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Should there be a section on Anti-Americanism (could use Wikipedia for an example), or at least a link to the Anti-Americanism section. As the comments from many users of this website testify, there are a LOT of misconceptions about Americans and their country. Chiss Boy 16:45, 31 January 2007 (UTC)
I agree. The page should correct many anti-american misconceptions.
Why isn't there a link to this page in the article. This is a very relevant topic to the United States.
I second the request for a bit about literature in the culture section (why cinema and sport but not books?) I would add it myself but I don't have the requisite edit number yet. Beginning with Nathaniel Hawthorne and continuing through Melville, Twain, and James, America has a distinguished record of advancing the novelistic form. Among our Nobel laureates are Faulkner, Hemingway, and Toni Morrison. I recognize the piece is too long already, but perhaps we can cut visual arts a bit to make room? ParvatiBai 15:53, 23 January 2007 (UTC)
BS
Chinese GDP(PPP) goes in U.S.A. after 4 years. Will you be true? If I continue an anual rate of 10% growth. —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 222.146.220.31 ( talk) 10:34, 9 December 2006 (UTC).
This is bad way to view an economy considering the real gdp of China is really somewhere between 2-3 trillion.
Under cities, someone has listed New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Dallas , and Houston as the most important global cities in the United States. While most everyone will agree with the first three, the international consensus ( global cities) is that both Dallas and Houston do not rank near LA, NYC, and CHI. In fact, cities like San Francisco are higher than those two. The article should be changed to just mention the alpha cities ( New York City, Los Angeles, and Chicago).
Then above comment smacks of anti-Southern, anti-Texan regional chauvenism. There is tremendous diversity in Texas and especially the Houston area, as well as Dallas. Lets not let regional prejudice blind us to these facts.
Phil
67.42.243.184 20:26, 4 February 2007 (UTC)
Could his in the box over at the right possibly be made a bit more formal, such as "Richard?" I know everyone calls him Dick, but it's the same as if Bill Clinton was President it would probably be more formal to put William Jefferson Clinton... Just a thought. Arthur Wellesley 19:21, 10 January 2007 (UTC)
In my point of view, pizza overtaken Hamburgers especially as most Americans' favorite junk food. Even though you can't count dominos, Pizza Hut, Papa Muffies, and Carbonies sales very easily. There is also frozen pizza from gas stations that are often bought (even discusting hot pizza at gas stations). Some people go as far as making their pizza from scratch. Wikipedia can say this for junkfood (not counting veggies, potatos, squash and meat as the most common nutrious food) Renegadeviking
It seems comparison between the sales of pizza and hamburgers would be difficult because a pizza may feed 2 or 3 people, but 2 or 3 hamburgers could feed one person. I'm guessing that hamburgers would have more sales than pizza, but just because something sales more doesn't mean that it is the favorite. For example, I may favor sports cars, but I can only afford an economy car. Hamburgers are often cheaper, quicker, and more convenient for consumers, but they may prefer the taste of pizza. I agree that if we can't find a reliable source, we should just list both as being favorites. Also, concerning the junk food status of pizza, just because a food is sophisticated or fancy doesn't mean that it isn't junk food, which describes the unhealthiness of a food. Jecowa 04:00, 17 January 2007 (UTC)
To say that the Yellowstone National Park area is the only volcanic area in the Rocky Mountains is incorrect, especially considering the volcanic areas of Pacific Coast, which includes Mt. St. Helens (erupting now) in Oregon, Lassen Peak in California, Mt. Rainier in Washington, Mt. Hood, etc. Also, Routt County in northmost Colorado contains numerous hot springs, and used to contain the only geysir in Colorado. [The geysir quit erupting after a railroad was constructed through the area, with much construction blasting.] Also, there is a volcanic area in northern Arizona that has erupted withing the time of Indian inhabitation of the area, and the highest point in Arizona is the large dormant volcano Humphreys Peak.
Then there is the Hot Springs National Park in Arkansas! That's evidence of a volcanic zone there.
dale101usa@aol.com —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 65.4.17.33 ( talk) 17:26, 23 December 2006 (UTC).
Mt. St. Helens is not in Oregon! The before mentioned, Mt. Rainier, Mt. Hood, etc., are all in the Cascades or another mountain range from the Rockies.
Anonymus
It might be better to say that Yellowstone National Park is a volcanic area because it is a Supervolcano and still active. There is a difference between a regular volcano like Mt. St. Helens and a supervolcano. It is the only supervolcano in the United States and most of the hotsprings around it in other states are part of the supervolcano itself. RosePlantagenet 14:07, 24 January 2007 (UTC)
I noticed that in the article on religion Islam is placed as making up 0.6% of the population of the US. I'm no mathemetician but as conservative estimates of the American Muslim population range from 4,000,000 to 8,000,000 (the latter estimate according to CAIR, the Council on American Islamic Relations, which might be more reliable since a great deal of American Muslims, particularly African Americans, tend to resist cooperating with censuses of their communities by non-Muslims) and some less conservative estimates I have heard with my own ears from a Connecticut chemistry & sociology Professor's mouth say as many as 10,000,000--and this is out of an estimated national populace of 300,000,000, unless I am mistaken--shouldn't it come out as something more like 1/32 (that's an extremely rough estimate, I don't have much time...leaves a remainder of about 4,000,000 unaccounted for, so I'll have to tweak it before I post it) of the population? Doesn't that come out as more than 0.6? I'd like to edit this article and talk about Islam a little more (the author has already given Christianity its rightful due) emphasis, since it is, after all, the fastest growing religion in the US as well as the world and has influenced socio-politics a great deal particularly in the last 10-15 years (i.e. the Patriot Act, Guantanamo, CAIR, the recent controversies in the US over permissibility of public prayer in airports and schools for Muslims, the election of a Muslim (Keith Ellison) to the House of Representatives, etc). In other words, I think Islam is relevant to any article on religion in the United States. Is this okay? I also think that as America is, as I have seen mentioned repeatedly with much enthusiasm by various editors on the Discussion page, arguably one of the most diverse places on the planet today, its page on wiki ought to be a little more "diverse" and extensive, namely in the matters of African, Hispanic, and possibly Native Americans (aka there should be articles about them and their influence in our society, too). —The preceding unsigned comment was added by EKASeeker of Knowledge ( talk • contribs) 19:04, 12 December 2006 (UTC).
What an absurd stament. Only a rabid Leftist would claim that 9/11 was not worthy of it's own section. Please don't take such fringe elements into account in your editorial descision making. And by the way-- great job!
67.42.243.184 20:29, 4 February 2007 (UTC)
It is unreasonable to include 9/11 on the front page under "History". The full effect of 9/11 has not been completely accounted for and this event is only a small part of the nation's history. The previous sections include wide ranging time periods such as Reconstuction, the World Wars, etc. 9/11 is not or atleast has not yet become a wide sweeping trend or established time period in U.S. history so therefore it should not be included on the front page. 66.172.99.74 04:04, 13 December 2006 (UTC) Dr. C. Frederick, Englewood, CO
Perhaps a new page should be created for 'mordern history' or 'current events' in which modern and current events can be kept of this page... -- Ikyork 06:34, 31 January 2007 (UTC)
Question: why is the term superpower found in this article so much? I realize that this is an US self-identification thing, but isn't Wikipedia supposed to be WP:NPOV? Can we at least attribute to sources the places in the article where it is states that the US is a superpower or "the only" superpower?
Definitely US is the only Super Power, not in just one aspect, but many - technological, economic, political etc. From the moment people wake up till the moment they go to sleep, people around the world depend on the products created by US technology. Is it not true? So what is wrong in calling US a Super Power
- A Wikipedian
Maybe say that they're "self-applied" terms? After all, according to Wikipedia's own article on the subject, superpower, the term itself is heavily criticized as being either inaccurate or passe. -- ScienceApologist 06:52, 13 December 2006 (UTC)
Wikipedia is an american product. Of course it will have propaganda boasting the u.s. image. That will never change. However, the sensible users can still take it upon themselves to fix what they can. -G —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 64.231.33.164 ( talk • contribs).
Exactly-- it's a fact, not an opinion. But someone who is opinion-driven and not fact-driven may not be able to see this. Ideology over logic and all of that...
67.42.243.184 20:33, 4 February 2007 (UTC)
You fools "superpower" is not a self applied term. It started in the cold war and Russia the soviet union was also called a superpower. Now this new term "hyperpower" is also not self applied. It was created by the French prime minister.
