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#11
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"I Am Not American" Web Site Adds Designs, Languages, Merchandise
Dairenn Lombard wrote: I like a lot of other Americans are probably too busy doing more important things with our time than making T-Shirts like, "I am not Canadian" or "I am not French." although if someone made them, I'll bet a lot of us would be very happy to wear them. Actually I'm a bit familiar with the kind of problem canadians face abroad. I'm dutch and every time I'm abroad people think I'm german. It's just very annoying. Not that I have something against germans, but I'm simply not german. In some parts of europe you used to get really lousy service if they thought you are german. That situation is improving luckely. Nils |
#12
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"I Am Not American" Web Site Adds Designs, Languages, Merchandise
On Tue, 02 Dec 2003 02:46:13 -0600, kkosuge wrote:
On Mon, 01 Dec 2003 15:15:59 GMT, devil wrote: On Sun, 30 Nov 2003 20:12:02 -0600, Karen wrote: If the seller truly wanted only to identify himself, why not use a more positive message such as "I am a Canadian"? I think it's disingenuous to say that he means no offense when he sells t-shirts that have an American flag with the international circle/slash symbol for "no" across it. A tad itchy? Who cares about what people may or may not have in mind. Is the statement offensive when taken at its face value, or not? Itchy? Nah, it's okay with me if people want to be offensive. After all, there are a couple of countries that I look upon with something less than affection. And sometimes I'm not too happy with my own country, either. I just get annoyed when people get all coy about it like the t-shirt guy. Let me repeat: if one insists in being proud of being a Martian, then I think it's fairly reasonable to grant me the right of being proud of *not* being a Martian. Now, I submit both are somewhat silly. But as they say, that's another story. In the context of the way the current US government behaves in Iraq, it's truly *not being American* that matters, if you think of it. Not that I come from this or that minor tribe. Well, context is everything. He's not saying I'm not an American as a national identification. He's saying " I don't belong to that (insert insulting adjective) country, so don't associate me with them." Okay, fair enough, but don't write on and on about how it's not meant to be anti-American. Of course it is. That's why he's disingenuous. No. You *continue* putting words in the guy's mouth. The teeshirt does *not* contain your "insert insulting adjective." You decide to read insulting words that are not there. Insults are insults. Said or written. Not decided by you to be in other people's mind. Not decided by context but prima facie. You are just being too touchy. You are actually advertising your own insecurity. Actually you can equally well decide from the context that the guy is anti-Bush administration. You think it would be anti-American for me to say that at the moment, I am damn happy not to live in the US? (Not that particularly approve of the teeshirts, BTW.) |
#13
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"I Am Not American" Web Site Adds Designs, Languages, Merchandise
MTV wrote:
I'd like to see Europeans with T-shirts that say, "Thanks, George! We'll take it from here." And would you like to have seen Americans in the 1930s with T-shirts that say, "Thanks, Adolf! We'll take it from here."? Just curious. \\J. Smith |
#14
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"I Am Not American" Web Site Adds Designs, Languages, Merchandise
Dairenn Lombard wrote:
I like a lot of other Americans are probably too busy doing more important things with our time than making T-Shirts like, "I am not Canadian" or "I am not French." ... And why should you do it? You wouldn't make much money. I think it's cool. I notice you can order the T-shirts *without* the English translation. So you can get one in Arabic that Arabs will understand, and when Americans ask you what it says, you can tell them "It means 'I Am A Proud American.'" And since Americans seem to be too lazy to study foreign languages, they'll have to believe you. \\J. Smith |
#15
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"I Am Not American" Web Site Adds Designs, Languages, Merchandise
I can sort of understand a person wanting to wear one of these shirts if they
are in the Middle East or something, but I Hm. Right. Total cowardice, that's the ticket.... In light of the recent bombings in Istanbul, how about T-shirts saying, "I am not a Jew?" |
#16
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"I Am Not American" Web Site Adds Designs, Languages, Merchandise
devil wrote:
In the context of the way the current US government behaves in Iraq, it's truly *not being American* that matters, if you think of it. Not that much - somewhere around half of Americans don't support the war. miguel -- See the world from your web browser: http://travel.u.nu/ |
#17
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"I Am Not American" Web Site Adds Designs, Languages, Merchandise
"Nils Zonneveld" wrote in message
... I'm simply not german. In some parts of europe you used to get really lousy service if they thought you are german. That situation is improving luckely. Maybe they're bad tippers? |
#18
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"I Am Not American" Web Site Adds Designs, Languages, Merchandise
McWebber wrote: "Nils Zonneveld" wrote in message ... I'm simply not german. In some parts of europe you used to get really lousy service if they thought you are german. That situation is improving luckely. Maybe they're bad tippers? We dutch are probably even worse tippers. When I was in New York I was shocked to hear that service personel expected a 20% tip (gasp!). At home I'm used to tipping to round to the next 5 euro's if the service was good. But then again, service is included in the prices here (not that New York is any cheaper than Amsterdam despite that). Nils |
#19
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"I Am Not American" Web Site Adds Designs, Languages, Merchandise
"Nils Zonneveld" wrote in message
... McWebber wrote: "Nils Zonneveld" wrote in message ... I'm simply not german. In some parts of europe you used to get really lousy service if they thought you are german. That situation is improving luckely. Maybe they're bad tippers? We dutch are probably even worse tippers. When I was in New York I was shocked to hear that service personel expected a 20% tip (gasp!). At home I'm used to tipping to round to the next 5 euro's if the service was good. But then again, service is included in the prices here (not that New York is any cheaper than Amsterdam despite that). I'm not sure what service personnel *expect* a 20% tip. They might like it, but generally expect 15%. But, since you know that service is not included in the prices, you tip accordingly. -- McWebber No email replies read If someone tells you to forward an email to all your friends please forget that I'm your friend. |
#20
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"I Am Not American" Web Site Adds Designs, Languages, Merchandise
Knotso wrote:
I can sort of understand a person wanting to wear one of these shirts if they are in the Middle East or something, but I Hm. Right. Total cowardice, that's the ticket.... I don't understand the objection to the practice of wearing a T-shirt bearing a true statement that disassociates you from a country whose policies you consider despicable. If I were Dutch, and in 1930s England, I would certainly consider wearing a T-shirt that said "I am not a German." It's a token of the rejection of wrongdoing and solidarity with righteousness. "Cowardice" doesn't come into it. |
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