• Welcome to Religious Forums, a friendly forum to discuss all religions in a friendly surrounding.

    Your voice is missing! You will need to register to get access to the following site features:
    • Reply to discussions and create your own threads.
    • Our modern chat room. No add-ons or extensions required, just login and start chatting!
    • Access to private conversations with other members.

    We hope to see you as a part of our community soon!

U.S. Politics

Rival

Rival

Diex Aie
Staff member
Premium Member
First of all, I don't mean any offence to any of our U.S. posters here so please don't take it the wrong way.

I live in the U.K. and on the news I see all sorts of discussion of the U.S. elections and so on. Now, I feel more connexion to Europe than I do to the U.S., and I honestly care more about who is the German Chancellor or the French President or the Russian Leader than I do about who's in charge of the U.S. Granted, it does affect the U.K. but I don't think it affects us half as much as, say, Germany and the European Union. Yet when the French elections or especially any Eastern European elections are taking place, it's barely front page news. If I want to know who's in charge of the Czech Republic I have to Google it.

So I'd like to ask:

Are U.S. televisions bombarded with the U.K. elections every five or so years?

Why are U.K. T.Vs blasting Brits with elections in a country that, to be brutally honest, few Brits really give a toss about?

:)
 
Jedster

Jedster

Flying through space
Good points Rival.
I also notice on some quiz shows, that more knowledge of America(geography,politics etc) is in the questions.
Do you think our former colony is trying one on? ;)
 
Augustus

Augustus

…
Rival said:
I think they're begging to be recolonised sometimes.
Click to expand...

images


The Queen: Own you, own you, used to own you...
 
Sultan Of Swing

Sultan Of Swing

Well-Known Member
Rival said:
First of all, I don't mean any offence to any of our U.S. posters here so please don't take it the wrong way.

I live in the U.K. and on the news I see all sorts of discussion of the U.S. elections and so on. Now, I feel more connexion to Europe than I do to the U.S., and I honestly care more about who is the German Chancellor or the French President or the Russian Leader than I do about who's in charge of the U.S. Granted, it does affect the U.K. but I don't think it affects us half as much as, say, Germany and the European Union. Yet when the French elections or especially any Eastern European elections are taking place, it's barely front page news. If I want to know who's in charge of the Czech Republic I have to Google it.

So I'd like to ask:

Are U.S. televisions bombarded with the U.K. elections every five or so years?

Why are U.K. T.Vs blasting Brits with elections in a country that, to be brutally honest, few Brits really give a toss about?

:)
Click to expand...
I would say the US President has as much influence on our affairs as the Germans do, if not more.

Was it Germany that dragged us into the Iraq War? Was it France that took us into Afghanistan? Was it Russia that took us into Libya? Nope.

I would also add, though obviously I have no evidence to support this, Brits simply care more about what happens in America than what happens in Germany or Russia or the Czech Republic. We have a shared history, something of a shared culture, shared language and a shared legal system that far surpasses the "presumption of guilt" jury-less court system that is so prevalent in continental Europe.

A good example is when Obama was running in 2008. I remember there was a good deal of interest in this country, a lot of admiration for the man and a lot of longing that we could have politicians who were as charismatic and inspiring. German or Russian or French elections generated nowhere near the same level of interest the US election did and continues to do, and that's not because the news corporations favour American elections, it's simply because British people in general are more interested in our cousins across the pond than in the continentals.
 
Last edited:
Rival

Rival

Diex Aie
Staff member
Premium Member
Sultan Of Swing said:
I would say the US President has as much influence on our affairs as the Germans do, if not more.

Was it Germany that dragged us into the Iraq War? Was it France that took us into Afghanistan? Was it Russia that took us into Libya? Nope.

I would also add, though obviously I have no evidence to support this, Brits simply care more about what happens in America than what happens in Germany or Russia or the Czech Republic. We have a shared history, something of a shared culture, shared language and a shared legal system that far surpasses the "presumption of guilt" jury-less court system that is so prevalent in continental Europe.

