# should the uk become the us? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [November 27, 2003, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-the-uk-become-the-us/215634 "2003-11-27T23:14:07Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![the\_creosote\_kid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b2d939/32.png) [@the\_creosote\_kid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/the_creosote_kid)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2003, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-the-uk-become-the-us/215634/1 "2003-11-27T23:14:07Z")
has the time come for the british to forget about europe,and rather than go for the euro currency,just cut to the chase and become an offshore american state? overnight,we can adopt the laws,constitution,dollar a gallon petrol,etc, and avoid the need to go through the pain of needless and endless wrangling with our european"allies"just to reach the inevitable conclusion that america is where we belong. of course,we can still have our own state laws etc,but surely we`re mature enough to concede that the usa is where our future lies. anybody want to explain why joining with europe is better for britain than becoming the 51st? ---
**Author:** ![Kal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9de053/32.png) [@Kal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kal)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2003, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-the-uk-become-the-us/215634/2 "2003-11-27T23:29:56Z")
> [@](#): > > anybody want to explain why joining with europe is better for britain than becoming the 51st? Because would be very confusing for the British to celebrate independence from the British on July 4th. ---
**Author:** ![MC\_Master\_of\_Ceremonies](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/bb73d2/32.png) [@MC\_Master\_of\_Ceremonies](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MC_Master_of_Ceremonies)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2003, 11:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-the-uk-become-the-us/215634/3 "2003-11-27T23:30:02Z")
No, I think that the USA should admit that they were wrong about all that ‘declaration of indpendence’-malarkey and join the United Kingdom as part of an expanded Rutland. ---
**Author:** ![Michael\_Ellis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/977dab/32.png) [@Michael\_Ellis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Michael_Ellis)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2003, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-the-uk-become-the-us/215634/4 "2003-11-27T23:34:23Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Kal \* > \*\*Because would be very confusing for the British to celebrate independence from the British on July 4th. \*\* :giggle: ---
**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:** [November 28, 2003, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-the-uk-become-the-us/215634/5 "2003-11-28T00:38:17Z")
No. Emphatically no. England’s culture is distinctly separate from that of the US, & I for one am glad of it! In uniformity, there is a death of originality & contrast. Value yourselves, & your uniqueness. ---
**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:** [November 28, 2003, 12:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-the-uk-become-the-us/215634/6 "2003-11-28T00:44:35Z")
/appalled God no!! I LOVE you guys. Hell, I wish I were a Scott or English or Welsh! Please don’t be us. If you did, how could I ever get either good beer or good scotch again??? You’d make cheap trash like I get over here…no no no! I think we have a close enough relacion, and I, for one, value your guys AND the differences. Besides, my buddies in England/Scotland/Wales would rightfully string me up if I even suggested such a thing. I can practically hear them howling now!! Reguards (currently drunk on Guiness and good scotch whiskey), XT ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2003, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-the-uk-become-the-us/215634/7 "2003-11-28T00:48:53Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Bosda Di’Chi of Tricor \* > **England’s culture** Sorry to correct this misconception yet again, but the UK also includes Scotland (the OP’s location), Wales, and Northern Ireland. Anyway, it’s my opinion that the segments of population of the UK bitch about the EU simply because that’s the larger structure we’re (I’m English, BTW) affiliated with. Joining the US would mean accepting a predetermined constitution, rather than a nascent one that we could hope to affect, that would contain many elements that we’d be _even more_ at odds with. Would you like the NHS revoked? Relaxed gun laws? A massive reduction to the dole and pensions? No VAT declaration until the cash register? Federal tax as well as state tax? I wouldn’t, anyway. It would make more sense - geographically at least - to remain part of the EU, or if you’re not in favour, then become independent (and IMO even more irrelevant). ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2003, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-the-uk-become-the-us/215634/8 "2003-11-28T01:01:13Z")
But what about the monarchy? Could the US have a monarchy? Because that would be cool! ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2003, 1:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-the-uk-become-the-us/215634/9 "2003-11-28T01:05:34Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Guinastasia \* > \*\*But what about the monarchy? Could the US have a monarchy? Because that would be cool! \*\* We’ve got one you can have. Slightly damaged, but you can have it for several million dollars of taxpayers’ money per year. ---
**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:** [November 28, 2003, 1:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-the-uk-become-the-us/215634/10 "2003-11-28T01:06:57Z")
We’ll take it!! Woohoo!! God save the queen! Can I be an Earl or something??? -XT ---
