Culture - America vs Britain
- Thread starter James
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I like the Brits. Their comedy. Their sense of style. Their fish and chips.
Going bodmin.
Actually hash tag it! #goingbodmin
Going bodmin.
Actually hash tag it! #goingbodmin
Britain seems like a really really old relative who has seen some stuff Americans can't imagine. Your whole infrastructure feels old because..it is. Also, there are not a lot of things in place to keep people from harming themselves. Bridges don't have high fencing etc..
Also the last time I was there all the night clubs...bars were playing music that was 10 years old. At first I thought it was a retro thing but everyone was doing it.
You are good people though who have a tendency to eyeball Americans when you know they are among you.
Also the last time I was there all the night clubs...bars were playing music that was 10 years old. At first I thought it was a retro thing but everyone was doing it.
You are good people though who have a tendency to eyeball Americans when you know they are among you.
- Dec 29, 2009
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ha ha.. ok EH I accept your criticism of our nightclubs. I haven't been in one for over 10 years, so musically that would suit me. it might mean there was less Rap music (I am NOT a racist but I don't like rap !!). As for the infrastructure ? We built a tunnel to France - under the sea dude !! But clearly with Brexit etc that was a mistake.. France, omg what the hell were we thinking !!! it's true the roads are tiny. but then so are the cars usually. with no cup holders.
As for bridges not having high fences ? its ruthless here, if your unwise enough to not realise that its dangerous near the edges ? well that's how it goes. As for the really really old relative.. I think that's 100% right. We're old grumy, half deaf, and a bit demented, but if you are willing to listen we can help you avoid some of the mistakes we've made over the last 2000 or so years.
It's one of the largest western countries, with a police force that don't carry fire arms. and it has a very good universal health care system. Not bragging tho, it does rain a lot, and we have never been to the moon. We went the wrong way and landed in Australia and invented Cricket. They usually beat us at cricket, so that was yet another bad idea.
#godsavethequeen
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I wasnt talking about the lack of fencing as a bad thing. I was pointing it out because here in America we have a tendency to coddle people so that they don't harm themselves by accident. It still happens of course...50% of us show a clear lack of common sense.
I like the fact the world is getting smaller. Next time dig a tunnel our direction.
You can get all of those in the film 'Rita Sue and Bob too'. I recommend it to anyone who hasn't seen it. Looks like it should have been a Mile Lee film but it's not. If you want a good belly laugh check it out.
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- Dec 29, 2009
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If I could arrange that I would do it. We had Concorde but the French broke it. 4 hours New York to London. I guess it was noisy though. Sad state of affairs that plane was flying in the 70s, and we don't have anything better/faster even today. I think it's 7 hour minimum now. Smart phones and internet but not a better aeroplane. We should be able to make that flight in half the time with todays technology.
Happy Phantom
Well-known member
That is sad that there aren't more convenient/faster forms of transportation. The airlines don't gaf if your flight is delayed, or it's canceled due to bad weather, or you're asked to get off the plane bc a flight crew member needs your seat. I ran to get on my connecting flight from Miami and only had 30 minutes to get to the opposite side of the airport only to find that the flight left ten minutes early and stranded at least seven of us with no other flights until the next morning.
I always try to make shitty situations better by looking for learning experiences, and my uber driver did just that by informing me of things I was not aware of. He was from Venezuela and pointed out that you must get to the airport 5-6 hours before your flight, and proceeded to tell me how horrible the living conditions are there so I stfu and spent the night at a nice hotel in Miami, grateful that I wasn't sleeping on the streets.
WonkyOracle
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3hrs 25mins was the fastest it made that journey.
Word round the camp fire is rich enthusiasts are looking to bring it back.
I'm up for it, just not sure the passengers will appreciate the sonic boom in this climate of terrorism and all that.
Still, a little excitement to get the blood flowing makes life the more interesting.
- Mar 17, 2010
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Airbus A380 maximum seating capacity = 853
Concorde maximum seating capacity = 128
And that is why you don't see Concorde anymore.
Concorde maximum seating capacity = 128
And that is why you don't see Concorde anymore.
