Europeans Call Out 50 “Hard Truths” That They Think Americans Are Not Yet Ready To Hear
Americans and Europeans share many things, including a commitment to fundamental democratic principles, a strategic military alliance, and some of the highest living standards in the world. However, there still are some notable differences between the two sides of the Atlantic.
And one Reddit discussion draws attention to many of them in quite a funny way. Started by a person who goes on the platform by the nickname Mamutu7, it asked: "Europeans, what is something us Americans aren't ready to hear?" Immediately, people from the Old Continent started replying, and it became a lighthearted roast pretty quickly.
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The European description for "Karen" is "American".
You love your army way too much, yet many veterans are left alone with ptsd after their service.
Bud Light is not even close of being a beer.
Your country is slowly evolving backwards atm (uprising racism, women don't have choice over their own body in way too many states, too much christianity b******t in politics)
EDIT: angry comments just show that you are indeed not ready to hear those things.
Tipping is stupid. Just pay your staff a proper living wage!
Excuse the pun, but it seen we’re at a tipping point with tipping culture. Besides people making an average wage expecting tips for just doing their jobs, and restaurants asking for 20-25-30% tips, it’s really shone a spotlight on how stupid tipping culture is.
You actually have less freedom than most of the world. Your country is a pay to play.
And why is all your currency the same size and colour?
It's neither normal nor okay to have to go bankrupt just to go to school or going to the hospital
Buuuuut guuuuys, how else is the medical insurance industry supposed to make their billions in profit??? 👉👈🥺
Having school children recite the Pledge of Allegiance is creepy AF.
- Going to a hospital, calling an ambulance or getting education shouldn't ruin your life.
- You shouldn't have to be afraid of getting killed while at school.
- Education should be based on universal facts, not religion or some bigots opinion. You should have nation wide lesson plan, which covers the basics students need to master before they can move onto the next grade.
- Your worshipping on some politicans is scary and crazy. They're just humans, not rockstars or gods.
Sugar does not belong in everything, esp. not bread.
My brain agrees but my stomach disagrees. And my heart… probably diseased.
South Park shouldn't be a perfect documentary of your country
Blame Canada for that. (Before downvoting, please watch the movie)
Having your national flag EVERYWHERE is ridiculous to most of us.
The rest of the world is much more advanced than you think
Extreme christianity.
All of them look crazy, and here in europa a lot of people are christian but dont make such a deal out of it to harass people.
Multimillionaire Pastors who hoard their wealth rather than help the needy
no, we aren't "jealous of your freedom". In fact, we feel your "freedoms" are quite limited,
and no, you are not the biggest democracy in the world...
Freedom from what? Freedom from fear of getting shot anywhere anytime? No. Fear of getting into debt for higher education? No. Fear of getting into debt from a hospital stay?.... I could go on but it would get embarrassing
We have pubs older than your country
Edit: Anyone getting angry about this comment, you're just proving my point lol.
I know people who live in a house where one of Henry the eighths wives was born. In the 1500s.
That america is not the place Europeans dream of moving to. It’s more of a nightmare.
I wouldn’t move to America if you paid me. (No offence to any Americans reading this but your country is not a safe place to live)
Stop confusing the word "Socialism" with "Communism" and "Fascism".
There is nothing wrong with trying to set up a system wherein people who could use some help actually get help.
(Yes, the system is imperfect but that goes for every system.)
Scare tactics by the Republicans to confuse the poorly educated (That's why Trump likes them.)
Guns are not something you need to protect, you’re children are.
'Schools' which prioritize sports over education aren't schools; they're entertainment profit centers featuring underaged kids.
I taught "Rhodes Scholars" at Oxford, during their year of attending "Oxford" (which was only interested in their money, anyway). Never again... such low standard, such lack of "education". I let someone else do it and be pissed off.
Your most leftist politicians are actually central/right for European standards
And if your great-great-great grandparents moved from Norway to USA, start a family and generations later you were born, you are NOT norwegian. Your ancestors were, you have a bit of nordic blood in you, but you are still 100% american. Not norwegian. Not 25% irish, 10% swedish, 3% finnish, 17% norwegian, 5% danish... just plain american.
Kind reminder that there is no "Nordic blood," "Irish blood," "German blood" - blood has types, not nationalities. We've believed this in the past and it didn't do us any good 🙄
**So many of your problems are caused by your urban development.**
- The rise of religious extremism can be explained by churches being one of the very few places that fill the human need for community activities.
- The passion for guns would not be there if you didn't see the limits of your lawn as pretty much a border to be protected.
- The hate to spend public money on mental health, education, etc would not be there if you were cohabitating with the people harmed by those issues.
- Obesity would not be there if walkable spaces were common.
- Wars may not have been fought if society didn't depend as much on fuel costs being low.
- Your lack of free time to pursue hobbies is partly explained by extra long commutes
I could go on and on...
No wonder you see government as an oppressor of your freedom, and other people as threats: You go from the islands that are your workplace, your shopping space and your home in a car, as everything in between is unwalkable hostile territory.