The name of the country is the United States of America. That should be the primary title of the article, with United States redirecting to it by default. -- Hpa 19:36, 13 December 2006 (UTC)
Hpa & All Male Action - Please confirm that you have read the FAQ, and please identify anything new you have to contribute beyond what is in the FAQ. Perhaps the FAQ page is missing something pertinent. JonathanFreed 05:41, 14 December 2006 (UTC)
The nation is the "united States of America", according to the declaration of independence of the united states against Britain. ~~Opaleg
The Economy section now states that, "The U.S. has a slightly smaller social safety net than that of other developed countries." The footnote (43) cites the Heritage Foundation, which is a fairly biased source. "Slight" seems inaccurate, especially in regard to health care. Perhaps the information could be given in less relative terms, simply saying what the US social safety net does and does not have. Alternately (or additionally), perhaps a liberal think tank could be consulted and cited. --Stevensonrl
This article presents a view of the USA as if it is a utopia without err, to have an article that is bias is not proper. If someone who did not know any better read this page, it may give them an uneven view of the USA. The United States of America uses the Monroe Doctrine, so it deserves a little more information to make those who are not aware, aware. People in the general public of the world need to know more about America. People wish to know how the country was founded by those cast out of Europe for various reasons be them, religious ideals, horrible crimes, or etc. Or how some came to the new country looking to be their own masters. Also they need to know how the 18th century founders of the country wanted to be Kings under the rule of a democracy for those deemed worthy. More information in the article needs to reflect the impact the USA has had on historical events, and how do to calculated orchestrations has caused current conditions in South America and the rest of the world. The article needs a chart on poverty, or crime, a little more info would not be unreasonably linthy. -- Margrave1206 18:00, 15 December 2006 (UTC)
Come on people. We don't have to get into every little bit of detail here but statements like 'The United States has a long-standing tradition of civilian control over military affairs.' is a bit utopian version of what is and has been the case. I know that compared to some countries in the world (cf. the bosnian in the above discussion) this might be more true, but in essence it is not. For any country. But in US, how many oppose the camp at Guantanomo bay? How many condone going to war for false (WMD) reasons? Under civilian control is to me a big pile of crap. It is under governmental control, which to a certain extent is controlled by the people, but that does not mean the it is under civilian control. User:Me
The lead is very untidy, and almost comical. I've moved the "other names" to the names section (makes sense). Its almost like writing Robert Smith (also known as Bob, Bobby, Rob, Robby, R.S.) is a... -- Jay( Reply) 01:29, 17 December 2006 (UTC)
I've read that the U.S. is the most philanthropic nation in the world, private charity. [6] [7] Americans donate 260-300 billion per year. Anyone know where to find the studies on this that we can cite? All Male Action 02:39, 19 December 2006 (UTC)
It's not just total numbers-- it's as a percentage of per person (per capita).
67.42.243.184 20:34, 4 February 2007 (UTC)
Someone replaced the "baseball and apple pie" photo with one about story-telling quilts. [8] While the former is a bit stereotypical of the USA (and a rather inaccurate and romanticized interpretation of the USA), the latter goes to the other extreme and seems to present a rather narrow interpretation of USA culture. I would venture to say that very few Americans have heard of a story-telling quilt - and an even smaller minority of a Americans actually have one in their family.
Rather than revert the photo change, should it be deleted altogether? ++ Arx Fortis 06:57, 19 December 2006 (UTC)
I disagree, I don't think the purpose of the article is to satisfy romantic notions, but to present facts. I believe that a more accurate cultural photo would display American Football and Malls (as representative of consumerism). others may disagree. But Baseball is deffinatelty not the norm any longer as an American past-time. - Lordsuhn 10 January 2007
I would add more photos overall and even include a near photo-essay on American culture. This is a huge nation, don't be afraid to take up plenty of space to cover the needed points. That could be done in this case without overkill.
67.42.243.184 20:37, 4 February 2007 (UTC)
Lordsuhn, you may _feel_ consuming is a factual representation of american culture, but given that logic, so are any number of things required to function within a modern human society of which are not unique to the US. if modern society existed without capitalism and the purchasing of goods through the representation of time/effort in the form of money, people would still be required to 'consume' to feed and clothe themselves, as well as have hobbies, etc. LEAST i not mention that the romanticism of certain cultural aspects (apple pie, baseball) is what makes them icons in the first place. over and out, -- Ikyork 06:59, 31 January 2007 (UTC)
Actually, the Apple pie picture is disrespectul to the United States, see it's discussion page. | AndonicO Talk · Sign Here 20:41, 4 February 2007 (UTC)
I think would be nice to metion the exterior politics of USA.
Let's add a pictures of this; it's probably the most recognized image of the U.S. in the world.
Statue of Liberty article appears to have many pictures etc... -- Ikyork 07:06, 31 January 2007 (UTC)
There should be mention, on the section of the article about the name, of the "manifest destiny doctrine", that is so clearly expressed by the said name
Also, one should note that, in the same session, there is a lenthy explanation of the name of the continent itself. Not only this seems very POV to me (as a reflection of the said doctrine) but also that material seems to fit better at the "Americas" article Cold Light 20:53, 25 December 2006 (UTC)
First of all, I am glad to have finally received an answer. Thank you for the consideration. To the name issue: It is not "logical" (I think we probably mean resonable, but we should avoid needless semantic discussions) to explain the origins of the contient's name in the countries article. "state" is also in the said name, and (thankfully) no one even tried to explain it in the article. The country takes its name from the continent. That is the resonable fact for the article to explain.
The explanation of the continents name in this article is POV. Is is so because mixes the identities of the country and of the continent. They are separete entities, and the article should reflect that. I do not oppose to putting this information on the "Americas" article and linking to there from here.
"Manifest destiny" was a sorry expression. It comes from a different timeframe, and has many characteristics that are not inherently associated to the country's name. I meant it reflects the leading role the US has tried to keep on the continent from the very beginning. The notion that the US represented (and represents) the continent and its interests.
Cold Light
22:57, 13 January 2007 (UTC)
It is absurd there is no mention of American literature in the Culture section. The United States has a literary tradition rivaled only by Great Britian. Someone should add in a paragraph on it at least, even if it mostly exists to direct people to the full article about it.
Someone just vandalized this article....
Wrong. How can you say you've got the Literature at the European Level. You will not find the maturity and depth of thinking as in French or German Literature... or the complexity of British or Russian.
Someone changed the name of the president to Jonathan Diaz. I don't have an account - would anyone mind changing it?
Also someone changed it from President to puppet and changed vice president to vice lawyermaker or something like that. It needs to be changed as well.
The section under Economics includes the following statements: Since 1975, the U.S. has a "two-tier" labor market in which virtually all the real income gains have gone to the top 20% of households, with most of those gains accruing to the very highest earners within that category.[50] This polarization is the result of a relatively high level of economic freedom.[51]
The polarization in question is not necessarily a RESULT of a high level of economic freedom. The Economist article sited demonstrates a correlation, but not a cause and effect. Some would argue that the polarization mentioned in the article is due to mixed economic policies that favor some groups/individuals/corporations over others. Perhaps the last sentence, "This polarization is the result of a relatively high level of economic freedom.[51]," should be removed. The cited fact in the preceding sentence (Since 1975, the U.S. has a "two-tier" labor market in which virtually all the real income gains have gone to the top 20% of households, with most of those gains accruing to the very highest earners within that category.[50]) stands alone.
I would really like to remove the labled map from the front matter but thought I would ask here first. I find it rather large and unsightly (as its all in grey rather than shaded). Also some of the cities are misplaced (El Paso is in Texas) and the principle of inclusion is unclear. I think the other maps are sufficient for this survey article. Eluchil404 07:46, 6 January 2007 (UTC)
The title of this article is "United States". However, the introduction to this article, including the bolded word and the title in the infobox, is "United States of America":
"The United States of America is a country in North America that extends from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and shares land borders with Canada and Mexico. The United States is a federal constitutional republic, with its capital in Washington, D.C."
These two things should be exactly the same. The question is, should the bolded word/infobox be changed to "United States", or should the page be moved to "United States of America"? -- RattleMan 21:56, 6 January 2007 (UTC)
While I know that the word American technically refers to anyone on either of the American continents, even the OED clearly states that American describes "An inhabitant of the United States." The word American cannot be replaced with citizen as doing so would exclude permanent residents who are included in all the studies and statistics on this page; thus the word "American" is the best to use. In an article soley pertaining to the United States it is clear what we mean by American and the OED, Webster and Cambridge dictionary support the notion of using the term American to describe a US-resident. Regards, Signature brendel 19:24, 7 January 2007 (UTC)
The wiki poverty in america article is linked to this one?? It needs to be if it is not. Over 35 million americans live in poverty.
Also in the ethnic group section, how does the USA come to the conclusion who is white or black by their standards? For a fact that they changed or in constant flux as to who is considered white. For a fact a great deal of people in Amercian have Native American blood. Also if one went by the American one drop rule who would be black???? -- Margrave1206 01:01, 9 January 2007 (UTC)
I think that it should be mentioned how many states the USA consists of in the introduction. I was looking for that, but I couldn't find it. Either I'm blind or it isn't mentioned at all in the whole article (except in Administrative divisions, where it is said that there are 48 continental states plus Alaska and Hawaii) -- 80.219.120.34 19:23, 9 January 2007 (UTC)
I think we may need to include the fact that, legaly, there are only 46 states. Virginia, Pennsylvania, Kentucky and Massachusetts are all Commonwealths. It may be helpful to mention that to people who believe there are 50.
