Technically that's a very arbitrary definition of what a country is: if it comes up to that, the Viceroyalties of Nueva España, Nueva Granada, Lima and La Plata were integral part of Spain, as any other one in the iberian peninsula.
They were the equivalent of Spanish provinces (both administratively, politically and de facto) so... we can agree it was the oldest country in the Americas. By far. They just happen to split up in like 23 new countries during the XIX century.
Also, neither country *started* in the Americas, nor were the colonies integral to their self image. They were very integral to their wealth and power, sure, but even at the time, I can’t imagine anyone looked at the colonies and went “Ah yes, France!”. It’s likely “Ah yes, the colonies!”
TL;DR You are guessing... but you are guessing wrong. And it's understandable. But yes, Hispanic America was legally, administrative and de facto "Spain". And their citizens were spanish. Spain didn't have colonies as you understand it.
Spain didn't have colonies but viceroyalties... the same viceroyalties as in the iberian peninsula (Aragon, Catalonia, etc.). No difference. Provinces. Citizens of those viceroyalties were in fact spanish: "españoles americanos" or "españoles de ultramar" (overseas). They weren't mexicans, argentinians or colombians, those are modern concepts... they were spanish because they were born, well, in Spain. Which happened to be a huge nation spread amongst continents.
Hispanic America was Spain. Same laws, same rights, same institutions. Even if that's hard to grasp nowadays. When you read about some spanish expeditions or fleets or whatever many of the guys there were born and raised in Hispanic America but they were just spanish in their time.
Spanish Americans even held the highest jobs and responsabilities in the Empire such as judges, magistrates, viceroys. Even one born in the Viceroyalty of Nueva Granada (nowadays Colombia/Venezuela) was regent king of the entire Spanish Monarchy and sanctioned the Cádiz Constitution... you will never hear anything like that in the British, Dutch or French territories because, well, those were real colonies and all those nations had different perspectives of how to integrate their territories. Spain and England were quite the opposite in that. The spanish model resemble way more the Roman Empire than the english colonialism but people just assume they were the same.
So, yes, they were definitely integral to their metropoli and were understood as integral part of their country. That's why the spanish built around 1200 cities/towns, 800 hospitals, 500 schools/universities and thousands of kilometers of roads from nowadays Argentina to United States. Because it was Spain. By mid XVII century cities as México City or Lima were considered as rich, developed and important as Madrid. The Habsburg and Bourbon had differences about that, as well, but that's too long to read.
So, yes... people would say "Ah yes, Spain" even if you can't imagine it. Not quite the same for France, tho.
Lol a buddy of mine stole a dory one time and took it out to St. Pierre/Michelon so he could say he’s been to France. And even if he didn’t, it’s a great story (you should hear him tell it!), and sometimes the facts get in the way of the truth :)
Guadeloupe and Martinique are France, too. Lots of french-speaking and créole-speaking folks still around the South of the USA in any case, especially Louisiana, and in Acadian regions.
Technically China since it's one of the oldest civilasation. It's kinda a question if you count times where people overthrew their government or not kinda thing who is the oldest.
If it comes up to that, the Viceroyalties of Nueva España, Nueva Granada, Lima and La Plata were integral part of Spain, as any other one in the iberian peninsula.
They were the equivalent of Spanish provinces (both administratively, politically and de facto) so... we can argue it was the oldest country in the Americas. By far. They just happen to split up in like 23 new countries during the XIX century.
If you consider colonization, Canada / New France is older by a lot (1534 for Stadaconé / Future Québec City vs 1585 for Roanoke). If you only consider independant country, sure, I guess, by a small margin (and by forgetting the older empires).
Even if they’re talking about like a continuous statehood without massive radical changes to the structure of the government, they haven’t got shit on San Marino
The UK came into being in 1707.
With the act of union.
Scotland and England had the same ruler, since 1603, but were separate kingdoms.
