In Reply to: hurricane victims in usa posted by dian lynn on Friday, 2. September 2005 at 06:56 Bali Time:
You know, Aussies are the first to admit they are not perfect.... I dont remember any aussie saying they are perfect (its not part of our culture - we like to make fun of ourselves, and we definitely dont take ourselves seriously).
What I love about americans, is their ability to take themselves so seriously. They love their country and they're damn proud of it. They love their anthem, and they're damn proud of that too. And as soon as you say anything that can be seen as being even a slight bit not positive about America, off they go trying to find something to attack (I dont mean physically, I mean verbally). Yes, "you all are not so perfect either" - but we never claimed we were. We're really good at seeing our own deficiencies - are you?
As for the biting of the tongue about those who "love Bali ... but beat these poor people down on a price to save a dollar", I dont think you understand the whole concept of Bali, the Balinese, and their natural joy in life. Have you been there? Their life does not revolve around the almight dollar. They encourage bargaining - they love the banter, the joking that is involved in the process, and the ability to make friends this way, learn new things from new people, and hear about other ways of life.
You might find that people judge not the usa, but those people (and not just americans) who are condescending to "these poor people".