Good to hear it.  Those folks over on the Channel side of the island need something to take their minds off how difficult all the people they know and see in their lives are to be around.

If they can't get down to Cornwall, over to Wales, up to Scotland, it's probably worth spending every dime they make staring at a comp screen so they don't have to have social interactions.

Jack

What are you talking about? You mention "the Channel side of the island". The Channel divides the UK and France; it doesn't divide England from the other regions of Great Britain. The article is about all Brits which includes the Scottish, Welsh, Cornish and any other person from anywhere in the world who became a citizen in the UK - not just the English.

And do you really think the English long to visit Scotland or Wales when in reality the most popular holiday destinations for all Brits are places like Spain, NYC and Thailand? Many Scots, Welsh and Irish have moved to England proper, especially during the last few decades, because they know full well there are more and better opportunities there. Not even the Welsh want to be in Wales.

It sounds from the tone of your comments that you have issues with the English. I personally know many Englishmen and women and they are wonderful people with very keen judges of character. And they love social interactions too; just not with people who have very limited comprehension and senseless opinions.

The 'channel side' of the island also means the south east of England closest to France where London is located. Not the friendliest part of the UK so Jack is right about that.

But it's true that millions of Brits holiday outside of the UK. It's cheaper for a start with better weather. Holidaying at home is perceived to be rather sad.  There aren't many Grand Canyons or Aspens over here!

If we didn't like socialising all our pubs would be closed by now.

However any survey's only as good as the methodology it uses and I think the figures quoted for online gambling are exaggerated. It looks like they polled people who were already gambling. In all the offices I've worked in I've not seen anyone placing bets but I have seen them surfing sports, news, joke emails etc.

Jazam:

Thanks for calling my hand.  Sometimes the memories of lousy attitudes encountered overpower the good ones, particularly when the bad ones are bunched up in a particular geography.  There's plenty on the east side worth the doing, and I'm sure, plenty of good folks there.

But to suggest you haven't anyplace worth vacationing just ain't so.  I'd like to spend six months wandering around South Wales, maybe longer in Scotland.  Can't imagine I'd ever be sated exploring that country of yours.  Grand Canyon's fine, but it's only one kind of majesty, whereas Fishgard's another.  You've got that Mary Rose project down south, a British Museum a person could spend a lifetime inside pondering, and plenty else almost everywhere a person turns.

Good luck to you,

Jack

In Great Britain it's legal to place bets on who's going to be the next US President. Does anybody over there have odds on Hillary Clinton?

I personally know many Englishmen and women and they are wonderful people with very keen judges of character. And they love social interactions too; just not with people who have very limited comprehension and senseless opinions.

I don't doubt you do.  My personal experience is that the folks on the east coast tend to be a fairly rude bunch in public.  Not just to non-english, but to one another in a public setting.  They're also, as a group, a bit smug, even bombastic in anti-American sentiments.  I haven't found this to be true on the west and northern sides of the island. 

I honestly doubt anyone from Wales goes to London because they think it is a great place to live, if that's what you're suggesting.  Britain's not much different than most places in that regard.  People go where they can make a living.  In the case of the east coast, if the trend continues a few centuries it might actually dilute some of the attitude a person finds among Englishmen (as opposed to Scotsmen, Welch, etc).

I don't know, nor care whether englishmen visit Thai instead of Wales or Scotland.  If that's what they prefer it's no concern to me.  I like the Far East, too.

My sense is that most englishmen (east side Norman/Saxon stock) are an entirely different breed from the Celtic stock on the other side.  A breed more prone to behaviors resembling the stereotype American abroad, or Frenchmen at home.

Just my limited comprehension speaking and senseless opinion, carrying  much in common  with yours in that regard. 

 I personally know many Englishmen and women and they are wonderful people with very keen judges of character. And they love social interactions too; just not with people who have very limited comprehension and senseless opinions.

The first part of that statement appears to disagree with the second.  A non-sequit-whatchallit. 

