American-British Q&A

[JDKJ]

You'd be surprised... ESPN has actually started showing a remarkable amount of Soccer, based on the televisions where I eat lunch. I wouldn't know for sure whether it's just some big event right now, though, because I largely ignore sports altogether.

I live in Los Angeles and I get more football on cable than I know what to do with sometimes. I get live Premier League and MLS and World Cup qualifying on Fox Sports Network and all sortsa underground leagues like CONCACAF and Liga Mexicana on the Spanish stations -- which I kinda like watching just to hear Andres Cantor scream, "Goooooooooooooooooooooooooooooool!! Gol! Gol! Gol!

 

[Psymon138]

Just how bad is knife crime in the UK? I know the US gets a lot of flak for having loose gun laws, but I've read statistics and heard anecdotes from English friends that seem to indicate the UK is just as bad... people just prefer a different weapon.

I personally have been robbed at gunpoint twice, but only because I lived in a really bad neighborhood during college, but it dawned on me that actually USING a gun on someone is a huge risk because of the incredible noise it generates and the probable proximity of others in an urban area. But then I was hearing stories from English friends that a criminal strategy in the UK is to stab someone right off the bat, and then rob them.

I also have English friends who have told me they would literally lay down their lives for a number of not-very-expensive personal effects. Is it seriously that bad in the city?

It varies from place to place. Parts of London have it bad, Glasgow is somewhat notorious, as are some other inner city areas. The majority of the countries quite safe, no matter what the Daily Mail would have us believe.

I grew up in Croydon. For those who don't know, it's one of the Boroughs of London. It has a highest population of any of the Boroughs (over 300,000 last I checked) and something of a bad reputation regarding knife crime, and crime in general really. You used to hear about stabbings every week or so and theft/mugging was more common. But things are improving, it seems to have gotten less common over the past few years. I've only been on the receiving end of it once, on the train home. I know other people who've been attacked, one friend of mine has scars up her arm from fending off a knife attack.

 

[Ris]

Just how bad is knife crime in the UK? I know the US gets a lot of flak for having loose gun laws, but I've read statistics and heard anecdotes from English friends that seem to indicate the UK is just as bad... people just prefer a different weapon.

I personally have been robbed at gunpoint twice, but only because I lived in a really bad neighborhood during college, but it dawned on me that actually USING a gun on someone is a huge risk because of the incredible noise it generates and the probable proximity of others in an urban area. But then I was hearing stories from English friends that a criminal strategy in the UK is to stab someone right off the bat, and then rob them.

I also have English friends who have told me they would literally lay down their lives for a number of not-very-expensive personal effects. Is it seriously that bad in the city?

A lot of it is media hype. There are areas in England that have become notorious for it, just as there are areas notorious for gang-related gun crime; but I don't think either can or should be taken as representative of the country as a whole. In fact, as someone who's travelled about the country quite a lot I'd say that if you don't live in London you'd be forgiven for wondering what all the recent fuss is about.

That's not to say that there aren't high crime areas outside of London; just, well, what country doesn't have high crime areas?

 

[SemiHumanTarget]

True. Although, relatively speaking, Japan doesn't really have any high crime areas. I have never felt scared or in any kind of danger, even in the worst parts of Tokyo.

 

[JDKJ]

That's one of the upsides of having an almost completely homogeneous society and one which, to boot, recognizes and values its homogeneity. That homogeneity also explains, I think, why there's been almost zero looting and other forms of societal breakdown and dysfunction in the aftermath of the quake-tsunami. Societal cohesiveness is easily accomplished and maintained when the society is a homogeneous one. And the opposite is, I think, true: the more heterogeneous a society is, the more prone it is to social dysfunction.

 

[Biodeamon]

you forgot the maple syrups!
wait, crap the qoute didn`t work...

