When impersonating Southern speakers, Northerners can’t resist interspersing their speeches with you-all or y’all. How accurate is this gimmick, and how potentially ridiculous is this idiosyncratic use ?

"The Americans are a brave, industrious, and acute people; but they have hitherto given no indications of genius, and made no approaches to the heroic, either in their morality or character. …

Half a year ago the worst natural disaster in modern history struck the Gulf Coast, sowing the seeds of misery and chaos and yielding a string of superlative quotes, overblown statements and sobering records. But in a larger sense, what does it teach us about the state and mind of the United States in the worst of times ?

In the USA, as in most developed countries, the phrase “politically in/correct” keeps popping up to label an in/adequate behavior, statement, word use, way of thought, dress style … A righteous citizen of a civilized nation had better walk the line, or else, he will be deemed insensitive, cynical, intolerant, rude, racist, sexist, fascist or all the above.

Those in doubt or in denial call the United States a civilization – at best.

When in America, visitors from an older civilization should perhaps refrain from looking out for medieval castles, gothic cathedrals, century-old temples, mosques or pyramids. Or they are bound to be disappointed.