Comments on: America’s Place In The World

By: TomF

TomF — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 01:48:50 +0000

Stephen must have missed seeing or hearing about North Dakota’s beautiful Badlands in the western part of the State near Medora. The Turtle Mountains near the Manitoba border are a beautiful part of the state, and so are the many river valleys: those of the Missouri River, the Sheyenne River, and the Des Lacs River are three examples.

By: Conkz

Conkz — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 17:57:57 +0000

As a miserable british person, I found this absolutely fascinating. I have gained a new perspective on Britain/America… Genius! To both ridicule and praise at once, it seems what makes us all so bloody useless is also our saving grace. Personally I hate coffee and adore 2.5 sugars in my tea, but I still cling to the belief that I am as adult and sophisticated as anyone!
(The smiley face rather negates this sentiment I’m afraid)

By: GrahamS

GrahamS — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 09:49:17 +0000

Just as it is ridiculous to define USA by generalisations the same applies to Britain, specifically England. Reading some of these comments and the lecture, I do not have a self important attitude, I know we are a little island in a big sea, I don’t and never have drank warm beer. I can quite proudly say I have never seen, smelt or hunted with dogs a cucumber sandwich.

If you tell someone they are stupid for long enough they will believe it. If you recite banal generalisations people will believe them. This will undoubtedly keep hacks happy.

By: LynxLuna

LynxLuna — Sun, 09 Aug 2009 22:30:19 +0000

You did it again, Mr. Fry. You concentrated every bit of genious and delight that there is and shaped them in the form of words. And I must say I enjoyed the result to the very last letter.

Although I am Spanish I more or less share your point of view about the States. You can’t define a whole country with a few words anyway, as perfecly gathered together as they are, so your compilation of ideas is far more than acceptable. I loved every bit of it.

Thank you very much for sharing this piece of joy with us.

P.S: I laughed so much with the San Sebastián story. So Spanish to laugh to everyone else’s alimentary habits!! If only the rest of the world learnt how to eat, we could rest at last and let them alone. But that’s only a dream, I supose.

By: Marty

Marty — Sat, 08 Aug 2009 04:28:50 +0000

You have indeed sweetened your essay Mr. Fry. “They left their miserable. peasant hovel.….and blighted potato fields and sailed the Atlantic.…restless desire to move on and make something of their lives”. How very clean and tidy. You conveniently forgot to mention the forced Clearances in Scotland (to make room for sheep!), or the mass immigration of the Irish due to starvation, eviction, disease and failure of the government to feed it’s people while grain was exported. They boarded the ‘nasty’ coffin ships because the British rulers considered them disposable and wanted them gone, out of sight – out of mind. The choice was not “chose to move or chose to stay”, but rather “chose to live or chose to die”. Almost 35 million Americans are of Irish ancestry, and 20-25 are of Scottish. I am proud to claim both in my family tree. The croft “hovels” were Home in every sense of the word. Your excellent brain did an excellent job omitting the integral facts which led up to the immigration. Our “Ambition. Improbability. Belief” were born out of necessity and survival. The immigrant’s children carry the history and scars through time. In true American fashion we will always pick ourselves up from our boot straps but we will never, ever forget – nor let you forget either.

By: Tikhon

Tikhon — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 11:23:22 +0000

Excuse Mr. Fry for an off-beat topic. We decided to watch Jeeves & Wooster yesterday and I noticed something interesting… Did you ever thought of Wooster and Jeeves as of Oblomov and Schtolz? To me there’s a certain analogy but some particular differences. I’m under such impression from the latter book.
You revere Chekhov but what about Goncharov? In this romance he’s all over so much and effortlessly deep in all everything as well.

By: syule

syule — Sun, 12 Jul 2009 04:45:47 +0000

“It is a land of opportunity and yet there are more seventeen year old black youths in prison than in college.”

Here’s a great entry for a General Ignorance sequel! Putting aside the fact that most 17-year-old American students of all races would be in high school, The Washington Post, among others, has debunked this myth. There are far more young African-American men in college than prison.

By: treefroggirl

treefroggirl — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 10:54:48 +0000

Really apt (as usual) observations. As an American living in London for the last four years I totally agree.

And you are spot on about the water. I grew up in Las Vegas and lived in LA before I moved here and the rate of water consumption is no where near sustainable.

By: msm007

msm007 — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 08:56:51 +0000

Nothing like a little honest straight forward personal truth to wake up to in the morning. English breakfest vs American breakfast. Good on you!

By: Johnny H

Johnny H — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 18:00:11 +0000

They try so hard to be, ‘The land of the free’ and in most part I think they succeed…..
The world would be a much less colorful (sorry colourful) place without their rich tapestry of wide and varied contributions to music,visual media, sport, fashion et al