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 is it okay to pick on the US and Christianity, I wonder

Not picking on them - it's just interesting to see the differences - we just haven't seen any protests like this in the UK, from anyone. Not even on a small scale.

The USA may speak a similar language to us. We may have similar cultures with stuff such as TV and film which must influence us - but there are so many differences between us.

As far as I can tell, Trump has built on a concern that was already there about federal government overreach plus the paranoid fear that any restriction on gun ownership is an attack on second amendment rights. We aren't a federal system and we don't have a slavish fixation with gun owner rights. So it's difficult for us to even conceive of why these people are having these arguments.
Lockdown is an anathema to anyone who despises (not just is a bit grumpy about) the state (local) or The State (federal) having anything to do with every day life. It's seen as the thin end of the wedge if such things are imposed.

What I find more "interesting" is that, as PP have pointed out, any similar thread where the focus was almost any other country than the US or where the religion being demonised and pecked at was any other religion than Christianity would be met with immediate shock, dismay, and likely deletion.

Yes, very "interesting".

• @Prairi3Fire No we aren't. Not at all. Very few people in the US are living under as strict lockdown rules as the UK.*

This varies State by State. My lockdown rules are stricter than the UK and have been in place for longer.
All non essential work has been stopped if it cannot be done from home, all parks and beaches and cycle paths have been shut.
We line up to get into supermarkets to ensure social distancing.
We have been asked to wear masks in public.
My UK family have a very relaxed lockdown in comparison.
I know some on Mumsnet dislike the USA/EU comparison but I do think the federalized nature of the USA makes in valid.
If I lived in Florida I would have a totally different experience to my current one.

British people generally don't spend much time thinking about anything resembling a constitution they might have, or what it might say

A shame in many ways ...

It’s truly shocking to see those images. Insanity.

It's not being called "lockdown" in the US. In my state it's called "stay at home" or "safer at home." But in my locale, it means no one is working, except for essential occupations, there are arrows on the floor at the grocery store, most people wear masks when they are out, there are no gatherings of any size, no visiting of family, etc. It does vary by state based on the number of cases, but there are places in the US that have restrictions similar to those in the UK. And schools closed in many places in the US before they did in the UK.

@PleaseStopSayingNewNormal......Its not just a handful of these protests. They are in every state. Each Tuesday they protest in front of my State Capital and home of our Governor to open back up

But certainly not representative of everyone. I have friends in Michigan who are utterly appalled by these ‘protests’.

It is also worth noting that Stay at home orders were already an accepted part of USA life.
But we're usually part of a weather emergency of some kind.

@midwesteaster Very good point about it being state based. I think thats the biggest issue on threads like these comparing US and the UK. Its the difference in the way our countries are ruled,handled etc....I think its very hard for other countries to understand the power of our individual states. So many on these threads think its Trump who gets to dictate rules and regulations when nothing could be further than the truth. All Trump can do is give advice and its up to the states to govern themselves. Each state,each county each muncipality can and do make up their own rules

It is also worth noting that Stay at home orders were already an accepted part of USA life.

True. So much so that people where I live started stocking up on bottled water for the pandemic. Happily for the supply, we all quickly realized that unlike during and after a hurricane, we will still have water. Unless of course this thing lasts into hurricane season.

Its not just a handful of these protests. They are in every state.

Sorry, this is just untrue. It's a small minority of people in a few states.

@Midwesteaster....By your screenname Im going to assume your weather catasrohe is going to be blizzard. While mine (OuterBanks NC) is hurricanes. Our hurricane lockdowns are harder than this. This "lockdown" is nothing compared to when we get hit by a hurricane. Thats when shit gets real. Thats when we wait in lines for supplies,restrictions heavily monitored,curfews etc....This is nothing

@noblegiraffe you must live in a far naicer part of Britain than I do, as our school lockdown drills are focused on single/small group shooter or knifemen. Even the govt video for run, hide, tell has a gunman making their way through a building.

@SenecaFallsRedux The season starts in less than two weeks and lasts until the end of November. Sorry but the only states that I have seen without protests are states that aren't in lockdown

Why, Prairi3 ? Just curious ...

Very good point about it being state based. I think thats the biggest issue on threads like these comparing US and the UK.

To be fair the same thing happens with posts about Europe. I have seen loads of posts saying things like "In Europe the health service is like this..." or "Compare the UK and European school systems" as if everything is done exactly the same way from Finland to Cyprus!

I think part of this is news outlets finally having something different to spew about. I suspect it’s a small rare group all in all.
Next I think there has not been much money thrown out to Americans vs Canadians vs UK citizens. I’m certain some Americans have nothing to fall back on. I’m very much in my own bubble but believe money and lack of will be at the root of all evil. It would be a horrible horrible time to be poor in America.

I really can't be bothered to read this entire thread but going to suggest it contains lots of sweeping generalizations about a country where everything is so big that the difference between the north and south of a state can be huge in terms of politics, economics, attitudes to welfare, Healthcare, gun ownership, society and a thousand other things. I'm going to start a bingo card to spot these going foward...

Sorry but the only states that I have seen without protests are states that aren't in lockdown

But I don't count the handful of people with signs at random state capitols. They are always there protesting something.

Hurricane season starts for us on June 1. I do agree there is likely to be some overlap. That is very scary.

People want to get back to work, they will become homeless and DIE. It’s expensive. There isn’t the state support like there is in the U.K. . People WANT to work. They aren’t on Mumsnet complaining they haven’t been furloughed .

@SenecaFallsRedux are you in Florida ?

America is a country born out of rebellion. UK is a country born out of subjucation.

To honest polar vortex apart our weather isn't too extreme.
The only other thing I've experienced to trigger an alert prior to this was a tornado warning ( this scared the life out of me because I hadn't realized the government could take over my TV and mobile before this happened)
But we have plenty of snow and no hurricanes. The States really are very different.

That's nonsense, Biscuits.