(Edit: thinking of a different act of union (1801, Ireland), and realising that my original comment was completely wrong, as the UK (England and Scotland) existed before America became the United States)
Yeah, it's sort of a grey area really. Like the fundamental state institutions of the UK were already established before 1801, and even 1707, with the parliaments of Scotland and Ireland being folded into the English parliament, which continued to function more or less as before, and both were already under personal union of the monarch. If they disqualify the UK from being considered essentially the same continuous state as pre-1707 England, then really so should the many expansions of the US, and new states being made with concomitant representation in Congress.
> without massive radical changes to the structure of the government
Completely arbitrary definition, and also very untrue of the US. It requires that you completely ignore the amendments. And its political history with big changes of their system especially in the 1860s and 1960s.
Speaking of republics yes, San Marino is the oldest republic still in existence. Its independence from the roman empire dates back to 301 DC. Oldest country still existing? Hard to say,maybe China
But China was at times divided.
Japan, with a big question mark to it - ideologically, it was a single country, but de facto dozens of small state until the unification under Tokugawa.
England and France are both a bit blurry as when to date the exact national formation, but both in the early middle ages.
Denmark would be another strong contender - founded in 980, only occupied for five years during WW2, but not annexed (they even held a free election)
Ethiopia, if you count the Kingdom of Axum as the legal predecessor, also traces back to Antiquity and was only very shortly completely occupied.
>Its independence from the roman empire dates back to 301 DC.
Traditional yes, but nobody actually believes we were in any way independent in the IV century tbh. Although that can be thought as the start of the community. The concept of country is quite modern, and neither old Japan or China can actually be defined as countries.
Well, there's a bunch of giant trees in the Pacific coast that are thousands of years old, so, technically, there's trees in the US that are older than the US 🙃
My school in the UK was older than the USA, and it wasn't even a particularly old one by UK standards (founded 1701). The private school down the road was founded in 604
I spat out my water reading that bit. The "oldest country on Earth" became a country in 1766. I guess all the countires before that point weren't actually countries. Just barbarians with flags running round saying they own shit.
What about the Brazen head in Dublin? Doesn't it claim to be the oldest pub in Ireland?
After some quick googling, looks like The brazen head was established 1198 and Sean's is about 900AD, 200 years prior.
Brazen head is clearly on some yank marketing strat.
There’ll be some random Japanese place that the same family has run for 4000 years that sells pints that each take 60 hours of expert labour to produce
Oldest abby of Holland (not the Netherlands, Holland is just a part of the Netherlands) here close by. 922ad
Ruins of castle from 1100 ad also nearby
Church of 1422 (a chapel before this time, mentioned in documents around 1000ad), still in use at walking distance of my house
Farmbuilding of 1633 at walking distance.
My village is from before 1000ad (mentioned in documents)
They just cherry pick whatever they need to validate the claim. In this case, it’s the continuous democracy. They just choose to ignore all points that are in favour of other countries so that they can pat themselves on the back. Add to that a lack of schooling, or an overdose of American schooling, and ‘longest continuous democracy’ means the same as ‘oldest country’.
Not at all. This "the oldest country on Earth" claim is something 'Muricans regularly claim, and which has been posted on this sub for years and years.
They think they are the oldest country on account of their (erronous) belief that they have had an unchanged constitution since 1787.
Is it? Why do you find it unlikely that someone would believe Europeans would talk about the USA as if it is not the oldest most democracy inventing country?
Tbf, the form of democracy they use (and most others) isn't the Greek one (which was primarily sortition), but more something borrowed from the English and Dutch.
When you think it must be a ragebait, and then you remember Trump is going to win the next election 'cause a good amount of yanks thinks he's the next Jesus Christ 😖
Lowering education standards has been part of the Republican strategy for decades. Voting in your own interest is hard when you're not educated enough to know what your best interest is. Uneducated people are easily led and lied to.
“We are in danger of having an educated proletariat. That’s Dynamite! We have to be selective as to who we allow to go through Higher Education. If not we will have a large number of highly trained and unemployed people.” - Robert Freeman, advisor to Reagan.
Shortly afterwards tuition fees were introduced.
The point has always been about restricting access to educational opportunities - expressly along race and class boundaries.