The map nearest the top doesn't show the Hawaiian Islands, which I find very wrong for an encyclopedia. Does anyone know where to find a better one? I'll look around too... | AndonicO Talk | Sign Here 23:09, 9 January 2007 (UTC)
Also, since when is Deleware (or Maryland for that matter) part of the South?
This article is too government oriented. In the Economy section all it seems to talk about are state accomplishments. We are not a fascist nation. There IS a private sector accomplishing a lot of great things. There is a picture of a state university. How about a private university? The United States is more than just the government. The government is actually less important than the private sector in a capitalist economy. So why so much focus on state accomplishments? This looks like it could be an article put out by the Nazis glorifying Nazi germany. Improper Bostonian 02:15, 11 January 2007 (UTC)
"Beginning early the Cold War, the U.S. achieved successes in space science and technology, leading to a space race which led to rapid advances in rocketry". This should be replaced by "Russia launched the first artificial satellite and the US scrambled to catch up". Fourtildas 04:16, 11 January 2007 (UTC)
Fourtildas, how about "Russia launched the first artificial satellite and the US scrambled to catch up, and succeeded, landing the first man on the Moon. Since then, the Russian exploration of space has waned, with the American space agency, NASA, becoming the dominant space agency in the world. "? (and the '.' goes before the " in a quote). Chiss Boy 17:52, 31 January 2007 (UTC)
If Mexico's name was the United Mexican States OF America and they began calling themselves America I think it would alienate the rest of the continent. However, the tranlation of Estados Unidos Mexicanos is United Mexican States it is not OF America.
United States (the country) OF (emphasis on the OF) America (the continent) So the country of the United States is part OF the continent of America yet Americans (also incorrect it shouldn't even be Americans) refer to their country as the name of the Continent.
United States is one country United Mexican States is another [for short Mexico because it is the set of united states encompassing a ENTIRE (you could say that the US emcompasses america which it does but not its entirety) region known as Mexico]. So Mexico can call itself Mexico because the country is situated in an entire region known as Mexico. The United States can't call itself America because it only takes a part of the continent (not even a majority of the continent is part of the United States).
I think you got my main point that Americans (not all) can be ignorant and closed-minded.
I agree 110 percent with whoever created this topic, but how are you gonna make 'em understand, since they don't even have a proper name, they had to steal the name of the whole continent!.
Americans?? anyone whose born in America is an American, people from Canada to Argentina are Americans, but of course if they don't call themselves "Americans" then how are they gonna be called?... United Statians?? it sound awkward I know, what that's their fault for not creating a proper name for their country.
The easiest way to understand it, is imaging that there was a country called "the United States of Europe" and they auto call themselves "Europeans"... anyone who'd been born in Europe would be an "European" not just people from that country. Supaman89 00:34, 15 January 2007(UTC)
I think this issue is a bit too bogged down in nitpicking with words. Mexicans and Canadians may very well be North Americans or americans, but American has come to be known as a word to mean from the USA. Following the logic of those who wrote about the problem of this word usage, wouldn't anyone from sub-saharan Africa be "South African"? Seems like some misplaced anti-Americanism to me.
"OF"--there is much confusion regarding this English pronoun. Many people have argued that because the phrase is "...of America," therefore the proper name of the country cannot itself be "America." They argue that this phrase merely denotes a country that is located "in" America (continent), or proceeding "from" America, or "related to" America, or having to do "with" America. Were this clearly and unequivocally the case, then I would agree with your argument that "America" is nothing but a miscellaneous, geographical descriptor, on the same level of importance as "republic," as far as the nation's identity is concerned. However, this is not the case, and the word "of" can also mean "which is called," or "which is known as."
What the colonists and the Founding Fathers meant when they named the Republic is debatable, and can be argue either way. What is not arguable is the fact that, as a matter of usage, the preposition "of" is both used and understood, in modern times, by Americans, and indeed by English-speaking peoples, in the sense that it is used in the names of the countries I listed (or any other country containing "OF" in its official title). Whether or not that is a good thing, bad thing, in poor taste, fair, diplomatic, polite, etc., is a matter of personal opinion. But, like any other sovereign nation, the United States of America can take any name it wants, which is not already in use by another sovereign nation, and the american continent is not a political entity, much less a sovereign nation.
As a Mexican-American I fully encourage other American peoples to call themselves "American" regardless of which American country they call home, and to educate those who are not aware that "American" has two valid definitions, one as an adjective for the citizens of the USA, and another as an adjective for the inhabitants of all America. But, these things should not be mutually exclusive, and we should all respect the names of foreign countries regardless of what they are, even if they are named after continents
A side note: it must be observed that not all countries observe the nomenclature whereby "The Americas" are considered a single continent named "America." Without making any value judgement or getting into the irrelevant topic of which naming system is superior, we must all recognize the fact of the matter, which is that, in English, and in most English-speaking countries, as well as some others, there are two continents, North America and South America. In many other countries, there is only one continent called "America." People disagree, end of story. Neither naming convention was ordained by God. BUT, since the USA is one of those countries where "America" is actually two continents, then it should be more comprehensible why Americans from the USA see nothing weird or odd about using that name for themselves, since in their experience it does not correspond exactly to the name of any specific continent.
Finally, we must all remember that the United States of America was born from THE FIRST successful colonial revolution in the Americas; it was THE FIRST sovereign nation to gain independence from European powers, and was at the time of its founding THE ONLY sovereign nation to exist in all of America--the rest were all colonies and conquered lands. Someone gave the example of a European country called the "United States of Europe." Well imagine if all of Europe were conquered colonies, held by Asian powers, until a dozen different European colonizes allied with each other in a common desire for independence, and rose up in rebellion against the foreign rulers, then united into a federal state called "The United States of Europe," then the analogy would be more accurate. What's more, I think that the citizens of the USE would have every right to call their nationality "European"--which would not erase the alternate and equally valid meaning of "European" meaning inhabitant of the continent. In fact, we already see the European Union (which is not a country but is certainly a political entity, and is certainly not a continent) parading itself everywhere as "Europe," at sporting events, political forums, business forums, and elsewhere, even though it is only a portion of Europe and not the whole. But who goes about spewing hateful diatribes, or insuniating ignorance/stupidity against all of those "Europeans," for just that reason??? Being the only free nation in America at the time, I think the USA was more than entitled to represent that continent, and could take any name it darn well pleased, even the name of said newly freed continent.
In conclusion, I believe that the argument raised is a valid one, deserving of an explanation. I also believe that people (in general) are sometimes too quick to pass judgement and condemnation upon nations and peoples based on assumptions, gut-reactions, and misunderstandings. In this particular case, I believe that the controversy usually arises from a mixture of strong political sentiment plus linguistic confusion, which leads to people prematurely declaring what the "correct" answers "should" be without first seeking clarification from the source, that is, from people being judged. It would be wiser to simply ASK, "Why is it that the USA is named the USA, could someone please explain this to me because it does not makes sense?" instead of self-righteously declaring as "fact" that it is "wrong," and insulting those who disagree.
It is ironic that "Americans" are being labelled as closed-minded, because I personally believe that lambasting entire peoples/nations, or even just a significant portion of them, over something as trivial as a grammar dispute, is itself monumentally closed-minded. I also find it somewhat ridiculous that a name can only mean one thing, and cannot be used with multiple meanings. I would imagine that anyone who has opened up a dictionary even once is familiar with the concept of multiple meanings. People argue the issue with much anger and indignation, as if calling US citizens "Americans" somehow made it impossible or inappropriate for non-US citizens to call themselves "Americans" as well. People can call themselves whatever they want, nobody is stopping them, and unless Americans from the United States are beating down your door, pointing guns to your head, and forcing you to relinquish the right to call yourselves "American," then this whole issue is incredibly infantile and pedantic.-- Supersexyspacemonkey 10:59, 20 January 2007 (UTC)
“ | American:
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That is what the word American means according to the highest authority on the English language. It clearly proves that the term America(n) can correctly be used pertaining to the US. Regards, Signature brendel 20:26, 20 January 2007 (UTC)
The most commonly spoken language in America is Spanish, but every time I add (Spanish most commonly spoken) to the official language section, its deleted. Its true, America is a spanish-speeking country.-- Count Mall 21:23, 14 January 2007 (UTC)
Actually since the US don't have a "Official Language", English would be the most commonly spoken language followed by Spanish. Supaman89 00:37, 15 January 2007 (UTC)
Why does ethnocentrism make you opposed to having English as our official language? Making English the official official is one of the best things for this country to do. 69.69.82.99 19:52, 24 January 2007 (UTC)Bellahdoll
When did talk pages become discussion boards? i must have missed that change.