A good example is when Obama was running in 2008. I remember there was a good deal of interest in this country, a lot of admiration for the man and a lot of longing that we could have politicians who were as charismatic and inspiring. German or Russian or French elections generated nowhere near the same level of interest the US election did and continues to do, and that's not because the news corporations favour American elections, it's simply because British people in general are more interested in our cousins across the pond than in the continentals.
Click to expand...

This is why I said it does affect us, not that it absolutely doesn't.

I disagree that Brits care more about what goes on in the U.S. than in Europe. We care about the migrant crisis, we care about the Greek economy, we care about being in the European Union, &c. &c. We are very much historcally bound to Europe, especially France, Poland and so on. Maybe this hasn't been your experience, but the folks where I live care more about what Putin's doing than what Obama's doing. Also Germany has a huge influence over E.U. affairs and I think we take large interest in them because of that.

I also disagree that Obama is charismatic lol.

I take an interest in Continental affairs, at least, and wish more Brits would do. I don't like the idea that we are becoming divorced from our continent. I think a lot of Brits only care about the U.S. because it takes less effort, no language learning, culture seems similar (and I totally disagree that they are; I found more in common when I went to France and to Belgium than when I was in the U.S.).

Probably just a matter of opinion though.
 
Revoltingest

Revoltingest

Pragmatic Libertarian
Premium Member
Rival said:
First of all, I don't mean any offence to any of our U.S. posters here so please don't take it the wrong way.

I live in the U.K. and on the news I see all sorts of discussion of the U.S. elections and so on. Now, I feel more connexion to Europe than I do to the U.S., and I honestly care more about who is the German Chancellor or the French President or the Russian Leader than I do about who's in charge of the U.S. Granted, it does affect the U.K. but I don't think it affects us half as much as, say, Germany and the European Union. Yet when the French elections or especially any Eastern European elections are taking place, it's barely front page news. If I want to know who's in charge of the Czech Republic I have to Google it.

So I'd like to ask:

Are U.S. televisions bombarded with the U.K. elections every five or so years?

Why are U.K. T.Vs blasting Brits with elections in a country that, to be brutally honest, few Brits really give a toss about?

:)
Click to expand...
You guys have elections?
I thought the queen just picked her favorite minions to run the country.
Except for M Thatcher, who outscored the other candidates on the chemistry exam.
Go, Maggy!
 
9-10ths_Penguin

9-10ths_Penguin

1/10 Subway Stalinist
Premium Member
[QUOTE="Rival, post: 4636543, member: 39029"]
Why are U.K. T.Vs blasting Brits with elections in a country that, to be brutally honest, few Brits really give a toss about?
[/QUOTE]
Probably for the same reason that Canadian retailers now hold "Black Friday" sales, despite the fact that our Thanksgiving is on a Monday in October, not a Thursday in November.

I think there's a tendency among other countries to see the US as a sort of standard to emulate. It's also easier and cheaper for US-based companies to reuse their American resources in other countries. If they report to you what's already been reported in the US, they don't need to hire any more reporters.
 
C

columbus

yawn <ignore> yawn
Rival said:
I disagree that Brits care more about what goes on in the U.S. than in Europe.
Click to expand...
I do think that USA national politics have far more impact on the human situation that any other country's.
But that isn't why it gets the coverage.

It's a "made for TV" spectacular. A cross between World Cup and Super Bowl. The dirty tricks, outlandish claims, come from behind mini-victories.....
And real people will die or get rich based on the outcome.
Obviously Brits care about it, or they would ignore it and the coverage would slow or stop. But they don't.
Tom
 
RedDragon94

RedDragon94

Love everyone, meditate often
Rival said:
Are U.S. televisions bombarded with the U.K. elections every five or so years?
Click to expand...
Not to my knowledge, but that might be a way to make Americans give a care about other nations than their own. Maybe we should have political ads from Great Britain on our TVs.
 
Kori

Kori

Dark Valkyrie...what's not to love?
Rival I'm sure there is someone who has British parents and has live in Britain forever but was born in the US. Talk to them and have that person become President. Then from there build a great Empire.
 

Attachments

  • SBLgjvG.jpg
    SBLgjvG.jpg
    284.2 KB · Views: 77
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top