Happy Fourth! And now....a question...

[tabaqui]

Hello. Yes, another ficless update! Aren't i cool.

Anyway - Cat and i were talking and Cat was wondering something and now i'm wondering it so...

If you are from the UK, is there some lingering...national sentiment that sure, they've got James Marsters and Supernatural and 31 Flavors but...that should all be *ours! ours!!* those rat bastards?

I personally cannot conceive of such a thing but...does such a sentiment exist anywhere? When Bollywood tosses out hottie singing guys in eyeliner and chicks who are just so curvey and perfect is there a smoldering *grrrrr* anywhere?

Idle curiousity, folks. I think the answers are gonna be fun. If i get any.

And hey - now's your chance to tell me *every tiny thing* about America that bugs the crap out of you!

*just for the record, i despise The Shrub*
*so you'll be preachin' to the choir on *that* subject*

In other news? Deadwood!!!
OMFGILUFFIT!!!
*smoooches killerweasel*

Comments

[taruma16.livejournal.com]

America The country, the whole continent is beautiful! Many lovely countrysides!

bugs the crap out of you! You mean other things than George W. Bush?

You know, it's funny the people I met here at LJ are so great. Very different from the view I have/had outside.

[tabaqui]

Yes, so pretty! If only those annoying *people* would go away...

*sporks the Shrub*

I don't think i came into LJ with any preconceived notions about people from 'other' places... I guess i thought there might be a little America-hating *my gods, with our govt and some of the gap-toothed inbreds around, how could there *not* be??* but...

People are people.
:)

[moimoietmoi.livejournal.com]

I've often had the feeling that (some) Americans consider there's America and The Rest of The World. Like we're one big mass of something somewhere that is not America and they're above what happens in The Rest of The World. It feels a bit pretentious and stupid, but I know that not every American thinks that way.
And I'm really glad I got to meet intelligent, open-minded Americans through lj and I had the chance to travel in the US. It helps get past the stereotypes. :)

[tabaqui]

Oh, yes. Some even consider that there's 'their town' and then there's the rest of the world. Very odd.

[kate-fire.livejournal.com]

Bugs the crap out of me?

Lack of TimTams. OMG, where ARE the TimTams?? We import practically everything BUT TimTams! I have to travel 4 hours to get to the nearest TimTam store.

...I think painful stupidity is everywhere, right? Is it just in America that we revel in it? Examples: Paris Hilton, reality Tv, the distressing number of people who travel to Alaska and then ask if they are south of Texas?

Everyone loves dumb tourist questions, right? Lord, do I have a lot of them!

...written down, I mean. Yeah, that's it. From other people.

[tabaqui]

Heeeee.
Um. What's a TimTam?

And yis, painful stupidity seems to be the...*height* of a lot of America. Painful and embarassing if i do say so myself.

Dumb tourist questions! Oh, fun!
:)

[ruric.livejournal.com]

Dude - no!

We don't want you back - we wouldn't have you back even if you asked nicely.

You threw our tea in the harbour.

Tea! I say again - TEA! You know how much the the brown nectar means to the Brits.

*scowls*

Moreover you all show a lamentable inability to use the letter "u" where it should be correctly deployed. I mean really, what is the world coming to?

(snorfles

[tabaqui]

*snerk*

It's true. We despise your tea!! We add lemon, sugar, and raspberry flavoring!!!

U's are the worms of the alphabet.
*ptooy*!!
:)

[trepkos.livejournal.com]

I worry about the American education system, and the degree of influence the religious right has over it - I get the feeling that Americans must, on average, be more gullible than Europeans, because of this kind of thing. Plus, the recitation every morning - I hope we are not going that way in the UK.
And I agree with most of what moimoietmoi said. A lot of the people I've met on LJ have been great, but then, LJ does have a greater leftist tendency than the general population, according to some poll I read.
So I think, while I envy you guys the space, the cheap housing, and the scenery, I am glad I was born in the UK. I think I would have been even more of an outsider in the US than I was here.
And James Marsters is mine! Mine I say!

[tabaqui]

Dude, i worry about it too. American's are utter morons in some respects. Perfectly happy about stuff and then one doorknob stands up and mutters something about 'god' and 'the children' and suddenly everybody's a screaming bible-thumper. Sheesh.

Which recitation do you mean? The Pledge? I've explained to my daughter how the 'under god' part was added by opportunistic....individuals. Heh.