Jack

I speak from personal experience from having lived and worked there for many, many years. You're very wrong in your statements because the English aren't rude in public as you suggest. I find them to be a very civil lot and any behavior less than this is far less common than you would find in any given place here in the US or elsewhere around the world.

Your comments implying that the "Celtic stock" is somehow more wholesome and kinder than other peoples living there is absurd.

And yes I have met native Welsh people, as well as Scots, Irish and people from many countries abroad who went to London and elsewhere in England for school and to work and to live simply because it is a great place. And it is.

I'm not sure what your relationship with Britain is but it's quite obvious that you were expecting to have the welcome mat (most likely the red carpet) rolled out for you and you didn't get it. If you're still smouldering over it then that's your personal problem. Being an American in Britain is hardly unique and even so it doesn't entitle you to any special treatment.

Britain has been a great ally of the US for generations. When has Ireland ever publicly supported America in a war? Never. Or committed troops to a US-lead coalition? Never. Indeed, Ireland ALWAYS stays neutral and on the sidelines. Some of the most rabid anti-American views come out of Ireland and even Scotland and Wales. But like you said, the Celts are a different breed, aren't they?

If you really are an American who actually believes in freedom of speech and expression then why should you care if English opinions and views are different or even "anti-American"? At least they have them and aren't afraid to express them. I suspect though that, like most Americans, you don't actually believe people should have democracy and freedom unless their views conform to your own.

I'd say the thread's drifted with this as far as it needs to.  Your body of experience leads you one direction, mind leads me in another.  Each of our feelings about the absurdity of the views of the other is mutual enough to strike a nice contrast.  Beyond that it's pointless.

We'll agree to disagree.  However, insofar as the original story of the thread, I think it makes a lot of sense and isn't surprising.

Jack 

Phokas: I agree with you that people are free to express whatever views they have.  By the same token, I have the same freedom of expression to expose the stupidity of anti-American statements made by the idiots who say them.

It's amusing (but sad) that people who invoke the "freedom of expression rights" in order to slam America and President Bush are the same people who say it's censorship when people who express love and admiration of America rise up to defend her.

The Brits are very nice and civil people........I am an Indian and they are seldom racist. racism exists to a certain degree everywhere..unfortunately there is an anti- american feeling going around generally and maybe the person in question did not have a good experience.

However, if I may add without meaning to offend, the Brits are less racist than the Americans

Intolerance toward American views is racism in different clothing.

Intolerance towards anyones views is racism and most of us are guilty of it.

In a race to decide which race is the most racist it would almost certainly end in a dead heat.

On the other hand, the 'issues' you referred to with the English (Norman/Saxon variety) had nothing to do with race, nor intolerance for viewpoints.  It had to do with civility toward guests to a particular country.  I'll be the first to admit the most visible American tourists tend to be uncivil to the residents of host countries without even knowing they are doing so.  My thought is that guests to America recieve better than they'd give when the situation's reversed.

The resident's of most of the world have preconcieved notions about whether or not they dislike Americans, and most don't.  Some have cause for that view because of the behavior of particular Americans, same as I have cause my view because of the behavior or particular Englishmen (and various residents of other countries). 

You, shalini, have probably seen similar behaviors among your own countrymen.  Maybe not involving race, maybe not involving Americans, but incivility toward a particular group, nevertheless?

As a rule, for humans to accuse other humans of racism is merely a matter of pots calling kettles black. 

Jack

Probably depends on the precise American view they're being intolerant of.  A country can be forgiven for not being tolerant of an American government view that it knows better than the people who live there how things should be run.  Especially if it involves having American troops attempting to enforce the American view.

On the other hand, I'm not sure there's such an animal as American views on an individual level.  We cut a wide swath in viewpoints, as demonstrated by this thread. 

On the whole, I tend to dislike foreigners as a group, either in their own countries, or in this one.  As a group they're a fairly worthless lot. 

But individually, I like them pretty well, usually, when they're visiting here, and mostly when I'm visiting there.

That's my American view.

Jack