If English became the US Official language, I would renounce my citizenship and become a citizen of Canada. English as the official language would just be another thing to make this country into the white, male America that it should NOT be. (Please note that I am saying this as a white male myself). America is supposed to be a "melting pot" of culture. I'm fine with English being the most widely spoken language (It creates a sense of unity) but citizens should be allowed to speak whatever language they want. But if you live in a southern state, learn Spanish. Educate yourself. America is way too culturally uneducated as it is. Don't act like learning another language is making you less American. It's doing the exact opposite. It's making you a better American for understanding and respecting other cultures. It's pretty sad what we've become. —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 74.128.234.186 ( talk) 18:24, 4 February 2007 (UTC).
I totally disagree. You can be any race, any religion, any gender, it doesn't matter. However, we need a common language. English being official would be excellent. Everyone needs to speak the same language in order to communicate effectively. I would hate to imagine the country with no common language to unite it. Your beliefs may vary, but the language used should not, if only so everyone else can understand your beliefs, thoughts, etc. without a translator.
Recently the mention that the UK was America's closest ally was removed under 'Foreign Relations and military'. I think Anglo-American relations is an integral part of the modern United States. The UK deserve a mention as they followed America into their War on Terror. Also Britain has an influence on the US and the US greatly influences the UK, especially regarding a very similiar foreign policy and military strategies.
It's also important to mention this as the article doesnt really state that after the war of independance we ever got back on 'good terms', but now the UK and US are fighting side by side 'shoulder to shoulder' against a common enemy, despite what was, and somewhat still is, overwhelming opposition.
Would anyone else agree that the special relations with the UK should be put back into that section??
strongmike248@hotmail.com —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 86.14.220.113 ( talk) 17:01, 15 January 2007 (UTC).
I am writing a book about America and the Internet for the University of Toronto Press, and would like more information on the events leading up to the United States entry being locked. Please keep in mind that this is not a query intended to challenge the decision.
I wish to document the event in my book, as an example of the online debate over America's identity. To that end, I would ask any editors who recall the circumstances leading up to the decision to lock the page if they could recount what happened (email me at michael@strangelove.com). I assume that there were so many changes being made to the article that the process had to be more carefully managed. I also assume that these changes reflected a debate between the 'left' and the 'right' over the character of the US, that they were in some way political (as indeed all history is in some way political). I am seeking to have these assumptions confirmed or corrected.
My purpose is not to reignite that debate, and hopefully I have the correct forum for posting this question. Comments from any participants in the editing process that led to the lock are welcome and of interest to my work.
Respectfully,
Dr. Michael Strangelove
University of Ottawa
www.strangelove.com
Here is a list of articles protected multiple times since September. Often, edit conflicts on Wikipedia reflect real-world conflicts such as Armenia/Turkey, the Balkans, Israel/Palestine, etc. They also tend to involve religion topics. The September 11, 2001 attacks and related pages have been subject to edit wars over if/how much to include about conspiracy theories. -- Aude ( talk) 03:09, 17 January 2007 (UTC)
I performed minor edits throughout the article to clean up language and some bias. They should be visible in the page history.
I have also tagged the article as POV, since the entry does nothing but glamorize the United States and presents no critique at all. Aufheben 17:19, 17 January 2007 (UTC)
Yet, you don't seem to be complaining about other articles, do you? Why are you so anti-American, might I ask?
Under "Political System" (paragraph one) it's stated that, "Executive...offices are decided by a plurality vote of citizens in their respective districts." This simply isn't true at the national level. I propose that the following be inserted: "The offices of President and Vice President are decided by a majority vote of Electors appointed by the states and the District of Columbia," with appropriate changes being made to the aforementioned sentence.
In fact, that whole paragraph is just a mess and should almost certainly be rewritten. Eastcheap 05:15, 18 January 2007 (UTC)
I agree in principal, but the Readers Digest version can be shoehorned into the existing paragraph (and was the best I could manage in a single sentence without using a phrase like "elected Electors"). The really important thing, I believe, is the link to the Electoral College article. Going any further gets us into the 14th, 19th, and 26th Amendments and their interpretations and implementations, not to mention the fact that the procedure for electing Electors isn't uniform (i.e. I'm not sure the term "plurality" is strictly accurate). Way beyond the scope of a broad overview. Eastcheap 01:34, 21 January 2007 (UTC)
In 1776 the United colonies demanded their independece by the 'Declaration of Independence stating: "[...] That these United Colonies are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States; that they are Absolved from all Allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain, is and ought to be totally dissolved; and that as Free and Independent States, they have full Power to levy War, conclude Peace, contract Alliances, establish Commerce, and to do all other Acts and Things which Independent States may of right do. And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor."
And in the 'Treaty of Paris 1783' which was the peace treaty gives what they actually got: "[...] His Brittanic Majesty acknowledges the said United States, viz., New Hampshire, Massachusetts Bay, Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia, to be free sovereign and independent states, that he treats with them as such, and for himself, his heirs, and successors, relinquishes all claims to the government, propriety, and territorial rights of the same and every part thereof. [...]"
However this treaty is void as of 1812 when the Congress of the United States declared war upon Britain. Becuase, if one makes a treaty which says I can fish and live on your land. If I then start a fight with you. That would mean I broke the treaty, certainly I wouldn't recognize the treaty that was signed before you started a fight with me. I would throw you out of my land if I could!
Although the 'Treaty of Ghent 1814', that treaty further reinsures that the agreements made under Treaty of Paris will also be the state of things from here on but in many more words so I don't really know what was included in that treaty. Lord Metroid 15:26, 24 January 2007 (UTC)
While foreign relations can definetly involve the military, I dont believe these two should be combined. Also, should foreign relations be expanded to include more than just the UN maybe Kyoto, etc...?
Well, I finally have the time to check up on United States and what a mess it has become again. Aargh. And it was getting so nice the last time I read it thoroughly in August.
Here are the edits which I am disputing as either unsourced, inadequately sourced, poorly written, or just plain dumb:
-- Coolcaesar 12:59, 23 January 2007 (UTC)
Thethirdperson 10:45, 5 February 2007 (UTC)
In order to reduct the size or long apperance of the article we could put a lot of economic info (e.g. personal income, GDP growth, unemployment, etc...) in a table and remove it from the text. One of the images (there are two right now) would give way to a table featuring much of the statistical info now mentioned in text. Furthermore, a table is more attractive to readers who are commonly intimidated by text containing statistics. The following would be covered in the table:
I'll wait for comments until this evening Pacific time before putting this idea into place. Thanks, Regards, Signature brendel 23:35, 23 January 2007 (UTC)
All different. -- 195.56.207.92 20:00, 24 January 2007 (UTC)
Same goes with the population. --
195.56.207.92
20:03, 24 January 2007 (UTC)
But we have one official data a data over the other datas the ONE DATA, don't we? :-) -- 195.56.207.92 00:08, 26 January 2007 (UTC)
Shouldn't this article have at least a brief discussion of craft to compliment its discussion of American art? Arguably craft traditions (e.g., pottery, quilting, glass-blowing) are more distinctive elements of national culture than are the high arts. Some American craft, such as wood-turning or North Carolina pottery, represent important American contributions to visual culture. Klmarcus 22:49, 25 January 2007 (UTC)
Could someone please add to the Sports section at the bottom of the page? It seems good enough, but I would be happy to see it improved. I will add stuff where I can, but I would appreciate it if anyone else could help too.
-- Robin63 05:37, 26 January 2007 (UTC)
Do we really need Nancy Pelosi and John Roberts there? Especially Roberts' party, since that's a wholly nonpartisan position? -- Golbez 06:56, 26 January 2007 (UTC)
Nancy Pelosi remain. She's third in line for the Presidency, after all, and the most powerful (on paper) opposition leader in the US government right now. (BTW, I think DeLay was up there previously, don't know why Hastert wasn't added.)-- Primal Chaos 03:29, 29 January 2007 (UTC)
Is the USA in central North America? —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 74.110.218.100 ( talk) 02:10, 28 January 2007 (UTC).
I think we should change the name of the title from 'United States' to 'The United States of America'. That is the formal name listed in the article and people who search for 'the united states of america' do not get this page as a result. I believe that if it was changed, both searches for the origional name and the above mentioned would lead to this page. Just thinking. Simonsays19 03:06, 29 January 2007 (UTC)Simonsays19
The official name of the country is the United States of America, and the article even refers to it as such. The article should probably be renamed with a redirect from United States. It should also be noted that many other nations use "United States" in their title, such as Mexico. -- Timmmy! 23:57, 29 January 2007 (UTC)
In the Innovations section, it only talks about government projects. Most of the R&D in the U.S. is done entirely in the private sector (69% of it is private). So I put a tag in that section because there is missing information, such as accomplishments by Microsoft, IBM, etc. Improper Bostonian 17:05, 31 January 2007 (UTC)
United States → United States of America — correct name. — User:89.168.0.166 - This discussion section added by SigPig | SEND - OVER 00:20, 14 February 2007 (UTC)
# '''Oppose'''
on a new line in the appropriate section followed by a brief explanation, then sign your opinion using ~~~~. Please remember that this survey is
not a vote, and please provide an explanation for your recommendation.This is an archive of past discussions. Do not edit the contents of this page. If you wish to start a new discussion or revive an old one, please do so on the current talk page. |
Archive 15 | ← | Archive 20 | Archive 21 | Archive 22 | Archive 23 | Archive 24 | Archive 25 |
Should there be a section on Anti-Americanism (could use Wikipedia for an example), or at least a link to the Anti-Americanism section. As the comments from many users of this website testify, there are a LOT of misconceptions about Americans and their country. Chiss Boy 16:45, 31 January 2007 (UTC)
I agree. The page should correct many anti-american misconceptions.
