Quote:
Originally Posted by DixieGal
In the US, our richest live in over-the-top mansions that are poor imitations of what Europeans have had for centuries. Many towns in Europe have churches that date from before Columbus, heck, before even the Vikings came here. Our government buildings are imitations of those buildings. Our oldest and most cherished traditions are only a couple hundred years old. Visitors from Europe aren't impressed with our historical sites, but just take them to Huntsville, Houston, or Cape Canaveral to see the space age, and they go ga-ga. The only thing we can bring to the world is NEW! IMPROVED! WOW!
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That the age of USA's historical sites doesn't go back so far as Europe's (or Asia's, Africa's and the native Indian cultures in the Americas), doesn't mean it's less interesting. But people often travel to experience that which they can't at home, and I think USA/North America's biggest draw is the nature. The vastness of it and the size and the variety. It's amazing! And Cape Canaveral! Disneyland! Las Vegas and LA! Movie stars!
And frank LLoyd Wright architecture. There's lot of cool stuff in USA.
It just struck me that perhaps you notice the age (and the difference) more that for example I would. I don't think so much about if something is 100 or 200 or 400 years old. Except if I had live i it...
"In USA 100 years is a long time. In Europe 100 miles is a long distance"
Quote:
Originally Posted by DixieGal
I've said it before, and I still stand by this: Our poor are wealthy compared to the poor of other nations. They get housing, food, educations, and health care for free. The problem is that some are addicts or mentally ill and unable to manage their lives, regardless of the institutions put into place to help them. The resources are already there for them, but they have to ask for them.
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I'd say this is the same for most Western nations. Perhaps especially, apart from USA and Canada, north and west Europe.