So I was sitting here wondering

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KenDckey -> So I was sitting here wondering (10/16/2006 5:00:08 PM)
1. Why are the British so worried or concerned or whatever about Americans being armed with personal weapons? 2. Why are the British so worried or concerned or whatever about American politics? 3. Why aren't the British so worried or concerned or whatever about thier own problems? 4. Why aren't the British so worried or concerned or whatever about the loss of power of their Queen? Anyone got any ideas?

LadyEllen -> RE: So I was sitting here wondering (10/17/2006 1:10:20 AM)
Hi Ken I'll try to answer! quote: ORIGINAL: KenDckey 1. Why are the British so worried or concerned or whatever about Americans being armed with personal weapons? I dont think we are to be honest. Its more like some of us are envious that Americans can have weapons that are banned here, and others are curious about the whole need/want/right to have them. Thats understandable, but I get annoyed if someone is coming across as trying to lecture Americans about it. 2. Why are the British so worried or concerned or whatever about American politics? Because Amercian politics have a huge effect on the world, and especially on the UK, because we think in terms of a special relationship and like to hang on the coat tails of the US to preserve the idea we are still a world power. The lack of a language barrier gives it a direct impact to us psychologically, and our familiarity with American TV and movies, makes us think we know more than we do, as well as giving many the impression that we somehow are affected more than we are by it all. The average Brit, if asked to draw a map of the world, would put the US about ten miles west of Ireland, with Europe a far off and strange place. 3. Why aren't the British so worried or concerned or whatever about thier own problems? Oh we are. But at the same time as it all seems familiar to us, it remains glamourous. 4. Why aren't the British so worried or concerned or whatever about the loss of power of their Queen? Not sure about this one! The monarchy has had little power since 1665 when Charles II was invited back, and this power has steadily declined since, as the monarchy became less relevant politically, but more significant in a head of state function. Some in the UK support the monarchy with zealotry, some would like to dispense with them as irrelevant, and some would prefer to keep them as there is little better alternative. Anyone got any ideas?

meatcleaver -> RE: So I was sitting here wondering (10/17/2006 2:11:26 AM)
quote: ORIGINAL: KenDckey 1. Why are the British so worried or concerned or whatever about Americans being armed with personal weapons? I'm not sure we are, I think for the most part we are just baffled by America's love affair with weapons and there are a lot of Americans on this forum to make it a subject worth debating. 2. Why are the British so worried or concerned or whatever about American politics? At the moment America is the only world's superpower. Its politics directly affect everyone else in the world. And since we have a Prime Minister that likes to lick the American Presidents ass, it affects us more than most Europeans. Then we have a common language which allows us to debate politics. Most other Europeans who don't speak English will just accept America on what they have read without talking to Americans which is probably why there is a lot more anti-Americanism in continental Europe than in Britain. Though I have to say, I never feel more European than when I am in America. We like to think we have a lot in common but apart from the language I think we have more in common with Russia than America. That's just me though. 3. Why aren't the British so worried or concerned or whatever about thier own problems? We do but with just about five Brits posting on the threads its a little pointless. Apart from NG, most seem to agree for the most part which makes debating pointless. Oh and with us being America's major allie in Iraq and Afghanistan, what America does directly affect Britain's problems. 4. Why aren't the British so worried or concerned or whatever about the loss of power of their Queen? The Queen doesn't have any power and hasn't for a couple of hundred years. What power she has is only nominal and is used by the Prime Minister. Anyone got any ideas?

meatcleaver -> RE: So I was sitting here wondering (10/17/2006 2:19:16 AM)
Personally I think, if America spoke German or French, the same debate would be happening but with them instead.

Arpig -> RE: So I was sitting here wondering (10/17/2006 2:41:43 AM)
quote: 1. Why are the British so worried or concerned or whatever about Americans being armed with personal weapons? I doubt they are, but so many Americans won't shut up about it, so the rest of the world really has no choice but to get involved. quote: 2. Why are the British so worried or concerned or whatever about American politics? I doubt they are, but so many Americans won't shut up about it, so the rest of the world really has no choice but to get involved. quote: 3. Why aren't the British so worried or concerned or whatever about thier own problems? Oh they are, believe me, but so many Americans don't really give a fuck about anything beyond their borders so they just don't notice it. quote: 4. Why aren't the British so worried or concerned or whatever about the loss of power of their Queen? Because, and if you knew anything about British history you would know this, the British monarchy has been continuously transferring power from the crown to Parliament for almost 1800 years, (granted, it was done in fits and starts with occaisional attempts to turn the clock back) and the process has been more or less complete since the middle 1600s. What's to worry about, the power has not been lost, the right to excercise it has just been transfered to an elected officer of the crown...rather a good thing I would think. quote: Anyone got any ideas? Well, given your questions, I am guessing you fall into the category of one of the "so many Americans" mentioned in answers #1, #2, & #3.

