1. Joined
    28 Oct '05
    Moves
    34587
    11 Jul '10 12:20
    I am thinking of declaring August "Other Than U.S.A. Month".

    It would be perfectly voluntary of course. The proposal is for all Debate Forum OPs to be about topics and regions other than the U.S.A.

    For one month only. Back to 'normal' in September.

    It could help our much admired American contingent to...

    open their minds
    broaden their horizons
    restore their humility
    put their own nation and its deeds in a more vivid context

    It could help our Non-American contingent to...

    boost their confidence
    generate a feeling of level footing elusive in 'the wild'
    enhance Forum diversity and inclusiveness
    put their own nations and their deeds in a more vivid context

    Implied stigma and unspoken dirision could be the price that posters pay for non-cooperation.

    That's just for starters.

    Let's debate the possible advantages and disadvantages of an "Other Than U.S.A. Month".
  2. Standard memberDrKF
    incipit parodia
    Joined
    01 Aug '07
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    46580
    11 Jul '10 12:56
    Originally posted by FMF
    I am thinking of declaring August [b]"Other Than U.S.A. Month".

    It would be perfectly voluntary of course. The proposal is for all Debate Forum OPs to be about topics and regions other than the U.S.A.

    For one month only. Back to 'normal' in September.

    It could help our much admired American contingent to...

    open their minds
    broaden thei ...[text shortened]... bate the possible advantages and disadvantages of an "Other Than U.S.A. Month".[/b]
    An interesting proposal with much to commend it. I have my doubts as to whether some of the American contingent would be capable of such a thing, though...

    Probably the single thing that stands out to me on the Debates forum is the overt American slant. It's been interesting, because as well as the choice of and popularity of topics that are specifically American, there is a definite 'tone' common to most of the American contributors - a common frame of reference, vocabulary, set of underlying assumptions or whatever - that I think the contributors are probably 'blind' to. Were the majority of contributors British (or French or Russian or Chinese) no doubt that organon would be visible to the smaller number of American contributors and 'invisible' to the majority faction. It's not that I can't see the obvious differences between American contributors (you don't all look the same to me), and it's not that that 'background' is always apparent in every post by every American; as I say, it comes across, after a while, as the background ('conditions of possibility of'😉 the way things are debated.

    Interesting, but at times somewhat frustrating.

    Perhaps a month (or we could be realistic and say a week) with exclusively non-US topics would allow the American contingent to see their common world-view from a different angle?
  3. Hy-Brasil
    Joined
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    175970
    11 Jul '10 13:48
    Originally posted by DrKF
    An interesting proposal with much to commend it. I have my doubts as to whether some of the American contingent would be capable of such a thing, though...

    Probably the single thing that stands out to me on the Debates forum is the overt American slant. It's been interesting, because as well as the choice of and popularity of topics that are specifica ...[text shortened]... ow the American contingent to see their common world-view from a different angle?
    Let the Euro socialism fest begin! 😛
  4. Joined
    27 Dec '05
    Moves
    143878
    11 Jul '10 13:55
    Originally posted by FMF
    I am thinking of declaring August [b]"Other Than U.S.A. Month".

    It would be perfectly voluntary of course. The proposal is for all Debate Forum OPs to be about topics and regions other than the U.S.A.

    For one month only. Back to 'normal' in September.

    It could help our much admired American contingent to...

    open their minds
    broaden thei ...[text shortened]... bate the possible advantages and disadvantages of an "Other Than U.S.A. Month".[/b]
    You must be joking !!
    You are by far the biggest contributer to American debates , any body would think you are American the way you panda to them at the same time denouncing Brits !!
    Look at this debate ,you are at it again !!
  5. Joined
    28 Oct '05
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    34587
    11 Jul '10 14:05
    Originally posted by phil3000
    You must be joking !!
    You are by far the biggest contributer to American debates , any body would think you are American the way you panda to them at the same time denouncing Brits !!
    Look at this debate ,you are at it again !!
    Well in fact I cop quite a lot of flak for my comments on the U.S. from some of our American friends here. As for Britian, yes, I do not suffer British fools gladly, but of course there is much that I admire about Britain - something I have never disguised. Anyway, I assume yours is a vote against "Other Than U.S.A. Month".
  6. Standard memberDrKF
    incipit parodia
    Joined
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    46580
    11 Jul '10 14:19
    Although a quick glance at the 'gays in China' thread makes me shudder to think what manner of half-baked, ignorant tripe a whole month without at least a western bias would elicit.
  7. Joined
    12 Jul '08
    Moves
    13814
    11 Jul '10 14:59
    You already have the sport of Soccer and the World Cup. Isn't that enough, or do you need more scraps from our table. 😀
  8. Pepperland
    Joined
    30 May '07
    Moves
    12892
    11 Jul '10 16:321 edit
    Originally posted by FMF
    I am thinking of declaring August [b]"Other Than U.S.A. Month".

    It would be perfectly voluntary of course. The proposal is for all Debate Forum OPs to be about topics and regions other than the U.S.A.

    For one month only. Back to 'normal' in September.

    It could help our much admired American contingent to...

    open their minds
    broaden thei bate the possible advantages and disadvantages of an "Other Than U.S.A. Month".[/b]
    How exactly did you come to the conclusion that the americans here are close-minded or need to broaden their horizons simply because there is a considerable number of US issues threads around?
    Also, what makes you think non-american posters need to have their confidence boosted? are you subconsciously saying your own confidence is need of some kind of boost?

