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Re: CHAT: The EU expands (was Re: THEORY/CHAT: Talmy,

From:Javier BF <uaxuctum@...>
Date:Monday, May 3, 2004, 16:27
>Western Europe is in fact unusual in being the only >region in the world in which a significant percentage of the population >identifies supraregionally rather than on the national or tribal level. >The US, China, Japan, Korea and Russia (among many other nation-states) >all have strong identities as ethnic units, and thus simply cannot >understand Europeans' attitudes in this respect.
What "ethnic" identity does the US have? The US is a conglomerate of people whose ethnic origins are dispersed all around the world. What unites the US as a 'nation' is its political credo; in fact, the US is the only nation in the world whose identity is essentially based on a political ideology, and thus where some citizens are really subject to a credible accusation of anti-Americanism if they dare disagree with the ideology which is loudly preached as the essence and virtue of the country itself. Cheers, Javier