Comments on: Gwyneth Paltrow Hates America http://urbangrounds.com/2006/12/gwyneth-paltrow-the-idiot/ Off-the-cuff commentary on the day's events Mon, 22 Mar 2010 03:44:26 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: sara http://urbangrounds.com/2006/12/gwyneth-paltrow-the-idiot/#comment-96082 sara Sun, 19 Aug 2007 14:22:42 +0000 http://urbangrounds.com/2006/12/04/gwyneth-paltrow-the-idiot/#comment-96082 What a moron gweyneth is. As if the English didn't care about money lol...actually, any stereotyping is shallow and idiotic. Obviously, gwenyth has never conversed with many Americans and/or British people. Besides, she often boasts about her dinners with "Madonna and Stella"..and she's seen dining with Beyonce and whatnot...I bet those dinners of theirs are really enlightening lol..moron What a moron gweyneth is. As if the English didn’t care about money lol…actually, any stereotyping is shallow and idiotic. Obviously, gwenyth has never conversed with many Americans and/or British people. Besides, she often boasts about her dinners with “Madonna and Stella”..and she’s seen dining with Beyonce and whatnot…I bet those dinners of theirs are really enlightening lol..moron

]]> By: kw http://urbangrounds.com/2006/12/gwyneth-paltrow-the-idiot/#comment-29831 kw Wed, 06 Dec 2006 17:44:34 +0000 http://urbangrounds.com/2006/12/04/gwyneth-paltrow-the-idiot/#comment-29831 Thanks, Jim... and interesting post. Thanks, Jim… and interesting post.

]]> By: Nichole http://urbangrounds.com/2006/12/gwyneth-paltrow-the-idiot/#comment-29787 Nichole Wed, 06 Dec 2006 02:06:00 +0000 http://urbangrounds.com/2006/12/04/gwyneth-paltrow-the-idiot/#comment-29787 I find it hard to believe that an indivual would be misquoted as many times as she claims to have been. All you need to do is google "Gwyneth Paltrow Hates America" and you will find numerous quotes of her saying negative things about america over the years. Gwyneth, we get it! You hate americans....now go away. I find it hard to believe that an indivual would be misquoted as many times as she claims to have been. All you need to do is google “Gwyneth Paltrow Hates America” and you will find numerous quotes of her saying negative things about america over the years.

Gwyneth, we get it! You hate americans….now go away.

]]> By: Preston http://urbangrounds.com/2006/12/gwyneth-paltrow-the-idiot/#comment-29782 Preston Wed, 06 Dec 2006 00:45:19 +0000 http://urbangrounds.com/2006/12/04/gwyneth-paltrow-the-idiot/#comment-29782 Dianne- I don't think the writers dispute that- they simply say that other countries do better. Furthermore, I think the writers were looking at actual results not hypothetical potential. I'm <a href="http://www.suttontrust.com/reports/IntergenerationalMobility.pdf" rel="nofollow">sure this isn't the final word </a>in comparitive upward mobility- I don't suppose there is a definitive way to judge it but the study finds the countries ranked thusly from least to most mobile: (with the correlation of parental income to adult income listed) US .289 Britain .271 West Germany .171 Finland .147 Canada .143 Sweden .143 Denmark .143 Norway .139 Dianne-
I don’t think the writers dispute that- they simply say that other countries do better. Furthermore, I think the writers were looking at actual results not hypothetical potential.

I’m sure this isn’t the final word in comparitive upward mobility- I don’t suppose there is a definitive way to judge it but the study finds the countries ranked thusly from least to most mobile: (with the correlation of parental income to adult income listed)

US .289
Britain .271
West Germany .171
Finland .147
Canada .143
Sweden .143
Denmark .143
Norway .139

]]> By: dianne http://urbangrounds.com/2006/12/gwyneth-paltrow-the-idiot/#comment-29771 dianne Tue, 05 Dec 2006 22:00:35 +0000 http://urbangrounds.com/2006/12/04/gwyneth-paltrow-the-idiot/#comment-29771 Preston, I do believe nearly everyone in this country can achieve a respectable status if they can read and write well and have ambition. You don't have to be a rocket scientist. You don't even need a college degree. You need to be able to communicate well and you need to want to succeed. I don't know too many people who haven't succeeded if they have those ingredients. Of course, that takes dedicated parents and educators as well as self respect. The achievement may not be a white collar job. It may, however, be a respectable blue collar job that provides for a family and happiness. Of course, there are exceptions such as disabilities, but in the grand scheme, America is still a land of opportunity for nearly everyone if they choose it. Preston, I do believe nearly everyone in this country can achieve a respectable status if they can read and write well and have ambition. You don’t have to be a rocket scientist. You don’t even need a college degree. You need to be able to communicate well and you need to want to succeed. I don’t know too many people who haven’t succeeded if they have those ingredients. Of course, that takes dedicated parents and educators as well as self respect. The achievement may not be a white collar job. It may, however, be a respectable blue collar job that provides for a family and happiness.

