On Sun, 25 Jan 2004 16:49:21 GMT, Janet Baraclough ..
wrote:


Frogleg contains these words:


I'm sorry to be so sensitive, but I *do* get tired of persistant
slanging about the manners, speech, habits, food tastes, and general
alertness of "Americans," and being accused of blind chauvinism when I
beg to differ. (Not that *you* have, but some do.)

That's right, we haven't; so give us a break.

In return, we'll try very hard not to sob and whinge whenever some
tactless and insensitive poster from another country pokes us in the
ribs on size, British manners, quaint beliefs, Londoners, habits,
colonial past, food, climate, etc.

Now Janet, how many really terminally stupid posters venture into urg?
That is, more than the usual ration of idiots in newsgroups of any
flavor. My point was that "tactless and insensitive" is not limited to
any geographical location. USAsians are made fun of for thinking a
200-yr-old tradition or site is "antique" or "historic." Climate?
People make fun of your climate? *You* make fun of your climate.
Manners? I've never heard them either particularly praised or
disparaged. Londoners? My own (small() experience was with pleasant
people. I was *tiickled* that the newspaper vendor by the South Ken
tube greeted me after several days of regular purchases with "hello,
luv." So either he or I were idiots, eh?

Aw, phoo. Americans aren't a separate species of creature. We're the
same mix of folk as is found anywhere -- good, bad; rude, polite;
ignorant, knowledgable.