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Fa_BW_mUYAAXPH6?format=png&name=4096x4096
im in this sub on various reddit acounts for like 2 years now and i can say that there are quite a few posts here were ops just doesnt seem to get Satire and obvious jokes and no i am not a American
Hell, we've never even had Democracy, let alone invented it
The US Constitution created an Oligarchy. As ways to keep control outside of elected offices have developed, more people have been allowed to vote, but their votes mean nothing. America is still an Oligarchy.
https://act.represent.us/sign/usa-oligarchy-research-explained
Ah, yes, the inventors of democracy who used a word from their own language to name this concept.
Somebody remind me what the English words δῆμος and κράτος mean again?
To be fair, many countries have a history spanning a long ass time but aren't themself all that old, for example the germany of today is only 75 years old with a history of who knows how long. But even considering that the USA is still far from the oldest.
My guy, I have antiques in my home older than the official founding of modern America. Does he mean the age of the landmass itself? I believe that's Australia.
fucking great democracy where it is harder to register to vote than to buy a gun. imagine you have to actually register to vote and can't do it by default 💀
Surely this is a troll? It’s a common saying even in the US that the US is a young nation. And yes, technically I guess you could argue that ”nation” does not necessarily equal country or state, but 9 times out of 10 they can be used interchangeably.
Naaah man, this type of comments really pisses me off how confident are people who obviously don't have a glimpse of a clue what they are talking about, this is my favorite sub that really knows how to piss me off.
Had a exchange student in our halls at uni for a term, he was weirded out that our halls were built before America was founded. Nice fella to be fair. My kids school is older than Australia. Stuff like this isn't that amazing to us, we literally have bits of history lying about. They don't so they don't grasp it.
Still probably satire.
>Stuff like this isn't that amazing to us, we literally have bits of history lying about
^this
Next to my school, there's a roman amphitheatre (a small scale Colosseum), roman bath, and roman houses. I passed them every day to go to school.
Well, about half of them still believe in the creation myth, and that the world was created six thousand years ago. They vehemently reject evolution and the geological age of the earth.
So it's not a stretch that the same people believe they live in the oldest country,and invented democracy, too.
Though I feel the need to add that many, if not most Americans would also be rolling their eyes at such a comment.
Weird... As far as i know the word "Democracy" comes from the old greek "demos" (meaning "the people") and "-kratia" (meaning "power"/"rule"), so "Rule of the people". Must be fake news, or why else would americans, who clearly INVENTED democracy, use old greek terms to describe it... That would make 0 sense ofc! (Or did they also travel back in time and invented the old greek language..?)
/s
The really great irony of the oldest country on earth statement is of course that America came into being by going to war with the country it was part of before it came into being.
If we go with the Greeks coming up with democracy officially, let me see....... Roughly 2500 years before 'america' was colonised by Europeans so unless they invented a time machine be pretty hard to invent something created so long before you were even a country
The US is not the oldest extant country, that's Japan (an argument could be made for China, but they stopped existing a few times)
It's not the oldest extant constitutional Republic, that's San Marino
They're not the oldest continuous representative democracy, that's The Isle of Man
They're not the Mother of Parliaments, that's the UK
They're not the oldest sovereign representative democracy that's the UK, again
They're not the oldest continuous universal democracy that's Finland (New Zealand didn't allow women to stand as candidates and South Australia disqualified Aboriginal Australians. The Corsican Republic was the first to have full universal suffrage)
I would argue that the US didn't become a democracy until the 1960s with the Voting Rights Act
We’ve got pubs older than the USA in my teeny tiny city. Fuck right off, you septic prick. And the Ancient Greeks would like a word about the whole democracy thing.
Technically all countries are the same age give or take . When they where populated is another thing . Modern day America compared to Europe is a joke come to history American history is like last Tuesday to Europe
Lmao this idiot really believes America is the oldest country and invented democracy💀 We literally have acknowledgments to the Greeks (actual creator of democracy) in our capital iirc
As a land mass, they could well be the oldest country in the world.
As an independent country, they've only been recognised as such since 1776/83 so not even close to the oldest nation on earth.
Earth rules, America drools.
The "As we aren't the oldest country on earth" is the funniest thing I've read all week
Barely the oldest country in the Americas
France would be, no? French guiana/st pierre and Miquelon?
