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Small-Scale Question Sunday for July 26, 2026

Do you have a dumb question that you're kind of embarrassed to ask in the main thread? Is there something you're just not sure about?

This is your opportunity to ask questions. No question too simple or too silly.

Culture war topics are accepted, and proposals for a better intro post are appreciated.

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You’re talking about Europeans.

I didn’t read past the first paragraph to post this but you specifically mean Europeans and South Americans who think they are.

These are wealthy people who go to Europe just about every year on holidays

I am not in fact talking about Europeans! I'm talking/thinking about Australians, an American student in Australia, a Canadian...

That’s on me - I in fact just forgot about those people haha

So it’s not just the facade of it all? Like Australia to America is surf, barbies, kangaroos, hot women, aborigines.

But America is literally everything. Beyoncé and the nfl, Jay z and Iraq, California and guns, progressiveness and Trump. Is it not just the all encompassing everything of it all?

No, America is a very small part of these people's lives (the rich old ones that is, different for students of course). All of those things that you mention are to be looked down on. Beyonce - awful. NFL - awful. Jay Z (and rap music generally) - awful. California - awful. Iraq - awful. Guns - awful. Progressiveness - awful, especially if its something serious like pronouns being used ungrammatically or shoddy academic writing about decolonization/progressive issues (but they would not dare say that in public). Trump and anyone associated with Trump with the exception of Pence - awful awful awful and they'll say it out in public. Coca Cola - awful. Microsoft - awful (but they have to use it anyway like anyone who wants to get things done). Israel - awful.

There was never much good about America with the possible exception of Harvard and whatever judges there are that stand up to Trump. Now the whole country is descending into fascism as far as they're concerned.

Classical FM. Opera. ABC News (the Australian ABC that is, the state broadcaster). British television (Yes Minister, Would I lie to you, Top Gear, Clarkson's Farm). British youtubers. The Sydney Morning Herald. The Guardian. The Conversation. The European Union. Florence. Venice. Rome. Paris. London. Cambridge. Oxford. The Times. The Economist. Fresh food. That's where it's at.

There was never much good about America with the possible exception of Harvard and whatever judges there are that stand up to Trump. Now the whole country is descending into fascism as far as they're concerned.

Well ok but they’re stupid.

Which is a different argument - most people are just normal right so your point maybe does track more than more.

You think (they think?) the nfl is stupid but it’s legitimately fantastic. It’s more popular than anything else in the country - is soccer retarded? Why is Jay Z bad because I have zero interest in it?

Venice Rome Paris and London are now fallen cities - they’re twenty years away from being non Western majority … it makes sense people from Australia might think it’s just the bees knees … until your daughters are being stoned.

So, sure.

But it seems your argument is kind of what I brought up earlier: things in the mainstream are bad, and America is the mainstream.

I dunno I just don’t see it - if you think football is to be looked down on but soccer isn’t, Jay z bad but opera good, London good but Miami bad? These are dumb thoughts from wannabes.