United States vs America - from Serious Discussions

[MatthewV]

Having never lived outside of Alaska (except for a year in Russia) has left me someone isolated to parts of the world around me. The Lower 48 always seems like another country. And not a better country.

Recently I started referring to this country only as "America" and try to avoid using the phrase "United States" in the description. This change is so subtle that no one should ever notice. But why do this at all?

Throughout my life, state politics have -never- been important. Once in awhile something will come up about legalization of marijuana (save that for another day and another thread!). But virtually nothing is happening at the state level. Which is wonderful in my opinion.
So all the political BS that I hear about is things happening at the federal level. And most of the topics of discussion seem to be issues that can be resolved at a state level. I feel that Alaska is being pulled in directions Alaskans generally don't support.

So is America still of collection of independent states or is it one giant country? Or is there a difference beyond geography and climate across this country?

[Thok]

[Scurra]

The problem for me has always been that "America" is a very large continent, of which one country is called "the United States of America". There are lots of other countries, and all of their inhabitants could - not unreasonably - call themselves "Americans", in the same way that I am happy to call myself a "European". I have met several folk from countries in "central" America who want to call themselves "Americans" (rather than Guatemalans or Costa Ricans) as a recognition of a shared regional identity, but cannot because the United States has absorbed that term for itself.

I also recognise that in Europe we have a similar sort of problem to the one you have in the USA but from entirely the opposite direction. Because Europe was always a collection of warring nations, we have singularly failed to address the need for collaboration and co-operation and have tried to hold on to our "national" powers as much as possible, rather than create central systems for things like defence and foreign policy. Whereas in the US, you seem to have power-crept until far too much is being done at the centre instead of at the state level which it was largely designed to do.

(I won't venture into the economic debate right now; suffice it to say that I think that the Euro was and is one of the most important things Europe has done, but the petty nationalism that meant it was never set up properly may mean it will remain permanently hobbled, and perhaps even dead. The Dollar has thrived because it is a continent wide currency with a coherent central bank policy behind it, no matter how flawed that policy might or might not be.)
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_{still Quiz Olympiad champion. Must get a life.
New definitions: COFFEE - someone who is coughed upon}

[Undercover Monk]

Except that we tried to give states more power at the very birth of our country. That expirament The articles of Confedaration failed miserably. The president was originally concieved as a kind of general over a loose alliance of very different states. Hence why George washington was such an obvious choice. Theres always been a power struggle between the states and the central government. Hence Civil war.

I happen to like the system we have. Its not perfect but its probably the best solution. A powerful central government has, as scurra pointed out, made us strong. Imagine if only New York and Texas decided to enter the World War 2, or perhaps several of the states entered global conflicts on oppisite sides. Yet Its not so powerful that states can not enact their own laws. I pretty sure gay marriage laws and gun control vary from state to state. So Im pretty happy with our system its complications and slow speed prevent demagogues and tyrants from rising up while keeping a union of 50 diverse states working at peace and harmony. (Except when it comes to the Superbowl )
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The Classic Blunders:
1. never get involved in a land war in Asia
2.Never go in against a Sicilian when DEATH is on the line
3. Never release Peyton Manning

[Zag]

How similar is the European Union to the original Articles of Confederation?
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[MatthewV]

The beauty of idea behind the United States was domestic interests would be controlled by states while universal and international issues were covered by the collective body.
So Texas couldn't go to war with Mexico. Unless the cause was great enough to get a majority of the other states on board.