# America,all fur coat and no panties. **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [June 6, 2009, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/america-all-fur-coat-and-no-panties/498953 "2009-06-06T21:52:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![E-Sabbath](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e19adc/32.png) [@E-Sabbath](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-Sabbath)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2009, 1:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/america-all-fur-coat-and-no-panties/498953/21 "2009-06-07T01:41:11Z")
Our mission is a failure / our lifestyle’s too extreme… ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2009, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/america-all-fur-coat-and-no-panties/498953/22 "2009-06-07T02:15:02Z")
I’ve lived in both America and the UK (and I’ve visited the UK enough in the last few years to see what’s changed and what hasn’t). America is just Britain with higher highs and lower lows. It’s a nicer place to be rich, but a worse place to be poor. If you’re in the middle, it’s more or less the same. I like it better here, but there’s a caveat: I live in Florida, where everyone else in the world wants to be. The weather is about a million times better than the weather in Britain (except Torquay, maybe). If I lived in New Hampshire or Minnesota or Alaska I’d probably be miserable. [QUOTE=Mister Rik] But watch what happens now that the UK has effectively outlawed corporal punishment and the next few generations of kids realize, “They can’t touch me!”, just like American hooligans have. Crime’s not as bad as it’s reported here. [/QUOTE] The UK had a much softer penal system in 1960 and it’s got a softer one now. Sorry, grandpa. ---
**Author:** ![gonzomax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e8c25b/32.png) [@gonzomax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzomax)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2009, 2:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/america-all-fur-coat-and-no-panties/498953/23 "2009-06-07T02:17:19Z")
> [@Magiver](#): > > Probably the best way to describe the United States is to look at it as the land of opportunity. By that I mean you have more lattitude in the ability to achieve your goals. Due to the sheer size of the country you can move to places that support your life style. On a modest salary I was able to buy a house and pay it off in 10 years.. I have a partnership in a plane because flying is cheaper here (there are small airports everywhere). My sister has a sail boat and a power boat because it’s cheap to own and store them in this area. There are lakes everywhere so it’s nothing to tow a boat nearby for a day of sailing or skiing. My BIL just built a canoe rack so he can pull 8 canoes. They just went on a multi-family weekend trip with the kids. > > Most of what I have is because of the ability to leverage my time against what the area I live in will support. If you could just get the time off work. We have much less vacation and personal time. ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2009, 2:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/america-all-fur-coat-and-no-panties/498953/24 "2009-06-07T02:48:37Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > And while I understand what you’re getting at with the analogy in your topic line, some of us consider it a good thing when a woman’s not wearing any panties. 🙂 Add in the fur coat and you are describing an old girlfriend. Sure, the coat was muskrat, not mink, but… ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2009, 2:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/america-all-fur-coat-and-no-panties/498953/25 "2009-06-07T02:54:15Z")
Come to Canada instead. The standard of living’s virtually identical and we’re nicer. Much nicer. Anybody that says different is not only a putz, but a _fuckin’_ putz. ---
**Author:** ![Mister\_Rik](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mister_rik/32/491_2.png) [@Mister\_Rik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mister_Rik)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2009, 3:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/america-all-fur-coat-and-no-panties/498953/26 "2009-06-07T03:15:57Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > The UK had a much softer penal system in 1960 and it’s got a softer one now. Sorry, grandpa. I said _corporal_ punishment, not _capital_ punishment. The UK outlawed spanking a couple years ago (in schools, at least, and possibly at home as well). ---
**Author:** ![Mister\_Rik](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mister_rik/32/491_2.png) [@Mister\_Rik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mister_Rik)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2009, 3:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/america-all-fur-coat-and-no-panties/498953/27 "2009-06-07T03:20:37Z")
> [@Bryan\_Ekers](#): > > Come to Canada instead. The standard of living’s virtually identical and we’re nicer. Much nicer. > > Anybody that says different is not only a putz, but a _fuckin’_ putz. "Don’t wanna be a Canadian idiot Won’t figure out the temperature in Celcius See the map, they’re hoverin’ right over us Tell you the truth, it makes me kinda nervous Always hear the same kind of story Break their nose and they’ll just say “Sorry” Tell me what kind of freaks are that polite It’s gotta mean they’re all up to something So, quick, before they see it coming Time for a preemptive strike" _[Canadian Idiot](http://www.com-www.com/weirdal/canadianidiot.html)_, ‘Weird Al’ Yankovic ---
