not everyone is American! gasp!

Nacho · Fri 02/01/2004 21:52:16

Quote from: shbazjinkens on Fri 02/01/2004 21:31:07So I guess what I'm saying here, is that you should be proud of your heritage and stick to your countries name instead of being offended that you don't also fall under the label of American, after the first person to make a map here.

On the other hand, the Kairus statement ("It should have been better to call the whole continent Colombia") is totally logical.

It is better to call a continent with the name of the person who "officially" discovered it, than naming it by the first person who painted it.

Esseb · Fri 02/01/2004 21:58:14

Leivland does have a certain charm to it (ignoring other alleged prior discoveries or the fact that it was discovered as much as I discovered the Tower of London when I visited England).

Edit: I forgot to mention I only figured out InCreator was from Estonia with the help of Google. Now what was the original topic of this thread about...?

Edit 2: I obviously wasn't clever enough to look at his profile, but that's besides the point.

Kairus · Sat 03/01/2004 04:10:52

shbazjinkens, thanks, I already knew where the name came from and who Americo Vespucci was. But that wouldn't explain why the whole continent is America. It would've been better if it had been called Columbia, as I stated previously, but that's a little out of the range of things we are capable of changing.

Las Naranjas · Sat 03/01/2004 05:17:33

Which brings up the fact that the Gran Columbia was formed in South America in the 1800's, there adopting a name that had previously applied to the entire continent as well...

Timosity · Sat 03/01/2004 05:38:25

Quote from: Farlander on Fri 02/01/2004 21:52:16
t is better to call a continent with the name of the person who "officially" discovered it, than naming it by the first person who painted it.

Umm, I don't think Columbus "officially" discovered it, it had been settled loooooong before.

I think people should just be comfortable calling themselves what they feel, there is no right or wrong answer and of course South Americans can Call themselves American as can Central American's and Canadians. Just as people from the USA can even just use the initials US without even the America part if they like.

Although it is Easier if you want to know more specifically where someone is from by using the country name, State/Province/Territory/County, and narrow it down the more information you need.

We are all From Earth, Hang on, that's just me.

Las Naranjas · Sat 03/01/2004 05:50:59

Perhaps we should call it Ericsonland, after Leif Ericson, who was the first European to land there.

Neglecting those already there.

Lets just call it Hugh Jass [huhuhuh]

That's when the beauty of a name like Australia [South Land] really becomes apparent.

evenwolf · Sat 03/01/2004 11:14:03

Quote from: Timosity on Sat 03/01/2004 05:38:25
Quote from: Farlander on Fri 02/01/2004 21:52:16
t is better to call a continent with the name of the person who "officially" discovered it, than naming it by the first person who painted it.

Umm, I don't think Columbus "officially" discovered it, it had been settled loooooong before.

Right on dude, which brings us full circle to the point that this continent's "official" name should be "Native America" AKA "New India".

Whoever said sailing a boat was more respectable than walking over a friggin' piece of ice with spears and a craving for meat?!

Pessi · Sat 03/01/2004 11:20:58

Generally speaking, I don't think it really matters in the end what anything is called. As long as we know what we're talking about.

Pau · Sat 03/01/2004 11:29:02

Quote from: Pessi on Sat 03/01/2004 11:20:58
Generally speaking, I don't think it really matters in the end what anything is called. As long as we know what we're talking about.

For practical comunication yes. But, the language is a representation of the culture and the way people thinks. So the name of things is not trivial and could have misterious reasons.

By the way, I think Columbus didn't realised he arrived to a new land (his objective was to reach the India), and was Amertico who discovered it was a different place. But Americo was sitting in a desk drawing and thinking and was not an adventurer so he has less charisma than Columbus.

Nacho · Sat 03/01/2004 11:58:42

Timosity, Evenwolf... Notice the (" ") when I wrote that Chris Columbus discovered America... I was aware of the fact that the vikings came first.

In fact, there is a new theory saying that two gauls called "Asterix" and "Obelix" were the firsts!!!

evenwolf · Sat 03/01/2004 12:06:34

Leif Ericson is a reference to vikings, but he didn't discover anything either.

