American thoughts on Europe?
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Belgians prime minister Herman Van Rompuy is going to become the first president of Europe.
woehoe, we are so proud of him:becky:
I read in the paper today that he is a conciliator and consensus builder. From what you wrote earlier, I imagine these abilities would be necessary for the prime minister of Belgium.
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ha, you are right on. Did you know he wasn't elected, or running for election for prime minister? The one who was elected, Leterme, tried to form a gouvernement for over a year and didn't succeed. He was so determined to finely solve all the problems between Flemish and Wallony people that he maid the gap even deeper and eventually replaced with someone everybody could live with
Now we have to find a new prime minister and probable it will be the old Leterme again, that is going to be fun! :loco:I must know.... why??? lol.
Pristinegirl
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Why is it that Americans hate french people? That is definetly something I have to dissagree with!!
They actually speak dutch
Hahah lets dissknowledge Europe's existence!
Funny that you say so, as we are moving towards your ways! We just selected our first president..
I fully agree, the well kept ancient socities and architecture in Europe is very fascinating. Haha and you are right about Europeans etiquette used while eating. Sadly, most Europeans do have an anti-American attitude.
Hahah so true! Ours is simply football whereas we call your football, American football.
They actually speak dutch
Hahah lets dissknowledge Europe's existence!
Funny that you say so, as we are moving towards your ways! We just selected our first president..
I fully agree, the well kept ancient socities and architecture in Europe is very fascinating. Haha and you are right about Europeans etiquette used while eating. Sadly, most Europeans do have an anti-American attitude.
Hahah so true! Ours is simply football whereas we call your football, American football.
Pristinegirl
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I'm actually not liking that we established the president and all of this so quickly. 1st of December, the treaty is introduced... I may seem paranoid, but I'm so glad that I will be away most of the period when it sets in, because if worst comes to worst, and I see that Europe is moving towards dictatorship. Then I will seek out asylym and/or write Obama a letter!!!
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I think Europe is still very far from dictatorship, Van Rompuy is not a dictator at all, he didn't even apply for the job. Actually, I have the opposite opinion. I think we need some a more powerful leader. I hate this bureaucrasy, always talking but no decisions, like we say: "only "blabla" and no "boemboem". I agree, we need to keep our independence, autonomy and integrity, but for some topics, like foreign affairs, one leading man with power can establish more than a group of bickering old man.
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ha, you are right on. Did you know he wasn't elected, or running for election for prime minister? The one who was elected, Leterme, tried to form a gouvernement for over a year and didn't succeed. He was so determined to finely solve all the problems between Flemish and Wallony people that he maid the gap even deeper and eventually replaced with someone everybody could live with
So we have got a new prime minister. Leterme, the one we had before but couldn't do the job because people didn't agree about some heated topics. No all the sudden they do agree, why can they do it now and not 2 years ago?? Stupid politics!
sookie
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I have heard of Belgium. When I went to France 10 years ago I almost had a layover in Brussels. 20 years ago I knew a man that was from Belgium. I was really impressed because he could speak 3 languages, Flemish, French, and English.
In some respects Europe is thought to be a place of great fashion at least where I am from; Boston. I think that Europe is also thought to be more open minded than the US.
In some respects Europe is thought to be a place of great fashion at least where I am from; Boston. I think that Europe is also thought to be more open minded than the US.
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I have learned to speak 4 languages at school: Flemish, French, English and German (and Latin). And I have studied Spanish for a year. But My French and German are really rusty because I don't practice them in daily life.
In Belgium we say: "when we go to a foreign place, we have to speak the language of the foreigner, when a foreigner comes to Belgium, we have to speak the language of the foreigner." Nobody does the effort to speak our language
In Belgium we say: "when we go to a foreign place, we have to speak the language of the foreigner, when a foreigner comes to Belgium, we have to speak the language of the foreigner." Nobody does the effort to speak our language
Azure_Knight
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I love Europe. I've lived there for 2 years, and I really want to go back one day.
I would say that the difference is what people have experienced of Europe and Europeans. I would also say that America's geography plays a role in the perceptions of Europeans.
3. And (I'm really curious) Did any one of you ever heard about Belgium before? (Or did you believe that Belgium was the capital of Brussels (I have heard that one before)? And if so, what do you know about Belgium (without googles help!)?
I've visited Belgium before. It's a beautiful country
Architectonic
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Can you change the thread title (to include the rest of the world) so I can comment. Thanks. 
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ha! this made me grin, i'm from switzerland... well, not everything is perfect (maybe you know the "Swissair Grounding"; in 2001? the "UBS subprime-crisis" in 2007-08, conflicts with the EU bc we don't belong to them, e.g. banking secrecy), but most things i would say are perfect, but there's no gold lying on our streets ;-) my b.f. has spent a year in the U.S. and he told me that the americans in general are far more open/ talkative than swiss people, even to strangers when meeting in public life (e.g. at the cash desk)
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~jet
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I have been wondering for a while, how Europe is seen in the big united states. Do you guys have something like: "ow look at that, all those iny miny little countries, with there own flag and language playing together, it is so cute? :becky:
So:
1. what are the "American thoughts about Europe, the Europian Union, Euro's, ...?
