Isn't "America" just *a bit* More Than "The United States"..?

These days semantics and syntax seem as important as ever, and one thing i don't hear talked about enough is: When did "America" become synonymous with "The United States"..?

I already know from that simple question, people will think i'm splitting hairs, BUT i do think that words are the tools with which we think, and when we equate The United States with AMERICA, it seems to imply an innate priority and importance over Canada for instance.. Oh and damn, Mexico also kinda *sorta* counts, i suppose..

Oh yeah! South America is also a thing..

I am personally not very fond or attached to American History as it was selectively taught in public school, and then Howard Zinn painted a pretty bleak image of it for me in college.. and now i don't even know what to focus or believe in, but i do know that how we think, speak, and do, DOES very much count in this world.. I mean, will these people who feel "a calling" to preserve the history of the south during the Civil War, equally advocate for a TRUE teaching of the history of this literal country under our feet..? About how a bunch of Asian and generally brown people had an entire history unto themselves for THOUSANDS OF YEARS..

..and most of that is, was, and will probably always be: lost.

..Why is everyone so okay with this..??

Everywhere else in the world i have been (Canada, Mexico, Korea, Japan, Okinawa) usually refers to this country as "The States" or "The U.S." but then when you get back here it just seems bizarre and self-important to hear it constantly referred to as "America" (the one and only)

As far as i'm concerned, our country has been effed since the Europeans started conquesting in general, with plenty of atrocities through the middle there, but a real gem to explain our government's general attitude are gems like: Operation Paperclip invited a bunch of Nazis into the top levels of government ("oh no no, these were scientists and yanno.. the good nazis" doesn't really explain "more than 1600 Nazis" being allowed to essentially collaborate with our government..) and we have no right to assume that our country should have priority for the international community (and ourselves really..) over our neighbors in North and South America.. What if "America First" could mean collaborating with our neighbors and using the natural resources and human-power to collectively change for the better..? is that either a "socialist" or "libertarian" concept, or is that beyond the petty false dichotomies that we need to get past..?

Unity can mean many things..
and generally it is a feat of the mind before its implications can truly change the game.


..just food for thought..

—

a reply to: HyphenSt1

I think you are working to hard to find something to be upset about.

Relax, it really isn't a big deal.

originally posted by: HyphenSt1
Everywhere else in the world i have been (Canada, Mexico, Korea, Japan, Okinawa) usually refers to this country as "The States" or "The U.S." but then when you get back here it just seems bizarre and self-important to hear it constantly referred to as "America" (the one and only)

All the Europeans I have met have called me an 'American' and the place where I flew in from 'America'.

originally posted by: AugustusMasonicus

originally posted by: HyphenSt1
Everywhere else in the world i have been (Canada, Mexico, Korea, Japan, Okinawa) usually refers to this country as "The States" or "The U.S." but then when you get back here it just seems bizarre and self-important to hear it constantly referred to as "America" (the one and only)

All the Europeans I have met have called me an 'American' and the place were I flew in from 'America'.

Really? Everyehere I go they ask "are you United States of American"

originally posted by: FauxMulder
Really?

No, I was lying. Everywhere I go they call me 'asshole'.

originally posted by: AugustusMasonicus

originally posted by: FauxMulder
Really?

they call me 'asshole'.

That's disrespectful.

It should be Worshipful Master Asshole.

originally posted by: HyphenSt1
These days semantics and syntax seem as important as ever, and one thing i don't hear talked about enough is: When did "America" become synonymous with "The United States"..?

One word...

Incorporation

Since we all work for our government's unserviceable international debt(I personally have none) we are officially slaves... uhh, I mean workers for the United States Inc complete with CUSIP numbers.

a reply to: HyphenSt1

The United States of America. America for short. Why is this an issue?

originally posted by: AugustusMasonicus

originally posted by: FauxMulder
Really?

No, I was lying. Everywhere I go they call me 'asshole'.

LOL.....LOL...Touchet'

a reply to: HyphenSt1

None of those other places are the United States so they don't matter. I mean come on, do they even count as real people?

originally posted by: HyphenSt1
These days semantics and syntax seem as important as ever, and one thing i don't hear talked about enough is: When did "America" become synonymous with "The United States"..?

I already know from that simple question, people will think i'm splitting hairs, BUT i do think that words are the tools with which we think, and when we equate The United States with AMERICA, it seems to imply an innate priority and importance over Canada for instance.. Oh and damn, Mexico also kinda *sorta* counts, i suppose..

