Quote:
I think a lot of that is jealousy. "Why do the Americans have things we do not have?" I think the people who complain the most about the USA are people who also have never visited the USA or even ever met an actual American.
I agree with that, most of it is lazy people complaining. Like people that don't want to study or word hard and don't have money complain about not being rich, most of the complains about the USA are from countries that are not willing to "pay the price" to have the good stuff you have.
But I want you to remember that I am a big critic when it comes to the USA, and I've visited your country, studied in your school, ate your food, and met so many Americans that I can't remember how many they were (hundreds, for sure).
Quote:
We seem to have a reputation as being loud and arrogant and aggresive but how many Americans have you ever met who fit that description? Most of the Americans I know are kind, gentle, neighborly people that just want to provide a good life for their family.
Well, yeah, most of the Americans I know are very, very nice people that deserve my respect. But I know that I met the elite, the good ones, and I know that the average American is much worse than that.
It's like if you come to Brazil, you'll have closer contact to people that I live with every day, and they are also great people in all aspects, but they are not the average Brazilian. And you would realize that in the first walk around the street, so it's the same thing that happened to me regarding the USA.
Quote:
Nobody is perfect, just as no nation is perfect. I do think that America has come closer to that dream then any other nation in history. The land of the free, the home of the brave.
I agree that the picture the USA paints of itself is pretty good, but I can't tell if you got closer to perfection than anybody else.
Simply because when I was born you were the superpower already!
Maybe in a few decades I'll be able to compare you to China........
Quote:
You may remember a few years ago that Bart said in one of his posts, "All I wonder is what the world would be without America". I had that quote in my signature for awhile and I still believe in that. We have been forced into the role of the world's police force and we are resented for it. When there is a crisis anywhere in the world, the world looks towards America to resolve it and then when we do, people complain about how we did it. I do think the world is a better place because of America and what America represents.
You're probably right, because if it wasn't for you I'd probably be killed by some Nazi because I'm not white, tall and strong. So just for winning WWII you did a pretty good job for the world.
Quote:
When I say these things I am not putting down anybody else or any other country. I believe people all over the world are basically the same and have the same wants, needs and desires. On my ship I have people from 13 different countries working for me and I have to try and make them all get along. It's not that hard to do once you learn how to listen when you feel like you should be speaking.
Those are wise words, listen when you feel like you should be speaking.
Remember in "The Godfather" when Marlon Brando says "forgive my children, I spoil them too much and so they talk when they should listen"?
No wonder that movie is so good, there are some good lessons that you can take from it and apply directly in your life (another one would be to always aim at the head hehehehe).
Quote:
You want to talk about serious, try Singapore. All those people do is work. For such a tiny nation they are an economic powerhouse. I bet more money flows through Singapore in a day then flows through Brazil. They work 6 days a week and then on their day off they go to the club and talk about work. When I think about Singapore I think about people working all the time, when I think about Brazil I think about Carnival. We need a country that is somewhere in the middle. Hmm, it might be the Netherlands?
I had a pretty good time in Switzerland, have you been there? So far, from all the countries that I've visited (Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay, Uruguay, USA, Portugal, Spain, France, Switzerland and Sweden), Switzerland was the best. If I was going to move from Brazil, I'd go live there. But I don't because I feel like I should do something to help my country instead of just complaining... And besides that, it is pretty good here anyway (if you're used to it like I am).
Quote:
Actually, I was thinking we should go north first and take over Canada. Start with the easy stuff first.

hehehehe since you started hitting Canada, I'll take a shot too (sorry my dear Canadian friends, I like you very much, ok??)
Why would you go north? It's cold and empty there, it would be like start an invasion to a house by the freezer! I'd start with the swimming pool hehehehe that's why I'd head south and take Cuba first if I were you!
Quote:
I think there were probably some Brazilian generals that wanted to take over Chile, but they were probably like, "Gee those moutains are aweful tall, lets have one more drink first and then invade." and the rest is history.
Well, probably there were some people with expansionist ideas, but I'm sure the majority just wanted the territory that the Portuguese had here. We are not blood-seekers like you, we never want to fight. And I think that's the reason why we aren't so patriotic, we never fought for anything! Even our "independence" was... well, a joke, really!
Quote:
Send me some pictures!!! Seriously. You have my email address. I would love to see some Brazilian beauties. I haven't planned my winter holiday yet.

hehehehehehe I'm sorry but I don't have pictures of them (I try not to keep any evidence against myself in my computer hehehehe), but I'm sure it is very easy to find pictures of Brazilian beauties on the internet