To think these comments are a bit uneducated/weird?

[savebuckbeak]

I expect I'll probably get slated for this, but here goes...

I recently started dating someone. Very nice guy, polite, kind, seems intelligent (went to a Ivy League university in the US), American but lived in the UK for a short while. Sometimes when we're talking I feel like some of the things he says, especially if we're discussing politics/world affairs, just sound a bit...odd. He's clearly very highly educated, which is what surprises me more, but maybe he's just a bit naive? It's made me feel like I can't really converse with him on the same level, but he's so great in other ways that I'd feel reluctant to let him go. Some examples:

When talking about Ireland..."I'm really hoping for Irish reunification". When I asked why and tell him that the majority of N.Irish citizens want to stay part of the UK, he says "it'd be cool to have it just as one island, particularly because of how downtrodden the Irish have been historically". Like sure, I get that, but if N.Ireland want to stay in the UK, then...?!

When talking about Priti Patel's Rwanda policy, he says "that would never fly in the US. There'd be protests all over the country." UMMMMM. Really?!?!?!? In America, where race relations and immigration rhetoric is arguably even worse? Is he suggesting that the US is some enlightened land? I questioned him on this, and he said "but there were loads of protests about the Iraq war!" Ummmm yes there were, but that's a different issue. The majority of people probably appreciated that protesting against a foreign war, where US national security is directly at stake, is worth it. But for a couple thousand migrants that get shipped off somewhere far away - that's not something (sadly) the average person would get up in arms about in the same way.

Anyway, there've been various different comments like this, and it surprises me because he seems to read a lot and I initially thought he was quite switched on, but I feel a bit confused now.

*an

I think he's partly right and given that Sinn Fein had substantial gains and NI voted remain - I'm not so sure he's wrong about NI either. If they are so keen on referendums -why not test it!! I think the biggest issue is whether Eire would actually want NI - it's a pretty modern forward thinking place these days in many parts

Maybe find yourself a politician to date? It is annoying though that people can have strong opinions on things they know fuck all about.

That's what I said in response !!!!! And that's where I thought he was coming from. But then he asked who Sinn Fein were...

Good idea, tbh. Thanks!!!

I do think he maybe wrong about Rwanda though- however I'm not sure- they do get off their arses to protest far more frequently than the UK for causes they believe in - like the UK, the US is a very divided nation in terms of 'views' - and as it's so big their are lots of liberals and lots of rather less'liberal' -- unless he's a rabid Trump supporter and pro gun - he sounds ok to me !

There were protests here over the Iraq war too. Is he getting his news mostly from American sources? Maybe suggest he reads some U.K. newspaper websites as well?

I probably am being unreasonable tbh. And given he's American it's not that surprising he doesn't know who Sinn Fein are. Think I just feel a bit cautious as the last person I dated was totally oblivious about anything current affairs/politics as "they're all the same" and "nothing ever changes". Not that I don't identify with that view, but I'd like someone a bit more engaged. I'll give this one a go!

There's not necessarily any correlation between being an Ivy League educated American and knowing anything about most things, especially outside of Planet America. But having the idea that you know everything about everything? Likely.

If it doesn't float your boat then throw him back.

I was especially surprised though because his degree was in history and international relations!

Any referenda done in NI = support to stay part of the U.K. The SF win wasn’t because everyone became nationalists - it’s because the unionist vote was split. Also look how well even a 51/49 vote went down in the U.K…

Anyway, I’m N.Irish and know a lot since I lived there for the first 30 yrs of my life. I now live in England and know that the English tend to know very little about the mess that they created on their doorstep.

For Americans there seems to be America then the rest of the world.

Americans have very odd ideas about Irish politics although I do value their contribution to the GFA.

I’m all for a debate but you sound like one of those tiresome types who thinks THEY are right and everyone else is wrong. And that someone who grew up thousands of miles away should know as much as you think you do about everything on your doorstep.

I had some strange political ideas when I moved to England 13 years ago (from America). Turns out I wasn’t nearly as liberal as I thought I was. If he’s a good guy I’d give him a chance to reframe some of his beliefs.

He's American. He will view things in a different light to you. Discuss.

None of these sound like completely dim comments given his background. From your intro I was expecting some real clangers. He sounds, maybe a little naive, or maybe hasn't thought deeply about these issues, but he doesn't sound terribly uneducated or weird. However, if you're someone who really enjoys debating current affairs at length and he's just not that into it, maybe re-think the relationship.

Most Americans (who have an opinion) seem to have a one-dimensional view of the situation in Northern Ireland.
To be fair, many/most people in GB don't understand the nuances of the situation either.

I'd see how it goes for a while. He's from a different part of the world with a different world view.

🤣

His opinions are spot on - it’s just his justifications are completely out of whack.

I don't think his comments are weird or uneducated, as such. I think he just doesn't really appreciate that he is not immersed in the context of all this stuff like we are because he hasn't grown up here. For example, it appears that he doesn't know there were massive protests here in the UK about the Iraq War too, so if he's suggesting that means US people were more opposed to that than we were, he's clearly wrong.

Now, I wouldn't necessarily expect him to know that kind of detail about it ... but I would expect him not to spout off about the subject with such confidence when he simply doesn't have the same experience of living here that you do, and doesn't have the benefit of decades of immersion in British and Irish history and culture.

Basically, he doesn't sound weird or uneducated, just massively, massively full of himself with a vastly inflated opinion of how clever he is. I'd probably ditch him that alone!

I don’t think his comments are weird or naive. He just has different opinions to you. Plus he’s from a different country so will naturally have had his views shaped by different media, society and culture.

I don't think his views sound so crazy. To everyone outside the UK and Ireland, the NI situation seems a little strange I suspect (I live in NI).

As for Rwanda, I think most of us would like to think that wouldn't happen in our countries.

His comments aren’t that odd, your comments about him calling him naive and not switched on are what is odd to me. It’s like no one can have a different opinion from you without being either naive or uneducated. And you don’t seem to discuss politics in good faith, where he said Rwanda deportations wouldn’t happen in the US you counter back with oh is the US some enlightened land. That’s not an intelligent way to discuss different viewpoints.