Un-American

I realise most dwellars are from the US, so thought I'd put this one out.

Does the phrase "Un-American" still have any currency in the States, and if so what does it mean to you? Here in the UK we have become progressively more ethnically and culturally diverse, such that we are now having debates about what it is to be British, and we're having something of a national identity crisis. But we have never as far as I know used terms like "Un-British". Do many people in the States hold a strong sense of national identity/pride, or hold a set of principles which would lead to calling someone or something "Un-American" for whatever reason?

Mad Professor;552370 wrote:

...we are now having debates about what it is to be British, and we're having something of a national identity crisis. But we have never as far as I know used terms like "Un-British"....

No we say "that's just not cricket" instead!

I think it's a badge of pride.
I'd rather be called "unamerican" than "a great american" or some such twaddle.

It used to mean something bad about the person it was directed to.

Now, it often means something bad about the person who says it.

limey;552372 wrote:

No we say "that's just not cricket" instead!

what, even in Scotland? ;)

Mad Professor;552377 wrote:

what, even in Scotland? ;)

only with more 'hoots!' and 'Jimmys!"

Beestie;552375 wrote:

It used to mean something bad about the person it was directed to.

Now, it often means something bad about the person who says it.

Bravo.

Once on Audiogalaxy, someone said that Bill Maher was un-American (at the time there was a controversy over some 9/11 comments he made, which I believe eventually got him fired) and anyway I told the guy it was un-American to call someone un-American, after which ensued a vicious debate for the next three days over whether I was allowed to call him un-American at the same time I was objecting to the use of the term un-American. I got the guy so mad he was posting in all caps. I think his head eventually exploded.

LMAO. Exploding other's heads is definitely un-American.

Shawnee123;552557 wrote:

LMAO. Exploding other's heads is definitely un-American.

Au contraire, it's in our best rhetorical tradition!

Mad Professor;552377 wrote:

what, even in Scotland? ;)

Beest;552550 wrote:

only with more 'hoots!' and 'Jimmys!"

Limey - English and living in Scotland since 2001 (and 1988-94) ... :D

Beestie;552375 wrote:

It used to mean something bad about the person it was directed to.

Now, it often means something bad about the person who says it.

Agreed! But it's still cool to "Buy American."

P.S. This is my first posting using a handheld device. Cumbersome, but helps when I need my Cellar-fix away from the PC.

And just what are you doing with that other hand? :eyebrow:

Wait, I don't think I want to know... aw, yeah I do. :blush:

To me saying unamerican means anti America or against America. To feel like one want's go live in another country like I do sometimes doesn't mean unamerican it just means I want a different lifestyle.

Mad Professor;552370 wrote:

Does the phrase "Un-American" still have any currency in the States, and if so what does it mean to you?

It represents the fact that, while we LEGALLY have freedom of speech, we will use peer pressure and market forces to squelch it entirely.

That's so dead-on.

TGRR;552815 wrote:

It represents the fact that, while we LEGALLY have freedom of speech, we will use peer pressure and market forces to squelch it entirely.

Whilst over here, we have more LEGAL constraints on freedom of speech, but the power of our print media is such as to squelch those legal constraints time after time.

Beestie;552375 wrote:

It used to mean something bad about the person it was directed to.

Now, it often means something bad about the person who says it.

I agree. I have had many people throw that at me, simply because I am a liberal and I have the audacity to suggest things like, we, as a nation, need to look at where WE are responsible for some of things that happen to us, like with our foreign policy.

skysidhe;552811 wrote:

To me saying unamerican means anti America or against America. To feel like one want's go live in another country like I do sometimes doesn't mean unamerican it just means I want a different lifestyle.

I can't tell you how many times certain conservatives on another forum have offered to buy me a plane ticket to another country, simply because I express displeasure with my government. IMO, they are the ones acting unAmerican, because there is nothing MORE American than speaking out against the government when you believe the people in office are wrong.

limey;552372 wrote:

No we say "that's just not cricket" instead!

That's exactly what popped into my head as I was reading the OP limey. lol The same phrase is used here also.

We do use the phrase Un-Australian though. It's usually in response to someone doing something slack like the looting after the bushfires and floods. It's more to do with national pride than anything else I think. Most of us like to think Aussies will pull together in a crisis, and for the main part we do, so those who go against the grain are viewed with contempt by the rest of us.

sugarpop;552960 wrote:

IMO, they are the ones acting unAmerican, because there is nothing MORE American than speaking out against the government when you believe the people in office are wrong.

LONG LIVE THE QUEEN!!

AS the Invasion of Iraq warmed up, the following phrase appeared on T-shirts and stickers:

I think of myself as Un-Australian first, and Anti-American second.

That's brilliant. lol

Thanks pierce. :D