The view from England (by an American)...

5 Nov. 2004 | NavyGuy

[AppyPappy]

No no. Everyone bashes the Muslims extremists. My question is why the Brit Press is attacking American mainstream Christians as whackbats and ignoring mainstream Muslims. There is no chance of America taking over Britain but look at parts of mainland Europe. France had to ban head scarves for crying out loud.

I know some Europeans and they do think we Americans are largely gun-toting Bible thumping rednecks who spend most of our time shooting each other and flicking out rotten teeth. They think reasonable Americans(oddly they seem to know a lot of them) are an exception. George Bush is the quintessential American and they think he is a blood thirsty cowboy.

For Europe to be APPLALLED they we elected a normal person as President just makes me want to beat my head against the outhouse wall.

[spodefly]

BTTT

[FReepaholic]

...Nonsense. The British fought off Napolean, the Kaiser and Hitler...

Well, we helped on the last two.

We aren't just descended from British roots, you know.

But why would the Brits embrace the high taxation they have...why embrace the restrictive gun control they have.

There is a basic difference between us.

[longtermmemmory]

I once heard socialism explained as follows:

If a socialist sees a rich person in an expensive car, they dream of the day they will killl the rich person and take that car.

In the USA a person sees a rich person in an expensive car, and they KNOW if they do the work they can buy their own expensive car.

[jmhfnyc]

I travel often to London (will be there next Thursday) and I am amazed by the anti-American comments, freely expressed. They can't believe articulate, educated, sophisticated people, such as moi, support Bush. But who's really stupid -- they have a Queen, lord and ladies, princes and princes, powdered wigs(!), and a system where one can only achieve the highest title in the land through birth. I, on the other hand, have the highest title in my land: I am an American citizen! By the way, Happy Guy Fawkes Day. Here's a penny of common sense for the Guy!

[Constantine XIII]

Heck, I've found that the Spanish and Norwegians here are more reasonable than Dems at home. :P

They disagree, but they don't hate you for it.

[greasepaint]

Does anyone know what a 'gumby' is?
.
reference, the BBC documentary series about
life in the British Isles, 'Monty Python's Flying Circus'.

[Modernman]

But why would the Brits embrace the high taxation they have...why embrace the restrictive gun control they have.

Because their liberal welfare state has maybe a 30 year head start on ours. By 2050 at the latest, if trends continue they way they have, we'll be in more or less the same boat in this country, especially when it comes to taxes.

[Eric in the Ozarks]

What happened to the Anglo Saxon who developed the long bow, taller than himself, that allowed an army of 9,000 footmen to lay waste to 27,000 French knights in armored horseback ?
(The Crooked Stick, Hugh D. H. Soar)--about the Hundred Years War

[tjwmason]

let's talk about how we did it from nothing in 3 centuries.

That bit's rather simple, it was all started by the English.

[Constantine XIII]

Isn't it great! :D

[mathluv]

"'swhat the Clintons had in mind for the rest of us."

What they STILL have in mind for us - hellary in '08, and the toon as UNSec.

[tjwmason]

But who's really stupid -- they have a Queen, lord and ladies, princes and princes, powdered wigs(!), and a system where one can only achieve the highest title in the land through birth.

We also have (thanks in major part to the sensible heredity of our monarchy) a political system which has survived for 1000 years guaranteeing our freedom. Come back in 800 years time, and then we can talk...in the meantime God Save the Queen.

[Constantine XIII]

Eh, sorry about the loudmouths. They're everywhere. :P

[norton]

Might be more accurate to say that for a long time the IRA was financed by displaced Irish who had fled to the US from - ahem - Great Britan. But the statement is accurate and it's just as accurate to say the average American was utterly unaware that the 'widders and arfans' they were contributing to were building bombs.
[I once had a guy sugggest he'd trade his Ranchero for 'clothes for the poor in Ireland' ... and any guns I might want to dispose of.]

Just as well to say that the current terrorist blight learned those lessons quite well, note the 'charities' that support the families of homicide bombers and pay for the bombs as well.

As to Brit bashing; it was just a family spat up until the Guardian decided to start a letter writing campaign. That's when the bayonetts were fixed. Stupid, arrogant, blindly condescending, and sadly British.

I expect we'll all get over it.

PS: A Ranchero is a sort of sedanish truck, we really do value our pick-em-ups.

[tonycavanagh]

re : Just get over it. Stop trying to analyzing our navel to figure out how you got to the point that you are at and get some wisdom.

You What Mate

[lemura]

The difference between Americans and Europeans is genetic. We are descendants of brave people who threw off the yoke of tyranny whereas their ancestors embraced it.

That's my standard reply as well. Imagine, for a moment, what it must have been like getting on a boat in 1870 (or earlier/later) and sailing away to a whole new country without any safety net programs?

However, this gene is recessive: how many people in the US ever move to even another state? Each generation (that stays) becomes progressively more passive. What the Libs and MSM miss most about the NEW South is that many of the people are all new transplants ie carrying on the traditional challenge of change.

[ReveBM]

I think Americans need to come up with new lines to insult the British with. The "tea sipping, bad teeth" stuff is getting old, as are the references to Valley Forge and Lexington/Concord etc. There must be some part of the current "Cool Britannia" that we can legitimately make fun of, like that forgot-his-name wildly popular metrosexual soccer player with the model wife.

[Gefreiter]

True, true.

But the origins of the earliest settlers I don't believe add or detract form the force of the statement. And besides I'm sure some Spaniards might have an opinion about who was where first!

Wouldn't you agree though that to go from a brace of coastal settlements to being the dominant global power in such a short time is a rearkable feat? An unrivalled feat?

[AngloSaxon]

"What happened to the Anglo Saxon who developed the long bow, taller than himself, that allowed an army of 9,000 footmen to lay waste to 27,000 French knights in armored horseback ?"

Well (and this is only a guess) I would say that because that battle was fought over 700 years ago, in all probability... that AngloSaxon is dead. (Sarcasm off)