Why isn't there a link to this page in the article. This is a very relevant topic to the United States.
I second the request for a bit about literature in the culture section (why cinema and sport but not books?) I would add it myself but I don't have the requisite edit number yet. Beginning with Nathaniel Hawthorne and continuing through Melville, Twain, and James, America has a distinguished record of advancing the novelistic form. Among our Nobel laureates are Faulkner, Hemingway, and Toni Morrison. I recognize the piece is too long already, but perhaps we can cut visual arts a bit to make room? ParvatiBai 15:53, 23 January 2007 (UTC)
BS
Chinese GDP(PPP) goes in U.S.A. after 4 years. Will you be true? If I continue an anual rate of 10% growth. —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 222.146.220.31 ( talk) 10:34, 9 December 2006 (UTC).
This is bad way to view an economy considering the real gdp of China is really somewhere between 2-3 trillion.
Under cities, someone has listed New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Dallas , and Houston as the most important global cities in the United States. While most everyone will agree with the first three, the international consensus ( global cities) is that both Dallas and Houston do not rank near LA, NYC, and CHI. In fact, cities like San Francisco are higher than those two. The article should be changed to just mention the alpha cities ( New York City, Los Angeles, and Chicago).
Then above comment smacks of anti-Southern, anti-Texan regional chauvenism. There is tremendous diversity in Texas and especially the Houston area, as well as Dallas. Lets not let regional prejudice blind us to these facts.
Phil
67.42.243.184 20:26, 4 February 2007 (UTC)
Could his in the box over at the right possibly be made a bit more formal, such as "Richard?" I know everyone calls him Dick, but it's the same as if Bill Clinton was President it would probably be more formal to put William Jefferson Clinton... Just a thought. Arthur Wellesley 19:21, 10 January 2007 (UTC)
In my point of view, pizza overtaken Hamburgers especially as most Americans' favorite junk food. Even though you can't count dominos, Pizza Hut, Papa Muffies, and Carbonies sales very easily. There is also frozen pizza from gas stations that are often bought (even discusting hot pizza at gas stations). Some people go as far as making their pizza from scratch. Wikipedia can say this for junkfood (not counting veggies, potatos, squash and meat as the most common nutrious food) Renegadeviking
It seems comparison between the sales of pizza and hamburgers would be difficult because a pizza may feed 2 or 3 people, but 2 or 3 hamburgers could feed one person. I'm guessing that hamburgers would have more sales than pizza, but just because something sales more doesn't mean that it is the favorite. For example, I may favor sports cars, but I can only afford an economy car. Hamburgers are often cheaper, quicker, and more convenient for consumers, but they may prefer the taste of pizza. I agree that if we can't find a reliable source, we should just list both as being favorites. Also, concerning the junk food status of pizza, just because a food is sophisticated or fancy doesn't mean that it isn't junk food, which describes the unhealthiness of a food. Jecowa 04:00, 17 January 2007 (UTC)
To say that the Yellowstone National Park area is the only volcanic area in the Rocky Mountains is incorrect, especially considering the volcanic areas of Pacific Coast, which includes Mt. St. Helens (erupting now) in Oregon, Lassen Peak in California, Mt. Rainier in Washington, Mt. Hood, etc. Also, Routt County in northmost Colorado contains numerous hot springs, and used to contain the only geysir in Colorado. [The geysir quit erupting after a railroad was constructed through the area, with much construction blasting.] Also, there is a volcanic area in northern Arizona that has erupted withing the time of Indian inhabitation of the area, and the highest point in Arizona is the large dormant volcano Humphreys Peak.
Then there is the Hot Springs National Park in Arkansas! That's evidence of a volcanic zone there.
dale101usa@aol.com —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 65.4.17.33 ( talk) 17:26, 23 December 2006 (UTC).
Mt. St. Helens is not in Oregon! The before mentioned, Mt. Rainier, Mt. Hood, etc., are all in the Cascades or another mountain range from the Rockies.
Anonymus
It might be better to say that Yellowstone National Park is a volcanic area because it is a Supervolcano and still active. There is a difference between a regular volcano like Mt. St. Helens and a supervolcano. It is the only supervolcano in the United States and most of the hotsprings around it in other states are part of the supervolcano itself. RosePlantagenet 14:07, 24 January 2007 (UTC)
I noticed that in the article on religion Islam is placed as making up 0.6% of the population of the US. I'm no mathemetician but as conservative estimates of the American Muslim population range from 4,000,000 to 8,000,000 (the latter estimate according to CAIR, the Council on American Islamic Relations, which might be more reliable since a great deal of American Muslims, particularly African Americans, tend to resist cooperating with censuses of their communities by non-Muslims) and some less conservative estimates I have heard with my own ears from a Connecticut chemistry & sociology Professor's mouth say as many as 10,000,000--and this is out of an estimated national populace of 300,000,000, unless I am mistaken--shouldn't it come out as something more like 1/32 (that's an extremely rough estimate, I don't have much time...leaves a remainder of about 4,000,000 unaccounted for, so I'll have to tweak it before I post it) of the population? Doesn't that come out as more than 0.6? I'd like to edit this article and talk about Islam a little more (the author has already given Christianity its rightful due) emphasis, since it is, after all, the fastest growing religion in the US as well as the world and has influenced socio-politics a great deal particularly in the last 10-15 years (i.e. the Patriot Act, Guantanamo, CAIR, the recent controversies in the US over permissibility of public prayer in airports and schools for Muslims, the election of a Muslim (Keith Ellison) to the House of Representatives, etc). In other words, I think Islam is relevant to any article on religion in the United States. Is this okay? I also think that as America is, as I have seen mentioned repeatedly with much enthusiasm by various editors on the Discussion page, arguably one of the most diverse places on the planet today, its page on wiki ought to be a little more "diverse" and extensive, namely in the matters of African, Hispanic, and possibly Native Americans (aka there should be articles about them and their influence in our society, too). —The preceding unsigned comment was added by EKASeeker of Knowledge ( talk • contribs) 19:04, 12 December 2006 (UTC).
What an absurd stament. Only a rabid Leftist would claim that 9/11 was not worthy of it's own section. Please don't take such fringe elements into account in your editorial descision making. And by the way-- great job!
67.42.243.184 20:29, 4 February 2007 (UTC)
It is unreasonable to include 9/11 on the front page under "History". The full effect of 9/11 has not been completely accounted for and this event is only a small part of the nation's history. The previous sections include wide ranging time periods such as Reconstuction, the World Wars, etc. 9/11 is not or atleast has not yet become a wide sweeping trend or established time period in U.S. history so therefore it should not be included on the front page. 66.172.99.74 04:04, 13 December 2006 (UTC) Dr. C. Frederick, Englewood, CO
Perhaps a new page should be created for 'mordern history' or 'current events' in which modern and current events can be kept of this page... -- Ikyork 06:34, 31 January 2007 (UTC)
Question: why is the term superpower found in this article so much? I realize that this is an US self-identification thing, but isn't Wikipedia supposed to be WP:NPOV? Can we at least attribute to sources the places in the article where it is states that the US is a superpower or "the only" superpower?
Definitely US is the only Super Power, not in just one aspect, but many - technological, economic, political etc. From the moment people wake up till the moment they go to sleep, people around the world depend on the products created by US technology. Is it not true? So what is wrong in calling US a Super Power
- A Wikipedian
Maybe say that they're "self-applied" terms? After all, according to Wikipedia's own article on the subject, superpower, the term itself is heavily criticized as being either inaccurate or passe. -- ScienceApologist 06:52, 13 December 2006 (UTC)
Wikipedia is an american product. Of course it will have propaganda boasting the u.s. image. That will never change. However, the sensible users can still take it upon themselves to fix what they can. -G —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 64.231.33.164 ( talk • contribs).
Exactly-- it's a fact, not an opinion. But someone who is opinion-driven and not fact-driven may not be able to see this. Ideology over logic and all of that...
67.42.243.184 20:33, 4 February 2007 (UTC)
You fools "superpower" is not a self applied term. It started in the cold war and Russia the soviet union was also called a superpower. Now this new term "hyperpower" is also not self applied. It was created by the French prime minister.