I remember a former Canadian Prime Minister, Lester B. Pearson - the one that initiated the UN's first peace-keeping force, saying in an interview that Canada is like an in-between cuturally of the States and the UK.
I can see that … the UK to me has a bit of an "old-world" feel overall that values history, traditions, long-established social structures, etc. while the States was founded as a country of immigrants characterized by possibilities, social mobility and initiative.
I get that the sense that North Americans who are more introverted/artsy are naturally drawn to Europe or East Asia in general because of that preserved history and aristocratic-like valuing of things that improve the soul over in-the-moment, action-oriented activities - which are valuable as well of course!
I can see that … the UK to me has a bit of an "old-world" feel overall that values history, traditions, long-established social structures, etc. while the States was founded as a country of immigrants characterized by possibilities, social mobility and initiative.
I get that the sense that North Americans who are more introverted/artsy are naturally drawn to Europe or East Asia in general because of that preserved history and aristocratic-like valuing of things that improve the soul over in-the-moment, action-oriented activities - which are valuable as well of course!
We're the older member of society who says some dodgy remarks occasionally and offends others as we blurt out the first thing in our mind, however in truth we're that familiar old person that everyone secretly likes!
- Mar 17, 2010
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No. Nobody secretly likes us. America thinks we're pushovers, Australia tries it's best to distance themselves from us, Europe thinks we're a bunch of whiny babies, the rest of the world doesn't think of us much at all.
We, however, think our country is hot shit.
- Dec 29, 2009
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I think quite a lot of us (almost everyone under age 70) believe if we go ahead with brexit, we'll be in deep sh1t.
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Brexit or not, there are still many people of my generation and younger who buy into the glorification of Britain's colonial days, leading to the delusion that everyone loves Britain as much as Britain loves itself.
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That makes me sad Chaz. I would really hope younger people (I'm 47 and I still like to delude myself that's young) particularly, wouldn't think that way.
But if people think it's bad now, post brexit things could be a lot worse. We'll see.
I highly recommend the book "Quiet: The Power of Introverts In a World That Can't Stop Talking" By Susan Caine she has a lot of insight about American culture's extroversion and how it came to be extroverted at the dawn of the 20th century when Americans got it in their heads that in addition to whatever you are- you should also become an ideal American by becoming a 'cheery salesman'. Before this idea took root much of American culture revolved around ethics and doing the right thing (the Christian thing in those days) but after this notion that all Americans should be cheery salesmen took root the priority changed towards being popular. It was only a few decades after the change when people started to suggest that introversion was a sort of mental disorder in America. There is obviously a lot more depth and detail in the book but that's the gist of the cultural aspect.
The innovation aspect of Americanism is symptomatic of the origin story of America, taming the frontier. The frontier origins and 'cheery salesman' ideal American image are also inadvertently responsible for the difference in negative priorities in America as opposed to Britain. Although I could be wrong, it seems to me the worst thing you could be in the minds of the English is a hypocrite, whereas in America hypocrisy whilst not exactly being always welcomed with open arms, is dwarfed by the intense dislike of con artists. I think nothing quite infuriates the American public quite like being taken for a ride- again because of P.T. Barnham and a parade of bullshit artists hawking snake oil along the frontier for many decades. When you're innovating and pursuing the American dream it is far worse to be tricked out of your possessions by Mr. Barnham than to simply fail. At least in the minds of Americans, I think.
Groucho Marx, Jack Benny, Bud Abbott, Lou Costello, The Bowery Boys, The Three Stooges, George Carlin, Richard Pryor, Joan Rivers, Gilbert Gottfried, and many, many, more. I think the world needs to 'catch up' to the American standard from decades ago
I'm including modern day American comics in that too, by the way- it's more common to be outrageous than clever in comedy nowadays.
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To give a second context to Americanism, the one many forget...
Americanism is love of America; loyalty to her institutions as the best yet devised by man to secure life, liberty, individual dignity, and happiness; and the willingness to defend our country and Flag against all enemies, foreign and domestic. It is a vital, active, living force. As defined by the American Legion established in 1919 and is still actively spreading the message of Americanism.