**Author:** ![SenorBeef](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senorbeef/32/2220_2.png) [@SenorBeef](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SenorBeef)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2009, 3:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/america-all-fur-coat-and-no-panties/498953/28 "2009-06-07T03:35:07Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > I like it better here, but there’s a caveat: I live in Florida, where everyone else in the world wants to be. Er, what? So they can become part of a Fark headline with the Florida tag? I think you’re way overestimating the esteem in which Florida is held. I’m not sure, outside of retirees who are half reptilian anyway and need the sun to warm their blood, who thinks highly of it. ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2009, 4:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/america-all-fur-coat-and-no-panties/498953/29 "2009-06-07T04:15:43Z")
> [@Bryan\_Ekers](#): > > Come to Canada instead. The standard of living’s virtually identical and we’re nicer. Much nicer. And there’s less anti-fur bias. Trust me, you’ll appreciate it. ---
**Author:** ![Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ccd318/32.png) [@Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paul_in_Qatar)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2009, 4:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/america-all-fur-coat-and-no-panties/498953/30 "2009-06-07T04:30:29Z")
Countries and cultures are different. After you travel a bit you begin to understand that. Great thread title though. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Second\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bbe5ce/32.png) [@The\_Second\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Second_Stone)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2009, 4:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/america-all-fur-coat-and-no-panties/498953/31 "2009-06-07T04:40:03Z")
I quite like the idea of a pretty woman in a fur coat with no panties on (or anything else). What is wrong with you Brits? Anyhoo, I’m guessing that you traveled in the US by train? I’ve traveled in Yurp and the US by train. Everyone travels by train in Yurp. Seeing the US by train you will definitely see the disgusting underbelly because the rich stopped traveling by train 50 years ago. Areas near train tracks except for the north east commuter train corridors are truly depressing and run down and poor. I’ve even seen a shantytown outside Sacramento next to the train tracks. Americans travel by car and plane. There are many small and older communities that look poor, but do stop in them and meet the people. You will love these people and overlook their prejudices. They will love your clever accent and treat you like long lost relatives (most will not try to borrow money). A lot of WWII vets are still alive here and if they served in Yurp will smile when you acknowledge you remember their fallen brothers. Their children are very damn proud of these old coots. We do not love the Queen, but we respect her as someone who works hard. We think perhaps Charles is a bit of a douche, but he likes haggard women like Camilla, so he can’t be all bad. Phillip clearly is a bit of a Roger Clinton/Billy Carter sort of jerk, but still a better sort than W by a long margin. We loved Diana because frankly she was hot and we wanted to shag her. Even our gays (like Charles) would have given up on men for her. William seems okay and Harry is a bit of the family embarrassment, isn’t he? Be nice if he sobered up or kept out of sight. We still like Fergie, because even if the ex Royal was a bit less glamorous than Princess Di (Lady Di to you, but we don’t know the difference) she is the kind of girl we would end up shagging and marrying after not getting Di, and realizing we were better off that way. Besides, as Joyce once noted, redheads buck. We hated Tony Blair because he had no self respect. Even liberals like me liked Thatcher better because she demanded respect and got it. Something of a fascist that Maggie, but that redhead thing again. She’d be good with a whip. Gordon Brown. OMG. We thought John Major was majorly boring. Brown is the world super power of