The name of the country is the United States of America. That should be the primary title of the article, with United States redirecting to it by default. -- Hpa 19:36, 13 December 2006 (UTC)
Hpa & All Male Action - Please confirm that you have read the FAQ, and please identify anything new you have to contribute beyond what is in the FAQ. Perhaps the FAQ page is missing something pertinent. JonathanFreed 05:41, 14 December 2006 (UTC)
The nation is the "united States of America", according to the declaration of independence of the united states against Britain. ~~Opaleg
The Economy section now states that, "The U.S. has a slightly smaller social safety net than that of other developed countries." The footnote (43) cites the Heritage Foundation, which is a fairly biased source. "Slight" seems inaccurate, especially in regard to health care. Perhaps the information could be given in less relative terms, simply saying what the US social safety net does and does not have. Alternately (or additionally), perhaps a liberal think tank could be consulted and cited. --Stevensonrl
This article presents a view of the USA as if it is a utopia without err, to have an article that is bias is not proper. If someone who did not know any better read this page, it may give them an uneven view of the USA. The United States of America uses the Monroe Doctrine, so it deserves a little more information to make those who are not aware, aware. People in the general public of the world need to know more about America. People wish to know how the country was founded by those cast out of Europe for various reasons be them, religious ideals, horrible crimes, or etc. Or how some came to the new country looking to be their own masters. Also they need to know how the 18th century founders of the country wanted to be Kings under the rule of a democracy for those deemed worthy. More information in the article needs to reflect the impact the USA has had on historical events, and how do to calculated orchestrations has caused current conditions in South America and the rest of the world. The article needs a chart on poverty, or crime, a little more info would not be unreasonably linthy. -- Margrave1206 18:00, 15 December 2006 (UTC)
Come on people. We don't have to get into every little bit of detail here but statements like 'The United States has a long-standing tradition of civilian control over military affairs.' is a bit utopian version of what is and has been the case. I know that compared to some countries in the world (cf. the bosnian in the above discussion) this might be more true, but in essence it is not. For any country. But in US, how many oppose the camp at Guantanomo bay? How many condone going to war for false (WMD) reasons? Under civilian control is to me a big pile of crap. It is under governmental control, which to a certain extent is controlled by the people, but that does not mean the it is under civilian control. User:Me
The lead is very untidy, and almost comical. I've moved the "other names" to the names section (makes sense). Its almost like writing Robert Smith (also known as Bob, Bobby, Rob, Robby, R.S.) is a... -- Jay( Reply) 01:29, 17 December 2006 (UTC)
I've read that the U.S. is the most philanthropic nation in the world, private charity. [6] [7] Americans donate 260-300 billion per year. Anyone know where to find the studies on this that we can cite? All Male Action 02:39, 19 December 2006 (UTC)
It's not just total numbers-- it's as a percentage of per person (per capita).
67.42.243.184 20:34, 4 February 2007 (UTC)
Someone replaced the "baseball and apple pie" photo with one about story-telling quilts. [8] While the former is a bit stereotypical of the USA (and a rather inaccurate and romanticized interpretation of the USA), the latter goes to the other extreme and seems to present a rather narrow interpretation of USA culture. I would venture to say that very few Americans have heard of a story-telling quilt - and an even smaller minority of a Americans actually have one in their family.
Rather than revert the photo change, should it be deleted altogether? ++ Arx Fortis 06:57, 19 December 2006 (UTC)
I disagree, I don't think the purpose of the article is to satisfy romantic notions, but to present facts. I believe that a more accurate cultural photo would display American Football and Malls (as representative of consumerism). others may disagree. But Baseball is deffinatelty not the norm any longer as an American past-time. - Lordsuhn 10 January 2007
I would add more photos overall and even include a near photo-essay on American culture. This is a huge nation, don't be afraid to take up plenty of space to cover the needed points. That could be done in this case without overkill.
67.42.243.184 20:37, 4 February 2007 (UTC)
Lordsuhn, you may _feel_ consuming is a factual representation of american culture, but given that logic, so are any number of things required to function within a modern human society of which are not unique to the US. if modern society existed without capitalism and the purchasing of goods through the representation of time/effort in the form of money, people would still be required to 'consume' to feed and clothe themselves, as well as have hobbies, etc. LEAST i not mention that the romanticism of certain cultural aspects (apple pie, baseball) is what makes them icons in the first place. over and out, -- Ikyork 06:59, 31 January 2007 (UTC)
Actually, the Apple pie picture is disrespectul to the United States, see it's discussion page. | AndonicO Talk · Sign Here 20:41, 4 February 2007 (UTC)
I think would be nice to metion the exterior politics of USA.
Let's add a pictures of this; it's probably the most recognized image of the U.S. in the world.
Statue of Liberty article appears to have many pictures etc... -- Ikyork 07:06, 31 January 2007 (UTC)
There should be mention, on the section of the article about the name, of the "manifest destiny doctrine", that is so clearly expressed by the said name
Also, one should note that, in the same session, there is a lenthy explanation of the name of the continent itself. Not only this seems very POV to me (as a reflection of the said doctrine) but also that material seems to fit better at the "Americas" article Cold Light 20:53, 25 December 2006 (UTC)
First of all, I am glad to have finally received an answer. Thank you for the consideration. To the name issue: It is not "logical" (I think we probably mean resonable, but we should avoid needless semantic discussions) to explain the origins of the contient's name in the countries article. "state" is also in the said name, and (thankfully) no one even tried to explain it in the article. The country takes its name from the continent. That is the resonable fact for the article to explain.
The explanation of the continents name in this article is POV. Is is so because mixes the identities of the country and of the continent. They are separete entities, and the article should reflect that. I do not oppose to putting this information on the "Americas" article and linking to there from here.
"Manifest destiny" was a sorry expression. It comes from a different timeframe, and has many characteristics that are not inherently associated to the country's name. I meant it reflects the leading role the US has tried to keep on the continent from the very beginning. The notion that the US represented (and represents) the continent and its interests.
Cold Light
22:57, 13 January 2007 (UTC)
It is absurd there is no mention of American literature in the Culture section. The United States has a literary tradition rivaled only by Great Britian. Someone should add in a paragraph on it at least, even if it mostly exists to direct people to the full article about it.
Someone just vandalized this article....
Wrong. How can you say you've got the Literature at the European Level. You will not find the maturity and depth of thinking as in French or German Literature... or the complexity of British or Russian.
Someone changed the name of the president to Jonathan Diaz. I don't have an account - would anyone mind changing it?
Also someone changed it from President to puppet and changed vice president to vice lawyermaker or something like that. It needs to be changed as well.
The section under Economics includes the following statements: Since 1975, the U.S. has a "two-tier" labor market in which virtually all the real income gains have gone to the top 20% of households, with most of those gains accruing to the very highest earners within that category.[50] This polarization is the result of a relatively high level of economic freedom.[51]
The polarization in question is not necessarily a RESULT of a high level of economic freedom. The Economist article sited demonstrates a correlation, but not a cause and effect. Some would argue that the polarization mentioned in the article is due to mixed economic policies that favor some groups/individuals/corporations over others. Perhaps the last sentence, "This polarization is the result of a relatively high level of economic freedom.[51]," should be removed. The cited fact in the preceding sentence (Since 1975, the U.S. has a "two-tier" labor market in which virtually all the real income gains have gone to the top 20% of households, with most of those gains accruing to the very highest earners within that category.[50]) stands alone.
I would really like to remove the labled map from the front matter but thought I would ask here first. I find it rather large and unsightly (as its all in grey rather than shaded). Also some of the cities are misplaced (El Paso is in Texas) and the principle of inclusion is unclear. I think the other maps are sufficient for this survey article. Eluchil404 07:46, 6 January 2007 (UTC)
The title of this article is "United States". However, the introduction to this article, including the bolded word and the title in the infobox, is "United States of America":
"The United States of America is a country in North America that extends from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and shares land borders with Canada and Mexico. The United States is a federal constitutional republic, with its capital in Washington, D.C."
These two things should be exactly the same. The question is, should the bolded word/infobox be changed to "United States", or should the page be moved to "United States of America"? -- RattleMan 21:56, 6 January 2007 (UTC)
While I know that the word American technically refers to anyone on either of the American continents, even the OED clearly states that American describes "An inhabitant of the United States." The word American cannot be replaced with citizen as doing so would exclude permanent residents who are included in all the studies and statistics on this page; thus the word "American" is the best to use. In an article soley pertaining to the United States it is clear what we mean by American and the OED, Webster and Cambridge dictionary support the notion of using the term American to describe a US-resident. Regards, Signature brendel 19:24, 7 January 2007 (UTC)
The wiki poverty in america article is linked to this one?? It needs to be if it is not. Over 35 million americans live in poverty.
Also in the ethnic group section, how does the USA come to the conclusion who is white or black by their standards? For a fact that they changed or in constant flux as to who is considered white. For a fact a great deal of people in Amercian have Native American blood. Also if one went by the American one drop rule who would be black???? -- Margrave1206 01:01, 9 January 2007 (UTC)
I think that it should be mentioned how many states the USA consists of in the introduction. I was looking for that, but I couldn't find it. Either I'm blind or it isn't mentioned at all in the whole article (except in Administrative divisions, where it is said that there are 48 continental states plus Alaska and Hawaii) -- 80.219.120.34 19:23, 9 January 2007 (UTC)
I think we may need to include the fact that, legaly, there are only 46 states. Virginia, Pennsylvania, Kentucky and Massachusetts are all Commonwealths. It may be helpful to mention that to people who believe there are 50.
