What represents American (U.S.) Culture to you?

[declansdad]

In a way, yes. Most of the world was ruled by monarchies or had a caste system firmly in place. Democracies have existed before, but the Constitutional Republic concept was unique at that time.

BTW, I am not saying that this makes America any better today, just that it made America unique then...

The concept was actually proposed by Aristotle and the first constitutional republic was the Corsican Republic (1755).

 

[DisneyBamaFan]

The concept was actually proposed by Aristotle and the first constitutional republic was the Corsican Republic (1755).

Yeah, I know. It wasn't an original idea, but it was the first time in history that it was successfully implemented. The Corsican government only lasted a few years (through no fault of their own).

At any rate, they took a great deal from Aristotle and they took into account the shortcomings of failed "democracies" from the past. The net was a form of government that has now been replicated around the world.

The Constitutional Republic is a wonder. Other countries have implemented just as effectively (some, more effectively), but only because of its success in America...

 

[Erik_in_TN]

Baseball and Mickey mouse.

My thoughts exactly.

 

[Erik_in_TN]

The Atlantic Olympics: isn't that the one where a small bomb was set off, and the press and authorities rushed to judgement claiming that some security guard (Jewel I think his name was) did it?

Yep. And as it turned out, the officer (Jewell) who was falsely accused turns out to be one of the kindest human beings out there, but just happened to be at the wrong place at the wrong time. Eric Rudolph was the actual bomber, and luckily was finally caught years later.

 

[Tiggernut_jadie]

There are many good things about the U.S.
Just not exclusively the U.S!

The question was what comes to mind...2 cars, grocery stores laden with food wasn't my 1st thought! I associate that with many many places..

Try traveling out of North America and see how wrong you are.

SERIOUSLY?!!! I must be living in some sort of imaginary world then as from where I'm sitting in the obviously third world country in the obviously thrid world Europe I can walk into ANY grocery store and buy any item I want....in fact (and this really isn't a critisism...just an observation) the European grocery stores I've visited seem to have a lot more choice than the ones in the US....but hey I must just have a wonderful imagination! I'll have to see what my cousin in Australia thinks too....she must be so envious of the 'North Americans' and their grocery stores too!

 

[bavaria]

SERIOUSLY?!!! I must be living in some sort of imaginary world then as from where I'm sitting in the obviously third world country in the obviously thrid world Europe I can walk into ANY grocery store and buy any item I want....in fact (and this really isn't a critisism...just an observation) the European grocery stores I've visited seem to have a lot more choice than the ones in the US....but hey I must just have a wonderful imagination! I'll have to see what my cousin in Australia thinks too....she must be so envious of the 'North Americans' and their grocery stores too!

Well, I travel extensively in the developing world, and guess what??!!! They have grocery stores too!! Amazing!!! And quite often they even stock lots of German products not even found in American shops. Much like my Boots shampoo, which I can buy in the UK of course but also in quite a few places around the world, but not in America. Or my M&S favourites....

But I have to go now. The pump is only open for 45 minutes every day and there is such a crowd to get water here if I don't get there on time. It's a long walk with that bucket because of course we don't have decent cars in Germany....

 

[minnie56]

Totally agree!!! In fact..whenever I visit the U.K I enjoy poking around the wonderful grocery stores because I am amazed at the varieties of food offered, even Marks & Spencers has phenomenal offferings...very impresive!!

 

[bavaria]

Totally agree!!! In fact..whenever I visit the U.K I enjoy poking around the wonderful grocery stores because I am amazed at the varieties of food offered, even Marks & Spencers has phenomenal offferings...very impresive!!

I'm curious. How to you keep your igloo from melting when you build your fire to heat your home? And do you use that water to drink or do you go and dig out ice blocks for drinking water? How many sled dogs does your family own?

Do tell!

 

[DisneyBamaFan]

Sadly, I have been in a few countries that had very few conveniences like grocery stores. Those of us from countries with such abundance should count our blessings. Two examples off the top of my head were Honduras and Nicaragua in the 1980s. They might have had grocery stores in their largest cities, but most of their populace was forced to try to scratch out a living in the dirt. Poverty wasn't a word in those countries - it was a way of life...

 

[OceanAnnie]

Sadly, I have been in a few countries that had very few conveniences like grocery stores. Those of us from countries with such abundance should count our blessings. Two examples off the top of my head were Honduras and Nicaragua in the 1980s. They might have had grocery stores in their largest cities, but most of their populace was forced to try to scratch out a living in the dirt. Poverty wasn't a word in those countries - it was a way of life...

