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You really are a sad deluded ignorant american who has bought into the beep you are fed.
The US's economy is teetering on collapse: the Iranians are setting up an oil bourse to trade oil in the buying country's currency therefore wiping out that countries necessity to hold large stocks of US dollars to trade with. Its the reason that your administration wants to goto war with Iran. Same as why it went to war with Iraq. Nothing to do with Saddam and 'human rights' or atrocities. It was to do with that he was going to start trading oil in uros
http://mathaba.net/0_index.shtml?x=507537
At the moment, the US has, for the last year, the highest amount of debt both personal and national. Last year was a record amount of bankruptcies. Your country no longer manufactors anything except weapons. it uses more energy than economic wealth it produces. It is stretched militarily [and subsequently financially] with its 2 fronts in Afghanistan and Iraq and is incredibly DEPENDENT ON EUROPE TO HELP IT OUT.
Your great democracy's last 2 elections have been subject to massive fraud and have been stolen from you.
You have massive poverty in every major city with no or little welfare resolutions in place. You have no free [at the point of service] medical care nor free dental care for old, unemployed and children.
When it comes down to it, what, if anything, do you really have going for you?

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"We directly provide aid to our allies to keep their economies stable"
God, but you're an ignoramus. Try looking up the numbers on U.S. foreign aid and the percentage it is of the economies aided. These days, China is propping up the U.S. economy by buying our bonds, but they're looking into other markets; when they do, the U.S., whose industrial capacity has been destroyed, will become a third world country.

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Although the USA doesn't have a delcared national language on the federal level, English is used in legislation, governemt regulations, executive orders, treaties, and all federal court rulings. English is also the official language of more than half of the states. So quit being so critical of others, although it is not specifically written anywhere that it is the national declared language, it may as well be.

Well, in defense of what seems to be Hollywood's lack of interest in historical accuracy, I noticed that in most cases to fill the roles of the Spanish and Portuguese, they used mainly criollos (a person of Spanish or Portuguese origin living in the new world) or just whoever they could find. They obviously didn't go to Europe to cast many (or any) of the Iberian roles. In some minor stand-in parts they even used what appeared to be some mestizos, mulattos, and other non-European ethnicities to play various Spanish sailors, etc. This is not uncommon in American cinema. I doubt very much that they regarded the language barriers between the two Iberian nations.
To answer the question concerning the similarities between Portuguese language and Spanish language (actually just one language of the many differing Romance spin-off languages in the Iberian peninsula), I would have to agree that they don't share all that much in common. The Portuguese language is nearly identical to Galician (another language spoken in the country of Spain). However, when compared to Italian, French, or even Basque (yet another language spoken within the country of Spain, but is almost entirely unique onto itself) Portuguese shares a great deal more in common with Castilian. It all really depends on how you care to look at it. Spain has regions with cultures and languages just as different to Castilian as Portuguese is, but when you look at if from a European perspective, all these languages/cultures in Iberia have more in common with each other than they do with their neighboring countries in Europe.
By the way jonnyorlansky, the United States of America does not have a declared language on the federal level.

A quick question here for you bright amercan(t)s?
What was your official language again? Just remind me.
Your Reply:
it depends on what tribe and/or location?
"I have never seen a vision, nor learned a secret, that would damn or save my soul"!

Don't have one, richard. Chances are you be speaking Russian if it wasn't for America.
This will be the high point of my day; it's all downhill from here.

"I don't know what country you're from, but it's not as good as mine."
I get free healthcare in my country, as does everybody here. EVERYONE over voting age can vote here, unlike america where you can be disenfranchised. In terms of certain luxuries we often get them before you, 'cell phones especially. Having lived in England, Belgium and New York, i can say that in terms of standards of living they are pretty much the same, (although america's average wealth and standard of living figures are dragged up by your top 5%).
I assume you have not travelled much outside the US. which means you are basing your opinions on what other people have told you. People who probably havent really travelled much anyway (e.g. GWBush, going from private jet to presidential palace wont give you a sense of what a country is like).
I have some great American friends, but the ones who have never been to say Europe have a greater opinion of America than the ones who havent. I could not go back to live in America however because of its fake culture. With the exception of maybe rodeo's, America has taken European culture and commercialised it. You would benifit from seeing Europe. Walk through the streets of Paris, and go up the eiffel tower. Visit rome, and sit in a cafe by the vatican, of visit the colluseum. Visit London and go to covent garden, see st Pauls. Europe had culture that America cant buy. But i suppose America has enough nuclear weapons to destroy the whole world many times over so i'm sure you are happy with that instead.
But America's worst point is it has cocky little boys like you and GWB.
I actually dont think that we should compare countries in terms of greatness, but I thnk the best thing for America on the whole would be to get as many Americans as possible a passport and send them on a trip round the world because the ignorance about the world and the widespread belief that America is different in some way besides its Army.
i apologise to the intelligent americans reading this.
"Strangers passing in the street, by chance two separate glances meet"