The map nearest the top doesn't show the Hawaiian Islands, which I find very wrong for an encyclopedia. Does anyone know where to find a better one? I'll look around too... | AndonicO Talk | Sign Here 23:09, 9 January 2007 (UTC)
Also, since when is Deleware (or Maryland for that matter) part of the South?
This article is too government oriented. In the Economy section all it seems to talk about are state accomplishments. We are not a fascist nation. There IS a private sector accomplishing a lot of great things. There is a picture of a state university. How about a private university? The United States is more than just the government. The government is actually less important than the private sector in a capitalist economy. So why so much focus on state accomplishments? This looks like it could be an article put out by the Nazis glorifying Nazi germany. Improper Bostonian 02:15, 11 January 2007 (UTC)
"Beginning early the Cold War, the U.S. achieved successes in space science and technology, leading to a space race which led to rapid advances in rocketry". This should be replaced by "Russia launched the first artificial satellite and the US scrambled to catch up". Fourtildas 04:16, 11 January 2007 (UTC)
Fourtildas, how about "Russia launched the first artificial satellite and the US scrambled to catch up, and succeeded, landing the first man on the Moon. Since then, the Russian exploration of space has waned, with the American space agency, NASA, becoming the dominant space agency in the world. "? (and the '.' goes before the " in a quote). Chiss Boy 17:52, 31 January 2007 (UTC)
If Mexico's name was the United Mexican States OF America and they began calling themselves America I think it would alienate the rest of the continent. However, the tranlation of Estados Unidos Mexicanos is United Mexican States it is not OF America.
United States (the country) OF (emphasis on the OF) America (the continent) So the country of the United States is part OF the continent of America yet Americans (also incorrect it shouldn't even be Americans) refer to their country as the name of the Continent.
United States is one country United Mexican States is another [for short Mexico because it is the set of united states encompassing a ENTIRE (you could say that the US emcompasses america which it does but not its entirety) region known as Mexico]. So Mexico can call itself Mexico because the country is situated in an entire region known as Mexico. The United States can't call itself America because it only takes a part of the continent (not even a majority of the continent is part of the United States).
I think you got my main point that Americans (not all) can be ignorant and closed-minded.
I agree 110 percent with whoever created this topic, but how are you gonna make 'em understand, since they don't even have a proper name, they had to steal the name of the whole continent!.
Americans?? anyone whose born in America is an American, people from Canada to Argentina are Americans, but of course if they don't call themselves "Americans" then how are they gonna be called?... United Statians?? it sound awkward I know, what that's their fault for not creating a proper name for their country.
The easiest way to understand it, is imaging that there was a country called "the United States of Europe" and they auto call themselves "Europeans"... anyone who'd been born in Europe would be an "European" not just people from that country. Supaman89 00:34, 15 January 2007(UTC)
I think this issue is a bit too bogged down in nitpicking with words. Mexicans and Canadians may very well be North Americans or americans, but American has come to be known as a word to mean from the USA. Following the logic of those who wrote about the problem of this word usage, wouldn't anyone from sub-saharan Africa be "South African"? Seems like some misplaced anti-Americanism to me.
"OF"--there is much confusion regarding this English pronoun. Many people have argued that because the phrase is "...of America," therefore the proper name of the country cannot itself be "America." They argue that this phrase merely denotes a country that is located "in" America (continent), or proceeding "from" America, or "related to" America, or having to do "with" America. Were this clearly and unequivocally the case, then I would agree with your argument that "America" is nothing but a miscellaneous, geographical descriptor, on the same level of importance as "republic," as far as the nation's identity is concerned. However, this is not the case, and the word "of" can also mean "which is called," or "which is known as."
What the colonists and the Founding Fathers meant when they named the Republic is debatable, and can be argue either way. What is not arguable is the fact that, as a matter of usage, the preposition "of" is both used and understood, in modern times, by Americans, and indeed by English-speaking peoples, in the sense that it is used in the names of the countries I listed (or any other country containing "OF" in its official title). Whether or not that is a good thing, bad thing, in poor taste, fair, diplomatic, polite, etc., is a matter of personal opinion. But, like any other sovereign nation, the United States of America can take any name it wants, which is not already in use by another sovereign nation, and the american continent is not a political entity, much less a sovereign nation.
As a Mexican-American I fully encourage other American peoples to call themselves "American" regardless of which American country they call home, and to educate those who are not aware that "American" has two valid definitions, one as an adjective for the citizens of the USA, and another as an adjective for the inhabitants of all America. But, these things should not be mutually exclusive, and we should all respect the names of foreign countries regardless of what they are, even if they are named after continents
A side note: it must be observed that not all countries observe the nomenclature whereby "The Americas" are considered a single continent named "America." Without making any value judgement or getting into the irrelevant topic of which naming system is superior, we must all recognize the fact of the matter, which is that, in English, and in most English-speaking countries, as well as some others, there are two continents, North America and South America. In many other countries, there is only one continent called "America." People disagree, end of story. Neither naming convention was ordained by God. BUT, since the USA is one of those countries where "America" is actually two continents, then it should be more comprehensible why Americans from the USA see nothing weird or odd about using that name for themselves, since in their experience it does not correspond exactly to the name of any specific continent.
Finally, we must all remember that the United States of America was born from THE FIRST successful colonial revolution in the Americas; it was THE FIRST sovereign nation to gain independence from European powers, and was at the time of its founding THE ONLY sovereign nation to exist in all of America--the rest were all colonies and conquered lands. Someone gave the example of a European country called the "United States of Europe." Well imagine if all of Europe were conquered colonies, held by Asian powers, until a dozen different European colonizes allied with each other in a common desire for independence, and rose up in rebellion against the foreign rulers, then united into a federal state called "The United States of Europe," then the analogy would be more accurate. What's more, I think that the citizens of the USE would have every right to call their nationality "European"--which would not erase the alternate and equally valid meaning of "European" meaning inhabitant of the continent. In fact, we already see the European Union (which is not a country but is certainly a political entity, and is certainly not a continent) parading itself everywhere as "Europe," at sporting events, political forums, business forums, and elsewhere, even though it is only a portion of Europe and not the whole. But who goes about spewing hateful diatribes, or insuniating ignorance/stupidity against all of those "Europeans," for just that reason??? Being the only free nation in America at the time, I think the USA was more than entitled to represent that continent, and could take any name it darn well pleased, even the name of said newly freed continent.
In conclusion, I believe that the argument raised is a valid one, deserving of an explanation. I also believe that people (in general) are sometimes too quick to pass judgement and condemnation upon nations and peoples based on assumptions, gut-reactions, and misunderstandings. In this particular case, I believe that the controversy usually arises from a mixture of strong political sentiment plus linguistic confusion, which leads to people prematurely declaring what the "correct" answers "should" be without first seeking clarification from the source, that is, from people being judged. It would be wiser to simply ASK, "Why is it that the USA is named the USA, could someone please explain this to me because it does not makes sense?" instead of self-righteously declaring as "fact" that it is "wrong," and insulting those who disagree.
It is ironic that "Americans" are being labelled as closed-minded, because I personally believe that lambasting entire peoples/nations, or even just a significant portion of them, over something as trivial as a grammar dispute, is itself monumentally closed-minded. I also find it somewhat ridiculous that a name can only mean one thing, and cannot be used with multiple meanings. I would imagine that anyone who has opened up a dictionary even once is familiar with the concept of multiple meanings. People argue the issue with much anger and indignation, as if calling US citizens "Americans" somehow made it impossible or inappropriate for non-US citizens to call themselves "Americans" as well. People can call themselves whatever they want, nobody is stopping them, and unless Americans from the United States are beating down your door, pointing guns to your head, and forcing you to relinquish the right to call yourselves "American," then this whole issue is incredibly infantile and pedantic.-- Supersexyspacemonkey 10:59, 20 January 2007 (UTC)
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That is what the word American means according to the highest authority on the English language. It clearly proves that the term America(n) can correctly be used pertaining to the US. Regards, Signature brendel 20:26, 20 January 2007 (UTC)
The most commonly spoken language in America is Spanish, but every time I add (Spanish most commonly spoken) to the official language section, its deleted. Its true, America is a spanish-speeking country.-- Count Mall 21:23, 14 January 2007 (UTC)
Actually since the US don't have a "Official Language", English would be the most commonly spoken language followed by Spanish. Supaman89 00:37, 15 January 2007 (UTC)
Why does ethnocentrism make you opposed to having English as our official language? Making English the official official is one of the best things for this country to do. 69.69.82.99 19:52, 24 January 2007 (UTC)Bellahdoll
When did talk pages become discussion boards? i must have missed that change.
