# Are there any shared national values? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [November 6, 2017, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-shared-national-values/800901 "2017-11-06T17:56:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Lord\_Mondegreen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/91b2a8/32.png) [@Lord\_Mondegreen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Mondegreen)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2017, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-shared-national-values/800901/21 "2017-11-07T23:20:20Z")
> [@ThisIsTheEnd](#): > > People pretty much stop at red lights everywhere. You obviously haven’t heard Adam Carolla’s frequent rants imploring people to ignore red left-turn arrows if there is no on-coming traffic 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![harmonicamoon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/65b543/32.png) [@harmonicamoon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/harmonicamoon)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2017, 12:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-shared-national-values/800901/22 "2017-11-08T00:58:46Z")
Health care for everyone! ---
**Author:** ![Roderick\_Femm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/roderick_femm/32/14875_2.png) [@Roderick\_Femm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roderick_Femm)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2017, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-shared-national-values/800901/23 "2017-11-08T02:22:30Z")
> [@MrDibble](#): > > Would this be a new national value that only arose [after the 50s](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/House_Un-American_Activities_Committee)? It is my opinion that the period between 1945 and 1955 (roughly) is an aberration due to red-scare fever, which was kept alive by politicians who used it for their own ends (as is usual with such things). Bitching about the government was very common in the 30’s, for example; you can see a lot of it in the movies and newspapers of the time. Strong partisanship is also not only a current phenomenon, it has happened in waves throughout our history. ---
**Author:** ![up\_the\_junction](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/f1d935/32.png) [@up\_the\_junction](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/up_the_junction)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2017, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-shared-national-values/800901/24 "2017-11-08T02:28:45Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > Other democratic countries have different political systems. The fact that we believe ours is preferable seems like a value. It’s not like we measured the difference between a President and a Prime Minister and chose the one that fit our country better. > > That’s pretty much how I’d define a value; a consensus that doesn’t have an objective rational basis. It’s just a widespread opinion. You all seem propagandised to an inch of your senses. In the end I guess it operates like a life-long advertising campaign. There’s a reason why, after 240 years, no other country has adopted the US political system, and it’s not because the world is dumbstruck in awe. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2017, 2:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-shared-national-values/800901/25 "2017-11-08T02:53:33Z")
> [@up\_the\_junction](#): > > You all seem propagandised to an inch of your senses. In the end I guess it operates like a life-long advertising campaign. > > There’s a reason why, after 240 years, no other country has adopted the US political system, and it’s not because the world is dumbstruck in awe. Right because Americans thinking the American political system is good is obviously crazy talk. The British people, free from any national bias like those Americans have, know that it’s the British political system that’s the best one. ---
**Author:** ![up\_the\_junction](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/f1d935/32.png) [@up\_the\_junction](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/up_the_junction)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2017, 3:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-shared-national-values/800901/26 "2017-11-08T03:33:29Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > The British people, free from any national bias like those Americans have, know that it’s the British political system that’s the best one. What? Best at what, for whom? I’m not aware of anyone ever thinking or talking in those terms. It’s not a competition. I picked up on the idea you thought the USA system was “preferable” because it isn’t anywhere in the world. It really isn’t, to the point of being unique. ---
**Author:** ![foolsguinea](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foolsguinea/32/14751_2.png) [@foolsguinea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/foolsguinea)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2017, 4:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-shared-national-values/800901/27 "2017-11-08T04:08:43Z")
Welcome to the SDMB, **BeenJammin**! I like Glenn Frey, but I don’t know that song. [listens] First impression: that’s a silly song. And \*very \*formulaic musically. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2017, 4:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-shared-national-values/800901/28 "2017-11-08T04:38:26Z")
> [@up\_the\_junction](#): > > What? Best at what, for whom? I’m not aware of anyone ever thinking or talking in those terms. It’s not a competition. Sorry if I misread your post. I had said that both Americans and British liked their own political systems best. And you responded that the Americans had no rational basis for their belief. I assumed from what you didn’t write that you felt that didn’t apply to the British. > [@up\_the\_junction](#): > > I picked up on the idea you thought the USA system was “preferable” because it isn’t anywhere in the world. It really isn’t, to the point of being unique. No, I explicitly said there was no objective reason why one political system was better than the other. The American system is better now in America for the same reason the British system is better now in Britain; both systems have built up an established reputation in the national public opinion. ---
**Author:** ![BeenJammin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beenjammin/32/448_2.png) [@BeenJammin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BeenJammin)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2017, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-shared-national-values/800901/29 "2017-11-09T17:09:01Z")
> [@foolsguinea](#): > > Welcome to the SDMB, **BeenJammin**! Why thank You! How about this for some shared American value(s)? [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IEtye06WQwo](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IEtye06WQwo) ---
**Author:** ![drad\_dog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@drad\_dog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drad_dog)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2017, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-shared-national-values/800901/31 "2017-11-09T17:45:18Z")
> [@BeenJammin](#): > > Standing for the National Anthem out of respect for the flag “used” to be one. Not so much any more. ☹ Civil disobedience for a greater cause is “still” one. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2017, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-shared-national-values/800901/32 "2017-11-09T20:57:09Z")
Pizza. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2017, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-shared-national-values/800901/33 "2017-11-09T21:25:02Z")
> [@](#): > > Quoth **BeenJammin** : > > I guess that pressure must be pretty intense when the choices of where to make millions of dollars playing pro football are pretty much limited to one country. [You mean Portugal?](https://www.forbes.com/pictures/5924841ba7ea434078d44dcf/1-cristiano-ronaldo-real-/#2ca8e340730a) And **adaher** , my mom just returned from a trip to Uganda. The biggest difference she noticed between the two nations was how very much more welcoming Uganda was to immigrants than we are. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-shared-national-values/800901.md?page=1)