Thread: anti-europeism in America vs. anti-americanism in Europe

A cold war? I don't think that's true. Yes, there is rivalry and probably some conflicts about one or the other issue ... but you can't compare that to the cold war.

I guess you would probably also get arrested if you were running around naked in a German city. In some aspects, most parts of Europe are more liberal than the US. A bare breast on national television would hardly make it to the evening news in Europe. And there are many other examples. But on the other way round there are many points where Americans enjoy more liberties than most Europeans. You just can't tell in general.

[QUOTE=Malvolio]A cold war? I don't think that's true. Yes, there is rivalry and probably some conflicts about one or the other issue ... but you can't compare that to the cold war.

When I said cold war, I really didn't want to compare it, it just an example to mean the rivalry bbetween the two societies, altough I'd say that's not very good, I must admit.
An what about the economic situation....the US is the richest country in the world, but what about the quality of life, the GDP per head doesn't give us really the grade of welfare...where do people live better?

Has opinions changed much in the last 100 years?
The rivalry has been going on for many years.

Wars??? Europe has been involved in a heckuva alot more wars then the U.S.

Guns?? I am 42 years old, traveled all over the country - the only guns you see are held by police officers..it is against the law to carry one around without a permit - and that permit is not a license to just walk around with it.

Originally Posted by Íñigo

An what about the economic situation....the US is the richest country in the world, but what about the quality of life, the GDP per head doesn't give us really the grade of welfare...where do people live better?

There is more class mobility in the United States than in Europe. It's harder to tell by accent or the way someone dresses what socioeconomic class someone belongs to than it is in Europe. But the poor people in Europe tend to be better taken care of. I think its connected with the notion that class is something that you're born into. People in Europe, according to my political science professor, tend to think more in these terms because the lack of social mobility. Whereas in the United States it is believed that anyone can make a good living if they work hard enough, so when someone is poor it is more believed to be their own fault.

Well, yeah ... Europe has surely seen more wars than the US since my ancestors defeated the Roman empire. But I do think the attitude has changed recently, especially after WW2, and especially in Germany. I guess people here are quite fed up with any kind of war or militarism. At least that's my explanation.

You're right about the GDP and differences in distribution. But hey, that's the result of historic developments. Every model has it's advantages and disadvantages. There is always a certain trade off between prosperity and economic growth on the other and egalitarism or social security on the other side.

Originally Posted by iamwhatiseem

Guns?? I am 42 years old, traveled all over the country - the only guns you see are held by police officers..it is against the law to carry one around without a permit - and that permit is not a license to just walk around with it.

Excuse me but I was the las summer living with a host family for five weeks in New Jersey and the had a gun...buy a weapon is much easier in the states that in any other country in Europe (come on, in Spain or the UK even the police don't carry weapons while monitoring the streets). I saw bullets in a supermarket, something you'll never see in Europe, and all the statistics agree with this. Much more people in the states have a weapon than in any country in Europe, I mean, here, no one have one!!!!

Come on, even your own contitution recognize having a weapon as a right!!!

Originally Posted by Íñigo

Excuse me but I was the las summer living with a host family for five weeks in New Jersey and the had a gun...buy a weapon is much easier in the states that in any other country in Europe (come on, in Spain or the UK even the police don't carry weapons while monitoring the streets). I saw bullets in a supermarket, something you'll never see in Europe, and all the statistics agree with this. Much more people in the states have a weapon than in any country in Europe, I mean, here, no one have one!!!!

Come on, even your own contitution recognize having a weapon as a right!!!

I am not saying there are no more gun owners in America than Europe - that would be stupid.
I am saying there is a common missconception that Americans tote guns everywhere they go, and settle disputes by shooting at each other.

In America, you can easily live your whole life and never see a gun in public held by someone other than the police. You see them in stores etc. - yes, but you do not see them in public.
The vast amount of violent crime is concentrated in inner-city areas, particularly in poor areas. If you do not live in a poor inner-city area, you have a very good chance of again, living your whole life without seeing any violence with a gun involved.

Obviusly i don't think people solve its problems by shooting at each other with guns, and that people who have agun is minory. The problem is that getting a gun is too easy (although the most of the poeple don't have one), and that's why, for example, several times a teenage has entered his high school shooting and killing everywhere. How many times ahve you heard about something like that in Europe? never, and why? because no one have a gun. I am 17 and I have never seen a weapon store and obvously tehre are no bullets in supermarkets, do you think that if it wasn't so easy to get a gun those problems would still be that normal?
An anyway, criminality rates are in general higher in Europe than in the US when, according to the GDP per head, Europe's supposed to be poorer....(I definitly don't agree with this but I think i should say the truth told by the statistics)

The two most powerful economies in the world seem to be in a cold war..........but does it really exist?

