or is prejudice against America considered OK by most of mumsnet?

[VajazzHands]

Comments about America on mumsnet, really ridiculous comments (basically that all Americans, are fat, stupid, god botherers bent on taking over the world) seem to be largely ignored and accepted as fact in a way that comments about any other country never would.

Blatant sexism, racism, xenophobia, disablism would never be tolerated on MN in any other circumstance. Why do people let it go about Americans?

See, now this is a generalisation as well, but I feel that the UK by far shows more generous behaviour because they have programmes in place by way of benefits to help people, whereas the US is quite happy to see the poor fall by the wayside. They give freely to other downtrodden countries, however, many of those same that donate to third world countries fought long and hard to keep what they termed "socialistic health reforms" from coming into play that would guarantee the working poor access to health care that was affordable.

I live in a small town and there are sidewalks all over! Which is good as I don't have a license and have to walk everywhere. :)

That sucks that the people are like that Penguin . It's the opposite in my neck of the woods- if you mention casually that you need a hand with something half the town will show up the next day. :o

All depends on where you live, as people have said.

I can't speak for the nation as a whole, but in our town we don't let any of our poor fall by the wayside.

And we do have benefits of course.

I didn't have healthcare when I was pregnant with DS but the state covered most of it, and what they didn't the Catholic hospital where he was born did.

The town/city where I am attracts a lot of money and is also full of people who come here for work but don't stay (so not a lot of families, or where there are they are out in the suburbs)

CheerfulYank - well, yes the US has benefits (welfare, food stamps, etc) but it's complicated and miserable and there are so many working poor that earn just enough that they don't qualify yet don't have enough to live on.

I actually like the fact that there are strict gun laws here in the UK. But it'll never fly in the US. Never. The whole "if they outlaw guns, only the outlaws will have guns" is far too well ingrained in everyone. And most likely true at this point. I can't say they could ever realistically pull it back now.

Tiggles, you'll find that in the US its communities that display a far greater amount altruism, rather than the state hand-outs covering needs. And it reaches far beyond local or national needs. I know of huge recent grass-roots fundraising efforts for the people of Japan, not just money that could possibly get misdirected, but also shoes, blankets, items of comfort and so on.

anonymosity - yes, I'm aware of that type of thing. But the very same people that give to certain causes will also look down their noses at what they term "white trash" or "trailer trash" or "welfare trash" and feel that those working poor that cannot get ahead due to the way the system functions (re medical costs and such) should be "pulling themselves up by their bootstraps" and that it's their own fault they are poor. Which isn't always true.

Yes, state benefits in the US are far more limited than in the UK.

But, on the other hand, a lot of the slack is taken up by philanthropy and an culture of giving which just wouldn't work over here.

Personally, I prefer that the state provide the safety net - so as a system I do prefer the UK since I think that much of US giving goes to places that can well afford it. But I also love the individual generosity that you see in the US rather than an expectation that the state provide.

I don't know. I've spent almost 8 yrs living in three different areas of the States. I've only heard those expressions on TV. Maybe in the really impoverished farm-land states it can be heard more? I honestly don't know.

Interesting. I heard those phrases easily weekly - although I worked in law enforcement and when people are reporting things, they don't hold back on prejudices and judgements about others. Admittedly, you tend to see more of a cross section of the public than just certain aspects that someone that perhaps lives in a middle class neighbourhood and works in a differentl job would see....

are you actually american tiggles? you need to be a us citizen to work in law enforcement unless you're only admin...

yes yes nothing wrong with ripping the yanks a new arsehole now and again. i don't discriminate, i am an all roun xenophobe

Yes, I am American.

It's the most powerful nation in the world and has been for sixty years. They can take a bit of ribbing.

Discrimination is when the powerful constrain the powerless, not the other way round.

Having spent years giggling at American tourists in London I have to admit first time I went to the US I turned into the UK version. Couldn't stop pointing at yellow school buses and steam rising from pavement grates and going 'wow, all that stuff you see in films, it's real!

I think the OP was referring to prejudice, not discrimination.

Yes, I'm sure they can take a bit of ribbing. It does get rather tiresome, though, when people use incorrect stereotypes to justify their incorrect assumptions. But the same applies with anything, really, doesn't it?

Yup. I get tired of stereotypes about Northerners. Or foreigners asking me if I knew their second cousin three times removed because I lived in London and obviously all Londoners know each other...

personaly i think its ok by anyone who isnt an American. The country is dire in its economy. The people are Elitist and so far up their own arses its unreal. Their military thinks that they are the best in the world when quite frankly they are badly trained ahve a shitty attitude and cant think for themselves. I noticed that America celebrating the death os Osama Bin Laden, personaly i think the celebration was more over the fact they shot the right person and not an ally for once. My career in the armed forces was ended by your typical American gobshite blowing of my right kneecap. And i would personaly not piss on the majority (MAjority being a key word here, there is a minority of Americans who are quite pleasant and nice people - sadly they are burried under a pile of twats) of Americans if they were on fire.

wow. issues much?

What an enlightening first post.

The people are Elitist

Really? thank you for this I had no idea... Everyone I know who has made anything of themselves is usually proud of the fact that they worked hard for it and don't have money or status to help them.. and didn't have a title to get them where they were

I'm sorry you lost a knee cap but that isn't the fault of the MOST AMERICANS who you wouldn't consider worthy of your piss in a fire... and as you don't know most Americans you are an idiot for saying it.

ALso that typical American you are bitching about was probably clever enough to know that if he went in to a war zone he was risking getting a knee cap blown off at very least too bad you didn't figure that out earlier.

Really, Dalv ? Me, who has never and would never harm anyone? My husband, who is a fabulous and decent man? Our innocent three year old? My grandmother? My parents?

You'd let us burn, eh. Lovely.

And yes, in some states if you are a green card holder you can become a police officer.