8 ms·

No mention of Expo 2010, which had representation from 65 different countries: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Expo_2010_pavilions https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/E

by ipsum2 6y ago

No mention of Expo 2010, which had representation from 65 different countries: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Expo_2010_pavilions https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Expo_2010_pavilions. I didn't go, but the photos of the architecture from the different countries were beautiful. > After the six-month run, the Expo had attracted well over 70 million visitors. The Expo 2010 is also the most expensive fair in the history of World's Fair, with more than 45 billion US dollars invested from the Chinese Government

canadianfella 6y ago
Was beautiful
klenwell 6y ago
> I didn't go, but the photos of the architecture from the different countries were beautiful. Apparently, the American pavilion was not among them: Now that the US Pavilion has been open for several days, its reviews, to be generous, are mixed. Visitors, after a two-hour wait, enjoy the upbeat attitude of the student “ambassadors” who greet them in Mandarin — but few are impressed by the three films that constitute the US Pavilion’s content. (One reporter noted that the price for the three shorts, about $23 million, is more than the production costs of the Oscar-winning film, The Hurt Locker.) The “American people’s” sole walk-on are brief vignettes that flicker on the screen and then are gone. Chinese visitors are reported to have remarked, especially after the hype and long wait, “We expected more from America.” Visitors exit the theater into a large hall dedicated to fawning over the 60-odd corporate sponsors whose names and brands are the only aspects of American life and culture to which the pavilion accords recognition. https://www.huffpost.com/entry/an-epic-failure-of-planni_b_561697 https://www.huffpost.com/entry/an-epic-failure-of-planni_b_5...
- ipsum2 6y ago
  Definitely, check out the photos on the Wikipedia article I linked. USA looks very plain, compared to Thailand, Taiwan, India, France, Portugal, UK etc. USA's architecture looks closer to North Korea than the others.
- thepasswordis 6y ago
  The US seems to have largely decided that any amount of national pride is something to be ashamed of.
  - TomSwirly 6y ago
    I've visited some 40 countries and have never been in one that was anywhere near so ostentatious in displaying symbols of national pride as the US. It's like you guys will forget you're Americans if you don't see a flag for a minute or two.
  - WaxProlix 6y ago
    Is that sarcasm? American nationalism and over-the-top expressions of patriotic pride border on the jingoistic.
    - colordrops 6y ago
      This thread is a perfect microcosm of the american psyche - two extremes that only see the other side's extremism. There is little measured, nuanced opinion to be had. Both extreme jingoistic nationalism, and shame for any nationalism at all are unhealthy.
      - collaborative 6y ago
        There is a difference between nationalism and patriotism. Patriotism is the love of/honoring your heritage, gratefulness for the work that your elders did for you to be here. Nationalism is the promotion of a specific group at the expense of others, relies on victimism to justify supremacism and deludes itself with an ideal that never comes. The difference between these 2 is mostly known in continental Europe where it became very pronounced in the 20th century, but the psyche of the rest of the world (US included) still has to go through a learning excercise. And this knowledge is also quickly fading in Europe itself. There is no healthy middle ground when it comes to nationalism (not patriotism)
      - WaxProlix 6y ago
        I don't think there's any of what you're saying here. Compared to almost any other country, objectively, there are more flags per capita in the USA, more flags displayed (where else does everything from a car dealership to a hardware store have multiple prominent flags?), etc. These phenomena exist everywhere, but pretending that it's not more prominent in the US of A is committing some fallacy of the golden mean or something.
- alaxsxaq 6y ago
  Sounds like Disney. Disney World (? - the one in Florida, USA) had a gift shop at the exit to every ride last time I was there. The bean counters probably consider it a great addition, and I'm sure it pays dividends, but that sort of unadulterated cashing in puts me off.
- jhu247 6y ago
  Not necessarily for lack of effort. I was there and Obama recorded a video specifically for the visitors to the US Pavilion.
grillvogel 6y ago
i went to Expo 2005 in Japan which was also pretty cool
jonathannat 6y ago
How do you make sure that the utopian visions in this New World's fair doesn't end up being dystopian? For example, China showing up with a whole bunch of companies like hikvision or DJI (which are effectively state sponsored) and tries to push for dictatorship enabling tools, tools they are perfecting on concentration camps for Uighur muslims in Xinjiang? Where forced labors/rapes are occuring.
jhu247 6y ago
The pavilions were truly incredible (from what I remember, Saudi Arabia comes to mind, just look at that! https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Expo_2010_pavilions#Saudi_Arabia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Expo_2010_pavilions#Saudi_Arab...) but like the article says, it felt more like each country's branding exercise rather than any unified vision of the future.
beckingz 6y ago
2015 World Expo in milan was pretty sad despite having 145 countries. The architecture was pretty good in a few instances, but the cultural elements were about as good as I'd expect from a board of tourism.

