THE MANDATE IS CONSTITUTIONAL

[I AM NOT THAT GUY 5,715]

I never met a Vietnam Vet who supports that war

You didn't see the Green Berets?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iECZmJPiYdM&feature=related

Edited June 29, 2012 by ☼

[Ban Hammer 13,590]

No to the international criminal court. I'm a lib (relative to most here) and even I say F that.

ditto from the conservative side.

[Captain Oates 911]

No to the international criminal court. I'm a lib (relative to most here) and even I say F that.

Well the US doesn't really need it as it simply murders anyone it doesn't like.

The incorrect urban myth is that foreigners have no rights, even when they are in the US

That might be convenient, but it sure isn't moral

That doesn't matter as long as Americans don't care about the world or what the world thinks of it.

That describes the attitude of most Americans who post on VJ but derision for the world invites a like response from the world

I don't want that

Many Americans do care, and want their country to be in good standing internationally

[slim 1,533]

it will be in a position to truly say it is the moral, economic and military leader of the world

That will be called China. (You may want to save that Red passport after all.)

[^_^ 5,021]

Well the US doesn't really need it as it simply murders anyone it doesn't like.

The incorrect urban myth is that foreigners have no rights, even when they are in the US

That might be convenient, but it sure isn't moral

That doesn't matter as long as Americans don't care about the world or what the world thinks of it.

That describes the attitude of most Americans who post on VJ but derision for the world invites a like response from the world

I don't want that

Many Americans do care, and want their country to be in good standing internationally

The European powers didn't care about such things when they were at the peak of their dominance.

Now that they're reduced to pathetic little weaklings, suddenly they care.

Most curious.

[Captain Oates 911]

You didn't see the Green Berets?

That was fiction - Hollywood - my pal is real and is still hobbling around

Vietnam was a shameful and pointless adventure which maimed hundreds of thousands of American citizens, killed scores of thousands more and yielded nothing

.. and if we had won, it wouldn't have been worth winning

Edited June 29, 2012 by Ashud Cocoa

[Usui Takumi 1,562]

ditto from the conservative side.

And the side I'm on. (The Dark Side)

[^_^ 5,021]

And the side I'm on. (The Dark Side)

Lol

[Captain Oates 911]

I don't know why I spend my time trying to educate these loser minorities

My hero is the President and health care and you guys just lost out and I am laughing at you

Barry is 8 points ahead in the swing states and I am going to keep on having fun at your expense all the way to January

You are all as past as the british empire - hanging on to lost glories which will never return

I guess you need each other now - need to hang together - like a group of rare turkeys in their last enclave

What a beautiful day. The best day since 1776.

[rocks 494]

Last month I was asked about how I liked the US. I said - "it's pretty good really - the petrol is cheap and it doesn't rain as much". Crestfallen faces all round.

They wanted to hear me say that I has never been allowed to vote or have free speech in England and I had been a slave of the Queen and I had been saved and raised up by being allowed into the US

The Americans always compare their country to some fly-blown dump in Africa and never to Europe. I have noticed that.

I do find Americans much more polite (to my face) than anyone anywhere else and much of the stuff that irritates me is a result if brainwashing or ignorance and so they can't be blamed too much. You know that in school they have to stand and put their hands on their hearts and make an oath before god and the flag every day ? You know that in the UK that would be seen as totally 3rd Reich.

There is also a certain percentage of Americans who are incredibly switched on and well traveled and know all the issues and comparators better than I do.

You and I know the scum that exists in England and the US has its own scum. Instead of being drunk and worthless, they are full of ignorance and puffed up with nationalism and false pride. Same type of people I have always had to tolerate in both countries.

So its all the same stuff but presented differently from the UK

Once I realized there are tens of millions of Americans who feel just as I do, I realized I could be a true American patriot by getting behind socially enlighten politics and I don't need to feel at all alien in their company. The rednecks are a dying minority and I have the confidence to tell them so. Heck I might even be in the majority of Americans - the election of Baz Obama says something.

