Fodor's Travel Talk Forums - Europe just isn't what it used to be.

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Enlighten me please-what car is still made in Great Britain?????????????????

When I think of Europe I find that I exclude the United Kingdom/Great Britain and think of them as a separate entity as do most Europeans.They were very late in joining the European Common Market and to no surprise refused to go with the change in money-Euro.I was amazed when they actually went metric but hold on so desperately to the archaic royal family and driving on the left! I'm convinced they still believe in the days of the British Empire.Get over it, you can't even manufacture a decent car

As Bill and Ernest boxed away the afternoon, I thought things aren't like they use to be, I want to be at the Jockey Club not watching these guys swet.

Yo, Mark. Your home town isn't just what it used to be either

What is this with the British Empire? Let it go!. Until not that long ago the US was the most racist divisive country, no one goes on about that shame. The US still has state killing of it's own citizens which many find abhorent. Get the branch out of your own eye before picking so many faults with us!

Why are all Americans so obsessed with having big Donny and Marie Osmond style Hollywood flashing gnashers? As long as your teeth are healthy what's wrong with having natural looking ones. Weird!

I find this discussion most amusing! Of course Europe has changed, where hasn't in the last 50 years... the world is not preserved in aspic! Furthermore I have to concur with Sheila, the vast majority of those changes have been positive ones - standard of living, quality of life, accessibility to "culture", democratisation, conservation, health services etc. To blame the negative changes on immigration is ludicrous - if that were the case then the US, Canada and Australia (nations almost in entirety founded on immigration) would have even more of the same problems by a factor of 10! It seems self evident to me that the problems that there are (a marginalisation of society, the breakdown of the traditional family unit, high levels of crime against property, stress, higher levels of mental illness etc.) are as a result of the culture of greed fostered by our enslavement to corporate businesses, globalisation, a "have-it-all" society and fear of failure. As to the various arguments about Britain and its hang-ups... I feel that many Americans are far more obsessed with our past than we are... is that because they are trying to measure the success and extent of the new American Empire against the British Empire of a century ago? Well we managed to let go (sometimes well, sometimes in a decidedly cack-handed manner) but we managed it; Do you think YOU can?

Dear American friends The British have always been your strongest friend. Why are you so determined to do us down? I'm beginning to feel quite hurt.

So agree with Kate @ hotmail and Angela. Most Brits don't hate Americans, we regard you as our closest allies (ever heard of the 51st state?)and if we're critical of anyone it's usually ourselves. Sure there is a tug of love every now and then and we may enjoy some gentle banter over our linguistic and cultural differences but I don't want people to think that we all look down on the US of A

Given they bruise so easily our American friends sure aren't diffident about dishing it out! We (the Europeans) are your closest allies and friends... stop to think about some of the hurtful things you say about us!

Ray, The Kinks had it right over 20 years ago! Good one.

Ah yes, Kiki, said, if things hadn't changed, we could have had such a wonderful relationship. To which one would most certainly respond, of course, isn't it pretty to think so. The End.

>Seems like most of the people in their >had bad teeth too. I imagine that most of them probably know the difference between "their" and "there". There's a certain type of American who goes on about British teeth. Let's face it, if that's all they can find to be negative about we must be doing OK. You have to remember that many people on this forum are not from the middle-class educated class in America. There grandparents and even in some cases their parents would have lived in hovels with no plumbing and shared their living quarters with their animals. Their teeth would either have fallen out or would have been extracted to save dentists' fees. Don't gridge them their delight in all the luxuries they now possess. I'm 63 and have all my own teeth. They are not shiny white but look like 60 year old choppers that have been regularly brushed and looked after. Personally if I see flashing white teeth on anyone post middle-age I assume that they are either false or veneers. As for the British Empire, I'd agree that Americans are more obsessed than we are. After all, nobody under 60 can even remember it. Also what's so special about it. There have been empires all through history. All the Europeans had empires, Britain, France, Holland, Italy, Belgium and don't forget Spain. Empires rise and by their nature fall. Last century all the European ones vanished including the Russian one. The American empire is still in existance and in time will go the way of all the others. As for American Briton bashing. We're the only friends you have in the world because of shared history, culture etc. Take care you don't drive us away or you will have nobody.

I imagine most of our British friends know the difference between "there" and "their." "There grandparents and even in some cases their parents would have lived in hovels with no plumbing and shared their living quarters with their animals."

Anon said, "The US still has state killing of it's own citizens which many find abhorent." Anon, It is called justice. It is meted out only after a jury of their peers find them guilty of heinous crimes. And BTW, "some" would be a better word than "many". Toast em in Texas and they do not murder again and we save $50,000 per years to keep the murdering, raping scumbags alive! US

Uncle Sam: that's how many Europeans reasoned in the Dark Ages. Europe has since progressed, you have not.

>There grandparents I noticed that too. Shows how careful you have to be. Our friend was trailing his coat in some of his comments but the point about empires was sensible. I know that some of you people are fans of BBC Radio 4. There was an interesting programme about cultural imperialism by Melvyn Bragg at http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/history/inourtime.shtml

Uncle Sam Then you are doing to them just what they did to others - premeditated murder, makes you just as bad. btw The language you use "toasting them" I find disgusting.

Bill "Papa" must be laughing somewhere, I sure have been.