America

[ClaretMahoney]

Alex Jones is a toooooool to the highest degree.

[ClaretMahoney]

Sooo from what I gather:

Americans talk too much. We're arrogant. We're ignorant. I guess I can take that as long as you British can take what I have to say.

And that's that most British I have met overseas are out to get pissed, make fool of themselves, meet other British and shag, and complain that the beer sucks, then do it all over again the next night.

Sorry about the dig, BUT the caveat is that most of them are a fun gang to hang out with, they know how to get people out of their shells and talking, (most of the time that includes booze though so not that difficult).

[AVFC-Prideofbrum]

It has disney land.

[snowychap]

Sooo from what I gather:

Americans talk too much. We're arrogant. We're ignorant. I guess I can take that as long as you British can take what I have to say.

As long as it's a general thing and not aimed towards fellow Villa fans, yep.

[The_Rev]

You get really defensive every time somebody says something nasty about America dont you Mahoney?

[robojoel]

Too complicated to sum up in a vote

Obviously bullies of the world

Majority of its citizens ignorant idiots (mind you, you could say that about here)

two party political system squeezed into the far right of the political sphere, yet celebrate their own 'freedom? Idiots

Champions of capitalism, reaping the rewards of vast ghettos, violence, inequality and celebrations of superficial plastic mediocrity

Skewed perception of 'freedom', they 'free' people (usually through bombing them) as long as they agree with their definition of 'freedom'

Fat bloated greedy population. i remember I used to read 2000 A.D. when I was younger (actually i still do!) And in mega city one there were 'extreme fatties' as a way of portraying a sci-fi future. After visiting America I realised we were actualy in 2000A.D. (literally)

Having worked as an Aid worker in Nepal for refugees its quite easy to see the imbalance in food.

Having worked in America sevaral times I have been astounded by the amount of intelligent, like minded, loving positive poeple there.

Having lived and worked in various parts of the world I have met ignorant stupid Americans, as well as great free thinking wise Americans.

Producers of some fantastic music and art

Producers of Million pound peices of shit (I'm looking at you Hollywood and NBC)

So who the **** knows

[robojoel]

Oh, I forgot, they JUST CANT SHUT THE **** UP

This is really true for a lot of them, maybe its a cultural thing

I lived with this guy at University, you could be sat in the comunal living room, he would walk in, start talking, cook his food, eat his food, all the time talking, you could not say a word the whole time, he would walk out of the door 30 minutes later STILL TALKING, unbelievable.

I thoguht he was mentally ill, untill a few years later I was in a band with a couple of Yanks and they used to do exactly the same thing, so who knows????

[robojoel]

Oh and the UK is not far behind all of this

[El Zen]

I've been there three times (though, only on the eas coast) and loved every minute of it every time. It's a wonderfully fascinating country, with incredible diversity in culture and nature. Most of the people are very, very friendly and charming as well.

Then, of course, there's the politics. Hopefully, Obama will continue to improve my poor impression of US politics.

My relationship with the US of A is very much a love/dislike relationship. 'Very fascinated' would be the best description, perhaps.

[kurtsimonw]

Been there quite a few times and love the place. The people, in general are nice enough, but they seem to be very blind to the rest of the World. Whenever I've gone there, they either think people from England don't speak English or they think I'm a moron, they really don't seem to grasp the idea that I'm just a normal person and can understand them quite easily, if anything they will struggle to understand me. Oh, this is after the "So where are you from, Ireland" comments I ALWAYS get. Only been to 4 of the states, so can't really speak for the whole country. As for the options I'd have to go with.. "Like America" Very nice place, nice people.

[ClaretMahoney]

You get really defensive every time somebody says something nasty about America dont you Mahoney?

Not gonna lie, I do Rev. It just seems like an easy bandwagon to jump on to for non Americans. Kinda like the tossers in Brum that support Chelsea but were born in Moseley. Know what I mean?

I was thinking about this on my smoke break, what other people think of us Americans. I'd say that since the wars started we have become very very self conscious of what others think about us. We have become a black sheep of the international community based on our government actions. We're too worried about what people think about us because we have the preconceived notion that noone likes us. So I think we feel the need to over compensate, i.e. talking alot and trying to hard to get in conversations with people.

I myself have done it before but realized, (most recently on my travels abroad), that I shouldn't think this way. I have noticed many many Americans like this and I truly believe they are doing this because they are a bit ashamed of being American and coming from the American Empire. I used to be ashamed of being American, for a long time, (but only after Bush and co.) I hated being American. The moment in which I would meet someone when I was overseas and they found out I was American it's like they're attitudes changed even though they didn't know ME.

Yes our government has been the icon of imperialism, capitalism, greed and injustices, but we as people aren't like that, at least the Americans with knowledge of the outside world. There are alot of Americans that I feel bad for, in particular the ignorant ones. They are trapped in the circle of ignorance, they know no better and it's because of the society that we have grown up in. Sure there are people that haven't left the country and they know better, Levi being one great example of them (iirc he hasn't been outside the USA but I'm not 100%) and yet he is very smart and not ignorant. Alot of us have been NATURED and NURTURED into thinking that America does no wrong, we are infallible, and whatever our government does is the right decision. I do think those tides are turning though.

