Quote:

---

We are our own people.

Leave us alone.

---

Quote:

---

Originally posted by Wulfenstar:
Lol

And what we hear about Britain is that you guys live in peace and happiness under your monarchy.

That your state leaders know whats best.

And you wonder why people here are comparing the current situation to the American Revolution? Tea Parties ect?

We are our own people.

Leave us alone.

---

Quote:

---

The running gag is "Welcome to Europe, your robber will be with you shortly."

---

Quote:

---

Worst of Europe: Sanitation

---

Quote:

---

I'm surprised he was surprised. The people I know in England and Europe wouldn't be, and Europe certainly has its own share. Strange comment.

---

Quote:

---

KPO
What part of Europe are you familiar with DT? I hope you're not comparing America to Albania or something like that.

---

Quote:

---

Originally posted by Bytemite:
Go to Amsterdam sometime when the canals are low. Aside from the smell, what you'll find on the bottom are piles upon PILES of stolen bicycles. In Italy, if you stay in a hotel, housekeeping is notorious for theft.

Every city in Europe has it's bad parts of town. I've been to London slightly more often than I've been to other European cities, definitely true there. I don't see so much sanitation problem in London (maybe I'm not going to the right places?) but elsewhere, yes.

I don't think European cities are worse than American cities, I think this just illustrates that these problems are universal.

---

Quote:

---

A lot of these posts sound highly defensive - "you're country is just as crappy as ours" or something to that effect.

---

Quote:

---

My understanding is the original poster was commenting on the difference between America as depicted in the media, and America in reality. Not whether Europe is better than the US or vice versa

---

Quote:

---

Originally posted by Wulfenstar:
Subjects vs citizens.

Slaves vs free people.

---

Quote:

---

So it's definitely possible to develop a naive, outside view of america as the 'pinnacle of human civilisation'.

---

Quote:

---

Originally posted by dreamtrove:

Quote:

---

KPO
What part of Europe are you familiar with DT? I hope you're not comparing America to Albania or something like that.

---

Ahh, the prejudices arise..

Most of it, actually. I tend to get robbed in *western* europe. It's a pretty common experience for americans.

---

Quote:

---

There are many Americas, and there are two New Yorks. The one I'm from has about 10 million people who live in settlements ranging from a few hundred to a few hundred thousand. Then there's a city of around 7 million, which is like an alien planet to me. I've been there several times, it doesn't begin to feel normal.

---

Quote:

---

I could hardly be considered a patriot.

---

Quote:

---

Originally posted by Magonsdaughter:

I would never vote Tory (if I still lived in the UK).

Quote:

---

and several others like that. I gather you lived in the UK for some time from the comments. I assumed that you had grown up in britain and moved to Australia at a later age.

You mentioned being under "thatcher's reign" for a long time, but I would hazard a guess that you were not in Britain under Tony Blair, since you seem to have a relatively high opinion of him (not to say "high" overall, just relative to people who lived in Britain under Tony Blair, Labour or not, whose opinion of Blair is something that Americans who lived under Bush can easily sympathize with.)

Anyway, just pointing out the source of the confusion, and the constant references people make to you as british. It's not the ignorance of the world, we get a lot of aussies, here in the US, and in Europe, the land of Oz gets a lot of coverage overall, as our own evil overlord, Rupert Murdoch, is from down under. Just so you know, it ain't just Farscape.

Quote:

---

Originally posted by Bytemite:

Then perhaps our exported image is very different from our internal image.

---

Quote:

---

Originally posted by dreamtrove:

Magonsdaughter,

Sometimes you say things that make people think you're british, an occasional britism, or outright statements of a british nature:

Quote:

---

Originally posted by Magonsdaughter:

I would never vote Tory (if I still lived in the UK).

Quote:

---

and several others like that. I gather you lived in the UK for some time from the comments. I assumed that you had grown up in britain and moved to Australia at a later age.

You mentioned being under "thatcher's reign" for a long time, but I would hazard a guess that you were not in Britain under Tony Blair, since you seem to have a relatively high opinion of him (not to say "high" overall, just relative to people who lived in Britain under Tony Blair, Labour or not, whose opinion of Blair is something that Americans who lived under Bush can easily sympathize with.)

Anyway, just pointing out the source of the confusion, and the constant references people make to you as british. It's not the ignorance of the world, we get a lot of aussies, here in the US, and in Europe, the land of Oz gets a lot of coverage overall, as our own evil overlord, Rupert Murdoch, is from down under. Just so you know, it ain't just Farscape.

---

Oh, except I keep pointing out that I'm not British. I make comments about Britain, because I've lived there and experienced life there and if the topic is about the UK, I'll respond. I also talk a lot about the US, in complete ignorance usually, but that never stops me from commenting.

Not many topics come up about Australia, so I just talk about whatever, based on whatever I know. I was suprised to get the old 'kiss your queens arse then" response from Wulfenwhatever.

I'm not sure what happens in the US, but British and American news are reported here, and we would discuss stuff. "Hey, Obama is King now" or whatever. So assuming that because someone speaks about a country they are from there, seems a little odd to me.

Quote:

---

Originally posted by Magonsdaughter:

...just like your image of my country is probably based on the little amounts of media that you see ie that travesty of a film with nicole kidman and wolverine...

