America is a Continent

[SHRED]

Not a Country.

Just sayin'.
:think:

:bounce:

[leftstreet]

1. "Why can't South Americans call themselves Americans?"

I remember asking that question when I was very young.

[SHRED]

3. you were very wise at a young age

[Cleita]

4. They do.

It's just that Norte Americanos aren't listening.

[flordehinojos]

15. isn't it more like, they've called themselves,

sur-americanos, or centro-anericanos, as the case may be. I mean isn't it just that they claim as theirs what is theirs, and leave to others what is theirs? and in the end we are all AMERICANOS because we are all from the CONTINENT OF THE AMERICAS.

okay--just showing off my wise *ss.

[Cleita]

26. When I live in SA, they just called themselves Americanos

when speaking about people from all the Spanish speaking nations of the Western Hemisphere, and those from the English Speaking America (Americans and Canadians) Norte Americanos. Actually, I think they spell it as one word, but I can't remember. It's so many years ago.

[mrcheerful]

5. Did you get punished for being smart, too? I asked the same question

and was made to go stand in the corner for being smart, after I dumbed down I was allowed to go back to my desk and continue to repeat everything the teacher said was in the books.

[leftstreet]

6. Yeah, same attitude. Schools crush the wisdom in children.

It's sad.

[FreedomAngel82]

8. Seriously?

:crazy: You should've gotten a cupcake.

[loudsue]

2. Those of us who have spent time in S. America are aware of this,

but the real EGOs are in North America, and the EGOs claim the whole continent. Those times are about to change. It's going to be a whole new world in the next 4 to 5 years. Hang onto your hats.

:kick::kick::kick:

[EST]

7. I have found that many Canadians refer to

USA citizens as "Americans" and do not see a problem with it. They know we are all Americans, similar to the French, Germans, and Italians are all Europeans, but the distinction is still there.

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

9. There isn't any European country calling itself "Europe." -nt

[Daphne08]

10. When I was growing up we referred to ourselves as Americans.

I still do. What's the problem???? Oh, and members of my family have defended this country in almost every war going back to the Revolutionary War.

My father and uncle fought for this country in WWII, so.... if I want to refer to myself and my fellow citizens as Americans, I will.

[neweurope]

12. Please tell me - which wars do you speak of? How many times

and by whom have the United States been attacked? Your country had to be defended in Costa Rica? In Puerto Rico?

---------------------------

Remember Fallujah

Bush to The Hague!

[Daphne08]

17. Learn a little history. n/t

[neweurope]

23. I did learn quite a bit of history. Look at this:

All wars to "defend the USA"?
No. Almost always wars in the interest of US corporations. Your soldiers have been used (and did it willingly) in the following -- the list is incomplete -- :

SOUTH DAKOTA
1890 (-?)
Troops
300 Lakota Indians massacred at Wounded Knee.

ARGENTINA
1890
Troops
Buenos Aires interests protected.

CHILE
1891
Troops
Marines clash with nationalist rebels.

HAITI
1891
Troops
Black workers revolt on U.S.-claimed Navassa Island defeated.

IDAHO
1892
Troops
Army suppresses silver miners' strike.

HAWAII
1893 (-?)
Naval, troops
Independent kingdom overthrown, annexed.

CHICAGO
1894
Troops
Breaking of rail strike, 34 killed

NICARAGUA
1894
Troops
Month-long occupation of Bluefields.

CHINA
1894-95
Naval, troops
Marines land in Sino-Jap War.

KOREA
1894-96
Troops
Marines kept in Seoul during war.

PANAMA
1895
Troops, naval
Marines land in Colombian province.

NICARAGUA
1896
Troops
Marines land in port of Corinto.

CHINA
1898-1900
Troops / Boxer Rebellion fought by foreign armies.

PHILIPPINES
1898-1910(-?)
Naval, troops
Seized from Spain, killed
600,000 Filipinos.

CUBA
1898-1902(-?)
Naval, troops
Seized from Spain, still hold Navy base.

PUERTO RICO
1898(-?)
Naval, troops
Seized from Spain, occupation
continues.

GUAM
1898(-?)
Naval, troops / Seized from Spain, still used as base.

MINNESOTA
1898(-?)
Troops
Army battles Chippewa at Leech Lake.

NICARAGUA
1898
Troops
Marines land at port of San Juan del Sur.

SAMOA
1899(-?)
Troops
Battle over succession to throne.

