As a European my take on the USA is this: What else did you expect from a country that was founded by religious extremists that were so extreme the other Europeans rejected them, so the extremists moved over the pond and here we are.
Oh yeah, my friend told me a story (we're both polish btw, living in Poland) that in her group there was this American girl from the student exchange program, and she was sure, that when she says that she's from America, everyone is gonna be amazed, because y'know, America is "The best in the world" etc. So the question "Where are you from?" finally was asked, and in the proudest voice she said "I'm American", and then had a shock of her life when people, instead of singing her praises, were like "Oh my God, i'm so sorry". After like 5 minutes of just pure shock she was like "Wait, why are you sorry for me?", and the group started talking about how unsafe America is, about the guns,shootings, muggings, police brutality etc. And I think in that moment she realized that there is a lot she doesn't know about the rest of the world, and how America is seen by other countries
True story- An American couple visited Canada and took back a t shirt with a Canadian flag on it. Their son wore it to school and seeing the t shirt the teacher sent him to the Principal's Office where the Principal seeing the shirt called the Police. Why? These "educated" school staff thought the Maple Leaf was a marijuana leaf, I do not expect the educators to know every flag in the world. All they had to do is look on the internet or a book😯😯
Schools have changed - for the worse - long since I graduated. Watching those 'dumb 'American' videos makes my blood boil. I want my tax money back if that's the result.
I do not expect the educators to know every flag in the world. The Usa is bounded by two countries. Mexico and Canada. And they did not know the canadian flag ? wtf ?
I dated an American woman for 7 years, I've been to the U.S., and to this day I have American friends....so I'm not talking out of my ass here... The way I describe the U.S. to everyone that hasn't been to the U.S. is...the country with limitless possibilities, but nothing is allowed...
@@lordofrims sounds bad. Also I live in the city but for most stuff I need to cycle 10 minutes or more to get it (done) and find that already a lot... So not having an shops in my neighborhood would drive me crazy and makes that I def don't wanna live there.
On a forum once I was asked what Scottish people think of the Simpsons depiction of Groundkeeper Willie as a Scotsman. I responded that to be honest there may be a bit of truth in the character. However it worked both ways, we thought the average American was like Homer…..
Love this coment, as a mexican i grew up with Speedy Gonzáles and even now i actualy love him as a cartoon and if you remember the scene with el Lento Rodríguez pff pure gold.
@@scottneil1187 Well he is super racist but if you think americans are short fused, try to deal with an angry chapaneco or a veracruzano from alvarado over here, youll get a mechete in your skull before you can say freedom. It is after all a critique and, sadly, as close to reality as Homer is xD
'the average American was like Homer......' or Peter Griffin of Family Guy N.B. the 2-part crossover spec. between the cartoon series,where the 2 characters ended up in a massive fisticuffs!🤣
I've had an American make fun of Australia's "socialised healthcare system". I'm in hospital all the time for a chronic condition. I honestly am glad to be here and seeing top specialists, paying nothing - than what I would have to cough up in the US.
It’s envy Cassie, and confusion over social responsibility v communism. They are deeply suspicious of organised social security, whilst prepared to dig deep voluntarily for people in need. It’s sad that they are convinced by the military-industrial kleptocracy that freedom means basic human rights are for the wealthy.
Oz medical system saved my life after a stroke and rare disease for free. All tests all professional help free.No added stress because of bills.We are bloody lucky mate, no joke.
I once heard an American YTer making grand statements about “not needing to travel outside of the USA because we have all of the world here….” and I just felt quite sad about the unwillingness to travel because - and most likely - the world, as some people in the USA see it, is personified in Disneyworld or Las Vegas, where you can see “the Eiffel Tower” or “the Pyramids” etc etc - and whilst I completely and honestly understand about the costs of travel and holidaying “abroad”, to not want to see or find out about history and the world by reading a book or watching a factual TV programme or DVD is just strange 😧
@@Muck006 okaaay…. Yes, I should have included the fact that “most Americans in employment” are not given a sensible amount of paid annual leave (or PTO 😉) that would enable them to travel far and wide - beyond the edges of the USA - allowing them to visit and tour other countries. But the opportunity for a USA person to widen their knowledge and get a basic understanding of other countries, cultures and places of interest IS readily available in books and guides. Soon, I will be watching a tv programme about travelling the Rocky Mountains from Montana to Colorado!
Just look up the prices for flights in the US, from US to Europe for example and compare them to the prices in Europe. The GDR did duild a wall to keep the people in, the US build the wall in the mind of the people to keep them in (starting with spoon feeding the kids in school Murica No 1 and worshipping a piece of cloth on the wall) and on top of that, only people that profit from the US system can afford to travel freely.
@@TheSecretChateau its not. They literally vote nutjobs in power who are allowed to play with nukes. And thats because they arent very smart themselves. They dont even know they live in an oligarchy bro they think they have democracy
@@gailhubbard7102 GIven that you have no clue who I am or what I stand for. Your question is wasted, illconcieved, and speaks of lack of immagination and knowlage about the subject. I do more for my countrys progress than you most likely realize. That said. My country is not the US.
I'm an Englishman. What do I think of Americans. There are beautiful people and bad people. I only wish Americans would realise that there is an entire world out there. And its not backwards. We have all the advances you have. Maybe learn and add different cultures into your society to make it an enriched life not a blinkered life. God bless you all
Well,.. that was before Britain was Unleashed. Now you already have the BOE act to save the economy destroyed by the government. Oh and guess who knew about those plans and went short all the sudden?
@@nebucamv5524 sheeeesh its 15-20% in Aus and I don't even qualify for that i pay 7%. oh and we have a tax free threshold.. its a limit, If you don't earn like $30,000 a year then your not allowed to pay tax
@@nebucamv5524 Just googled it. The average is 37.7%, nowhere near 70%. Anyway, how much tax you pay isn't directly comparable just by what exact % you pay. If I was paying 1% tax but there was absolutely no public services in my country and 100% of the tax money went to nothing but politicians wages then that 1% tax would be 1% too much. Yet if I was paying 20%, 20 times as much as the 1% but that was used to fund healthcare, education, public transport etc.. and we had really good public services then that 20% could be an absolute bargain. It really depends on how much of that tax money goes back into the country and how much goes to politicians and their friends.
@@littletoe9412 it is but education (University) isn’t free in Australia. It also depends on you income, I pay 43% tax 😆 not many pay only 15-20%. Also the tax free threshold is $18,200 not $30,000.
Hi, German here. Re " free education" : I have a feeling that some Americans might not understand the " generation treaty" we have here. My college was "free" except for a small fee and there are the costs of living of course paid mostly by parents and/or a student loan and/or small jobs on the side. Now this enabled me to get a well-paid job and I finance somebody else to have the same opportunity like myself with my taxes ! Don't forget: our biggest "natural resource" are our well-educated and skilled workforce which is generally better educated than the average American. And that goes for most European countries ! And yes, as always there are exceptions to the rule ! ;)
I've worked as a tour guide for many American tourists and I've been asked several times if I'm a Republican or a Democrat, even if they know I'm not from the US. It’s a mystery to me that some Americans can believe that all democratic countries have the same parties and two-party system as in the US. If I say I'm neither because I'm not American but from Denmark/Scandinavia, I usually get a tidal wave of dumb political questions and strange prejudices. WTF…!
Reminds me of a discussion I had on - of course - Reddit. They just could not comprehend the fact we have more than a dozen of parties, we (NL) have 150 seats, and every party can have someone claim a seat. The difference is some parties get more seats than others. So it matters even if you vote on a small party, they can still gain a seat. And this guy I was talking to was like 'but what is the use if there is not one winner?' as if it's a competition where winner takes all and not the point to have representatives who give their voters a voice.
@@annachronistic thats the spirit^^ but seriously i live in germany and we have a lot of parties and i don't like a single one of them. the problem with polical parties, no matter how many there are, is that they are ful of politicians ;)
I have a few friends who are American. They are spot on in every way that counts. The Americans I've met outside of my friend group have either been religious nuts as in the woman who kicked out of a church in my city. She ended up in a police cell for a night or two, if I remember right. Wilfully ignorant over things that are set in actual stone. The design for the American flag, the Stars and Stripes, is English. It came from Washington in the North East of England. Many American tourists visiting Durham cathedral have straight up refused to believe this and walked out in protest. Rude, as in the American couple who moved my wheelchair, with me in it, without asking. My parents went apeshit. The majority of Americans I've met outside of my friend group? Isolated. They have been so starved for conversation, knowledge, and humanity that just giving 10 minutes of your time to them will have them wanting to cry from relief.
As a person who sees them vacationing around my area. They are old babies with no manners. Like they can be nice at heart but do every wrong in the book. So ignorant to their surroundings and others.. When I think of American, I sadly think of that American woman I saw in Starbucks at 7am while queuing. She was before me and while the Italian barista was taking her order, she looked as if she was insulted. She kept asking her to speak English. I and everyone in the whole shop were embarrassed for her. She continued repeating her order which apparently a drink that we don’t have in the Uk .. [it happens.. we regulate sugar and additives and sometimes it’s based on customers interest. Anyways, she was telling her we don’t have the syrup for her drink and if she would like anything similar (giving her suggestions)].. the order finally is in; she gets a translation from a gentleman behind me. I wasn’t going to do that. She then proceeded to try and pay to complain about how heavy our coins are .. proceeds to drop them on the counter and tell the Barista “is that enough?” .. I died at that moment .. the Barista collected the needed coins as a payment .. the woman was like oh and proceeded to collect the rest back.. she was asked if she wants a bill .. she said yes .. printed her one for her to look at it and leave it on the counter 😰😰😰.. now, fast forward to us waiting for our drinks. She sees people standing around, goes to stand by the delivery counter so everyone who has their name called has to go stand by her (almost touch her shoulder) and have to pass their hand across her if they wanted a drink stopper 💀. And she didn’t stop there .. she turned around to ME and started a conversation from across the space .. I was a meter away!!! That conversation included her turning her attention to me, coming over and asking me all kinds of questions like where the Barista from and if I understood her … I also was asked if I was British too because she apparently understood my accent (i was not using my regular accent .. I spoke in American accent which I acquire watching your series) So ya .. I took my drink and ran away .. she was asking all those kind of questions and over sharing her experience on her 3rd day in the city .. so what I saw/met is an: Intrusive .. Loud .. Impolite .. Apathetic and truly unaware of anything kind of person. I mean she could be a nice person but she doesn’t come across as one.
Was in a restaurant in Galway Ireland last night. There was a group of Americans dining there too , we were seated as far away as possible the waitress apologised for the noise twice, eventually as we received our main course I had had enough, I approached the older man at the table I suspect he was the father and probably paying for the meal , I explained that I really didn’t care about the young ladies pretty pathetic sporting achievements or what the lady ( mature) thought of the clothes on offer in the shops in Galway, I was polite and explained that I was out with my wife and brother for a quiet meal to discuss our mother’s impending move to a nursing home due to dementia, if anyone at the table is deaf I am sorry but they could get a hearing aid and then there would be no need for every one to shout . He was taken aback but in fairness they did quite down, instead of being aggressively loud they were just loud, in fairness to all the other patrons of the restaurant I did get a round of applause after my little rant. I genuinely think that most Americans think they are the most important people in the world and they believe the lies that they are told , American people are gullible and naïve and that makes them dangerous, but they are generally nice even if they are unwilling to admit that they might be wrong and will never admit that America “inc” is not great!
US Americans are... a unique breed. I see them exist at the two extreme ends of the spectrum. The ignorant ones are loud and annoying, but the chill ones are open-minded and knowledgeable. You're the latter, man :D
Having met a lot of Americans right across continental Europe I have found that a single American is as charming and agreeable as you could wish, but as soon as there are two or more, including the first one, it is as if all the braincells revolt and depart fundamentally. I was on a ferry from Italy to Greece and was stuck behind a coachload of Americans booking on at reception. It was a 20 hour Superfast ferry (for those that know them); it departed in the early afternoon and arrived in the middle of the next morning. There were loads of restaurants, bars and theatres with lots of entertainment laid on but these insisted on having all their cabins in a single corridor and which must have interconnecting telephones. With all that going on were they going to stay in their cabins and ring each other all the trip? I would have expected them to have found an area suitable for all of them and speak face to face, or at least enjoy the entertainment, but what do I know? I was just an English lorry driver who was glad of a bit of company in a bar.
We have had many touring type holidays in US and everyone we have met have been polite, friendly and when we’ve had problems have jumped in without asking and helped us out. Most Americans we have met have been generous, warm, fun and kind. That’s our perception of Americans as individuals, as a generalised overview of life in the United States, thank goodness we don’t live there. 👩❤️👨❤️
The average American; the regular people you meet on the street or in the supermarket, are lovely people. They're just people like you and me, trying to just get through life. It's the assholes in power who make life hard for everyone else, and keep the regular people ignorant ON PURPOSE.
Bit late to the party but thought I'd add my two cents cuz why not? I'm British. My uncle relocated to the States long before I was born, married an American lady and has several American children. I spent a lot of holidays as a child visiting and spending time with my cousins. One memory that sticks out is my cousins telling me what it was like at their school in Atlanta. They had to pass through metal detectors to enter/leave the school similar to passing security at an airport, they had guards stationed around the school and a frequent armed police presence. They taught me what they had learned about how to react to an active shooter situation and we even made a game out of it. Now as a child, I found the stories fascinating and exciting as I'd never even seen police with guns in the UK at that point. It's only since becoming an adult however and looking back on these memories that I realise just how fucked up all of that actually is. I've also fallen in love with the lady I hope to spend the rest of my life with and we've talked about having children of our own some day. The idea of said hypothetical children growing up in such an environment honestly fills me with a fear I've never felt before and they don't even exist! My uncle has definitely been indoctrinated into the stereotypical American dream and sadly I have little contact with him or my cousins these days. I am not stupid enough to believe that the UK is perfect as it is far from it especially these days but at least I can take solace knowing our children don't have to grow up in such a hostile environment. Maybe it doesn't affect them at all, maybe it even helps them to be much more aware of their surroundings and of strangers compared to British kids but I can't help but think that being raised to expect danger from every loud bang or I guess expecting the worst out of someone based on how they look or dress before getting to know them can't be healthy. I am fortunate enough to still be able to spend holidays abroad and have been back to the US a few times as an adult. I primarily stay in the countryside in Oregon/Washington when I do so. You guys have stunning scenery and wildlife. I can start up a conversation with almost anyone I meet and they're always genuinely fascinated to hear tales of life in the UK and I likewise enjoy hearing their stories. I can't say that I'd be comfortable starting up a conversation with a complete stranger in the UK. Yes, it still unnerves me to see aisles lined with guns in certain shops but you can expect to see similar in a dedicated outdoor/hunting shop in the UK albeit on a much smaller scale. Sadly, I have no desire to visit any US cities however. But I don't think it's all doom and gloom for the US and they can definitely turn things around especially if people stop letting their ego take over and start thinking a bit more critically and objectively like your good self. Apologies for the wall of text, maybe nobody will read this but it was useful for me to write it out regardless I think. Love these reactions!
