Are you guys jealous in America of Europe's cultural achievements?

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10 pts for me?

I spent all my teenage years in Paris and travelled extensively through Europe. Every time I would visit the US when I was living there I felt like we were a very dirty country. The Europeans have standards and a sense of pride for their fellow citizens and country that in no way match our own. There is a genuine sincerity that we as Americans just don't have. That said, I would live in Paris again and for the rest of my life if given the chance. I think NY is disgusting and can only stay there for about 4 days before I feel physically ill.

Don't get me wrong, I love the US, I am a citizen. I do feel that our standards (on a side note, we are slowly sinking into 3rd world standards) will never match those of the Europeans.

Jeff S Go Zags!

This American is jealous of the cultural achievements of Europe.

We have the ignorant beauty of youth going for us right now....which a lot of locals pride.

forgive us. we are the equivalent of a teenager disrespecting our elders. give us time. we will grow up.

Kakitiss

Oh man I agree... once you find a country where more people than not weigh less than 300 pounds, all of whom know where the Sudan is and with whom you could have an intelligent conversation about current events without them immediately bringing guns, christianity or simple ignorance into it, you fall in love.
I grew up in the states, and I love Portland, OR for the demeanor of the people and the weather, but the ignorance of Americans in general and the accents make me cringe when I go back now. >_<

"Belgium?" *horribly nasal* "Yeah... yeah mah aunt went there.... its in Sweden right????"

God. -_-

Lola

Heck, I ain't jealous! We got not gun control, no health care system, and we like to bomb the crap out of other countries. What more could a fundamental Christian want? They're the best 'cultural achievements', you lard eatin low down dufus!

ManD_Z

Yes!

But its really not fair, We've only been here 200 years.

dutchlady

Why compare oranges and apples? Each has its own good points and bad. I lived in Europe for ten years, visited all of the places mentioned, and yet, each time someone spoke to me after hearing me speak English, they told of their dream to visit America. Yes, Visit...just as I was doing in Paris, Berlin, Copenhagen, etc. All places are nice to visit; you have to live, eat and have contacts in places to know what the area is like, not just a visit. This is too superficial.
Yes, Paris was nice. But so is Orange County, California. Yes, Berlin was nice, but so is N.Y.C. point by point, each has its features worth seeing.
And now that I am back in America, I have many visitors from Europe, wanting to go to Universal Studios, Disneyland, Yosemite, Grand Canyon, etc. There are always more foreigners than locals at these places. And my friends and relatives always come back for more...America is so big, that I haven't even seen it all. After 5 visits to Paris, I quite going. Nice, but not more than a tourist stop, unless there are friends, family and other things to keep me going back. As in all towns, cities, and states, or countries.
If it is only about tourism, a good DVD fills the bill. Travel is more than that, and living is the best way to be anywhere.
Have fun everyone, as you travel, but isn't it always nice to come back home?

Me, Too

What a provocative question. I have been to Paris, Rome and London and I came back to America. As I went through customs, I noticed that there was a short line of Americans returning home.....and a very, very long line of foreign people coming in, so we must have something going for us.

We are not jealous of Europe's cultural achievements. We respect the antiquity of Europe, even as we laugh at Henry the Eighth with all those wives and the French beheading the royalty, or the Italians hanging Mussolini's body in the public square. We didn't do that to Nixon, did we? Are we less barbaric?

That doesn't take away from the Louvre, walking the West Bank where Hemingway and Fitzgerald walked, looking at the architectural wonders of Europe. Nothing like it, but you can't get ice in a drink, you can't find a Coke that isn't tepid, and the coffee sucks. That said, it is true that Europe is moving ahead in many ways that America has not yet done. Health care and public transportation are two of them. Give us time, we'll catch up.

All of the cities you mention are beautiful and well worth seeing, even though each of them have their slum areas. But none of them can measure up to America, because we have beautiful cities, vast forests, quaint rural areas, scenic deserts and towering mountains. As the song says...from sea to shining sea, it's the land that dreams are made of.

Orla C

Of course they are. They wish they were us! And it pisses them off that they 'saved' us from Hitler (and all that was was timing, people, timing) but we still say, yeah, whatever .... and enjoy our cultural whatevers. Because we CAN.

Oh, and why are so many Europeans going to America at the moment? Because it's now a CHEAP HOLIDAY DESTINATION. I know people who go to New York for a long weekend for shopping, because the Euro is so strong against the dollar. Many of those people take empty suitcases and bring them back full. So you might see them in a long line at the airport, but they are not going there to live. They're just going to cream the bargains and make the most of their strong currency. The short queue of Americans returning to America is indicative of the fact that many of them cannot afford to go to Europe right now.

The shoe is on the other foot now, I'm afraid. It used to be that the dollar was strong, but right now it isn't. It will probably get strong again.

akluis

oh, you are right, I will go cry now....NOT

ProfessorRoy

America loves those cities. In fact, many of us are buried around there because we died protecting them. They would not exist today otherwise.

guided by voices

London living is extortionate, the place makes your snot black, the economy is based largely on the phoney wealth of debt, it's swimming with illegal immigrants and non-English speakers, and it's one of the most crime-infested cities in the world.

I'll stay here in Portland if that's ok with you buddy.

Steven R

Whats Europe? Were in America is that?

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