ViborgHerre -> RE: So I was sitting here wondering (10/17/2006 3:00:27 AM)
I am not worried about people with guns - I am worried about people who uses their guns to kill a lot of innocent bystanders - who could be people I liked. Swiss have more guns per 1000 people than US and less homicides. Even Canada have a very different "guns"-culture. I care - I don't condem , just wonder - and I am not British. Regards Peter

agirl -> RE: So I was sitting here wondering (10/17/2006 3:21:35 AM)
quote: ORIGINAL: KenDckey 1. Why are the British so worried or concerned or whatever about Americans being armed with personal weapons? Worried or concerned ?...I don't think so.....No-one I know cares that much whether Americans own guns or not .....it's just a slight curiosity mostly. 2. Why are the British so worried or concerned or whatever about American politics? Understandably..........because it affects us. On this forum there's a lot of American politics discussed and it's quite interesting. 3. Why aren't the British so worried or concerned or whatever about thier own problems? I wonder what gives you that idea?......LOL 4. Why aren't the British so worried or concerned or whatever about the loss of power of their Queen? *That could be because we know how and why. There's not a lot to actually be worried or concerned* about. Anyone got any ideas? agirl**

FangsNfeet -> RE: So I was sitting here wondering (10/17/2006 4:53:35 AM)
Why are so many Americans so interested and obsessed with knowing and reading everything about the Royal Family? Hog wash I say. After all, I find it odd to kneel before a King or Queen who has no power over there country. It's only a glorified diplomacy job given by birth rite rather than going to school and getting educated to be qualified for the job. Anyhow, Brits care about US policy because things that we do effect them. After all, the US gives the country money. Since WWII, our presidents and the prime ministers have kept in touch with forign policy plans and UN ordeals.The people that we elect for office effects them. As for guns, the british have been concerned with that issue since the 1800's. Americans have been viewed as Shoot First and Ask Later for a long time now. For practaclity, why does anyone need to carry a gun on them when they're going to buy milk at the grocery store?

meatcleaver -> RE: So I was sitting here wondering (10/17/2006 5:01:23 AM)
quote: ORIGINAL: FangsNfeet After all, the US gives the country money. I don't think so. Britain refused to be a part of the Marshall plan because it didn't want America imposing conditions on them. I don't know where things went wrong and our government became an American lap dog but it certainly isn't for money.

LadyEllen -> RE: So I was sitting here wondering (10/17/2006 5:24:11 AM)
The US gives money to the UK? Really? When, and how much please? Since WWII, the UK has been saddled with the debt it incurred as a result of lend-lease for the equipment to fight the nazis. Of what benefit then, giving us money? By all means feel free to ask your president to write it all off, and that will do us fine thanks. In return we'll offer you the land your air bases take up rent free, and free use of our worldwide listening bases, including the ones in the UK itself. Oh, and we'll also back you in an illegal war and send our people to die in it at huge public expense - maybe you could arrange to send us some money for that? Honestly, please check your facts on this sort of thing, before you post. This is the second time in two days you've posted a comment that betrayed a lack of knowledge on the subject, which is a shame because otherwise you make some good points but these are lost because of the lack of awareness used to support them. E PS - and I know I'm being all snooty British here, but the word you wanted was affect, not effect. "things you do" do not effect us (ie, cause us to come into being in that instance), but they do affect us. As in the effect of this should be to affect your choice of word in the future!

philosophy -> RE: So I was sitting here wondering (10/17/2006 8:38:35 AM)
........lend lease will be paid off by the UK sometime this year i believe..........i wonder what will happen in the years following this regarding US bases on UK soil.........going back to the OP...... well Ken, the US affects the UK in a number of ways. Personally i have been on the end of arguments from Americans telling me i ought to have the right to own automatic weapons a number of times, so in that context i have a right to express my opinion regarding the US love affair with personal weaponary......as for the royals........quite frankly i don't want to give the monarchy any more power than it already has. i think democracy is a much better way of organising political affairs than whether or not your daddy had a crown. Pulling back to the meta-point implied by your post, i can only point you at the old adage.......America and Britain, two countries divided by a common language.

