Terrywoodenpic
Oldest Heretic
I have been on this site for four months now and have been making mental notes on the attitudes and beliefs I have found.
As a majority on the site are from America, I have found I have learnt most about how they differ from the UK and Europe In legal social and religious matters.
so I thought I would jot down what I had noticed.
First thing to note is that Americans are far more polarised in their views than us.
The Conservative v Liberal position transcends nearly all their views.
The Idea of socialism, and anything approaching it, is quite abhorrent to a large majority.
On the social front, they have rarely mentioned the huge number of white and coloured poor in the states. Neither have they offered anything like a social policy to help solve it.
The, what I call the sickness (health) trap, is accepted rather than seen as a problem that could be eased. By this I mean how a person, of even middle income, can be totally devastated by serious injury or illness, quickly reducing their family to the ranks of the poor.
On the question of Law, crime, the use of firearms and the death penalty, again the general view is totally alien to that found in Europe.
UK. and European views are seen as almost communistic.(we would strongly deny this) Communism has a quite different meaning for us.
To the Americans even our conservatives are socialist inclined. They like the socialists and Liberals(party), agree that health care, social security and schooling, and to a lesser extent public broadcasting, museums, national concert halls, Higher and further education, help for the old. And numerous local government services should be fully or partly funded by the public purse.
In the UK or Europe it is not possible for even the poorest drop out not to have a full health care provision, equal to the best available and for as long as the need it.
Nowhere in the EU is the death penalty permitted both by law and treaty.
Nowhere in the EU are guns freely available.
There is now total free trade between the EU countries, free movement of labour and co-operative health care and social provision for each others citizens.
There is now a European court of Justice which is The EUs highest court and can over-rule all domestic courts, and if need be. require changes in national law.
With out Covering the different emphasis in Religion and the way legislation now covers religious and sexual intolerance, It is easily seen that the European and American systems and cultures have never been so divergent than today.
This is no way a criticism of America But a detailing of some of the ways in which we not only differ but have a different concept of the rights and duties of both the people and the state.
This is not to say there are not different political views as to where the balance should lay between our rights and duties. But there is no serious doubt about the European consensus on these matters.
Do you think there might be a future problem in understanding between our two cultures?
Terry_________________________
Blessed are the gentle, they shall inherit the land
As a majority on the site are from America, I have found I have learnt most about how they differ from the UK and Europe In legal social and religious matters.
so I thought I would jot down what I had noticed.
First thing to note is that Americans are far more polarised in their views than us.
The Conservative v Liberal position transcends nearly all their views.
The Idea of socialism, and anything approaching it, is quite abhorrent to a large majority.
On the social front, they have rarely mentioned the huge number of white and coloured poor in the states. Neither have they offered anything like a social policy to help solve it.
The, what I call the sickness (health) trap, is accepted rather than seen as a problem that could be eased. By this I mean how a person, of even middle income, can be totally devastated by serious injury or illness, quickly reducing their family to the ranks of the poor.
On the question of Law, crime, the use of firearms and the death penalty, again the general view is totally alien to that found in Europe.
UK. and European views are seen as almost communistic.(we would strongly deny this) Communism has a quite different meaning for us.
To the Americans even our conservatives are socialist inclined. They like the socialists and Liberals(party), agree that health care, social security and schooling, and to a lesser extent public broadcasting, museums, national concert halls, Higher and further education, help for the old. And numerous local government services should be fully or partly funded by the public purse.
In the UK or Europe it is not possible for even the poorest drop out not to have a full health care provision, equal to the best available and for as long as the need it.
Nowhere in the EU is the death penalty permitted both by law and treaty.
Nowhere in the EU are guns freely available.
There is now total free trade between the EU countries, free movement of labour and co-operative health care and social provision for each others citizens.
There is now a European court of Justice which is The EUs highest court and can over-rule all domestic courts, and if need be. require changes in national law.
With out Covering the different emphasis in Religion and the way legislation now covers religious and sexual intolerance, It is easily seen that the European and American systems and cultures have never been so divergent than today.
This is no way a criticism of America But a detailing of some of the ways in which we not only differ but have a different concept of the rights and duties of both the people and the state.
This is not to say there are not different political views as to where the balance should lay between our rights and duties. But there is no serious doubt about the European consensus on these matters.
Do you think there might be a future problem in understanding between our two cultures?
Terry_________________________
Blessed are the gentle, they shall inherit the land
