06-12-2010, 08:48 PM
(06-12-2010, 04:31 AM)--Pete Wrote: Hi,
(06-12-2010, 03:01 AM)Alliera Wrote: But this is the general feel in Denmark, at least in my opinion. I guess it's quite different in the states.
The opinions in the USA range over the whole spectrum. That's both good and bad. Good in that neither extreme gets to control, bad in that some necessary things get done slowly or not at all.
I know that Europeans get tired of hearing this, but they never seem to really get it. The USA is big, and it has big problems. Denmark is about 43000 km^2 with a population of 5.5 million. That population is about 90% Danes. The USA has 6 *metropolitan areas* with a higher population than all of Denmark. In population, Denmark would be between the 20th and 21st most populous state, right between Wisconsin and Minnesota. In area, it falls between West Virginia and Maryland (41st and 42nd, respectively). And in diversity, 80% of the people of the USA are lumped into the category 'white'. This includes everyone from immigrants who still feel more attached to their homeland to people with such diverse ancestry they have no idea where their ancestors came from. We have areas that are all one group, be it religious, national, or cultural, and areas where every possible mixture is represented.
So, the next time you speak of the feelings or attitudes or desires of the USA, remember, there is no such thing. It is like asking what are the feelings, etc., of Europe as a whole. The answer you get might depend on whether you ask a Dane or a Greek.
How is that good? If either extreme were popular enough to get to control, they would be popular. Yes, the people who feel the opposite extreme is better would be left out to dry, but that will be a minority, especially since those in the middle would be satisfied with getting something done.
A bad decision is better than no decision, and all that.