2. Is there a difference in perspective between east coast, west coast, North, South?
3. And (I'm really curious) Did any one of you ever heard about Belgium before? (Or did you believe that Belgium was the capital of Brussels (I have heard that one before
THIS american thinks we have more to learn from Europe than Europe has to learn from us. When I went over there, for example, I was distressed by the litter in Cardiff and Athens. Then again, I loved the ubiquity of solar and wind power even in one of the most fiscally distressed member nations (greece.) All american policies regarding energy are not for the nation's or public's benefit, but for the benefit of the wallets of those who own said energy companies. European debt ratios may not be spectacular, but I still got the impression that the general populace was also less vulnerable to economic mood-swings.
Psalm
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I love Europe.
The British, in parts, seem more polite than Americans to me; generally more cultured and more worldly (in the international and not materialistic sense).
The Czechs are very proud of their beer and love drinking it. They also, like many parts of Europe, have beautiful architecture. The Germans and Czechs love each other (and their own beer) and have a great relationship.
Sweden is conservative and technologically advanced. Norway is connected to nature. Denmark likes recreation. As in all of Europe and the world, their people and their temperament vary; though many including Czechs are somewhat wary of Americans and the gypsies that inhabit their ghettos. And I understand why (though I don't agree).
France values its identity and independence. One thing about all of these countries though, is that many of them feel threatened by immigration from Middle Easterners.
Eastern Europe is having a bad time. The move to capitalism has been hard but they enjoy their newfound freedoms; many do at the expense of the comfortable wages communism provided, though.
Belgium speaks Flemish, German, and French. They are divided into the Wallonia and Flanders. German is the least spoken of their three major languages. Wallonia and Flanders have considered splitting.
These are the only countries whose cultures I really know about. I know that EU President Herman Van Rompuy comes from Belgium, but I Britain doesn't like him. I don't know anything about him.
The Netherlanders are relaxed but don't like our government. We don't like our government either though, as only 14% of us even approve of our lawmakers.
I love talking with Europeans and exposing them to an American with open views about them.
The British, in parts, seem more polite than Americans to me; generally more cultured and more worldly (in the international and not materialistic sense).
The Czechs are very proud of their beer and love drinking it. They also, like many parts of Europe, have beautiful architecture. The Germans and Czechs love each other (and their own beer) and have a great relationship.
Sweden is conservative and technologically advanced. Norway is connected to nature. Denmark likes recreation. As in all of Europe and the world, their people and their temperament vary; though many including Czechs are somewhat wary of Americans and the gypsies that inhabit their ghettos. And I understand why (though I don't agree).
France values its identity and independence. One thing about all of these countries though, is that many of them feel threatened by immigration from Middle Easterners.
Eastern Europe is having a bad time. The move to capitalism has been hard but they enjoy their newfound freedoms; many do at the expense of the comfortable wages communism provided, though.
Belgium speaks Flemish, German, and French. They are divided into the Wallonia and Flanders. German is the least spoken of their three major languages. Wallonia and Flanders have considered splitting.
These are the only countries whose cultures I really know about. I know that EU President Herman Van Rompuy comes from Belgium, but I Britain doesn't like him. I don't know anything about him.
The Netherlanders are relaxed but don't like our government. We don't like our government either though, as only 14% of us even approve of our lawmakers.
I love talking with Europeans and exposing them to an American with open views about them.
Unless they're drunk or they're tourists. Or both.
Lerxst
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I noticed people from Europe are more worldly overall. I guess that's a side effect of the EU and being able to travel practically around the world without worrying about visas and legal hassles for a some of countries there. Plus, in the US if you travel 500 miles, you get from New York to New Jersey... big f***ing deal, right? In Europe, traveling 500 miles can put you in an entirely different country!
~jet
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Um... the two border each other. =3
It takes me 496 miles to drive from D.C., to mid-Maine... and the two are different enough to be separate countries, frankly.
Barnabas
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I have been wondering for a while, how Europe is seen in the big united states. Do you guys have something like: "ow look at that, all those iny miny little countries, with there own flag and language playing together, it is so cute? :becky:
So:
1. what are the "American thoughts about Europe, the Europian Union, Euro's, ...?
I hear it's "continent" across the really big body of water my dad keeps calling the ocean. Can't be sure though.
2. Is there a difference in perspective between east coast, west coast, North, South?
perspectives vary from state to state, town to town and person to person.
But generally the south is morally & financially conservative
The North is is morally liberal and financially conservative.
The mid west is kinda like a dessert in that I'm not sure what it is.
The west coast is usually Morally and financially liberal
3. And (I'm really curious) Did any one of you ever heard about Belgium before? (Or did you believe that Belgium was the capital of Brussels (I have heard that one before
waffles is about as far as I got on Belgium
I'm on a horse.