Anti-American sentiment seems to be a popular past time these days, but I’ve always been a big fan of the place and it’s very heartfelt form of democracy. And this clip of a debate on gay marriage from the House of Representatives is just wonderful for its portrayal of the best of American democracy.

Can you honestly ever imagine such speech emanating from the House of Parliament?

[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=CbmbdWK6338#t=203s[/video]

I appear to be crying..

Rachel

Thanks for the link.

And this is why I don’t

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/mobile/technology-16810312

Maureen of Walla Walla for president!

I appear to be crying..

A few people I know who’ve watched it have said the same thing.

One heartfelt speech does not represent the country or it views.

One heartfelt speech does not represent the country or it views.

Neither does one quote from an ign’ant redneck about towelheads.

A bit Oprah, but hey, her heart’s in the right place.

Sadly, there will still be many millions of Americans opposing gay marriage because “the Bible tells us that a marriage is between a man and a woman.”

And this is why I don’t

An unsurprising knee-jerk reaction from US Homelands..

However thats the way they are so you either accept it & play by their rules or dont bother going.

They can be a very paranoid bunch (& not without good reason sometimes) but on the whole they are a very decent people.

Mind making him pay the costs was harsh though, I would have thought that the fact he was refused entry was enough..

dont bother going.

That’s my choice. LOads of ski resorts I’d love to visit in the US of A but they shall remain on the “to do” list in favour of Europe, Canada and Japan

but the point I was making is that while the example Greg posted is noteworthy due to (sadly) being out of the ordinary, the authoritarian attitude in the link I posted is quite prevalant

the authoritarian attitude in the link I posted is quite prevalant

This will always be debatable; I would argue that there are greater civil liberties in the US than the UK.

To be fair if in this day in age the fact that he published that phrase where anybody could read it means he is incredibly thick and naive to think that the yanks wouldn’t do anything if they read it.

the authoritarian attitude in the link I posted is quite prevalant

I couldnt agree with you more. Anyone in a uniform it seems displays scarily aggressive attitudes, from Forest Rangers to the Highway Patrol.

My experiences with these & others have led me to give anyone in the US in uniform VERY wide berth when Im there. The exception seems to be service personnel, Ive never had a problem with any of them…

geetee1972 – Member

the authoritarian attitude in the link I posted is quite prevalant

This will always be debatable; I would argue that there are greater civil liberties in the US than the UK.
really?

teh US locks up more of its population for less than any other country, 1/3 of the population have little effective healthcare, tehy kill doctors who carry out terminations. They execute mentally in and people with learnig difficulties, they torture.

Nice speech, fair play to her..
Never been so scared/intimidated as I have going through US customs.. A
Bonkers.

They execute mentally in and people with learnig difficulties, they torture.

Is that some sort of ironic self parody?

But then on the other hand, they have much greater freedom of speech, their citizens cannot be locked up without charge for 28 days, they cannot stop and search you without having a justifiable reason to do it, they have black man as President and a woman as Secretary of State (oh and they previously had a black female in that role to), they have THE best further education system in the world….

They do not have greater freedom of speech. Infact tehy have less. You cannot be stopped and searched here without good cause

The USA is a wonderful country. It’s a pity that some people in this country (and others) seem to find it impossible to distinguish between the United States of America, the US Government and the American people.

I’ve also found that those Brits who hold anti-American sentiment tend to be the types who’ve never knowingly been right about anything. Oh, they don’t tend to have been there either.

very heartfelt form of democracy

Hmm.. how about democracy so completely poisoned by rabid partisanism that truth and reason are lost and everyone spends all their time trying to get one over on the opposition like some kind of schoolyard fight..?

they have THE best further education system in the world

Lolz!

tehy kill doctors who carry out terminations

Is that a national policy, or the work of a murderer?

they have THE best further education system in the world..if you can afford it

TJ breathe like any country it has its good points and its bad points

Freedom of speech is enshrined in the constitution and they tae it seriously generally ..unless you are a livberal or a communist or an aetheist so TJ be careful if you go there 😉

they don’t tend to have been there either.

are you really suggesting that people who dont like america have never been, wonderful insight …what about people who dont like chocolate …do they eat much of it?

they have THE best further education system in the world

Lolz!

They do and the evidence is in the fact that they export their further education system to more people than any other country. In fact, education is their largest export.

They do and the evidence is in the fact that they export their further education system to more people than any other country

Eh? How is that an indication of ‘best’ness?

they don’t tend to have been there either.