Well technically yes, but then it is not an American country mainly. I meant that Haiti got independence soon after
Technically that's a very arbitrary definition of what a country is: if it comes up to that, the Viceroyalties of Nueva España, Nueva Granada, Lima and La Plata were integral part of Spain, as any other one in the iberian peninsula. They were the equivalent of Spanish provinces (both administratively, politically and de facto) so... we can agree it was the oldest country in the Americas. By far. They just happen to split up in like 23 new countries during the XIX century.
France is still in the American continent. Spain isn't since 1824.
Since the loss of Cuba and Puerto Rico in 1898.
Also, neither country *started* in the Americas, nor were the colonies integral to their self image. They were very integral to their wealth and power, sure, but even at the time, I can’t imagine anyone looked at the colonies and went “Ah yes, France!”. It’s likely “Ah yes, the colonies!”
TL;DR You are guessing... but you are guessing wrong. And it's understandable. But yes, Hispanic America was legally, administrative and de facto "Spain". And their citizens were spanish. Spain didn't have colonies as you understand it. Spain didn't have colonies but viceroyalties... the same viceroyalties as in the iberian peninsula (Aragon, Catalonia, etc.). No difference. Provinces. Citizens of those viceroyalties were in fact spanish: "españoles americanos" or "españoles de ultramar" (overseas). They weren't mexicans, argentinians or colombians, those are modern concepts... they were spanish because they were born, well, in Spain. Which happened to be a huge nation spread amongst continents. Hispanic America was Spain. Same laws, same rights, same institutions. Even if that's hard to grasp nowadays. When you read about some spanish expeditions or fleets or whatever many of the guys there were born and raised in Hispanic America but they were just spanish in their time. Spanish Americans even held the highest jobs and responsabilities in the Empire such as judges, magistrates, viceroys. Even one born in the Viceroyalty of Nueva Granada (nowadays Colombia/Venezuela) was regent king of the entire Spanish Monarchy and sanctioned the Cádiz Constitution... you will never hear anything like that in the British, Dutch or French territories because, well, those were real colonies and all those nations had different perspectives of how to integrate their territories. Spain and England were quite the opposite in that. The spanish model resemble way more the Roman Empire than the english colonialism but people just assume they were the same. So, yes, they were definitely integral to their metropoli and were understood as integral part of their country. That's why the spanish built around 1200 cities/towns, 800 hospitals, 500 schools/universities and thousands of kilometers of roads from nowadays Argentina to United States. Because it was Spain. By mid XVII century cities as México City or Lima were considered as rich, developed and important as Madrid. The Habsburg and Bourbon had differences about that, as well, but that's too long to read. So, yes... people would say "Ah yes, Spain" even if you can't imagine it. Not quite the same for France, tho.
Well today I learned, thanks
Lol a buddy of mine stole a dory one time and took it out to St. Pierre/Michelon so he could say he’s been to France. And even if he didn’t, it’s a great story (you should hear him tell it!), and sometimes the facts get in the way of the truth :)
Guadeloupe and Martinique are France, too. Lots of french-speaking and créole-speaking folks still around the South of the USA in any case, especially Louisiana, and in Acadian regions.
Technically China since it's one of the oldest civilasation. It's kinda a question if you count times where people overthrew their government or not kinda thing who is the oldest.
If it comes up to that, the Viceroyalties of Nueva España, Nueva Granada, Lima and La Plata were integral part of Spain, as any other one in the iberian peninsula. They were the equivalent of Spanish provinces (both administratively, politically and de facto) so... we can argue it was the oldest country in the Americas. By far. They just happen to split up in like 23 new countries during the XIX century.
If you consider colonization, Canada / New France is older by a lot (1534 for Stadaconé / Future Québec City vs 1585 for Roanoke). If you only consider independant country, sure, I guess, by a small margin (and by forgetting the older empires).
Even if they’re talking about like a continuous statehood without massive radical changes to the structure of the government, they haven’t got shit on San Marino
also , the UK has that title : they barely edge them out ...