**Author:** ![Grey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b782af/32.png) [@Grey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grey)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2003, 1:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-the-uk-become-the-us/215634/11 "2003-11-28T01:10:11Z")
I think its obvious, join Canada. 😉 I figure 4 provinces (England, Scotland, Wales, N.Ireland) and we can make various protectorates territories. Now where should we move the Parliament, Senate and Supreme Court to? We can keep the Queen and then flip a coin for keeping HRH Ears. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2003, 1:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-the-uk-become-the-us/215634/12 "2003-11-28T01:21:20Z")
I want to be a Grand Duchess. ---
**Author:** ![Wolfian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/7ea924/32.png) [@Wolfian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wolfian)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2003, 1:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-the-uk-become-the-us/215634/13 "2003-11-28T01:28:16Z")
Yes! We won! U S A! U S A! -the 1st Lord Wolfian ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2003, 2:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-the-uk-become-the-us/215634/14 "2003-11-28T02:07:12Z")
Well, I’d be glad to have you guys. If you do this, you should apply to join the Union as twelve states – Ulster, Wales, Scotland, and the nine English regions, each as a separate state. That way you get 24 senators. By the way, the topic of this thread is on the agenda of a very minor political party, the Expansionist Party of the United States ([http://members.aol.com/xpus/](http://members.aol.com/xpus/)), which also wants the U.S. to unite with Canada, and practically every other country with a British heritage. It would be like putting the British Empire back together, but under the U.S. constitution – which at any rate would be better than the system the British Empire had in the old days. ---
**Author:** ![Grey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b782af/32.png) [@Grey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grey)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2003, 2:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-the-uk-become-the-us/215634/15 "2003-11-28T02:10:34Z")
The Anglosphere idea? I can almost see the Brits, Aussies, Kiwis and Canucks going for it, but Americans? Possibly a day or two after Hell freezes over perhaps. ---
**Author:** ![Ace309](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ace309/32/1050_2.png) [@Ace309](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ace309)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2003, 2:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-the-uk-become-the-us/215634/16 "2003-11-28T02:23:08Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Guinastasia \* > \*\*But what about the monarchy? Could the US have a monarchy? Because that would be cool! \*\* Reminds me of the early 80s, when Mike Royko suggested that Ronald Reagan would be the perfect figurehead King of the United States. ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2003, 2:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-the-uk-become-the-us/215634/17 "2003-11-28T02:52:26Z")
I don’t know if this was a serious question or not but a North American/Great Britain economic alliance makes more sense then a Euro alliance. We are all culturally British. By that I mean our language, laws and social customs originate from GB. We have, over time, diverged on governing styles but that doesn’t mean an economic alliance isn’t possible. I think other former colonies like Australia might want a piece of that action. As for the $1.40 a gallon for gas, that’s a taxation issue. Petrol tax is used in GB as a general revenue source as opposed to NA where it is more of a user fee. That’s a hard thing to change because it involves a shift in tax structure. ---
**Author:** ![Menocchio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9de053/32.png) [@Menocchio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Menocchio)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2003, 3:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-the-uk-become-the-us/215634/18 "2003-11-28T03:25:50Z")
As an American, I’d love it. It means a drastic shift to the left as the former UK’s congressmen and electoral votes start to count in US federal politics. Tons of gun control, nationalized health care, yeah man. That would be sweet. I suppose those across the pond wouldn’t be as happy, at least in the short term. ---
**Author:** ![Evil\_Captor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f17d59/32.png) [@Evil\_Captor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evil_Captor)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2003, 3:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-the-uk-become-the-us/215634/19 "2003-11-28T03:36:07Z")
I think the Creosote Kid wants to live under a real monarchy, and just figures that the U.S. is a likelier chance for that than the U.K., given that our current head of state is the son of a former President – who wasn’t exactly elected … ---
**Author:** ![milroyj](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a88e57/32.png) [@milroyj](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/milroyj)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2003, 4:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-the-uk-become-the-us/215634/20 "2003-11-28T04:02:15Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Menocchio \* > \*\*As an American, I’d love it. It means a drastic shift to the left as the former UK’s congressmen and electoral votes start to count in US federal politics. Tons of gun control, nationalized health care, yeah man. That would be sweet.I \*\* You say that like it would be a good thing. :dubious: [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-the-uk-become-the-us/215634.md?page=2)