To point out the anti-Americanism on Mumsnet?

[PitilessYank]

To My Fellow Mumsnetters,

This topic arose on my recent thread about Bernie Sanders, so I decided to start a thread centered around it.

I really enjoy Mumsnet; there is nothing else like it. However, even as a mellow person, and someone whose hackles rarely get raised, I find myself increasingly pissed off by the anti-American schtick around here.

Enough about our mammoth American refrigerators! (Yes, I own one.) It is not our fault that you have imported over-the-top baby showers or bachelorette parties ("hen-dos"). (I didn't have one, for the record, I think that they are dumb.)

Our educational system is very decent, thank you very much. (For one, unless you are talking about NYC, children here are guaranteed a spot in a local school in the town in which they reside. No muss, no fuss.

Also, did you know that the majority of US physicians, of whom I am one, currently support the implementation of a single-payer health care system that provides guaranteed coverage to all? We are working on it, European onlookers!!

The US is like a collection of 50 different small countries horribly lumped together, and change can be slow.

But we got it together on gay marriage! That was pretty impressive. And Bernie Sanders is very popular! That is a good sign. We make good tv shows?? (Yours are great as well, and much more artful, imho.)

And I think we are so nice to you-always gushing about your lovely accents, assuming that you are smarter than we are because of how you talk, even, appreciating your amazing architecture, art, lusting after your sexy princes, etc...

Well, that concludes my rant for now. Thank you for reading it. I feel better. Commence telling me IABU.

With Love,
Pitiless Yank.

[Thymeout]

Lurking husband - I once had an 8 hour conversation on a transatlantic flight with an American on his way to work in the Nigerian oil fields. He made the same point as you about the 'can't be done' attitude of Brits he'd worked with and wondered what had happened to the enterprising spirit of the Victorian age.

I think it was due to WW1 - when we lost our brightest and best in vast numbers for such a small country. A lost generation.

Op - I love the USA. (Except NYC and Las Vegas, but it takes all sorts.)

[MitzyLeFrouf]

I love the ads for prescription drug you see on american TV.

'yourbowelsmightexplodeandcoveryouinatsunamiofshitandanalgunkpleaseconsultyourdoctorbeforetakinghthesepills'

[gleam]

Oh and how could I forget NCIS. Excellent.

[MitzyLeFrouf]

NCIS is awful, so.....Republican.

[TheGreatSnafu]

Mitzy

[UmbongoUnchained]

OP I'll snog you with tongues mate.
(Sorry for late reply)!

Most of my face things are American.
Community.
Robert Downey Jr.
Krispy Kreme.
I'm longing for a rich dreamy American man to swoop me away from dreary England!

[AlexPKeaton]

GreatSnafu, OMG, have you ever actually been to America? I know literally not one person who would identify with or support any of the things you mentioned. Just because the government takes action does NOT mean the majority of people support it. Hell, we got a president who didn't even have the majority vote. America is just so much bigger and more diverse than the UK, and there's no way the federal government can represent everyone's interests and viewpoints. It's kind of like if all of the countries in Europe got together and had one centralized government who took action on behalf of everyone. I'm not going to debate the relative merits of federalism in various contexts, but my point is you shouldn't conflate what you read in the media with how things actually are on the ground.

[HesterShaw]

I adore the American "can do" attitude compared to the "Well we can't possibly do that, it might be difficult" British, especially provincial British, attitude.

E.g. "Hey California, Shall we ban microplastics in cosmetics and plastic carrier bags because they help fuck up the environment? Shall we make a few massive marine reserves down our coast?"

"Hell yeah! Let's do it" *

Whereas we agonise over it and come to some ridiculous half assed compromise.

• obviously not saying that the USA is a shining example of care for the environment of course.

[MitzyLeFrouf]

'I'm longing for a rich dreamy American man to swoop me away from dreary England!'

You need to lower your sights a little lower. What about Walt, a portly widower from Poughkeepsie?

[AlexPKeaton]

OMG I meant netmums, not mumsnet!! Babycenter=netmums. I'm such a dumbass.

[HesterShaw]

Your food is shite though

[TheGreatSnafu]

Alex I am a dual citizen of the UK and USA - I have spent half my life here and half there - we have homes in both countries.

