S/o: Why do many Imas act as if US = the whole world?

↑ Comptroller ↓

Fri, Jul 12 2024, 3:48 am

Reality wrote:

I know you were responding to Comptroller but I was the one who mentioned diversity.

I mentioned it in the context of Jewish diversity. Living amongst all kinds of Jews, from different countries and with different minhagim and cultural norms is such an amazing zchut. It really helps you grow in Ahavat Yisrael.

Oh, now it all makes sense!!!

Bnei Berak 10 ↓

Fri, Jul 12 2024, 4:08 am

amother Forsythia wrote:

People in Europe are constantly aware of other countries since most countries in Europe are around the size of a state in the US and travel between countries is fairly common. Europe, Aisa, and Africa are connected while there is a whole ocean separating the Americas from the rest of the world. Yes airplane travel is more common than when I was a kid, but the rest of the world is still on the other side of the ocean, so it's easy to forget it exists. Until 1501, Europeans didn't know that the Americas existed. They assumed it was India. I'm sure the Native Americans didn't know much about land across the ocean either. The US didn't join WWII until they were forced since they didn't feel connected to events on the other side of the ocean.

Not long ago I did some google and compared the size of Texas to some large European countries. It was an eye opener when a single state in the US was twice or there times larger than a random European country Speechless

How many countries have four time zones? Russia comes to my mind.
When DH told me Brooklyn only has around 2.5 million people, which is more or less what Berlin has. But Berlin is a capital and Brooklyn is only a part of the city.
Never been too the US and to be truthful I'm not entirely sure if I'll ever comprehend how big the US is.

↑ Bnei Berak 10

Fri, Jul 12 2024, 7:38 am

Comptroller wrote:

Yes, and many US states have the population of an average european country. I do the "statle" puzzle daily, where they ask to recognize US states by their shape, and then there is also a question about population, and more often then not, the population of a single state is more than my country has.

Oh yes, and the city of New York too has a bigger population than quite a few european countries.

So when I saw the pic someone upthread posted I can kind of begin to grasp if some city dwellers are sometimes a tiny bit self centered. After all, NY is a metropolis and so big it's a world of it's own Smile

DH used to make excursions in NY to areas in the city during chol hamoed visiting a new place each time (and he lived in NY for 22 years)
When one hears that one begins to grasp the size...

amother

↑ Broom ↓

Fri, Jul 12 2024, 9:39 am

Comptroller wrote:

I think it is more a question of personal attitude.

What I mean to say is: if you are talking to an international audience, where not everybody knows all the nitty gritty details of the place where you live, it is important not to assume that everyone knows your place like you know it, but to explain things, things that would need no explanation for a local.

This site is international.

But a lot of people, all over the world, are not 100% aware of what's a local thing and what's not. And people get upset either way; if someone doesn't explain, people are confused, but if someone does explain and it's not necessary, people get offended. When it's Americans, it's often either "ugh, Americans think we're all familiar with this American stuff" but then "hahaha Americans think we don't have _ / know what _ is."

↑ Cheiny ↓

Fri, Jul 12 2024, 1:51 pm

Comptroller wrote:

amother Salmon wrote:
This thread is so offensive.
I live in NY and I consider myself well traveled, well updated with international politics and affairs. Why are you lumping all of us together? Is it ok if we do the same to Israelis etc?

Look, Cheiny left a message for you! I show it here, just in case you missed it:
To be honest, I don't share her opinion. I am in favor of a honest and open exchange, so why shouldn't you read a thread that might offend you, why shouldn't you even express that it offended you? I don't think self-censorship is necessary.

Wow, this is beyond immature and embarrassing to pretend I was addressing her. Surely you saw I quoted YOUR post and was addressing you, not her.

Are you not ashamed to do something so dishonest?

(Comptroller wrote:
In this case, clearly, you are not among the 'many Imas' the title refers to.

This thread is a spinoff of the thread "Why do israeli Imas answer American based q(uestions)",
and I took offense to that thread, although I was not the person who caused the OP to open it.

Cheiny wrote: You seem to take offense at numerous threads.
Maybe try skipping over them and finding some that don’t trigger you?)

