to think we really are 2 completely different cultures - the USA and the UK - just looking at the 'rebellion' taking place

[chomalungma]

www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8228769/Bleak-figures-China-US-economic-hit-virus.html

I know it's only some Americans. I know that it's a massive country with many many more people than the UK

But these scenes are astounding. People flocking to beaches. Protesting about lockdown.
Protesting with guns about lockdown

You just can't imagine these scenes in the UK at the moment.
Especially not the Ohio Zombie picture

It just amazes me - sometimes you think we are very similar to the USA, and then many times, you realise we are completely different.

I am so sad when people use faith to justify these things....but yes there are many different cultures in America including a type of Christianity who makes things very black and white. Unfortunately, they have a lot of power and influence.

There are people who see this as a 'plague' and a punishment from God and so because they believe this - they should be able to go about their business because God will protect them.

It also promotes (an erroneous in my opinion - please let that be underlined) a sense of ' leave the people who are getting to it - to die - they brought it on themselves'.

It refuses to acknowledge the reality of the situation and the fact, that this is ravaging the poorest in their country. The ones who if they believed the bible, in the way they say they do, they would be compelled to protect.

Fundamentalism in any guise is really dangerous.

Can you explain the Ohio Zombie image please?

The Ohio Zombie Image

slate.com/human-interest/2020/04/ohio-protester-zombie-photo-coronavirus-interview.html

On Monday, in Columbus, Ohio, a group of about 100 protesters of the state’s conservative stay-at-home policies showed up outside the statehouse during Gov. Mike DeWine’s daily COVID-19 briefing. Reporters Anna Staver and Cole Behrens covered the protests for the Columbus Dispatch, and their story was topped by a striking photo of the protesters,

Some people think it looked like an image from a zombie movie

I think the only thing that links our culture is language. Most of our ancestry comes from European countries.

Some Americans have an almost religious zeal for their constitution and any perceived threat against it.

Trump has incited this with calls to liberate themselves from restrictions put in place by state governors (check out his Twitter) and quoting the second amendment which appears to have been triggered following the mayor or New York utterly destroying him and his leadership in his address last night.

People are frightened and it’s easier to to believe that they should be frightened of politics which they can do something about rather than an abstract virus they can’t. The rest of the world could never possibly be them.

I’m frightened for them. Covid has only really took hold in a handful of states the rest of the country are sitting on a time bomb imho. New York’s figures are on a par with ours for a much smaller population.

Trump and whoever is pulling his strings have so much blood on their hands.

@myohmywhatawonderfulday that’s fascinating about the religious angle. I haven’t read that anywhere!!

There keep being stories about church services (in USA) that proceed... defiantly. Then the elderly pastor dies from cv19. You can't make it up.

Well America has always had a little of this culture, it’s just how some of them are. Plus they have trump guiding them with this- that alone probably has many of them not knowing what the fuck to believe.

No the uk isn’t perfect by any means but I do think the vast majority of us are trying to stick to government guidelines and we do understand why lockdown has happening, we might not be enjoying it but we know it’s for the greater good. Yes we have a few twats ignoring the rules but at least they don’t carry a gun.

I’m finding the US situation compelling at the moment (boring my family to tears about it).

I was out of date with my figures - the U.K. has had approximately 14.5k deaths, New York alone has had 17k approx.

But still Trump incites people to protect the ‘economy’ and their freedom. What good is that when this thing is ravaging your country?

Just goes to show that you can't legislate for stupid.
A country of (very many) idiots ruled by a lunatic.

Yes we have a few twats ignoring the rules but at least they don’t carry a gun

Apparently gun sales have soared in the pandemic.

(BTW - this is not an American bashing thread. I know it's a massive country with many different types of people - but we haven't seen any scenes like this in the UK from any group, even thought we do have our fair share of people who probably have similar views to some of the people in the pictures.)

I don’t think Trump can do anything bar think of the economy. They are not set up to protect the poor, so everyone needs to keep on working or they’ll die of starvation before covid can get them.

Trump will be personally responsible for thousands of deaths. Will anyone hold him to account. I fear he will win the next election too.

I do think we are completely different!

If you sing about yourself being the land of the free and the home of the brave all the time, then some of it must sink in.

Lockdown is the opposite of the land of the free and the home of the brave. It’s not just a religious thing, it’s a political thing, republican values versus democrat, which is also being stirred up by Trump.

I think as a nation we are more similar to those Scandinavian countries where the vast majority will abide by laws and rules without the need for enforcement.

I think as a nation the USA doesn't have that restraint and I think Trump has incited a great deal of this behaviour - and must be held accountable.

The difference in how each state is handling this is fascinating. I read somewhere (this could be wrong though) that America is nearly peaking. Does anyone think they're going to have a huge second wave in the states that haven't been hit hard yet? And will this carry over into those states that are being compliant?

Be wise America is so huge I don’t think they’re able to say the country as a whole is peaking. I’ve heard it said that New York is or has peaked.

*because

I'm massively against gun culture full stop.

BUT we should take a moment to understand where the right to bear arms in the US came from. If you read accounts of the settlement of European people in the US, they needed to defend themselves against native Americans, other settlers and fierce animals. This gave rise to the belief that it's every man for himself. It is also why the federal government is not trusted in certain states, and why social provision is so weak in the US. Today, some are protesting because they don't have anything to fall back on as they lose their jobs and because they believe their rights as individuals are being eroded.

It's quite interesting how alike Canada and the US is in many respects, except in their views towards guns and mistrust of federal government. Canada is much more like Europe, yet they too had settlers who had to forge their way in hostile terrain. I don't know why this didn't evolve into the same self-preservation culture as the US did. Any thoughts on this?

hahaha the delusional wanks flying Trump flags. Who do they think their government is?

I'm American but have lived in the UK since I was 21. I grew up in a very liberal state but even I said the pledge of allegiance every morning and was taught that what makes America great and different from others is our freedom. Freedom is everything to Americans and that's why even though 99.9% of Americans abhor school shootings, it is still legal to own guns. Freedom above anything else.

The protests don't surprise me at all. I said to my mum at the start of this that Americans will suffer more from the virus than places like China because Americans will never agree to be told what to do, where to go, when to stay home, have their phones monitored for location, etc like the Chinese are willing to do ( or must accept). The Chinese were locking people in their houses who had the virus ( and checking on them, bringing food). The idea of the American govt getting away with locking a family in their home with a padlock on their door is insane. Many Americans would rather take their chances with the virus than give up their rights. We lost a lot of rights after 9/11 and those were never given back. People are worried the same will happen again.

Talking of school shootings, I saw that this March was the first March in 18 years in the US where there hasn’t been a school shooting.

The mind truly boggles.