# American's...what do you think of Europe and Europeans? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [May 8, 2007, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americans-what-do-you-think-of-europe-and-europeans/403310 "2007-05-08T22:28:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![XT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xt/32/456_2.png) [@XT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/XT)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2007, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americans-what-do-you-think-of-europe-and-europeans/403310/1 "2007-05-08T22:28:54Z")
This is a spin off thread from What is [Europes opinion on Americans?](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=420016). As its an American message board (mostly), I thought our Euro buddies might like our perspective on ‘Europe’…or maybe not. 😛 Sometimes its uncomfortable being on the hot seat after all. Euro 'Dopers, feel free to comment as well…‘Europe’ is a big place full of diverse peoples and cultures, and some of you might want to comment or give perspective on both your own countries as well as on other countries in Europe. -XT ---
**Author:** ![Lemur866](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lemur866/32/434_2.png) [@Lemur866](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lemur866)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2007, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americans-what-do-you-think-of-europe-and-europeans/403310/2 "2007-05-08T22:31:51Z")
Europe…a couple of small islands off the coast of africa right? And they don’t speak english and are all communists. I think they had a war there a couple years ago. ---
**Author:** ![mswas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e99b99/32.png) [@mswas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mswas)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2007, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americans-what-do-you-think-of-europe-and-europeans/403310/3 "2007-05-08T22:32:01Z")
They ain’t f\*\*\*ing to save their own species and don’t have a built in immigration flow to give their economy a proper replacement rate. Lack of will to breed and xenophobia is gonna mess them up good in the next 50 years. ---
**Author:** ![Kimstu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecd19e/32.png) [@Kimstu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimstu)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2007, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americans-what-do-you-think-of-europe-and-europeans/403310/4 "2007-05-08T22:35:24Z")
> [@xtisme](#): > > American’s…what do you think of Europe and Europeans? > This is a spin off thread from **What is Europes opinion on Americans?**. Interesting idea, and I love the mutually compensating apostrophe-use errors. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2007, 11:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americans-what-do-you-think-of-europe-and-europeans/403310/5 "2007-05-08T23:04:35Z")
I think they have wonderful museums, good food, and good wine (or beer). Oh, and the Germans make some good cars. Perhaps one day we will buy them (the continent, not the cars). ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2007, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americans-what-do-you-think-of-europe-and-europeans/403310/6 "2007-05-08T23:08:49Z")
Nice, & a rich culture & history that many Americans secretly envy. But some of their “intellectuals” … ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2007, 11:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americans-what-do-you-think-of-europe-and-europeans/403310/7 "2007-05-08T23:09:04Z")
Which country? ---
**Author:** ![myskepticsight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/cc9497/32.png) [@myskepticsight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/myskepticsight)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2007, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americans-what-do-you-think-of-europe-and-europeans/403310/8 "2007-05-08T23:11:21Z")
I’ll give a serious answer. I have very limited experiences of Europe - only been to Greece and it was on a trip with a tour guide with us the whole time (high school). But from what I’ve seen and heard of Europe, it just seems like a more open culture. I’m gonna paint with a borad brush here. More is accepted. Seems more laid back. And you can drink n’ smoke anywhere, very awesome. Less homogenous than the US. I love the fact that it’s so old, ya know? It was amazing to see buildings that have been there for thousands of years. I love how there is so much culture everywhere you look - all those countries right by each other with completely different languages and histories and people. I like America and all, but there is nothing here that can compare to standing at the foot of the Parthenon. Just so much history there, it’s astounding. ---
**Author:** ![Kimstu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecd19e/32.png) [@Kimstu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimstu)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2007, 11:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americans-what-do-you-think-of-europe-and-europeans/403310/9 "2007-05-08T23:17:05Z")
> [@John Mace](#): > > Perhaps one day we will buy them (the continent, not the cars). Could we afford them? Don’t they have the biggest economy in the world nowadays? (The EU, that is.) ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2007, 11:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americans-what-do-you-think-of-europe-and-europeans/403310/10 "2007-05-08T23:19:08Z")
Ancient joke: In Heaven, the cooks are French, the police are British, the cars are German, and the women are Italian. In Hell, the cooks are British, the police are German, the cars are French, and the women are Italian. ---
**Author:** ![Subterraneanus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a183cd/32.png) [@Subterraneanus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Subterraneanus)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2007, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americans-what-do-you-think-of-europe-and-europeans/403310/11 "2007-05-08T23:33:37Z")
[QUOTE=BrainGlutton] Ancient joke: In Heaven, the cooks are French, the police are British, the cars are German, and the women are Italian. In Hell, the cooks are British, the police are German, the cars are French, and the women are Italian. [/QUOTE] Another version: In Heaven, the English greet you at the door, the French do the cooking, the Italians provide the entertainment, and the Germans organize everything. In Hell, the French greet you at the door, the English do the cooking, the Germans provide the entertainment, and the Italians organize everything. ---