Last edited by Cheiny on Fri, Jul 12 2024, 1:56 pm; edited 1 time in total

amother

↑ Steelblue ↓

Fri, Jul 12 2024, 1:54 pm

Comptroller wrote:

Yes, that's exactly my point.

I don't mean explaining everything to the last detail. I just mean: have a little bit of awareness that not everybody is from your place. Know your audience.

You can’t have it both ways. If Americans are required to know the ins and outs of other countries and to be busy all day knowing it’s not a known thing outside America…. Then other countries have the same requirement don’t they? They too are required to know the ins and outs of America and not say I don’t know anything other than what’s happening in my tiny corner of the world. So which is it?

yiddishmom

Sat, Jul 13 2024, 9:50 pm

Comptroller wrote:

Well, to be completely honest: One of the reasons I am going on this site is to learn more about America, to get information that is not so easy to come by outside the country. For example that you call you retirement funds 401k and things like this. So yes, I am doing my part of the work. But there are users on this site who completely ignore the world outside their 4 amos.

Please help me understand what is the importance of specifically working to learn about other countries? How does this make you a better Jew, a better person?

You can be nice, menchtlich and understanding to another person if you don't study all about their country.

amother

DarkPurple

Sat, Jul 13 2024, 10:28 pm

There should be subforums for specific areas of Brooklyn if people have questions or inquiries, for ex. someone from flatbush can post in a flatbush group, someone from BP can post in a BP group, etc... why does Lakewood have a forum but we dont? It will lessen other's aggravations.

↑ Cheiny ↓

Sat, Jul 13 2024, 10:31 pm

Comptroller wrote:

Well, I was sure that if it was true for me, it was also true for her.

Or wasn't it?

wondering

Pretty presumptuous and again shameful. Hardly a good or believable excuse. Your motive was clear. You intentionally tried to falsely convince someone else my comment was directed at her.

amother

↑ Steelblue ↓

Sat, Jul 13 2024, 10:41 pm

Comptroller wrote:

Just scroll if you don’t understand because obviously it’s not addressed to you. Yes it is tons of work to have to translate every word that is known to everyone in America. I don’t see anyone on here act like only they exist. That is a nasty accusation and you owe the whole site an apology. If you don’t understand then the question wasn’t intended for you. Same way if someone writes about a specific job and I don’t have experience I’m not going to get upset that I can’t understand all the terms they use. They are obviously not asking for my opinion. And it would feel self centered to even mix in and say how dare you think we all know about this job.

↑ Comptroller ↓

Sun, Jul 14 2024, 2:33 am

yiddishmom wrote:

Please help me understand what is the importance of specifically working to learn about other countries? How does this make you a better Jew, a better person? (...)

Are you asking seriously?
To me, it's just a matter of general education.
I see that there are people not striving for a minimal general education. Would you pardon me if I think they are uneducated?

↑ Comptroller ↓

Sun, Jul 14 2024, 2:35 am

Cheiny wrote:

Pretty presumptuous and again shameful. Hardly a good or believable excuse. Your motive was clear. You intentionally tried to falsely convince someone else my comment was directed at her.

I just tried to show how one-sided your thinking is and I succeeded. It was really easy.

amother

↑ Lightblue ↓

Sun, Jul 14 2024, 2:38 am

Comptroller wrote:

This sounds creepy. Why are you looking to get information? Are you planning to move here?

amother

↑ Lightblue ↓

Sun, Jul 14 2024, 2:40 am

Comptroller wrote:

I just tried to show how one-sided your thinking is and I succeeded. It was really easy.

Where does linking that other post have any connection to that comment that was directed at you and at you only?
Are you ok?

amother

↑ Lightblue ↓

Sun, Jul 14 2024, 2:41 am

Comptroller wrote:

Are you asking seriously?
To me, it's just a matter of general education.
I see that there are people not striving for a minimal general education. Would you pardon me if I think they are uneducated?

So you're calling us Americans uneducated?
If I open a thread regarding any country or profession that I am unfamiliar with I don't expect a detailed explanation and education about something which doesn't pertain to me.