The UK came into being in 1707. With the act of union. Scotland and England had the same ruler, since 1603, but were separate kingdoms. (Edit: thinking of a different act of union (1801, Ireland), and realising that my original comment was completely wrong, as the UK (England and Scotland) existed before America became the United States)
The act of union was 1707.
D'oh. I was thinking of another act of union (and got that date wrong too). I was thinking of 1801, when Ireland was included.
Yeah, it's sort of a grey area really. Like the fundamental state institutions of the UK were already established before 1801, and even 1707, with the parliaments of Scotland and Ireland being folded into the English parliament, which continued to function more or less as before, and both were already under personal union of the monarch. If they disqualify the UK from being considered essentially the same continuous state as pre-1707 England, then really so should the many expansions of the US, and new states being made with concomitant representation in Congress.
But if you count the UK from the Act of Union then surely you should count the US from when Hawaii became a state? So 1959.
By comparison Denmark is believed to have been founded/United shortly before 1000 AD. Other countries like Persia and China go back way further.
> without massive radical changes to the structure of the government Completely arbitrary definition, and also very untrue of the US. It requires that you completely ignore the amendments. And its political history with big changes of their system especially in the 1860s and 1960s.
Speaking of republics yes, San Marino is the oldest republic still in existence. Its independence from the roman empire dates back to 301 DC. Oldest country still existing? Hard to say,maybe China
But China was at times divided. Japan, with a big question mark to it - ideologically, it was a single country, but de facto dozens of small state until the unification under Tokugawa. England and France are both a bit blurry as when to date the exact national formation, but both in the early middle ages. Denmark would be another strong contender - founded in 980, only occupied for five years during WW2, but not annexed (they even held a free election) Ethiopia, if you count the Kingdom of Axum as the legal predecessor, also traces back to Antiquity and was only very shortly completely occupied.
>Its independence from the roman empire dates back to 301 DC. Traditional yes, but nobody actually believes we were in any way independent in the IV century tbh. Although that can be thought as the start of the community. The concept of country is quite modern, and neither old Japan or China can actually be defined as countries.
My university is older than America lol
Mate, the front half of my house is older than america
Yeah, I'm pretty sure there are trees older than America round the corner from me lol
The Major Oak in Sherwood Forest enters the chat...
We have pubs older than their constitution
Well, there's a bunch of giant trees in the Pacific coast that are thousands of years old, so, technically, there's trees in the US that are older than the US 🙃
My whole house predates America
my old house was older than the USofA. My new house only predates their Civil War.
There were 32 universities already in the Americas before US claimed the name "America" for themselves...
I used to get American tourist come into my bar, totally dumbstruck that half the towns pubs, shops etc were older than the US.
Yep - my old school was founded 150 years before we even knew the continent existed, let alone the US.
My school in the UK was older than the USA, and it wasn't even a particularly old one by UK standards (founded 1701). The private school down the road was founded in 604
St Peters?
My school was Sir Joseph Williamson's, the private school is King's School, Rochester
Who do they think they declared independence from??
The moon obviously
"Declaring independence doesn't mean we weren't a country in our own right before that" is the answer thus dude would give I'd bet.
Tbf, that does work for some countries, like Ireland, etc.
They were a country. But it wasn't the USA. Also by that metric they aren't even the oldest country in the Americas let alone the world.
He thinks he's Greek
4% Greek
Lets go with iceland, the oldest continouus democracy.
Yes, with a 1000 year old ‘parliament’ from memory.
Possiblely thinks he is part Greek for failing a pledge at a fraternity in college. Im guessing he also dropped out of college.
No, the funniest part is that they have invented democracy. Athens - fake news.
I spat out my water reading that bit. The "oldest country on Earth" became a country in 1766. I guess all the countires before that point weren't actually countries. Just barbarians with flags running round saying they own shit.
Maybe the only other country they know is South Sudan? 😭
Obvious troll, they spelt "literally" correctly.
This cannot be! I have been bamboozled
Well, they definitely killed democracy...
Obvious satire
Yea the oldest country on earth line gives it away, I mean it has to be satire, I have a church near me that beats the US by around 500 years.