The US continues its evolution and as usual it is following in the footsteps of England but 50 years behind. The important thing is that it is getting there

If it ever gets real socialized health care like EVERY OTHER INDUSTRIALIZED NATION, it will be SWAMPED with the best immigrants and fully deserve it's incessant boasting for the first time ever

It's funny that we are expected to say we love it more than the place we were born. Obviously we like it here or we wouldn't be here but we will always be Brits too. I love the questions they ask too, clearly they think we live in caves. "Do you have nail polish?", "Do you have Easter?", "Do you have Thanksgiving?", "Do you know the Queen?". Had any good ones?

I find that Americans are mostly polite, although I have encountered a few weirdos. I was refused to be served in a bar because my passport was "in French", another lady didn't want to let me buy alcohol until she had checked my visa was valid in my passport and started flipping through all the pages.

There certainly are scum in both countries. Here I can keep them away with a gun though! Most people keep themselves to themselves for fear of being shot, especially during summer, aka killing season. The scum back home don't have any respect for anything, no fear of the police, it's a free for all. Brits need to learn some southern manners too, say excuse me when you walk by someone, refer to your elders as Mr/Miss or Sir/Maam. It seems to establish a basic level of respect for others.

Making children say the pledge of allegiance is a strange one. My husband told me you learn it when you're so young that you don't really understand what you're saying, as they grow up they don't pay attention to what they say either. We went to an event recently and they read the pledge of allegiance before it could start, was the first time I saw that happen. Everyone (apart from my husband) put their hands on their hearts like mindless drones.

It took a while to stop feeling like an alien here, I feel like I'm as American as anyone else who lives here. The overwhelming number of badly educated religious republicans and/or rednecks used to really irk me, I questioned why I moved here. Finally I realized it just isn't worth it. Having like minded friends certainly helps making fun of them more enjoyable. If I'm forced to be friends with these people, I avoid talking about anything political or religious, after all I don't want to get shot. Is it easier to avoid such people up there?

USA will definitely be swamped with immigrants if they introduce universal healthcare, maybe that's why they are staying away from it?

[^_^ 5,021]

[JimandChristy 1,689]

It's funny that we are expected to say we love it more than the place we were born. Obviously we like it here or we wouldn't be here but we will always be Brits too. I love the questions they ask too, clearly they think we live in caves. "Do you have nail polish?", "Do you have Easter?", "Do you have Thanksgiving?", "Do you know the Queen?". Had any good ones?

Bloke at a gas station said to me "Are you from British?" not Britain, British, so of course I said yes I'm from British. It's become a running joke in our house now.

Lady at McDonalds when placing my order said "I can't understand a word you're sayin' but please keep saying it"

One of my US wife's favourites: "I love yours and your husbands accents, how long have you been in the states?" and they directed this question to my wife thinking she was British as well. (Sounds nothing like a Brit!)

[rocks 494]

Bloke at a gas station said to me "Are you from British?" not Britain, British, so of course I said yes I'm from British. It's become a running joke in our house now.

Lady at McDonalds when placing my order said "I can't understand a word you're sayin' but please keep saying it"

One of my US wife's favourites: "I love yours and your husbands accents, how long have you been in the states?" and they directed this question to my wife thinking she was British as well. (Sounds nothing like a Brit!)

Those are some good ones.

I have been accused of being from Tennessee. A lady at my dentist started making fun of me because she thought I was trying to sound posh, she was ever so embarrassed when she realized I wasn't American. I laughed a lot at that one. People seem to misunderstand me when I talk, which is odd because I speak very clearly and have a regular southern English accent. It is as if the accent throws them off and they listen to that instead of what I'm actually saying. Is that what happened to you at McDonalds?

[Captain Oates 911]

It's funny that we are expected to say we love it more than the place we were born. Obviously we like it here or we wouldn't be here but we will always be Brits too. I love the questions they ask too, clearly they think we live in caves. "Do you have nail polish?", "Do you have Easter?", "Do you have Thanksgiving?", "Do you know the Queen?". Had any good ones?

I find that Americans are mostly polite, although I have encountered a few weirdos. I was refused to be served in a bar because my passport was "in French", another lady didn't want to let me buy alcohol until she had checked my visa was valid in my passport and started flipping through all the pages.