The truth is, no country is perfect. The United States has dealt with it's fair share of prejudice, war, and corruption over the years; but what country hasn't? Europe is not exempt from this either. Why do you think so many countries in Africa, Asia, and South America are dealing with so much turmoil? Imperialism! (Many Europeans, seem to forget this concept.) This lasted for hundreds of years, and only ended just recently. And who do you think encouraged Great Britian to relinquish it's colonies during WWII? Churchill? No. It was actually FDR! Who knows, the British Empire still might be intact today, if it wasn't for American intervention. But, I digress
And yes, many Americans may be ignorant. But what country doesn't have its share of ignorance? For instance, when foreigners refer to the United States as "America", it actually sounds like a very uneducated way of referencing it. America, is a Hemisphere, not a country. We are "The United States OF America". To refer to us a simply America implies that we are the dominant force of the western hemisphere. And God forbid, who would admit that?
Finally
Portuguese and Spanish= two different languages (yes they may share some commonalities)
American and British English= two different dialects
Thanks for letting me vent.

"I don't know what country you're from, but it's not as good as mine. That's one of the many great things about living in the best country in the world, the justified feeling of constant superiority."
That's why so many people don't like americans.
So tell me, why do you think you have a better life than mine? What do you think that makes your country "better" (I don't mean richer ou more powerful)?
Let's see, I have cabo, internet, I can watch every show, movie, you see in the US. Thinking as the average america, if I wanted to, I could see the superbowl, oprah, jay leno. We have beer, prostitutes, and guns. We have parades, sports, golf, rich people, poor people, corrupt politians. If we have an average salary, we can afford any luxury that you think there isn't anywhere but in US.
We have better education than yours I can understand and be understood in almost any country. Because I speak english, spanish and portuguese. We have like 20% of the crime rate you have. My country isn't at war. We have no terrorism. Because my country is small, and not powerful at all, is isn't hated by anybody. Only europeans hear about Portugal, and we're fine as we are.
So please tell me, what makes your country better than mine?
I have already visited the US. I enjoyed it very much. The states I visited were very interesting, and I was impressed with the wrong image foreigners get from the "general american", by hearing stupidities like the ones you just said. It's like a portuguese journalist said. "the people that say that don't like US, never been there." Unfortunately, there are some very bad exceptions.
"Look at usI'm frozen, you're deadAnd I love you!"

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A quick question here for you bright amercan(t)s?
What was your official language again? Just remind me.

No, you didn't learn that in history class. Sheesh.

In any case, Mr Spielberg needs urgently a histiry class for other reasons. The film Amistad is a big lie. The Queen of Spain there aren a stupid girl of ten years, the regent queen was his mother in these years..
Yes, it's true that Queen Isabella's mother was running the country at the time, but the basic fact remains that the country of Spain was one of the claiments in the Amistad case. You could argue that they depicted Queen Isabella instead of her mother to prevent confusion between why a Queen Regent was running things instead of the Queen. But while this point is taken, it doesn't make the entire movie a big lie. She was only shown in three small scenes after all and she clearly didn't DO much of anything in those scenes.
but is more sperpentic to show this if you want to make a bad and manipulate image of a country The history by Spielberg is ever the same: United States are heroes that fights for the liberty, thar ever take the good way, martyrs and all people abroad are stupid, opresors and villians. This aproach is not the better from a historical movie, precisely.
The U.S. president Van Buren was shown as actually overstepping his presidential powers to influence the Amistad case! How was that depicting Americans as heroes fighting the cause of liberty? What the film shown was that there were SOME Americans fighting for the cause of liberty while there were SOME Americans fighting to keep the status quo. Neither side was completely clean.

