Americans - the planet's most unfriendly people?

I think we Americans are, for the most part, a pretty friendly, welcoming lot. I guess it depends where you go.

Contrary to stereotypes, I've found the French to be quite friendly. I think the French get offended if you don't make some small effort in their language, or just assume that they speak English. But learn and use a few standard phrases--"Bonjour," "Au revoir," "Merci," "S'il vous plait," "Oui," "Non," "Madame," "Monsieur," "Parlez vous anglais?" "Pardonnez-moi"--and they''ll appreciate the respect you show for their language.

Rejection of supernatural thinking like religion in favor of the rational and evidence based reasoning is a sign of intelligence. Dogmatically holding on to irrational ideas despite evidence they are not true is a sure sign of lack of intelligence and critical thinking skills.

Chup, don't at Dayton too hard, he'll choke you out.

Hitchhiking in Cork, Eire (Ireland) in the 80s me and my bud were invited to a wedding. !


Chup article demonstrates most significantly how meaningless internet journalism is. I mean, except maybe to get a discussion going, but certainly not for any validity or veracity of content.

Excusez-moi, spelling francais n'est my strong suit.

I should've written "Pardonnez-moi."

I'll give you this El Chup. I have no doubt that you are a "lawyer" specializing in refugee issues and immigration law (did I get that correct?)

Why is it closed minded to want evidence? And, actually, that isn't strictly true of me anyway. I don't disbelieve something because I don't have evidence. I leave my mind opne.....but leaving my mind open doesn't mean I believe a specific religion or God because a man made bible tells me to.

How is it a sign of intelligence to accept something on face value based on a human written book from many generations before us?

I don't like L.A. much but I would like to know what makes L.A. so asshole-ish in you mind.

A sign of willingness to consider a matter on faith alone.

Faith

"The substance of things hoped for. The evidence of things not seen."

Why not have faith in Santa Claus and/or Tooth Fairy as well?

That is pretty close minded not to mention unsupported. Surely, a guy as intelligent as you would not have been fired from every job he ever held and would not have narrowly avoided getting fired from his current job due to a technicality? A really smart guy would have some accomplishments, books written, awards given by peers recognizing his greatness, or managing to get a job which pays above poverty level wages?

Nobody visits red state cities. That's like you visiting Africa. It's just not going to happen.

It's turned into an event at the Special Olympics, with El Chump and Dayton3 competing for the gold medal!

Except that isn't true.

Of course you are good at making untrue statements. One of the best on this board in fact.

Actually I was planning on going to Africa seven years ago.

Why do you have to be an arsehole?

You know Santa doesn't have a holy book.

Tssssssk.

Why am I not surprised. Let me guess, you were going to go to one of the fundamental Christian areas, yes?

Who could have guessed it?

The board's two bloviating egomaniacs.

But why is that a sign of intelligence? What makes it intelligent? You're just being told "this is what exists" and believing it. What element of your thinking do you use to decide it's right?

It has been awhile but IIRC the Historical Society was going to Kenya and the surrounding area. The whole trip was going to be about 5 weeks.

Actually, there's this testament revealed to Saint Baum.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Life_and_Adventures_of_Santa_Claus

Oh, so the lawyer who isn't a lawyer is now suddenly good at advancing statements that don't suit you? Surely that wouldn't matter because your are of superior intelligence and can defeat whatever I say. Make your mind up.

"The Historical Society"?

Dammit, I think we need to set up a church...

That is what all the fraudsters and grifters do.

I was referring to dinner. Who is very expert at lying on this board.

How many outside of American have you met?

Seriously though, the reality is that you get good and bad in any society, and there is a commonality between the cities listed and globalised cities. As someone who grew up on a street that back in the 70s and 80s everyone knew each other and now live in the centre of London, you do notice the different attitudes. But the fact is that in cities things are busier, friendship circles are different, often the population is younger. More people are transient. This isn't so much a case of bad people in bad cities. I bet of you actually looked at the results properly the margin of "unfriendliness" between most global cities isn't that big.

That's not to say that more community concern would be a bad thing. I've always regretted the fact that the world has seeming left that behind.

Yeeaah, people looking to con loads of people out of countless bucks! I can get on board with that!

Sorry, people are replying to my posts so quickly at the moment that I thought you were referring to me.