I’ve been. I enjoyed certain aspects, but not others. Can’t say that I’ll be going back anytime soon though, as their attitude to “security” does not entice me to spend my money there

They execute mentally in and people with learnig difficulties, they torture.

You sure about this bit TJ?

&

tehy kill doctors who carry out terminations

Im pretty damn sure that NONE of my US friends have ever done this..

Perhaps you mean that a few extremists have sadly murdered someone whose beliefs differ to theirs..

Hang on does that sound familiar? Does this mean then that a nation can be defined by the actions & motives of a few radicals..Shurely shome mishtake..

yet they are lower than cuba for literacy rates.

You have shown that they are good at selling stuff that does not mean it is the best. It just makes it the most commercially successfully…what a shame this is how you judge best.

Wow this thread has drifted FAST

There is no one so educated as an educated American, no one so friendly and as polite as a polite American.

There is no one so insular and dumb as a dumb American, no one so violent or so bigoted as some other American pondlife.

I like the place, been many times. The polarisation of attitudes, politics, religion and behaviour takes a bit of getting used to if you come from an old-world country where we believe in very little and are cynical about everything else.

I’ve been there a lot, and not as a tourist either. There are good aspects to America but there are bad ones too. The key point is this – if you have money, things are fantastic. If not, then they are pretty bad.

Now you might not think that the latter situation detracts from the former and consider the good when arguing about greatness. However I cannot ignore the latter – it is a terrible stain on the country as a whole.

but the point I was making is that while the example Greg posted is noteworthy due to (sadly) being out of the ordinary, the authoritarian attitude in the link I posted is quite prevalant

As someone who has to use a foreign passport to travel in and out of this country I can quite authoratively comment that I have more respect for, and receive better treatment from, US immigration staff than their UK equivalents.

mrlebowski – Member

They execute mentally in and people with learnig difficulties, they torture.

Oh yes
Abu_Ghraib and tortures were continued after the scandal broke with teh explicit consent of the secretary of state. also see Guantanamo

Excecution of people withlearning difficulties

excecution of people with severe mental illness

http://www.amnestyusa.org/our-work/issues/death-penalty/us-death-penalty-facts/death-penalty-and-mental-illness

Very good Stoat. There is a huge diversity of opinion and attitudes in the Old US of A, there are parts that are screwed up, but the same could be said of most countries. However there has been to my mind a build up and power base of Neo Cons over the last 20 odd years, and that has detracted from the sheer openness of the country. And it perhaps has brought upon it the security issues. Others use to see it as a “fair” world policeman standing up for democracy and human rights, but that has long gone, being replaced with self interest and business. However, give it a few years and it could come back…. Anyone that has seen the America Cemetry overlooking Omaha Beach will be harshly reminded what those guys did for all the world.

US border agents aren’t particularly bad, they just tend to be grumpy as hell which can be a little off-putting, that’s all.

Sadly, there will still be many millions of Americans people opposing gay marriage because “the Bible tells us that a marriage is between a man and a woman.”

Fixed that for you.

And the UK hasn’t been involved in ANY torture has it?!

Some good old quality America bashing again. 🙄

US border agents aren’t particularly bad, they just tend to be grumpy as hell which can be a little off-putting, that’s all.

I have to say that in the past my experience of US border control has been pretty dismal, but on a trip to Florida last month, I have to say, that the immigration guys were fantastic; with a genuine sense of humour and genuinely welcoming manner.

As an American friend posted on facebook this morning

I have to say that in the past my experience of US border control has been pretty dismal, but on a trip to Florida last month, I have to say, that the immigration guys were fantastic; with a genuine sense of humour and genuinely welcoming manner.

I think that most border controls are pretty dismal and staffed by miserable people, but the worst for me are Australia and UK.

Is this thread rascist? You cannot tar a whole race becuase of the actions of a few! If you can then others could well see us as a bunch of warmongering child molesting crazy football hooligans.
I work for a small US company, have been there many times and have some good friends over there, mainly in Michigan and Seattle. The mountain bikers I met in San Diego were a great bunch, doing lots of charity work.
I think most of their politicians are totally corrupt (name somewhere they aren’t?!) and there are some crazy rednecks, religious zealots etc. I also think LA is one of the worst cities I ahve ever visited and second only to Kingston Jamaica as to how unsafe I felt there. Same as many countries there are good and bad. Rules, places and people. Please don’t tar all Americans as bad, if you do you it is possible you portray yourself as an ignorant racist