---

Quote:

---

Originally posted by Kwicko:

Quote:

---

Originally posted by Magonsdaughter:

...just like your image of my country is probably based on the little amounts of media that you see ie that travesty of a film with nicole kidman and wolverine...

---

Dang it - you mean you're not all hell-for-leather crazy drivers looking for the last stash of gasoline to fuel the last of the V8 interceptors after the apocalypse?


There go my vacation plans...

;)

Mike

Work is the curse of the Drinking Class.
- Oscar Wilde

---

Quote:

---

Originally posted by kpo:
Discovering the social side of America that you rarely see in movies was something absolutely scary."

---

Quote:

---

Originally posted by Kwicko:
Dang it - you mean you're not all hell-for-leather crazy drivers looking for the last stash of gasoline to fuel the last of the V8 interceptors after the apocalypse?

---

Quote:

---

Originally posted by Wulfenstar:
Subjects vs citizens.

Slaves vs free people.

---

Quote:

---

Originally posted by Hero:

Quote:

---

Originally posted by Kwicko:
Dang it - you mean you're not all hell-for-leather crazy drivers looking for the last stash of gasoline to fuel the last of the V8 interceptors after the apocalypse?

---

Everybody knows that Autralian culture is best demonstrated by two movies: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0096486/

and

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0100608/

H

"Hero. I have come to respect you." "I am forced to agree with Hero here."- Chrisisall, 2009.

---

Quote:

---

If we believed everything in the movies...

Large, loft-style apartments in New York City are well within the price range of most people -- whether they are employed or not.


At least one of a pair of identical twins is born evil.


Should you decide to defuse a bomb, don't worry which wire to cut. You will always choose the right one.


Most laptop computers are powerful enough to override the communications system of any invading alien society.


It does not matter if you are heavily outnumbered in a fight involving martial arts: your enemies will wait patiently to attack you one by one by dancing around in a threatening manner until you have knocked out their predecessors.


When you turn out the light to go to bed, everything in your bedroom will still be clearly visible, just slightly bluish.


If you are blonde and pretty, it is possible to become a world expert on nuclear fission at the age of 22.


Honest and hard working policemen are traditionally gunned down three days before their retirement.


Rather than wasting bullets, megalomaniacs prefer to kill their arch enemies using complicated machinery involving fuses, pulley systems, deadly gases, lasers, and man-eating sharks, which
will allow their captives at least 20 minutes to escape.


All beds have special L-shaped cover sheets that reach the armpit level on a woman but only to waist level on the man lying beside her.


All grocery shopping bags contain at least one stick of French bread.


It's easy for anyone to land a plane providing there is someone in the control tower to talk you down.


Once applied, lipstick will never rub off even while scuba diving.


You're very likely to survive any battle in any war unless you make the mistake of showing someone a picture of your sweetheart back home.


Should you wish to pass yourself off as a German or Russian officer, it will not be necessary to speak the language. A German or Russian accent will do.


The Eiffel Tower can be seen from any window in Paris.


A man will show no pain while taking the most ferocious beating, but will wince when a woman tries to clean his wounds.


If a large pane of glass is visible, someone will be thrown through it before long.


If staying in a haunted house, women should investigate any strange noises in their most revealing underwear.


Word processors never display a cursor on screen but will always say: Enter Password Now.


Even when driving down a perfectly straight road, it is necessary to turn the steering wheel vigorously from left to right every few moments.


All bombs are fitted with electronic timing devices with large red readouts so you know exactly when they're going to go off.


A detective can only solve a case once he has been suspended from duty.


If you decide to start dancing in the street, everyone you meet will know all the steps.


Police departments give their officers personality tests to make sure they are deliberately assigned a partner who is their total opposite.


When they are alone, all foreign military officers prefer to speak to each other in English.

---

Quote:

---

The Monarchy of the United Kingdom (commonly referred to as the British monarchy) is the constitutional monarchy of the United Kingdom and its overseas territories. The present monarch, Elizabeth II, has reigned since 6 February 1952. She and her immediate family undertake various official, ceremonial and representational duties. As a constitutional monarch, the Queen is limited to non-partisan functions such as bestowing honours. Though the ultimate executive authority over the government of the United Kingdom is still by and through the monarch's royal prerogative, in practice these powers are only used according to laws enacted in Parliament or within the constraints of convention and precedent.

---

Quote:

---

Originally posted by Magonsdaughter:
From wiki

Quote:

---

The Monarchy of the United Kingdom (commonly referred to as the British monarchy) is the constitutional monarchy of the United Kingdom and its overseas territories. The present monarch, Elizabeth II, has reigned since 6 February 1952. She and her immediate family undertake various official, ceremonial and representational duties. As a constitutional monarch, the Queen is limited to non-partisan functions such as bestowing honours. Though the ultimate executive authority over the government of the United Kingdom is still by and through the monarch's royal prerogative, in practice these powers are only used according to laws enacted in Parliament or within the constraints of convention and precedent.

---

Basically the Queen is a figurehead with very little power. She has to get permission to enter parliament and is bound by conventions which limit her role.

Whatever issues you may with British society, it's not about the Queen.
PS I'm not British,

---

Quote:

---

Originally posted by Magonsdaughter:
And to sum up some of the attitudes here

---