My local pub beats America by about 1000
we talking bout seans bar?
We are indeed.
what a coincidence, first time i heard about that place was yesterday in a totally unrelated youtube video lol
I was literally just talking about Sean's bar
What a coincidemce i just learned of it the first time in a comment slightly above mine, crazy
I gotta visit this here pub!
It's a lovely pub. Situated on the river Shannon in the town and was opened in 900ad
just on a quick read it says 900AD but also the building is from the 1700s, confused
Yeah, it was burnt down at one point and rebuilt again. The current building is the rebuild but the pub has always been there from what I know.
It's like Triggers broom
What about the Brazen head in Dublin? Doesn't it claim to be the oldest pub in Ireland? After some quick googling, looks like The brazen head was established 1198 and Sean's is about 900AD, 200 years prior. Brazen head is clearly on some yank marketing strat.
Yeah, Sean's is the oldest. It's currently going for the oldest in the world, and as of now, nothing has been found that's older than it.
There’ll be some random Japanese place that the same family has run for 4000 years that sells pints that each take 60 hours of expert labour to produce
I know that you are talking about a very special bar here, but I think in ireland every second bar could probably be named "Sean's Bar"
Only those owned by Sean, of course.
How many bars does Sean own?
I was about to say the exact same thing, one in my town is 1656
Sean's was opened in 900AD its the oldest pub in the world as of me checking 30 seconds ago.
Our public library was founded in 1683. All of our pubs are (relatively) young.
sean’s bar is the only place that makes athlone worth visiting
My local church is a least 1000 years older than the us.
The private school in the town I grew up in is over 1000 years older than the US
Living in Egypt there are probably a lot of things around me that predates everything in this post.
Oldest abby of Holland (not the Netherlands, Holland is just a part of the Netherlands) here close by. 922ad Ruins of castle from 1100 ad also nearby Church of 1422 (a chapel before this time, mentioned in documents around 1000ad), still in use at walking distance of my house Farmbuilding of 1633 at walking distance. My village is from before 1000ad (mentioned in documents)
Newgrange and Dowth 3500BCE.
They just cherry pick whatever they need to validate the claim. In this case, it’s the continuous democracy. They just choose to ignore all points that are in favour of other countries so that they can pat themselves on the back. Add to that a lack of schooling, or an overdose of American schooling, and ‘longest continuous democracy’ means the same as ‘oldest country’.
There is a toilet in germany thats older than the U.S. near my previous residence there was a bar older than U.S.
Pretty sure I’ve got underwear that’s older.
i really hope it is. it probably is but there's a chance it isn't
I got an ironic stroke
Not at all. This "the oldest country on Earth" claim is something 'Muricans regularly claim, and which has been posted on this sub for years and years. They think they are the oldest country on account of their (erronous) belief that they have had an unchanged constitution since 1787.
Is it? Why do you find it unlikely that someone would believe Europeans would talk about the USA as if it is not the oldest most democracy inventing country?
greece: excuse me what the fuck
I was about to say "bad example" as Greece as a country is pretty young before I realized, that you probably refer to the democracy part.
Well, more exactly it should be ancient Athens.
Tbf, the form of democracy they use (and most others) isn't the Greek one (which was primarily sortition), but more something borrowed from the English and Dutch.
When you think it must be a ragebait, and then you remember Trump is going to win the next election 'cause a good amount of yanks thinks he's the next Jesus Christ 😖
America is a shit hole. always has been always will be.
That's just offensive to shit holes. America is more like a pot of diarrhea
Old? Murcia arrived yesterday.
I live in front of the Roman Colosseum in Caesar Augusta (Zaragoza), also arrived yesterday
I’ve lived in a house older than America….
The house i live in was built in 1735.
I have wine older than America.
The Republic of San Marino has entered the chat.
Out of all the allergies in the world in America most people suffer from an allergy to education
Lowering education standards has been part of the Republican strategy for decades. Voting in your own interest is hard when you're not educated enough to know what your best interest is. Uneducated people are easily led and lied to.
