An Essay against Historical Stereotypes of both the US and the UK.

[Radion]

I am reposting it from the 'rant' thread, as I feel it is important for this to be heard. Do with it what you will, and please note that it is not 'all-inclusive,' there are many other arguments that can be made for either party.

First and foremost, the United States of America is theorized to have won the War of American Independence (I\'ll be calling it that for the duration of this publication, out of respect to other wars of independence) because of several reasons. One of which, is the difficulty the British army faced in transporting their troops across the Atlantic Ocean to the closed American ports. The second reason can be attributed to terrain and tactics. The British occupying army based mostly in Boston and New York, had little in the way of experience with the terrain beyond the major cities. The British Army also used standard European tactics that were simply ill-suited to the terrain of the East Coast. The US Army used European tactics sparingly, resorting to gradual degradation of the enemy army for long periods of time, then a large attack to bring it down. Both armies made major headway, but ultimately it was a combination of degrading British morale and the entrance of the French and Spanish into the war that finally drew it to a close in 1781.

Now, the War of 1812 is as much a controversial point as any other. Many Americans say the US won (despite it being more of a draw), and some (if not many, I can\'t confirm this part) British support their winning the war. The truth of the matter is that it is mostly a draw, coming to a close for again, costs, tactics, and more important matters. Major headway was again gained by both sides, including the Americans burning Toronto, and the British burning of Washington. The Battle of Fort McHenry (The inspiration of the song, The Star Spangled Banner) was a major victory and rallying point on the American side, and most British people rally towards the Washington Fiasco in regards to this war. Things can best be reviewed here as a draw, to put it concisely.

Through out the rest of the 19th Century, British innovation largely outpaced that of America, until after the American Civil War, that is. After the war, various American inventions were patented (between 1865 and 1882: 2, 519, 557. The numbers grew too long to do efficiently up to 1900). However, the UK was the major superpower of the 19th Century, and it is in part that the UK did not enter the American Civil War that the Union managed to bring down the Confederacy.

Now, the 20th Century can best be seen as a combination of both American and British innovation, with American innovations being more prevalent and reported over. In the early 20th Century, Americans invented the first 'flying machine,' so to speak, thus bringing in the era of the airplane. Major American innovations of the period are quite easy to find. Now, the British had their day during WWII, successfully defending themselves against the German armies. The 20th Century really exemplifies cooperation between the two nations. During WWII bombing raids, the US bomber planes went by day, and the British by night, using both of the nations\' abilities to accomplish a common goal. The US went to the Moon, and created several new space technologies that brought new inventions to the scene. The British also had their share of accomplishments. The creation of a VTOL plane, defending themselves during the 'Battle of Britain,' taking the fight to them, fighting along side US forces all over the globe, and many others. However, neither side was perfect. The United States had a little fiasco called, 'the Vietnam War,' in which it basically repeated every mistake the UK made during the War for American Independence. There\'s also the matter of the nuclear bombs of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, killing millions over the next few decades. The CIA (US Intelligence Agency (no pun intended)) armed Afghan rebels (the precursor to the Taliban) against the Soviet Union, only to later have the nation turn against it. The British were not without fault either. The Irish rebellion is a gruesome reminder of the possibility of brutality by British forces. Then, there\'s the Bengal famine of 1943 (which England has yet to recognize), during which Winston Churchill ordered mass stockpiles of food and grain to be removed from the area in case of Japanese attack, killing between 3 and 9 million Bengali (estimates vary).

As for language, both versions are correct. English is the main (or group) language, much as English is part of the larger Germanic (and Indo-European) language group. Beneath 'English' are various dialects that are all correct and should not be discriminated against. American English and British English (not 'true' English, as many tout) are both correct in their respective areas. Whatever words that are spelled differently are simply a matter of custom. Yes, many words were spelled 'incorrectly' in the first version of Webster\'s Dictionary, but Webster\'s personal accounts point to him wanting to create a national linguistic identity for the fledgling seaboard republic, and to help unify it, and separate it from England (contempt for England was pretty high in the early 1800\'s). However, soon enough these misspellings became common enough that when the accents changed, and various parts of syntax and grammar as well, American English became its own dialect.

In essence, one cannot claim the superiority of one nation without having to look at that nation\'s faults. Both the United States and the United Kingdom have their virtues and vices, and both have their own manner of doing things. Whenever one does something, another does something else that helps to balance things out. American innovation is not playing catch-up to that of Britain, as many would claim. The US is the world\'s only superpower (China is not a superpower, get over it. Its far too self-destructive and unmanageable), and leads the world on many issues, to the disdain of those who don\'t. Yet Britain is also important. It has a massive history spanning millenia, and has had its own centuries to lead the world. Neither has been, is, or ever shall be perfect. The important thing, is that they are both together as brethren, and the citizens should be as well. Whenever a British person yells on the internet at an American, calling them 'fat; idiot american; etc.,' I am appalled, but I am just as equally appalled at Americans yelling British stereotypes. Hopefully, this makes it clear that neither nation is superior historically, and factually neither stereotype has any true ground (besides the obesity, buts a global epidemic. Although I will admit, McDonalds is the only thing you can forget to get on the exit for and say, 'Oh well, I\'ll get the next one. Its only a few yards away.').

Thank you, and have a nice day.

- Your average American.

[Tiberion]

[mod]This really does not need a separate topic, its fine the main rant thread.[/mod]