An American on Facebook, tried to tell me the US flag code applied to my country. I pointed out that it didn't apply here, and he was breaking the flag code by wearing clothes covered in the stars and stripes, the amount of abuse I got from Americans for that comment. I find Americans like to quote their laws, while breaking most of them themselves. It doesn't rake much to do research
They'll quote them whilst being sovereign citizens in other countries. It won't be long before one of them gets death somewhere which has no truck with drugs and drug driving. The flag code only really applies to officers of the US, especially military. Grunts in the military probably would wear a flag though, which is why there's a code saying they can't. Remember: most of this is because people HAVE DONE IT.
I am Italian, with many very close friends born and living in the USA. I know I'm really lucky, in that the ones who aren't willing to engage will filter themselves out, but I have seen them. What really blows my mind, however, is the stubborn unwillingness to face reality that so many US citizens have. It's exasperating.
Worth mentioning - tomorrow (Sept 30) is a national holiday in Canada, Truth & Reconciliation Day. We know we participated in a genocide against the indigenous people. Some of us get defensive about it, but I learned in school how badly we treated and continue to treat our indigenous people, and I was learning that while the last residential schools were still open (last one closed in 1996 - the genocide is living memory). You're not wrong that we've done as bad to our native people as the USA did, but the difference is most of us don't pretend we're past it. I think it's important to separate Americans from America. The problems I have are with 'Murrika. But by and large, every American I've ever met has been a fundamentally good person who's not really that different from me, and who wants most of the same things I do. 'Murrika as a monolith, however, is an entirely different story. I do not understand the obsession with guns, the steadfast belief that it's a free country, the lack of access to basic health care, or the tacit approval of the creation of an underclass through underfunding of basic social services. Your country is violent, apathetic, and happily deluding itself about the impact it has on the rest of the world. Did you know that your Democratic party is center-right by global standards? Your Overton window has shifted so far that you don't realize how insane that is.
We know now. Topics like the current progress and/or regression of the "nations within a nation", what treaties failed or worked, achievements or failures of their people, or the "possible impact of residential schools" were not topics back when I was in school. I never learned a thing about natives besides they live on reservations, dealt with the French explorers, they're forbearers were the origin of the canoe and kayak, and they fought in various conflicts of Canada's history. Sadly many folks still resent and look down on the native folks here in the great white north. Also, today is a "federal statutory holiday" but each province and territory can choose to observer it or not along with many businesses. Canada has weak Feds but STRONG Provinces...
A "radical lefty" like Bernie would at most be considered a centrist in Norway, even some so called Democrats would be placed on the far right of the spectrum here.
I'm French, and i spent a year in Chicago in the eighties. Travelled to New York recently, an surprisingly enough, the country seemed very familiar. Nothing had really changed, except the size of the cars :) Dont think there is anything that we can call "the Americans" (nor "the French"). I met very educated people there who knew french litterature better than me, and i met country folks who never left their home town. And i respect them both. I love part of the american culture, as i love part of the culture of most of the countries in the world (love jazz and blues, from the US, but also from France, UK, Sweden, etc.). Though i have a problem with the american "cutural dominance". And the military all over the planet... Like most non Americans, i believe the biggest problem is this magical belief of being the best country in the world. Which is just silly, for there cant be a "best country". Every country has its flaws. But what really baffles me, is to see so many people suffer from the american political and economic system (education, jobs, health...), and nothing changes. Ever.
I'd be afraid to see 'real' reality. With the dirty secrets of the rich elites, the corrupt politicians, and the greedy corporations all laid bare from the beginning to now. From all over the globe.
You are so informative and observant about your nation. It takes courage to be that honest with your own home culture. It is needful for peaceful change. Hopefully there are many more like yourself in the US.
I used to be in the Royal Navy. I went to many different countries and had good and bad experiences in all of them. The USA was the only place that felt like a theme park and all the people living there were like the characters in costume. I was oddly treated with great respect by everyone because i was in the military which is a stark contrast to pretty much every other country i went to. It was “nice” but made me feel uncomfortable as it seemed people were made to feel obligated to praise the military. I went to a restaurant and ordered ribs and basically half a cow turned up on my plate. I asked if i had accidentally ordered a family sharing meal to which i was informed it was actually a small portion!
Trust me, No one feels 'obligated'. In fact it's likely the opposite - we like knowing other militaries are actively helping to make a difference since our media and politicians try to make it seem we are doing it all ourselves. I don't buy into that no matter how much they try to project. The world is only getting smaller - and somehow we need to work it out.
The difference between a university education system funded by taxes and one funded by the parents of the people who want to attend it is that with the tax funded system everyone is investing in a well educated future generation that will be more likely to be able to pay their own way rather than depending on social security. It also opens up the chance of higher education to people who are not wealthy but who are intelligent enough to make good use of a good education. The other 'system' means only rich kids get to go to university whether they are intelligent or not, while clever poor kids end up being caught in a poverty trap.
@@thefirm4606 In the rest of the world many would call it investing in a better future for the children of your country. America is no longer a place that people want to admire.
Yeah, it's just sad. I'm a first generation to get a masters degree, but luckily I don't live in the USA. There is no way my parents could have paid for my engineering degree there... but here, I did get my education and now I earn so much that I pay more taxes than my parents ever did, so in the end it's a win-win situation.
Went to Mexico as a pasty British guy and realised two things fast: My service and life expectancy improved as soon as I said I'm not American. Ordering a pitcher to myself was seen as a challenge by jocks on holiday, they didn't take the resulting hangover well the next morning when I ordered another pitcher at breakfast....
Myself and a couple of mates went to california years ago and ordered a pitcher of weak us beer each, while the americans had one between 4 of them, ...thought we were borderline alcoholics
My stereotypes about most Americans: They all can sing, they have the best bands and in big trouble this "we stand together" attitude. That's the positive I can say. They're awfully loud. Their horizon ends at the shores of America. Even when they are demonstrably wrong in a thing, they persist in their opinions, and are also somehow arrogant when it comes to comparisons with other countries. They are bigoted, pushy pious and blatantly patriotic. They like to show what they are, what they have and what they do for a living. Somehow they are all a bit racist, even the PoC. They have little sense of holding family-connections through generations, but attach great importance to heritage (no, you are not Irish just because your great-great-grandmothers dog was a Setter). And as a woman I can say: American women wear far too much spandex, especially if they don't have the body for it. They wear far too much make-up, only Russian women wear more.
I was watching a history programme about America building a railway line connecting the East to West coast. There was a certain point in the journey where they would slow the train down and the passengers would shoot bison grazing on the plains. Then they would speed the train back up and continue on their journey. They didn't kill these animals for food, but just for some fun.. Really makes me angry. I am from the UK, and we have plenty of cruel assholes too. By the way, thank you for your kind words on the passing of our Queen
I believe the killing of bison was a deliberate Gov't sanctioned activity to deprive native Americans their traditional source of food & clothing so they would either starve or move on.
There was also the government policy of shooting bison in order to starve the indigenous tribes. In addition to trading them smallpox-infected blankets...
@@hypsyzygy506 this is so terribly sad that I would feel shame instead of waving the flag in pride. In Germany, we are very aware of our terrible past and therefore be more humble and less proud.
I worked in a pub about 10 years ago and we had American travellers regularly. Always loud, always arrogant, always demanded table service (which we didn't do) and think they're above anyone else. It's Americans like you that have changed my opinion, you're a good guy.
I'm from New Zealand, I took my family to CA and Disneyland in 1990, it was wonderous. Took my wife to NYC climbed to the top of the Empire State building in 2000, drove from Providence Ri to Florida city Fl, and had a great time. But I will never travel to the USA ever again, it seems from the outside to be just angry, and filled with nasty just under the surface, people seem to be triggered by the smallest of slights, in short a powder keg with a short fuse. It really is a shame, I feel so sorry for the huge waste of talented people stuck in poverty, and I even feel sorry for Elon Musk, because although he may be the richest man , the women who are attracted to him are simply scum, same for Jeff Bezos. There never seems to be a middle ground, its kill kill kill, sue sue sue, divorced men = homeless, you have to be bleeding with riches or bleeding to death. And what's worse you can't even see it.
Pretty much the reason I wanna leave. :( As someone who is mentally ill, I struggle a lot with obsessing over conversations or how things are said and percieved. This is AMPLIFIED with certain topics. I'm afraid to say literally anything to anyone unless I know them very well. Race, sexuality, religion, body type, political beliefs- it's like no topic is safe.
I am Costa Rican, and I used to be a bit scared of Americans thinking they might be racists and mean, but I've been working with an American company for the past 2+ years and everyone I've met in the company has been so nice and kind, that made my fears go away, I'm sure there's real racist mfs out there but I'm so glad I haven't had to deal with them at work
When the only example one has is the BS media and the self absorbed on social media - like TikTok - well now we start to see that if Americans in general are so 'bad', why do I see every other group of young people acting the exact same way regardless of location? I think what we really see are those loud people on social media and those affluent assholes traveling the world acting like idiots. Every country has a 'heartland' where people are normal, but they are never represented because of the 2 examples I provided. I find the 'Beard' a normal person myself.
I'm a Brit. I first visited the US in the 80's and was there very frequently until '94 when I moved there, settled down, got a green card and was happy. After a few years we had a baby. Back then the US was so full of hope. The economy was in good shape, assault weapons were banned, I rarely saw bigotry and people were genuinely welcoming. Sure, coming from a secular culture, the overt religiousity freaked me out, as did the general ignorance that there was a developed world outside the US (back then only 10% of Americans had passports), but it was on balance a good place to be. You could have a regular job and afford a home and a decent life, but we moved back to the UK before our daughter reached school age as the standard of education in the US wasn't good, even back then and, despite the assault weapons ban, the whole gun thing was very scary. Nonetheless, I've continue to visit and work in the US ever since. But, since then, we've seen the rise of the Tea Party, ever-increasing Nationalism, the evil and misnamed 'Citizens United', dark money financing of politics, the horrors of 9-11 and the subsequent group paranoia and hatred of all things foreign, a Supreme Court which has become a branch of the wicked Federalist Society, repeal of the assault weapons ban and weekly mass shootings that the NRA-funded Congress refuses to address and the culmination of all this: Trump. Politicians have learned they can flat-out lie and get away with it. Commit crimes, ignore subpeonas, run out the clock - the privilege of the wealthy and well-connected. The journalists that would otherwise speak truth to power are branded 'fake news', while other journalists are controlled by corporate interests to lie to the people. There is culture of unaccountability as a result. Meanwhile, corporations have become more venal and controlling, wages for normal people have fallen in real terms, the frozen minimum wage isn't a living wage, unions get busted by corporate interests. Healthcare is an expensive joke. The rich get ever richer and the poor get ever poorer. Any attempt at progress is branded 'socialism' and villified. It honestly breaks my heart to see that country ripped apart by corporate interests and their lapdogs in politics. Americans? They're people just like people everywhere but, unless they've had the scales fall their eyes, they can be downright tedious to know.
Anecdote: My first trip to the US after my green card expired, I got detained at US immigration at Newark (I had the visa-waiver to support entry). The reason was that the officials could not accept that I would choose not live in the US if I had the immense privilege of a green card. They simply couldn't comprehend that anywhere else might stack up. They were hostile, highly suspicious and treated me like a pariah. They eventually let me go after a lot of questioning but radioed ahead to customs, where I was detained again and my bags searched for evidence that I might be moving back into the country illegally. Finally, I was let go, but that experience really shook me up.
became a friend with a former US citizen a few months ago that moved to my country(Norway) he said verbatim "just the universal health care is reason enough for me and my family to never want to go back like ever. oh and the mandatory minimum 4 weeks of paid vacation, not to mention me or my kids wont have to go nearly bankrupt to get a better education"
While it has it's merits, there is a lot of 'waste' included in that spending. I personally like knowing most idiots would avoid direct confrontation. Now if we can just learn to hang back unless 'asked'. On Spending. The biggest issue I found is how budgets are maintained. For example, in the small command I was assigned to which reflects every single government financed operation, military, education, political infrastructure, etc. we had a specific amount of money we could spend to maintain it. At the end of the fiscal year any money left over would be deducted from next years amount available, so the order was to spend it all. Now multiply that by every example I gave that exists in the states or military locations outside the US.
Me: British Wife: American One conversation (Wife): “You know that the British have a horrible history don’t you?” (Me): “Yes I know, we got taught that at school, but it’s no worse than any other countries.” (Wife): “Yeah, but Britain especially…” (Me): “AMERICA NUKED TWO CITIES… that’s pretty bloody horrible too. Didn’t even go for military targets, they went for mass casualties…” (Wife): “Well, I guess…”
I agree - We Americans should have just continued to take the last pennies from every allied country in WW2 and then when broke, say have a nice day instead of joining and helping to win the war effort.
