Europe vs America

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I can't really comment either way, since I'm off the continents completely.

A totally silly reason - Greenland.

 

That's quite healthy. I feel the same about living in Europe, I guess. We're still parts of the same euroatlantic civilisation (as one of the profs at my uni likes to call it), but mindsets are so different that it could be difficult to adjust. There are some tempting perspectives, indeed, and very much so, but I definitely feel much more home in Europe.

 

hmm, lame topic meant to induce flame war >.>
We are all part of the human race people.

 

I'm hoping you forgot to put a smiley in there, DarkStrider. There's a difference between "native" American culture - meaning traditions coming from cultures that began on this continent - and "real" American culture, as something that's celebrated only in America or in a particularly American way. Something tells me that many of your vaunted "European" festivals and traditions are also "borrowed' from earlier cultures, as well.

 

I don't 'do' national generalizations (excepting the obvious exception of the French - slimy, back-stabbing, garlic monching, surrender monkeys). I've been to America and loved it, the people were really warm and friendly and open. I've been to plenty of countries in Europe and the people I met there were brilliant as well, if a little more... restrained (but I prefer that, I found some Americans to be a bit too in-your-face).

'I hate Americans', or,
'I love Japanese (or whatever)', I always find myself a little annoyed when I hear it (and then do exactly the same myself). It's usually tongue in cheek I guess though.

I just judge purely on the people I meet. You get pricks in any race of people, just like to you get decent folks in any race of people

 

[ October 22, 2005, 03:12: Message edited by: Jack Funk ]

 

I almost took Tal to the task and tried to post something so offensive the thread would be closed. Alas, I couldn't bring myself to do it.

 

I would classify the near total destruction of the entire native american culture by the Spanish something akin to biowarfare (albeit unintentional). The diseases spread by the conquistadors accomplished all that their guns could not. DeSoto visited tribes with populations in the thousands -- small pox wiped almost all traces of those people away.

Cortez and his men reveled in the destruction the diseases they brought caused -- it made their job much easier.

There seems to be an opinion that the US is an entity unto itself and invented such acts independantly. However, our ancestors brought such attitudes and tactics with them from the 'old country.' The greed and inhumanity that shaped much of Europe trickled into the Americas with the coming of Columbus (after all he enslaved the first people he met in the new world).

To me, Europe versus America is rather ridiculous. The majority (for a little while still) of Americans share ancestors and many traditions with Europeans.

 

@T2Bruno

Well put.

 

Yeah, and if history went just a little different, you guys would all be speaking Dutch right now. How silly y'all would have looked then.

 

No offense, but just because someone in your distant family was 'Irish', its hardly an excuse to hate the British. Do I hate the Normans, because of my distant heritabe? Nope

 

If it weren't for us Poles, you would all be speaking Turkish or Russian now (depending at which point it wouldn't have been for us ).

 

And if it weren't for Karl the XII screwing up, at least a third of Europe would be speaking Swedish. How's about THAT?

 

And if it weren't for the Karlstad agreement, the Swedes would have access to massive oil reserves and wouldn't be utterly consumed with jealousy over Norway's superior quality of life.

 

And if Britain hadn't been full of convicts, people wouldn't have been sent to a wonderful country on the other side of the planet, away from all this tribalism and bickering! Ah, the (relative) peace and tranquility of Australasia...

You need an EXCUSE, now? I'm sure us Aussies will think of something; we're good at justifying our own bigotry and racism.

What's this about being the back side of the world, Chev? I can think of much better places to hand that description to! That said, having been to both Alice Springs and Rotorua, maybe you're onto something...

(just kidding, HB!)

And on a much more light-hearted note, here's something I was sent some time ago, which shows how Europe and America are different, and which takes the piss out of everybody at the same time (it's British, btw). I know BA will like the first one...

I'm guessing Australia has gone from "She'll Be Right, Mate" to "Blame Everything On Foreigners", bypassing the "Drink More Beer" alert level entirely.

 

And if the Nordlanders (Vikings) had been a little more persistent we'd all be speaking a Nordlander language.

 

I think most Europeans would be a little miffed upon realizing just how little attention the average American gives to European culture. There just isn't a need. A comic once said, "Europe: Where the history comes from." Europe just does not send the US a significant number of immigrants or contribute a great deal to the modern American lexicon. So, *shrug*, enjoy our newlyweds...

I also think most Europeans would be surprised to learn just how racially mixed the United States truly is. For example, my multi-variate calculus class (Calc. 3) is about 1/3 black. Hispanics are now the largest racial group outside of whites, and are gaining ground quickly; they will one day be the majority and that day is not too far off. Some large universities have a significant asian majority. The notion that America is a "white" country is just plain wrong.

And yet the medias display American life as largely consisting of the actions of white people...

But hey, I guess their job is to sell products through commercials...

 

Actually the stupid generalizations might be exactly why this animosity persists.

Americans are portrayed as greedy, power hungry, dicks that only care about themselves, and crush anyone that gets in their way.

Europeans are portrayed as apathetic, stuck up snobs that think that they are better than everyone else.

Are these views close to what people perceive? I think so.

Are they completely ? I'd bet that they really are...

 

Why would you think so? It suits our perception of our American 'brethren'. I say it would be a pleasant - but unwelcome - surprise to us were it any different. We have become so accustomed to our stereotypes.

What a good number of Europeans get miffed over, however, is the fact that a little too much of America is present on our turf, particularly in our media. You have it up here real quick.

And I find the conception that we are jealous of Americans hilarious. Whoever thinks that is flattering himself. Likewise I cannot think of a reason why the US folks should be jealous of us. How could we envy one another when we have increasingly differing aims and outlooks on things. If there are ill feelings the reasons for them are to be found elsewhere.