by ipsum2 6y ago

canadianfella 6y ago

Was beautiful

klenwell 6y ago

> I didn't go, but the photos of the architecture from the different countries were beautiful. Apparently, the American pavilion was not among them: Now that the US Pavilion has been open for several days, its reviews, to be generous, are mixed. Visitors, after a two-hour wait, enjoy the upbeat attitude of the student “ambassadors” who greet them in Mandarin — but few are impressed by the three films that constitute the US Pavilion’s content. (One reporter noted that the price for the three shorts, about $23 million, is more than the production costs of the Oscar-winning film, The Hurt Locker.) The “American people’s” sole walk-on are brief vignettes that flicker on the screen and then are gone. Chinese visitors are reported to have remarked, especially after the hype and long wait, “We expected more from America.” Visitors exit the theater into a large hall dedicated to fawning over the 60-odd corporate sponsors whose names and brands are the only aspects of American life and culture to which the pavilion accords recognition. https://www.huffpost.com/entry/an-epic-failure-of-planni_b_561697 https://www.huffpost.com/entry/an-epic-failure-of-planni_b_5...

ipsum2 6y ago
Definitely, check out the photos on the Wikipedia article I linked. USA looks very plain, compared to Thailand, Taiwan, India, France, Portugal, UK etc. USA's architecture looks closer to North Korea than the others.
thepasswordis 6y ago
The US seems to have largely decided that any amount of national pride is something to be ashamed of.
- TomSwirly 6y ago
  I've visited some 40 countries and have never been in one that was anywhere near so ostentatious in displaying symbols of national pride as the US. It's like you guys will forget you're Americans if you don't see a flag for a minute or two.
- WaxProlix 6y ago
  Is that sarcasm? American nationalism and over-the-top expressions of patriotic pride border on the jingoistic.
  - colordrops 6y ago
    This thread is a perfect microcosm of the american psyche - two extremes that only see the other side's extremism. There is little measured, nuanced opinion to be had. Both extreme jingoistic nationalism, and shame for any nationalism at all are unhealthy.
    - collaborative 6y ago
      There is a difference between nationalism and patriotism. Patriotism is the love of/honoring your heritage, gratefulness for the work that your elders did for you to be here. Nationalism is the promotion of a specific group at the expense of others, relies on victimism to justify supremacism and deludes itself with an ideal that never comes. The difference between these 2 is mostly known in continental Europe where it became very pronounced in the 20th century, but the psyche of the rest of the world (US included) still has to go through a learning excercise. And this knowledge is also quickly fading in Europe itself. There is no healthy middle ground when it comes to nationalism (not patriotism)
    - WaxProlix 6y ago
      I don't think there's any of what you're saying here. Compared to almost any other country, objectively, there are more flags per capita in the USA, more flags displayed (where else does everything from a car dealership to a hardware store have multiple prominent flags?), etc. These phenomena exist everywhere, but pretending that it's not more prominent in the US of A is committing some fallacy of the golden mean or something.
alaxsxaq 6y ago
Sounds like Disney. Disney World (? - the one in Florida, USA) had a gift shop at the exit to every ride last time I was there. The bean counters probably consider it a great addition, and I'm sure it pays dividends, but that sort of unadulterated cashing in puts me off.
jhu247 6y ago
Not necessarily for lack of effort. I was there and Obama recorded a video specifically for the visitors to the US Pavilion.

grillvogel 6y ago

i went to Expo 2005 in Japan which was also pretty cool

jonathannat 6y ago

How do you make sure that the utopian visions in this New World's fair doesn't end up being dystopian? For example, China showing up with a whole bunch of companies like hikvision or DJI (which are effectively state sponsored) and tries to push for dictatorship enabling tools, tools they are perfecting on concentration camps for Uighur muslims in Xinjiang? Where forced labors/rapes are occuring.

jhu247 6y ago

The pavilions were truly incredible (from what I remember, Saudi Arabia comes to mind, just look at that! https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Expo_2010_pavilions#Saudi_Arabia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Expo_2010_pavilions#Saudi_Arab...) but like the article says, it felt more like each country's branding exercise rather than any unified vision of the future.

beckingz 6y ago

2015 World Expo in milan was pretty sad despite having 145 countries. The architecture was pretty good in a few instances, but the cultural elements were about as good as I'd expect from a board of tourism.