I Wonder How Much Longer the EU Will Last?

[abaris]

Now, I would not be terribly surprised if the UK left the EU; the UK resembles us a bit more than the rest of Europe resembles us.

I haven't got the feeling as if the Brits resemble Americans more than the rest of Europe. Popular culture and people are much more European than American. They still have their island mentality, enforced by their politicians, who, as in every other country, play to the lowest instincts of their electorate. Even Aussies and Kiwis are more European, going by their culture and the values of their people.

That said, what I really would like to see, is a politician or a party, telling the truth and actually working for the people. But I'm aware we're not living in Thomas Morus' Utopia.

[Lucanus]

Guys, guys, guys, guys, d00ds, guys:

The EU's going to end this September.

What with the rapture and all...

That was last September, m8

[Longhorn]

Guys, guys, guys, guys, d00ds, guys:

The EU's going to end this September.

What with the rapture and all...

That was last September, m8

Curses! Missed it again! >:c

....though I haven't noticed a decrease in the delusional population..... -_-

[TheRealJoeFish]

Guys, guys, guys, guys, d00ds, guys:

The EU's going to end this September.

What with the rapture and all...

That was last September, m8

It's EVERY SEPTEMBER

[Iroscato]

Well I'm definitely not working on infiltrating the EU and taking over Europe and later the world, why

Subtlety, my good man, subtlety. How do you think I conquered 80,000 star systems and am working my through the galaxy? Because I don't brag about it on forums. Except for just now.
...
Shit.

[Lucanus]

You guys.

I love you guys

[Pyrrho]

Now, I would not be terribly surprised if the UK left the EU; the UK resembles us a bit more than the rest of Europe resembles us.

I haven't got the feeling as if the Brits resemble Americans more than the rest of Europe. Popular culture and people are much more European than American. They still have their island mentality, enforced by their politicians, who, as in every other country, play to the lowest instincts of their electorate. Even Aussies and Kiwis are more European, going by their culture and the values of their people.

That said, what I really would like to see, is a politician or a party, telling the truth and actually working for the people. But I'm aware we're not living in Thomas Morus' Utopia.

You seem to have misunderstood me.  I have NOT stated that the British are more like Americans than they are like Europeans generally.  I have said that the British are more like Americans than other Europeans are like Americans.

I will provide irrefutable evidence of similarity between the British and Americans versus other Europeans and Americans.  What language do all of these people speak?

The U.S. is more like the English because they spawned us.  (So go ahead and blame them for what we have done!)

[abaris]

The U.S. is more like the English because they spawned us.  (So go ahead and blame them for what we have done!)

So in what aspect, apart from speaking the same language, are Brits more like Americans? You seem to forget that Italians, Germans and Eastern Europeans provided a great deal to spawning the USA when it really mattered. Not in the 18th century, but in the late 19th century when the USA really took off.

From my perspective, America is decidely different than any part of Europe. Amazingly so, since Europeans of all breeds were the ones forming that country.

[Pyrrho]

The U.S. is more like the English because they spawned us.  (So go ahead and blame them for what we have done!)

So in what aspect, apart from speaking the same language, are Brits more like Americans? You seem to forget that Italians, Germans and Eastern Europeans provided a great deal to spawning the USA when it really mattered. Not in the 18th century, but in the late 19th century when the USA really took off.

From my perspective, America is decidely different than any part of Europe. Amazingly so, since Europeans of all breeds were the ones forming that country.

First of all, I agree that we are likely more different from every European than Europeans are from each other.  But we are more like the English than we are like the Germans.  We are more like the English than we are like the French.  Pick any other country in Europe, we are more like the English than we are like them (unless you picked the English).

Part of it is well explained in your example of thinking of the "island mentality" (as you put it) of the British.  We are likewise on a different land mass from Europe, and we likewise feel our distance.  I can also say, without any kind of precision, that when I watch British TV and films, although it is foreign, it is not at all like watching French or German or Spanish films.  Those go a whole other level of foreign.  (And for even more alien, we could look at Japanese films, but that need not concern us at present.)  And when I have visited Canada, although it all resembles Europe more than the U.S. resembles Europe, Quebec is more alien than the rest of Canada.  Quebec is more like Germany than the U.S. is like Germany.  (And yes, I fully understand that Quebec is French Canadian, not German at all.  That is the point.)

Getting back to your idea that America has had an influx of immigrants from throughout Europe, none of them were influential enough to get us to switch to their language.  And likewise, none of them have caused a total change in our culture that causes it to more resemble their native culture than England.


I recommend that you visit England, and visit the U.S.  Then tell us whether you believe that the U.S. is more like your country, or more like England.  It is fine if you tell us that England is more like your country than like the U.S.  I have made no claim on that point.  I am only claiming that the U.S. resembles England more than it resembles any other European country.


Edited to add:

The British and people from other former British colonies (like most of Canada, New Zealand, and Australia) seem to understand us better than non-English Europeans, and we seem to understand them better than non-English Europeans.

Please do not take this the wrong way.  I loved my trip to Germany, and I loved my trip to Quebec.  I like the foreignness of these places.  But they are more foreign to me than just a matter of language.  Visiting Ontario in Canada is much more like staying at home.

[abaris]

I can also say, without any kind of precision, that when I watch British TV and films, although it is foreign, it is not at all like watching French or German or Spanish films.  Those go a whole other level of foreign.

I find that most interesting, since for me, british, French and German are on the same lines with a strong preference for british and French. US films and tv series on the other hand are rather alien to me, since they tend to transport moral or patriotic messages. We're talking about mainstream, syndicated shows of course. The british series - or the French for that matter - don't do that usually. The evildoer gets away occasionally, the government and authorities are often painted in a shady light, which doesn't happen nearly as often in (mainstream) American shows. Also you don't find these Gung Ho patriotism shows like Navy CIS or the former Miami franchise of CSI on any European channel. At least the ones I am aware of. Certainly not the british ones.

I've also visited both countries and feel much more at home in the UK than in the USA. Don't get me wrong, that isn't supposed to sound in any way as Anti American, since I found my encounters with the people rather pleasing. It's just alien to me. In the same way as visiting Turkey or Japan, since you brought that up. I visited more frequently in previous years, since one of my aunts moved to the States after the war. Now that she's retired she went to Canada because of better health care.