Why do Brits have such an inferiority complex with the U.S.?

[Comprehend]

Is it because we have had to take care of them like an aging senile old parent?

Is it because we took the dregs of British society and created a nation that the U.K. was too oppressive to allow and we have embarrassed them?

Is it because we whipped them in the Revolutionary war and saved them in WWII?

I can't decide...

 

[SoyLeche]

Is it because we whipped them in the Revolutionary war and saved them in WWII?

Actually, we didn't really "whip" them in the Revolutionary war, and we needed the French in order to win at all (it's a good thing the French hated the British so much, don't ya think?)

We whipped them in the War of 1812.

 

[Comprehend]

Actually, we didn't really "whip" them in the Revolutionary war, and we needed the French in order to win at all (it's a good thing the French hated the British so much, don't ya think?)

We whipped them in the War of 1812.

Lafayette schmafayette. We whipped 'em.

 

[SoyLeche]

Lafayette schmafayette. We whipped 'em.

I guess they did use German mercenaries against us, so maybe it all balances out.

 

[Comprehend]

I guess they did use German mercenaries against us, so maybe it all balances out.

heck, Washington v. the Hessians on Christmas is one of my favorite parts. heh heh.

 

[SoyLeche]

heck, Washington v. the Hessians on Christmas is one of my favorite parts. heh heh.

That was pretty awesome

I need to study up on the Revolution a bit more. I've read "1776", but that's about it. Seeing as the place where we finally crushed their spirit is only a few hours away from me I should probably take advantage of it.

(I have been to where we crushed the Rebs. It's in my ward.)

 

[Halcyon]

Is it because we have had to take care of them like an aging senile old parent?

Ha! You know we'd be a lot better off without you, the simple fact is that we know you are powerful, but we also know you are young and foolish - like a toddler who has somehow got hold of a shotgun. We step in to prevent you making even bigger mistakes than you already do, we're not senile, you're just too young to recognise wisdom when you see it.

Is it because we took the dregs of British society and created a nation that the U.K. was too oppressive to allow and we have embarrassed them?

Um, i seem to remember that the bulk of the people who founded the colonies were either religious fanatics that we didn't particularly want, or Irish fleeing famine and economic disaster.

Is it because we whipped them in the Revolutionary war and saved them in WWII?

OK, here's a common American misconception.

Firstly, the reason you "won" your war of independence (you must realise you'd be far better off as a Commonwealth nation) is because we had to ship our men across the Atlantic on a grueling two month journey while yours were taking it easy at home.
We fought using traditional warfare, while your guys fought using dirty guerrilla warfare. We had our army and navy spread across our expansive Empire, while your men had only one target - we had 36,000 exhausted men who had to both defeat, capture and retain settlements while you had 250,000 local militia with the local populations backing.
I'm surprised anyone could be proud of such a victory.

We also never seem to get any thanks for defeating, practically single handed, the Hitler of the 19th Century - Napoleon I. If it weren't for us you'd all be speaking French right now and under the rule of the French Empire.

And of course, it was not the rather late intervention of the Americans in WWII that won the war, but rather the Soviets who were decisive in victory in Europe.

And i know it's a joke thread, but frankly the overwhelming smugness of the general American attitude to their pseudo-history quite frequently makes me sick to my stomach.

 

[Halcyon]

We whipped them in the War of 1812.

Yeah, like a few rebel colonists were our priority in 1812?

 

[Comprehend]

Ha! You know we'd be a lot better off without you, the simple fact is that we know you are powerful, but we also know you are young and foolish - like a toddler who has somehow got hold of a shotgun. We step in to prevent you making even bigger mistakes than you already do, we're not senile, you're just too young to recognise wisdom when you see it.

oh right. The Falklands was an excellent example of the British temperment.

Since the USA is the worlds biggest economy it looks like we have gone well past our toddler stage and into our prime.

Um, i seem to remember that the bulk of the people who founded the colonies were either religious fanatics that we didn't particularly want, or Irish fleeing famine and economic disaster.

Or, we were religious fanatics who didn't particularly want the U.K. ... we were they who recognized opportunity. Those who stayed were the sheep who were comfortable under an authoritarian government.

OK, here's a common American misconception.

Firstly, the reason you "won" your war of independence (you must realise you'd be far better off as a Commonwealth nation) is because we had to ship our men across the Atlantic on a grueling two month journey while yours were taking it easy at home.
We fought using traditional warfare, while your guys fought using dirty guerrilla warfare. We had our army and navy spread across our expansive Empire, while your men had only one target - we had 36,000 exhausted men who had to both defeat, capture and retain settlements while you had 250,000 local militia with the local populations backing.
I'm surprised anyone could be proud of such a victory.

