I am from England and i do think we have some of the best bands on the planet but...Demoncat is spot on
about where the origins of our beloved music came from.

I've certainly heard discussion of American individualism being both a positive and a negative.  Americans don't maintain community and family like, for example, Mexicans.  I live by a few Mexican families and I marvel at the beauty of their interpersonal relations.  Multi-generational, all about family and dad will come home from work and play with the kids!  Also, much American pop psychology is Hollywood youth driven, while many other cultures are more respectful of their patriarchs and matriarchs.  Don't know British culture that well to say.

 

My United States of America is so young compared to many of your nations, cultures or regions.  We lack deep cultural foundations and don't know it.  Importantly, our size, wealth and relative isolation lead us to not care about anything but ourselves.  I've found even the least educated Europeans and global citizens are quantum leaps ahead of most educated Americans when it comes to understanding or even contemplating geo-politics. 

While thumbing through French author Alexis De Toqueville's colonial masterpiece Democracy in America, I was stunned to see that his unbelievably astute depiction of colonial America and Americans was totally relevant two centuries later. 

A miracle happened in the late 1700s, a holy trinity called the Declaration of Independence, the U.S. Constitution and the Bill of Rights.  Although we do not live up to these sacred documents at least we have them!  To my knowledge no other system has a First or a Second Ammendment (free speech, etc. and the right to bear arms).  The only way the One World Government will ever work is if it adopts our system. 

Sorry to shift from music to social analysis but it is all the same discussion.  Oh, my country is flawed and perhaps doomed to mediocre, mercantilist pop culture and unsuccessful empire, but we also, in my opinion, have the hope for and vision of good government by man for eternity.

I look forward to reading about Pizzaro.  Glad you made it through the bombings.  During my week in Mexico I ate the local food and had drinks with ice cubes.  Fell in love with mole, chipotle, Negro Modelo, Tres Generaciones tequila and the unbelievable genetic diversity of the dripping hot senioritas.  By the end of my stay mistakenly thought I was gringo that could handle indiginous microbes so feasted upon a fresh salad with tomatoes and goat cheese.  Honestly thought I was going to die.  During feverish hallucinations huddled in the bath tub thought the ancient ones had come for me.  My natural response on my death bed was, "Fuk you!"  Ha.  My point was that Cortez and his boys must've been some tough hombres because I would've been tempted to get the hell out of that strange land after that.  Would love to go back though but might adjust eating and drinking habits a bit.

They were definately one of the best sailing to foreign lands and wiping out the primitive, indigenous inhabitants. Kudos must go to Hernando Cortez and co, they really set the benchmark. 

I would like to see that photo. While I was there you would hear about a car being blown up in Madrid or something quite regularly on the news. It's pretty terrible to have that going on in such a great country. My dad is actually on holiday over there at the moment.

		guidogodoy wrote:
		HAAA!! Hey, now. What about their Civil Wars? They fought them (and, as some would argue, are STILL fighting them) for decades if not centuries! One even ended with the beautiful (he says jokingly) union of the Catholic Monarchs that finally united Castilla-León with their arch enemies in Aragón. How about the Basque Separatists? The vasquense have been bombing the hell out of the federalist government for eons. I was almost blown up in one of their damn attacks (I have great photos of that one!). Kidding aside, the Spanish Armada was the dominant maritime force throughout the 15th and into the 16th centuries. Only true rival was Portugal at the time which, of course, was already part of Iberian Peninsula. In all my travels, I don't bump into many English-speakers in Central or South America. Carlos V (I) was both the King of Spain and Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire. As they say "during his reign, the sun never set on his empire." Clearly the first world Empire. Not too many Romans made it across the sea. Fickle finger of fate did hit them but it was also accompanied by hyperinflation and huge debt at home. Kinda sounds like the USA. Still, your comment makes me think of the greay Sargent Hartman (R. Lee Ermey - woo hoo!) from Full Metal Jacket and his tirade at Private "Gomer Pile." To paraphrase: "If God had wanted you up here (on this obstacle), he would have MIRACLED your ass up here by now!" lol  Same could apply to the famous Armada Invencible Española....except that Private Pile had a better commander!      jimmyjames wrote: And the fact that when it comes to war the Spanish are bloody hopeless. Of the 8 or 9 wars they've been involved in in Europe they've lost them all. So I would say regardless of the weather the English would have snotted the Spanish in that one, vastly superior armada or not. Maybe God just stepped in so the inevitable Spanish defeat wouldn't be quite so embarrassing for them.      guidogodoy wrote: I gotta poke my head in here on this one. You DO realize that most historians attribute the massive storms that hit the Spanish Armada to be their downfall, right? It was, by no means, a vastly superior English Naval force nor simply Sir Francis Drake and some amazing English naval strategy. Blame Poseidon or blame the fact that God was on the side of the Protestants and unleashed a massive storm on them. Fact is, Drake had very little to do with it.      heimda11 wrote: A tradition of colonialism can lead to interesting assimilation of diverse cultural influences.  The foundation of British rock and pop was greatly influenced by visceral and intellectual American black culture...blues and jazz.  I've also frequently thought Billy Idol represented British seapower without a war.  Any student of history knows the Limeys are nucking futs...Sir Francis Drake and the English Navy defeating the vastly superior Spanish Armada comes to mind.

Hahaha, dude, you rock!