Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1999/09/30

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Subject: RE: [Leica] OFF TOPIC, "Americans"
From: Paul Chefurka <Paul_Chefurka@pmc-sierra.com>
Date: Thu, 30 Sep 1999 11:13:14 -0700

I know I said I'd stop, but this is too interesting to let pass.

> From: Joe Codispoti [mailto:joecodi@thegrid.net]
> 
> My wife - who is Peruvian - considers herself American.
> I think that "American" has become synonymous with US citizen 
> simply because
> it is cumbersome to say "I am an US citizen".
> Many Germans refer to their country as Europa. I have been 
> hearing this as
> far back as 1960

Very interesting, Joe - I hadn't realized that.

> 
> Maybe for political, cultural, personal, and other reasons, 
> some Canadians
> may not want to associate themselves with what "America" (US) 
> has come to
> represent in their eyes.

I think there's a lot of truth to that.  The phrase "sleeping with an
elephant" springs to mind.  The fact that this sentiment is so strong here
may have led Canadians to assume that the rest of the continent shares this
view.  This would appear to be the same sort of cultural self-centeredness
we take such delight in accusing "US citizens" of.  Hmmm - hoist by our own
petard, it would appear!

Paul Chefurka