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Canadians, Kiwis, Aussies and their flags



 
 
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  #11  
Old June 27th, 2004, 11:06 AM
tim
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Default Canadians, Kiwis, Aussies and their flags


zzyyxx wrote in message ...
Why do they insist on putting their flags onto their backpacks and

whatnot?
I'm an American who's done quite a bit of traveling in Europe in the last
couple years and haven't experienced any problems with people disliking or
being rude to me. So why do they feel the need to proclaim that they're

not
American?


Is this why they do it? It never occurred to me.

Like you wouldn't be able to tell from their accents!


You and I can tell the difference. The average non-first-language
english speaker cannot. If I tell my colleagues the nationality
of an english speaking foreigner, they ask how I can possibly
tell the difference. (And yes, this seems strange to me as well)

It's kind of
insulting to me too, because they don't want to be mistaken for an

American,
like there's something wrong with being American.


Presumably the paranoia that has caused you to believe this
is the reason, is what is wrong.

tim


  #12  
Old June 27th, 2004, 12:29 PM
Dave Smith
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Default Canadians, Kiwis, Aussies and their flags

zzyyxx wrote:


Americans *rarely* display a flag on their backpack or whatnot. It is much
more common for Canadians to do so, and even some Kiwis and Aussies.


You have got to be kidding. I don't think that anything could be further from
the truth. I deal with a lot of Americans on the job and live in an area where
there are a lot of American tourists. It's not just the flags and flag decals
on their cars, but the Stars and stripes motif is incorporated in hats,
jackets, sweaters, sweat shirts, T shirts, shorts, pants, dresses, earrings.



Like you wouldn't be able to tell from their accents!


I assure you that almost no European will be able to distinguish between
the accents of Canadians & Americans. Lots of Canadians sound just
like Midwestern Americans except for the occasional difference in "out"
("oot") as in "about."


True. But they should be able to distinguish between American and
Kiwi/Aussie.


  #13  
Old June 27th, 2004, 02:48 PM
Miguel Cruz
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Default Canadians, Kiwis, Aussies and their flags

Alan wrote:
Incidentally, very few of the Americans, when we travelled there last
March, were even aware we were in Iraq, but then most of them were
confused as to our location


The Americans you ran into in Iraq were with the government and probably
just being parsimonious with details. I'm sure they knew they were in iraq.

Okay, okay, I know. But the way you wrote it...

miguel
--
Hit The Road! Photos and tales from around the world: http://travel.u.nu
  #14  
Old June 27th, 2004, 03:21 PM
Sjoerd
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Default Canadians, Kiwis, Aussies and their flags


"Miguel Cruz" schreef in bericht
...
Alan wrote:
Incidentally, very few of the Americans, when we travelled there last
March, were even aware we were in Iraq, but then most of them were
confused as to our location


The Americans you ran into in Iraq were with the government and probably
just being parsimonious with details. I'm sure they knew they were in

iraq.

I am not so sure. These soldiers don't seem to be the most intelligent that
America has to offer. It is probably more like "if this is Tuesday's war it
must be Iraq".

Sjoerd


  #15  
Old June 27th, 2004, 03:27 PM
Bjorn Olsson
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Default Canadians, Kiwis, Aussies and their flags

"Pete" wrote in message hlink.net...
No, it's the distinction from the American thing.


Really? Have you interviewed a significant number of them to verify
your claim? Australians do not need a flag to separate themselves
from Americans as their accent is quite different.


Also many Swedes, Norwegians, Swiss, Dutch, Danes, etc, put flags on
their backpacks, which presumably has nothing to do with trying to
avoid being mistaken for americans.

I think it is a "small country phenomenon", since the French, British,
and Americans seem to do this much more rarely.

Bjorn
  #16  
Old June 27th, 2004, 03:42 PM
AlmostBob
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Default Canadians, Kiwis, Aussies and their flags

| True. But they should be able to distinguish between American and
| Kiwi/Aussie.
|

That is why,, we dont want to be mistaken by "they" for someone who assumes
that "they should be able to distinguish..."


  #17  
Old June 27th, 2004, 04:08 PM
devil
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Posts: n/a
Default Canadians, Kiwis, Aussies and their flags

On Sat, 26 Jun 2004 22:35:07 -0400, zzyyxx wrote:

Why do they insist on putting their flags onto their backpacks and whatnot?
I'm an American who's done quite a bit of traveling in Europe in the last
couple years and haven't experienced any problems with people disliking or
being rude to me. So why do they feel the need to proclaim that they're not
American? Like you wouldn't be able to tell from their accents! It's kind of
insulting to me too, because they don't want to be mistaken for an American,
like there's something wrong with being American.


Isn't there?

:-)

  #18  
Old June 27th, 2004, 04:19 PM
Tim Kroesen
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Default Canadians, Kiwis, Aussies and their flags

In my recent Three weeks in Europe I can recall but One person whom I
could ID as an American via 'patriotic garb'...

Then of course where the Two ladies at Keukenhof whom I ID'd as American
Mennonites (Amish) via their garb; while everyone else there thought
them local workers 'in costume'...g

Tim K

"Dave Smith" wrote in message
...
zzyyxx wrote:


Americans *rarely* display a flag on their backpack or whatnot. It

is much
more common for Canadians to do so, and even some Kiwis and Aussies.


You have got to be kidding. I don't think that anything could be

further from
the truth. I deal with a lot of Americans on the job and live in an

area where
there are a lot of American tourists. It's not just the flags and

flag decals
on their cars, but the Stars and stripes motif is incorporated in

hats,
jackets, sweaters, sweat shirts, T shirts, shorts, pants, dresses,

earrings.



Like you wouldn't be able to tell from their accents!

I assure you that almost no European will be able to distinguish

between
the accents of Canadians & Americans. Lots of Canadians sound just
like Midwestern Americans except for the occasional difference in

"out"
("oot") as in "about."


True. But they should be able to distinguish between American and
Kiwi/Aussie.



  #19  
Old June 27th, 2004, 04:19 PM
Tim Kroesen
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default Canadians, Kiwis, Aussies and their flags

If it's any day of the week you can expect anti-American crap from
Sjoerd too...

Tim K

"Sjoerd" wrote in message
...

"Miguel Cruz" schreef in bericht
...
Alan wrote:
Incidentally, very few of the Americans, when we travelled there

last
March, were even aware we were in Iraq, but then most of them were
confused as to our location


The Americans you ran into in Iraq were with the government and

probably
just being parsimonious with details. I'm sure they knew they were

in
iraq.

I am not so sure. These soldiers don't seem to be the most intelligent

that
America has to offer. It is probably more like "if this is Tuesday's

war it
must be Iraq".

Sjoerd



  #20  
Old June 27th, 2004, 04:23 PM
David Horne
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Posts: n/a
Default Canadians, Kiwis, Aussies and their flags

[top-post fixed]

Tim Kroesen wrote:

"Sjoerd" wrote in message
...


I am not so sure. These soldiers don't seem to be the most
intelligent that America has to offer. It is probably more like "if
this is Tuesday's war it must be Iraq".


If it's any day of the week you can expect anti-American crap from
Sjoerd too...


Good grief then, what are you saying- that they _were_ the most
intelligent America has to offer?

David

--
David Horne- www.davidhorne.net
usenet (at) davidhorne (dot) co (dot) uk
 




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