If English became the US Official language, I would renounce my citizenship and become a citizen of Canada. English as the official language would just be another thing to make this country into the white, male America that it should NOT be. (Please note that I am saying this as a white male myself). America is supposed to be a "melting pot" of culture. I'm fine with English being the most widely spoken language (It creates a sense of unity) but citizens should be allowed to speak whatever language they want. But if you live in a southern state, learn Spanish. Educate yourself. America is way too culturally uneducated as it is. Don't act like learning another language is making you less American. It's doing the exact opposite. It's making you a better American for understanding and respecting other cultures. It's pretty sad what we've become. —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 74.128.234.186 ( talk) 18:24, 4 February 2007 (UTC).
I totally disagree. You can be any race, any religion, any gender, it doesn't matter. However, we need a common language. English being official would be excellent. Everyone needs to speak the same language in order to communicate effectively. I would hate to imagine the country with no common language to unite it. Your beliefs may vary, but the language used should not, if only so everyone else can understand your beliefs, thoughts, etc. without a translator.
Recently the mention that the UK was America's closest ally was removed under 'Foreign Relations and military'. I think Anglo-American relations is an integral part of the modern United States. The UK deserve a mention as they followed America into their War on Terror. Also Britain has an influence on the US and the US greatly influences the UK, especially regarding a very similiar foreign policy and military strategies.
It's also important to mention this as the article doesnt really state that after the war of independance we ever got back on 'good terms', but now the UK and US are fighting side by side 'shoulder to shoulder' against a common enemy, despite what was, and somewhat still is, overwhelming opposition.
Would anyone else agree that the special relations with the UK should be put back into that section??
strongmike248@hotmail.com —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 86.14.220.113 ( talk) 17:01, 15 January 2007 (UTC).
I am writing a book about America and the Internet for the University of Toronto Press, and would like more information on the events leading up to the United States entry being locked. Please keep in mind that this is not a query intended to challenge the decision.
I wish to document the event in my book, as an example of the online debate over America's identity. To that end, I would ask any editors who recall the circumstances leading up to the decision to lock the page if they could recount what happened (email me at michael@strangelove.com). I assume that there were so many changes being made to the article that the process had to be more carefully managed. I also assume that these changes reflected a debate between the 'left' and the 'right' over the character of the US, that they were in some way political (as indeed all history is in some way political). I am seeking to have these assumptions confirmed or corrected.
My purpose is not to reignite that debate, and hopefully I have the correct forum for posting this question. Comments from any participants in the editing process that led to the lock are welcome and of interest to my work.
Respectfully,
Dr. Michael Strangelove
University of Ottawa
www.strangelove.com
Here is a list of articles protected multiple times since September. Often, edit conflicts on Wikipedia reflect real-world conflicts such as Armenia/Turkey, the Balkans, Israel/Palestine, etc. They also tend to involve religion topics. The September 11, 2001 attacks and related pages have been subject to edit wars over if/how much to include about conspiracy theories. -- Aude ( talk) 03:09, 17 January 2007 (UTC)
I performed minor edits throughout the article to clean up language and some bias. They should be visible in the page history.
I have also tagged the article as POV, since the entry does nothing but glamorize the United States and presents no critique at all. Aufheben 17:19, 17 January 2007 (UTC)
Yet, you don't seem to be complaining about other articles, do you? Why are you so anti-American, might I ask?
Under "Political System" (paragraph one) it's stated that, "Executive...offices are decided by a plurality vote of citizens in their respective districts." This simply isn't true at the national level. I propose that the following be inserted: "The offices of President and Vice President are decided by a majority vote of Electors appointed by the states and the District of Columbia," with appropriate changes being made to the aforementioned sentence.
In fact, that whole paragraph is just a mess and should almost certainly be rewritten. Eastcheap 05:15, 18 January 2007 (UTC)
I agree in principal, but the Readers Digest version can be shoehorned into the existing paragraph (and was the best I could manage in a single sentence without using a phrase like "elected Electors"). The really important thing, I believe, is the link to the Electoral College article. Going any further gets us into the 14th, 19th, and 26th Amendments and their interpretations and implementations, not to mention the fact that the procedure for electing Electors isn't uniform (i.e. I'm not sure the term "plurality" is strictly accurate). Way beyond the scope of a broad overview. Eastcheap 01:34, 21 January 2007 (UTC)
In 1776 the United colonies demanded their independece by the 'Declaration of Independence stating: "[...] That these United Colonies are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States; that they are Absolved from all Allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain, is and ought to be totally dissolved; and that as Free and Independent States, they have full Power to levy War, conclude Peace, contract Alliances, establish Commerce, and to do all other Acts and Things which Independent States may of right do. And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor."
And in the 'Treaty of Paris 1783' which was the peace treaty gives what they actually got: "[...] His Brittanic Majesty acknowledges the said United States, viz., New Hampshire, Massachusetts Bay, Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia, to be free sovereign and independent states, that he treats with them as such, and for himself, his heirs, and successors, relinquishes all claims to the government, propriety, and territorial rights of the same and every part thereof. [...]"
However this treaty is void as of 1812 when the Congress of the United States declared war upon Britain. Becuase, if one makes a treaty which says I can fish and live on your land. If I then start a fight with you. That would mean I broke the treaty, certainly I wouldn't recognize the treaty that was signed before you started a fight with me. I would throw you out of my land if I could!
Although the 'Treaty of Ghent 1814', that treaty further reinsures that the agreements made under Treaty of Paris will also be the state of things from here on but in many more words so I don't really know what was included in that treaty. Lord Metroid 15:26, 24 January 2007 (UTC)
While foreign relations can definetly involve the military, I dont believe these two should be combined. Also, should foreign relations be expanded to include more than just the UN maybe Kyoto, etc...?
Well, I finally have the time to check up on United States and what a mess it has become again. Aargh. And it was getting so nice the last time I read it thoroughly in August.
Here are the edits which I am disputing as either unsourced, inadequately sourced, poorly written, or just plain dumb:
-- Coolcaesar 12:59, 23 January 2007 (UTC)
Thethirdperson 10:45, 5 February 2007 (UTC)
In order to reduct the size or long apperance of the article we could put a lot of economic info (e.g. personal income, GDP growth, unemployment, etc...) in a table and remove it from the text. One of the images (there are two right now) would give way to a table featuring much of the statistical info now mentioned in text. Furthermore, a table is more attractive to readers who are commonly intimidated by text containing statistics. The following would be covered in the table:
I'll wait for comments until this evening Pacific time before putting this idea into place. Thanks, Regards, Signature brendel 23:35, 23 January 2007 (UTC)
All different. -- 195.56.207.92 20:00, 24 January 2007 (UTC)
Same goes with the population. --
195.56.207.92
20:03, 24 January 2007 (UTC)
But we have one official data a data over the other datas the ONE DATA, don't we? :-) -- 195.56.207.92 00:08, 26 January 2007 (UTC)
Shouldn't this article have at least a brief discussion of craft to compliment its discussion of American art? Arguably craft traditions (e.g., pottery, quilting, glass-blowing) are more distinctive elements of national culture than are the high arts. Some American craft, such as wood-turning or North Carolina pottery, represent important American contributions to visual culture. Klmarcus 22:49, 25 January 2007 (UTC)
Could someone please add to the Sports section at the bottom of the page? It seems good enough, but I would be happy to see it improved. I will add stuff where I can, but I would appreciate it if anyone else could help too.
-- Robin63 05:37, 26 January 2007 (UTC)
Do we really need Nancy Pelosi and John Roberts there? Especially Roberts' party, since that's a wholly nonpartisan position? -- Golbez 06:56, 26 January 2007 (UTC)
Nancy Pelosi remain. She's third in line for the Presidency, after all, and the most powerful (on paper) opposition leader in the US government right now. (BTW, I think DeLay was up there previously, don't know why Hastert wasn't added.)-- Primal Chaos 03:29, 29 January 2007 (UTC)
Is the USA in central North America? —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 74.110.218.100 ( talk) 02:10, 28 January 2007 (UTC).
I think we should change the name of the title from 'United States' to 'The United States of America'. That is the formal name listed in the article and people who search for 'the united states of america' do not get this page as a result. I believe that if it was changed, both searches for the origional name and the above mentioned would lead to this page. Just thinking. Simonsays19 03:06, 29 January 2007 (UTC)Simonsays19
The official name of the country is the United States of America, and the article even refers to it as such. The article should probably be renamed with a redirect from United States. It should also be noted that many other nations use "United States" in their title, such as Mexico. -- Timmmy! 23:57, 29 January 2007 (UTC)
In the Innovations section, it only talks about government projects. Most of the R&D in the U.S. is done entirely in the private sector (69% of it is private). So I put a tag in that section because there is missing information, such as accomplishments by Microsoft, IBM, etc. Improper Bostonian 17:05, 31 January 2007 (UTC)
United States → United States of America — correct name. — User:89.168.0.166 - This discussion section added by SigPig | SEND - OVER 00:20, 14 February 2007 (UTC)
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