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Really? Most traditional americans are more like the British than australians. They share a common religion, language and culture with us.
I don't understand. Do Americans not share a common religion, language, and culture with Australians?
In fact, as both being nations of (relatively) recent European immigrants to a large "new" land, I would say that creates many cultural similarities that the UK cannot share with either. Large open lands, old-west frontier-ism, car-culture, large suburban homes, surfing and beach culture, etc.
I don't understand. Do Americans not share a common religion, language, and culture with Australia?
In fact, as both being nations of (relatively) recent European immigrants to a large "new" land, I would say that creates many cultural similarities that the UK cannot share with either. Large open lands, old-west frontier-ism, car-culture, large suburban homes, surfing and beach culture, etc.
I agree. I have been to both the UK and Australia. The US is much more similar to Aussies in culture and disposition, lifestyle, density and diversity.
The only person who keeps pushing that the US is similar to the UK is British. And what is a "traditional American"? The phrase is something that only somebody from the UK would coin, it reeks of the old world, of fascism and of nativism, and ironically it shows what a great divergence in culture and mentality the UK and much of Europe has from the US and Australia (it is ironic because the poster used that phrase when trying to convince how British the US is).
Location: On the "Left Coast", somewhere in "the Land of Fruits & Nuts"
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The notion of a "traditional Amurikin" is something you're more likely to hear from folks of the "Scots-Irish" (aka 'redneck') culture, usually most common in certain parts of PA, Appalachia, the South, TX, Missouri, etc.. That particular cultural branch of the "British Isles" first came here by the hundreds of thousands in the 1700's, fought a lot of our wars, have very specific 'values' including being pro-military and very 'patriotic', and rightly or wrongly, feel they have a strong 'vested interest' in this country. Many political observers have also suggested that this POV plays a strong role in the current "culture wars".
I don't understand. Do Americans not share a common religion, language, and culture with Australians?
In fact, as both being nations of (relatively) recent European immigrants to a large "new" land, I would say that creates many cultural similarities that the UK cannot share with either. Large open lands, old-west frontier-ism, car-culture, large suburban homes, surfing and beach culture, etc.
Well you couldn't be talking about australia because it is very sparsley populated.
Well I was thinking about you know a white anglo from the north east
The majority of whites aren't Anglo in the Northeast, if you mean by English-descended. Nor would anyone consider them "traditional Americans". The term "Anglo" is also not used here; it's a western US thing
Such as? And I don't mean 240V electricity and driving on the left side of the road.
I've spent some time in Canada. Aus and Canada are very similar in a lot of ways.
I am going to give a bunch of examples here of why I think Australians are way more similar to the British than Canadians are, but this doesn't mean I think Australia is simply a replica of the UK without its own character. It has lots of character. More than Canada in fact.
But here are some examples of Australia being more British than Canada:
- Language: British words and British spelling dominate, whereas Canada used mostly American words with a smattering of rapidly fading Britishisms
- Schools: most Australian schoolchildren, even in public schools, wear uniforms. Canadian kids by and large do not.
- Sport(s): except for footy all of the most popular sports in Australia are derived from the UK, whereas Canadian sports are all North American
- Food: Australian food overall is much more British-influenced than Canadian food is. You eat meat pies at sporting matches, we eat hot dogs. And please don't give sushi or phô soup as counter-examples: we have that too as do the British and the Americans
- TV, movies and popular culture in general: there is much more of a conduit between the UK and Australia. Canada gets British stuff (TV, movies, celebrities) because they are popular in the States. Australia gets it directly from the UK and some British stuff that has been popular in Oz (like Eastenders) is basically unknown in Canada or the U.S. to the average person. Canadians known Simon Cowell, David Frost, Piers Morgan, Ann Robinson and Jamie Oliver because they made it in the States. They would not know them if they hadn't.
- Pub culture: present in Canada but nowhere near as common as in Oz. Canada is more "bar and grill", sports bar oriented like the States.
And yeah, now that you mention it you do drive on the left...
The majority of whites aren't Anglo in the Northeast, if you mean by English-descended. Nor would anyone consider them "traditional Americans". The term "Anglo" is also not used here; it's a western US thing
I don't think you really understand what I'm really talking about to be honest.
You should read Mateo's post.
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