Can't we just....share?
*cough*

[electricalgwen.livejournal.com]

I'm not quite sure I get what you're talking about. Is Cat asking whether there's still an empire sentiment active in the UK? I.e., do people here think that the US, or Bollywood, should still be "Property Of" the Great British Empire? If so - I'm reasonably sure the answer is no.

The English are more concerned these days with the effects of their former empire-building coming home to roost. They colonized India, and now the national pub dinner is no longer steak-and-kidney pie, it's curry and chips. If you go to get a baked potato from the cafeteria, topping options include baked beans or chicken tikka masala. India, Pakistan and particularly Australia routinely beat them at cricket. They are concerned about high levels of immigration, but hello? They went, occupied all these places, acted superior and told everyone how Britain was the best place in the world to live, and now they're surprised that people followed them home? :)

The Scots have broken free and the Irish are an ongoing problem. Canada refused to join Tony Blair and (*spork*) Bush Jr. in the "War on Terror". The UK has major social problems including alcoholism, massive increase in drugs and gun crime, and the highest teenage pregnancy rate in Europe - but they still have this apparently unshakeable sense of superiority. (Hmm. There's a certain similarity to America here. Where did the colonists come from again, hmm? :)

By and large, folks here don't much like the US, because the perception is that the US doesn't know, or want to know, about the rest of the world. Any time I've been in the US for a conference or something, and turned on the TV? It's all local/national, almost nothing about the rest of the world - and if there is something, it's through a highly filtered, highly biased US perspective. I was there when the German elections were going on some time back - I had to wait til I got home to find out who won. Maybe the US media will cover Canadian elections. Maybe.

I'm Canadian - now living in UK - and again, the general disregard for the rest of the world *and us* is what pisses us off. The arrogance. Take the softwood lumber dispute. The US has been ruled against multiple times by the terms of NAFTA and by world courts, and their response? Ignore it. Hey, what's Canada gonna do? Stop selling lumber? Attack the US? Tell Bryan Adams, Mike Myers, Wayne Gretzky, Shania Twain and Celine Dion to come home? *snerk*

/rant

I like a lot of people I've met in the US. In fact, I like almost everyone I've ever actually met who's American. Maybe that's because I meet/interact with the Americans who travel, who are interested in world politics, and who write slash *g*, whereas those who voted for Bush tend not to cross my path. So, it's not all negative? *questioning smile*

Happy Indepence Day!

[tabaqui]

Yeah, the empire sentiment is what we both meant and yeah - i think that arrogance is a bit genetic.
*cough*

I dislike intensely the 'amercia is an island' *i know, i know* attitude. It's annoying in the extreme to have to *work* to find international news that isn't filtered through a 'aren't we cool and don't these furriners suck!' lens. Probaby because we *are* an island with only two boreders that we feel so...

Lofty, i guess. Or safe to ignore what's going on in the world.

It will bite us in the ass, oh yes.
*sporks my govt*
*sporks The Shrub extra hard*

[rainkatt.livejournal.com]

Any time I've been in the US for a conference or something, and turned on the TV? It's all local/national, almost nothing about the rest of the world - and if there is something, it's through a highly filtered, highly biased US perspective.

This isn't just limited to our nation/the rest of the world, it's state to state. When I moved from Washington to California, I was appalled at how hard it was to get news of what was happening in the old neighborhood. News of anywhere else is given short shrift. You may be onto part of the reason--we're so huge--why should anyone in southern California care if there's an earthquake in the Northwest? But so much about it is all about the spin.

As far as international news goes, I don't know. Everything on TV seems to me to be spun and homogenized, and I pay very little attention to it. My local classical music radio station has hourly BBC newsfeeds, and I always learn more from that, and from the internet, but it's easy to be ignorant here.

I have no friends who love Bush, but I work with some people who do, and I wonder about them. Fear seems to have a lot to do with it.

[nasty-shrew.livejournal.com]

honestly? I think most Brits are kind all "thank God we left, look how embaressing it would have been if we were counted responsible for the yanks!".

;)

What annoys me about America? The lack of Walkers crisps. Seriously, people, you have no idea of the crispy goodness that you are missing. Oh, and another thing? The fact that in America you call crisps 'chips' and you call chips 'french fries'. Or is it now 'freedom fries'? :)

I love America. Some of the sweetest, funniest people I've ever met hailed from the US of A. Yourself included. *smooch* Happy independence day!


... *cough*JamesmaybeyoursbutJudeisours*cough*.