There certainly are scum in both countries. Here I can keep them away with a gun though! Most people keep themselves to themselves for fear of being shot, especially during summer, aka killing season. The scum back home don't have any respect for anything, no fear of the police, it's a free for all. Brits need to learn some southern manners too, say excuse me when you walk by someone, refer to your elders as Mr/Miss or Sir/Maam. It seems to establish a basic level of respect for others.

Making children say the pledge of allegiance is a strange one. My husband told me you learn it when you're so young that you don't really understand what you're saying, as they grow up they don't pay attention to what they say either. We went to an event recently and they read the pledge of allegiance before it could start, was the first time I saw that happen. Everyone (apart from my husband) put their hands on their hearts like mindless drones.

It took a while to stop feeling like an alien here, I feel like I'm as American as anyone else who lives here. The overwhelming number of badly educated religious republicans and/or rednecks used to really irk me, I questioned why I moved here. Finally I realized it just isn't worth it. Having like minded friends certainly helps making fun of them more enjoyable. If I'm forced to be friends with these people, I avoid talking about anything political or religious, after all I don't want to get shot. Is it easier to avoid such people up there?

USA will definitely be swamped with immigrants if they introduce universal healthcare, maybe that's why they are staying away from it?

wow you are SO refreshing - all I get is redneck reactionaries on here.

Last year wifey asked if we celebrate thanksgiving. That's like the Falkland islanders celebrating Argentina's national day.

I have a DVD of "Triumph of the wills" - a nazi propaganda film - and the imagery with all the flags is so US. I know the US isn't nazi but the extreme nationalism makes it look that way to a European eye

The British way is that if you think you are the best, you go quiet and put a smug look on your face. The American way is to shout it from the rooftops and claim that god has a mission for you.

I never had anyone look in my passport to sell me a beer, but when my son came over they asked for his passport to sell him a beer. He was an out and out alki in the UK from age 15 and an exotic dancer at 18 and he was 23 - he looked at em like they were crazy.

I have been a US Citizen for a couple of years and I yearn to see it progress morally. I think that makes me an American patriot but many Americans (certainly VJ Americans) think anyone wanting change is a commie and get your snout out incomer.

My personal culture is 100% English and it always will be even though its a car trunk and a hood and I have forgotten the English words

I still can't stop hating the pronunciation MAY-NAY-GER (manager). Its obviously from German and Polish people who learned English from a book. They learned that A is pronounced A. Then they pronounced Manager May-nay-ger because an A is an A

All these years and I still recoil

I started with guns at Ilkley rifle club in 1964 so this place is like Mecca to me. Haven't had chance to kill anyone yet but I live in hope. I leave the door open with my wallet in view but all the bait hasn't worked so far. No point being an American if you cant kill somebody. You know I am being facetious but an American wouldn't and would call 911. They are very literal. No college stuff please - we are American !

Really I would just love to be able to say I love America and I don't think the country is very far away from that point. We Brits never say we love England. Have you every heard anyone say they do ? I haven't. It isn't our way, isn't our culture - but if I couldn't say I 'loved ' America I would be ostracized

Brits love people and dogs and cats and horses - nobody says "I love Britain"

That huge culture gap will always be with me and it does hurt every day though I try to ignore it

But the gasoline is cheap and it doesn't rain as much - what more could a Brit want ?

[JimandChristy 1,689]

Those are some good ones.

I have been accused of being from Tennessee. A lady at my dentist started making fun of me because she thought I was trying to sound posh, she was ever so embarrassed when she realized I wasn't American. I laughed a lot at that one. People seem to misunderstand me when I talk, which is odd because I speak very clearly and have a regular southern English accent. It is as if the accent throws them off and they listen to that instead of what I'm actually saying. Is that what happened to you at McDonalds?

Indeed, I'm from North West England/North Wales so I'm not entirely sure whether that would be easier to understand than your southern English accent. I do the same with southern accent here in Georgia, its so harsh that the accent itself to me overwhelms what they are actually saying.