**Author:** ![Bobotheoptimist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/919ad9/32.png) [@Bobotheoptimist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bobotheoptimist)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2007, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americans-what-do-you-think-of-europe-and-europeans/403310/12 "2007-05-08T23:37:03Z")
[QUOTE=Sage Rat] Which country? [/QUOTE] Seconded. Although maybe the OP is trying to make a point that this question is as silly as “What do Europeans think of Americans”. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2007, 11:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americans-what-do-you-think-of-europe-and-europeans/403310/13 "2007-05-08T23:43:53Z")
[QUOTE=Kimstu] Could we afford them? Don’t they have the biggest economy in the world nowadays? (The EU, that is.) [/QUOTE] Yes (not quite 10% larger than the US), but the different growth rates of the the economies will take care of that (if the Chinese don’t beat us to it). And we wouldn’t have to buy the whole thing. ---
**Author:** ![GorillaMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/50afbb/32.png) [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2007, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americans-what-do-you-think-of-europe-and-europeans/403310/14 "2007-05-08T23:48:17Z")
[QUOTE=BrainGlutton] Ancient joke: In Heaven, the cooks are French, the police are British, the cars are German, and the women are Italian. In Hell, the cooks are British, the police are German, the cars are French, and the women are Italian. [/QUOTE] There’s many variations on this theme… In Heaven, the chefs are French, the cars are German, the lovers are Italian, and the Swiss organise everything. In Hell, the cars are French, the chefs are German, the lovers are Swiss, and the Italians organise everything. ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2007, 2:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americans-what-do-you-think-of-europe-and-europeans/403310/15 "2007-05-09T02:21:35Z")
[QUOTE=Subterraneanus] In Hell, […] the Germans provide the entertainment [/QUOTE] All I know about German entertainment is Rammstein and that they have sex shops all over the place. It’s not sounding too awful… ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2007, 2:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americans-what-do-you-think-of-europe-and-europeans/403310/16 "2007-05-09T02:37:34Z")
I like visiting Europe. My MIL is from England and my wife’s family business is heavily European based. There is almost always some member of the family there or getting ready to go. My wife has been 50+ times for example while I clock in a measly 7. The things to like about Europe are obvious so I will skip those. One thing I don’t like is the tendency for Europeans to find themselves more “evolved” in the same way that white supremacists claim that they are more evolved over Africans. The U.S. as a country isn’t that old but it is derived directly from European influences and has been remarkably stable since 1865. In contrast, Europe has self-destructed in major ways since then and reformed itself as well as its cultural and political borders. In many ways, the U.S. is the wise sage in political affairs and yet people don’t seem to get that mainly based on the relative age of the buildings around. I have also found creeping U.S. socialism disturbing. I am not scared of socialism itself because if it works, there is no problem, I am just scared for the citizens and the world economy. European countries cannot legislate what the world to be. They have to take the world and its natural laws and work with them so they can come closest to their goal. France for example, took those too far with unionized everything and a mandated 35 hour work week. That just won’t work well in a global economy and there is no amount of legislation that can get around that. Luckily, France picked the right presidential candidate this week and I see hope of the horizon. Likewise, Great Britain’s leaders have trended more conservative for a while and that is good. I just think Europe is still far more unstable than the U.S. and its very design can cause individual countries to go off the deep end in terms of policy. ---
**Author:** ![smiling\_bandit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9a140/32.png) [@smiling\_bandit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/smiling_bandit)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2007, 2:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americans-what-do-you-think-of-europe-and-europeans/403310/17 "2007-05-09T02:55:56Z")
I liked what I saw of Germany. It’s a neat place, and very enjoyable to spend time. I don’t think I’d want to live there. I did find it extremely off-putting that they (and the young FAR more than the old) seemed to have this brutally twisted idea of what the United States was. In addition, their far-left was whacked out even more than our far-left is. They’re willing to congratulate and admire the most horrific dictators while believing the worst and I mean worst “the government is massacring thousands of Americans” conspiracy theories. ---
**Author:** ![Revenant\_Threshold](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f1d935/32.png) [@Revenant\_Threshold](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revenant_Threshold)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2007, 3:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americans-what-do-you-think-of-europe-and-europeans/403310/18 "2007-05-09T03:04:11Z")
I don’t really get the history question. I’ve never thought of it as “Europe/Asia/Africa with a long rich history, America/ Canada are the new boys”. Our history is your history, too (well, up to a certain point). It’s not like you sprung from the land fully formed. ---
**Author:** ![Hypnagogic\_Jerk](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hypnagogic_jerk/32/4252_2.png) [@Hypnagogic\_Jerk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hypnagogic_Jerk)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2007, 4:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americans-what-do-you-think-of-europe-and-europeans/403310/19 "2007-05-09T04:08:45Z")
**Shagnasty** , I wrote a reply to your post that I put in [thread=420073]this thread[/thread], since I think it could make for an interesting debate. Care to come debate it? ---
**Author:** ![madmonk28](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madmonk28/32/20811_2.png) [@madmonk28](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madmonk28)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2007, 4:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americans-what-do-you-think-of-europe-and-europeans/403310/20 "2007-05-09T04:18:48Z")
Europe is a pretty broad area. I’ve spent a couple of years living there, Greece is quite a bit different than Austria. But in general I like the liberalness of it, when you meet people you don’t often find yourself with someone spouting anti-evolution nonsense, or talking about their guns. I feel more at home with a group of Europeans than I do when I’m in some place like Arkansas. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americans-what-do-you-think-of-europe-and-europeans/403310.md?page=2)