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My husband is European, I know what the tax rate is over there. It's how you afford all that "free" healthcare. Which isn't free at all, somebody has to pay for it. We live on two continents. I like the art, and culture, but the people I have met leave something to be desired. Many think they're better than Americans. If it wasn't for Americans, there'd be no Europe as you know it today.
I have a friend who moved to London from the USA, she misses home.
But also most Europeans are ignorant about Americans. If you watch British crime TV shows every now and then they have American characters in them. And they are always portrayed as ignorant and bombastic.
TV apart, a great many Britons and Europeans have a very region-specific idea of America: New York, or perhaps Florida if they've been there, or maybe the Eastern seaboard in general. Very few visit the interior, perhaps for understandable reasons, but nonetheless the consequence is a skewed view of what America is.
And even in TV, Stephen Fry had a minor success simply by having himself filmed driving a London cab to places in America which were not New York City. It was apparently enough simply to film visits to remote, exotic places such as Maine and Oregon in order to attract a respectable British viewership.
One might make the point in reverse: how many American tourists ever visit Sheffield, Swansea or Aberdeen? But I don't think it's quite the same: Americans in general may be almost hopelessly ignorant about the U.K., but most reasonably well-educated Americans at least know that people from Yorkshire, Wales and Scotland talk differently than Londoners.
Seriously, what do Americans think of the great continent of Europe filled with old historic cities and of course Britain the ''motherland''
post your thoughts
Sorry, but I do not feel Britain is the "motherland". It is not my motherland. I was born in the USA as were my parents, all my grandparents and some of my great-grandparents. I have not one drop of British blood in me; I had a great-grandfather from Germany who refused to let English be spoken in the house (so my mother tells me).
That said, I liked Europe when I visited, but I didn't go to England. Historic cities aren't really my bag, but I enjoyed just looking around, and I did enjoy the castle we went to in Germany.
TV apart, a great many Britons and Europeans have a very region-specific idea of America: New York, or perhaps Florida if they've been there, or maybe the Eastern seaboard in general. Very few visit the interior, perhaps for understandable reasons, but nonetheless the consequence is a skewed view of what America is.
And even in TV, Stephen Fry had a minor success simply by having himself filmed driving a London cab to places in America which were not New York City. It was apparently enough simply to film visits to remote, exotic places such as Maine and Oregon in order to attract a respectable British viewership.
One might make the point in reverse: how many American tourists ever visit Sheffield, Swansea or Aberdeen? But I don't think it's quite the same: Americans in general may be almost hopelessly ignorant about the U.K., but most reasonably well-educated Americans at least know that people from Yorkshire, Wales and Scotland talk differently than Londoners.
I see that the OP has a presumptious atitude about Americans which is based on a perceived superiority of being British.
My ancestors were Irish, English, German, and Swedish.
I am technically 1/4 of each - but consider myself 100% American.
I have learned some of the Swedish and German language, but of my lines of descent, I identify more with Irish - because of my name, and the fact that the English have subjugated both Irish and Americans in the past and both have warred with the Brits.
I am more versed in Spanish than any other language of my ancestors other than English - though I intend to learn Gaelic(as well as Russian and Arabic).
Swahili would be an interesting language to learn as well.
What is so unique about the British, OP?
The "motherland" - really?
If anyone was to name the motherland of the United States - it would probally be somewhere in sub-Saharan West Africa.
I see that the OP has a presumptious atitude about Americans which is based on a perceived superiority of being British.
My ancestors were Irish, English, German, and Swedish.
I am technically 1/4 of each - but consider myself 100% American.
I have learned some of the Swedish and German language, but of my lines of descent, I identify more with Irish - because of my name, and the fact that the English have subjugated both Irish and Americans in the past and both have warred with the Brits.
I am more versed in Spanish than any other language of my ancestors other than English - though I intend to learn Gaelic(as well as Russian and Arabic).
Swahili would be an interesting language to learn as well.
What is so unique about the British, OP?
The "motherland" - really?
If anyone was to name the motherland of the United States - it would probally be somewhere in sub-Saharan West Africa.
Yep, it sure sucks to be an American.
Oh, wait, no it doesn't....
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