Refuting Ombugge's left wing rhetoric

Meh, a flag with a cross on it. . . how many can there be? Oh, wait. . . . .

Interesting article. . . maybe because I started traveling abroad (at sea) at the tender age of 19 and had less of a guarded upbringing, I see things a bit differently. Of course I rarely travel out of the US for entertainment or vacation, and spend little casual time outside of work. . . of course I also understand that we will just about always favor the country where we come from. That said, much of what is said about the US by those abroad is shaded, also. . .

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The American woman in Turkey is from New Jersey. New Jersites are a special subset of American. She grew up in New Jersey, went to school in Philly (just across the river), and worked in New York (across the other river). This girl has never been more than 2 miles from New Jersey in America. America is a big place with lots of diversity, but she has never seen any of it.

If you go to go on vacation anywhere on the East Coast from Maine to Florida and encounter another obnoxious and embarrassing tourist, that is giving his fellow tourists a bad name with the locals, more often than not, he’s from New Jersey. I see the same obnoxious New Jersities in Mexico and elsewhere. They are the prototypical “Ugly American.”

She’s a good writer, but being from New Jersey, she doesn’t have any perspective about America. Probably, there is a lot more to Turkey than just Istanbul, but I wouldn’t know.

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Yes that is true, but you can also develop affinity for an adopted country without loosing your origin.
That is something that appears to be difficult for people in Europe and even in USA to grasp, hence it is difficult for immigrants to be accepted as “real …” (Make your pick).

I am amazed at the attitude that immigrants have to become “just like us”, but emigrants from their country that retain their culture and language after years of living abroad bring tears to their eyes.

Example:
Norwegian are VERY proud of the fact that Norwegian-American in 3rd generation eat Lutefisk and Lefse and say “Uffa”. But a person that move to Norway will have to learn to do the same IMMEDIATELY.
Even a 3rd generation person of Pakistani origin will not be seen as a “real” Norwegian by most, except if he/she excel in sports, music, or some other thing that can be bragged about.

There is a big difference in me moving to a country I like and because I like it I will be like them.
Or I go somewhere and try to make it like the place I left and my new homeland must accept it.

Growing up in Australia in the 60. 70’s I know lots about that, but that doesnt compare with what happens now.

PS Chinese have been in Australia since the whiteman invaded, lots forget about that.

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I remember a great immmigration and assimilation speech by an Austrailian Premier. It was circulated in the US as exactly the speech the US President should give.

Basically, it was come and assimilate into Australian culture, or don’t come at all. And if you don’t like it here go home.

Obviously, you meant Uffda.

The only Uffa I can think of is Uffa Fox, the British naval architect.

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This woman sound as if she had no intellectual curiosity and never read a book prior to leaving NJ. She’s the modern day equivalent of a prisoner in Plato’s Allegory of the Cave.

Ombugge, you contribute a lot of really interesting articles, stories, and information on this forum but all of it usually contains some sort of barb or criticism of the predominant nationality of those that dwell here. I’m not sure what your agenda is in all of this. And so, if you are trying to “educate” the American masses you are failing miserably, because you have made yourself tiresome. You understand a very little about the US, that much is clear. And that’s ok, you don’t have to understand it (you seem to have put in a significant effort on understanding China, Hell you’ve even started threads about that and have continued to contribute to them even when no one else has any interest in it). Take a drive from NYC to Seattle. Meander South a bit once you get West of the Mississippi. Talk to some people. Practice what you preach. Then come back and try to school the rest of us on how our country should be run.

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Haha…Yeah I’d say to stay North of the Ohio River on his way West. Tread lightly in Texas as well.

His anti gun globalist schtick (among other views) won’t play well in those areas.

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Eh, he should understand what Texas (not just Houston) is all about and I80 runs though the northern plains. Once he gets to Nebraska/Colorado he needs to hit I70! lol!

Both you and me obviously like to stay in Singapore and are able to adapt to the way of life there, but have you become a Singaporean through and through?? I do detect a bit of fair dinkum Aussie there still, Matey,
I also believe that most Singaporean see you as an Ang Moh, no matter if you can speak Singlish and eat Durian.

Are there any example of where recent emigrants have tried to “take over” the country they moved to? There are some ethnic “ghettos” being formed where they live a life much like home, but that is far from "taking over’
BTW; There are plenty of examples from earlier days where the new arrivals took what they wanted though. (Sometime with not too “gentle” methods)

Yes, both the Chinese and the Dutch had been to Australia before Capt. Cook.
In fact Admiral Zheng He explored and even prospected Australia several hundred years before Cook:

He is reported to have found it “not fit for human habitation” though.

Yes Uffda!! (The even more advanced may even say; “uffa meg”)

No hope of educate the American masses. If I can manage to change the attitude of but a few of those who frequent this forum my mission is accomplished.

I detect that Americans have no problem criticising other countries, although they don’t know anything about them, except what they have been feed by ill informed, biased and/or deliberately distorted reporting in local media.

My “agenda” is to refute such misinformed opinions with facts.You get very agitated and sometime insulting when some foreigner come and point out that you are wrong, or that America isn’t always the “good guys”, while foreigners are always inferiour “3rd world villagers”.

As for you advise on travelling, I’ll throw that back at you.Try see some foreign countries with an open and unbiased mind, not from a “high and mighty” standpoint.

wow!! 400 replies … boy i’m glad i didn’t get stuck in this tar baby. it’s a fight only the ‘right’ can win, ha ha ha.

As to the “No hope of educating the American masses” Comment - you are just proving my point here.
Your “detection” of Americans criticizing other countries, although they don’t know anything about them" has no place here among so many of the well traveled American sailors and points out how close minded you really are.
Your “agenda” is off the rails - your delivery of said facts is continuously laced with opinions and lacks credibility as a result.
I have traveled - all over the world, including Norway multiple places at multiple times, and have had the privilege of working with people extensively that span at least 50% of the different nationalities out there. Bottom line? Regardless of nationality, religion, culture, etc etc etc - each country/culture/etc. has their version of rednecks, liberal elites, conservatives et all - and basically we are all the same - we want a good life, basically go about it in the same way, and no one is smarter then the other.
I’m wasting my time here, though, with you. It’s always a pleasure arguing with a true, ignorant hypocrite.

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And, incidentally, those times I have traveled to Norway? They were a great bunch of people. I liked them. They were nothing like you.

I don’t think you can reach the “American masses” through this forum, but a few may be “enlightened” by the facts I bring to market.

You have to have opinions to have a discussion. People without opinions are called “politicians”, who change their mind according to the latest “opinion poll”.

I said;“see the world with an open and unbiased mind”, not with a preconceived perception.

Maybe, just maybe I’m different from other Norwegians because I have lived and worked outside Norway most of my life and can see things different from them too.

Besides, working with card carrying Rednecks MAY just have coloured my views a little.

Well that was probably the most civil response I’ve seen you give to an argument However - who made you the one who’s going to change all our minds? AND - if you actually are the chosen one, maybe take a different tack? Also - what makes you think the Norwegians I’ve met and worked with haven’t at least traveled a bit? Most of those I’ve met have the same back ground as me… those I’ve met just wondering around Norway ie non-oil and gas folks were pretty open minded and nice - if a bit brusque - kinda like our New Englanders.

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He is a Sunnmøring, they think they are the second coming of Jesus combined with a ego the size of Australia. It’s a peculiar people. That they are shrewd business people and very successful in the maritime industry doesn’t help on the high thoughts they have of themselves.

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