Pdxfashionpioneer wrote:......
But in the name of logic I would ask that given there are a whole lot more of us reclaimed colonists than you current subjects wouldn't you agree that maybe we could compromise on some of the particulars, especially in the additional light that some of your details aren't quite right.
I hardly see that as relevant, dear boy; there were a lot more Indians ruled by Empress Victoria!
To begin with, we invented potato chips, along with almost everything else including radar, so we get to name them (see compromise #5 below).
I suspect there was a further injection of
humour there
but for the sake of those who may believe the provenance of radar and crisps, you only coined the name R.A.D.A.R; it's invention was based upon James Clerk Maxwell's (a British Scotsman) work on electromagnetism and attributable to Heinrich Hertz in the late19th century, later developed upon by Christian Hülsmeyer (both Germans). Wikipedia is not infallible, but the information
here is reasonably reliable.
Similarly, we find evidence pre-dating the potato chip/crisp
here.
"My Country 'Tis of Thee" was never our national anthem, it was one of the candidates, but we preferred to not only steal a tune from you -- albeit an unsingable one -- but invent lyrics telling the world how we whupped your butts ... You're right, under this new regime we need something else to sing to express our common identity. Maybe it will serve to calm us down rather than rile us as our current anthem does.
Again, there is evidence (to which you allude)
here that it was a de facto national anthem during the 19th and early 20th century (alongside several others). The
"Star Spangled Banner" was not
officially adopted until
1931
Another correction, it's not true that baseball is played only in the US. It's quite popular in Central America and the Caribbean nations, including Cuba. Not to mention Japan. Nor is it quite fair to say only teams based in the United States are eligible for the World Series; I suggest you NOT tell the inhabitants of Montreal that they're part of the US.
Although correct, it's not exactly a "world" sport, is it? Then again, neither is snooker and we have the world championships for that game!
Another example, there's a segment of our population that's quite familiar with rugby and play it with great enthusiasm. Of course, with typical Yankee perversity most of them are women. Generally, who are quite as enthusiastic about women as most football players are, if you follow me.
So here's some initial compromises to consider:
1. Accept that American spelling is simpler and therefore more efficient and better for the environment (less ink and paper used to say the same thing). Think of it as a move to making our common language more ... common.
Actually, some "American" spellings are archaic "English" spellings; we've evolved, so catch up guys
2. We'll accept the abolition of our automobiles if you'll do likewise with yours (Talk about CRAP, at least ours have always lasted, more or less.) and you switch over to driving on the right hand side, like the rest of the world. That way the Japanese and Germans will only have to build one version of each model. And while we're on the topic of cars, we're quite aware of German autos, thank you very much, at least at the luxury end of the market.
If only you knew the truth of our automobile industry; other than some niche and prestige or performance companies (Morgan, Ariel, McLaren and Bristol) our manufacturing is for American, German, Japanese, French and Italian owned businesses!
However, the Japanese drive on the correct (i.e. left hand side) of the carriageway. You have the French to thank for driving on the right hand side following the revolution. You must convert so that our mounted lords and the gentry can keep order with their swords
3. We'll accept the $8/ gallon price -- it'll do us good, even a dyed in the wool oilman like George W. acknowledged that we Americans are addicted to the stuff -- if you'll accept the name "gasoline" and its nickname "gas." It's only fair, we have a domestic supply that's all our own and you don't. Besides there are a lot more gas gauges in circulation than petrol gauges.
We do have a domestic supply; we are not self sufficient though. But that's what an empire or commonwealth is for!
4. It only makes sense that we join the rest of the world and adopt the metric system. I know it will make things go faster and smoother in our space program. Not to mention at least one cause of lost spacecraft. But can't you let us have conversion charts, at least for the first few months? (Don't worry we'll be back before that time period's up for an extension; on this side of the globe there's nothing so permanent as "temporary.") But, once we have officially adopted the metric system and put it into common usage, you have to let us go back to calling inches and feet and ounces and pounds, et. al. the "English system." I mean, you don't expect US to take the rap for such a nonsensical "system!"
We've vascillated over metrication since the 1800s, but it didn't start in ernest until the 1960s. You'll not find us using lbs or feet and inches now, no way
Just glad you haven't pointed out that much of your system started out here and pre-dates our "Imperial" measures, oops!
5. We will adopt proper pronunciation if you'll accept proper nomenclature starting with such gastronomic staples as potato chips and French fries.
Sorry, but we'd have thought you'd look for an easy way out of anything French.
And look, az a sign of good faith I'll thrown in a couple of gimmes. Y/Our Majesty should take another look at Kansas before dismissing it as not worthy of being a part of her realm. I know it has a reputation for being as flat as a pool billiards table, but there's two things she should know about that. 1) The topography makes it ideal for growing wheat (I KNOW her Majesty thinks of that as corn, but if she doesn't bear with us for awhile on that particular she will have an awfully large number of very confused colonials.). And 2) it's a bad rap (That's American for, "It's not true."). The Eastern half of Kansas is nothing but rolling hills so she would probably feel quite at home in Kansas if she just gave it a chance. Besides, while Europe is riddled with national enclaves; they have a very poor track record on this side of the pond. The Kansans I checked with promised to not be much of a bother. They say they got all of that out of their system in the 1850's before they got statehood.
We might use it as once we did with Australia; is that fair?
My other gimme is that if you want to know who killed Kennedy (any one of them), all you have to do is ask any American. Every single one of us knows the answer to that for a certified FACT. Just be forewarned, it will be hard to find more than 2 or 3 of us at a time who will give you the same answer.
OK