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?

I think it's sometimes seen as acceptable cos, well, Americans are like us, innit? Which is why it's "ok" to be snide about Americans / Australians (usually meaning white) and not black / asian / etc.

It's hypocracy at the very least. England spent many a decade building an empire on oppressing foreign countries and then bragging about it, it's what makes us Great, innit?

Jealousy at our loss of empire and former power and America's rise, coupled with the fact that the English hate everyone and everyone hates us.

I construed it as a generalisation. And IMO, yes, although people do speak from their own experience, they generally recognise that their personal experience is in fact just that, so avoid making generalisation or qualify them with 'IMO' 'IME' 'In the 50 years I've lived here' 'My mother went on holiday and XYZ happened' etc.

YABU... Two words. 'Austin Powers'. If it's OK to put out entire movies based solely on the national sterotypes used in North America about the British (bad teeth, bad clothes, 'fwah-fwah' accents) then Americans are fair game for some sledging in return. At least, when the insults are coming out of the UK, you know they're not accompanied by wholesale flag-burning...

Not all states have capital punishment.

States have a good deal of devolved power and even quite generous ability to levy taxes.

I'm an American and I haven't noticed that much anti-American feeling on MN.

I'm not really offended by anti-Americanism though. Either I can shrug it off as ignorance, or it's something I agree with anyway. I mean, I hate baby showers! I hate George Bush too!

Don't get me started on Disneyland

The man who played Austin Powers is Canadian, the child of two Liverpudlians. He's also the writer of the films.

Expat - is English/Scottish relations a sore point for you? Very few people (on Mumsnet) lay out their stall, use qualifications or clarifications. That is simply not the way that fast moving threads go. And yet you jump onto my point and call it bollocks? Are you going to clarify why you did that?
Actually, don't bother, I really don't mind! Just wondering if you'll see that you're being a tadge hypocritical. IMO.

To say nothing of the hideous cost of medical services...

Expat, as I said, some of it is just jesting and ribbing. I do not condone racism. My DH and I are from different countries (damn, different continents!) and we have a DD. But a little lighthearted joking is ok.

And you can call me David

I don't think Americans are like us. I think we have much more in common with eg the Dutch. I do think that judging the entire population of a country of any size on a few people is daft. I would hate to be judged on the people who go to Spain to be surrounded by other british people and only eat british food.

Do the Americans on here feel criticised when people attack America rather than Americans?

Ok, just ignore that last comment - it was to NarkyPuffin but I x-posted far too much and it now looks ludicrously incongruous.

Dreaming

Exactly. You hate George Bush.. and you are American. You are able to do both things at once.

My point is many people think ALL Americans loved George Bush.. Hell most of us didn't even vote for him. You can hate a regime without grouping all of the people under it.

IME I have found that the Americans that can afford to visit the UK are the stereotypical ones that DO give us all a bad name. My DH had his eyes opened when I took him to Missouri to visit my family and he couldn't believe how 'normal' they were. He now defends Americans whenever he hears a Brit generalising (Dual national here).

PMSL at SarkyLady

I actually think we Americans are pretty good at laughing at ourselves too.

'Expat - is English/Scottish relations a sore point for you? '

No, as I'm neither one.

there is a lot of anti american posting and bashing and generally poking fun of the people, the way they speak and act and dress etc.

and then other posters join in and jump on this bandwagon

it gets really boring after a while and I agree with yankncock

Vaj I've never met anyone who thinks all Americans love George Bush.

I have no problem with criticism of America and its foreign policies. What grates is the constant generalisations about Americans. I find it particularly hard when I'm going through a bad mental health patch to know that the minute someone hears my accent, they will attribute one/all of the following characteristics to me:

Lazy
Fat
Ignorant
Can't cook (that was a mumsnet one)
Aggressive
Hyper-religious
Militaristic
Uncultured

Do the Americans on here feel criticised when people attack America rather than Americans?

Personally no.

If you say I can't stand Clinton/Bush/Obama or I don't like the current govt that would not offend me. If you claim to not like "American Culture" I'd think you were ignorant as we are a big country with a diverse culture most of which doesn't spread to other countries in the media.

The same way Hugh Grant and Colin Firth are what the UK export but they aren't really indicative of the average Britsih person.

I already did clarify why I construed it as bollocks. Continue bleating on about it by all means.

Well, the 'fat' part is a fair comment, but I am the only Yank at Slimming World and there are loads of British people who are fatter than me!

The most intelligent person I know is American. Graduated 1st in her class at an Ivy League college. She can't stand living there. It is possible to dislike aspects of the culture without actually disliking the people.

If it helps, there are lots of aspects on British culture I don't like too.