[tabaqui]

Heeeeeeeee!!
Yeah. God's knows, *i'm* embarassed on a regular basis by my fellow Americans. Sheesh.

Ummmm - i have never, nor will never, use the term 'Freedom Fries'. Talk about embarassing idiocy! Sheesh.

Nothing wrong with *chips*. Crisps just sounds - weird! They're not lettuce!! They're....chips!!
*snarfles Cheeto's which aren't chips *or* crisps*

*smooooooooch* to you, too! Thank you!

[yourlibrarian]

I'm glad to see you posting. I was just thinking the other day I hadn't seen one from you in a while and was wondering if everything's back to normal post-surgery.

As to the U.S., well, where to start?
They went, occupied all these places, acted superior and told everyone how Britain was the best place in the world to live, and now they're surprised that people followed them home? :)

I thought the comment was just as applicable to us, albeit with less occupation and almost as much meddling (historically). Our current immigration argument is somewhat ludicrous to my mind. We act as if the U.S. is the only country in the world, brag constantly about how great we are and then are surprised that some people actually believe that. (I do think though, that a lot fewer believe it now than did 20 years ago). I like my life here, I generally enjoy living in the U.S. But then if I'd grown up somewhere else I'd probably enjoy that place too and its benefits. Every country has its pluses and minuses.

What annoys me is how very self-centered most Americans are, literally in some cases, but also as a group. We make a big deal of our nation's generosity in times of crisis but then we have a lot to be generous with. Our news media tends to portray other countries as either pits of despair who we should pity, or evil competitors who are out to destroy our way of life. There is rarely a middle ground, although GB is the one most likely to be potrayed as one to be taken somewhat seriously, when they're not being charming eccentrics that is.

I don't expect that everyone be a political wonk (I'm certainly not) but is it too much to ask that people have some idea of what's going on outside of some celebrity's womb? I will say this much for Bush's administration -- for anyone paying attention the historical hypocrisy our gov't has been engaged in regarding our motivations in national and international affairs has been laid pretty bare.

[tabaqui]

Yeah, i've been lax on the posting front - i'm a lamer!!

Heh. Yes, the immigration debacle over here is ridiculous. Makes me grind my teeth. Sheesh! People just aren't using their heads.

And our govt., hypocritical?? Say it ain't so!!

I just wanna spork 'em all.

The scary part, re - self centered, is that they're like that on a *statewide* scale, too. I know so many people who live in their little town and the rest of the state is like - foreign soil. It's *weird*. That sort of insular thinking is so not good.

[realtsunamigirl.livejournal.com]

As a Canadian, I'm just pleased that the 54'40 or bust sentiment seems to have mostly passed for the time being. I don't care if they belong to the UK or not, what I care about is whether they think we belong to them.

I've got your Manifest Destiny right here buddy.

However I have seen American pundits on TV making jokes about just taking over Canada and making it the 51st state, which is beyond ridiculous from a simple practical standpoint. (Go on, I dare ya, try to morph all the provincial governments into one. I'll be sitting by with popcorn.)

The thing that makes me nervous is that the sentiment seems to be that there is no point because we are basically the same culture anyway.

As someone who used to work at a call centre that was entirely American incoming calls, take it from me:

Americans and Canadians:

Are. Not. The. Same.

If you want some reasons how this is the case, check out my Canada day post here.

Hey look, there's a streetsign, I'm on tangent boulevard. How nice;-D

[electricalgwen.livejournal.com]

Yiss!!!

And if you really want to piss off the English, you can pretend you think they're Welsh. Or Scottish. And then say, "Well, it's all the same, really, isn't it?"

(Ditto Germany/Austria. Ditto France/Belgium. Ditto practically any neighbouring countries in this intensely feudal community of Europe. :)

Oh God. I'd like to see the Americans try and invade Quebec. No, really, I would. Or PEI. "Uh, sir, we've occupied Green Gables, but the enemy keep hiding in the lupins." Or Winnipeg in January. "We tried to fire on them, sir, but the triggers froze, and then my tongue got stuck..."

Um. It's really hot and we've been drinking Finnish currant wine in the backyard, and I'm in a crazy mood but have no wish to offend anybody, American, Canadian, or otherwise. :)

[trishabooms.livejournal.com]

There are some lovely people on LJ from so many fascinating places, and generally people are really nice.
Are we jealous of our former colonies... Nah! Not really.
In the US you have scary weather, and the even scarier George Bush. It's a swap of sorts isn't it, once we had a mad King George, now you do!!
The only real fault I can think of is that you don't really see the world that's beyond your shores.

