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Arrogant American

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Arrogant American

from JoeUser Forums
The following article was inspired by a recent posting about arrogant americans:

There is nothing new in old Europe viewing Americans as arrogant. Europe has a long history of doing so, and I, as an American, wholeheartedly agree that we Americans are indeed an arrogant bunch-- even to a fault: i.e., every American who died on foreign soil in defense of the liberty and freedoms of some other fella, who was a complete stranger no less, might be considered by some a fault.

It was indeed an arrogant thing when the founding fathers of America challenged the old order of Europe, and declared the ideal of individual liberty, born out of the rugged wilderness of the new world. Yes, it was indeed an arrogant thing of Americans to declare independence from the colonial rule of England, and promulgate that We Americans “hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal….” Yes, t was indeed an arrogant thing when the great American patriot, Patrick Henry, declared in March, 1775, in The War Inevitable, that: “ I know not what course others may take; but as for me, give me liberty or give me death!”

Yes, it is indeed true that We Americans are an arrogant bunch. So I ask the world: in light of all of America’s conceded arrogance, is the world indeed a better thing-- place?

Being merely of this earth, I don’t know the answer to that question, but I do know that for me America is a noble thing indeed. So while I will plead guilty to being born in a Nation of arrogant men& women, I will not ever concede that we are selfish with our arrogance. Just go ask the living relatives of 19,000 arrogant Americans who died in Europe’s war at the battle of the bulge, and every other American who has arrogantly died for some other guy he doesn’t even know. It is not we Americans who are arrogant, but our ideals that are arrogant. Freedom is not only an arrogant thing, but is also a noble thing indeed. I for one am so very grateful that the consciousness that I am was born here in America. My only regret about being born an American is that I only wish I was born 125 plus years earlier when the West was still wild, and rugged individualism carried the day.
politics
24,019 views 32 replies
Reply #26 from JoeUser Forums Top
rightwinger-- Interestingly, in The Godfather Michael Corlone joins the Army to fight in W.W.II, which goes against his father, Don Vitone's wishes. You see, Michael has been Americanized in a way his father can't understand. The Don is from a culture that developed his consciousness of being in such a way that he cannot comprehend the idea of fighting for a Nation-State, in other words, for strangers: Only the affairs of the Family matter in the Don's mind.

In the Godfather, The Don says:

" As for our own deeds, we are not responsible to the .90 calibers, the pezzonovantis who take it upon themselves to decide what we shall do with our lives, who declare wars they wish us to fight in order to protect what they own. Who is to say we should obey the laws they made to protect their own interests? Sonna cosa nosa, these are own affairs. We shall manage our own world for ourselves because it is our world, cosa nostra. Therefore, we stick together to guard against outside meddlers. Otherwise, they put the ring in our nose as they have put the ring in the nose of all the millions of Neapolitans and other Italians in this country."


Don Vitone would not approve of anyone from his family fighting in the war in Iraq because of his Sicilian mindset, his inherent distrust of the government, the pezzonovantis. Now Don Michael, on the other hand, is Americanized. While Michael knows how to think like a Sicilian, as an American he believes in values & principles that Don Vito would spit on: Michael would approve of his children fighting in Iraq, Don Vitone would find great fault in such thing.

As we are all merely grasshoppers, much knowledge can be extracted from understanding the Sicilian mindset because so much more of the worlds’ populace thinks more in the terms of Don Vitone, than like Michael.

Reply #27 from JoeUser Forums Top
BTW, my favorite line from the flick is when Clemenza, after just having whacked Paulie, tells Rocko: "Take the connolies; leave the gun."
Elemental: Reforged
Reply #28 from JoeUser Forums Top

BTW, my favorite line from the flick is when Clemenza, after just having whacked Paulie, tells Rocko: "Take the connolies; leave the gun."


That has to be a classic!  Loved the book more, and was real dissappointed with the movie.  But Marlon Brando was the perfect Don!

Reply #29 from JoeUser Forums Top
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rightwinger-- Interestingly, in The Godfather Michael Corlone joins the Army to fight in W.W.II, which goes against his father, Don Vitone's wishes. You see, Michael has been Americanized in a way his father can't understand. The Don is from a culture that developed his consciousness of being in such a way that he cannot comprehend the idea of fighting for a Nation-State, in other words, for strangers: Only the affairs of the Family matter in the Don's mind.

