What Is It With Americans?

[Pensive Josh]

I think America itself has so many subcultures within it to generalize the entire country as being sexually repressed. I live in the rural midwest, and many people are hardcore fundamentalists, which annoys me because I'm pretty liberal. Where I used to live, sexuality was embraced as natural and healthy, no matter if you were straight, gay or bi. I kind of wish people were more open-minded where I live because you can't have an honest exchange about this kind of stuff without someone getting really angry. I guess there are ups and downs to living in any country though.

 

[invisibleman]

It is never about religion...it is about control and loss of power and influence.
(Think about it.) The concept of freedom is always different for every one.

 

[keeks]

Americans as a group are ridiculously uptight about sex and nudity. A goddamn breast during halftime and the country was in a tizzy. You woulda thunk someone had been violently raped and murdered on public television... but, uhmm, oh yea, that happens every night on TV. But a breast... now we're all goin to hell in a handbasket!

Americans can't even handle public breastfeeding... what a sorry lot we are, but as Scanjock said... some of the best porn Go figure.

 

[B_Stronzo]

Undoubtedly. Everyone thinks that Christians in this country are repressed and backwards...

No. We need to tell the uptight fuckers to stay the fuck out of our bedrooms.

So, those who think the Christians in this country are too controlling or too repressive need to have their heads examined!

Had it done. I've been given a clean bill of health.:biggrin1:

The 'examining' would need to be done by these Christians. But of course they're unable since they're largely incapable of reason without a Biblical bias. I say we need to tell the assholes to mind their own fucking business.

but have you any idea what kind of penalties they have in muslim countries for sexual crimes (which include adultery, fornication, and homosexuality?)

Oh how very fortunate we are to be suffering only the Christians just now... we lucky homos...

As for the Muslims I'll deal with them next. One batch of homophobes at a time please. Same rhetoric - different garments.

Tedious

 

[rob_just_rob]

It is never about religion...it is about control and loss of power and influence.
(Think about it.) The concept of freedom is always different for every one.

I think invisibleman is on the right track.

America has been empire-building since the end of the Cold War. To sustain an empire, you need (among other things) a belief that you are morally superior to your vassals. Without that belief, governments have a hard time convincing their citizens to fight to preserve the empire.

I think the recent swing towards puritanism in the USA helps the ruling class (and their servants) believe that their cause is a just one, and thereby sustains their resolve.

Large empires seem to repress their citizens the most, just because they need those citizens focused on the task at hand.

 

[Lex]

No. We need to tell the uptight fuckers to stay the fuck out of our bedrooms.
....

As for the Muslims I'll deal with them next. One batch of homophobes at a time please. Same rhetoric - different garments.

Tedious

Agreed. It makes sense to start with the dominant religious constraints here first. If we can change the oppressive mindset of some Christians here, other things should fall into place.

 

[D_Sheffield Thongbynder]

Agreed. It makes sense to start with the dominant religious constraints here first. If we can change the oppressive mindset of some Christains here, other things should fall into place.

Custer had better odds at Little Big Horn than we have to accomplish that.

 

[Lex]

Custer had better odds at Little Big Horn than we have to accomplish that.

It's early in the morning, here. I was trying to be optimistic. :tongue:

 

[rob_just_rob]

Christains

I know you probably didn't mean to spell it that way, but I like this new word and it will be added to my vocabulary, if you don't mind. :smile:

 

[Lex]

Fuck my typing before coffee is settled!

 

[D_Sheffield Thongbynder]

It's early in the morning, here. I was trying to be optimistic. :tongue:

Sorry. No one needs a cold shower this early(that's shower as in flower, not shower as in grower).

 

[rob_just_rob]

Fuck my typing before coffee is settled!

I'll take that as a "permission granted". :smile:

 

[agnslz]

Undoubtedly. Everyone thinks that Christians in this country are repressed and backwards, but have you any idea what kind of penalties they have in muslim countries for sexual crimes (which include adultery, fornication, and homosexuality?) It ain't pretty folks!

Fornication gets you 100 lashings. Adultery is punishable by death by stoning. Homosexuality gets you death by burning, stoning, or being thrown from tall buildings.

So, those who think the Christians in this country are too controlling or too repressive need to have their heads examined!

I agree with this to a point. America has many different kinds of Christians - fundamentalist, moderate, liberal and agnostic. We also have people of many different religions or no religous view at all. This is the main reason why radicalism will never happen here. Most Muslim countries are dominated by one or two kinds of Islamic fundamentalism, therefore, no oppurtunity exists for moderate views or attitudes to flourish or even take hold. I really wish that the U.S. was equal in it's criticism of Islamic nations that practice intolerance and extremism. Saudi Arabia is one country that seems to be given a free pass on this for various reasons. I for one love that America is not so dominated by fundamentalists, as to have the things you describe happening in Muslim nations, happen here. In my view the U.S. seems to be just right in terms of its mix of religions and religous views. Perhaps at the moment, fundamentalist Christian views dominate in politics, but I believe that will change soon. No other country in the world has the oppurtunity for such change IMO. There will be no great uprisings or coups when it does occur - it will be peaceful - and that is what seperates us from most Muslim nations.

 

[rob_just_rob]

"Dominated by fundamentalism" is all relative. Of course America's fundamentalists are much easier to live under than those in, say, Iran. And Iran probably looks pretty good compared with Afghanistan under the Taliban.

But those of us who live in liberal democracies would find living in the US "Bible Belt" pretty much intolerable, compared with what we're used to.

 

[agnslz]

"Dominated by fundamentalism" is all relative. Of course America's fundamentalists are much easier to live under than those in, say, Iran. And Iran probably looks pretty good compared with Afghanistan under the Taliban.

But those of us who live in liberal democracies would find living in the US "Bible Belt" pretty much intolerable, compared with what we're used to.

Right. I don't live in the bible belt, but I don't think it's all that bad. I know their are plenty of liberal and moderate people who live there. That's what I mean, America has places that are dominated by one viewpoint or another but not so much that people of those viewpoints can do whatever they like. I really don't think there will be public, or state sanctioned beheadings or stonings of gay people anytime soon in the bible belt. Of course it hasn't always been this way in America. The segregationist era and lynchings were examples of tolerated extremism in America.

 

[rob_just_rob]

It occurs to me that stonings, beheadings, and lynchings have simply been replaced by systematic harassment coupled with a steady erosion of human rights. In other words, working within the system.

 

[that_other_guy]

But those of us who live in liberal democracies would find living in the US "Bible Belt" pretty much intolerable, compared with what we're used to.

*raises hand* I live in the Bible Belt ... it's not so bad (except for the bob joneser's ) and most people are pretty tolerant & accepting.

 

[B_big dirigible]

Christians. It's because of Christians.

But of course. The militantly unreflective do need their scapegoats.

Now, after putting the old logical processes into gear, let's see .... Christianity might come into it if there was some common behavioral factor visible in the predominantly and prominently Christian countries .... Italy, Spain, Ireland, Philippines, Portugal, Poland .... what else, Ukraine? And just about everything south of the Rio Grande. Including Brazil.

In that list, the US isn't even in the running. Hmmm, maybe it's not about Christianity at all.

 

[agnslz]

*raises hand* I live in the Bible Belt ... it's not so bad (except for the bob joneser's ) and most people are pretty tolerant & accepting.

Ah yes! BJU, I know it well!:biggrin1::tongue:

 

[rob_just_rob]

*raises hand* I live in the Bible Belt ... it's not so bad (except for the bob joneser's ) and most people are pretty tolerant & accepting.

I've visited, and I have friends who live in the middle part of the USA. It's night and day.