boredom. British imports: We still have Ringo and we aren’t giving him back. We’ve enjoyed Posh and Becks, and are ready to give them exit visas if you want them. Elton John, your other Queen, lives in Atlanta of all places and collects photographs and is stalking Sampiro. We used to import British cars, but now only import the badges from whatever country really makes Jaguwars, Bentleys and Rollers. You may have noticed this American pretending to be a Brit, Craig Ferguson. He is our new Johnny Carson. He does the most funny impression of a Brit since John Cleese in Fawlty Towers. You have Terry Gilliam. We have Christopher Hitchens. We hated this part of the deal until George Galloway explained him to us: He is a “drink soaked Trotskyite popinjay”. We don’t knwo what a Trotskyite or a popinjay is, but we loooove calling him that to his face and waterboarding him. He puts up with “drink soaked Trotskyite popinjay” because he knows we don’t know what it means (except “drink soaked”, that means he smells of the gin that Hillary Clinton tossed in his face) but refuses to repeat his televised waterboarding. When you come to the US, see the small towns as indicated above. Go to New York and L.A. (Los Angeles) and see a real Disneyland in either Florida or Anaheim (near L.A.) and then go to Canada, which is to the US as Oregon is to California: north of us, with different laws and lots of woods. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2009, 4:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/america-all-fur-coat-and-no-panties/498953/32 "2009-06-07T04:51:25Z")
> [@SenorBeef](#): > > Er, what? So they can become part of a Fark headline with the Florida tag? > > I think you’re way overestimating the esteem in which Florida is held. I’m not sure, outside of retirees who are half reptilian anyway and need the sun to warm their blood, who thinks highly of it. It’s consistently among the 5 most visited cities in the world. ---
**Author:** ![CoolHandCox](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/coolhandcox/32/16233_2.png) [@CoolHandCox](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CoolHandCox)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2009, 5:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/america-all-fur-coat-and-no-panties/498953/33 "2009-06-07T05:07:22Z")
> [@Lust4Life](#): > > What is the take from Americans and people who have visited the U.S.? As far as people who have visited the US, I had an ex-girlfriend from Bucharest, Romania who visited for the first time. The standard of living was almost similar (for her). She came to Houston, Texas though and expected it to be like Manhattan _everywhere_. She seriously thought the US was NY city everywhere. Like the whole nation from coast to coast. She was studying (and smart enough to be) a doctor. It was quite odd. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2009, 5:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/america-all-fur-coat-and-no-panties/498953/34 "2009-06-07T05:34:57Z")
> [@Bryan\_Ekers](#): > > Come to Canada instead. The standard of living’s virtually identical and we’re nicer. Much nicer. > > Anybody that says different is not only a putz, but a _fuckin’_ putz. Americans are repetitious, but Canadians are bland, dull and monotonous. ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2009, 5:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/america-all-fur-coat-and-no-panties/498953/35 "2009-06-07T05:48:14Z")
> [@gonzomax](#): > > If you could just get the time off work. We have much less vacation and personal time. No and yes. It took 25 years to go from 2 weeks to 6 weeks of vacation which sucks because the company folded. If I understand correctly, European countries tend to start off with 4 weeks. I think Americans adjust for this by making weekends more vacation-like. ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2009, 5:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/america-all-fur-coat-and-no-panties/498953/36 "2009-06-07T05:53:29Z")
> [@CoolHandCox](#): > > As far as people who have visited the US, I had an ex-girlfriend from Bucharest, Romania who visited for the first time. The standard of living was almost similar (for her). She came to Houston, Texas though and expected it to be like Manhattan _everywhere_. She seriously thought the US was NY city everywhere. Like the whole nation from coast to coast. She was studying (and smart enough to be) a doctor. It was quite odd. Where did she think we kept the cowboys and indians? ---
**Author:** ![Justin\_Bailey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justin_bailey/32/8792_2.png) [@Justin\_Bailey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Bailey)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2009, 6:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/america-all-fur-coat-and-no-panties/498953/37 "2009-06-07T06:36:13Z")
> [@gonzomax](#): > > If you could just get the time off work. We have much less vacation and personal time. You might have much less vacation time. I have more than I know what to do with. ---
