Comments on: What differentiates Europeans from Americans (Europe and USA)

By: American

American — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 02:43:52 +0000

As an american, I do not feel like the author grasped the american aspects they were contrasting. To begin with, there is no discrepancy between top and front loader washers, they are both used just as much in america. Religion is not looked on as something to be apart from government, it just isn’t a part of it period.(The pledge of allegiance has a symbolic meaning and many Americans do not interpret it as religious ) Many politicians have varying religious beliefs that have nothing to do with the policies they implement. A Mormon is running for president, yet I have not heard him once preach The Church of the Latter Day Saints. (Am not a supporter of him either way) Also, the part the author spoke of patriotism was just completely false. It made all Americans seem like ignorant country folk and all Europeans like empathetic philanthropists. Our patriotism is from our independence as a nation in the late 1700′s, we are proud of our freedoms, not because the color of our flag or race. America is extremely culturally diverse with many nationalities populating the coasts(liberal areas) and established demographics in the central areas (conservative areas). On schooling, the reason why school is free in most European countries is because of the differing systems of government, duh! Taxes are much higher outside of America. We value education here just as much as you do, however, there is a very strong foundation of self reliance built in many people here. Self reliance is to less government is to less taxes is to less social programs. We don’t expect the government to pay for our school, or our kids school, that is why we sacrifice and put the money away. Not only because we don’t want the handout, but because we don’t pay the taxes to pay for the handout. For political correctness, Americans don’t discriminate on your church whatsoever. It just doesn’t happen. Race would be more in line with what is aimed at with political correctness. I don’t even know what to say for the dating part of this article, besides it must have been arbitrarily composed while watching the movie “American Pie”. Just because you watched an american movie/TV show, it doesn’t mean you have an acute understanding of interpersonal relationships among an entire population! Marriage isn’t important because of Religion, its important because its symbolic, that’s it. lets not forget the authors reference to the “Americans common use of gangsters and criminals in the US military for their “killing talents”, and the way they can pass from notorious criminals to national heroes”…….. Really? because The only time i remember this happening was in the movies.. If your going to write an article about two VAST population groups, please reference SOUND material that is OBJECTIVE and please refrain from confusing your subjective to this category. You started off objectively then quickly changed this into your own personal views. Very offensive.

By: adelaida

adelaida — Thu, 04 Aug 2011 10:50:48 +0000

in Slovakia + 18 for drinking anything which contains alcohol…only for your information…

By: Mariek

Mariek — Sun, 24 Jul 2011 15:14:34 +0000

Excuse me…. Europe Day? Any celebrations on May 5th or 9th have to do with liberation after WWII and absolutely NOTHING with Europeness or something like that.

And you honoustly do not believe that Gay Marriage is possible in Europe, because of the fact that marriage in general isn’t as important as it is in the USA, now do you? There is a whole other principle to it: equality. This principle is much more important in Europe than it is in the US (where it is considered a communist thing almost) and thus gay marriage is of hardly any debate. Note also that it is legal in the more non-Catholic and seculiar countries of Europe…

By: eh

eh — Mon, 04 Jul 2011 19:59:56 +0000

@linzilou

You realize we’re not all “fat arses” and uncultured right? Sure there’s a vast amount in the US that are that way, and it bugs me too, but it’s not wise to make such a broad generalization. I feel it makes you no better than those specific Americans that you seem to hate so much. Just my two cents, wishing you all the best.

By: Blabla

Blabla — Thu, 09 Jun 2011 00:47:02 +0000

We also have a prom night where we dance the waltz etc after the end of our high school. And I’m from Europe.

By: Glew

Glew — Wed, 01 Jun 2011 12:43:48 +0000

Well, I think this little article is an not too well overthought generalization and shallow stereotypes.

By: Guido

Guido — Mon, 11 Apr 2011 21:26:24 +0000

I find Europe more interesting because of its long history.
The United States is a young country.
Both Europe and North America are both nice continents.
There are some places in North America i wouldn’t go though, like Mexico and Honduras.
Though i think Europe has a better education / health care system, and less gangs / gun violence.
I think 16/17 year olds should’t be driving.
But i think it’s nicer to drive a car in the US because there is more space.
Also i like the US criminal justice system more (harsher sentences), but that’s needed because there’s more offenders.

By: Jesper Blaabjerg Holm

Jesper Blaabjerg Holm — Mon, 28 Mar 2011 11:05:04 +0000

@Wonka There is as stated before no minimum in Denmark, you just can’t buy alcohol until you are 16…

By: linzilou

linzilou — Tue, 15 Feb 2011 10:52:20 +0000

Just makes americans look even more what we class as pig ignorant, uncultured and blinkered in their opinions of the world. Britains legal drinking age is 18 not 16 to 18 and in a lot of places we have the “think 21″ campaign and even more places ask for id if you look under 25. THere is nowhere in britain that will legally serve alcohol to a 16yr old, they will lose their license.
“Americans are much more religious than Europeans” ??????????????????
So americans are more religious than the Italans who have Vatican City as a country in its own right and the bloody pope that lives there and are all devout roman catholics and they are brought up to worship from birth and be indoctrinated into that religious way of life. Ditto the Spanish who are also deeply religious and church going is a way of life, if you had been to either countries you would be aware of this.
Wedding ceremonies are also much more important and formal in the USA. In most of Europe it is limited to an informal family gathering” WTF?? Where is this “fact” based???? Have you ever been to a wedding in Eurpoe??? Ceremonies can last for hours and celebrations for days with the foundations heavily embedded in tradition and religion centreted around the family. This is pretty much standard and the celebrations are elaborate across europe. In Britain the average cost of a wedding is now around 25k. British weddings tend to be more about the dress and venue and large scale celebration but our european counterparts are highly religious so their weddings are based around this.

“Europeans all have a lot of traditional dishes from their region or city” Europeans lead the way in the field of cuisine from the fine dining of the french to italian cooking, spanish seafood and tapas to traditional irish and british recipes that are all emulated and enjoyed as we try to replicate them in our homes and by eating in restaurants and even eating the tradiotional fare in the countries we visit…americans mainly eat shite full of fat and fast food dont they?

I guess you think in britain we all talk like dick van dyke in mary poppins and live in thatched roof cottages and have outside toilets and that ALL germans wear lederhosen and the french wear a string of onions round their necks and say nothing but sacre bleu.

I think if more americans got off their fat arses and discovered the world they would realise just how ignorant they are to other other cultures but then again you lot are so self centred you dont feel you have to ever leave america as its so big and experience anything outside of such a small minded nation.
“

By: Wonka

Wonka — Sat, 29 Jan 2011 09:49:12 +0000

Many of the drinking ages are wrong, for example, in Finland it’s 18 years and in Denmark it’s 16 years. Other facts about Europe are quite generalized and not to be considered as facts!