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According to my StatCounter, the most popular way people come to this blog is by searching for “You know you’re an American when…” I wrote a post in November 2006 commenting on the uniqueness of Americans. I figure, I should expand that post and I would love for you to add to this list. So this means, you have to comment.
You know you’re an American when…
Going out for a walk means getting the mail. (Most people around the world do not rely on cars as their mode of transportation. Even Canadians—Canada is geographically bigger than the US—drive 35 percent less than Americans drive).
Speaking a second language means you’re an immigrant. (In most countries, children are encouraged to learn more than one or two languages. The English-only movement is a silly movement that will not work to preserve American culture, but actually limit our educational potentials).
You are disappointed if you have the same cuisine back-to-back. (Most peoples around the world cannot imagine having the freedom to choose between more than one cuisine in the same geographical location).
You think that there are political solutions to spiritual problems. (Maybe there is something unique about our political system that empowers churches and Christians to ally with certain politicians and political parties, but the majority of the world thinks it odd).
Your turn…
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Number 3 is right on for me. I live around some of the best and most varied Asian cuisine that probably exists in the US. Am I content? Not really — I still complain about how long it took us to find decent pizza and Italian joints.
I’m not sure number 4 is unique to the US. Seeking purely political solutions to spiritual problems has probably always been a temptation (though as we discussed here, I’m hesitant to completely separate the two). It’s probably become more common with governments that emerged from the Enlightenment, since “reason” overtook faith and religious tradition as the basis for organizing the body politic. I would assume most liberal democracies and republics, as well as the few remaining communist and socialist states, would think that nearly any societal woe has a purely political solution. I don’t imagine that the spiritual implications of a problem receive more discussion in China, France, or the UK than in the US.
You know you’re an American when…
You spend tons of money for a liquid in bottles when you could get the same liquid out of the tap for free or nearly free.
You’re against people burning your nation’s flag in protest, but you have no qualm with and in fact enjoy wearing flag-styled shorts or underwear.