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I've seen better examples all over the UK, but these are the best I can find right now. You can clearly see the first takes clear inspiration from the latter two links. Very interesting.
If I can get enough people to say "mum" where I live, will that make it seem more like Britain? My point....this is America, and how someone speaks, isn't going to change that, or make one feel more "British" because of it.
Beyond linguistics Politics in Massachusetts are closer to Canada and the U.K. Compared to anywhere else.
Politically Massachusetts is most social democrat of any state in the country (as opposed to Western Liberalism which is more anti union etc) and the divides are class not race when it comes to party affiliation across New England.
In fact saying "Charleston is so British look at the Brick" is way more superficial than actual cultural similarities between the U.K. And New England
There is a good Teason the Belfast Giants picked ECAC/Hockey East schools vs BIG 10/ WCHA schools to participate in the Friendship four hockey tournament every year it's because the Nrw England based leagues have a greater cultural tie to the U.K. than those Midwestern leagues.
I'm from the UK, and live in Boston. I find New England very unlike the UK. Parts if northern New England, as someone else mentioned, are somewhat closer. Maine, for instance, has a number of cities that remind me architecturally of Northern Ireland and other northern cities like Liverpool.
But, as also mentioned, Philly is the most architecturally like a British city.
Culturally, I find the Midwest is the most comfortable and familiar to me, as a Brit. But it is also distinctly American in terms of architecture and geography. Even culturally, I guess. But there is some kind of sympathy or resonance especially to do with politeness, I think that makes it seem comfortable for a Brit.
Canada is completely different. As soon as I cross the border I feel this sense of cultural familiarity which I don't get in the US. It is as silly as measuring the temperature on the same scale. I can literally feel myself relax mentally with familiarity when I travel to Canada.
Nowhere I have traveled in the South, including Virginia or Charleston feel anything like British to me. Not at all. DC feels a bit French, Baltimore too.
I am not from England but I do agree with what you are saying.😊
Looking at some of the posts, I think some people naturally say New England without really thinking about it. Probably because of the word "England" plus the many similar English place names. But the reality is that the architecture, the building materials, the land use patterns and even the environment (New England is much more forested and has far less farmland then England itself) is very different.
Same with some of the other places mentioned in this thread such as Virginia and Maryland. Again you have the British (mostly English) place names but again the architecture, building materials and land use etc. is very different. Parts of Pennsylvania have a lot of Welsh names but once again, so much is different from Wales.
What I think would be interesting for us to hear is why you find the Midwest and Canada to be more comfortable and familiar to you then parts of the USA. Is it because you find it less then a rat race?
Beyond linguistics Politics in Massachusetts are closer to Canada and the U.K. Compared to anywhere else.
Politically Massachusetts is most social democrat of any state in the country (as opposed to Western Liberalism which is more anti union etc) and the divides are class not race when it comes to party affiliation across New England.
In fact saying "Charleston is so British look at the Brick" is way more superficial than actual cultural similarities between the U.K. And New England
There is a good Teason the Belfast Giants picked ECAC/Hockey East schools vs BIG 10/ WCHA schools to participate in the Friendship four hockey tournament every year it's because the Nrw England based leagues have a greater cultural tie to the U.K. than those Midwestern leagues.
I don't know if I agree with this.
For one thing, the British have a healthy functioning multi-party democracy, with control switching back and forth between Labor and the Conservatives. In contrast, Massachusetts is close to being a one party controlled state. I mean ALL 9 of the Massachusetts controlled House members are Democrats? Certainly not what I would call a healthy functioning multi-party democracy.
And of course the types of government is different with Massachusetts being more similar to the other states and the Federal government (separate of executive and legislative branches) while Britain has a parliamentary style (control of the legislative means you control the executive as well).
And as for local government, Massachusetts abolished most of its local county governments while Britain still has active county governments. At the same time in Britain there are many districts and other governing bodies alongside the county governments, this reminds far more of the Mid-Atlantic states then Massachusetts.