@@terrylandess6072 dude, do you even know your history? you joined ww2 becasue of pearl harbor and germany declaring war on you. you didn't join out of the goodness of your heart, you joined because you were forced to. also you took every last penny, you did the same during your "revolution" when you took a huge loan from france that you didn't intend to pay back
I have a little story of my own. When I was young, as an apprentice, there were still considerably more American troops stationed in Germany. During my training, I had to complete several inter-company courses that took place in my district town in northern Bavaria. A VW Beetle with an American license plate was parked near the main train station, right next to the main post office building. The Americans were always easy to spot because they were bright green at the time, as opposed to the white German license plates (this was later changed so terrorists couldn't spot Americans sooo easily). As I passed, I looked inside the Beetle and discovered in disbelief that there were at least half a dozen M-16 assault rifles in the back seat. You have to know that there are pretty strict gun laws in Germany since the early 70's. At that time there was an amnesty for people who voluntarily gave up their weapons, some of which were still from the war (this action, was a huge success). A case was particularly well-known at the time where a man kept a 20mm German quadruple anti-aircraft gun on a half-track in a barn. But such weapons as assault rifles are already covered by the "War Weapons Control Act". Something like that is punished extremely rigorously. And this GI, just had assault rifles lying around in a VW Beetle that took 7 seconds to break open and max. 2 minutes to short circuit to drive away...
@The Eclectic Beard You are fantastic! I have watched you for a while from Britain and it’s been amazing to watch you react and broaden your horizons. I know many Americans that have changed their outlooks after travelling abroad, a couple of people I know immigrated here from the US. It’s far harder for Americans who haven’t travelled abroad to start to view these things objectively with an open mind and without taking things personally because the schooling system from such a young age works to indoctrinate people to become good US workers and believe things are so far better there than anywhere on earth so they lack the drive to want yo travel or the holiday pay and time off to do it. Certainly most of Europe (I would say in my experience, and speaking very broadly) one of the main differences is I don’t we don’t take ourselves as seriously perhaps as Americans, even our humour marks ourselves and country at the butt of a joke but it’s in good jest and humour. It’s a generalisation of course, because you get our sense of humour. You’re down to earth and not as blinded by Stars and Stripes as some people are. Every country can do better, we have good and bad everywhere but it’s ok to Acknowledge that to improve things, not everyone in the US can even admit things could be improved instead politicians will say “this is the greatest country in the world” Watching you react I think you’d love it in Europe and you’d be so very well welcomed too. Thanks for creating great content, being humble, funny, fair and objective 👍😊
Aw damn... I'm Canadian, and I have many, MANY friends in the USA! Texas, Michigan, North Carolina, New York, Massachusetts, Wisconsin, Mississippi, California, Washington, Georgia, Louisiana... and so on. Most of them also shake their heads collectively at the culture surrounding them, but it's very similar up here too. We have an equal percentage of jugheads up here who just embarrass the hell out of the rest of us too. I've been watching your reaction videos for a while now, EB and I gotta say, you are by far one of my favorites.
The average American those that I have met anyway, all seem to be very nice people, they are just ignorant and insular they are not taught about the rest of the world and when u live in a country the size of Europe u have no need to look outside of your own country, its just very sad because it could be amazing xx
What age group? Social media is poisoning the world and it's really getting bad here. Using the letter u instead of spelling it out is a sign. I personally have taken a great interest in the world ever since the 60's. What does 'need' have to do with it? People choose what they want. The the Soviet Union fell, I had to learn about a bunch of new countries. As the world changes over time and technology allows so much knowledge in Space, Medicine, Engineering, too many live with their heads jammed into a phone and on things like TikTok - as if that makes one smarter.
"and when u live in a country the size of Europe" Sweety, Europe isn't a country, it's a continent with 44 countries in it. But if you were thinking of the European Union, it's not a country either, it's a union of 27 separate countries.
I did a tour of Italy with a group of Americans. I found them to be defensive and polite but not the least bit open. Like they were afraid of criticism of America. So the notion of freedom didn't apply to them outside their own country. They didn't realise others didn't have these restrictions. Europeans are just not like that.
Regarding the tipping in restaurants being a throw back to slavery, slavery was about 400 years ago, how slow is America? No one expects change overnight but 4 centuries is plenty of time to look at and change a pay scale!
It's funny, because the US was one of the earlier European countries that had thrown _away_ the custom of tipping - it was seen as an anathema to the idea of freedom and equality. I mean, you're literally bribing someone to provide a better service to you just because you're rich. And it was seen as a relic of the associated idea that service staff wasn't paid, so tips were the only money they got. But that was back when the US was at the front of the race for freedom and equality. It doesn't seem to be a particularly valued set of values nowadays.
"only the leaders, the men are just following orders." I know or I can understand what you mean. But, as a German, never ever justify anything a person does with bad leadership. That got a real bad taste to it thanks to our history.
I'm British and the most common thing I've noticed with Americans I've met online is alot genuinely think we still care about the American Revolution, it happened nearly 300 years ago, we've moved on since then. I mostly humour them because I think it's funny
For a huge part of my life I grew up in Heidelberg, Germany...tons of tourists and three U.S. Army HQs...not being a huge fan of the U.S. in political terms, I learned that, like most other humans, americans are quite pleasant to be around with...until they come in a bunch...we germans like it decent and quiet...'nuff said^^ Anyways, love to you and America
I love the fact that you realize that you can still love your country, while at the same time see its 'bad sides'. Since most Americans, at least that I've met either can't - or flat-out refuses to do it....and yeah - the "cultish" worship of 'the American Way', as not only the only way - but as 'your' own and 'unique way' (like it is the only country in the entire world that has 'freedom'!). IMHO - I cannot but help to think that the 'indoctrination' of a 'hyped-up' nationalism (that begins from a frightening young age) is a sort of a 'tool', invented by the "Masters" to keep everyone "in check", so to speak...so that you'll think that seeing, acknowledging or at least publicly announce a problem - is equal to treason! (Since as the old saying goes: 'to fix a problem - you must first see it!'. And I feel like that very fact there might be at least one big reason as to why 'you' aren't either able, or willing to 'right many of the wrongs', so to speak...or, are you with me?). Don't take it the wrong way - I'm not saying that like I'm on some sort of piedestal, from a far flung "perfect country" - there is no such country! (As you're surely aware of! ;-) ). And if I'm to take a more personal view, from personally meeting Americans - well, it is a bit like the guy in the beginning said; "it's a bit contradictory". The Americans I've met - if I'm to put them as a 'collective whole' have been friendly and polite - while at the same time arrogant, many times. Just my personal experience - and my 2 cents. Greetings from Sweden!
The idea of not willing to paying for the education of other peoples children does not come up in Germany (and maybe most of Europe - not sure 🤷♀️) because... almost every job you choose (beside studying) starts with a 3 to 3,5 year apprenticeship which combines practical learning in your job AND theoretical learning in school - no matter if it is administration, craft, social work etc. Therefore everyone uses the schoolsystem - not only the ones with the higher education.
I am just so happy to see EB going from strength to strength on this channel.🎉🎊🎉🎊!! 91.9K Subs 🥰 (although he should be at 1mill by now in my opinion). It wasn't so long ago we remember him being a pure gentleman and totally grateful to fans for 30k subs😁, but if the is one man/channel that deserves that 100k RUclips plaque, it's this man & his channel. So many other Americans try and copy him on RUclips , but they have nowhere near the love & understanding of Britain as he does. I have to say, McJibbin annoys the crap out of me. The lad needs to take a breath and just try to understand one of the hundreds of posts he does each day😉.
Thanks for calling out the travesties done to the indigenous population also here in Canada. This is especially highlighted with Truth and Reconciliation day being today (Sept 30th). We cannot deny what happened and it saddens me that people ever thought it was okay to dehumanize and deculturalize the indigenous youth in our country. I hope that we can do better and allow these cultures to grow and thrive. It may not be my culture, but it would be a crime to deny them theirs.
Im Aussie, visited usa for several times. Nice place to visit, but not a place to live. It is easier to die in that country than being sick/ill. If you are not killed by a bullet, the medical bill will. People generally very warm and welcoming, especially when you speaks in an accent that is different than theirs. Suddenly many came to talk to you and asked you questions that are like blown your mind into disbelief lolz. Im an asian Australian guy and some even went to the length of asking me how my English is so good. Like really??? I said yeah we learned in English class and home since young. Their response “good on you!” Lol i give up haha
Dude, self awareness is good thing. As an Aussie I fully realise how lucky I am to have been born here. However, we are far from perfect, and a lot of things could be improved. Our countries politics like yours, has moved to the right, but the media has pretended to move to the left. My options used to be considered “hippy” or radical, but are now actually kind of central., but our government is more conservative than ever. Education WAS free here in the 1990’s when I went to Uni. A very small loan was the result (about $3000) which I still haven’t paid back over three decades later. The employer is supposed to take it out of your pay, (you tick a box on your tax form)and it seemed to have been a hassle, so no one, not one, employer has ever done it. So yeah, free. Now a days, our conservative government has whittled this away, and encourages oversees students (who pay a lot) and reduced the number of places available for aussies, and is now expensive.
I find the Mantra of modern civilization is to 'Follow the Money'. More more gimme gimme. I'm quite happy in my little conservative lifestyle but if I listen to certain groups, I'm to believe I live in poverty.
UK here. We have had several national experiments in our history. We sent the crims to Australia, nicking a loaf of bread or poaching a deer in the King's park because you were starving. That actually worked out pretty well. The crims turned out to be resourceful folks, perfected the art of bar-b-queing crustaceans, learned to play a tolerable game of cricket and even drive on the correct side of the road. Fair play to them say I. We also sent the religious nutters to America. Oh dear. They bred and spread like rabbits, adopted rampant consumerism, grew the largest military in the world, mainly out of paranoia, mucked about in many other country's business, but they did achieve a pretty impressive technology, at least back a few decades. I still remember lying on the lounge carpet in 1969, watching the tv as George Santos came down that ladder and uttered the immortal words "One small step for a gay man, one giant leap for mankind". Then it all went to poo. The religious nutters saw that their numbers were dwindling and went mental. They infiltrated the Republican party and turned that into a religious cult. Elected a rapist to the White House and a couple more to the Supreme Court, banned abortion, they're trying desperately to destroy the education system because it's easier to propagandise the stupid and poorly educated. About one third of the country wishes that The Handmaid's Tale was a documentary and another Supreme courty person has said her goal in life is to create the kingdom of god on earth. I don't actually see much hope for America. All empires die eventually, usually that's preceded by internal division and civil war, the muckety mucks say it can't happen here, we're far too big and important to fail, and then the end comes. And of course they can't play cricket and drive (badly) on the wrong side of th f*cking road. A narrow escape for us Brits of course but a salient lesson in the perils of religious nuttery.
The thing that worries me is the loud and proud on social media and politically biased news are the main sources of interaction the world seems to associate the normal people with.
I was on holiday in a baseball stadium, and everyone was standing for the national anthem. I was standing too in respect. But not singing. A fellow behind me argued why I was not singing, I told him that I was from the Netherlands and that this is not my anthem. He could not understand that the us anthem was not for the hole world.
You are right about Canadian government treatment of indigenous peoples. In Canada there were residential schools, where the aim was “ to take the ‘ Indian’ out of the child.” Many children died and were left with unmarked graves. A Commission was set up, and today marks the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. Last year it was made a federal statutory holiday. It will take generations of government attention to mend the relationship between indigenous peoples and the Canadian population. Stay safe, stay sane, stay Strong Ukraine 🇺🇦
Let me throw my hat into the ring, I have only visited the USA once, on a sort of goodwill event, we went to Marietta Georgia and the reception we received was warm and genuinely friendly, the itinerary was fantastic and all paid for by Lockheed aviation, and when we departed I can honestly say that it was,by far, the most enjoyable work related trip anyone could have and not spend a penny, but, and there is always a but, the impression that some Americans portray about the people and the country is not so pleasant, and I think some of that stems from WWI and WWII, America didn’t enter WWI until 1917 and immediately tried to wrest command and control from the European nations that had been fighting and dying since 1914, and straight after the war ended the “victory” (nobody is victorious in war) was claimed as American and from that point on the seeds of dislike had been sown, America decided that they were the powerhouse of the world (probably true) and tried to influence every free nations policies, ideologies, economies, religions etc etc etc, they thought that we should all just follow them because they were the powerhouse of the world, prior to the USA entering WWII the USA was a mere shell of the early post WWI years and only when the USA was attacked did the industrial might of the country get into full swing and produce the vast amounts of materials that were needed to defeat the axis powers, but once again, as soon as the USA entered the war, especially in the European and North African theatres, they decided they should be and would be in charge, and that has continued ever since, and it has translated into the American public believing that somehow they are superior to the rest of the world and that translates to arrogance, self importance, rudeness and, once again, believing that the USA alone won WWII and therefore they were entitled to be the worlds leaders and police. NOT all Americans are like that, once again it is a significant minority, but it is still significant in numbers. The healthcare and taxation systems of the USA need a complete overhaul, a simple straightforward National Health Service and, unless your self employed, all basic taxes deducted from your wages/salary, in the United Kingdom we have two basic taxes, 1)National Insurance (N.I) that is your contribution to the National Health Service (N.H.S) 2) Income Tax deducted at source for everything else that central government allocates to services. There are other taxes that you pay after receiving money from outside your work and you do have to declare, just as self employed people have to declare their income and pay their taxes upon it. That is a very simplified version of our tax and healthcare system, but america needs a similar system, that in itself would cut the administration costs tremendously and stop tax avoidance.
From the UK here, it's sad in some aspects because if it had to be hoped for it would be great to see equality amongst all countries people's an no conflicts. Each country has it's good an bad share of people.
I'm from Scotland, my wife is American and we lived in Texas (Houston and suburbs) for 10 years. We were living in one of the most Republican areas possible, Montgomery Co, TX. Individual Texans were in the main friendly, helpful, charming people. During a flood, people really helped their neighbours. But if you suggest that they get together and organise some kind of help, paid for by tax dollars, for unfortunate people, then that's a complete no. In other words they are good at being heroes, but really bad at preventing bad situations from occurring in the first place.
Let's face it EB, in many countries throughout the world (mine included, England) have committed atrocities against fellow humans. Hopefully many of us, including a growing number of Americans, have/or are woken to this. Therefore there's a light at the end of the tunnel that because of the waking up process things WILL get better. Thanks for the video.
Unless the atrocities continue to be committed today - it's all in the past. I didn't do any of this stuff so I'm certainly not going to take any responsibility for it. Move on, but always remember.
Regarding the serial k-er thing, I am so glad that was brought up. It's actually a huge topic of debate in the true crime community. There are two types of true crime fans: those who are interested in the story/mystery, psychology, and victim, or those who glorify serial k-ers and romanticize them.
