US vs THEM

Scene 1 -- 
Circa 1997. I was in my Second Year of Engineering. I was a crazy cricket buff like every boy of that age. I was attending a coaching class for CMA (Computer Methodology and Algorithms) but my mind was totally hooked on to the India-Pakistan cricket match going on at the same time. It was the old age where there were no cell phones, forget abt cell phones with web. So, every 10 minutes, some student had the sudden urge to visit the restroom (read - neighboring restaurant)  and check out the score. The scores would then secretly circulated in the room.
The professor noticed this and he gave us a 10 minute break to go and check out the scores. After we came back (after India won), he asked -- DID THEY WIN? -- and my Q was -- WHO THEY?. Pat came back the answer -- INDIAN TEAM. I did not know how to respond. Is the INDIAN team not OUR team and hence, should the Q not have been -- DID WE WIN? How could be discount himself from the Indian team?


Scene 2 -- 
A friend who has acquired US Citizenship. We were talking about some irritating habits of Indian tourists and the reasons why they are considered one of the worst tourists across the world. My friend suddenly said -- THEY ALWAYS THINK THAT THEY ARE ONE UP, WHEREVER THEY GO... My answer was -- HOW CAN U ALIENATE YOURSELF FROM THEM? and his response was -- I HAVE A US PASSPORT, I AM NOT LONGER AND INDIAN AND HENCE DECLINE TO ASSOCIATE MYSELF FROM THEM... Just because you get a 4*6 sized blue booklet with a different emblem embossed on it, your habits do not change... 


Scene 3 -- 
A Pakistani friend again with US Citizenship called all fellow Pakistanis "THEY ARE LOSERS AND CHOKERS.. PUT THEM UNDER A LITTLE BIT OF PRESSURE AND THEY WILL CRACK... "'


I am stunned how people can conveniently associate or disassociate themselves from a group just to get an upper hand... And how long before they do it to their family purely because they do not meet their "high" standards... How can they decide who is "US" and who is "THEM"?


Strange are the ways of life...