why british versus USA?

Question

I am from England as I suppose you can see buy my last 2 questions. (troops in Iraq etc.. ) But why are we drifting apart, we used to be great allies but now I dislike a lot of USA people and they in turn hate British people. Why is this? Is it just Bush and Blair stirring up the hatred by going to war ?

Answer 1

yes...but we still like the beatles...not mccartney so much though.

Answer 2

How canyou dislike some one you have never met? How do you know that in turn they hate british people ? What you really dislike is the American Administration , not its people. You cannot blame them for the descisions that their government takes. The same can be said for the British people. I have been on NATO exercises with troops from all over the world, and I always found the Americans to be excellent soldiers and great people. That is first hand information. no bull!!

Answer 3

Aw Pauline don't fret. Do not let the lowest element of each country convince you there is a divide or shape your opinion of Americans. The world is a big place.. all kinds of people.
Trust me I have never heard anyone say they hate the British.
As Americans we get picked on a lot &sometimes we act out and are too defensive. We hate being called uncultured rubes over and over again. Once ok but after a while it is grating...
We like British history and Lit. I read stories about King Arthur to all of my nephews.. They loved it. Margaret Thatcher is loved here.
Blair and Bush-- I do not know why they bring out the worst in people but they are a convenient target.
Reasonable people can agree and disagree reasonably . Unfortunately on YA we have to put up with some pretty outrageous comments or people who are just trying to provoke rather than express their real thoughts.

Answer 4

The war has not helped. Neither have the many instances of "friendly fire" (which have also killed Canadian troops, and if you think Brits and Americans are hostile, try the Canadians and the US!)

Our government's willingness to do anything the US asks has also contributed, but I'm in Australia at present, and while their involvement in Iraq is at a far lower level (2 casualties I think) their PM John Howard is a poodle pair with Blair, and as a result, the US is pretty unpopular here, too.

I think what we are seeing is world-wide US unpopularity in the rest of the world. I travel a lot, and if there is one thing that unites the 95% of us who are not US citizens, it is a despair of this nation, which is so violent, so greedy and so lost

Answer 5

You know....I've been asking some questions concerning The UKs feelings about America and what I've learned is we are ALL tired of this war that seems to have no end! Somehow we're doing what 'family' normally does and that is....taking it out on each other and bickering! We are family The UK and America and there isn't anything that's gonna change that. I understand why you guys feel angry at us, because you're involved in a war that we initiated and it SEEMS like you're not appreciated. We do value your alliance with us and trust me when I say that if ANYONE where to screw with you, we would be on their @ss so fast with all of the resources we could muster, because the world looks at us as 'related' and we would protect our own. In WW2 it took too long for us to get there and the UK bore the brunt of it. That wont happen again because since then our alliance has grown stronger on the world stage!
So, who ever has some growling to do just keep it in perspective and remember that's what family does, and that's loving and supporting each other in spite of getting a black eye or used as a yelling post every now and again.
We Love and Respect The UK even if we don't say it often enough and we are grateful for the support that you've given in this war against terrorism. We just get caught up in our own lives and forget to say...THANK YOU.

Answer 6

Complicated all around. Part of it is national pride on both sides. There are a lot of jingoistic Americans who think their country is the greatest place on earth. From what I read on the internet, people from England and the rest of Europe frequently think of themselves as culturally and intellectually superior to Americans.

The actions of our respective governments have something to do with it. People tend to indentify the common people from a nation with that nation's goverment and that government's actions. What Bush and the rest of his backers are doing in Iraq and around the world do not represent what all Americans want or think, yet people from around the world don't make that distinction. People from around the world (and within the U.S.) are upset about Iraq, so they condemn everyone in America along with the American government and war backers.

I think perhaps a lot of people from where you live tend to identify all Americans with the political right-wing agenda that represents only one half of a political divide in the U.S. They think of us all as gun toting cowboys. They think that we're all death-penalty advocating, gay-hating, Jesus crusading, science ignoring, bloodthristy warmongering savages. I think many of them want to believe the worst about Americans even though we are all not like this. My friends and I are more secular, politically liberal and progressive, we value education, a just and diplomatic approach to world politics, care of the environment, etc. None of us owns a gun.

But I will say this, maybe America is becoming an evil place. In 2004 when Bush was elected to a second term, I felt for the first time in my life like this really wasn't my country anymore. I'd like to believe that there are many more people like my friends and I, but it could be that we are a shrinking minority.

I have nothing against the English or Europeans except that I tire of the condescending, arrogant statements I hear from them concerning all Americans, as if we were all the same. Maybe the '08 presidential election will be the beginning of a healing of the rift between the U.S. and our long-term European allies.

Answer 7

I am a Brit living in the USA and I get on wonderfully with the American people. Not noticed any drifting apart here

Answer 8

I'm a US citzen, and I have always felt a kind of kinship with the brits, even though I am of german and irish descent. Have always had to admire a nation as small as britain that could manage to stand up to a monster like hitler. I think that all this talk about hating each other is no more than the current political crap making us all edgy.

Answer 9

Because as a soldier im fed up of this supposed super power bunch of mongs killing our guys. A ten billion dollar defense budget and they cant tell the difference beteen a warrior full of ten squadies and a Tornado jet. Ten lives lost because of incompitance by trigger happy Bush followers. A war cant always be one by hi-tech laser guided bombs. Take some lessons yanks from people who have been fightings wars alot longer than you.

Answer 10

I'm British, and I love the Americans. They've been there for us and we for them through thick and thin. Yes, we've had a few stumbling blocks (Iraq, Blue on Blue etc), but we're still good allies and friends!
I've worked with the Americans on a few occasions, and they are a good bunch. Stop slagging them off.

God Save the Queen and God bless America! May our relationship flourish.

Answer 11

LOL I am Canadian. Please don't confuse the feeling People feel for other people, and the dislike they feel over their Government's policies.
There are many Americans and Brits I truly like, but I try not to group these friends with their Governments' foreign policies.
There will always be those who project their dislike of government actions to the "innocent" citizens of the country.