What are the "American values"

"Ignoramus29935" wrote in message news:ooidna0xmPqrdTPSnZ2dnUVZ snipped-for-privacy@giganews.com...

We may not care to admit it, but some of them are Viking Values, acquired via the Norman Conquest.

Can you trace any Russian culture and values back to the Varyagi?

jsw

From watching tea party rallies for example where people yak about values even though they don't really believe in 2. or 3. or 4. I think you'd have to add 5. Hypocrisy. Of course it's not universal but damn it's more prevalent every passing day and probably in inverse proportion to the number of people that pretend to live by those values.

I have my opinion on the Tea party and such.

But my question is, what constitutes "American Values".

There is the classical notion of the American Dream which originally meant the anyone could rise as high as he wanted in society based on ability and hard work. This was in stark contrast to the old European class system where all wealth, power and opportunity were inherited and not within reach of most.

In practice today, when someone uses the term "american values", he is usually insinuating that he is more american than other americans, which of course is not a very american thing to do.

I am not sure if I completely agree. The Magna Carta provided some principles of a society with representative government. It is not quite the same as "values".

Not really, not to a huge extent. It was a one time event, more or less. At least this is what I know.

Agree with the other poster that usually when you hear someone talking about "American Values" their trying to manipulate you, usually politically. Such folks are going to be intentionally vague, because half of their audience is going to think that being in favor of gay rights reflects bedrock American values, while the other half will think that throwing rocks at gays until they're dead as doornails reflects American values.

But I like your list -- it's certainly a good start on a list of core values that we should have, when we're not busy castigating one another for not living up to whatever morals we think we have.

I don't think you are going to find an answer. "American Values" seems to be a catch phrase created by politicians. It is meant to mean whatever the listener wants it to mean. This way the speaker can appear to be siding with everyone in the audience and disagreeing with no one while saying nothing. Every politicians dream. Art

Of your list, #3 and #4 are what makes America great.

Even asking the question you did in backwards shithole countries would get you in trouble for any of 5000 made up reasons.

if I believe the creeps that have co opted the so called conservatives, what you have listed would be "liberal" values, the creeps (and that includes politicians like Bachman) belie number 2 - they are uncivil to an extreme, they clearly don't believe in fairness nor equal treatment (why else can you explain wanting to expel innocent children from the country or condemn them to a lifetime of illegal status), and they most certainly do not respect differences in opinion - the famous Bush quote, "if you aren't with us, you are against us" being the battle cry of these creeps.

I believe true Americans would support those, and I would add a 5th - freedom from government enforced religion. I would expect the creeps to disagree and to insist that those who don't worship their narrow minded god should be slaughtered or worse.

If that is true, why did we have a housing bubble?

Ever hear of the race riots in the 1960's or rodney king?

Check out:

The wrong opinions can get you shunned in some parts of america sometimes killed.

American values is a form of doublespeak. Core values of people change with each new generation and age group. Caeat emptor.

Playing devils advocat.

Best Regards Tom.

Welfare is free.

More kids equals more money.

It's the education system to blame for kids lack of preparedness for the real world.

Manual labor is bad.

Offshore labor is better for business than American labor.

Hide your profits so you don't have to pay taxes.

Oops, you meant values that represent the average American worker supports. Sorry my bad, I went for the current generation of kids and big business.

You saw Ed's childish reaction when I mentioned the ideal of being free to succeed by your own efforts, as you are doing, Iggy.

jsw

I think that it is a good thing, I want to think how to name it so it would be a "value". Maybe "support for individual ambition"?

If you're referring to your obscure "history of bootstrapping" remark, it wasn't a response to what I had said, and you were off shooting in the dark at some imagined communist boogyman who infected midwestern farmers. So I responded appropriately.

?? Aren't teapartiers Americans? What about racists in general? Anyway I bet studies would show than 2. and 4. are in serious decline so maybe you should change your title to something like 'ideal values' or 'values we wish more people practiced' or something along those lines.

We don't have a book corresponding to the Communist Manifesto that sets out and names all the guiding principles of proper Capitalism. The people who define them are too busy practicing them, and they evolve with social changes.

Eddie Rickenbacker's autobiography is an excellent case history of American ideals, but he was all action with very little preaching or theorizing.

jsw

There are capitalist countries that are far less friendly than the United States.

What makes this country different is the "values" that go beyond capitalism.