 

[Zykon TheLich]

[quote="SemiHumanThtml

 

[rickynumber24]

That's one of the upsides of having an almost completely homogeneous society and one which, to boot, recognizes and values its homogeneity. That homogeneity also explains, I think, why there's been almost zero looting and other forms of societal breakdown and dysfunction in the aftermath of the quake-tsunami. Societal cohesiveness is easily accomplished and maintained when the society is a homogeneous one. And the opposite is, I think, true: the more heterogeneous a society is, the more prone it is to social dysfunction.

On the other hand, one of my friends, who's an extreme Japanophile (and ethnically Chinese, which always felt a little ironic to me) complains that, as another side effect of that homogeneous society, they're xenophobic as all hell. He also notes this is going to increasingly be a problem because Japan's population is both aging and diminishing.

(They also did an amusing job of reverting to traditional ways when the earthquake hit, he observed, because he was visiting then: every store everywhere was out of rice and other traditional staples, but there was plenty of pasta on the shelves.)

 

[JDKJ]

That's one of the upsides of having an almost completely homogeneous society and one which, to boot, recognizes and values its homogeneity. That homogeneity also explains, I think, why there's been almost zero looting and other forms of societal breakdown and dysfunction in the aftermath of the quake-tsunami. Societal cohesiveness is easily accomplished and maintained when the society is a homogeneous one. And the opposite is, I think, true: the more heterogeneous a society is, the more prone it is to social dysfunction.

On the other hand, one of my friends, who's an extreme Japanophile (and ethnically Chinese, which always felt a little ironic to me) complains that, as another side effect of that homogeneous society, they're xenophobic as all hell. He also notes this is going to increasingly be a problem because Japan's population is both aging and diminishing.

(They also did an amusing job of reverting to traditional ways when the earthquake hit, he observed, because he was visiting then: every store everywhere was out of rice and other traditional staples, but there was plenty of pasta on the shelves.)

"Gaijin" is to the Japanese as "Yankee" is to the British. : P

Xenophobia would be a natural side effect of valued homogeneity. If we let the outsiders in, there goes the neighborhood.

Besides, it's one of the most densely populated countries on the planet. They could stand a little thinning of the herd.

 

[Fishir]

Sometimes I'll hear on the news that there is a huge muslim problem in Europe and Britain. Is there any truth to this, or is it just a media hype?

Edit: I do recall them getting upset for the cops having a puppy in a police cap or something.

 

[Scrubiii]

Sometimes I'll hear on the news that there is a huge muslim problem in Europe and Britain. Is there any truth to this, or is it just a media hype?

Edit: I do recall them getting upset for the cops having a puppy in a police cap or something.

Not sure what you mean by a Muslim "Problem". If you mean "are there a lot of Muslims" then yes, there are a large amount of Muslims in most large cities, specifically London and Birmingham are renowned for having extremely multicultural communities. If you mean "Are terrorists constantly blowing stuff up" then no, there have been very few real attempted terrorist attacks and successful ones are even rarer.

 

[Wadders]

Sometimes I'll hear on the news that there is a huge muslim problem in Europe and Britain. Is there any truth to this, or is it just a media hype?

Edit: I do recall them getting upset for the cops having a puppy in a police cap or something.

Not really. There's a lot of people from Eastern countries come to live here, but by and large they all get on with their lives and make no trouble.

There are a few groups (Muslims Against Crusades for example) who try and stir up the shit by various inflammatory actions, but everyone knows they're idiots, and I cant imagine they have a huge following among the Muslim community. Supposedly something like 40% of young Muslims want Sharia law in some areas of the UK (according to the Daily Telegraph) but that doesn't really amount to a full blown terrorist threat, and it wont ever happen anyway.

The only people who sincerely believe we have a "Muslim problem" in our country are fuckwits like this guy and the organization he belongs to, the English Defence League. Unfortunately, people like that seem to be growing in number :/

 

[Xanian]

I've lived exactly half my life in the UK and half in North America and before you ask there is no preference when I'm in one I miss parts of the other.

so my question to North Americans:

what is with the lack of "pub culture" over here?!

It seems impossible for anyone to comprehend the idea of a quiet drink down the pub! or am I just asking the wrong people?