My best impression of America is probably Gilbert Gottfried. I do a decent Walken too.😄 Edit : I've been to America, all round the South. First place I went was a gun range. Met lots of really friendly folk, mainly curious about my accent. Kept asking us if we were Scottish, though. I'm from Lancashire.😄
I was on holiday mate ,had to pull my driving licence out, to prove i was English an American ,told me I was Irish. Now I have nothing against the Irish ,my dad was Scottish. But to be told I'm something I'm not ,got my back up .he was very close to loosing his big overwhite teeth.
@@andrewjohnston4127 it was the fact I told him I was from Derbyshire England, and he didn't believe me .I know where I live Twat ,good job my wife was there I was getting ready to launch him .Even after I showed him my driving licence, with a union flag on ,still don't think it got through to him ,Think they thought we spoke like Hugh Grant.
1st time commenting on any video. Started with your look at comedy, Fred digby etc. interesting views on more recent stuff. I grew up in a caravan for 1st 17 years, in the country in the uk. Share many similarities in options and family values ( my 91 year old mum loves your laugh, not sure of your changing appearance lol). Anyway thanks for the thoughtful and entertaining content. Love the little drops about wife and family. Long live country living. ❤
I have spoken with so many Americans over the internet as I've grown up. You are among the smartest ones I've listened to. Most of the nightmare stories in the world is from America. We all know the Middle East is in chaos, we all know Korea and China are very hush-hush about what they do... so the worst stories the rest of the world hears comes from America... a lot of stories. Many American are so loud and obnoxious, we hear it all the way to Europe. Whenever I hear of something bad happening, I feel like 85-90% of the time, it's in America. Whenever someone is being stupid or mean online, I'm assuming they're American and when I ask, I'm often right. And gosh by all goshing, every time there's a shooting, it's either America or a warzone. You're a smart guy. If you don't mind, could you take 5-10 minutes and think about that? Is America a warzone?
I would recommend viewing the stand up comedian Reginald D Hunter. An African-American who moved to the UK. Some of his observational humour does relate to some of these tik tok videos you have been viewing lately. Also no, you will never out drink us. It starts at around the age of 10, for Xmas dinner only, then at around 14 it goes to hanging out with friends drinking cider, then its legal 4 years before you. The only American to have ever of out drunk me was a Texan and even then I had a few hours head start on him!
What it is surprising to hear for some USA citizens is that we don´t think of or about USA citizens on our everyday life. We just go around trying to make a day, so to speak. Our mind is on our own problems, thank you very much.
6:00 let me tell you one thing: you're *not* a simple man. You're a *smart* man. Don't let anybody tell you different. Your experience with not just the US but all those videos you've reacted to showing other countries, perspectives and so on, your knowledge is adanvanced in comparison to the average american. That's not "simple".
I had a friend who was an American. She was cool but then she got out of US so different from what seems to be the typical inward looking American. Obviously I know that's not all Americans because of your videos and your interest in other countries culture. But the stereotype is loud, gun loving, arrogant and misinformed on just what freedoms non Americans have. I love American culture that i see in tv and film but the country is far from perfect, but neither is mine. Britain has it's fair share of crap. Great vid as usual. 😁
I met an American that bought a house in London, he was very excited that it was over 100 years old, i didn't tell him ALL the houses around there are over 100 years old. Everyone i know that lives in London has a house just the same, it's normal. He seemed so excited and proud. lol
The biggest thing (in my opinion) that fucks up US is the state system. Every time I bring up making any substantial changes to an American, they say it would be difficult because states have their individual laws. :3 Overly complicated with very little returns in exchange for it from how I see it.
I grew up in Germany and find it remarkable how critically Germans judge their own country and are also ready to fight for a better future.For serious changes, people all over the country are taking to the streets and protesting very loudly.And that over and over again until something changes.For example, millions of people in the former GDR demonstrated in the streets against the Russian-Socialist system until they forced reunification with the FRG. The fact that they were massively threatened by heavily armed troops has even caused the people not interested - they kept fighting!...That's what I call patriotism - fighting for improvements in the country.Sorry America, but what you do I call nationalism!
We are also HYPOCRITES ... because all the climate change talk is EMPTY WORDS and HYPOCRISY. Easy example: the new mobile phone standard obviously requires more antennas ... and thus requires more power ... and I wonder how much power the entire mobile phone network actually uses ... compared to a basic landline. Germany had made "CO2 promises" and has NEVER kept them ... not for any of them for 30-40 years. Sadly you are missing that a lot of the "fighting for peace" was directed by the communist from East Germany ... I grew up in West-Berlin in the early 70s and we had Antifa BLACK BLOCK "protests" every May 1st ... which only got rarer in the 80s. Antifa and the entire "left scene" in West-Berlin was supported by the STASI ... and the lawyers who represented the TERRORISTS of the RAF (Red Army Faction) went on to become politicians for the Green Party ... and later were even part of the government. Those terrorists were supported by the STASI as well. The point is that germans have been critical of their country to the point of "giving up on national identity" (which would be the culture BEFORE Wilhelm II.). That is a BAD THING, because it is "extremism in the other direction" ... and INTERNATIONALISM IS COMMUNISM!
@@lilithiaabendstern6303 The FRG could hardly occupy something that de facto belonged to it. The fact is that the GDR was economically insolvent and had existed for decades from the loans of the FRG. And it was the citizens of the GDR who ran to West Berlin the night the Wall fell and were very happy to take the Begrüßungsgeld.
@@Kelsea-2002 The ecconomy of the GDR was so bad, they could live from the loans for decades, banksters wasted more money in a few hours and had to be rescued by the tax payers
Yeah, although the rate of prosecuting nazis post ww2 till now has been extremely poor. You may want to look at the history, but there are blinkers on in high places. Don’t get me wrong, it’s more than most have done, but it’s not perfect.
The one thing I keep seeing here is how arrogant and entitled Americans are. As a 50 year old mother of three, I can say I have never been able to take a vacation once I left my parents house. I have never had enough money by wages alone to afford one, let alone leave the country. So maybe all the nice Americans are just like me, stuck in this broken system. Much love EB, great videos.
In my experience, the tie in of religion and politics is one of your scariest parts. Good people, led astray by insular and ignorant beliefs resulting in a total lack of self awareness. It’s a shame, as you are friendly people that are misguided by the BS you are fed. I’m British, we are far from perfect, but we do live in the real world, down to earth people. (. We do have our fair share of assholes too )
Damn! I just looked around and everything is plastic. I thought I was living in the real world . . . . Lot's of people don't 'eat' that BS, but unless you lived here - one only has the News and social media for information. Good luck with that - I learned to ignore it long ago.
From the personal feelings of this America-hating (or not soo much hating - I've some doubts!) Canadian, I learned through all the years that I have been living in Canada that Canada also had too significant problems with First Nation Peoples and caused the latter a lot of suffering. It's imo not a question of which nation harmed indigenous folks more or more less, it doesn't even matter in which of the two countries more racism and violence prevails, in the end it's just a question of coming to terms with the past as it really happened , to confront and learn not to repeat these mistakes and, of course, to develop a common sense of ethic and morality, so that every person who calls himself a citizen of one or the other country, can integrate as well as possible and feel comfortable in some way - in any branch of any society. It anyway will last many generations before that goal is somewhat achieved. In the meantime, everyone should contribute the best they can dedicate to that goal.
Damn. That's a hard question. Almost multi pronged because I first started with beer reviews and then moved to looking at music before going into looking at cultures, histories, sports, and entertainment outside of the US. Probably that as a content creator you have to evolve, not only as a content creator but also on a personal level because the world has become much smaller than what it was and that people as long as you're genuine appreciate someone not trying to bullshit them or put on. Let more personality show through, even if it's a part of your personality you don't find flattering (I always hated my laugh, thought it was dorky and goofy) because there's someone that can identify with you better by being more yourself and regardless of how much you may enjoy something, don't be afraid to move away from it if it means that you grow. That's one. Number two is that people outside of the US while they may not always have the best view of the US are by and large nice and don't mind helping you expand your mindset or knowledge. Don't be afraid to reach back out to people through social media or personally via email as you can gain friends and acquaintances that you'll appreciate as much as your family or friends you see or talk with. I think those are the 2 that come off the top of my head. I've been doing youtube for 4 years now. 3 as a reactor and I've met so many awesome folks (even though it's digitally) as well as confirmed that the world outside of our borders are nowhere as skewed as they're made out to be. I think that our history pales in comparison to the wealth of history dating back to before anyone knew of the existence of 2 more continents on this side of the world and our trajectory in just over 200 years as an independent nation isn't promising when looking at things through a historical perspective.
@@TheEclecticBeard your awesome laugh was what endeared me to you and kept me watching your videos. When you laugh, i can't help but laugh along, it really lifts my spirits.
@@TheEclecticBeard What are you talking about? Your laugh is adorable! I said on another vid of yours, when you cover your mouth with your hand, you look like a Japanese schoolgirl laughing..... a bearded Japanese schoolgirl!! I love it!
22:22 I think he has probably the greatest point here. Many countries, if not all (I didn't check) have dark History, made of lots of bright times but also very dark ones. It's part of the human nature, and I don't think any group of people of any time can pretend to be clear of any wrong actions. But that's not the issue. The issue is when the people ignore the issues, think they are the greatest things of the universe and are ready to put themselves on the line for it. That's the scary part.
I'm a French guy, and almost each time I meet an American for the first time, it goes the same way : Hi, what's your name ? Hi, my name is Julien (The French pronunciation is really different from the US one) Sorry, what ? Julien Sorry, once again ? Julien Oh ! Oh! Wait ... , JULIAN ! Nice to meet you JULIAN ! And, I mean, i have 0 problem with people not being able to pronounce my name properly, I know it can be really hard to pronounce sounds that are not in your own language, but HOW THE FUCK does it end with some random bloke explaining to me how to say my OWN FUCKING NAME ? I don't know, maybe I AM THE ONE that's able to pronounce it properly ? If your name is Jack or John I'm not going to change it to Jacques or Jean... How arrogant do you need to be to correct someone on his own name's pronunciation ?
Even the way Americans say "eye-ran" proves how ignorant they are, the country is called Iran and pronounced "ih-rahn". Iraq also. And don't get me started on "eye-talians" 😂😂😂 and speaking of Italians, if your great great grandfather came over from Milan in the 19th century, that doesn't make you Italian, you're American. Same goes for Irish!
![Megan Thee Stallion - Bigger In Texas [Official Video]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/QxTkZTLWdo4/mqdefault.jpg)
As a European my take on the USA is this: What else did you expect from a country that was founded by religious extremists that were so extreme the other Europeans rejected them, so the extremists moved over the pond and here we are.
As a British guy, Americans are friendly, but incredibly arrogant.
Arrogant and gun happy for me
@@acerimmer563 stoke me a clipper 😂
@@andrewjohnston4127 ill be back in time for supper
That just sounds like 'they don't bite, but they're easily provoked, do don't put it to the test'
I would say more patronizing than arrogant. Most of them are genuinely lovely and completely unaware of their behavior.
Oh yeah, my friend told me a story (we're both polish btw, living in Poland) that in her group there was this American girl from the student exchange program, and she was sure, that when she says that she's from America, everyone is gonna be amazed, because y'know, America is "The best in the world" etc. So the question "Where are you from?" finally was asked, and in the proudest voice she said "I'm American", and then had a shock of her life when people, instead of singing her praises, were like "Oh my God, i'm so sorry". After like 5 minutes of just pure shock she was like "Wait, why are you sorry for me?", and the group started talking about how unsafe America is, about the guns,shootings, muggings, police brutality etc. And I think in that moment she realized that there is a lot she doesn't know about the rest of the world, and how America is seen by other countries
True story- An American couple visited Canada and took back a t shirt with a Canadian flag on it. Their son wore it to school and seeing the t shirt the teacher sent him to the Principal's Office where the Principal seeing the shirt called the Police. Why? These "educated" school staff thought the Maple Leaf was a marijuana leaf, I do not expect the educators to know every flag in the world. All they had to do is look on the internet or a book😯😯
Schools have changed - for the worse - long since I graduated. Watching those 'dumb 'American' videos makes my blood boil. I want my tax money back if that's the result.
I do not expect the educators to know every flag in the world. The Usa is bounded by two countries. Mexico and Canada. And they did not know the canadian flag ? wtf ?
You'd think you'd know your neighbours flag hey? Great education they must have been given at that "school" lol
@@user-mc2sz5ei8p Sometimes, I have the feeling that for some Americans, the world map look like that:
_____ _.-,
| `~%~ /-
\ >
`~~~\(~~\\
\\
😧
I dated an American woman for 7 years, I've been to the U.S., and to this day I have American friends....so I'm not talking out of my ass here... The way I describe the U.S. to everyone that hasn't been to the U.S. is...the country with limitless possibilities, but nothing is allowed...
nicely put!
You can always start a business anywhere whenever you want!! But you can't use your own house because of zoning. (Meanwhile other countries....)
@@hagelslag9312 wait what?
whatis that zoning thing?
@@shersmk90 I think it's in the HOA BS of "it makes the neighbourhood look bad/ugly and not like a model place to live"
@@lordofrims sounds bad. Also I live in the city but for most stuff I need to cycle 10 minutes or more to get it (done) and find that already a lot... So not having an shops in my neighborhood would drive me crazy and makes that I def don't wanna live there.
On a forum once I was asked what Scottish people think of the Simpsons depiction of Groundkeeper Willie as a Scotsman. I responded that to be honest there may be a bit of truth in the character. However it worked both ways, we thought the average American was like Homer…..
Fairly close on both counts lol
Love this coment, as a mexican i grew up with Speedy Gonzáles and even now i actualy love him as a cartoon and if you remember the scene with el Lento Rodríguez pff pure gold.
@@scottneil1187 Well he is super racist but if you think americans are short fused, try to deal with an angry chapaneco or a veracruzano from alvarado over here, youll get a mechete in your skull before you can say freedom. It is after all a critique and, sadly, as close to reality as Homer is xD
Bang on. Not one Scot would be offended by that comment whereas a decent slight of the American populas would think you were a commie. ahah
'the average American was like Homer......' or Peter Griffin of Family Guy N.B. the 2-part crossover spec. between the cartoon series,where the 2 characters ended up in a massive fisticuffs!🤣
I've had an American make fun of Australia's "socialised healthcare system". I'm in hospital all the time for a chronic condition. I honestly am glad to be here and seeing top specialists, paying nothing - than what I would have to cough up in the US.