I don't think there is one nationality that is perfect. We all have our faults. What I said earlier about getting pissed and what not is just a couple of my experiences, obviously not a generalization of the British as a whole, just as what you all say about Americans isn't and shouldn't be a generalization of us Yanks.

[The_Rev]

Yes our government has been the icon of imperialism, capitalism, greed and injustices, but we as people aren't like that, at least the Americans with knowledge of the outside world. There are alot of Americans that I feel bad for, in particular the ignorant ones. They are trapped in the circle of ignorance, they know no better and it's because of the society that we have grown up in. Sure there are people that haven't left the country and they know better, Levi being one great example of them (iirc he hasn't been outside the USA but I'm not 100%) and yet he is very smart and not ignorant. Alot of us have been NATURED and NURTURED into thinking that America does no wrong, we are infallible, and whatever our government does is the right decision. I do think those tides are turning though.

That's pretty much it.

American foreign policy is abhorrent, and the rest of the world did gasp a sigh of disbelief when warmongers like Bush and Rumsfeld were elected into office, and as a result it kinda becomes fashionable to bash the country as a whole.

I guess its easy to hate the big guy too. How many people from the provinces here hate London just because its London?

How many people in America hate New York/L.A. just because they are New York and L.A.?

I dont get it myself. Most people are great.

[villa4europe]

i think you've hit the nail on the head with the almost holier than thou appearance of the US, not just in the religious sense (but sometimes very much in the religous sense, which is IMO easily your average yanks downfall on the internet, you dont half have some nutters when it comes to religion)

but thats at all levels, not just as a nation towards other nations but towards each other, i always said id hate to go to school in the US, the class system that you see portrayed was just something that i personally never experienced here

[ClaretMahoney]

And as far as regions of the US to visit, I'll just say this. The east coast and west coast are obviously the most diverse. I'd hazard to generalize and say on the east coast you'll find more sophisticated types. But more "worldly" and knowledgeable about what's going on in the world. The west coast and to an extent Colorado you'll find the progressives. Down south are the...well...rednecks......pikees in other words. In the midwest I'd say we are the stagnant ones. We don't give a toss about the coasters. We just kinda do our own thing, and it's pretty much Americana, good old America. Probably the most traditional of places, for obvious reasons. We still have Dutch/Danish/Norwegian/German grandparents that still speak the language. Olde fashioned and conservative.

Obviously all this varies state by state, but basically my twisted and short version of America. And yes, I've been to about 75% of the country. Alaska, Vermont, Connecticut, Mass., New Hampshire, RI, and Delaware elude me still.

[bred]

I live in Vegas, soo i love my area of America

[Witton_Lane]

God bless America, love the place and have visited it several times. Sure it has it's good and it's bad but on the whole it shits all over the UK in a big way as far as I'm concerned, the quality of life is just so much better.

Of course it has it's bad parts too, but so do we. Yes it has retarded politicians but so do we. Yes they instigate stupid wars from time to time but so what, that's no reflection on the average American any more than our troops dying in Afghanistan is a reflection on the average Brit.

All my best holidays have been taken in the good old US of A, and I'm about to buy a couple of holiday properties there too so I can get there more often (and make a few quid from rent, obviously). I find the place extremely endearing, personally....love the way they all fly their countries flag on their front porch too, you wouldn't dare do that over here, you'd get your windows bricked in :shock:

**** the UK, I'm a closet Yank and proud of it.

[ClaretMahoney]

God bless America, love the place and have visited it several times. Sure it has it's good and it's bad but on the whole it shits all over the UK in a big way as far as I'm concerned, the quality of life is just so much better.

Of course it has it's bad parts too, but so do we. Yes it has retarded politicians but so do we. Yes they instigate stupid wars from time to time but so what, that's no reflection on the average American any more than our troops dying in Afghanistan is a reflection on the average Brit.

All my best holidays have been taken in the good old US of A, and I'm about to buy a couple of holiday properties there too so I can get there more often (and make a few quid from rent, obviously). I find the place extremely endearing, personally....love the way they all fly their countries flag on their front porch too, you wouldn't dare do that over here, you'd get your windows bricked in :shock:

**** the UK, I'm a closet Yank and proud of it.

Wow Witton. Woooooow. Favorite place in the US? And you BETTER not say Vegas, LA or NYC!

[Chindie]

I always understood that the not having Union flags flying from everyone's front garden was more down to British people just not doing that kind of thing, reserved people that we traditionally are.

In fact I'd argue that a lot of the current trend for having Union flags all over the shop is down to jingoism and forced patriotism by popular media.

[ClaretMahoney]

And Chindie...alot of the reason why we Americans fly our flags proudly outside our houses is that exact same reason. Nationalism and patriotism, (bar July 4th) started on Sept 12. 2001.

[El Zen]

I always understood that the not having Union flags flying from everyone's front garden was more down to British people just not doing that kind of thing, reserved people that we traditionally are.

From my experience, travelling around a bit especially in Europe, flying the national flag from your house is an highly unusual thing to do (though, it seems more common to do it on naional holidays etc).

I've really only observed it as an 'every day' phenomenon in more southern states in the USA.

I just don't think most people see the point in doing it, or really be bothered. It's got nothing to do with anti-patriotic sentiment (and I'm generally sceptic of so-called patiotism) or being 'PC' imo.