NICARAGUA
1899
Troops / Marines land at port of Bluefields.

IDAHO
1899-1901
Troops / Army occupies Coeur d'Alene mining region.

OKLAHOMA
1901
Troops
Army battles Creek Indian revolt.

PANAMA
1901-14
Naval, troops
Broke off from Colombia 1903, annexed Canal Zone 1914-99.

HONDURAS
1903
Troops
Marines intervene in revolution.

DOMINICAN REP.
1903-04
Troops
U.S. interests protected in Revolution.

KOREA
1904-05
Troops
Marines land in Russo-Japanese War.

CUBA
1906-09
Troops / Marines land in democratic election.

NICARAGUA
1907
Troops
"Dollar Diplomacy" protectorate set up.

HONDURAS
1907
Troops
Marines land during war with Nicaragua.

PANAMA
1908
Troops / Marines intervene in election contest.

NICARAGUA
1910
Troops
Marines land in Bluefields and Corinto.

HONDURAS
1911
Troops / U.S. interests protected in civil war.

CHINA
1911-41
Naval, troops
Continuous occupation with flare-ups.

CUBA
1912
Troops / U.S. interests protected in Havana.

PANAMA
19l2
Troops / Marines land during heated election.

HONDURAS
19l2
Troops / Marines protect U.S. economic interests.

NICARAGUA
1912-33
Troops, bombing
20-year occupation, fought guerrillas.

MEXICO
19l3
Naval / Americans evacuated during revolution.

DOMINICAN REPUBLIC
1914
Naval / Fight with rebels over Santo Domingo.

COLORADO
1914
Troops / Breaking of miners' strike by Army.

MEXICO
1914-18
Naval, troops
Series of interventions against
nationalists.

HAITI
1914-34
Troops, bombing
19-year occupation after revolts.

DOMINICAN REPUBLIC
1916-24
Troops
8-year Marine occupation.

CUBA
1917-33
Troops / Military occupation, economic protectorate.

WORLD WAR I
19l7-18
Naval, troops
Ships sunk, fought Germany

RUSSIA
1918-22
Naval, troops
Five landings to fight Bolsheviks.

PANAMA
1918-20
Troops
"Police duty" during unrest after elections.

YUGOSLAVIA
1919
Troops
Marines intervene for Italy against Serbs in Dalmatia.

HONDURAS
1919
Troops
Marines land during election campaign.

GUATEMALA
1920
Troops
2-week intervention against unionists.

WEST VIRGINIA
1920-21
Troops, bombing
Army intervenes against
mineworkers.

TURKEY
1922
Troops
Fought nationalists in Smyrna (Izmir).

CHINA
1922-27
Naval, troops
Deployment during nationalist revolt.

HONDURAS
1924-25
Troops
Landed twice during election strife.

PANAMA
1925
Troops / Marines suppress general strike.

CHINA
1927-34
Troops / Marines stationed throughout the country.

EL SALVADOR
1932
Naval / Warships sent during Farabundo Marti revolt.

WASHINGTON DC
1932
Troops / Army stops WWI vet bonus protest.

WORLD WAR II
1941-45
Naval,troops, bombing, nuclear
Fought Axis for 3
years; 1st nuclear war.

DETROIT
1943
Troops
Army puts down Black rebellion.

IRAN
1946
Nuclear threat
Soviet troops told to leave north (Iranian
Azerbaijan).

YUGOSLAVIA
1946
Naval / Response to shooting-down of U.S. plane.

URUGUAY
1947
Nuclear threat
Bombers deployed as show of strength.

GREECE
1947-49
Command operation
U.S. directs extreme-right in civil war.

CHINA
1948-49
Troops
Marines evacuate Americans before Communist victory.

GERMANY
1948
Nuclear threat
Atomic-capable bombers guard Berlin Airlift.

PHILIPPINES
1948-54
Command operation
CIA directs war against Huk
Rebellion.

PUERTO RICO
1950
Command operation
Independence rebellion crushed in
Ponce.

KOREA
1950-53
Troops, naval, bombing, nuclear threats
U.S.& South Korea fight China & North Korea to stalemate; A-bomb threat in 1950, & vs. China in 1953. Still have bases.

IRAN
1953
Command operation
CIA overthrows democracy, installs Shah.

VIETNAM
1954
Nuclear threat
Bombs offered to French to use against siege.

GUATEMALA
1954
Command operation, bombing, nuclear threat CIA directs exile invasion after new govt nationalizes U.S. company lands; bombers based in Nicaragua.

