American expats in Europe/the UK

Exactly my feelings.

I tend to assume any expat American is a Democrat or at least not a Trump supporter.

You really don’t need to feel like that, but I completely understand as it’s how I felt after Brexit.

i still love the America I knew 20 years ago ( lived there briefly and travelled across) and can’t wait for Team USA to go back to being the good guys. I have faith. (Or naive optimism).

I disagree but I don't live in the kind of place that's 'A' political so it's not my experience. Equally, I don't know how old you are but there is still very much counter-culture British hip hop artists where the music is celebrating the diversity of British life and stating let's be proud of that. Unsure how you can say the Stones et al. were not part of a sixties movement that was reflective of the political and cultural rebelliousness in its day, my parents are from that generation (a bit younger), were highly political and would very much disagree with you!

Yay for the Canadian Prime Minister. That's all I say. Truly phenomenal speech.

I don't think that you can say that any more. Also, the US had political singers as well. There is nothing anti establishment about the Stones or the Pistols, it was all just window dressing. The Pistols were effectively a boy band, and Mick Jagger is a peer of the realm and has been for ages. I don't recognize being non compliant as a British value at all. Our motto is more 'musn't grumble'.

I am a US citizen living here in the UK. I just keep my head down and try not to talk politics with anyone. What Trump is doing is really embarrassing.

Yes, I agree I felt the same.

Expat, sounds like you feel exactly how I did after Brexit. I felt embarrassed to be British and wanted any Europeans I knew/ met to know that I didn’t vote for it. I feel your pain.

The British aren't really known for their compliance, we admire figureheads who are anti-authority, we like satirical comedy, skepticism, in the past punk music, sixties bands like the Rolling stones, secret Raves of the 90s and it's corresponding drug culture, counter culture music, street music that explores social issues, drinking excessively, individual freedoms where do you get that we are compliant from?

Well, no, we vote for our MP and the winning party chooses the leader. It should be a check on not voting for a personality. Unfortunately, Johnson and, potentially, Farage have shown some people don't understand that's how voting works in the UK. I remember a vox pop after the referendum and someone couldn't understand why Farage wasn't now the PM. Anyway, that's digression.

I don’t think the US is more democratic. It takes so much money to run for president that the system is immediately limited to a small cohort of corruptible candidates. Lobby groups such as the NRA yield disturbing levels of power. Having elected judges, etc, means that judicial independence is tainted. The system is far more vulnerable to corruption. The UK is not perfect, obviously, we all have major problems. The ability of a party to get rid of the Prime Minister is a good thing as it makes them more directly accountable for their actions. Our Prime Minister also can’t just pardon all of their mates, nor could our Prime Minister dictate that prosecutors should go after political enemies the way Trump has done. Our Prime Minister does not appoint judges, and so our judiciary is a real check on the power of the government. I would choose the British model over the US model every day of the week.

Well that's the point with the Liz Truss example, she was removed in part due to a reaction from approval polls.

If politics is a big part of the U.S's cultural identity why dud a reality TV star become President? Surely that suggests more political fatigue that active engagement?

Can you elaborate?

What would UK voters be able to do directly to remove a sitting PM? How quickly, if desired, could UK voters remove Starmer? What is the mechanism for that?

(How is politics not part of every country's cultural identity?)

(TBH, I think the UK system is LESS democratic than the US system. In the US system, voters have the option to choose anyone who is elected: city officials, county officials, judges at state and federal level, state officials, state senators and state house of reps - two kinds of MP, and have a vote for the president too. I think it's insane that the PM is not actually elected specifically by the electorate but rather chosen by the political party with the majority. No one directly voted for Starmer! but he's leading the country!)

Democrats are not bathing in glory either. Did people forget Biden? Now the new Mayor of NY and his childish supporters and dangerous policies. They are all a pile of rubbish. It is really hard for Americans who are normal to be honest.

I think you are wrong on that, public dismay via media scrutiny definitely played a part. It is also evidenced by the Labour uturns for the better or worse.

I dunno - I think Brexit is a good comparison. It’s comparing the vote to leave EU with the vote to elect the president. Not the subsequent implications of those votes.

I remember being in France just after the Brexit vote, and feeling I had to apologise for being English. No different I think from how OP is questioning how it feels to be a USA expat in uk now.

Don't be naive. Look what happened with Johnson!

I'm not American, but I am human. I'm embarrassed that my species has give rise to that man.

Of course they didn't. Posters on here have a somewhat rosy view of British politics. We are lucky that our system isn't quite as undemocratic as in the US, because if it was, we'd be screwed.

I think you are displaying the cultural differences between Americans and the British as many of us are not 'A' political. Politics is part of our cultural identity. It is really not something people shy away from so it is discussed down the pub, at parties, personally, my wedding was few days after the Brexit vote and it definitely put a downer on the day many of us understood the economic decline that would follow was going to be rough, it is covered in our Art e.g. Banksy and our music, I think this is why the reaction to such extreme behaviour from our PM just wouldn't be tolerated.

I would definitely judge a Trump supporter and I wish that Americans in America would do something about him especially those with power. They just seem to be content to let him turn into a dictator. But I don't judge all Americans because I know many can't stand him either and I don't judge Americans living in the UK I assume most of those are not Trump supporters.One of my good friends is American but she now a British Citizen she isn't a monarchist but she said she would much prefer to swear allegiance to the Crown than to Trump. And I know many of her fellow Americans feel the same.