What makes an American? Some that pays taxes in America. The business of America is business. Our government views us all as objects to pay taxes. Example: Do you want to smoke? It will kill you, but pay the gov't taxes and you can. Want to ride in a car? You gotta be safe and wear a seatbelt. Another example: Alcoholism ruins thousands of lives, tax it and then it is OK. Grow pot and sell it and you get arrested because it is impossible to control. Prostitution is illegal, but it is legal for a factory to pollute the air if you pay for a permit.

The government wants your money, if you pay taxes to our government that is as patriotic as can be.

 

Ok, paying taxes is a good start... but what else?
If I ever go to Japan and buy myself an R33 skyline, I'll have to pay taxes on it... would that make me Japanese?!!!????!!!??

There has to be more to it...please keep them comming.

 

True that!

 

Well... Intelectual conversation is for some folks, and instant gratification/ pop cultire is for others...

Different strokes for different folks.

But in my opinikon, that is also part of what is deconstructing America lately... the "right now" generation attitudewhere anything that requires any sort of personal effort is just "too much work" to be worth doing.
like reading a long winded post to get any usefull meaning out of it.
It may not be accurate, but it suggests an intelectually lazy attitude ( I do realize some people come here for entertainment /amusemant only, and that is a perfectly acceptable attitude to have if that is your goal... just don't expect to gain any enlightment out of it)


Any other thoughts?

 

Intelectual?
This post is the same as the "Patriotism or Bigotry" thread. All Hardcorp is doing is restarting a political post in a new matter. He referenced this post in the "Political" thread saying it got way out of hand and caused a couple altercations. And I believe he drove almost 200 miles to confront someone about their postings. There is no real difference between these threads. There going to boil down to the same in the end.

your quote "But in my opinikon, that is also part of what is deconstructing America lately... " because we don't read a long winded post that is deconstructing America. Your Kidding right!!!

Your other quote "... in your opinion, what makes an american, an AMERICAN, and not just someone who happens to have US citizenship? (or not even that)" I believe that makes you a citizen of America.

 

No I'm not kidding... but you're putting the cart before the horse.

The "this post is too long so I'm not even going to bother" reference is an example, an ILUSTRATION of what I believe is a simptom of a larger problem with our current society.

And the reason that I call this post Intelectual, and not the other one,is because we are freely exchanging ideas and even poking holes in other people's logic without actually attacking/ insulting the poster. That is an intelectual exchange, as oposed to an argument/flame war.

If this thread degrades to an insut fest, it will stop being an intelectual exchange, and will become useless, and I'll be the first to call a Knock It Off on it and ask HC to delete it.

EDIT: But for now ok, we have paying taxes, and having US citizenship.
Is that it? do Americans really need nothing more than that in to have in common?
Right now it seems like being American is the same as paying for a Sams club membership (pay your dues, and have a Sam's club card)


There has to be more to it... keep them coming!!

 

My personal choice would argue that I move to another country long enough to become fluent in the language and the culture. Only then would I feel I've earned the perspective to make an unbiased comment on the definition of citizenship. If I were, say, a palm tree, it would be pretty narrow-branched of me to tell the other palms what it really means to stand tall and thrive without ever having seen a Sequoia!

 

Ok...anyone else find it amusing, that despite its numerous uses in this post, we can't seem to spell intellectual correctly?

 

Touche good sir... guilty as charged [8D]

I could use the excuse "english is not my first language" but I'll man up to my mistakes and admit that I was being lazy, and in my enthusiasm to post, forgot to spell check my typing.
It was plain carelessness on my part.

 

Tomake a sweeping statement ofanybody who immigrated to the USA without being in immenet danger of death is pathetic and idiotic at best. My parent's families didn't come here out of laziness, cowardice, or thievery. If busting your ***, going to school, and making something of your life by giving back to the communityis lazy, cowardly, thieving, and freeloading, then I guess I and my family are not Americans. I'm sure mine is not the only story with the same plot.