[tabaqui]

Heeeeeee!!
Poor King George, he really did suffer.

Yis, we *do* have The Shrub. Dreadful man.
Tornados *are* freaky. We'll have several near misses this summer, as always.

Yes, our blinkered outlook is frightening at times, and cringe-worthy at others.

[sparrow2000.livejournal.com]

Oh god, where to start.

Well, Bush has got to be a given for being uber disturbing so you're really, really welcome to him (although I'm not enamoured by our own regime recently) And the religious right are just scary, I saw a documentary the other week about colleges who are recruiting students from this background specifically so they could be groomed for government office, which is really creepy and a bit worrying. But I think the problem we have is that we get most of our taste of America through TV and it's so filtered and editorialised that I'm never sure how much to believe is reality(I work in TV so maybe I'm just cyncial!) The US guys I've talked to on LJ have never been less than generous and courteous and fun and open, so I'd like to think what we get is a distorted view of the culture and the nation. Having said that we've got a huge US base not far from where we live and it's not a particularly comfortable relationship with the local community.

On a lighter note, I really can't forgive you for MacDonalds', but that's an easy target and portion control is obviously unknown - I get kind of scared when I'm overfaced with the bar snacks! Oh and why is everyone obsessed with coffee, it makes me ill, but I get looked at like I've got leprosy if I turn a coffee down!

That's it really, which is pretty lame, but I'm a Scot, so have to spend my energies getting snarky about the English (even though I work south of the border and am married to one!) but I kind of think of it as infiltration!

I don't think any of that answered your questions at all, but it was a good excuse for a little vent! Happy 4th of July to one and all!

[tabaqui]

The Shrub = lame and dangerous.
The Religious Right = lame, dangerous and fuckin' scary.
McDonald's = completely disgusting.

Yay!! Infiltrating!
*snerk*

*smooooch*

[vampirefever.livejournal.com]

I'm not sure I understand your question.

Are you asking if I covet anything that's American and wish it were British?

If that is what you meant, then the answer is no. If anything us Europeans (big 'us' there *g*) tend to resent the influence of the US on our culture and wish it weren't so prevalent in everything; politics, environment, consumer products, television etc (though probably not music, us Brits think we've got the edge on you lot on that one :-))

I love visiting the US but wouldn't want to live there. Which seems to upset Americans when I say that. But then it always surprises me to get asked the question in the first place. We don't ask visitors to the UK if they want to move here, maybe because we don't see it as the centre of the universe, like some Americans view their own country.

*waves at you from across the Atlantic*

[tabaqui]

More like - do you think the Empire should rise again and you should march over here and *take it all back*!!!

But, yeah.

I wonder all the time about the 'culture' thing...if it's really such a big deal, why watch it? Like some of the Arab countries complain about how American movies are so terrible or whatever...then why watch? Seems like they - or the UK - has plenty enough of thier/your own culture, you know? It's sorta puzzling.

*waves back*

[nephir.livejournal.com]

Things I love about my country.... huh... I was going to say our rights to...you know... talk bad about the government, but currently that's not a real given....

Hate the Shrub!! *stabbity stabby stab stab* What a freakin' embarassment to be represented by him to the rest of the world.

*no insult to the mid-westerners that I know and love, you all USE your brains* the mid-western sheep mentality of the Shrub can do no wrong.

I hate the whole *but we're Americans, we KNOW BEST!*... it's done s o much for the Native Americans, the Blacks, the Mexicans, the Middle Easterners (choose a country, any country...we'll apparently tell you how to run it and set up your very own puppet government, right up to the point where you no longer listen to us, then we'll send in the troops to bomb the hell outta you)...

We suck.

[tabaqui]

*stabbity stabs* with you.
Yes!!

And yeah - that 'we are number one even when we're fucking up horrifically' mindset drives me *nuts*.

*pet pet pet*

But *we* don't suck. We're cool. We're on lj!!
:)

[darkhavens.livejournal.com]

Egads, no, we don't want you back! As for 'the colonies', well, we're still reaping the rewards for the damage we caused on the African continent, amongst other places, so we're not really thinking 'The British Empire Should Rise Again!' thoughts. *g*

As for what bugs me - mostly it's the insular attitude that everyone else has already mentioned. Your non-US news coverage horrifies me (but then I have huge issues with the BBC's coverage too). Disasters barely get a mention unless there's one or more US (or UK) natives killed. It always tends to be 'One American (Brit) slaughtered in horrendous attack! Oh, and sixty bajillion natives and a Frenchman'.