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I know I can't stand how all these movies make the Americans look like the good guys ALL the time. In cinema we have no faults Well anyway I actually came to say that I am Cuban and let me tell you that I understand Italian and French a lot better than Portugese. They are not that similar

Im Spaniard, and Spanish and Portuguese are two different lenguages Its not like UK English and US English A similar example of this could be the Spanish from Spain and the Spanish from Mexico (Or Portuguese from Portugal and Portuguese from Brazil). Spanish and Portuguese are similiar, but not the same lenguage Lenguages like French, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Gallego, or Catalan are a derivation from Latin, and this lenguage are all very similiar BUT NOT THE SAME.
In any case, Mr Spielberg needs urgently a histiry class for other reasons. The film Amistad is a big lie. The Queen of Spain there aren a stupid girl of ten years, the regent queen was his mother in these years.. but is more sperpentic to show this if you want to make a bad and manipulate image of a country The history by Spielberg is ever the same: United States are heroes that fights for the liberty, thar ever take the good way, martyrs and all people abroad are stupid, opresors and villians. This aproach is not the better from a historical movie, precisely.
I would like to see a reaction from americans agains a historical movie full of lies and half trues who decribe themselves like bad people, killers, or villians, and the others like heroes, when the history is not like that. A bad reaction, obviusly.
This movie is only for american patriots and blinds who wants autopleasure himselves, but not to know the real history.

Portugal isn't multi-lingual so
"Look at usI'm frozen, you're deadAnd I love you!"

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Wrong. US english is to UK english as portuguese (from portugal) is to portuguese from brasil or angola. It's different languages. Portuguese and spanish can understand (more or less) each other because we're latins
Oh, and if your friend could understand a portuguese, that's probably because he was speaking spanish
"Look at usI'm frozen, you're deadAnd I love you!"

Stick you generalizations right up your sphincter ani externus.
This will be the high point of my day; it's all downhill from here.

American's don't need to summer in France or travel to other countries for a different climate. It's all contained in United States borders. Do you know what a snowbird is in American culture? Probably not if you're not from the United States. I'd guess anyone over, say, 30 in the United States has heard the term and knows what a snowbird is though.
I've been to Ireland and have seen the two versions: city and country. I didn't notice much change in the scenery in Western Ireland vs. Eastern Ireland, which makes sense given the size of the country. So if the Irish want to travel, they likely go to "the continent," I would assume. In the United States, you can remain in the same country and entering another part of the same country is a completely different experience. That may explain some of the United States lack of information. I didn't get a passport until I was 27 or so. I imagine many in smaller countries get passports quite early.
Knowing information about 50 states is like knowing information about 50 countries. Granted, many in the United States don't even know about the United States itself (each generation does get dumber), but some do, so let's not generalize. I know the capital of Iceland, Ukraine, and Mongolia. Hooray for me. So do YOU know the capital of Kentucky? Did you even know Kentucky was a state in the United States? Iowa? Their main crop?
We can talk about famous places to gamble. You can tell me about Monte Carlo. All I know about it is it's in Monaco, bordering France. I can't tell you if it's north, south, east, west of France (I could cheat and Google it, but I'm honest). Actually, I just Googled it and now I've learned. There are two famous gambling locations in the United States, you know. Can you name them? One is West Coast and the other is East Coast. Were you aware? Do you know the states they are in? If you do, that's cool. I would guess you don't and that's fine.
Are you aware there's a South Dakota and North Dakota? I can't imagine anyone across an ocean would have any idea there is a West Virginia. And if they somehow knew, they would assume there is an East Virginia, which there is not.
I can top your American girl talking about the Dominican Republic:
"George Harrison died."
"Who's that?"
Umm..he was one of the Beatles."
"What's that?"
This seriously happened. The woman was about 30. I was probably about 18 and was floored. Hey, I just realized it's another female. Maybe THEY'RE the dumb and ignorant ones. Let's generalize in a non-PC direction now. Maybe they're both the same race and we can get REALLY non-PC. Or we can stick with bashing Americans because that's cool.