Europeans spend their lives in common parks, squares, public spaces, social clubs, cafes, pubs... And feel 'at home' walking in between those spaces, since the space in between is a social area as well. That makes it natural to perceive yourself as part of the community, and feel a social obligation to do your part to maintain it (through taxes for example) which seems pretty much impossible in the American lifestyle.
Your car dependent infrastructure is terrible. You shouldn't be forced to own a car just to be able to go anywhere.
I was stopped by a police officer in LA for walking. Seriously, he thought I was a sex worker (jeans, shirt, sneakers - screams sex worker!) because I wasn't driving the half mile from hotel to restaurant.
Healthcare *doesn’t* cost that much. It’s all HUGELY inflated
Cannot believe how much you have to pay for insulin, to take just one example.
The world isn't just america. The internet isn't just america.
You're like 3% of the world's population, stop assuming everybody is american... or cares about you. At all.
..also stop electing fascists.
Healthcare is a human right. Not providing affordable healthcare to all Americans is an abomination.
Tipping culture is placing the working class against the working class. And you lot are falling for it instead of striking
You're very loud as tourists. Speak at a normal volume, please.
Yes, I'm petty, and this is insignificant. Just wanted to say this for ages and finally got the chance 😂
No, not petty and it's not insignificant. I also agree and it highlights the 'Loud tourist' as American easily.
You are just a third world country that happens to own a lot of money.
And in debt, a lot of money ($32.4 trillion I believe?)
Whats the deal with mega churches? Why do you send them that much money?
They are cults. They believe everything they are told and by sending the pastor money they will be 'Saved'!!
You're not entitled to rule the world and you're not the moral compass of this world.
There is something deeply wrong with your lack of real protests or even riots to end school shootings. In most human cultures losing that many kids regularly without lifting a finger to prevent it is unthinkable.
the fact that people are so against gun control shows they feel someone's right to kill another person is more important that a child's right to go to school and not worry about being killed
You can’t have a WORLD CHAMPION of anything if the said champion competed only against other people from the USA. USA is not equal to WORLD
Your republicans are makin’ ya look silly
EpiPens cost $69 in the UK compared to the US $600 and yes the Pharm companies are making a profit.
A NHS prescription is currently £9.65 so it's a lot less than $69 here.
Your food is killing you. Oh and you are not the best country on earth. Sorry to whatever propaganda they push at you all.
Youre treating a 300 year old piece of paper as the end all, be all of american civilization. Its not a perfect document, the founding fathers werent some demi-gods. In fact, the Magna Carta was a big influence on the founding fathers for both the Declaration of Independence as well as the Constitution.
Its okay to revise the constitution, its not some perfect thing. If it was, how come the founding fathers forgot to put the abolishion of slavery or womens right to vote at least in the bill of rights?
My point is, while the 2A may have made sense in a time where there was a threat of invasion from the english king and american settlers needed to have organised militias to be ready to defend their land, in todays world, yall are putting way too much emphasis on damn guns - to the detriment of your kids
the second amendment was dont at a time when people had single show muskets or pistols they could never have thought that there would be guns that fire thousands of rounds a minute also what possible use could you have at home for a magazine with 100 round capacity
You complain about soccer being boring while the NFL has like 12 minutes of play over 3 hours.
serious question why is it called football when you use your hands
Your 2 party systems even more useless than ours.
Use metric. Use M-E-T-R-I-C!
You do not need a 5000 pound truck to haul your laptop and cellphone to the office.
Visiting European cities and telling us how different it is in America isn’t as good a conversation starter as you think. We know it’s different.
Yall spend too much time worrying about paying taxes and not enough time making sure your taxes go to the right programs.
To be fair, many people in many countries have this problem
Your government is as corrupt AF.
Your tax dollars are being spent on millitary programs that you will probably never find out about rather than being used to improve your infrastructure, less than a quarter of which could allow you all to have universal healthcare.
Before you visit a country educate yourself a bit about it. Like geography, culture, language/s, laws and yes a bit of political knowledge is also good.
But but then I can't make sad Pikachu face when I break a law or try to use my 'murican money at a shop
Not everything is about military.
Saluting to random people is creepy and unsettling and they dont nessecerly deserve it
Americans really fetishsize the military tellin somepne thank you for your service is stupid you dont do the same for doctors or fire fighters or police they all serve the country
It's okay not to have an opinion about everything.
Don't know what I think about this one.
You are not the freest people in the world. [You are not even in the top ten.](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/State_of_World_Liberty_Index)
Use Metric, will ya.
"3 football fields long" isn't a valid unit of measurement.
Your culture war is bullcr*p that makes it impossible to tackle any real problems and improve the country, and the rest of the world suffers for it.
But how else are the capitalists supposed to keep us workers at each other's throats instead of the capitalists'???
We perfectly get that different states of the US can have very different culture and so on.