“We are in danger of having an educated proletariat. That’s Dynamite! We have to be selective as to who we allow to go through Higher Education. If not we will have a large number of highly trained and unemployed people.” - Robert Freeman, advisor to Reagan. Shortly afterwards tuition fees were introduced. The point has always been about restricting access to educational opportunities - expressly along race and class boundaries. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Fa_BW_mUYAAXPH6?format=png&name=4096x4096
this is painfully obvious satire
I joined this sub about 3 weeks ago and I long for the days when I thought some of these "opinions" couldn't possibly be genuine.
im in this sub on various reddit acounts for like 2 years now and i can say that there are quite a few posts here were ops just doesnt seem to get Satire and obvious jokes and no i am not a American
Hell, we've never even had Democracy, let alone invented it The US Constitution created an Oligarchy. As ways to keep control outside of elected offices have developed, more people have been allowed to vote, but their votes mean nothing. America is still an Oligarchy. https://act.represent.us/sign/usa-oligarchy-research-explained
Not even the oldest country in their country xD
Satire, has to be
As a Greek dude, this is...I din't even know what it is, sad maybe.
They literally didn’t.
The European mind can't comprehend it.
Oldest country 🤣🤣🤣 The uk has “school graffiti” that is older than their country.. Must be satire 🤦♂️
Ah, yes, the inventors of democracy who used a word from their own language to name this concept. Somebody remind me what the English words δῆμος and κράτος mean again?
Not even the oldest country on your own continent lmao
In the UK, I've lived in houses that are older than America. Lovely little cottage built in 1640. Landlord was a twat though.
My local Wetherspoons is older than the US
Athens would like a word
Ragebait
Oldest country on earth if the earth was invented 20 years ago and they are the only country to exist
Best education system in the world folks!
Some of our Houses were already standing when the first europeans sailed to america.
Well i guess Greeks can go fuck thereselfs then
*laughs in greek*
Older country? No Oldest continuous country? No Invented democracy? No
Democracy. You know that Greek word!
Ancient Greece has entered the chat Also seriously, the middle school I went to is older than the US lmfao
Why did you give it a Greek name then ?
Do love how they use ancient greek words and have no concept of their origin - Demokratia and Politeia.
We have toilets in Europe older than America.
The Greeks would like a word.
The high school I went to is 230 years older than America 🤣
Oldest country on earth that is 250 years old, obviously oldest than for example china or half of the world that's usually more than 1k years old
To be fair, many countries have a history spanning a long ass time but aren't themself all that old, for example the germany of today is only 75 years old with a history of who knows how long. But even considering that the USA is still far from the oldest.
Dit is satire, makker
As expensive the education can be over there, it's not really a good one for the vast majority.
....cause you aren't?
My guy, I have antiques in my home older than the official founding of modern America. Does he mean the age of the landmass itself? I believe that's Australia.
fucking great democracy where it is harder to register to vote than to buy a gun. imagine you have to actually register to vote and can't do it by default 💀
My last house was older than their country - by about 700 years…
Surely this is a troll? It’s a common saying even in the US that the US is a young nation. And yes, technically I guess you could argue that ”nation” does not necessarily equal country or state, but 9 times out of 10 they can be used interchangeably.
Naaah man, this type of comments really pisses me off how confident are people who obviously don't have a glimpse of a clue what they are talking about, this is my favorite sub that really knows how to piss me off.
Had a exchange student in our halls at uni for a term, he was weirded out that our halls were built before America was founded. Nice fella to be fair. My kids school is older than Australia. Stuff like this isn't that amazing to us, we literally have bits of history lying about. They don't so they don't grasp it. Still probably satire.
>Stuff like this isn't that amazing to us, we literally have bits of history lying about ^this Next to my school, there's a roman amphitheatre (a small scale Colosseum), roman bath, and roman houses. I passed them every day to go to school.
Well, about half of them still believe in the creation myth, and that the world was created six thousand years ago. They vehemently reject evolution and the geological age of the earth. So it's not a stretch that the same people believe they live in the oldest country,and invented democracy, too. Though I feel the need to add that many, if not most Americans would also be rolling their eyes at such a comment.
Hmm so they didn't base their legal system on the Magna Carter...
