[Menydh]

Originally Posted by i-hate-snow

I think that was indeed a very uncultured statement on you're behalf.

You might be right, if you lowered the standards of what's cultural, what's spiritual and what's traditional.

Have you even been to America? Have you really interacted with Americans closely enough to uncover our "materialistic" tendencies?

Mostly with your educated elite, in real life. And on the internet I'm tempted to say that with your uneducated mass. But I'm not sure if such a difference could be made on fair grounds. If anywhere in the world egalitarianism is true, that is in the United States of America.

Correct me if I am wrong, but most material status symbols in America and around the world originate in Europe from modern Europeans' narcissistic need to be the best dressed and most stylish.

I'm afraid that you are taking a very simplistic vision of things. Until the americanization of Europe (and of the rest of the world) ... or should I say until the unacculturation (as a new concept word, after the expansion of a phenomenon contrary to that of acculturation, a process product of the so-called americanization), style was (and it still is in many) something intrinsec to culture which is not linked to consumption materialism as you, as an American, would believe.

There is so much more to the United States than suburban tract housing and multiculturalism (hmm, western Europe doesn't have THAT problem either). Shows real maturity and deep thinking on your part.

I'm afraid that you have jumped to conclusions, too quickly. See above.

Also, keep in mind that no one can help where they were born

God has a strange sense of humour. Life is so unfair. But such is life!

--you shouldn't knock European-americans, we make up a LARGE portion of the European diaspora and have actually done fine jobs of preserving our forefathers' cultures here in the vast, wild New World.

Would it surprise you to know, that what you call 'preserve' we may see it as 'degenerate'?