    Implied stigma and unspoken dirision could be the price that posters pay for non-cooperation
    should these posters cooperate even though they may know nothing about whatever other region of the globe is having its issues debated?

    I'd post a few brazil/latin america-related threads, but expectedly many american/european posters would refrain from commenting as they probably don't know a great deal about such issues and those who didn't often made ill-informed judgements, you for example in the honduras threads.
  9. Pepperland
    Joined
    30 May '07
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    12892
    11 Jul '10 16:33
    Originally posted by Eladar
    You already have the sport of Soccer and the World Cup. Isn't that enough, or do you need more scraps from our table. 😀
    it'd help you refferred to the sport by its real name, "football".
  10. Standard membersh76
    Civis Americanus Sum
    New York
    Joined
    26 Dec '07
    Moves
    17585
    11 Jul '10 16:43
    Originally posted by FMF
    I am thinking of declaring August [b]"Other Than U.S.A. Month".

    It would be perfectly voluntary of course. The proposal is for all Debate Forum OPs to be about topics and regions other than the U.S.A.

    For one month only. Back to 'normal' in September.

    It could help our much admired American contingent to...

    open their minds
    broaden thei ...[text shortened]... bate the possible advantages and disadvantages of an "Other Than U.S.A. Month".[/b]
    Fine with me. Let people come up with OPs that are interesting and debatable and I'll discuss anything. It's a free marketplace of ideas. Everyone puts forth their best shots and most compelling issues get the attention. The fact that artificial means would be necessary to steer the discussion away from American issues does say something in its own right.

    But, since such artificial means are apparently necessary, the idea is fine with me, especially since the 2010 midterms are unlikely to be "decided" by August events.

    I would suggest amending it to an "Other Than U.S.A./Israel Month" since Israel issues take up almost as much aether as American issues on this board and about 30 times the per capital interest as even the United States. Just a suggestion.

    I would also dispute the implication that my humility needs restoring, though that's neither here nor there. 😉
  11. silicon valley
    Joined
    27 Oct '04
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    101289
    11 Jul '10 16:53
    Originally posted by generalissimo
    ... are you subconsciously saying your own confidence is need of some kind of boost?

    i think you've hit it. maybe he's picked up the dreaded tropical disease Disappearing Willy Syndrome.
  12. silicon valley
    Joined
    27 Oct '04
    Moves
    101289
    11 Jul '10 16:54
    Originally posted by FMF
    I am thinking of declaring August [b]"Other Than U.S.A. Month".

    It would be perfectly voluntary of course. The proposal is for all Debate Forum OPs to be about topics and regions other than the U.S.A.

    For one month only. Back to 'normal' in September.

    It could help our much admired American contingent to...

    open their minds
    broaden thei ...[text shortened]... bate the possible advantages and disadvantages of an "Other Than U.S.A. Month".[/b]
    i think you'd do better with July 18th "Other Than USA" Day, or maybe an "Other Than USA" thread.
  13. Pepperland
    Joined
    30 May '07
    Moves
    12892
    11 Jul '10 17:15
    Originally posted by zeeblebot
    i think you've hit it. maybe he's picked up the dreaded tropical disease Disappearing Willy Syndrome.
    LOL.

    seems plausible, perhaps this is just FMF's subtle way of asking for help.
  14. Standard memberno1marauder
    Naturally Right
    Somewhere Else
    Joined
    22 Jun '04
    Moves
    42677
    11 Jul '10 17:20
    Originally posted by FMF
    I am thinking of declaring August [b]"Other Than U.S.A. Month".

    It would be perfectly voluntary of course. The proposal is for all Debate Forum OPs to be about topics and regions other than the U.S.A.

    For one month only. Back to 'normal' in September.

    It could help our much admired American contingent to...

    open their minds
    broaden thei ...[text shortened]... bate the possible advantages and disadvantages of an "Other Than U.S.A. Month".[/b]
    You never know when the US government is going to bomb and/or invade somebody so such an artificial dictate is impractical. Since this board is overwhelmingly Western, you'd probably just wind up with a bunch of Euro themed threads to replace the US themed ones.
  15. Joined
    28 Oct '05
    Moves
    34587
    11 Jul '10 17:23
    Originally posted by sh76
    Fine with me. Let people come up with OPs that are interesting and debatable and I'll discuss anything. It's a free marketplace of ideas. Everyone puts forth their best shots and most compelling issues get the attention. The fact that artificial means would be necessary to steer the discussion away from American issues does say something in its own right.

    Bu ...[text shortened]... he implication that my humility needs restoring, though that's neither here nor there. 😉
    Interesting how the resident munchkin men like generalissimo, Phil3000 and zeeblebot seize upon this moment to make rather lame personal comments. zeeblebot seems to be saying that he's not going to cooperate and that it should perhaps be reduced to a single day; Phil3000 seems to think that it's about FMF pandering to Americans and that this proposal is somehow proof of that; and generalissimo seems to think it might not work because he (and several others) and I (and several others) once disagreed over Honduras.

    I am sure there will be others who will enter into the spirit though. I suppose it will just require non-Americans to make the effort to start rather more threads than they might ordinarily do, and to try to interest and engage the resident Americans with their choice of topics.
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