EGYPT
1956
Nuclear threat, troops
Soviets told to keep out of Suez crisis; MArines evacuate foreigners

LEBANON
1958
Troops, naval / Marine occupation against rebels.

IRAQ
1958
Nuclear threat
Iraq warned against invading Kuwait.

CHINA
1958
Nuclear threat
China told not to move on Taiwan isles.

PANAMA
1958
Troops / Flag protests erupt into confrontation.

VIETNAM
1960-75
Troops, naval, bombing, nuclear threats Fought South Vietnam revolt & North Vietnam; 1-2 million killed in longest U.S. war; atomic bomb threats in 1968 and 1969.

CUBA
1961
Command operation CIA-directed exile invasion fails.

GERMANY
1961
Nuclear threat Alert during Berlin Wall crisis.

CUBA
1962
Nuclear threat, Naval
Blockade during missile crisis; near-war with USSR.

LAOS
1962
Command operation
Military buildup during guerrilla war.

PANAMA
1964
Troops / Panamanians shot for urging canal's return.

INDONESIA
1965
Command operation Million killed in CIA-assisted army coup.

DOMINICAN REPUBLIC
1965-66
Troops, bombing Marines land during election campaign.

GUATEMALA
1966-67
Command operation Green Berets intervene against rebels.

DETROIT
1967
Troops / Army battles Blacks, 43 killed.

UNITED STATES
1968
Troops / After King is shot; over 21,000 soldiers in cities.

CAMBODIA
1969-75
Bombing, troops, naval Up to 2 million killed in decade of bombing, starvation, and political chaos.

OMAN
1970
Command operation U.S. directs Iranian marine invasion.

LAOS
1971-73
Command operation, bombing U.S. directs South Vietnamese invasion; "carpet-bombs" countryside.

SOUTH DAKOTA
1973
Command operation Army directs Wounded Knee siege of Lakotas.

MIDEAST
1973
Nuclear threat World-wide alert during Mideast War.

CHILE
1973
Command operation CIA-backed coup ousts elected marxist president.

CAMBODIA
1975
Troops, bombing Gas captured ship, 28 die in copter crash.

ANGOLA
1976-92
Command operation CIA assists South African-backed rebels.

IRAN
1980
Troops, nuclear threat, aborted bombing Raid to rescue Emba-ssy hostages; 8 troops die in copter-plane crash. Soviets war-ned not to get involved in revolution.

LIBYA
1981
Naval jets Two Libyan jets shot down in maneuvers.

EL SALVADOR
1981-92
Command operation, troops Advisors, overflights aid anti-rebel war, soldiers briefly involved in hostage clash.

NICARAGUA
1981-90
Command operation, naval CIA directs exile (Contra) invasions, plants harbor mines against revolution.

LEBANON
1982-84
Naval, bombing, troops Marines expel PLO and back Phalangists, Navy bombs and shells Muslim and Syrian positions.

HONDURAS
1983-89
Troops / Maneuvers help build bases near borders.

GRENADA
1983-84
Troops, bombing Invasion four years after revolution.

IRAN
1984
Jets / Two Iranian jets shot down over Persian Gulf.

LIBYA
1986
Bombing, naval Air strikes to topple nationalist gov't.

BOLIVIA
1986
Troops Army assists raids on cocaine region.

IRAN
1987-88
Naval, bombing US intervenes on side of Iraq in war.

LIBYA
1989
Naval jets Two Libyan jets shot down.

VIRGIN ISLANDS
1989
Troops
St. Croix Black unrest after storm.

PHILIPPINES
1989
Jets / Air cover provided for government against coup.

PANAMA
1989-90
Troops, bombing
Nationalist government ousted by 27,000 soldiers, leaders arrested, 2000+ killed.

LIBERIA
1990
Troops
Foreigners evacuated during civil war.

SAUDI ARABIA
1990-91
Troops, jets Iraq countered after invading Kuwait; 540,000 troops also stationed in Oman, Qatar, Bahrain, UAE, Israel.

IRAQ
1990-?
Bombing, troops, naval Blockade of Iraqi and Jordanian ports, air strikes; 200,000+ killed in invasion of Iraq and Kuwait; no-fly zone over Kurdish north, Shiite south, large-scale destruction of Iraqi military.

KUWAIT
1991
Naval, bombing, troops Kuwait royal family returned to throne.

LOS ANGELES
1992
Troops
Army, Marines deployed against anti-police uprising.