It’s envy Cassie, and confusion over social responsibility v communism. They are deeply suspicious of organised social security, whilst prepared to dig deep voluntarily for people in need. It’s sad that they are convinced by the military-industrial kleptocracy that freedom means basic human rights are for the wealthy.
Oz medical system saved my life after a stroke and rare disease for free. All tests all professional help free.No added stress because of bills.We are bloody lucky mate, no joke.
I'm Australian, Medicare paid all of my cancer treatment. Been cancer free for 20 years. That is Universal Health Care.
I recently had emergency surgery in Australia and a follow up surgery. I did not pay a single cent. I did, however, had to pay $6 for a prescription.
Any American that has heath insurance has socialist health care. Thousands of them chip into the fund so that when one person gets ill it’s covered.
I once heard an American YTer making grand statements about “not needing to travel outside of the USA because we have all of the world here….” and I just felt quite sad about the unwillingness to travel because - and most likely - the world, as some people in the USA see it, is personified in Disneyworld or Las Vegas, where you can see “the Eiffel Tower” or “the Pyramids” etc etc - and whilst I completely and honestly understand about the costs of travel and holidaying “abroad”, to not want to see or find out about history and the world by reading a book or watching a factual TV programme or DVD is just strange 😧
A sarcastic reply would be that "americans dont get the time off of work to have a holiday" ... to see the REAL stuff.
@@Muck006 okaaay…. Yes, I should have included the fact that “most Americans in employment” are not given a sensible amount of paid annual leave (or PTO 😉) that would enable them to travel far and wide - beyond the edges of the USA - allowing them to visit and tour other countries. But the opportunity for a USA person to widen their knowledge and get a basic understanding of other countries, cultures and places of interest IS readily available in books and guides. Soon, I will be watching a tv programme about travelling the Rocky Mountains from Montana to Colorado!
A very sound argument could be made that Americans staying inside their own borders is a good thing.
Just look up the prices for flights in the US, from US to Europe for example and compare them to the prices in Europe.
The GDR did duild a wall to keep the people in, the US build the wall in the mind of the people to keep them in (starting with spoon feeding the kids in school Murica No 1 and worshipping a piece of cloth on the wall) and on top of that, only people that profit from the US system can afford to travel freely.
@@TheSecretChateau its not. They literally vote nutjobs in power who are allowed to play with nukes. And thats because they arent very smart themselves. They dont even know they live in an oligarchy bro they think they have democracy
True patriotism is loving ones country enough to want to repair what is broken, and make it a better place for future generations.
Food for thought.
So when are you going to start? Just saying...
@@gailhubbard7102 GIven that you have no clue who I am or what I stand for.
Your question is wasted, illconcieved, and speaks of lack of immagination and knowlage about the subject.
I do more for my countrys progress than you most likely realize.
That said. My country is not the US.
I'm an Englishman. What do I think of Americans. There are beautiful people and bad people. I only wish Americans would realise that there is an entire world out there. And its not backwards. We have all the advances you have. Maybe learn and add different cultures into your society to make it an enriched life not a blinkered life. God bless you all
Well,.. that was before Britain was Unleashed. Now you already have the BOE act to save the economy destroyed by the government. Oh and guess who knew about those plans and went short all the sudden?
Absolutely 🤗
Yeah good and bad in all countries.
I love paying taxes for schools and universities to be funded. I love living in a country with educated people.
Almost as if your children use them 😁
But not 70% of your income. Germany is nuts with stealing their citizens' money.
@@nebucamv5524 sheeeesh its 15-20% in Aus and I don't even qualify for that i pay 7%. oh and we have a tax free threshold.. its a limit, If you don't earn like $30,000 a year then your not allowed to pay tax
@@nebucamv5524
Just googled it. The average is 37.7%, nowhere near 70%.
Anyway, how much tax you pay isn't directly comparable just by what exact % you pay. If I was paying 1% tax but there was absolutely no public services in my country and 100% of the tax money went to nothing but politicians wages then that 1% tax would be 1% too much. Yet if I was paying 20%, 20 times as much as the 1% but that was used to fund healthcare, education, public transport etc.. and we had really good public services then that 20% could be an absolute bargain. It really depends on how much of that tax money goes back into the country and how much goes to politicians and their friends.
@@littletoe9412 it is but education (University) isn’t free in Australia. It also depends on you income, I pay 43% tax 😆 not many pay only 15-20%. Also the tax free threshold is $18,200 not $30,000.
Hi, German here. Re " free education" : I have a feeling that some Americans might not understand the " generation treaty" we have here.
My college was "free" except for a small fee and there are the costs of living of course paid mostly by parents and/or a student loan and/or small jobs on the side.
Now this enabled me to get a well-paid job and I finance somebody else to have the same opportunity like myself with my taxes !
Don't forget: our biggest "natural resource" are our well-educated and skilled workforce which is generally better educated than the average American. And that goes for most European countries ! And yes, as always there are exceptions to the rule ! ;)
I've worked as a tour guide for many American tourists and I've been asked several times if I'm a Republican or a Democrat, even if they know I'm not from the US. It’s a mystery to me that some Americans can believe that all democratic countries have the same parties and two-party system as in the US.
If I say I'm neither because I'm not American but from Denmark/Scandinavia, I usually get a tidal wave of dumb political questions and strange prejudices. WTF…!
Reminds me of a discussion I had on - of course - Reddit. They just could not comprehend the fact we have more than a dozen of parties, we (NL) have 150 seats, and every party can have someone claim a seat. The difference is some parties get more seats than others. So it matters even if you vote on a small party, they can still gain a seat. And this guy I was talking to was like 'but what is the use if there is not one winner?' as if it's a competition where winner takes all and not the point to have representatives who give their voters a voice.
I’m American and I’m not a Republican or a Democrat. I think both parties suck.
@@annachronistic thats the spirit^^ but seriously i live in germany and we have a lot of parties and i don't like a single one of them. the problem with polical parties, no matter how many there are, is that they are ful of politicians ;)
I HATE politics, but LOVE JESUS. ❤
@@bethlehemeisenhour5807 then get off the internet, after what you subhuman scum did to turing you don't deserve to benefit from his legacy
I have a few friends who are American. They are spot on in every way that counts. The Americans I've met outside of my friend group have either been religious nuts as in the woman who kicked out of a church in my city. She ended up in a police cell for a night or two, if I remember right. Wilfully ignorant over things that are set in actual stone. The design for the American flag, the Stars and Stripes, is English. It came from Washington in the North East of England. Many American tourists visiting Durham cathedral have straight up refused to believe this and walked out in protest. Rude, as in the American couple who moved my wheelchair, with me in it, without asking. My parents went apeshit. The majority of Americans I've met outside of my friend group? Isolated. They have been so starved for conversation, knowledge, and humanity that just giving 10 minutes of your time to them will have them wanting to cry from relief.
As a person who sees them vacationing around my area. They are old babies with no manners. Like they can be nice at heart but do every wrong in the book. So ignorant to their surroundings and others.. When I think of American, I sadly think of that American woman I saw in Starbucks at 7am while queuing. She was before me and while the Italian barista was taking her order, she looked as if she was insulted. She kept asking her to speak English. I and everyone in the whole shop were embarrassed for her. She continued repeating her order which apparently a drink that we don’t have in the Uk .. [it happens.. we regulate sugar and additives and sometimes it’s based on customers interest. Anyways, she was telling her we don’t have the syrup for her drink and if she would like anything similar (giving her suggestions)].. the order finally is in; she gets a translation from a gentleman behind me. I wasn’t going to do that. She then proceeded to try and pay to complain about how heavy our coins are .. proceeds to drop them on the counter and tell the Barista “is that enough?” .. I died at that moment .. the Barista collected the needed coins as a payment .. the woman was like oh and proceeded to collect the rest back.. she was asked if she wants a bill .. she said yes .. printed her one for her to look at it and leave it on the counter 😰😰😰.. now, fast forward to us waiting for our drinks. She sees people standing around, goes to stand by the delivery counter so everyone who has their name called has to go stand by her (almost touch her shoulder) and have to pass their hand across her if they wanted a drink stopper 💀. And she didn’t stop there .. she turned around to ME and started a conversation from across the space .. I was a meter away!!! That conversation included her turning her attention to me, coming over and asking me all kinds of questions like where the Barista from and if I understood her … I also was asked if I was British too because she apparently understood my accent (i was not using my regular accent .. I spoke in American accent which I acquire watching your series)
So ya .. I took my drink and ran away .. she was asking all those kind of questions and over sharing her experience on her 3rd day in the city .. so what I saw/met is an:
Intrusive .. Loud .. Impolite .. Apathetic and truly unaware of anything kind of person. I mean she could be a nice person but she doesn’t come across as one.
Was in a restaurant in Galway Ireland last night. There was a group of Americans dining there too , we were seated as far away as possible the waitress apologised for the noise twice, eventually as we received our main course I had had enough, I approached the older man at the table I suspect he was the father and probably paying for the meal , I explained that I really didn’t care about the young ladies pretty pathetic sporting achievements or what the lady ( mature) thought of the clothes on offer in the shops in Galway, I was polite and explained that I was out with my wife and brother for a quiet meal to discuss our mother’s impending move to a nursing home due to dementia, if anyone at the table is deaf I am sorry but they could get a hearing aid and then there would be no need for every one to shout . He was taken aback but in fairness they did quite down, instead of being aggressively loud they were just loud, in fairness to all the other patrons of the restaurant I did get a round of applause after my little rant. I genuinely think that most Americans think they are the most important people in the world and they believe the lies that they are told , American people are gullible and naïve and that makes them dangerous, but they are generally nice even if they are unwilling to admit that they might be wrong and will never admit that America “inc” is not great!
Next time just ask them to quiet down. Don't be a dick.
US Americans are... a unique breed. I see them exist at the two extreme ends of the spectrum. The ignorant ones are loud and annoying, but the chill ones are open-minded and knowledgeable. You're the latter, man :D
Having met a lot of Americans right across continental Europe I have found that a single American is as charming and agreeable as you could wish, but as soon as there are two or more, including the first one, it is as if all the braincells revolt and depart fundamentally.
I was on a ferry from Italy to Greece and was stuck behind a coachload of Americans booking on at reception. It was a 20 hour Superfast ferry (for those that know them); it departed in the early afternoon and arrived in the middle of the next morning. There were loads of restaurants, bars and theatres with lots of entertainment laid on but these insisted on having all their cabins in a single corridor and which must have interconnecting telephones.
With all that going on were they going to stay in their cabins and ring each other all the trip? I would have expected them to have found an area suitable for all of them and speak face to face, or at least enjoy the entertainment, but what do I know? I was just an English lorry driver who was glad of a bit of company in a bar.
sounds like they were gays
@@harrymonk6 No, they were later middle aged couples.
We have had many touring type holidays in US and everyone we have met have been polite, friendly and when we’ve had problems have jumped in without asking and helped us out. Most Americans we have met have been generous, warm, fun and kind. That’s our perception of Americans as individuals, as a generalised overview of life in the United States, thank goodness we don’t live there. 👩❤️👨❤️
The average American; the regular people you meet on the street or in the supermarket, are lovely people. They're just people like you and me, trying to just get through life. It's the assholes in power who make life hard for everyone else, and keep the regular people ignorant ON PURPOSE.
Bit late to the party but thought I'd add my two cents cuz why not? I'm British. My uncle relocated to the States long before I was born, married an American lady and has several American children. I spent a lot of holidays as a child visiting and spending time with my cousins. One memory that sticks out is my cousins telling me what it was like at their school in Atlanta. They had to pass through metal detectors to enter/leave the school similar to passing security at an airport, they had guards stationed around the school and a frequent armed police presence. They taught me what they had learned about how to react to an active shooter situation and we even made a game out of it. Now as a child, I found the stories fascinating and exciting as I'd never even seen police with guns in the UK at that point. It's only since becoming an adult however and looking back on these memories that I realise just how fucked up all of that actually is. I've also fallen in love with the lady I hope to spend the rest of my life with and we've talked about having children of our own some day. The idea of said hypothetical children growing up in such an environment honestly fills me with a fear I've never felt before and they don't even exist! My uncle has definitely been indoctrinated into the stereotypical American dream and sadly I have little contact with him or my cousins these days. I am not stupid enough to believe that the UK is perfect as it is far from it especially these days but at least I can take solace knowing our children don't have to grow up in such a hostile environment. Maybe it doesn't affect them at all, maybe it even helps them to be much more aware of their surroundings and of strangers compared to British kids but I can't help but think that being raised to expect danger from every loud bang or I guess expecting the worst out of someone based on how they look or dress before getting to know them can't be healthy.
I am fortunate enough to still be able to spend holidays abroad and have been back to the US a few times as an adult. I primarily stay in the countryside in Oregon/Washington when I do so. You guys have stunning scenery and wildlife. I can start up a conversation with almost anyone I meet and they're always genuinely fascinated to hear tales of life in the UK and I likewise enjoy hearing their stories. I can't say that I'd be comfortable starting up a conversation with a complete stranger in the UK. Yes, it still unnerves me to see aisles lined with guns in certain shops but you can expect to see similar in a dedicated outdoor/hunting shop in the UK albeit on a much smaller scale. Sadly, I have no desire to visit any US cities however. But I don't think it's all doom and gloom for the US and they can definitely turn things around especially if people stop letting their ego take over and start thinking a bit more critically and objectively like your good self.
Apologies for the wall of text, maybe nobody will read this but it was useful for me to write it out regardless I think. Love these reactions!
An American on Facebook, tried to tell me the US flag code applied to my country. I pointed out that it didn't apply here, and he was breaking the flag code by wearing clothes covered in the stars and stripes, the amount of abuse I got from Americans for that comment. I find Americans like to quote their laws, while breaking most of them themselves. It doesn't rake much to do research
They'll quote them whilst being sovereign citizens in other countries. It won't be long before one of them gets death somewhere which has no truck with drugs and drug driving. The flag code only really applies to officers of the US, especially military. Grunts in the military probably would wear a flag though, which is why there's a code saying they can't. Remember: most of this is because people HAVE DONE IT.