Depends where you live. Most "pubs" would be noisy bars where they play loud music to get as many customers in and out as possible. It's kinda hard to find a place where you can plop down and have a cool drink by yourself. I think most people who just want a quiet drink pick up a six pack and stay home.

Regardless, I know of quite a few reliable bars and restaurants that cater well to people who want to sit, eat, drink, and chat with friends.

Patio service is probably the best if you want a quiet, unmolested drink.

 

[Xanian]

I've got a few questions...

1. I have little to no British blood or culture in me...so the whole monarchy, pageantry and all that seems very exotic...do you think of any aspects of our culture as exotic, or has it all been drummed into you too much by Hollywood?

2. Do Americans who visit England and the like usually affect accents? I had a few British friends who said we do...and it wouldn't surprise me since anything British just sounds classy to a lot of us over here.

3. Is the Daily Mail as much of a rag as I think it is? Is it Fox News status over there? Seems to me they're pretty comparable...

 

[Xanian]

Also, a question for you americans, do you acknowledge that we are your ancestors?

In that way that I'm of Mexican/ Italian decent...

No.

 

[Rushview]

I've got a few questions...

1. I have little to no British blood or culture in me...so the whole monarchy, pageantry and all that seems very exotic...do you think of any aspects of our culture as exotic, or has it all been drummed into you too much by Hollywood?

2. Do Americans who visit England and the like usually affect accents? I had a few British friends who said we do...and it wouldn't surprise me since anything British just sounds classy to a lot of us over here.

3. Is the Daily Mail as much of a rag as I think it is? Is it Fox News status over there? Seems to me they're pretty comparable...

1. Nothing inparticular comes to mind, hopefully people are smart enough to filter out the typical Hollywood repesentation of American as much as the Hollywood view of us 'Brits' as Shakespeare reading, Tea-Drinking, toffee-nosed arseholes with bad teeth, who all know the Queen somehow.

2. Doesn't effect me personally and I come into contact with quite a few Americans through my occupation. Although my dulcet northern tones would require a constant and thorough shock to the system to alter them in the slightest.

3. The Daily Mail is typically know as a right-wing paper, affiliated with the Conservatory Party. It's in the middle of the newspaper heirarchy. With the lower tabloids being papers such as The Sun, Daily Star, The Mirror. The newspapers seen as to be aimed towards the upper eschalon of society being The Independent, The Guardian and The Times, and the middle section of the newspaper catagory being The Daily Mail and The Express

 

[JDKJ]

Sometimes I'll hear on the news that there is a huge muslim problem in Europe and Britain. Is there any truth to this, or is it just a media hype?

Edit: I do recall them getting upset for the cops having a puppy in a police cap or something.

Not really. There's a lot of people from Eastern countries come to live here, but by and large they all get on with their lives and make no trouble.

There are a few groups (Muslims Against Crusades for example) who try and stir up the shit by various inflammatory actions, but everyone knows they're idiots, and I cant imagine they have a huge following among the Muslim community. Supposedly something like 40% of young Muslims want Sharia law in some areas of the UK (according to the Daily Telegraph) but that doesn't really amount to a full blown terrorist threat, and it wont ever happen anyway.

The only people who sincerely believe we have a "Muslim problem" in our country are fuckwits like this guy and the organization he belongs to, the English Defence League. Unfortunately, people like that seem to be growing in number :/

WTF is "muslamic?" Did that idiot make up his own word? By cross-breeding "muslim" and "islamic?" Christ.

Ever seen "This Is England," a movie about skinheads in 1980s England? That wanker reminds me of the character Combo in that movie.

If you haven't:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RpyLtHeKxrE&feature=player_detailpage


You'll notice that both video clips contain the Cross of St Andrew flag (frequently displayed by skinheads, the National Front, and various other gits).

 

[JDKJ]

Also, a question for you americans, do you acknowledge that we are your ancestors?

In that way that I'm of Mexican/ Italian decent...

No.

Que linda/bella.

 

[JDKJ]

derp!