And I'm sorry, but re-electing Bush was just the last straw. And using the already proven to be untrustworthy online voting system? Stunning. (Blair likes how it helped with the coup, though, and is trying to install a similar system of vote-rigging over here. Thanks everso.)

I have got to the point where I distrust every single statement made by your government. I look at news reports and wonder if the events portrayed bear any resemble to the actual truth, and whether or not letting/helping them occur was deemed expedient by the people in charge, to make them look good, or to give them a reason to pass a law/hit back/start a war.

Big business has bought and paid for the goverment, using your (and our) money and is using it to screw the planet and the people for the almighty dollar.

nad you know I'm colouring Blair & co with the same brush, right? Yes, america do it bigger and badder, but we are catching up so damn fast I've got motion sickness.

But I still luff you, and my other Merkin pals. ;)

[tabaqui]

Heeeeeee!! C'mon, come conquer us again!!

Yeah, The Shrub is just...horrifying. *I* certainly didn't vote for him.
And the voting system? Good fucking gods.

I, too, distrust pretty much everything that comes out of Washington or - hell - my state capital. They're *all* corrupt, bought off *politicians*. Gah.

*snuggles you*

[http://users.livejournal.com/_beetle_/]

Now that we've got rocketships of the non-exploding kind, perhaps we should put Shrubly on one and send him to the moon. Let the carniverous, cave-dwelling, Amazon moon-women have a go at him.

But then, when they start having intestinal problems, they'll blame us, of course, and bring war and their unholy taste for human flesh to Earth, and that just wouldn't be good.
*sighs*

The UK can totally have 31 Flavors, if they want. If they wanna throw down for Marsters and SPN . . . they can tell Tony Blair to bring it. We've got Chuck Norris, aka Walker Texas Ranger, and there ain't an ass on green and verdant Earth that guy can't kick.

Seriously, The UK is, in retrospect, glad to see the arse end of us. We're the problem child that just didn't grow up right. And we wear white socks with black pants, and black socks with bermuda shorts. I'm sure they've gladly washed their hands of us.

*love you*

[tabaqui]

BWAAAAAAAAAAAAAAhahhahhahaahaha.
Yis.

SPN and teh Marsters belong to *us*!!!
C'mon, Johnny Bull, and try for 'em!!
*does menacing kara*tay!* pose.

Dude, have you ever had pumpkin pie ice cream? I like my variety.
:)

*smooshes you*
*luffs hard*

[cleeaz.livejournal.com]

I think people in the US are very self interested, but then we lack exposure (other than the media) to the rest of the world. I also think too many American's think they're "owed" a living. I work full-time and find myself irritated by the many people on disablity less disabled than I am - everyone who can work, should find some sort of work. To me the American "they owe" sucks - neither I, nor Cat, nor you need to pay for anyone else when they could be productive.

I also think the people in our government have no idea about the reality of the people who work. They've never had to eat spaghetti and noodles for a week to pay the electric or go without insurance, or not get a an important medication. They've never had to eat a cheap high carb diet, because they couldn't afford meat.

But being poor in this country shouldn't entitle you to a home, a car, a TV w/ cable, a phone, a cell phone, and free food. There should be some effort to education, train and creat real job opportunities.

Have you noticed that the counties that hate Americans, are the same ones that immediately critize (sp?)America for not rushing in with millions of dollars in aid money and food. Why is they don't want anything to do with us, but are in a rush to take money (more money than they've ever had in their countries history in many cases)?

Cindy Lee - who gets frustrated at work (often)

[tabaqui]

Awww!
*pet pet pet pet pet pet pet*
Poor you!

Frustration sucks.

I agree, though - i hate it when people seem to think that they can take whatever they want from the system and never give anything back.

And yeah - it's true, a lot of countries seem to have this total love/hate thing going with us which - i get? but don't like.

My govt. sucks, but i still hope for the best...

Book I loaned you

[lunabee34.livejournal.com]

I was wondering how you're coming along on that book I loaned you. :) The friend that loaned it to me is a little anxious as her only other copy has gotten lost in loaning it out to someone else.

Re: Book I loaned you

[tabaqui]

Sorry sorry! Just being extraordinarily lazy!
I will have it out to you post haste.

Uh. Except i don't have your address anymore. Send it to me, please?
changeling at catbones dot com