In the Godfather, The Don says:

" As for our own deeds, we are not responsible to the .90 calibers, the pezzonovantis who take it upon themselves to decide what we shall do with our lives, who declare wars they wish us to fight in order to protect what they own. Who is to say we should obey the laws they made to protect their own interests? Sonna cosa nosa, these are own affairs. We shall manage our own world for ourselves because it is our world, cosa nostra. Therefore, we stick together to guard against outside meddlers. Otherwise, they put the ring in our nose as they have put the ring in the nose of all the millions of Neapolitans and other Italians in this country."


Don Vitone would not approve of anyone from his family fighting in the war in Iraq because of his Sicilian mindset, his inherent distrust of the government, the pezzonovantis. Now Don Michael, on the other hand, is Americanized. While Michael knows how to think like a Sicilian, as an American he believes in values & principles that Don Vito would spit on: Michael would approve of his children fighting in Iraq, Don Vitone would find great fault in such thing.

As we are all merely grasshoppers, much knowledge can be extracted from understanding the Sicilian mindset because so much more of the worlds’ populace thinks more in the terms of Don Vitone, than like Michael.


Whoa....I think you took my offhand comment a little too much to heart, but I reach out to shake the hand of a fellow "Godfather" lover.



BTW, my favorite line from the flick is when Clemenza, after just having whacked Paulie, tells Rocko: "Take the connolies; leave the gun."



Yeah; that was a great line; in fact, I often use it as a signature on other forum sites (along with Darth Vader's "Your lack of faith disturbs me", from "Star Wars").
One of my favorite lines comes actually from "GFPart 2", in which Michael declines to join in the investments in Cuba because he sees the unrest around him in such very practical terms. Assured that the army could keep the rebels in line, he replied:

"The soldiers get paid, the rebels do not."
Ultimately, he realized that the rebels, then, had a better chance of winning, which of course they did.
It showed the wisdom, understanding of human nature and foresight he possessed. Santino would never have made the Don Michael did. He lacked the emotional depth, wisdom and sensitivity. He also was not as good at strategic thinking, as opposed to tactical (which was pointed out in the novel). And Fredo? Fuggeddaboudit!

I had the great good fortune last summer to find a first edition (without the dust jacket, of course...my luck couldn't be that good), of "The Godfather" at a Goodwill store.....for a dollar! Amazing the stuff you can find at Goodwill, you know?
Reply #30 from JoeUser Forums Top
The arrogant American is in reality the US governments flagerant disregard for the soverinity of other nations. The American government thinks it has the right to tell other nations what they can and cannot do, while at the same time doing anything it wants to. It holds other nations responsible for human rights abuses and tells the world that it can torture people in its so called war on terror. It can invade a nation that had nothing to do with 9/11. I think that is called arrogance.
Another factor is the people who in their ignorance chear on the torture, who chear on the the invasion the killing and the murder sanctioned by the US government. These people tell other nations citizens that as they are americans, it is their opinions alone that matters and if the others don't like it, to get of the internet, which as we are all supposed to know - is an american invention.
Reply #31 from JoeUser Forums Top
The arrogant American is in reality the US governments flagerant disregard for the soverinity of other nations. The American government thinks it has the right to tell other nations what they can and cannot do, while at the same time doing anything it wants to. It holds other nations responsible for human rights abuses and tells the world that it can torture people in its so called war on terror. It can invade a nation that had nothing to do with 9/11. I think that is called arrogance.
Another factor is the people who in their ignorance chear on the torture, who chear on the the invasion the killing and the murder sanctioned by the US government. These people tell other nations citizens that as they are americans, it is their opinions alone that matters and if the others don't like it, to get of the internet, which as we are all supposed to know - is an american invention.


--Not so...

-- When i last visited Europe (germany), i received a fairly warm welcome...although public opinion has probably changed since the war and other things... I have several pen pals from various places in the world, and they are awesome...they arn't like what some amaericans think...