WonderingSoton
New member
- Dec 3, 2014
- 287
Last summer I was invited to an American wedding. One side of the family were very religious, conservative south central types (~Kentucky/Tennessee). The other family were massive east coast city liberals, atheist feminists (~Boston). I know it sounds cliched, and it felt it, but it was true.
I met more Americans during this week than during the rest of my life. And this week I spent with them was basically one long argument, especially when a bottle of beer was consumed. I could not believe how opposed to each other they were.
The liberals for their part went way over the top getting offended and throwing insults and labels like racist, misogynist, homophobic, you name it at the conservatives. The conservatives for their part went way over the top in response to the political correctness the liberals were preaching.
Both sides knew exactly what buttons to press with the other. For every gender neutral toilet and safe space the liberals mentioned, the conservatives would talk about guns and immigration control. Both knew how to get the other foaming at the mouth.
There was little room for sensible calm discussion, things went from nought to sixty in no time. At times I found it fascinating, but mostly I found it unbelievably awkward.
Whilst the conservatives weren't massive on Trump as their candidate, but he was 'theirs'. They sure as hell weren't going to support Hilary. Happy to ignore Trump's crazy outbursts and oafishness, and mostly they loved how much he upset liberals. Hilary didn't respect America due to the email issues, and she was too close to the 'same old same old' establishment that was doing nothing for 'their' America.
Whilst the liberals seemed happy to ignore Hilary's dubious funding, past baggage etc. She was a democrat, a woman, and was the continuation of Obama who was their hero, breaking through barriers. She would continue the screwing into the ground of the GOP and their perceived racist white male America.
No punches were thrown during this week, but it was bloody close to it on several occasions.
One thing is for sure, if those two groups can be representative of America as a whole, it's one incredibly fractured and broken country, both camps utterly intolerant of the other.
However then we can look at ourselves and the lead up to and fall out from Brexit, as well as the various issues of keeping the United Kingdom together, and see that we're far from a united grown up and cohesive country ourselves. Maybe (as with many other ways) everything is slightly bigger in America and in Blighty we're a little less extreme and more reserved.
I met more Americans during this week than during the rest of my life. And this week I spent with them was basically one long argument, especially when a bottle of beer was consumed. I could not believe how opposed to each other they were.
The liberals for their part went way over the top getting offended and throwing insults and labels like racist, misogynist, homophobic, you name it at the conservatives. The conservatives for their part went way over the top in response to the political correctness the liberals were preaching.
Both sides knew exactly what buttons to press with the other. For every gender neutral toilet and safe space the liberals mentioned, the conservatives would talk about guns and immigration control. Both knew how to get the other foaming at the mouth.
There was little room for sensible calm discussion, things went from nought to sixty in no time. At times I found it fascinating, but mostly I found it unbelievably awkward.
Whilst the conservatives weren't massive on Trump as their candidate, but he was 'theirs'. They sure as hell weren't going to support Hilary. Happy to ignore Trump's crazy outbursts and oafishness, and mostly they loved how much he upset liberals. Hilary didn't respect America due to the email issues, and she was too close to the 'same old same old' establishment that was doing nothing for 'their' America.
Whilst the liberals seemed happy to ignore Hilary's dubious funding, past baggage etc. She was a democrat, a woman, and was the continuation of Obama who was their hero, breaking through barriers. She would continue the screwing into the ground of the GOP and their perceived racist white male America.
No punches were thrown during this week, but it was bloody close to it on several occasions.
One thing is for sure, if those two groups can be representative of America as a whole, it's one incredibly fractured and broken country, both camps utterly intolerant of the other.
However then we can look at ourselves and the lead up to and fall out from Brexit, as well as the various issues of keeping the United Kingdom together, and see that we're far from a united grown up and cohesive country ourselves. Maybe (as with many other ways) everything is slightly bigger in America and in Blighty we're a little less extreme and more reserved.
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Thank you, which is what i have been trying to point out.
. .