what does everyone think about australia as a whole!

US and Britain don't have similar cultures. Many British people emulate Americans. But that is not the same thing.

Simon, that is a very ignorant thing to say. To say that Britain have and US do not have a similiar culture is stupid, to say British people just emulate Americans is also stupid.

If I wanted to be ignorant like you, I say that American culture is just British culture emulated.

American language? originated from England
American national anthem? originated from England
American flag? still very similiar to colonial flag.
Americans have heavy metal bands? Heavy metal came from England
American have punk bands? England made punk what it is.
New York? Where is the York? Oh, that's in England, so are other place names like Boston and Washington also in England.
American law sytem shares common ideas with English law.
American school system shares common ideas with old English school system.


American basic things like believing in democracy and capitalism came from Britain.

Sure British people wear Levi Jeans, (Levi Strauss) a German invented them. Sure British people eat at McDonalds, French fries came from France, and Hamburgers came from Germany. Sure British people eat Hot-Dogs, they also came from Germany. Sure British people play on their Sony Playstations and Nintendos, they come Japan. We wear Adidas clothes, Adidas is a German brand.

We buy American music, but the biggest sellings rock bands in America like "Rolling Stones, The Beatles, Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath, Def Leppard. etc are British rock bands" Britain sold million and million of albums in American from 1960-1980s and a hell of a lot of our music had a big influence on American fashion.

I would be just as ignorant as you to say things like that.


I didn't mean to say that British and American culture is identical, no. But to I get the feeling that if you mix British and American culture, you get something very similiar to Australian culture.

However, Australian culture is unique. So is British culture, so is American culture. It would be ignorant to say otherwise.

BUT, they are ultimately similiar.

I forgot to mention television too.

http://www.csmonitor.com/2003/0411/p18s01-altv.htm

I disagree. I can see where you're coming from. But there are important differences.

America has the death penalty in a majority of its states, if not all. For Americans, democracy means "the freedom for people to sell things and wield guns". We have a monarchy - America is a republic. They have truckloads of space - we don't (and this a huge cultural definer). In America big is beautiful, in the United Kingdom modesty is a virtue.

It's very difficult to say "Heavy Metal" came from Britain because it didn't just appear one day. It grew out of looks of things, including American rock bands of the 60's and American rhythm and blues and soul etc.
The British aspects defining punk seem to be largely lacking in American punk. Could the Clash have been American? No.

We along with several other European nations participated in a great race to conquer the entire world (albeit for purely economic reasons).

Most British people think UK is like US because:
a) Most people want to be American these days anyway, and at the very least aspire to an American lifestyle.
b) They go to see American films (like everyone else in the entire world)
c) They don't tend to speak other languages and so aren't really aware of what's happening closer to home in countries like the Netherlands etc.
d) They mistake the historical involvement of England in the United States with a long lasting parallel development, believing erroneously that the US is simply a bigger Britain.

But the cultures are not the same. That is why there is "culture clash" for Americans coming to England and vice versa.

Simon, I remember coming on this website about a year ago. Your not the same Simon who is from Britain? But has lived in another country all your life? I can't remember Beligium or France?

I can't believe you reckon most British people would want to be American, I think you have a very ignorant view of the world and what you see as American things are not "American" things.

You think British copy America just by what they see in the media, before the 1950s before the media became huge. Before America started to influence culture around the world, Britain and America were probably more similiar then than now. Explain that?

British people don't want to be American, British people don't want to emulate American culture. British culture since Britain began have taken the most popular things out of nearly every country in the world and made it British, it's nothing new. To every McDonalds in Britain there are about five indian restaurants and three turkish take-aways, and two chinese. Our clothes are from brands taken from American AND Europe aswell as our own brands.

Like I said, British culture is not identical, it is similiar to American culture. It has been like that since Britain decided to colonize it. Not since Hollywood.

Handguns used to be legal in Britain, and we also had the death penalty. things change too.

Woah! Connie. You sound very defensive, borderline racist. You wouldn't be an aboriginal for anything so stop acting like they have a great life!

Who's Connie?


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We have a monarchy - America is a republic. They have truckloads of space - we don't (and this a huge cultural definer). In America big is beautiful, in the United Kingdom modesty is a virtue
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Canada and Australia have a monarchy, they have truckloads of space. So you say this is a huge cultural definer. Are you now going to say that Canadian and Australian culture is not similar to Britain also?

Yes but both are also members of the Commonwealth, gained independence peacefully and were attached to the United Kingdom more recently. Both more or less left "Britain"'s bosom in their current form. The USA became what it is today after a long process and is much more than the 13 colonies that it started with.

Ok, so are you saying that Canadian culture is not similiar to the US?

It's either one or the other.

as - look on page 1. Connie is banging on about nonsense there.

Yes but Canada is very close to the US geographically.

I would agree that Australia is influenced by both the US and the UK and if that was you're original meaning, I'm sorry to have digressed.

Canadian + Australian + American = similiar cultures
Canadian + Australian + British = similiar cultures
American + British = not similiar cultures

OK, that's your logic. I think it's more of some type of denial more of any logic.

Germany/France
Netherlands/Denmark/Belgium
United Kingdom/Ireland
Australia/Canada/New Zealand
United States
Mexico

This is a kind of schema to my logic. It shows cultural proximity.

Incidentally, in spite of what some in the UK think, the other European countries' cultures have also become changed due to the arrivals of different immigrant groups over time - usually with the same root reason (imperial legacy).

If I go to an American high street on a Saturday night will I see the streets full of violent puffy-faced beered-up boys and girls, with a pocketful of braincells - and zero style/sophistication - between them?