For one thing, the British have a healthy functioning multi-party democracy, with control switching back and forth between Labor and the Conservatives. In contrast, Massachusetts is close to being a one party controlled state. I mean ALL 9 of the Massachusetts controlled House members are Democrats? Certainly not what I would call a healthy functioning multi-party democracy.
And of course the types of government is different with Massachusetts being more similar to the other states and the Federal government (separate of executive and legislative branches) while Britain has a parliamentary style (control of the legislative means you control the executive as well).
And as for local government, Massachusetts abolished most of its local county governments while Britain still has active county governments. At the same time in Britain there are many districts and other governing bodies alongside the county governments, this reminds far more of the Mid-Atlantic states then Massachusetts.
Even the Tories are more like conservative Democrats than Republicans. Massachusetts has stronger labor laws and entitlements than about any state in the country. The British system would mostly fall in between Warren and Lynch, both Democrats.
Even the Tories are more like conservative Democrats than Republicans. Massachusetts has stronger labor laws and entitlements than about any state in the country. The British system would mostly fall in between Warren and Lynch, both Democrats.
That still means that the British have a healthy functioning two party system (actually they have several smaller parties as well), which Massachusetts and too many other states do not.
But anyway, how is British Tories being more like conservative Democrats really different in Massachusetts then from other US states? I can tell you that most Democrats here in New York, outside some of the wackos in NYC, are completely rational moderate human beings. The same with New Jersey and Pennsylvania.
I mean one of the problems that politicians like Chris Christie, Mike Bloomberg and even Rudy Giuliani had or were going to have running in the Republican primaries is that they were not considered conservative enough. Chris Christie is even attacked to this day by some conservatives for meeting with President Obama only days after a major hurricane did major damage to parts of New Jersey, how dare he! Morons.
Outside of the design of the city, how does DC feel a bit French to you, and how does Baltimore feel French in any respect?
Mount Vernon area feels very French in terms of urban design and architecture. And, yes, DCs urban plan (not sure why you imply that should be discounted?).
Beyond linguistics Politics in Massachusetts are closer to Canada and the U.K. Compared to anywhere else.
Politically Massachusetts is most social democrat of any state in the country (as opposed to Western Liberalism which is more anti union etc) and the divides are class not race when it comes to party affiliation across New England.
In fact saying "Charleston is so British look at the Brick" is way more superficial than actual cultural similarities between the U.K. And New England
There is a good Teason the Belfast Giants picked ECAC/Hockey East schools vs BIG 10/ WCHA schools to participate in the Friendship four hockey tournament every year it's because the Nrw England based leagues have a greater cultural tie to the U.K. than those Midwestern leagues.
I disagree with this. First, New England liberals are not like UK social Democrat Liberal Democrats at all, nor are they anything like our left party- Labour. You would never get a politician like Elizabeth Warren in the UK - she relies mostly on emotional appeals and fiery rhetoric, neither of which would usually work in the UK. Though recent developments are moving a little in that direction with Corbyn - his appeal is really in his difference from the norm.
New England liberalism leaves me thoroughly cold. And, honestly it doesn't strike me as a particularly democratic politics. Dominated by elite, privileged people and the same old families. When you get down to local politics, there are the Marty Walshes of New England, but that kind of local Democratic politics strikes me as extremely American - we don't have that kind of power in local politics in the UK so it doesn't produce people like Marty Walsh.
Union politics are surely stronger in the Midwest/Mid Atlantic than New England? Not saying those places have politics closer to the UK, but I've never been disrupted by a strike while living in Boston and I've been here 7 years....and anyway being more friendly to unions is not necessarily a measure of similarity to UK politics (which have neutered union power since the 80's). If anywhere has union politics a little close to the UK, it's Chicago where the pensions issue is similar, but in the UK they've got little power and have just gone ahead and taken away or seriously reduced pensions in entire sectors. University lecturers are striking right now for this very reason.
Last edited by MadameMerle; 02-18-2018 at 07:33 AM..
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