[PerspicaciaTick]

The only time I have ever felt particularly anti-American is when I finally got the chance to try some American chocolate. After a childhood of feeling desperately jealous of American children in films, books and on TV eating their Hershey's kisses, Twinkies and stuff, I finally tried some and was soooo disappointed it wasn't as lovely as I expected.

[EnthusiasmDisturbed]

In-N-Out burger is the best

I miss it terribly ds and I often reminisce about our In-N-Out meals

[PitilessYank]

Umbongo-will you settle for a rich, dreamy, American woman?

Wink wink nudge nudge

(I will have to ask my husband if it's okay, first...)

[Roussette]

As a pp said, I love America but I'm not in love with you!

My pathetic reasons are:

Gun laws (goes without saying. There's been some interesting threads on here in the past)

Hersheys chocolate. What is it? It tastes of soap to me!

Can I ask you Americans... is it right that a working person only gets 2 weeks off a year? If so, how on earth do you cope.. do people have breakdowns from lack of time off?

Last time I was in the States, I got in a lift and in between the 1st and 15th floor a woman had asked me where I get my hair done, what job I do, followed up with "how much do you earn"? I was shocked I can tell you!

[bumbleymummy]

No, we definitely have better chocolate and nicer bread than the U.S.

[UmbongoUnchained]

Anyone can take me I don't care anymore!

Also love that I would be a size 6 in America. That makes me happy.

[PitilessYank]

Roussette-

Hershey's is gross. I buy Lindt bittersweet chocolate.

At my workplace we get 26 days of vacation and 13 sick days yearly. The stats on average #s of vacation days include folks who work freelance and so get none.

Guns- we are maniacs on this front, for sure. I think we are pessimistic about controlling this because we have very long borders and controlling illegal imports would be so difficult.

That elevator woman was very nosy, but I bet she would have said "that's great!" no matter what answer you gave. Also, you can just say outright here-"that's an odd question-why are you asking?" and you will probably not offend.

[sykadelic]

I've seen the rates of America insulting threads rise a fair amount lately so YANBU.

As for Obama-care... don't equate the type of system the UK has to Obama-care. It is not the same thing. Obama-care is forcing people to pay for health insurance and if they don't they get fined ($95.00 a month at the moment, billed when you file your taxes). Those that get the health insurance they CAN afford ($500 a year for example for my SIL), then can't afford to use it because of co-pays, deductibles ($10,000.00) and out-of-pocket max.

State healthcare existed before Obama-care and is for low-income people, elderly and disabled (to name a few), at least in my state. Many states are different and states like Vermont, for example, have better-than-Obamacare healthcare and resent being forced to "downgrade". If you do get fined, it hasn't afforded you access to healthcare at all during the year. Many would be okay with paying for healthcare through their taxes, or pay checks, if they had access to healthcare.

Oh and did you know that certain wealthy people are excluded from this fine as well (at least last I looked)...

[PitilessYank]

Oh, we do need to get federally mandated vacation and sick days for all workers, though. You all have wonderful policies on that.

And your maternity leave is great, although I think in Canada it is even better.

[TowerRavenSeven]

Hmmm Canada is like this too. I'm American and my dh is Canadian. I always leave Canada thinking 'they hate us!' Dh says they are jealous. The Americans I know love Canada and Canadians, but they don't know anyone well enough for the Canadians to tell them what they Really think. I suppose my point is if dh is right and Canadians are jealous maybe Brits are as well? Except for Donald Trump. Honestly if he becomes president I'm going to be beyond mortified.

[sykadelic]

Rousette time off depends where you work. There is also FMLA (Family Medical Leave Act) for other times. I've been at my employer a year and had a week off last year. This year I'll get 2 weeks (that I can take in a row that is). My employer is extremely flexible. He doesn't count our days, he doesn't count sick days, he doesn't count "appointments". He doesn't make you make up the 15 mins you were late etc etc.

My bosses has a couple of main rules: just get the work done. He doesn't care if this means you take time off during the week, as long as the work is done. He also doesn't like us being off at the same time. So we plan around each other. I've learnt I want to go AFTER my colleague has been off... doing her work is HARD and I needed a break from her break :P

[sykadelic]

p.s. Hershey's sucks, UK chocolate sucks, Australia FTW!