I dare to say that our political System is far more developed, and has grown during the last let's say 100 years. I'm not proud to be Swiss (nationalism is a crime, like G.R. said), but I'm happy to live here, and not in the U.S.A. I'm afraid that especially the proud conservative U.S. Citizens like Omega would be shocked at how ridiculous the U.S. System seems to an educated European citizen. We still don't know how it was possible that someone who is that simple-minded and right-wing could be elected to the president of the most powerful country in the world. George Bush is considered extremely right-wing, even in a especially conservative country like Switzerland.

It's true that we Europeans are very influenced by U.S. culture. But this doen't mean that we feel in any kind inferior to the U.S., because there is absolutely no reason for it. If you talk about military power, ok, but which educated person is proud living in the most armed country?!? I'm happy that we have a good health system, and if someone loses his job, he won't become homeless.

I know there are some stereotypes in this text too, but this is our impression of the U.S.A. I have to say that there is a wave of Anti-Americanism in Switzerland right know which goes far beyond my "prejudices". So don't think I'm extreme in my point of view.

Anyway, I enjoy this forums, so I'll keep reading, if you flame me or not

Voivod

The Swiss. Ha. We all know what Scott Adams said about them. Look at them. Great watches, bitchin' chocolates, & no one's fucked with them in, what, 1200 years? The seed for the Zakdorn race, tell you. They even guard the damn Pope. And they luscious sweet 50-boat Swiss Navy on Lake Geneva--simply a thing of beauty.

I'm sorry for the "adverstisent" of my favorite Discussion Board, I didn't want do do any promotion. It's ok you deleted it.

I have to say, it's one of the more interesting posts to come up. Swiss democracy is obviously far more different from US democracy that, say the UK's or Canada's. And it's nice to have a different point of view.

Tim: You say it'd be hard. Sure it'd be hard to do in the form it is in Switzerland right now, but that doesn't mean it'd be impossible. I'm sure you could make the argument that democracy only works in small groups, and for large numbers of people, a single leader is required, otherwise you'd get bogged down in committees. But it's been proven that you don't need a monarch to run a country, or a dictator.

quote:

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Originally posted by Balaam Xumucane:

I think that I may be grossly offended by this apparently radically stereotyped statement, however, I am not certain to what you are referring. Please let me be wrong.

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And a participatory democracy wouldn't be as impossible as it used to be anymore. The advent of the internet & all that.