Europeans on the Americans

[Quetzal]

The other night, I was listening to a stream online while doing other things. The host was from Europe and he made a comment: "I find it interesting, Americans. Americans are like the third grade bully. You try to understand things without any knowledge about it and then get angry when others question you about it." He was referring to politics and our politicians. I would like to take a moment to clear the air because I do not think his opinion is isolated to himself. If you are from outside of the US and you have a critical thought regarding our politics, politicians, media, whatever; please don't apply that to our populace as a whole.

This has become even worse with this political race. We know it is awful. We want it gone just as badly as you do.

To any non-American pals here on RF, I am sorry our politicians are corrupt. I am sorry our media is out of control. I am sorry our healthcare system is a rip off. I will say that you will be hard pressed to find someone in this country that does not, on some level, agree with you. We want to make fun of it and change it just as much as you do.

 

[Altfish]

As a socialist and atheist and of course a Brit I do find the US a very strange place.
I think most Brits have travelled abroad, yet IIRC less than 50% of US citizens have ever left the country. Appreciation of other cultures, languages, customs, etc. is thus largely gleamed from stereotypes on the telly.
I find how right wing your politics is amazing. Grief, I think the Democrats are to the right of most of our Tory party.
I worry about the fact that about 50% believe in creation; I think this is one area where the 'dumb Americans' comes from. Combine this with your gun laws and size of your military and you get to the "the third grade bully" quote.
The high proportion of the US who fear of some sort of national healthcare system - why?

But I am being stereotypical of Americans.

 

[Quetzal]

As a socialist and atheist and of course a Brit I do find the US a very strange place.
I think most Brits have travelled abroad, yet IIRC less than 50% of US citizens have ever left the country. Appreciation of other cultures, languages, customs, etc. is thus largely gleamed from stereotypes on the telly.
I find how right wing your politics is amazing. Grief, I think the Democrats are to the right of most of our Tory party.
I worry about the fact that about 50% believe in creation; I think this is one area where the 'dumb Americans' comes from. Combine this with your gun laws and size of your military and you get to the "the third grade bully" quote.
The high proportion of the US who fear of some sort of national healthcare system - why?

But I am being stereotypical of Americans.

To be fair, we are getting better. The generation I am a part of and the ones to follow are becoming more and more liberal. At least, that is my observation. I am hopefully optimistic that it will get better.

 

[Kirran]

I think, from over this side of the pond with Altfish, that it is true things are set to improve. Millenials have got pretty new and progressive ideas about things, or at least proportionally. Damn though, there's 350 million of you guys, there's bound to be diversity, even if the average is a bit more capitalist and, in some senses, socially conservative than here in the UK.

 

[Quetzal]

I think, from over this side of the pond with Altfish, that it is true things are set to improve. Millenials have got pretty new and progressive ideas about things, or at least proportionally. Damn though, there's 350 million of you guys, there's bound to be diversity, even if the average is a bit more capitalist and, in some senses, socially conservative than here in the UK.

If you or @Altfish happen to paddle over, make room for me on the way back!

 

[Kirran]

If you or @Altfish happen to paddle over, make room for me on the way back!

You may not have considered that it rains a lot over here. Are you sure about this?

 

[Quetzal]

You may not have considered that it rains a lot over here. Are you sure about this?

I'll live... or drown.

 

[Kirran]

I'll live... or drown.

It's fine, you can go and live in East Anglia, it doesn't rain much. I've lived 18 years in Wales, 1 in Cambridge, and am doing a third in Manchester. With the exception of that Cambridge year, it's been wet :O

 

[Brickjectivity]

Europeans are too trusting, but Americans certainly are too paranoid. Its easy for Europeans to opt for socialism and risk totalitarianism, but its easy for Americans to starve our own. Looking at the crisis in Greece and Spain I suspect America is closer to stability, but I do regret that we are very paranoid and have locked ourselves in the basement.

 

[Altfish]

It's fine, you can go and live in East Anglia, it doesn't rain much. I've lived 18 years in Wales, 1 in Cambridge, and am doing a third in Manchester. With the exception of that Cambridge year, it's been wet :O

Yes, but look how green the UK is, and up here in the north west water is not a rare commodity

 

[Flankerl]

If only you people weren't so incredibly loud, would use words in their correct context and not invade a country every x years.

 

[Kirran]

Europeans are too trusting, but Americans certainly are too paranoid. Its easy for Europeans to opt for socialism and risk totalitarianism, but its easy for Americans to starve our own. Looking at the crisis in Greece and Spain I suspect America is closer to stability, but I do regret that we are very paranoid and have locked ourselves in the basement.