Of course, there are exceptions such as disabilities, but in the grand scheme, America is still a land of opportunity for nearly everyone if they choose it.

]]> By: Preston http://urbangrounds.com/2006/12/gwyneth-paltrow-the-idiot/#comment-29765 Preston Tue, 05 Dec 2006 20:59:07 +0000 http://urbangrounds.com/2006/12/04/gwyneth-paltrow-the-idiot/#comment-29765 Interesting post, Jim. However, it appears that your view on upward mobility has it's <a href="http://www.wsws.org/articles/2005/may2005/mobi-m25.shtml" rel="nofollow">detractors</a>: <em>Even so, the US has the worst record for social mobility. As the authors point out, although the notion that the US is “the land of opportunity” still persists, such a belief is misplaced.</em> Interesting post, Jim. However, it appears that your view on upward mobility has it’s detractors:

Even so, the US has the worst record for social mobility. As the authors point out, although the notion that the US is “the land of opportunity” still persists, such a belief is misplaced.

]]> By: Jim Howard http://urbangrounds.com/2006/12/gwyneth-paltrow-the-idiot/#comment-29759 Jim Howard Tue, 05 Dec 2006 17:59:30 +0000 http://urbangrounds.com/2006/12/04/gwyneth-paltrow-the-idiot/#comment-29759 A 'pram' is a perambulator, which we in the U.S. would call a 'stroller'. Years and years ago I took a picture in England of a sign in a park that said 'Perambulators Prohibited by Ordinance', which really tickled me for some reason. Having lived in England for 3 years, and even owned a house there, I can sort of see what Gwyneth was saying, although I would not have used the word 'civilized' to describe the concept. The U.K. in general, and England in particular are a lot more regimented than the U.S. Their cops and judges have far, far, more power than those in the U.S. The concept of knowing your place, and sticking to your class are still very strong there. The Brits will probably all have GPS trackers in their cars in just a few years, to supplement the license plate tracking cameras they already have. And being Brits, not many of them will disable the trackers or cover the plates with anti-camera clear plastic. The taxis there really are terrrfic. Unlike America, its extremely hard to become a taxi driver in England. Their goverment requires the drivers to memorize every street and alley in their town. It requires years of study to be a taxi driver. It's very highly regulated. Everything you want to do is like that in England. Everything is regulated, you practically need permission of a committe to cross the street. It sucks to be on the bottom of British society, because it is so hard to move up a level compared with the U.S. Heck, they even give 'certifications' in Country and Western Dancing! The whole country is more or less set up to nanny the poor and middle class enough to keep them in their place, while treating rich people like royality. So I don't think Gwyneth prefers England because she hates America, its just that England is a much better place to be rich than the U.S. A ‘pram’ is a perambulator, which we in the U.S. would call a ’stroller’.

Years and years ago I took a picture in England of a sign in a park that said ‘Perambulators Prohibited by Ordinance’, which really tickled me for some reason.

Having lived in England for 3 years, and even owned a house there, I can sort of see what Gwyneth was saying, although I would not have used the word ‘civilized’ to describe the concept.

The U.K. in general, and England in particular are a lot more regimented than the U.S. Their cops and judges have far, far, more power than those in the U.S. The concept of knowing your place, and sticking to your class are still very strong there.

The Brits will probably all have GPS trackers in their cars in just a few years, to supplement the license plate tracking cameras they already have. And being Brits, not many of them will disable the trackers or cover the plates with anti-camera clear plastic.

The taxis there really are terrrfic. Unlike America, its extremely hard to become a taxi driver in England. Their goverment requires the drivers to memorize every street and alley in their town. It requires years of study to be a taxi driver. It’s very highly regulated.

Everything you want to do is like that in England. Everything is regulated, you practically need permission of a committe to cross the street.

It sucks to be on the bottom of British society, because it is so hard to move up a level compared with the U.S. Heck, they even give ‘certifications’ in Country and Western Dancing!

The whole country is more or less set up to nanny the poor and middle class enough to keep them in their place, while treating rich people like royality.

So I don’t think Gwyneth prefers England because she hates America, its just that England is a much better place to be rich than the U.S.

]]> By: kw http://urbangrounds.com/2006/12/gwyneth-paltrow-the-idiot/#comment-29748 kw Tue, 05 Dec 2006 15:05:52 +0000 http://urbangrounds.com/2006/12/04/gwyneth-paltrow-the-idiot/#comment-29748 WTF is a pram? I'm picturing one of those blow-up yard decorations, favored by Christmas... uh, folk. Can someone please enlighten my dumb@ss?? WTF is a pram? I’m picturing one of those blow-up yard decorations, favored by Christmas… uh, folk.

Can someone please enlighten my dumb@ss??

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