DiscussWorldIssues - Socio-Economic Religion and Political Uncensored Debate - View Single Post

**Izzy** · 08-15-2012, 02:49 AM

I guess this works both ways. We're puzzled by the strength of feeling in the US (well maybe not me, I've lived here now for over 7 years) about apparent freedoms. There is a difference between individual freedoms and social freedoms. You guys don't seem to care about expensive divisive education or healthcare, but do about guns. You don't seem to care that your national broadcasters censor things left right and center but would hate the idea of a socially funded TV network that didn't censor things based on the sensitivities of advertisers. Not only that, but you mention 'health and safety crap'... until I'd been here, I had never seen a warning on a packet of peanuts saying "warning, may contain nuts" or on a Starbucks coffee cup "warning, beverage may be hot". The 'freedom' to be an idiot comes at the price of someone elses freedom to get their ass sued. It's not as black and white as you imply.

At the same time, some of the forced consensus and hand-holding in Europe comes off the back of hundreds of years of wars and millions of deaths. Again, might be hard to get it this side of the pond, but politically it's very real in Europe.

Many Americans who have actually traveled in and lived in Europe get some of this nuance, same vice-versa.

That's the post I wanted to write if I had the intelligence and patience.

Yes there's health and safety crap everywhere, which can be a hindrance. But it's result of a blame culture that maybe even started in the US. There's pro's and con's to the EU as well, but people maybe just have a little whine because they see no real reason to care a lot of the time, maybe because it's too late. Also, the US is more censored from what I can see, in comparison to the UK. That's just my opinion though and our slightly differing cultures may bring us to different viewpoints on that one.

Just to add though... Quite often it seems that the "British Empire" keeps cropping up like we're some kind of receding super-power has-been. And that as British people, we'll get upset about it, or feel we need to live up to something or else we're letting ourselves down. This isn't really the point of view from which British people see things I don't think. Whether it's because we aren’t taught much about the American Revolution etc part of history at school or what I don't know, but it's not how we see ourselves.

08-15-2012, 02:49 AM	#29
Izzy Join Date Oct 2005 Posts 652 Senior Member	I guess this works both ways. We're puzzled by the strength of feeling in the US (well maybe not me, I've lived here now for over 7 years) about apparent freedoms. There is a difference between individual freedoms and social freedoms. You guys don't seem to care about expensive divisive education or healthcare, but do about guns. You don't seem to care that your national broadcasters censor things left right and center but would hate the idea of a socially funded TV network that didn't censor things based on the sensitivities of advertisers. Not only that, but you mention 'health and safety crap'... until I'd been here, I had never seen a warning on a packet of peanuts saying "warning, may contain nuts" or on a Starbucks coffee cup "warning, beverage may be hot". The 'freedom' to be an idiot comes at the price of someone elses freedom to get their ass sued. It's not as black and white as you imply. At the same time, some of the forced consensus and hand-holding in Europe comes off the back of hundreds of years of wars and millions of deaths. Again, might be hard to get it this side of the pond, but politically it's very real in Europe. Many Americans who have actually traveled in and lived in Europe get some of this nuance, same vice-versa. That's the post I wanted to write if I had the intelligence and patience. Yes there's health and safety crap everywhere, which can be a hindrance. But it's result of a blame culture that maybe even started in the US. There's pro's and con's to the EU as well, but people maybe just have a little whine because they see no real reason to care a lot of the time, maybe because it's too late. Also, the US is more censored from what I can see, in comparison to the UK. That's just my opinion though and our slightly differing cultures may bring us to different viewpoints on that one. Just to add though... Quite often it seems that the "British Empire" keeps cropping up like we're some kind of receding super-power has-been. And that as British people, we'll get upset about it, or feel we need to live up to something or else we're letting ourselves down. This isn't really the point of view from which British people see things I don't think. Whether it's because we aren’t taught much about the American Revolution etc part of history at school or what I don't know, but it's not how we see ourselves.
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