America is the Meth Lab in the bottom of the Apartment building everybody has to live in, you summed it up perfectly 🙂
I am Italian, with many very close friends born and living in the USA. I know I'm really lucky, in that the ones who aren't willing to engage will filter themselves out, but I have seen them. What really blows my mind, however, is the stubborn unwillingness to face reality that so many US citizens have. It's exasperating.
Sono d'accordo, ho avuto un'esperienza con dei turisti americani molto arroganti🙄
Non hanno mai torto 🙄🤦🏻♀️
Worth mentioning - tomorrow (Sept 30) is a national holiday in Canada, Truth & Reconciliation Day. We know we participated in a genocide against the indigenous people. Some of us get defensive about it, but I learned in school how badly we treated and continue to treat our indigenous people, and I was learning that while the last residential schools were still open (last one closed in 1996 - the genocide is living memory). You're not wrong that we've done as bad to our native people as the USA did, but the difference is most of us don't pretend we're past it.
I think it's important to separate Americans from America. The problems I have are with 'Murrika. But by and large, every American I've ever met has been a fundamentally good person who's not really that different from me, and who wants most of the same things I do. 'Murrika as a monolith, however, is an entirely different story. I do not understand the obsession with guns, the steadfast belief that it's a free country, the lack of access to basic health care, or the tacit approval of the creation of an underclass through underfunding of basic social services. Your country is violent, apathetic, and happily deluding itself about the impact it has on the rest of the world. Did you know that your Democratic party is center-right by global standards? Your Overton window has shifted so far that you don't realize how insane that is.
We know now. Topics like the current progress and/or regression of the "nations within a nation", what treaties failed or worked, achievements or failures of their people, or the "possible impact of residential schools" were not topics back when I was in school. I never learned a thing about natives besides they live on reservations, dealt with the French explorers, they're forbearers were the origin of the canoe and kayak, and they fought in various conflicts of Canada's history. Sadly many folks still resent and look down on the native folks here in the great white north. Also, today is a "federal statutory holiday" but each province and territory can choose to observer it or not along with many businesses. Canada has weak Feds but STRONG Provinces...
Wow, stong answer. Thanks from Europe.
A "radical lefty" like Bernie would at most be considered a centrist in Norway, even some so called Democrats would be placed on the far right of the spectrum here.
You said it so much beter than I could.
I'm French, and i spent a year in Chicago in the eighties. Travelled to New York recently, an surprisingly enough, the country seemed very familiar. Nothing had really changed, except the size of the cars :)
Dont think there is anything that we can call "the Americans" (nor "the French"). I met very educated people there who knew french litterature better than me, and i met country folks who never left their home town. And i respect them both. I love part of the american culture, as i love part of the culture of most of the countries in the world (love jazz and blues, from the US, but also from France, UK, Sweden, etc.). Though i have a problem with the american "cutural dominance". And the military all over the planet...
Like most non Americans, i believe the biggest problem is this magical belief of being the best country in the world. Which is just silly, for there cant be a "best country". Every country has its flaws. But what really baffles me, is to see so many people suffer from the american political and economic system (education, jobs, health...), and nothing changes. Ever.
Exactly, very well said.
Sound arguments, well said 👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽
A balanced view 👍😊
The thing is when you're convinced that your country is the best in everything, reality can only go down from there
I'd be afraid to see 'real' reality. With the dirty secrets of the rich elites, the corrupt politicians, and the greedy corporations all laid bare from the beginning to now. From all over the globe.
You are so informative and observant about your nation. It takes courage to be that honest with your own home culture. It is needful for peaceful change. Hopefully there are many more like yourself in the US.
But when the chips are down, you'll revert to your old prejudices.
Well put 👍
I used to be in the Royal Navy. I went to many different countries and had good and bad experiences in all of them. The USA was the only place that felt like a theme park and all the people living there were like the characters in costume. I was oddly treated with great respect by everyone because i was in the military which is a stark contrast to pretty much every other country i went to. It was “nice” but made me feel uncomfortable as it seemed people were made to feel obligated to praise the military. I went to a restaurant and ordered ribs and basically half a cow turned up on my plate. I asked if i had accidentally ordered a family sharing meal to which i was informed it was actually a small portion!
Trust me, No one feels 'obligated'. In fact it's likely the opposite - we like knowing other militaries are actively helping to make a difference since our media and politicians try to make it seem we are doing it all ourselves. I don't buy into that no matter how much they try to project. The world is only getting smaller - and somehow we need to work it out.
The difference between a university education system funded by taxes and one funded by the parents of the people who want to attend it is that with the tax funded system everyone is investing in a well educated future generation that will be more likely to be able to pay their own way rather than depending on social security. It also opens up the chance of higher education to people who are not wealthy but who are intelligent enough to make good use of a good education. The other 'system' means only rich kids get to go to university whether they are intelligent or not, while clever poor kids end up being caught in a poverty trap.
In America, many would call this communist and socialist
@@thefirm4606 In the rest of the world many would call it investing in a better future for the children of your country. America is no longer a place that people want to admire.
@@thefirm4606 the problem is that for US citizens, socialism=communism. That s not the case. They don t know what it means
@@williamagar7160 very true, america has lost its glossy sheen on the world stage.
Yeah, it's just sad. I'm a first generation to get a masters degree, but luckily I don't live in the USA. There is no way my parents could have paid for my engineering degree there... but here, I did get my education and now I earn so much that I pay more taxes than my parents ever did, so in the end it's a win-win situation.
Went to Mexico as a pasty British guy and realised two things fast:
My service and life expectancy improved as soon as I said I'm not American.
Ordering a pitcher to myself was seen as a challenge by jocks on holiday, they didn't take the resulting hangover well the next morning when I ordered another pitcher at breakfast....
Myself and a couple of mates went to california years ago and ordered a pitcher of weak us beer each, while the americans had one between 4 of them, ...thought we were borderline alcoholics
My stereotypes about most Americans:
They all can sing, they have the best bands and in big trouble this "we stand together" attitude.
That's the positive I can say.
They're awfully loud.
Their horizon ends at the shores of America.
Even when they are demonstrably wrong in a thing, they persist in their opinions, and are also somehow arrogant when it comes to comparisons with other countries.
They are bigoted, pushy pious and blatantly patriotic.
They like to show what they are, what they have and what they do for a living.
Somehow they are all a bit racist, even the PoC.
They have little sense of holding family-connections through generations, but attach great importance to heritage (no, you are not Irish just because your great-great-grandmothers dog was a Setter).
And as a woman I can say:
American women wear far too much spandex, especially if they don't have the body for it.
They wear far too much make-up, only Russian women wear more.
As an American I learned every country has hot women.
Best bands? .
Best one to come back with when an American says they are from America is either "you can claim asylum in the UK" or "you've escaped, WTF"
I was watching a history programme about America building a railway line connecting the East to West coast. There was a certain point in the journey where they would slow the train down and the passengers would shoot bison grazing on the plains. Then they would speed the train back up and continue on their journey. They didn't kill these animals for food, but just for some fun.. Really makes me angry. I am from the UK, and we have plenty of cruel assholes too. By the way, thank you for your kind words on the passing of our Queen
Not only for pleasure but also to destroy the main food source of the Natives.
I believe the killing of bison was a deliberate Gov't sanctioned activity to deprive native Americans their traditional source of food & clothing so they would either starve or move on.
There was also the government policy of shooting bison in order to starve the indigenous tribes. In addition to trading them smallpox-infected blankets...
@@hypsyzygy506 this is so terribly sad that I would feel shame instead of waving the flag in pride.
In Germany, we are very aware of our terrible past and therefore be more humble and less proud.
@@hypsyzygy506 the small pox blanket thing happened but it was not as widespread as commonly believed, still dick move though
I worked in a pub about 10 years ago and we had American travellers regularly. Always loud, always arrogant, always demanded table service (which we didn't do) and think they're above anyone else.
It's Americans like you that have changed my opinion, you're a good guy.
They don't seem to understand other countries do things differently. The American way often isn't the best.
I'm from New Zealand, I took my family to CA and Disneyland in 1990, it was wonderous. Took my wife to NYC climbed to the top of the Empire State building in 2000, drove from Providence Ri to Florida city Fl, and had a great time. But I will never travel to the USA ever again, it seems from the outside to be just angry, and filled with nasty just under the surface, people seem to be triggered by the smallest of slights, in short a powder keg with a short fuse.
It really is a shame, I feel so sorry for the huge waste of talented people stuck in poverty, and I even feel sorry for Elon Musk, because although he may be the richest man , the women who are attracted to him are simply scum, same for Jeff Bezos. There never seems to be a middle ground, its kill kill kill, sue sue sue, divorced men = homeless, you have to be bleeding with riches or bleeding to death. And what's worse you can't even see it.
Pretty much the reason I wanna leave. :( As someone who is mentally ill, I struggle a lot with obsessing over conversations or how things are said and percieved. This is AMPLIFIED with certain topics. I'm afraid to say literally anything to anyone unless I know them very well. Race, sexuality, religion, body type, political beliefs- it's like no topic is safe.
I am Costa Rican, and I used to be a bit scared of Americans thinking they might be racists and mean, but I've been working with an American company for the past 2+ years and everyone I've met in the company has been so nice and kind, that made my fears go away, I'm sure there's real racist mfs out there but I'm so glad I haven't had to deal with them at work
I think your a rare breed EB , hopefully more Americans are catching on .
that's exactly right.
When the only example one has is the BS media and the self absorbed on social media - like TikTok - well now we start to see that if Americans in general are so 'bad', why do I see every other group of young people acting the exact same way regardless of location? I think what we really see are those loud people on social media and those affluent assholes traveling the world acting like idiots. Every country has a 'heartland' where people are normal, but they are never represented because of the 2 examples I provided. I find the 'Beard' a normal person myself.
I'm a Brit. I first visited the US in the 80's and was there very frequently until '94 when I moved there, settled down, got a green card and was happy. After a few years we had a baby. Back then the US was so full of hope. The economy was in good shape, assault weapons were banned, I rarely saw bigotry and people were genuinely welcoming. Sure, coming from a secular culture, the overt religiousity freaked me out, as did the general ignorance that there was a developed world outside the US (back then only 10% of Americans had passports), but it was on balance a good place to be. You could have a regular job and afford a home and a decent life, but we moved back to the UK before our daughter reached school age as the standard of education in the US wasn't good, even back then and, despite the assault weapons ban, the whole gun thing was very scary. Nonetheless, I've continue to visit and work in the US ever since.
But, since then, we've seen the rise of the Tea Party, ever-increasing Nationalism, the evil and misnamed 'Citizens United', dark money financing of politics, the horrors of 9-11 and the subsequent group paranoia and hatred of all things foreign, a Supreme Court which has become a branch of the wicked Federalist Society, repeal of the assault weapons ban and weekly mass shootings that the NRA-funded Congress refuses to address and the culmination of all this: Trump.
Politicians have learned they can flat-out lie and get away with it. Commit crimes, ignore subpeonas, run out the clock - the privilege of the wealthy and well-connected. The journalists that would otherwise speak truth to power are branded 'fake news', while other journalists are controlled by corporate interests to lie to the people. There is culture of unaccountability as a result. Meanwhile, corporations have become more venal and controlling, wages for normal people have fallen in real terms, the frozen minimum wage isn't a living wage, unions get busted by corporate interests. Healthcare is an expensive joke. The rich get ever richer and the poor get ever poorer. Any attempt at progress is branded 'socialism' and villified.
It honestly breaks my heart to see that country ripped apart by corporate interests and their lapdogs in politics. Americans? They're people just like people everywhere but, unless they've had the scales fall their eyes, they can be downright tedious to know.
Anecdote: My first trip to the US after my green card expired, I got detained at US immigration at Newark (I had the visa-waiver to support entry). The reason was that the officials could not accept that I would choose not live in the US if I had the immense privilege of a green card. They simply couldn't comprehend that anywhere else might stack up. They were hostile, highly suspicious and treated me like a pariah. They eventually let me go after a lot of questioning but radioed ahead to customs, where I was detained again and my bags searched for evidence that I might be moving back into the country illegally. Finally, I was let go, but that experience really shook me up.
became a friend with a former US citizen a few months ago that moved to my country(Norway) he said verbatim "just the universal health care is reason enough for me and my family to never want to go back like ever. oh and the mandatory minimum 4 weeks of paid vacation, not to mention me or my kids wont have to go nearly bankrupt to get a better education"
I agree with what you say about the amount of money spent on defence in America. More should be spent on education and health care.
While it has it's merits, there is a lot of 'waste' included in that spending. I personally like knowing most idiots would avoid direct confrontation. Now if we can just learn to hang back unless 'asked'.
On Spending. The biggest issue I found is how budgets are maintained. For example, in the small command I was assigned to which reflects every single government financed operation, military, education, political infrastructure, etc. we had a specific amount of money we could spend to maintain it. At the end of the fiscal year any money left over would be deducted from next years amount available, so the order was to spend it all. Now multiply that by every example I gave that exists in the states or military locations outside the US.
Me: British
Wife: American
One conversation (Wife): “You know that the British have a horrible history don’t you?”
(Me): “Yes I know, we got taught that at school, but it’s no worse than any other countries.”
(Wife): “Yeah, but Britain especially…”
(Me): “AMERICA NUKED TWO CITIES… that’s pretty bloody horrible too. Didn’t even go for military targets, they went for mass casualties…”
(Wife): “Well, I guess…”
Yanks and brits are considered literally cousins (if not siblings) by everyone else
I agree - We Americans should have just continued to take the last pennies from every allied country in WW2 and then when broke, say have a nice day instead of joining and helping to win the war effort.
@@terrylandess6072 - Why? America didn’t win WW2. Russia did.
@@terrylandess6072
"We Americans should have just continued to take the last pennies from every allied country in WW2"
You did.
@@terrylandess6072 dude, do you even know your history? you joined ww2 becasue of pearl harbor and germany declaring war on you. you didn't join out of the goodness of your heart, you joined because you were forced to. also you took every last penny, you did the same during your "revolution" when you took a huge loan from france that you didn't intend to pay back
'Protect the so-called freedom of everyone under your boot' wow. Wow that was deep.