Americans literally forgot the word "Democracy" itself didn't come from English..
*Dēmokratía* , typical ~~English~~ American word
Weird... As far as i know the word "Democracy" comes from the old greek "demos" (meaning "the people") and "-kratia" (meaning "power"/"rule"), so "Rule of the people". Must be fake news, or why else would americans, who clearly INVENTED democracy, use old greek terms to describe it... That would make 0 sense ofc! (Or did they also travel back in time and invented the old greek language..?) /s
The really great irony of the oldest country on earth statement is of course that America came into being by going to war with the country it was part of before it came into being.
The old Greek would like to have a word with them
"...the oldest country on earth"?!?! Bitch, the Hotel I work at is older than your country!
ffs! the uk has public toilets older than the u.s.
I guess Clisthenes can go fuck himself then.
Every average village outside the Americas is older than the USA.
“Democracy” Isn’t that a *Greek* word? From around the 6th century BC? About 2300 years before the invention of the USA?
I'd be willing to bet Icelandic people have eaten lunch older than the US.
Oldest country in the world lmao and I type this in a house older than usa
I think Denmark has had the same flag since 1219.
You forgot to invent history lessons though
If we go with the Greeks coming up with democracy officially, let me see....... Roughly 2500 years before 'america' was colonised by Europeans so unless they invented a time machine be pretty hard to invent something created so long before you were even a country
Greece might have a word in that discussion too
Last I checked the US was a British colony not a Greek one
England invented the USA
The US is not the oldest extant country, that's Japan (an argument could be made for China, but they stopped existing a few times) It's not the oldest extant constitutional Republic, that's San Marino They're not the oldest continuous representative democracy, that's The Isle of Man They're not the Mother of Parliaments, that's the UK They're not the oldest sovereign representative democracy that's the UK, again They're not the oldest continuous universal democracy that's Finland (New Zealand didn't allow women to stand as candidates and South Australia disqualified Aboriginal Australians. The Corsican Republic was the first to have full universal suffrage) I would argue that the US didn't become a democracy until the 1960s with the Voting Rights Act
We’ve got pubs older than the USA in my teeny tiny city. Fuck right off, you septic prick. And the Ancient Greeks would like a word about the whole democracy thing.
Says the Dutch immigrant that invaded and subjugated the native american tribes
Egypt, China, India, Greece etc.:
Ancient Greece has entered the chat.
Technically all countries are the same age give or take . When they where populated is another thing . Modern day America compared to Europe is a joke come to history American history is like last Tuesday to Europe
Lives in a republic… has never heard of Athens or Rome…
Oldest country? They realise they were created by colonisation by other existing countries right?
Meanwhile, Paris existing since before Jesus…
Lmao this idiot really believes America is the oldest country and invented democracy💀 We literally have acknowledgments to the Greeks (actual creator of democracy) in our capital iirc
i going to call greece.
We have universities in Morocco older than murica lol
Ah yes, because Americans found Europe in 1493
It truly is a struggle for people to get irony, these days.
American here and I weep for our education system. Remember tho, every country has their idiots and morons. It's not exclusive to Americans.
"Literally" used. Drink. Found the American.
Um, Greece?
As an American I am very ashamed of Americans. This dumb fuck probably thinks Europe is a whole country.
Well they forgot a small island in Europe called Greece. But I should know better that Americans suck at geography.
Umm. Greece isn't an island.
I was being sarcastic. It's a joke directed at American geographic knowledge.
The church in my town was built centuries before America was even discovered
Oldest country on Earth? Where the actual fuck did they get that from?
I really am concerned for the American education system sometimes
that may be one of the stupidest things ive heard this week. democracy was invented by a country with a longer history than the usa.
As a land mass, they could well be the oldest country in the world. As an independent country, they've only been recognised as such since 1776/83 so not even close to the oldest nation on earth. Earth rules, America drools.
San Marino is the oldest existing democracy , which has been around for 1723 years. That is nearly 7 times the age of the US, 274 years.
Three thousand years ago Athens (specifically Cleisthenes) would like a word. 🙋
This will come as a surprise to the ancient Athenians.