But believe me, it's the case in every country big enough in the world. I'm French, don't say to a Britton that he is the same than someone from Provence, it's like Maine and Florida here.. Same goes for Germany, a Bavarian is not at all a Hamburgian. Same in Italy, you can't really compare a Milanese from a Napolitanese.
That's one point.
And the second one is that different **countries** are really different from different states. We perfectly get the differences between this, but Americans tend to think we don't get it, and are trying to make us believe that Denmark and Portugal is the same difference than Washington and Mississippi.
Not, it isn't. It's really different. Having a different language is really, really something that change everything. You are suddenly unable to read anything and to communicate beyond very basic words. The law is totally different too, there isn't "european constitution" applying everywhere in every local law. But thinking that moving from one european country to another is like moving from one states to another is completly wrong. It apply very well inside the border of big enough country, but not outside of borders.
Belgium is very small. Longest distance you can travel without crossing a border is what, 230 km? Yet, someone living in West Flanders (coastline) compared to someone in Antwerp compared to someone from Liege... 3 different people.
Foods that are usually consumed within a couple of days doesn’t really need all that food-preservation chemicals
Unless you're properly trained or you've done it before, you have no idea whether your gun will save you in a dangerous situation, the adrenaline might get to you or you might freeze up.
I'm not levelling this at all Americans or all gun owners but way to many folks think they're a badass just by owning a gun.
And no, you don't have a 'God given right' to a firearm like I have heard too often!
You're not the centre of the earth.
Reciting the pledge of allegiance every day is weird, see also being obsessed with flags.
To the best of my knowledge the only 2 countries in the world where this happens is the US and North Korea, might be something to reflect on.
Edit: Initially wrote national anthem instead of pledge of allegiance, corrected it.
You’re not Irish.
Having a two party system puts you in real danger of having a civil war ignite.
With the way things are going over there right now I honestly wouldn’t be surprised to hear civil war had broken out. People are getting tired of being taken advantage of
Your coffee is utterly s**t! And you pronounce words wrong.
I love having comfortable opportunities as a pedestrian.
You all seem to speak way too loudly for everyone else to have to hear your business, in trains, airports, restaurants, everywhere!
stfu the whole world does not revolve around you.
You are at an 8 volume, we need you at a 4.
Nooooo... You hear the loud ones and do not hear the quiet ones. I have been to about 24 countries. You have never "heard my business". Meanwhile here in the USA (and abroad) I have heard obvious foreigners talking quite loudly. Are many Americans less reserved? Yes. Are we all loud and obnoxious? No.
That Europe is in fact a continent containing 50 countries and various cultures, and let's be real, "European" will never be an identity. People will always be their nation, or their ethny before being "European"
You have to actually protest if you want real change to come.
Car-centric urban planning is eroding the fabric of American society.
The second amendment should be abolished.
Worcestershire
Psssst there is oil on American soil
Dear Passport Bros,
Looking for a 'traditional wife' somewhere overseas by flashing your cash and pretending to be rich will only get you a foreign gold digger as opposed to the domestic gold diggers you are trying to escape. Except it's worse because not only will you end up paying for *her*, but you'll most likely end up having to pay for/sponsor *her whole family.*
You may be shocked by this, but the purpose of life is not to be entertained by something/someone
The bad: you talk too loud in public (in restaurants particularly) and it’s obnoxious. You dress poorly and often look garish and gauche. You have poor food education. You need to stop wearing baseball hats everywhere and particularly indoors- it’s bizarre and a faux pas. We also find it peculiar that you feel the need to tell so much personal information /life story to strangers and colleagues from the get go when making small talk. We also find you very consumeristic and over the top (a bit of this may be some jealousy at American spending power and large American homes…)
The good: your open communication style can also be quite endearing and refreshing. Your friendliness and willingness to make small talk is nice. I prefer to work with Americans because I find them productive, efficient, but kind and fun.
Hey what’s wrong with my Arizona Diamondbacks baseball cap. ? The y were the youngest team to make it to the series in 2001. That was against the Yankees. I miss Randy and Curt pitching and watching Gonzo in the field. Good times. Miss the old teal and purple le team colors. So hang on buddy, what’s wrong with my cap representing my favorite baseball team. ??? Lol
Im not American, but... Why half of the articles on BP just writing sh*t about Americans? Geez, leave those people alone! Not even funny anymore.
Thank you. Lazy "journalists" like this don't bother to.get to know any actual Americans. It's easier to just list off tired stereotypes.
Load More Replies...
Time to give this topic a rest for awhile, please BP? It's annoying to pretty much everyone, not matter where they're from
This one is very rude, there is so much aggression. I'm not happy at all with these authors
Im not American, but... Why half of the articles on BP just writing sh*t about Americans? Geez, leave those people alone! Not even funny anymore.
Thank you. Lazy "journalists" like this don't bother to.get to know any actual Americans. It's easier to just list off tired stereotypes.
Load More Replies... Time to give this topic a rest for awhile, please BP? It's annoying to pretty much everyone, not matter where they're from
This one is very rude, there is so much aggression. I'm not happy at all with these authors
