Why I think Europeans can't understand conservative US views

[Felya]

Forgot to mention, you are misunderstanding the purpose of the TTIP, it wasn't conceived to restrict China, it was conceived to open the EU to US products and further strenghten already existing relations.

Those are two sides of the same coin.

[Mittens]

Those are two sides of the same coin.

It might be an indirect consequence, but it wasn't conceived to do that since it would be far more effective to go for China's biggest trading partners (Which are part of the TPP)

[Darththeo]

Well I think both sides can't understand the other's view.

Whoever made that doesn't understand the sides either.

[Zandalarian Paladin]

Whoever made that doesn't understand the sides either.

How would you explain it?

[Felya]

It might be an indirect consequence, but it wasn't conceived to do that since it would be far more effective to go for China's biggest trading partners (Which are part of the TPP)

Why go after places that are already China's strong point, instead of reinforcing ours? Specifically in response to the new Silk Road that Skroe is talking about.

[Mittens]

Why go after places that are already China's strong point, instead of reinforcing ours? Specifically in response to the new Silk Road that Skroe is talking about.

They aren't China's strongholds though. Asia is very much unconquered land, there is also the added benefit that the US gets to decide the rules of international trade.

[Deleted]

Just because we don't have an innate hate/fear for the government branch doesn't make us subjects.

Which is quite strange considering the history of Europe.

[Bakis]

Which is quite strange considering the history of Europe.

What outside WW2 era ie a bit more modern times would make you say that?

[Kellhound]

The funny thing is Europe is more akin to the pre Civil War US with strong states (the various countries) and a weak central government (EU).

[haxartus]

Europeans understand the US fairly well. The US population is very vocal about their views and makes sure everyone knows them. They are expressed in all kinds of popular media. Usually it's the US people who know nothing about Europe whatsoever.

I have friends from quite a few countries and the ones from the US seem to have the least amount of knowledge about the world outside of their country. This probably explains some of the internal issues you have in the country, as there are quite a few misconceptions about the world being popular in the US.
Europeans tends to be more knowledgeable about other cultures, mostly because in some places of Europe you can drive 1 hour and be in a completely different country, with different culture, history, views, and etc. And whatever happens in the countries around you affects you as well.

Conservative views are very easy to understand - it's just some people in their 50s,60s and 70s, who are nostalgic about what the country was when they were young, and they want to return the country to what it was 50 years ago and keep it form changing. This is, of course, impossible. They fear globalization, bud globalization is already here and it's not going anywhere.

[Mormolyce]

And Australia.

Basically, it's just the US.

[Deleted]

Well I think both sides can't understand the other's view.

Your "infographic" literally calls democrats communists. Thats all what it is about. To put democrats into the same boat with left wing extremists, while your "right" side does not include "Fascism" and "national socialism". Probably you should add them to make your infographics at least a little bit less biased, what do you think? Oh, and it acts as if science is a religion, which is even more funny. As if some right wing hillibillie created that "infographic" directly out of his ass.

The political spectrum contains a complete continuum of different world views. There is not just "right" and "left", but also "conservative" and "avantgarde" (which are each others opposite, and not "conservative" and "liberal"), and there is "authoritarian" and "liberal" (which are infact the opposite poles). You can have authoritarian left and authoritarian right, and as more extreme left or right gets, as more authoritarian it also gets.

[Darththeo]

How would you explain it?

There are still errors in it. The Right doesn't interfere with social lives ... yeah, that's a joke.

[Hammerfest]

Well I think both sides can't understand the other's view.

In the United States, most people start out liberal because that's what the public education system attempts to indoctrinate them into being throughout their young lives. You tend to become conservative with life experiences and being exposed to alternate ideas afterward. That being the case, conservatives understand liberalism while liberals still do not understand conservatism because they are awaiting what it actually takes to understand it. Some of them never do, for various reasons (i.e. like never accumulating the life experience in the first place due to isolation from opposing ideas).