**Author:** ![Cisco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Cisco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cisco)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2009, 6:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/america-all-fur-coat-and-no-panties/498953/38 "2009-06-07T06:54:22Z")
I think we really did have it better in the post-war period but the rest of the world has made leaps and bounds to catch up with us and some have arguably passed us in the last 20 years or so. The misunderstanding probably comes from Americans who were born in the 40s and 50s and never realized what was happening in Europe in the 80s and 90s when they were telling their kids how much better off we are. The healthcare thing really isn’t as bad as people from other countries seem to want to make it out to be. First of all most of us have insurance through our jobs. And then if you’re uninsured there are lots of options; free/cheap clinics, payment plans, reduced cost (a doctor’s visit is usually only about 20 or 30 bucks if you tell them you’re uninsured), etc., etc. You’re only really fucked if you go to the emergency room or have to have surgery while uninsured, and in that case you just don’t pay and it goes on your credit report as a medical collection, which isn’t as bad as most types of collections. Being majorly fucked if you lose your job . . . yeah, it’s a bit of an issue at the moment but we have things like welfare, food stamps, bankruptcy protection, unemployment payments, etc. I’m really not sure if most Europeans realize we have these things. They act like they don’t realize it. As far as everything being dirty and shabby: did your “extensive” travels around the US consist exclusively of driving around El Paso? No? Well, this is just a completely baseless claim. Maybe tell us where exactly you’ve been? ---
**Author:** ![The\_Second\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bbe5ce/32.png) [@The\_Second\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Second_Stone)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2009, 7:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/america-all-fur-coat-and-no-panties/498953/39 "2009-06-07T07:59:47Z")
> [@Cisco](#): > > The healthcare thing really isn’t as bad as people from other countries seem to want to make it out to be. First of all most of us have insurance through our jobs. And then if you’re uninsured there are lots of options; free/cheap clinics, payment plans, reduced cost (a doctor’s visit is usually only about 20 or 30 bucks if you tell them you’re uninsured), etc., etc. You’re only really fucked if you go to the emergency room or have to have surgery while uninsured, and in that case you just don’t pay and it goes on your credit report as a medical collection, which isn’t as bad as most types of collections. 47 million Americans did not have health care as of 2007. [http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2007/08/29/47\_million\_americans\_are\_uninsured/](http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2007/08/29/47_million_americans_are_uninsured/) Millions more don’t have it now. That isn’t a big thing to those that are not among the uninsured, but it is a big deal to those who are uninsured. It is life or death. It is telling to see that those who have don’t see that there is any problem that there are those without. That is really typically American. Those who have health care with insurance have all sorts of problems getting good care. Health insurance is a for profit business and they make money by denying and delaying authorization for care. They being for profit health insurance companies. All federal government employees have socialized health care. ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2009, 8:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/america-all-fur-coat-and-no-panties/498953/40 "2009-06-07T08:06:14Z")
> [@The\_Second\_Stone](#): > > 47 million Americans did not have health care as of 2007. [http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2007/08/29/47\_million\_americans\_are\_uninsured/](http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2007/08/29/47_million_americans_are_uninsured/) That’s not an accurate statement. They have healt care, but they do not have health INSURANCE. Big honking difference. > [@The\_Second\_Stone](#): > > Millions more don’t have it now. That isn’t a big thing to those that are not among the uninsured, but it is a big deal to those who are uninsured. It is life or death. ``` It is not a life or death suituation like it is in the UK because of long waiting ques. It is life or financial ruin. ``` [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/america-all-fur-coat-and-no-panties/498953.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/america-all-fur-coat-and-no-panties/498953.md?page=3)