Talk:American values

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Surely this is a load of cobblers? I didn't think there was any consensus whatsoever as to what constituted 'American values' and if there is no consensus on what they are, or if they even exist then it hardly seems a fit topic for an encyclopedia. Nordic? The link to Nordic contains lots of stuff on socialism and social welfare projects!

While I actually agree that some of the things in the list would seem to characterise one view of America, I would like to add

  • A belief that violence, whether by the individual or the state, represents an acceptable solution to problems.
  • A belief that food should be served in enourmous portions.

Obviously such statements would be zipped away as unNPOV immediately but I think they are as valid as some of the things in the list. This indicates the fundamental flaw with this article as it currently stands--all it does is invite "what America means to me" type contributions.

Still, might be interesting to see where it goes. Monk Bretton 17:00, 17 May 2004 (UTC)

American Values can not be defined with any precision. What a social conservative would describe as "American values" would amuse a liberal, sicken a social democrat, and compel a libertarian to enagage in pathetic apologetics.

[edit] I don't think this can work

As such, I propose a redirect to American exceptionalism, where the topic is treated more fully. Objections? [[User:Meelar|Meelar (talk)]] 20:24, 22 Jun 2004 (UTC)

Well, that article doesn't explain the concept of American values to me, a non-American, and yet I see references to it rather frequently. I wonder: What is "American values" - and if it's different for different groups of Americans, is there any common denominator - and who says what - and why?

I wonder if Americans, ...or maybe Anglo-Saxons, find this concept too self-evident to be included in a Wikipedia. But for me, it's just an empty phrase that I would like some more information on. :-) /Tuomas 21:26, 2 Jul 2004 (UTC)

[edit] poor redirection

The redirection of this topic to American exceptionalism is an inherently non-POV redirection by someone with an axe to grind. It surpises me that it hasn't been fixed. A very reasonable objection was found on the exceptionalism page and it is copied below. I've redirected American values to culture of the United States where it belongs. Flying Jazz 12:36, 4 November 2005 (UTC)

Should American values really redirect to this page? I don't think you need to be a believer in "American exceptionalism" to believe that American culture prioritizes certain values that are not necessarily as high a priority in other cultures. It's pretty common, for instance, to hear Canadians contrast the "Canadian values" (that phrase is taken directly from this Wikipedia article) of peace, order and good government with the United States' priorities of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. 68.226.239.73 05:29, 6 August 2005 (UTC)