I have a little story of my own. When I was young, as an apprentice, there were still considerably more American troops stationed in Germany. During my training, I had to complete several inter-company courses that took place in my district town in northern Bavaria. A VW Beetle with an American license plate was parked near the main train station, right next to the main post office building. The Americans were always easy to spot because they were bright green at the time, as opposed to the white German license plates (this was later changed so terrorists couldn't spot Americans sooo easily). As I passed, I looked inside the Beetle and discovered in disbelief that there were at least half a dozen M-16 assault rifles in the back seat. You have to know that there are pretty strict gun laws in Germany since the early 70's. At that time there was an amnesty for people who voluntarily gave up their weapons, some of which were still from the war (this action, was a huge success). A case was particularly well-known at the time where a man kept a 20mm German quadruple anti-aircraft gun on a half-track in a barn. But such weapons as assault rifles are already covered by the "War Weapons Control Act". Something like that is punished extremely rigorously. And this GI, just had assault rifles lying around in a VW Beetle that took 7 seconds to break open and max. 2 minutes to short circuit to drive away...
@The Eclectic Beard You are fantastic! I have watched you for a while from Britain and it’s been amazing to watch you react and broaden your horizons. I know many Americans that have changed their outlooks after travelling abroad, a couple of people I know immigrated here from the US. It’s far harder for Americans who haven’t travelled abroad to start to view these things objectively with an open mind and without taking things personally because the schooling system from such a young age works to indoctrinate people to become good US workers and believe things are so far better there than anywhere on earth so they lack the drive to want yo travel or the holiday pay and time off to do it. Certainly most of Europe (I would say in my experience, and speaking very broadly) one of the main differences is I don’t we don’t take ourselves as seriously perhaps as Americans, even our humour marks ourselves and country at the butt of a joke but it’s in good jest and humour. It’s a generalisation of course, because you get our sense of humour. You’re down to earth and not as blinded by Stars and Stripes as some people are. Every country can do better, we have good and bad everywhere but it’s ok to Acknowledge that to improve things, not everyone in the US can even admit things could be improved instead politicians will say “this is the greatest country in the world” Watching you react I think you’d love it in Europe and you’d be so very well welcomed too. Thanks for creating great content, being humble, funny, fair and objective 👍😊
Aw damn... I'm Canadian, and I have many, MANY friends in the USA! Texas, Michigan, North Carolina, New York, Massachusetts, Wisconsin, Mississippi, California, Washington, Georgia, Louisiana... and so on. Most of them also shake their heads collectively at the culture surrounding them, but it's very similar up here too. We have an equal percentage of jugheads up here who just embarrass the hell out of the rest of us too.
I've been watching your reaction videos for a while now, EB and I gotta say, you are by far one of my favorites.
Suffering is acceptable in the US as long as corporations can make money off your pain. Blood money.
"But I'm just a simple man, what do I know?" Apparently, a huge f*ckin lot! Enjoyed the vid as always, greetings from Germany.
The average American those that I have met anyway, all seem to be very nice people, they are just ignorant and insular they are not taught about the rest of the world and when u live in a country the size of Europe u have no need to look outside of your own country, its just very sad because it could be amazing xx
What age group? Social media is poisoning the world and it's really getting bad here. Using the letter u instead of spelling it out is a sign. I personally have taken a great interest in the world ever since the 60's. What does 'need' have to do with it? People choose what they want. The the Soviet Union fell, I had to learn about a bunch of new countries. As the world changes over time and technology allows so much knowledge in Space, Medicine, Engineering, too many live with their heads jammed into a phone and on things like TikTok - as if that makes one smarter.
"and when u live in a country the size of Europe"
Sweety, Europe isn't a country, it's a continent with 44 countries in it.
But if you were thinking of the European Union, it's not a country either, it's a union of 27 separate countries.
I did a tour of Italy with a group of Americans. I found them to be defensive and polite but not the least bit open. Like they were afraid of criticism of America. So the notion of freedom didn't apply to them outside their own country. They didn't realise others didn't have these restrictions. Europeans are just not like that.
Regarding the tipping in restaurants being a throw back to slavery, slavery was about 400 years ago, how slow is America? No one expects change overnight but 4 centuries is plenty of time to look at and change a pay scale!
It was in the 1800s here that slavery ended. That's not exactly 400 years.
It's funny, because the US was one of the earlier European countries that had thrown _away_ the custom of tipping - it was seen as an anathema to the idea of freedom and equality. I mean, you're literally bribing someone to provide a better service to you just because you're rich. And it was seen as a relic of the associated idea that service staff wasn't paid, so tips were the only money they got. But that was back when the US was at the front of the race for freedom and equality. It doesn't seem to be a particularly valued set of values nowadays.
@@TheEclecticBeard OK but about 200 years is still ample time to conduct a pay review!
@LuaanTi the US was never a European country.
@@MrRalphellison 159 years. Neither mathematics nor history are your strong points. As to your buddy who thinks the USA is a European country...
If it wasn't for America, we wouldn't have the Eclectic Beard.....Peace from England
i'm pretty sure we would, only that he would be british or french depending on where he is from
"only the leaders, the men are just following orders."
I know or I can understand what you mean. But, as a German, never ever justify anything a person does with bad leadership. That got a real bad taste to it thanks to our history.
I too recalled that. "Just following orders" was considered no excuse at Nuremburg.
@@A_nony_mous it's a huge reason why i realy don't like volunteer soldiers.
I'm British and the most common thing I've noticed with Americans I've met online is alot genuinely think we still care about the American Revolution, it happened nearly 300 years ago, we've moved on since then.
I mostly humour them because I think it's funny
They always "forget" how many other countries were fighting the British in that war, just like they "forget" all the other countries fighting in WW2.
Too true.
love it ,good one old chap ! exactly my thoughts !
For a huge part of my life I grew up in Heidelberg, Germany...tons of tourists and three U.S. Army HQs...not being a huge fan of the U.S. in political terms, I learned that, like most other humans, americans are quite pleasant to be around with...until they come in a bunch...we germans like it decent and quiet...'nuff said^^ Anyways, love to you and America
Oof that was brutal - that cannot have felt good. Well done on taking that with grace. Also, even posting the video.
It's TikTok. Not the Smithsonian. These are the ramblings of social media youth.
I love the fact that you realize that you can still love your country, while at the same time see its 'bad sides'. Since most Americans, at least that I've met either can't - or flat-out refuses to do it....and yeah - the "cultish" worship of 'the American Way', as not only the only way - but as 'your' own and 'unique way' (like it is the only country in the entire world that has 'freedom'!).
IMHO - I cannot but help to think that the 'indoctrination' of a 'hyped-up' nationalism (that begins from a frightening young age) is a sort of a 'tool', invented by the "Masters" to keep everyone "in check", so to speak...so that you'll think that seeing, acknowledging or at least publicly announce a problem - is equal to treason! (Since as the old saying goes: 'to fix a problem - you must first see it!'. And I feel like that very fact there might be at least one big reason as to why 'you' aren't either able, or willing to 'right many of the wrongs', so to speak...or, are you with me?).
Don't take it the wrong way - I'm not saying that like I'm on some sort of piedestal, from a far flung "perfect country" - there is no such country! (As you're surely aware of! ;-) ).
And if I'm to take a more personal view, from personally meeting Americans - well, it is a bit like the guy in the beginning said; "it's a bit contradictory". The Americans I've met - if I'm to put them as a 'collective whole' have been friendly and polite - while at the same time arrogant, many times.
Just my personal experience - and my 2 cents.
Greetings from Sweden!
The idea of not willing to paying for the education of other peoples children does not come up in Germany (and maybe most of Europe - not sure 🤷♀️) because... almost every job you choose (beside studying) starts with a 3 to 3,5 year apprenticeship which combines practical learning in your job AND theoretical learning in school - no matter if it is administration, craft, social work etc. Therefore everyone uses the schoolsystem - not only the ones with the higher education.
I am just so happy to see EB going from strength to strength on this channel.🎉🎊🎉🎊!! 91.9K Subs 🥰 (although he should be at 1mill by now in my opinion). It wasn't so long ago we remember him being a pure gentleman and totally grateful to fans for 30k subs😁, but if the is one man/channel that deserves that 100k RUclips plaque, it's this man & his channel. So many other Americans try and copy him on RUclips , but they have nowhere near the love & understanding of Britain as he does. I have to say, McJibbin annoys the crap out of me. The lad needs to take a breath and just try to understand one of the hundreds of posts he does each day😉.
At least McJibbin doesn;t swear ever other word !
Thanks for calling out the travesties done to the indigenous population also here in Canada. This is especially highlighted with Truth and Reconciliation day being today (Sept 30th). We cannot deny what happened and it saddens me that people ever thought it was okay to dehumanize and deculturalize the indigenous youth in our country. I hope that we can do better and allow these cultures to grow and thrive. It may not be my culture, but it would be a crime to deny them theirs.
I agree. That's one thing I always hoped the US stood for - you do your thing and I'll do mine - as long as it's 'legal'.
Im Aussie, visited usa for several times. Nice place to visit, but not a place to live. It is easier to die in that country than being sick/ill. If you are not killed by a bullet, the medical bill will.
People generally very warm and welcoming, especially when you speaks in an accent that is different than theirs. Suddenly many came to talk to you and asked you questions that are like blown your mind into disbelief lolz. Im an asian Australian guy and some even went to the length of asking me how my English is so good. Like really??? I said yeah we learned in English class and home since young. Their response “good on you!” Lol i give up haha
Dude, self awareness is good thing. As an Aussie I fully realise how lucky I am to have been born here. However, we are far from perfect, and a lot of things could be improved. Our countries politics like yours, has moved to the right, but the media has pretended to move to the left. My options used to be considered “hippy” or radical, but are now actually kind of central., but our government is more conservative than ever. Education WAS free here in the 1990’s when I went to Uni. A very small loan was the result (about $3000) which I still haven’t paid back over three decades later. The employer is supposed to take it out of your pay, (you tick a box on your tax form)and it seemed to have been a hassle, so no one, not one, employer has ever done it. So yeah, free. Now a days, our conservative government has whittled this away, and encourages oversees students (who pay a lot) and reduced the number of places available for aussies, and is now expensive.
I find the Mantra of modern civilization is to 'Follow the Money'. More more gimme gimme. I'm quite happy in my little conservative lifestyle but if I listen to certain groups, I'm to believe I live in poverty.
UK here. We have had several national experiments in our history. We sent the crims to Australia, nicking a loaf of bread or poaching a deer in the King's park because you were starving. That actually worked out pretty well. The crims turned out to be resourceful folks, perfected the art of bar-b-queing crustaceans, learned to play a tolerable game of cricket and even drive on the correct side of the road. Fair play to them say I.
We also sent the religious nutters to America. Oh dear. They bred and spread like rabbits, adopted rampant consumerism, grew the largest military in the world, mainly out of paranoia, mucked about in many other country's business, but they did achieve a pretty impressive technology, at least back a few decades. I still remember lying on the lounge carpet in 1969, watching the tv as George Santos came down that ladder and uttered the immortal words "One small step for a gay man, one giant leap for mankind". Then it all went to poo. The religious nutters saw that their numbers were dwindling and went mental. They infiltrated the Republican party and turned that into a religious cult. Elected a rapist to the White House and a couple more to the Supreme Court, banned abortion, they're trying desperately to destroy the education system because it's easier to propagandise the stupid and poorly educated. About one third of the country wishes that The Handmaid's Tale was a documentary and another Supreme courty person has said her goal in life is to create the kingdom of god on earth.
I don't actually see much hope for America. All empires die eventually, usually that's preceded by internal division and civil war, the muckety mucks say it can't happen here, we're far too big and important to fail, and then the end comes. And of course they can't play cricket and drive (badly) on the wrong side of th f*cking road. A narrow escape for us Brits of course but a salient lesson in the perils of religious nuttery.
@@davidsmith7653 Crikey. That was…….entertaining, I enjoyed that. Thanks mate.
@@ericaltmann5711 No worries mate. She'll be right. Flat out like a lizard drinking eh?
the thing that really worries me about the US is that their Patriotism seems to have morphed into Nationalism
The thing that worries me is the loud and proud on social media and politically biased news are the main sources of interaction the world seems to associate the normal people with.
I was on holiday in a baseball stadium, and everyone was standing for the national anthem. I was standing too in respect. But not singing. A fellow behind me argued why I was not singing, I told him that I was from the Netherlands and that this is not my anthem. He could not understand that the us anthem was not for the hole world.
You are right about Canadian government treatment of indigenous peoples.
In Canada there were residential schools, where the aim was “ to take the ‘ Indian’ out of the child.” Many children died and were left with unmarked graves.
A Commission was set up, and today marks the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. Last year it was made a federal statutory holiday.
It will take generations of government attention to mend the relationship between indigenous peoples and the Canadian population.
Stay safe, stay sane, stay Strong Ukraine 🇺🇦
Let me throw my hat into the ring, I have only visited the USA once, on a sort of goodwill event, we went to Marietta Georgia and the reception we received was warm and genuinely friendly, the itinerary was fantastic and all paid for by Lockheed aviation, and when we departed I can honestly say that it was,by far, the most enjoyable work related trip anyone could have and not spend a penny, but, and there is always a but, the impression that some Americans portray about the people and the country is not so pleasant, and I think some of that stems from WWI and WWII, America didn’t enter WWI until 1917 and immediately tried to wrest command and control from the European nations that had been fighting and dying since 1914, and straight after the war ended the “victory” (nobody is victorious in war) was claimed as American and from that point on the seeds of dislike had been sown, America decided that they were the powerhouse of the world (probably true) and tried to influence every free nations policies, ideologies, economies, religions etc etc etc, they thought that we should all just follow them because they were the powerhouse of the world, prior to the USA entering WWII the USA was a mere shell of the early post WWI years and only when the USA was attacked did the industrial might of the country get into full swing and produce the vast amounts of materials that were needed to defeat the axis powers, but once again, as soon as the USA entered the war, especially in the European and North African theatres, they decided they should be and would be in charge, and that has continued ever since, and it has translated into the American public believing that somehow they are superior to the rest of the world and that translates to arrogance, self importance, rudeness and, once again, believing that the USA alone won WWII and therefore they were entitled to be the worlds leaders and police. NOT all Americans are like that, once again it is a significant minority, but it is still significant in numbers.
