Posted on 11/05/2004 5:53:39 AM PST by navyguy
I am an American currently working in England. I have been here for the last month and thought you might like to know what I've been seeing here...
Let me first say that the Brits are great people! They are cordial, giving, inviting and very decent people. I myself have old family roots here. There ARE some very vocal Socialists here, but I have no issue with the British people.
First, the pre-election media coverage of the election was totally skewed against President Bush. There wasn't even an attempt to hide it. As the election drew closer the coverage grew increasingly hostile. Further, the tone transformed from criticism of Bush to berating not just the president but anyone who supported him. In nearly every story I saw Republicans were characterized as complete religious zealots. In fact, like the US, leftists here believe that ALL conservative are Christian fanatics. I actually had to correct several Brits here that this was NOT the case. They seemed shocked. The tone rapidly descended into simple insults, with average americans routinely being called 'idiots', 'morons', 'stupid', etc... This tone continued, night after night for at least 10-12 days. If a european tells you they aren't anti-AMERICAN I can tell you they are lying. They simply do not like us, anything we do or anything we represent. I never saw a single postive word about Americans or America as a whole. I was told that were were 'too hung up on the US Constitution." This, above all, really disturbed me.
I never saw a single story about ANYTHING positive happening in Iraq. Ever.
I now know that europeans, for all of their 'sophistication' and 'worldliness', harbor serious misconceptions about America. For example, I saw New Mexico described as "a relatively small, mostly poor state." In fact, I saw a 1 hour documentary done by a Brit travelling through the states that essentially described America as a boiling cauldron of poverty, racism and violence. I could not believe what I was seeing. I saw southerners (I live in North carolina) described as "backwards", "fundamentalists" and "stupid". Farmers in the mid-west were described as "simple folk". There were many other examples as well. I now understand that europeans are half as sophisticated and worldly as they think they are. Most of them do NOT understand America. I finally got some of my coworkers here to admit as much.
There is a TOTAL anti-gun bias here. I saw it in the media over and over again. They are now trying to ban knives, BB guns and replicas of guns as well.
The Nanny State reigns supreme here. I predict that in 25 years the UK will be totally Socialist. If you want to see what the US would be like after 50 years of total Liberal domination come here for awhile. You won't like what you see.
After the election the anti-american torrent CONTINUED. Unreal.
The Guardian is viewed as MAINSTREAM MEDIA here.
It will be awhile before I return here. I love England and its people and its great and honorable history, but it is only a shadow of its former self.
Thank God for the Daily Telegraph.
Just thought you'd like to know. Cheers!
Splain me how we are a bunch of knuckledragging fundamentalist idiots according to the British Press but the Muslims are not.
Get the Red Coats on boys, I can smell beans
I blame there high schools with this Mr and Mrs Popular culture makes em all paranoid about not being loved by everyone.
Tony
They used to say in Europe that they hated George W. Bush, but loved the American people. I wouldn't be surprised if they now decide to hate most of us, since we voted for him.
Keep in mind that, Bill Clinton was not interested
foriegn policy, he did what the Europeans wanted.
Europeans still have not figured out why (now) nobody
pays attention to them.
That's a bummer
I have to admit that then maybe Americans are not my most favorite people.
I have nothing but respoect for the way England stood alone against the Nazis for so long.
You should hear the things they say about Kentuckians and Hoosiers. Some freepers have accused me of having no teeth, marrying my cousin, and being a corn-chomping hick. I ignore it and laugh it off.
I hear Freepers saying wonderful things about the Brits. Tony Blair is a real hero here. He is a man of courage and conviction. When I read threads about Iraq, I see prayers for the British troops and posts of thanks.
respoect = respect
Will comment later! Thanks!
Sorry to disagree Tony, but I have yet to see a single positive story that simply shows something good about america withoiut editorializing it into something negative. Sorry Tony, I watch the news here every night and I simply haven't seen it.
Now, if I manage to find a copy of the Daily Telegraph then I'll be able to read something more balanced about the US. That aside, the TV news, and I include Sky News in this, is flatly anti-US. You surely recognize this.
But I do want to make clear that the BRITONS themselves aren't particularly anti-american. If they are they are discreet about it. With one or 2 exceptions they have been nothing but pleasant with me. Its the media that I find so alarming.
My uncle flew out of England for two years in WW II. He said he broke out in boils from a combination of the lousy chow and ugly weather the whole time he was there.
Yes you get some elements of the press yank bashing, but we also have a raft of stories in the paper and on TV attacking Muslim Fundamentalists.
I have also seen some good factual programs on Middle America, that show them as ordinary decent people who are no different to the rest of us.
Hell on this very site you have American freepers pouring out the same anti Brits stuff, and its no different to the anti brit stuff I remember from the 80s when serving in North Ireland.
You may get anti American articles but at least you don’t have people going round British bars collecting money to finance terrorists, like you Americans did with the IRA in the 70s, 80s and even the 90s.
And one stage the IRA was almost completely American financed.
Tony
I think it's funny that the Euro press in general and French in particular have this air of snobbish sophistication to them, as if they and only they truly understand how the world works.
So isn't it funny that virtually every German, Brit, Pole, or Russian I've ever met has never been anywhere? The haughty, imperious Euros can't be bothered to drive for 2 hours to go to another country, or take a long train ride? But Americans, who need a 6 hour+ plane ride to even reach Europe, are chastised for not knowing every other language and custom on Earth.
Let's talk about which universities people around the planet pray for a shot at admission. Let's talk about Nobel Prize winners. Let's talk about superstar faculty in dozens of disciplines. Let's talk about which societies support their higher ed in a major way, and study abroad, and proportion of candidates who graduate, and go on to advanced degrees, and lead their fields. Let's talk about creating the greatest economic, cultural, and military power humanity has ever known, and let's talk about how we did it from nothing in 3 centuries.
Then let's talk about who's provincial and who's "stupid".
Tony,
Boston is a special case, and should in no way be allowed to reflect the country's broader attitudes.
There are 55 million people in the U.K.
And 55 million Americans voted for Kerry.
The fight is between people who love freedom and people who don't and that's something we should all keep in mind.
There are a whole lot of Americans I'd trade for a whole lot of Brits (and even Frenchmen).
And thank you very much for the support you've given us in Iraq.
I always figured that British special forces would have been justified in blowing up a few South Boston bars.
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