[Zandalarian Paladin]

Your "infographic" literally calls democrats communists. Thats all what it is about. To put democrats into the same boat with left wing extremists, while your "right" side does not include "Fascism" and "national socialism". Probably you should add them to make your infographics at least a little bit less biased, what do you think? Oh, and it acts as if science is a religion, which is even more funny. As if some right wing hillibillie created that "infographic" directly out of his ass.

The political spectrum contains a complete continuum of different world views. There is not just "right" and "left", but also "conservative" and "avantgarde" (which are each others opposite, and not "conservative" and "liberal"), and there is "authoritarian" and "liberal" (which are infact the opposite poles). You can have authoritarian left and authoritarian right, and as more extreme left or right gets, as more authoritarian it also gets.

I'm not the one who did this, and this is for the US political spectrum. Source is here: http://www.informationisbeautiful.ne...t-vs-right-us/

Since this thread is about US views, it was relevant to put it here. This was NOT about the general political spectrum.

Also if you think this is the far left view, this is actually center-left... I personally am much farther down the left spectrum than that. This is a watered down version to fit the US ideology.

Here's the world graph, but again it's barely about surface values. http://www.informationisbeautiful.ne...s-right-world/

I don't see how you can even think this is biased. Information is Beautiful is known for their objective graphs. Unless you're part of those who think that anyone who disagrees with your views are either fascist or far-right bigots.

[Mehrunes]

European countries have the concept of administrative division of a country... They also have some federal states of their own. And regionalism. Including regionalism-fueled terrorism, which kinda indicates it's a tad stronger in some parts of Europe than it is in US. And even in countries that aren't federal, the overall role, specific tasks and the scope of it all is different for the central government and the various levels of local governments. It's not something unique to US, because US isn't a magical special snowflake. So I'm not sure how that's supposed to be some kind of monumental rift between the continents that leads to conservatives and their inane dreams of trickle down economics, covfefe and the like.

Same with taxes. Some EU countries already pay more than US even when you add state and federal tax. And part of those taxes already do go to EU's budget, with EU dictating quite a lot. So I'm not seeing US exceptionalism here either. Or how high taxes and a part of those taxes going to some evil higher gubernment (that, god forbid, governs) instead of one's local tribal council are supposed to inherently lead to or explain some people experiencing aforementioned trickle down visions.

As for schools, it's not like federal level guidelines have to be a monolith and leave no leeway for individual school's needs. It's just that the states whining about muh state rights in relation to education are usually the ones triggered about evolution being taught in schools instead of what Jesus told them.

Also, gotta subscribe to this post:

The idea that Europeans "just don't understand us" is ridiculous American exceptionalism based more on the fact that we choose not to understand Europeans, rather than the reverse. "We're just different", "we're special", "they don't understand us" are hallmarks of special snowflake syndrome, not an actual ideological disconnect.

[Mayhem]

Which is quite strange considering the history of Europe.

No, what's strange is that the US has this innate hate/fear for the government branch without a history explaining it.

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The funny thing is Europe is more akin to the pre Civil War US with strong states (the various countries) and a weak central government (EU).

WHAT? But people on this forum tell me all the time that every member of the EU is ruled by brussels.

[Vankrys]

you are right

I don't understand why millionaire and billionaire needs more tax cut. This makes no sense to me. It's not like their life are gonna change, and they suddenly find themselves unable to feed their kids if they have a few more millions in tax to pay.

The less fortunate people however, may actually have to chose between feeding their kid or getting health insurance coverage.

How is that an even remotely just and fair society?
Conservative for me is more of "law of the jungle", the strong feed on the weak. And i don't think that's a good model for a human society.

[primalmatter]

No, what's strange is that the US has this innate hate/fear for the government branch without a history explaining it.

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WHAT? But people on this forum tell me all the time that every member of the EU is ruled by brussels.

You know who and what founded the states right?

[Mayhem]

You know who and what founded the states right?

Are you referring to the revolution?