SOMALIA
1992-94
Troops, naval, bombing U.S.-led United Nations occupation during civil war; raids against one Mogadishu faction.

YUGOSLAVIA
1992-94
Naval Nato blockade of Serbia and Montenegro.

BOSNIA
1993-95
Jets, bombing No-fly zone patrolled in civil war; downed jets, bombed Serbs.

HAITI
1994-96
Troops, naval
Blockade against military government; troops restore President Aristide to office three years after coup.

CROATIA
1995
Bombing
Krajina Serb airfields attacked before Croatian offensive.

ZAIRE (CONGO)
1996-97
Troops
Marines at Rwandan Hutu refuge camps, in area where Congo revolution begins.

LIBERIA
1997
Troops
Soldiers under fire during evacuation of foreigners.

ALBANIA
1997
Troops
Soldiers under fire during evacuation of foreigners.

SUDAN
1998
Missiles
Attack on pharmaceutical plant alleged to be "terrorist" nerve gas plant.

AFGHANISTAN
1998
Missiles
Attack on former CIA training camps used by Islamic fundamentalist groups alleged to have attacked embassies.

IRAQ
1998-?
Bombing, Missiles
Four days of intensive air strikes after weapons inspectors allege Iraqi obstructions.

YUGOSLAVIA
1999-?
Bombing, Missiles
Heavy NATO air strikes after Serbia declines to withdraw from Kosovo.

YEMEN
2000
Naval
Suicide bomb attack on USS Cole.

MACEDONIA
2001
Troops
NATO troops shift and partially disarm Albanian rebels.

UNITED STATES
2001
Jets, naval
Response to hijacking attacks.

AFGHANISTAN
2001
Massive U.S. mobilization to attack Taliban, Bin Laden. War expanded to Iraq. Willprobably expand to Iran,might expand to Sudan, Venezuela or...

The story continues.

------------------------

Remember Fallujah

Bush to The Hague!

[Daphne08]

29. As an American I believe in free speech,

and I realize no country (including my own, the U.S.A.) is without sin, but you really have some kind of cajones.

I only hope this board still has an "Ignore" button. Good-bye.

[magellan]

11. Actually, isn't "North America" what we call the continent?

And if we can't call ourselves Americans, what do we call ourselves? United Staters?

Not being antagonistic, just asking. :)

[Qanisqineq]

14. that was my question too!

I can't figure out what else we would be called. :shrug:

[proud2BlibKansan]

13. One of my pet peeves

Thank you.

[Poll_Blind]

16. "South America stole our name, let's drop the Big One and...

...see what happens!" -Randy Newman, musical genius

PB

[ComerPerro]

18. I know! The Country is actually called "merika"

[Telly Savalas]

22. No. It's "Murka"

Only liberal elitists pronounce it with 3 syllables.

[Fla Dem]

19. A nation calls itself whatever it wants. America was already named when

our founders penned the Declaration of Independence "The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united states of America ..." and as they say, the rest is history. If instead it had said, The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united states of Utopia, then I guess we'd all be Utopians.

Other countries in the north or south american continents could just as well have used America in their names but didn't. We are called Americans, because that is what our country is called...hence;

Canada = Canadians
Mexico = Mexicans
Peru = Peruvians
France = French
Brazil = Brazilians
etc......

I don't see this as an issue, but maybe I'm missing the big picture. :shrug:

[BushOut06]

20. United States of AMERICA

That's the only thing I can figure. What else should we call ourselves? United Staters?

Actually there was once a time when people in this country referred to themselves by the state they lived in first and foremost, back when the US central government had much less power. This is why Robert E Lee turned down command of the Union army, because he "couldn't lift a finger" against his home state of Virginia. State pride back then took much higher priority over national pride.

[New Earth]

24. we can call ourselves U.S. Americans

:shrug:

[genie_weenie]

21. Maybe we should call the Continent

something else?

Like Land Bridge Over The Bering Sea Land?

And I call myself a Illinoisian!

100 years of Futility will end in 06, Go Cubbies!

[JanMichael]

25. "America" is TWO Continents. Sheesh. North and SOUTH.

And Mexico is in, what Continent? NORTH America along with Canada and the USA.

Oy vey!

[Odin2005]

27. American is easier to say than Unitedstatsian

:+

[July]

28. It's both.

When I lived in Europe, I was always referred to as an American, even by Spaniards who sometimes use "americano" for anyone from the Americas.