Police Corruption On The East Side

[waynel]

Yes Josh, "stupid","drunk", "disrespectful" all apply and I have no problem with those words because they refer to individual behaviour and not a nation of people. Please understand what the history and implications are in the term "ugly American". Do the homework on it. It is a phrase that has come to stand as an iconic summarization of the United States and it's place in the world. If you read the book you will understand that this phrase is used as a condemnation, not simply to describe the behaviour of a few individuals of U.S. citizenship who behave badly. By no means am I saying U.S. citizens abroad never behave disrespectfully. Absolutely. Some behave badly here at home.

It is the iconic nature of the phrase that I find offensive because it was created by the author to dishonor not individuals but all of us (U.S. citizens) as a people in general, an attitude as a nation. Again, do the research and you will understand. Yes, we can all get along, and it begins when we put away the name calling.

 

[bisugo767]

All I can say about this thread, "when in Rome, do as the Romans do." When in Mexico or any other country, learn to play the game i.e. being street smart. Don't stand up and be the virtuous super martyr hero you think you are. You are just a visitor so locals expect you to respect their customs, practices, and traditions. I guess, being ignorant about these things and starting to mis-behave will earn you the title "Ugly American" or "Ugly Canadian" or ugly whatever... I am no stranger to corruption because I grew up in a country known for its corruption. Yes, curruption is real so you need to learn to do the dance and keep everyone happy. Acting up and being a rebel will just land you in a lot of trouble. This is life my friend...so, for the sake of your safety just play along.

 

[DandyDon]

Maybe she's has never driven thru the Republic of Texas with "foreign" liscense plates.

:lol:​

Also true in many other places...

​

…Sorry, but I don't know any of my fellow Canadians who sound just like Americans.

You realize that smilie goes along with "From the Halls of Montezuma"..." We once had a US president meet with a Mexican president in El Paso and that hymn was played. :blush: Embarrassing...!

I find that Canadians of the English speakng provinces sound much like the USAmericans of the nearby states. Maybe it's just a non-Texan sound?

What was the thread about? Be a gracious guest by also CYA...?

 

[tedtim]

I find that Canadians of the English speakng provinces sound much like the USAmericans of the nearby states. Maybe it's just a non-Texan sound?

:lol:

non-Texan sound.....great line Don, but have you ever been to New Brunswick and Nova Scotia? Speech is a bit different there than in Maine.

I was raised in Manitoba. We definitely do not speak like the stereotypical folks from the movie Fargo, even though North Dakota is next door. We also do not speak like the folks from the east coast of Canada.

The point here is don't try to paint everyone with the same brush and if you don't like someone trying to do it to you, don't use the same brush on someone else.

I only went to Coz once and would go back in a heartbeat had I not travelled to someplace else that my wife wants to go back to every year. Maybe I can sneak away on my own............

Point spread is now 14.5. Time to make a few bets.

 

[redacted]

[
I find that Canadians of the English speakng provinces sound much like the USAmericans of the nearby states. Maybe it's just a non-Texan sound?

Nah. They don't know how to pronounce "O"s. So what is an ugly american?

 

[jjwdiver]

Does anyone know where on the map I can find Caucasia?

 

[SteveC]

Ugh, there are 2 American ContinentS! BTW... who are you to say who's right and who's wrong? Did anyone ask? More specifically, ask you? There is no American Citizenship.

I have no problem with you not agreeing with my opinion, but I’m curious as to why you feel I don’t have the right to post my opinion on this open forum?

 

[Fish_Whisperer]

Does anyone know where on the map I can find Caucasia?

At the height of one of his rants against "White Folks," someone asked Mohammad Ali where the country, "White Folks" was. Apparently, this was one of the few times that the "Mouth Of The South" was rendered speechless.

 

[NancyLynn]

Usually when I post a comment the thread promptly sinks like a stone.

I used the phrase "Ugly American" to describe folks who were acting in the manner made infamous by the classic book of the same name - guests in another country who were behaving like drunk, beligerant, fools and who expected such behavior to be tolerated. I used the phrase because it instantly conjures up an image of these fools for anyone who has read the book.

It seemed to me that the thread was sliding toward mudslinging about Mexican communities (unsafe, in general, outside of well bounded tourist areas), police in general (corrupt), and Mexican police in particular (even more so). My own experience in Cozumel was quite different. The only ugliness I encountered were these guests in the country whose behavior conformed to the stereotype I invoked.


Just to provoke a bit more thought about why the stereotype still conjures up such vivid images and emotions . . . How many of us go to Cozumel expecting that residents of Cozumel (for example) will speak English to us rather than Spanish (or other of their native languages), will feed us food that suits our U.S. taste buds (read the food reviews of many Cozumel resorts), will provide beds as soft as those we are used to (read the bed reviews of many Cozumel resorts), and will not consider themselves American (look upthread)?

 

[driftwood]

And now for something completely different.

When I first read the original post, I thought that it was odd that Mexico had seat belt laws. So I started a post on playainfo to get their input on the event that started the mess. Here is that they had to say Seat belt laws in Mexico? - www.Playa.info. Hope this helps, lot of responses from locals just across the channel.