The healthcare and taxation systems of the USA need a complete overhaul, a simple straightforward National Health Service and, unless your self employed, all basic taxes deducted from your wages/salary, in the United Kingdom we have two basic taxes, 1)National Insurance (N.I) that is your contribution to the National Health Service (N.H.S) 2) Income Tax deducted at source for everything else that central government allocates to services. There are other taxes that you pay after receiving money from outside your work and you do have to declare, just as self employed people have to declare their income and pay their taxes upon it. That is a very simplified version of our tax and healthcare system, but america needs a similar system, that in itself would cut the administration costs tremendously and stop tax avoidance.
From the UK here, it's sad in some aspects because if it had to be hoped for it would be great to see equality amongst all countries people's an no conflicts. Each country has it's good an bad share of people.
I'm from Scotland, my wife is American and we lived in Texas (Houston and suburbs) for 10 years. We were living in one of the most Republican areas possible, Montgomery Co, TX. Individual Texans were in the main friendly, helpful, charming people. During a flood, people really helped their neighbours. But if you suggest that they get together and organise some kind of help, paid for by tax dollars, for unfortunate people, then that's a complete no. In other words they are good at being heroes, but really bad at preventing bad situations from occurring in the first place.
Let's face it EB, in many countries throughout the world (mine included, England) have committed atrocities against fellow humans. Hopefully many of us, including a growing number of Americans, have/or are woken to this. Therefore there's a light at the end of the tunnel that because of the waking up process things WILL get better.
Thanks for the video.
Unless the atrocities continue to be committed today - it's all in the past. I didn't do any of this stuff so I'm certainly not going to take any responsibility for it. Move on, but always remember.
Eh. A lot of Americans; and sadly Canadian are calling for pogroms daily against gay and trans folks.
I'll tell you what the last few weeks your videos have been brilliant for an American you talk a lot of sense well done
And that tells you everything you need to know about the American stereotype 😆
Regarding the serial k-er thing, I am so glad that was brought up. It's actually a huge topic of debate in the true crime community. There are two types of true crime fans: those who are interested in the story/mystery, psychology, and victim, or those who glorify serial k-ers and romanticize them.
My best impression of America is probably Gilbert Gottfried. I do a decent Walken too.😄
Edit : I've been to America, all round the South. First place I went was a gun range. Met lots of really friendly folk, mainly curious about my accent. Kept asking us if we were Scottish, though. I'm from Lancashire.😄
Who gives a fuck?
I was on holiday mate ,had to pull my driving licence out, to prove i was English an American ,told me I was Irish. Now I have nothing against the Irish ,my dad was Scottish. But to be told I'm something I'm not ,got my back up .he was very close to loosing his big overwhite teeth.
My brother lives in texas but is from Scotland, everyone thinks he's Irish lol
@@andrewjohnston4127 🙄
@@andrewjohnston4127 it was the fact I told him I was from Derbyshire England, and he didn't believe me .I know where I live Twat ,good job my wife was there I was getting ready to launch him .Even after I showed him my driving licence, with a union flag on ,still don't think it got through to him ,Think they thought we spoke like Hugh Grant.
1st time commenting on any video. Started with your look at comedy, Fred digby etc. interesting views on more recent stuff. I grew up in a caravan for 1st 17 years, in the country in the uk. Share many similarities in options and family values ( my 91 year old mum loves your laugh, not sure of your changing appearance lol). Anyway thanks for the thoughtful and entertaining content. Love the little drops about wife and family. Long live country living. ❤
I love your videos I am learning a lot from them, I enjoy your insightful analysis and reactions.
What confuses me is that as a population with Italian, German Irish ancestry how do you manage to get Bread, cheese and sausages so wrong haha
And coffee….
A very interesting segment Mr Beard. I enjoyed watching.
I have spoken with so many Americans over the internet as I've grown up. You are among the smartest ones I've listened to. Most of the nightmare stories in the world is from America. We all know the Middle East is in chaos, we all know Korea and China are very hush-hush about what they do... so the worst stories the rest of the world hears comes from America... a lot of stories.
Many American are so loud and obnoxious, we hear it all the way to Europe. Whenever I hear of something bad happening, I feel like 85-90% of the time, it's in America. Whenever someone is being stupid or mean online, I'm assuming they're American and when I ask, I'm often right.
And gosh by all goshing, every time there's a shooting, it's either America or a warzone. You're a smart guy. If you don't mind, could you take 5-10 minutes and think about that? Is America a warzone?
I would recommend viewing the stand up comedian Reginald D Hunter. An African-American who moved to the UK. Some of his observational humour does relate to some of these tik tok videos you have been viewing lately.
Also no, you will never out drink us. It starts at around the age of 10, for Xmas dinner only, then at around 14 it goes to hanging out with friends drinking cider, then its legal 4 years before you. The only American to have ever of out drunk me was a Texan and even then I had a few hours head start on him!
I would add drinking laws, strange in comparison to the age you can buy cigarettes or guns, plus getting carded when I was 40!
Sir, I have said it before on other of your posts - what a sensible, honest view point👍
What it is surprising to hear for some USA citizens is that we don´t think of or about USA citizens on our everyday life. We just go around trying to make a day, so to speak. Our mind is on our own problems, thank you very much.
6:00 let me tell you one thing: you're *not* a simple man. You're a *smart* man. Don't let anybody tell you different. Your experience with not just the US but all those videos you've reacted to showing other countries, perspectives and so on, your knowledge is adanvanced in comparison to the average american. That's not "simple".
A lot if non Americans don't think of America. Because we live in a free better world.
Chest thumping was never a virtue, regardless of whom does it.
I had a friend who was an American. She was cool but then she got out of US so different from what seems to be the typical inward looking American. Obviously I know that's not all Americans because of your videos and your interest in other countries culture. But the stereotype is loud, gun loving, arrogant and misinformed on just what freedoms non Americans have.
I love American culture that i see in tv and film but the country is far from perfect, but neither is mine. Britain has it's fair share of crap.
Great vid as usual. 😁
Love your commentary. You are a breath of fresh air
Ive met a few tourists from the USA, and they seemed friendly but OBSESSED with how much history there is in the UK.
I met an American that bought a house in London, he was very excited that it was over 100 years old, i didn't tell him ALL the houses around there are over 100 years old. Everyone i know that lives in London has a house just the same, it's normal. He seemed so excited and proud. lol
England here, when one bearded guy restores your faith in humanity , love your videos dude
The biggest thing (in my opinion) that fucks up US is the state system. Every time I bring up making any substantial changes to an American, they say it would be difficult because states have their individual laws. :3 Overly complicated with very little returns in exchange for it from how I see it.
The «messed you up» video was both shocking and hilarius
hey, thanks for saying the facebook ding was yours :P there are so many youtubers who have alerts on that makes me check myself ^^ appreciate it
I think you reacted to that video with open eyes and dignity.
I grew up in Germany and find it remarkable how critically Germans judge their own country and are also ready to fight for a better future.For serious changes, people all over the country are taking to the streets and protesting very loudly.And that over and over again until something changes.For example, millions of people in the former GDR demonstrated in the streets against the Russian-Socialist system until they forced reunification with the FRG. The fact that they were massively threatened by heavily armed troops has even caused the people not interested - they kept fighting!...That's what I call patriotism - fighting for improvements in the country.Sorry America, but what you do I call nationalism!
We are also HYPOCRITES ... because all the climate change talk is EMPTY WORDS and HYPOCRISY. Easy example: the new mobile phone standard obviously requires more antennas ... and thus requires more power ... and I wonder how much power the entire mobile phone network actually uses ... compared to a basic landline. Germany had made "CO2 promises" and has NEVER kept them ... not for any of them for 30-40 years.
Sadly you are missing that a lot of the "fighting for peace" was directed by the communist from East Germany ... I grew up in West-Berlin in the early 70s and we had Antifa BLACK BLOCK "protests" every May 1st ... which only got rarer in the 80s. Antifa and the entire "left scene" in West-Berlin was supported by the STASI ... and the lawyers who represented the TERRORISTS of the RAF (Red Army Faction) went on to become politicians for the Green Party ... and later were even part of the government. Those terrorists were supported by the STASI as well.
The point is that germans have been critical of their country to the point of "giving up on national identity" (which would be the culture BEFORE Wilhelm II.). That is a BAD THING, because it is "extremism in the other direction" ... and INTERNATIONALISM IS COMMUNISM!
we fought for economical freedom and the freedom to travel, yet we were happy to remain as the GDR + you mean west-german occupation right?
@@lilithiaabendstern6303 The FRG could hardly occupy something that de facto belonged to it. The fact is that the GDR was economically insolvent and had existed for decades from the loans of the FRG. And it was the citizens of the GDR who ran to West Berlin the night the Wall fell and were very happy to take the Begrüßungsgeld.
@@Kelsea-2002 The ecconomy of the GDR was so bad, they could live from the loans for decades, banksters wasted more money in a few hours and had to be rescued by the tax payers
Yeah, although the rate of prosecuting nazis post ww2 till now has been extremely poor. You may want to look at the history, but there are blinkers on in high places. Don’t get me wrong, it’s more than most have done, but it’s not perfect.
The one thing I keep seeing here is how arrogant and entitled Americans are. As a 50 year old mother of three, I can say I have never been able to take a vacation once I left my parents house. I have never had enough money by wages alone to afford one, let alone leave the country. So maybe all the nice Americans are just like me, stuck in this broken system. Much love EB, great videos.
In my experience, the tie in of religion and politics is one of your scariest parts. Good people, led astray by insular and ignorant beliefs resulting in a total lack of self awareness. It’s a shame, as you are friendly people that are misguided by the BS you are fed. I’m British, we are far from perfect, but we do live in the real world, down to earth people. (. We do have our fair share of assholes too )
Damn! I just looked around and everything is plastic. I thought I was living in the real world . . . . Lot's of people don't 'eat' that BS, but unless you lived here - one only has the News and social media for information. Good luck with that - I learned to ignore it long ago.
From the personal feelings of this America-hating (or not soo much hating - I've some doubts!) Canadian, I learned through all the years that I have been living in Canada that Canada also had too significant problems with First Nation Peoples and caused the latter a lot of suffering.
It's imo not a question of which nation harmed indigenous folks more or more less, it doesn't even matter in which of the two countries more racism and violence prevails, in the end it's just a question of coming to terms with the past as it really happened , to confront and learn not to repeat these mistakes and, of course, to develop a common sense of ethic and morality, so that every person who calls himself a citizen of one or the other country, can integrate as well as possible and feel comfortable in some way - in any branch of any society.
It anyway will last many generations before that goal is somewhat achieved. In the meantime, everyone should contribute the best they can dedicate to that goal.
if you could go back to when you first started your channel and tell yourself one thing that you've learned, what would it be?
Damn. That's a hard question. Almost multi pronged because I first started with beer reviews and then moved to looking at music before going into looking at cultures, histories, sports, and entertainment outside of the US. Probably that as a content creator you have to evolve, not only as a content creator but also on a personal level because the world has become much smaller than what it was and that people as long as you're genuine appreciate someone not trying to bullshit them or put on. Let more personality show through, even if it's a part of your personality you don't find flattering (I always hated my laugh, thought it was dorky and goofy) because there's someone that can identify with you better by being more yourself and regardless of how much you may enjoy something, don't be afraid to move away from it if it means that you grow. That's one. Number two is that people outside of the US while they may not always have the best view of the US are by and large nice and don't mind helping you expand your mindset or knowledge. Don't be afraid to reach back out to people through social media or personally via email as you can gain friends and acquaintances that you'll appreciate as much as your family or friends you see or talk with. I think those are the 2 that come off the top of my head. I've been doing youtube for 4 years now. 3 as a reactor and I've met so many awesome folks (even though it's digitally) as well as confirmed that the world outside of our borders are nowhere as skewed as they're made out to be. I think that our history pales in comparison to the wealth of history dating back to before anyone knew of the existence of 2 more continents on this side of the world and our trajectory in just over 200 years as an independent nation isn't promising when looking at things through a historical perspective.
I know I know, me me me. Do not shave, people will stop watching your vids as its just weird seeing your chin.
@@TheEclecticBeard your awesome laugh was what endeared me to you and kept me watching your videos. When you laugh, i can't help but laugh along, it really lifts my spirits.
@@TheEclecticBeard What are you talking about? Your laugh is adorable! I said on another vid of yours, when you cover your mouth with your hand, you look like a Japanese schoolgirl laughing..... a bearded Japanese schoolgirl!! I love it!
22:22 I think he has probably the greatest point here. Many countries, if not all (I didn't check) have dark History, made of lots of bright times but also very dark ones. It's part of the human nature, and I don't think any group of people of any time can pretend to be clear of any wrong actions. But that's not the issue. The issue is when the people ignore the issues, think they are the greatest things of the universe and are ready to put themselves on the line for it. That's the scary part.
I'm a French guy, and almost each time I meet an American for the first time, it goes the same way :
Hi, what's your name ?
Hi, my name is Julien (The French pronunciation is really different from the US one)
Sorry, what ?
Julien
Sorry, once again ?
Julien
Oh ! Oh! Wait ... , JULIAN ! Nice to meet you JULIAN !
And, I mean, i have 0 problem with people not being able to pronounce my name properly, I know it can be really hard to pronounce sounds that are not in your own language, but HOW THE FUCK does it end with some random bloke explaining to me how to say my OWN FUCKING NAME ? I don't know, maybe I AM THE ONE that's able to pronounce it properly ?
If your name is Jack or John I'm not going to change it to Jacques or Jean...
How arrogant do you need to be to correct someone on his own name's pronunciation ?
Great video Mr E.B. The usual many, many thanks.
I took notes and I can safely say my next book will be called "Merica" subtitle, "How to look like a butt 101"
Even the way Americans say "eye-ran" proves how ignorant they are, the country is called Iran and pronounced "ih-rahn". Iraq also. And don't get me started on "eye-talians" 😂😂😂 and speaking of Italians, if your great great grandfather came over from Milan in the 19th century, that doesn't make you Italian, you're American. Same goes for Irish!