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.

@Klonda

No, that’s not at all what was said.

The NHS is not free indeed, but there is no discrimination between the rich and poor thank goodness.

It’s easier for people to have a conspiracy theory to cling onto - it makes them feel they’re fastracked as some amazing academic, rather than a simpleton. And it gets addictive to keep reading the latest instalment of that shite. It’s like wow there’s one answer to all our problems! Hidden from us all this time! Antisemitism seems the default result sadly.

Well hey, if Soros is behind everything apparently bad in the world I can only applaud him his industriousness (though for all that apparent power he seems crap at censorship).

When you consider the completely disparate groups in America, makes you wonder if these periods will just happen every so often. For anyone who specialises in American history, has it ever been united (was it all a bit of PR) or is this just a blip?

@Leaannb

I'm a Brit married to an American so I do have some understanding of the issue.

My children are similar to you, eligible for dual nationality. We also have French and German ancestry going back 200 years - but we wouldn't identify as French or German. I've never lived there, my parents/grandparents have never lived there, I can only speak some of those languages as I learned them at school, etc. Just because I have a French ancestor or two doesn't make me French (or German)!

Totally agree with @SenecaFallsRedux's reference to cultural and religious norms, that happens the world over when people emigrate. But their descendants a century later aren't viewed as English, Irish, Polish, German, etc. by the rest of the world. They're Americans and I think it would be healthy to just embrace that. Doing otherwise encourages social divisions, IMO.

My DH would be Polish/Croatian/Irish-American if he referred to his cultural heritage.

I can't stand the United States, but Britian isn't any better. Both countries are despised all over the world and for good reason. I am a quarter Spanish and I choose to identify as Spanish because they are a much more beautiful people.

@KathyBriggs360 That's genuinely funny!

I'd love to hear the argument for Spanish people being 'much more beautiful' than Brits, either through a historic or contemporary lense...

@Notmyrealname855

For anyone who specialises in American history, has it ever been united (was it all a bit of PR) or is this just a blip?

I wouldn't say that I'm a specialist but I am an American and studied American history at university.

America is most completely united in the face of external threats, like WWII or even after 9/11. There are also core principles of government that we are united on, like freedom of religious practice and freedom of speech and equal treatment under the law.

As with most countries there is always dissent and disagreement, but the fact that we tolerate it to the point of allowing outright nutters people with unusual points of view a place in the public square is one of our unifying principles. No one here was surprised by the protests OP cited or thinks that they are in any way unhealthy. And some states have instituted lock down restrictions that have no public heath benefit, like prohibiting travel to second homes or mowing your lawn. There should be public push back when government overreaches.

@Klonda

Um well let's see, Spanish people have more teeth, better hygiene, a better language, better education, better manners, have provided more to the world, haven't done anything near as bad as Britain and it's Empire. I could go on and on.

That is why I tell people I am Spanish, I am thoroughly ashamed of my English heritage and I hate it here in Yorkshire surrounded by so many brazen proud nationalists.

In NYC both the governor and the mayor just a few short weeks ago were telling people to go out and act normal and not let this virus scare them.

@HannaYeah this is a complete lie.

In NYC we shut schools before the UK

Governor Cuomo is doing a bloody good job.

@KathyBriggs360 - you might want to have a bit of a read about Spanish colonialism...

And contemporary polling of social attitudes on race, while you're at it.

haven't done anything near as bad as Britain and its Empire

Try telling the Aztecs that. Oh wait...

I understand you prefer the Spanish side of your heritage, but you can't really gloss over the fact it had an enormous empire, and completely changed the course of history in South America (and its other colonies).

@KathyBriggs360 Ever heard of the Spanish civil war? Up to 2m dead in fighting, 200,000 died in mass executions (on both sides), another 150,000 'disappeared' after Franco took power... You have heard of Guernica, yes? This was only 80 years ago- still in living memory. They're still finding mass graves...

@KathyBriggs360

Then why aren't you living in Spain?

Spanish people also have fewer of their natural teeth than Brits.

<a class="break-all" href="https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=ec.europa.eu/commfrontoffice/publicopinion/archives/ebs/ebs_330_en.pdf&ved=2ahUKEwjiq7rCr_PoAhVCqp4KHV7-CxoQFjARegQICBAB&usg=AOvVaw0dUk6sF4jjJwcJANUsQEeQ" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=ec.europa.eu/commfrontoffice/publicopinion/archives/ebs/ebs_330_en.pdf&ved=2ahUKEwjiq7rCr_PoAhVCqp4KHV7-CxoQFjARegQICBAB&usg=AOvVaw0dUk6sF4jjJwcJANUsQEeQ

It's almost like Kathy might be ignorant

@KathyBriggs360 I love Mexico in particular, We lived there for a few years.
There is lots about Hispanic culture that I admire.
But the Spanish history of imperialism is absolutely brutal, one of the few that is worse than GB.

And of course, turning the clock forward a bit from colonialism, Spain spent half of the last century as a fascist state.

I'm a Brit living in the US. It's a v small minority who are protesting, but it's not newsworthy or click baity enough to note that the vast majority of Americans agree with the lock down and are incredibly grateful that the power to end it is in the hands of the largely more sensible State Govenors.

Having said that I do agree that the US will probably suffer much more than other countries. Because the economy and capitalism are King and there is an aversion to government interference in people's lives. It's a very bad combo for fighting a pandemic. The fall out is and will continue to be huge, sadly.

Um well let's see, Spanish people have more teeth, better hygiene, a better language, better education, better manners, have provided more to the world, haven't done anything near as bad as Britain and it's Empire. I could go on and on.

I have to say (and I say this as an Irish person who is very aware of British colonial history but also of world history including the history of spain) this made me laugh. I'd say it would be a real laugh if you went on and on - maybe even got as far as Franco. And if you went back ....

I agree completely with globetrotter. Some states are handling it just fine. I woke up (in the US) to a BBC news story about the NHS running out of ppe by this weekend. but I didn't post a thread saying "2 different cultures, one cares about patients and hospital workers and one doesn't" Because that would be silly.

I wouldn't take what @KathyBriggs360 says too seriously .

She flounced off one of the clapping threads after being called out for bullying (She'd publicly named and shamed someone for not joining in with the Thursday clap and gone on at the poor woman until she felt forced to apologise).

I expect it was the 3/4 British part that she doesn't identify with that made her do it.

Um well let's see, Spanish people have more teeth, better hygiene, a better language, better education, better manners, have provided more to the world, haven't done anything near as bad as Britain and it's Empire. I could go on and on

KathyBriggs360 You’re having a laugh - right?

www.waterstones.com/book/if-only-they-didnt-speak-english/jon-sopel/9781785942273

This book is good, it discusses the misconception that the UK is similar or even the misconception that the UK understands the USA simply because we speak the same language and have absorbed ‘notions’ from film etc. And how actually the states are mired in a complex tangle of religious and political extremism.

@Magicbabywaves Thanks for the link. That looks really interesting.

@KathyBriggs360
I love Spain, love the country but purleeeease.... the corruption over there is astounding, so it's not all good. Fraud, kickbacks for government contracts, huge legal cases going on, widespread all over the country, bribery is rife and I know this from personal experience, we have a close connection with the country. Spaniards see corruption as their second biggest problem, behind unemployment, another huge problem. Even the justice system is corrupt, I am involved in a case over there that so far has taken 8 years to come to court, and still hasn't happened. It's scandal after scandal over there.

It's a beautiful imperfect country and you are having a laugh with your post. Love the people, love the food, love the space and the culture, but do not paint it as perfect.