What you call Guerrilla warfare was simply the beginning of a very long trend of America taking something mediocre from the UK and making it outstanding.

- We took British warfare and added marksmanship (skill + innovation) which allowed us to use snipers and innovative tactics.

- later we did the same thing with Cricket, the Rights of Man, George Washington, etc etc.

We also never seem to get any thanks for defeating, practically single handed, the Hitler of the 19th Century - Napoleon I. If it weren't for us you'd all be speaking French right now and under the rule of the French Empire.

You don't think Russia had anything to do with defeating Napoleon?

come on!

And of course, it was not the rather late intervention of the Americans in WWII that won the war, but rather the Soviets who were decisive in victory in Europe.

And i know it's a joke thread, but frankly the overwhelming smugness of the general American attitude to their pseudo-history quite frequently makes me sick to my stomach.

You will note that I said we saved the Brits in WWII, not that we won the war. To defeat Germany, there had to be a western front and once again, the UK couldn't get it done so the US came over and opened up the front with the invasion of France and Italy. Yes, we appreciate the UK as a staging area and all that but you Brits would have never made it across the channel without the good 'ol USA.

 

[Smoke]

We whipped them in the War of 1812.

Not one of our more stirring victories, though. They killed more of our troops than we killed of theirs, they burned Washington DC and sent Dolley Madison on the run with George Washington's portrait, and our only victory that anybody likes to talk about occurred after the peace treaty had already been signed.

My fourth-great-grandfather took no pride in his participation in that war, and claimed to be haunted by the ghosts of "the bloomin' Henglish" killed at New Orleans.

His grandfather had been a Loyalist during the Revolution, and was buried in his British uniform.

Wars are seldom worth the trouble, expense, and slaughter -- and we likely would have been better off as a Commonwealthy country.

 

[wizanda]

It's because we are oppressed by the Anti-Christ Churches on every corner telling us we are all worthless!!

 

[methylatedghosts]

Hrmm...

This thread confuses me

 

[Comprehend]

for a joke thread, this sure is turning out to be serious....

 

[w00t]

There just isn't any point in responding to this thread as it is just intended as a wind up and not a serious discussion!

 

[Comprehend]

There just isn't any point in responding to this thread as it is just intended as a wind up and not a serious discussion!

we try to keep it less serious so you brits can understand what is going on. We know they don't really educate anyone over there anymore and brits are slow to begin with.

:bonk:

 

[Valjean]

I was not aware the British had any inferiority complex, though it's pretty clear the Americans have a rather inflated image of themselves. Despite embarrassing (and falling) scores on comparative quality-of-life indices many Americans are still convinced we live in the best country in the world.

As far as the revolution goes, history shows it's awfully difficult to "win" over a popular insurgency, even if you have huge resources and a powerful army. Even so, it was surprising that the colonies managed to oust the British, even with the assistance of France and Spain.

 

[Smoke]

for a joke thread, this sure is turning out to be serious....

If you want to make fun of the Brits, always go for their cuisine. The real reason they conquered India wasn't imperialism; they were in search of some decent cooking.

 

[SoyLeche]

If you want to make fun of the Brits, always go for their cuisine. The real reason they conquered India wasn't imperialism; they were in search of some decent cooking.

The brits have cuisine???

When did that happen?

 

[Booko]

Is it because we have had to take care of them like an aging senile old parent?

Is it because we whipped them in the Revolutionary war and saved them in WWII?

Uh no. If that "aging senile parent" had not gone though hell before we "offically" entered WWII, it would have been much much more difficult and deadly to defeat the Axis powers.

You can't really stage effective amphibious assaults and establish a beachhead if your starting point is the U.S. East Coast. Well, at least then you couldn't. Not on the massive scale required.

Is it because we took the dregs of British society and created a nation that the U.K. was too oppressive to allow and we have embarrassed them?

We didn't "take" the dregs. It's debatable most of those were even dregs. The people who were not "in" with the ruling climate left rather than be persecuted. Some left just looking for economic possibilities. Others were forced by debt to enter into indentured servitude.

Inferiority complex? Hm, possibly, sometimes. Rather like the French react. Those nations have one thing in common -- they both once had great empires and now they don't.

And soon enough, we'll be joining that club.

It doesn't pay to get too cocky.

 

[Mike182]

Is it because we have had to take care of them like an aging senile old parent?

Is it because we took the dregs of British society and created a nation that the U.K. was too oppressive to allow and we have embarrassed them?

Is it because we whipped them in the Revolutionary war and saved them in WWII?

I can't decide...

i'm assuming all of these as sarcastic, because speaking as a "Brit" i have no inferiority complex to the US...