caitlyn -> RE: So I was sitting here wondering (10/17/2006 8:57:44 AM)
quote: ORIGINAL: Arpig I doubt they are, but so many Americans won't shut up about it, so the rest of the world really has no choice but to get involved. This is complete bullshit. You don't see American starting these posts. It's Brits and Canadians starting them and the moment an American responds, you pull out a line like the one above. Trust me ... we are more than content with the notion that if you don't like the way the United States does things in their own country ... don't let the door hit you on the ass on your way out. [;)]

philosophy -> RE: So I was sitting here wondering (10/17/2006 9:00:59 AM)
"You don't see American starting these posts." ..........er, Caitlyn..........what nationality started this thread?

caitlyn -> RE: So I was sitting here wondering (10/17/2006 9:05:06 AM)
quote: ORIGINAL: philosophy "You don't see American starting these posts." ..........er, Caitlyn..........what nationality started this thread? You are not being fair in my opinion. You know very well that the vast majority of these threads that call nearly anything American into question, are started by three people, all of which are Brits. Well more than half are started by one fucking guy.

Arpig -> RE: So I was sitting here wondering (10/17/2006 9:10:28 AM)
Don't get defensive about it caitlyn but it was an American who started this post, and it is usually an American who starts the US politics threads. That just is the way it is.

philosophy -> RE: So I was sitting here wondering (10/17/2006 9:14:17 AM)
"You are not being fair in my opinion." ..... i'm sorry you feel that way Caitlyn, but what you typed was factually inaccurate. i picked you up on it, just as i'd hope you'd correct me if and when i make similar errors of fact.

meatcleaver -> RE: So I was sitting here wondering (10/17/2006 9:26:29 AM)
quote: ORIGINAL: caitlyn You know very well that the vast majority of these threads that call nearly anything American into question, are started by three people, all of which are Brits. Well more than half are started by one fucking guy. I would not call Bob Dylan into question or Edgar Lee Masters, Edward Arlington Robinson, Robert Frost, Amy Lowell, Carl Sandburg, Wallace Stevens, William Carlos Williams, Ezra Pound, Hilda Doolittle (H. D.), Robinson Jeffers, Marianne Moore, T. S. Eliot, John Crowe Ransom, Edna St. Vincent Millay, Jean Toomer, Louise Bogan, Hart Crane, Allen Tare, Sterling Brown, Langston Hughes, Counté e Cullen, Elizabeth Bishop, John Berryman, Randall Jarrell, Gwendolyn Brooks, Robert Lowell, Richard Wilbur, James Dickey, Denise Levertov, A.R. Ammons, Allen Ginsberg, W. S. Merwin, James Wright, Anne Sexton, Adrienne Rich, Sylvia Plath, Amiri Baraka, Wendy Rose, Joy Harjo, Rita Dove, Cathy Song and I don't think American politicians are worse than British politicians, just more dangerous because of the power they wield.

caitlyn -> RE: So I was sitting here wondering (10/17/2006 9:31:39 AM)
The US & Guns thread, the US Intelligence thread, the US Healthcare threads, were all started by NorthernGent. The Left Wing Media thread was started by KediCat. The Clinton & 9/11 thread was started by Whip the Hip, but about 75% of the posters were Brits and Canadians. These threads represent the longest "hammer the good old USA" screeds over the last short while.

agirl -> RE: So I was sitting here wondering (10/17/2006 9:34:21 AM)
quote: ORIGINAL: caitlyn quote: ORIGINAL: Arpig I doubt they are, but so many Americans won't shut up about it, so the rest of the world really has no choice but to get involved. This is complete bullshit. You don't see American starting these posts. It's Brits and Canadians starting them and the moment an American responds, you pull out a line like the one above. Considering an American began the thread, that's slightly innacurate, at least in this case. Trust me ... we are more than content with the notion that if you don't like the way the United States does things in their own country ... don't let the door hit you on the ass on your way out. [;)] I can't speak for the whole UK as in your we above....... but I like Friends, Frasier, George Carlin, Chris Rock and a few other bits and bobs.........I'm quite happy for anyone to take apart UK culture, politics and anything else about it....it's not as if my idea of myself is totally wrapped up in it. I have no idea how we as a nation come across to others.........Can you be SO sure that YOU know? agirl

caitlyn -> RE: So I was sitting here wondering (10/17/2006 9:37:46 AM)
On a serious note, I don't really think people in the UK are all that concerned with any of these American issues. I think you have a few people here that like to post this stuff, in order to start debates that turn into flames. This having been seen for what it is ... some have now taken to the tactic of making the original post in the form of a polite question, hoping this will make pot stirring recognition, a bit more difficult. Remove world affairs from this list though ... this being a global issue.

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