[Lictimind]

EaG is always serious.

[suingincentix]

That statement it wrong in more than one way. Not sure you can be serious.

Why not?

[Nautilus]

Your countrymen's willingness to surrender their civil-liberties is far more disturbing than random acts of violence.

I think this exists on both sides of the Atlantic.

[wooclosmercob]

I think this exists on both sides of the Atlantic.

But more so now in the UK with austerity cuts to social programs.

[paulaglober]

But more so now in the UK with austerity cuts to social programs.

I really don't think so. What has spending cut's got to do with surrendering civil-liberties? Is it any different to most of Europe or the US?

People from the US look and think the UK is some kind of over-powering extreme nanny state, but from where I'm sat it isn't.

[baskentt]

Your countrymen's willingness to surrender their civil-liberties is far more disturbing than random acts of violence.

What is the difference between a civil liberty, and an act of social vandalism?

[GoveMoony]

People from the US look and think the UK is some kind of over-powering extreme nanny state, but from where I'm sat it isn't.

the whole world does, not only the US, the CCTVs the gun and knive laws, all the health & safety crap, the fact that almost all of you take **** from the EU without responding and if someone does tell the EU to go **** themsleves the first person to whine about it is from the UK

What puzzles us the most is how little most UKers seem to care. You were an empire ffs, grow some balls.

[propolo]

the whole world does, not only the US, the CCTVs the gun and knive laws, all the health & safety crap, the fact that almost all of you take **** from the EU without responding and if someone does tell the EU to go **** themsleves the first person to whine about it is from the UK

EU treaties are analogous to the US constitution. If a state steps out of line, the Supreme Court (European Court of Human Rights, or EU Commision etc) wags a finger. With this comes a little less freedom, but there are also benefits. In the US, they are obvious, a strong superpower with global clout. In the EU, this is also the intent to an extent.

What puzzles us the most is how little most UKers seem to care. You were an empire ffs, grow some balls. 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.

[Izzy]

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.

[ssupermegatone]

I am moving so I can get PhD (read: fed) up with motor control.

I met a girl on holiday a few years ago that just graduated in engineering from a Mexican University (Tecnológico de Monterrey, Campus Querétaro)

I believe it's supposed to be good for that field in Mexico?

--- Post Update ---

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

You should have just quoted it as your own. He's too busy crashing the Swiss economy to notice.

[Z2sc8gEz]

I met a girl on holiday a few years ago that just graduated in engineering from a Mexican University (Tecnológico de Monterrey, Campus Querétaro)

I believe it's supposed to be good for that field in Mexico?

Will was joking. The extent of his Spanish is "Ay Papi!"

[Azzi_Kahlila]

Will was joking. The extent of his Spanish is "Ay Papi!"

Incidentally, so is your mother's.

[secondmortgagek]

Will was joking. The extent of his Spanish is "Ay Papi!"

Oh. Will, you bellend.

[xesvideo]

the whole world does, not only the US, the CCTVs the gun and knive laws.

One more thing.

http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2...plate-readers/

[Juersdodfs]

One more thing.

http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2...plate-readers/

And so it begins ^

Pray tell, do daily rags in the US of A have large voluptuous boobies in them?

[Qauunet]

And so it begins ^

Pray tell, do daily rags in the US of A have large voluptuous boobies in them?

The UK police have used numberplate recognition for years.

[joe-salton]

The UK police have used numberplate recognition for years.

I don't recall saying they didn't?

[Qxkmsxsx]

I don't recall saying they didn't?

Your comment implied that big brother was watching them, so I took from that comment that you thought it was unusual.

[MiniBoy]

Your comment implied that big brother was watching them, so I took from that comment that you thought it was unusual.

You got the first part spot on... then went off the rails completely.

[BinasiDombrs]

the whole world does, not only the US, the CCTVs the gun and knive laws, all the health & safety crap, the fact that almost all of you take **** from the EU without responding and if someone does tell the EU to go **** themsleves the first person to whine about it is from the UK

What puzzles us the most is how little most UKers seem to care. You were an empire ffs, grow some balls.

I don't know why you ("you" being Americans) keep lecturing us about our gun laws, when it's YOU that's got the massive gun crime problem, and have a mass shooting practically every week. I'll take our laws over yours any day of the week, ta very much.