I reckon those crises are over-hyped by the media.

Yes, but look how green the UK is, and up here in the north west water is not a rare commodity

True. Wales was very green. Manchester's environs are pretty good too. I hope you're not in Manchester, that would be too weird a coincidence.

 

[Quetzal]

If only you people weren't so incredibly loud, would use words in their correct context and not invade a country every x years.

I mean, I appreciate you proving my point in such a direct way but still...

 

[Flankerl]

I mean, I appreciate you proving my point in such a direct way but still...

Oh that's another thing, you people can't handle direct answers and always want to talk around the subject at hand.

 

[Revoltingest]

The other night, I was listening to a stream online while doing other things. The host was from Europe and he made a comment: "I find it interesting, Americans. Americans are like the third grade bully. You try to understand things without any knowledge about it and then get angry when others question you about it." He was referring to politics and our politicians. I would like to take a moment to clear the air because I do not think his opinion is isolated to himself. If you are from outside of the US and you have a critical thought regarding our politics, politicians, media, whatever; please don't apply that to our populace as a whole.

This has become even worse with this political race. We know it is awful. We want it gone just as badly as you do.

To any non-American pals here on RF, I am sorry our politicians are corrupt. I am sorry our media is out of control. I am sorry our healthcare system is a rip off. I will say that you will be hard pressed to find someone in this country that does not, on some level, agree with you. We want to make fun of it and change it just as much as you do.

How disappointing.
From your title, I was expecting soft porn.

 

[Revoltingest]

.....invade a country every x years.

Some of us (alas, a minority) would like to stop that.
But many in both parties say those ignorant foreigners need
their countries' fixed, & that war is good for the economy.
Try to talk them out of that.
I've had no luck yet.

 

[Quetzal]

Oh that's another thing, you people can't handle direct answers and always want to talk around the subject at hand.

Well, no, the point of the thread was to illustrate that this country is very diverse and opinions vary. With that in mind, making blanket statements such as...

If only you people...

...you people...

Is not only pretty useless but it is also inaccurate.

 

[The Emperor of Mankind]

How disappointing.
From your title, I was expecting soft porn.

This thread is not some perverted version of the Ryder Cup. Not this time...

 

[Laika]

The other night, I was listening to a stream online while doing other things. The host was from Europe and he made a comment: "I find it interesting, Americans. Americans are like the third grade bully. You try to understand things without any knowledge about it and then get angry when others question you about it." He was referring to politics and our politicians. I would like to take a moment to clear the air because I do not think his opinion is isolated to himself. If you are from outside of the US and you have a critical thought regarding our politics, politicians, media, whatever; please don't apply that to our populace as a whole.

This has become even worse with this political race. We know it is awful. We want it gone just as badly as you do.

To any non-American pals here on RF, I am sorry our politicians are corrupt. I am sorry our media is out of control. I am sorry our healthcare system is a rip off. I will say that you will be hard pressed to find someone in this country that does not, on some level, agree with you. We want to make fun of it and change it just as much as you do.

As a brit I am deeply concerned for America's mental well-being given that any sort of "collective nervous breakdown" is likely to have lasting global consequences. It has made me feel quite depressed at times. But honestly, I think for the most part the American people- including Trump supporters- are not really at fault for the failure of their ruling class.

This hideous election was a catastrophic failure of multiple institutions. It wasn't that one thing went go wrong. Dozens of things went wrong and its been building up for years. You could start with the rigged democratic primaries with the super-delegates, or the complacency and incomptence of the Republican establishment to take a consistent "Dump Trump" stance at an earlier stage when it could well have mattered. This is on top of years of the gridlocked "do nothing" congress, a rigged electoral system that bars third-parties, a partisan media who used free speech to lie to the people, a financial crisis that compounded reduced social mobility and oppurtunity, massive growth in income inequality weakening the middle class, inflaming racial tensions and building the "american way of life" on unsustainable foundations both in terms of government, business and personal debt as well as environmentally damaging/ politically toxic fossil fuels.

The list could go on but however we may have got into this mess (and its the worlds mess not just a US one), the American people are going to be part of the solution.

Don't feel too sorry for yourself. There is work to be done. Global capitalism doesn't overthrow itself you know!

 

[Altfish]

I hope you're not in Manchester, that would be too weird a coincidence.

I certainly am, sat in an office on Whitworth Street West at this very moment trying to work out if I'll need a brolly when I go home in just over an hour.