We're talking about asians who crossed the landbridge over to Alaska. The first settlers didn't sail, they walked. That makes them smarter and much more efficient. However, they were too laid back to have a party and start sticking flags into things, so no dice for them. Except for the dice in their descendants' casinos! Hey Oh!

Trapezoid · Sat 03/01/2004 16:10:15

So they had to cross down to get to the mainland. So technically USA was discovered by Canadians.

shbaz · Sat 03/01/2004 19:27:38

QuoteBut Americo was sitting in a desk drawing and thinking and was not an adventurer so he has less charisma than Columbus.

Mapmakers today maybe.. but Amerigo had to sail the coasts noting positions of the stars to know where he was and make semi-accurate maps. He was just as much an adventurer as any crewman of Colombus was.. except he knew he wasn't going to sail off of a cube.

Pau · Sat 03/01/2004 20:39:43

Quote from: shbazjinkens on Sat 03/01/2004 19:27:38
Amerigo had to sail the coasts noting positions of the stars to know where he was and make semi-accurate maps. He was just as much an adventurer as any crewman of Colombus was.. except he knew he wasn't going to sail off of a cube.

I completelly agree with you. I was only trying to say that Colombus get the merit because of his image. I'm not saying that it were just.

Even if Amerigo were sitting in his desk, discovering America using his intelligence would have been even more meritory in my opinion that finding it by accident trying to arrive to India.

Maybe my POV is difficult to explain (because of my english) but I hope now it's more clear.

Haddas · Sun 04/01/2004 10:48:02

Okay, this seems to be a multicultural forum... I'll dump these questions here for you to answer. If they're not correct; I will throw you off the bridge of death.

What country does:
- Nokia
- Esso
- Swedes
come from?

Seriously... I know two of these answers. Does anyone know 'em all

Nine Toes · Sun 04/01/2004 10:59:30

Quote from: shbazjinkens on Fri 02/01/2004 21:31:07
The reason we are called Americans and not you is only because it is in the name of our country, and not yours. United Statesians is not proper English, and saying "people from the United States" is long winded. I'll still call myself an American, thanks. If it really bothers you that much, I could just call myself an Oklahoman but that would be pompous to assume people have went through the trouble of memorizing the 50 states.

A little bit of history for you.. The name America comes from the first person to make a map of the America's, his name was Amerigo Vespucci. He started with the east coast and gulf of Mexico, mostly mapping what is today the United States of America. blah, blah, blah....

YEEOW~! I will shut my yap now.

...then I will go shop at K-mart...

marcus · Sun 04/01/2004 17:08:00

Quote from: MrColossal on Thu 01/01/2004 23:50:53
there's still a rivalry between the US and Russia?

during the time when USA was all bombing Iraq, I talked with some random russian guy via ICQ and he told me russians think america gonna get them next...

Haddas · Sun 04/01/2004 21:49:45

NoNoNo

First Iraq, then Iran, then all the other countries surrounding, until finally reaching russia. But not finland, since here's no oil

Darth Mandarb · Sun 04/01/2004 22:58:11

Quote from: Haddas on Sun 04/01/2004 21:49:45First Iraq, then Iran, then all the other countries surrounding, until finally reaching russia. But not finland, since here's no oil

I heard a rumor that Finland does have oil, but they're hiding it from the U.S!

Look out Finland ... the big bad US of A is coming at ya!!!

** laughing **

])]v[

shbaz · Sun 04/01/2004 23:11:42

QuoteQuote from: MrColossal on 01 Jan 2004, 17:50
there's still a rivalry between the US and Russia?

during the time when USA was all bombing Iraq, I talked with some random russian guy via ICQ and he told me russians think america gonna get them next...

Bush stated after a visit to Moscow that he considered Russia an ally and a friend around the beginning of his term. People couldn't believe it. Bush had Russia's leader over to his Texas ranch for a visit as well, I think.

If you think about it though, they've dumped the communist regime and are now no threat at all to us. Sure, have nukes, but the economic situation is so poor that we're sending them tons of $$$. Pretty much, they've fallen and are slowly starting to stand back up, but will probably not become nearly as tense with us as we once were. There's no reason to be. The comment about "they're gonna get us next" was probably because Russia was against the takeover of Iraq, and people were assholes to all of those countries that did that. Freedom Fries? Pshh...