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> "America isn't the US". Depends whom I'm talking to. When I talk to you and others like you, I'll be careful to note that unqualified "America" to you almost

by jordigh 12y ago

> "America isn't the US". Depends whom I'm talking to. When I talk to you and others like you, I'll be careful to note that unqualified "America" to you almost always means "the United States". It never meant that to me growing up, nor to a bunch of other people. However, due to the global influence of the US, most of the world considers "America" to be the "US". It's not really about context or anything that could be called objective. It just means different things to different people. And because for me "America" has very emotional meanings (such as for example, Morelos' proclamation that "... so Americans may only be distinguished by vice or virtue"[1] or Luis Miguel's song "América"[2], or Las Águilas del América [3]), I will never personally accept the meaning of "US" for "America". You may have other emotional attachments to the meaning of "America", so I will try to respect those when I use the word around you or others like you. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sentimientos_de_la_Naci%C3%B3n https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sentimientos_de_la_Naci%C3%B3n [2] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SL3u7qU_09w https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SL3u7qU_09w [3] note their logo: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Club_Am%C3%A9rica https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Club_Am%C3%A9rica

lotharbot 12y ago
> "It's not really about context ... [it] means different things to different people." The identities of the speaker and audience are part of context. As you correctly inferred, if I'm speaking, an unqualified "America" probably means "the United States". If you're speaking, it probably means "the largest landmass in the western hemisphere". If we're quoting Obama speaking to the Senate, or Morelos during the revolution, we can infer what they mean by "America". Accept the meaning the speaker intends, when it's communicated clearly enough that you can infer it. That's how communication works.
- jordigh 12y ago
  > The identities of the speaker and audience are part of context. I cannot in general assume that information on the internet.
  - lotharbot 12y ago
    Depends on which part of the internet. (The context of the context ;) )

by jordigh 12y ago

lotharbot 12y ago

> "It's not really about context ... [it] means different things to different people." The identities of the speaker and audience are part of context. As you correctly inferred, if I'm speaking, an unqualified "America" probably means "the United States". If you're speaking, it probably means "the largest landmass in the western hemisphere". If we're quoting Obama speaking to the Senate, or Morelos during the revolution, we can infer what they mean by "America". Accept the meaning the speaker intends, when it's communicated clearly enough that you can infer it. That's how communication works.

jordigh 12y ago
> The identities of the speaker and audience are part of context. I cannot in general assume that information on the internet.
- lotharbot 12y ago
  Depends on which part of the internet. (The context of the context ;) )