I was thinking the same thing. The world is a very big place, traveling extensively doesn't mean you cover the same ground as other travelers .

 

[NotUrsula]

The supermarket thing is an outdated image, but it *was* really true in the early 1950's. My parents immigrated in 1952, and my mother literally broke down in tears of joy the first time she walked into an American supermarket, because there were still a lot of food shortages in Europe then. (Clothing shortages, too. The "New Look" of the late 1940's only trickled down to the masses in the US, because in Europe you still couldn't make a wide skirt that long; there were still wartime fabric-saving rules in place. Mom was aghast that there were over 3 yds. of fabric in one of my sister's long, pleated hs uniform skirts.) All of that evened out at least 20 years ago, though, and food is now plentiful in cities everywhere if you have money.

If you're talking about something you could use in an Olympic opening ceremony, I'd say country music and anything Hollywood.

If you're talking about everyday life, I'd say it's "stuff" -- like George Carlin's definition of it. Most of the world thinks of Americans as literally living large ... Large homes, large yards, large cars, large stores, large roads, large servings of food and drinks, large people (tallness counts, too, not just weight.) We tend to acquire more things than equally prosperous people in other countries; on the whole we are more of a consuming culture. (Though most of us do have very old-fashioned wireless phones compared to most of the rest of the world. )

 

[BCDisneyFanatic]

Sadly, I have been in a few countries that had very few conveniences like grocery stores. Those of us from countries with such abundance should count our blessings. Two examples off the top of my head were Honduras and Nicaragua in the 1980s. They might have had grocery stores in their largest cities, but most of their populace was forced to try to scratch out a living in the dirt. Poverty wasn't a word in those countries - it was a way of life...

Yes, I've been to a few countries with few grocery stores (and certainly nothing like a Safeway). However, I think those countries are the exception rather than the norm, and therefore 'large grocery stores' are not really culturally identifiable with the United States. They are pretty much a given in any first or second world country.

 

[DisneyBamaFan]

Yes, I've been to a few countries with few grocery stores (and certainly nothing like a Safeway). However, I think those countries are the exception rather than the norm, and therefore 'large grocery stores' are not really culturally identifiable with the United States. They are pretty much a given in any first or second world country.

My post really wasn't meant that way - it was just an observation...

 

[BCDisneyFanatic]

My post really wasn't meant that way - it was just an observation...

Ya, I know...I was just trying to steer the thread back on topic

('cause you know, I've never been responsible for taking a thread off-topic before)

 

[bavaria]

Yes, I've been to a few countries with few grocery stores (and certainly nothing like a Safeway). However, I think those countries are the exception rather than the norm, and therefore 'large grocery stores' are not really culturally identifiable with the United States. They are pretty much a given in any first or second world country.

Agreed. The OP asked about 'unique' 'cultural' icons. Grocery stores are neither unique to America nor cultural in nature.

Many here were responding to the irony of the nature of some of the responses.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with having pride in your country, but to claim some of these things as unique infers that no other country has the same.

And NotUrsula's comment about 'stuff' is very interesting. The American Dream may encompass that, but not everyone in the world actually wants it, believe it or not. Owning a home and two cars isn't something that everyone wants, even in highly developed countries. There is nothing wrong with wanting it, but it isn't a universal desire.

 

[crashbb]

I was thinking the same thing. The world is a very big place, traveling extensively doesn't mean you cover the same ground as other travelers .

But we were referring to the post that said they weren't found outside of North America - a patently false comment.

 

[NotUrsula]

I got that "stuff" thing both from family abroad and from co-workers (I work in a place with 36 countries currently represented -- the flags are on the wall.)

Cousins of mine who had never visited my home were shocked when they saw photos of it, because it is small; 1100 sq. ft. They honestly didn't think that there was such a thing as a small home in the US outside of a place like NYC. The only thing that met expectations was the kitchen fridge -- THAT was the size they expected -- it is a whopping 23 cu.ft.
There also tended to be an expectation that we made a lot more money than they did in the UK for similar work, but it wasn't true -- the key was factoring in the cost of health insurance. Once that was done, we were about dead even. The thing is, DH and I are unusual for Americans in our spending habits. (That little pie chart that Quicken spits out confirms it. Our expenditures for mortgage, cars and consumer purchases are WAY lower than average, while our travel spending is off the charts.)

 

[ChrisFL]

OP here...

I'm just

 

[brasswillow]

I was in Ghana, West Africa last month. My friend and I kept a list of all the American things we had exported.

Kenny G
Billy the Big Mouth Bass
WWE
Britney Spears

 

[minnie56]

Bet you had noooo idea it was such a loaded question???

OP here...

I'm just