No, not really. It's some sort of transatlantic pissing contest that most people take part in because it is fun and above all far easier to spot differences to make fun of when you're basically the same. That's why we don't do that with the Chinese as well. They're too different.

Originally Posted by Godwael

No, not really. It's some sort of transatlantic pissing contest that most people take part in because it is fun and above all far easier to spot differences to make fun of when you're basically the same. That's why we don't do that with the Chinese as well. They're too different.

I like what you said, but are we really that similar? I mean there are very important diffrences between europe and the US, although, as you said, there are more diferences between other countries and both of us......

then, why this feelings?

I mean there are very important diffrences between europe and the US

Name two of them.

then, why this feelings?

Everyone needs to feel superior of someone. It's a basic human trait.

Originally Posted by Íñigo

The two most powerful economies in the world seem to be in a cold war..........but does it really exist? Why? Which is stronger? Want to listen your opinion....

The mine...I live in europe so i don't really know much about the opinion of Europe in the US, but I know the opinion of the europeans about Europe. On the whole, european people like the US, although we don't understand several things of your culture, such as war, the position against the welfare state, the obesity or how easy is to get a weapon.....Besides european people usually think they're smarter and cooler than American people, we wear better clothes, we're supposed to be more aware about the envioronmental situation, the poverty.....and we think we live in world with more freedom. Freedom to be atheist if you want to, homosexual if you want to.......

One example, a man wanted to see if this opinion about the US were true, and he decided to prove it. He went out to the street totally naked in three eropean cities and three american cities, to see the answer of the people. In the european cities nohing happened (I know Amsterdam and Madrid were two of these cities), I mean people looked surprised but the police didn't arrest him. In the american cities (I know detrit was one) the police arrested him and he was fined. This is just an example (quite stupid I know), but could prove that people in europe seem to live with more freedom........

Please I want to hear your opinion because i don't know much about this, i just talk about what i see in my daily life with my family and friends (I live in Madrid but I've travelled once to the sates where I lived with a host familiy)

Hello Íñigo, welcome to the forum.

I don't think our economies are in a cold war - in fact, there is plenty of cooperation between Europe and the US in that area. American and European companies are so closely connected that at times they cannot be separated.

I think the "war" (if that is the correct word) is between our views of the world, but only in some things. But I would use the term "strong disagreement" instead of war, and it is mostly about political and some cultural issues.

Your comments about the man running around naked were funny. Do you REALLY think that is an example of "freedom"? I think it is just foolishness. There have to be some generally accepted rules in a civilized society. As for homosexuals and atheists, they have plenty of freedom in the US, and can be very vocal if they choose - just stay for a while on this forum and you will discover that for yourself.

As for obesity - I spent a few months in England, and I saw just as many overweight people there as in the US. As for guns - I think iamwhatiseem said it best in his posts. I have never seen a gun used by anyone who was not a police officer, and I have never seen anyone shot. Bullets on sale in the supermarket? Where? Next to the vegetables??

But certainly there are strong disagreements about many political issues: that is true. One major difference is that Europeans care far more about American opinion than Americans care about European opinion. I am sorry about that: I do not agree with this attitude at all. Americans should be more interested in the world as a whole. But is is true.

Originally Posted by Íñigo

The two most powerful economies in the world seem to be in a cold war..........but does it really exist? Why? Which is stronger? Want to listen your opinion....

The mine...I live in europe so i don't really know much about the opinion of Europe in the US, but I know the opinion of the europeans about Europe. On the whole, european people like the US, although we don't understand several things of your culture, such as war, the position against the welfare state, the obesity or how easy is to get a weapon.....Besides european people usually think they're smarter and cooler than American people, we wear better clothes, we're supposed to be more aware about the envioronmental situation, the poverty.....and we think we live in world with more freedom. Freedom to be atheist if you want to, homosexual if you want to.......

One example, a man wanted to see if this opinion about the US were true, and he decided to prove it. He went out to the street totally naked in three eropean cities and three american cities, to see the answer of the people. In the european cities nohing happened (I know Amsterdam and Madrid were two of these cities), I mean people looked surprised but the police didn't arrest him. In the american cities (I know detrit was one) the police arrested him and he was fined. This is just an example (quite stupid I know), but could prove that people in europe seem to live with more freedom........

Please I want to hear your opinion because i don't know much about this, i just talk about what i see in my daily life with my family and friends (I live in Madrid but I've travelled once to the sates where I lived with a host familiy)

The difference between America and Europe is best described as the difference between adolesence and adulthood. Americans have a strong mythology of "progress" and expansion which colors their personalities and policies.