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.

WHy do people from the UK think that the Americans are a different race than they are?

The vast majority of white people in the USA, went there from the UK a couple of generations ago. They are directly descended from the English.

So they are your own people. So why are you calling yourselves stupid?

They are mostly Irish and German I heard?
I’m not commenting on individual Americans I’m commenting on the political culture responding to the title of this thread and yes, I think ours is superior. It is still flawed but cmon you have to admit that American political culture is at an all time low due to Trump.

Just looked up a US census and yes Irish and German ancestry are bigger populations than English in the US.

In fact in the census I looked at there was a higher Arab population in the US than English.

I don't get it either, UK or Irish, Northern Europeans and Southern Europeans were all at it, amongst others since,

I think people misconstrue cultural difference for something else.

I do agree with PPs though that culturally the U.K. is far more similar attitudinally to the rest of Europe than the U.S. I've been to both and never felt more European than I did there on US soil. Not all the states were visited but a fair few between NYC and California.

Saying that I've loved every visit, have never been anything less than welcomed and would gladly travel back, maybe to the south this time as I'm a history buff and find the Civil war fascinating.

I do question their choice of president. But then I question our choice of leader too, especially as I didn't vote for him.

@Ulver it says that currently the whites in America are mainly descended from the Germans, Irish and English.

But I am also talking about the Colonization of America. The UK STARTED alot of the USA, as it is today

Colonization of America:

"the British had 13 flourishing colonies on the Atlantic coast: Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, Pennsylvania, Delaware, New Jersey, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia."

Yes I expect you will move the gateposts and type in capitals to try and get out of the fact that you were wrong. I expect that from Americans.
😂😂😂😂

I am aware of British influence in the US but you know a lot of time has passed. You have more in common culturally with Saudi Arabia arguably.

Currently due to demographic changes.

@Ulver. "You expect that from Americans?"

I am from the U.K.

I just think - how can we comment on the mess in the UsA really, when we basically made alot of the mess that is there today.

Anna I think you are being too simplistic. Trump has German and Irish heritage and if anything I would say that the problem is the German influence.

Sorry German and Scottish heritage.

@ulver Trump's parents are German and Scottish.

Well, What is happening in America is the whole world's problem, that is for sure

Of course Trump has European heritage, that's a fact, and makes him a giant hypocrite for his anti-immigration stance, alongside from generally importing his wives from Eastern Europe.

So they are your own people. So why are you calling yourselves stupid

This is sort of the point of the thread.

What happened?
Why such a difference in cultures given a shared heritage?

But there has been a lot of immigration since - and the people who left the UK might have had a very different mindset to those who stayed.

It's fascinating.

Personal computers, the internet, and Google are all American in origin. Mainframe compuers and the World Wide Web are British in origin.

@Annamaria14

*WHy do people from the UK think that the Americans are a different race than they are?

The vast majority of white people in the USA, went there from the UK a couple of generations ago. They are directly descended from the English.*

I don't know where you're getting this idea from! Immigration to the US has come in waves from various countries. Back in the 18th century, the majority were from Britain, but by the 19th century, immigrants came from many European and some Asian countries. The Immigration and Naturalization Act of 1965 finally opened up immigration to all continents so today's immigrants are far more diverse. According to the Pew Research Center (a highly respected think-tank), Mexico, China and India are the top birthplaces for immigrants. www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2019/06/17/key-findings-about-u-s-immigrants/

The idea that MOST Americans are descended from Brits by a couple of generations is just daft. My American DH has ancestors from four European countries, all of whom arrived in the 19th century.

Before Obama, Every US President had a surname that was English, Scots, Irish or Dutch. Every vice-president the same with the exception of one German.

@MockersxxxxxxxSocialDistancing This will change in the future when we have new generations of leaders. Biden may pick a vice-president who more accurately reflects today's society (and is well under 70 years old).

Dukakis - Ferrarro: That went well.

Before Obama, Every US President had a surname that was English, Scots, Irish or Dutch.

President Eisenhower's surname is German.

Question for people actually living in the US and posting on this thread:

Would you call this country a mess? I mean in general, regardless of the currently elected president and his antics.

Do you like living here or hate it? Feel safe or unsafe? Can you feed your families or do you struggle? Do you have decent healthcare or lack it?

Are you able (before this pandemic) able to afford a middle class lifestyle on the pay you make?

Are you satisfied with the public education provided to your children?

I wouldn't call the country a mess. I know the media likes to portray the US as a divided nation with tensions constantly simmering but honestly, that hasn't been my experience. Most people are extremely nice, open and friendly and more concerned with living their lives than debating politics.

Yes we can afford a nice life here, own our own home, have access to great healthcare. I don't feel unsafe. We've lived here for 7 years and never personally experienced any crime or violence.

Public school I don't know about. We send DD to private school just cause the public school system is notoriously bad in our state in general but there are some great public schools if you live in the right area

I came back from a four month trip to the USA, just before lockdown.

It was peaceful, happy and it looked very prosperous.

Definitely, the media shows America to be far worse than it is.

Absolutely. The media focuses on what fits the bill that day. Anyone who thinks otherwise are entirely naive.