Oh yeah! South America is also a thing..

I am personally not very fond or attached to American History as it was selectively taught in public school, and then Howard Zinn painted a pretty bleak image of it for me in college.. and now i don't even know what to focus or believe in, but i do know that how we think, speak, and do, DOES very much count in this world.. I mean, will these people who feel "a calling" to preserve the history of the south during the Civil War, equally advocate for a TRUE teaching of the history of this literal country under our feet..? About how a bunch of Asian and generally brown people had an entire history unto themselves for THOUSANDS OF YEARS..

..and most of that is, was, and will probably always be: lost.

..Why is everyone so okay with this..??

Everywhere else in the world i have been (Canada, Mexico, Korea, Japan, Okinawa) usually refers to this country as "The States" or "The U.S." but then when you get back here it just seems bizarre and self-important to hear it constantly referred to as "America" (the one and only)

As far as i'm concerned, our country has been effed since the Europeans started conquesting in general, with plenty of atrocities through the middle there, but a real gem to explain our government's general attitude are gems like: Operation Paperclip invited a bunch of Nazis into the top levels of government ("oh no no, these were scientists and yanno.. the good nazis" doesn't really explain "more than 1600 Nazis" being allowed to essentially collaborate with our government..) and we have no right to assume that our country should have priority for the international community (and ourselves really..) over our neighbors in North and South America.. What if "America First" could mean collaborating with our neighbors and using the natural resources and human-power to collectively change for the better..? is that either a "socialist" or "libertarian" concept, or is that beyond the petty false dichotomies that we need to get past..?

Unity can mean many things..
and generally it is a feat of the mind before its implications can truly change the game.


..just food for thought..

—

I totally get the critique, and the fact that the "Americas" are both North and South America but I think since maybe WWII people have referred to US folks as the "Americans." Basically to my knowledge no other country people are referred to as "Americans." I don't know why, but I suspect it has to do with US dominance in the 20th Century.

It's mainly a few folks asking why we are only called "Americans" when all people from North/South American are from the "Americas."

a reply to: seagull

a reply to: Quetzalcoatl14

Americans is easier to say than Unitedstateians.

originally posted by: Quetzalcoatl14
It's mainly a few folks asking why we are only called "Americans" when all people from North/South American are from the "Americas."

a reply to: seagull

South America is not a country. People from there say they are from Brazil, Peru, Chilli etc.

originally posted by: MfId77

originally posted by: Quetzalcoatl14
It's mainly a few folks asking why we are only called "Americans" when all people from North/South American are from the "Americas."

a reply to: seagull

South America is not a country. People from there say they are from Brazil, Peru, Chilli etc.

Yes, but the this is the point people make.

originally posted by: MfId77

originally posted by: Quetzalcoatl14
It's mainly a few folks asking why we are only called "Americans" when all people from North/South American are from the "Americas."

a reply to: seagull

South America is not a country. People from there say they are from Brazil, Peru, Chilli etc.

Agreed.

And people from Canada say they're from Canada.

Is there another country inside the continents of North America or South America that has "America" in its title?

I am not aware of one, and that's why AMERICA is short for "United States of America."

I think the general attitude is pretty well reflected by these few replies haha..

"who cares? it just is how it is and why make a big deal out of it?" and then snarky comments.. ) and then a few people who i'm probably preaching to the choir.. i didn't mean to make a "big deal" out of it (gahd knows only a few people would humor the question in the first place), but i do think it's one of those topics that's off the radar.

I'm just observing that "Americans" tend to live in a bubble and are entirely oblivious to the self-importance that is implied by claiming that we represent two continents with the same name..

a reply to: HyphenSt1

Living over seas for nearly two decades? I was labeled an American but never from America, it was always from the United States.

That may answer your question.

We're American's at heart but in 'ideals' the USA?

Worked for me.

peace

a reply to: Dudemo5

Yeah.. i sorta figured that's how it led to being called that for short.. but WHY..? We could just as easily say "we are from The United States" eh..? aside from it sounding silly to say "i'm united statian" there's no actual logical reason i can find..

originally posted by: HyphenSt1
a reply to: Dudemo5

Yeah.. i sorta figured that's how it led to being called that for short.. but WHY..? We could just as easily say "we are from The United States" eh..? aside from it sounding silly to say "i'm united statian" there's no actual logical reason i can find..

The logical reason is that it's easy to say and clearly defines what country we're from. That's pretty much it.