top gear in Alabama

[gassy]

Nothing better than a guy with an English accent saying " And here come the rednecks."--
That was really funny--Borat better watch out.

[Dottore]

Originally posted by svandamme


it's just that several folks on this board have been very vocal about how U S A is better at everything then everyone else
especially when it comes to FREEDOM® and having the best rights and what not ... liberally quoting the Constitution about everything... yet folks get beat up for having a different idea about something

The US is really a study in contrasts. I doubt very much from your posts that this applies to you - but many of my European friends who know the US only superficially tend to view it all as somehow the same. But no country of which I'm aware contains greater extremes - intellectually, culturally, socially, politically, geographically, financially - on just about any level you care to name.

Rural Alabama is as different from the Upper East Side as rural Iraq is from Paris.

It's always difficult to generalize about America and things American when you are there.

Equally, it becomes much easier to generalize about America when you are not actually there, because all one tends to see is the ugly side of America abroad: it's consistent foreign policy disasters; it's military adventurism; it's truly corrupt administration; the infantile media - led abroad by CNN and USA Today; and the cheap and nasty pop-culture and bad taste projected abroad - to say nothing of the hordes of overweight tourists dressed in shorts, baseball caps and fanny packs who genuinely have no idea whether they are in Brussels or Budapest.

It's very easy to see the US one dimensionally from abroad as simply a $hitty place. I have a couple of good European friends for example - who have travelled to every corner of the globe - except the US. You couldn't drag them to the US.

So from where I sit the US is a paradox: it seems to have the best and the worst of everything. In many areas - truly the worst. And in many areas - truly the best. It is a nation of extremes from which the middle - the cohesive common ground - seems to be slipping away.

End of rant.

[berettafan]

Originally posted by svandamme
well, with a camera crew , and a probably 6-7 crew of Brits on a BBC payroll, i think the cops , no matter how redneck will have the smarts to at least keep it civilised somewhat...


either way , it was still funny as hell

I dunno, seems like the last time a Brit on US soil said 'you must obey the law' it didn't work out so well.

[berettafan]

Oh and Jeremy seems to have forgotten that he'd be speaking German if some of those Alabama boy's granddaddys hadn't stepped in a few decades ago and saved the day.

[SLO-BOB]

Originally posted by Dottore
But rural Alabama - well it's about as enlightend and civilized as the outskirts of Tikrit.

Please tell us of your Alabama expertise. I can only surmise that "Lotus Land" is either the U.K. or Japan, so I wonder how you know so much about the southern U.S..

[Dueller]

Ditto on Tikrit

[Seahawk]

Originally posted by SLO-BOB
Please tell us of your Alabama expertise. I can only surmise that "Lotus Land" is either the U.K. or Japan, so I wonder how you know so much about the southern U.S..

I can't wait for his reply. I have lived all over the United States and rarely find the level of ignorance he put on display.

[svandamme]

Originally posted by berettafan
Oh and Jeremy seems to have forgotten that he'd be speaking German if some of those Alabama boy's granddaddy's hadn't stepped in a few decades ago and saved the day.

well , doubt it, if anything , it would be Russian rather then German... Hitler vs Stalin , and no US intervention , my money would have been on Stalin...

either way , in the end , Battle of Britain is above all the thing that saved Britain, and Britain beeing saved was crucial to "allow" anybody to use it as a staging ground... without that staging ground, again, we (euro folks not you ) would probably be speaking Russian by now...

either way , i'm pretty sure that the debt for WW2 has long been payed off, if it isn't , well , send me the picture of your whereabouts during D-Day... without that, i'm afraid you have zero credibility as a debt collector

das vidanja tovarich!

Dottore, your rant was somehow what i meant
i was simply doing reverse logic relating to some others who do the same generalizations towards Europe.... just like the one i just rebutted... the one about debt..

[bivenator]

Originally posted by Dottore
In the days when we were young and stupid and had long hair, a mate and I hitchhiked through the deep south.

Four times we had the road sign we were standing under shot at by rednecks. Four times!

We lost count of the beer bottles hurled at us from passing picks ups, and the times we were just simply refused service in places based on our long hair alone - although we were always clean and had plenty of funds.

Although we toured the entire country, and had many truly superb experiences, the south - and parts of Texas - really stood out as paradigms of intolerance.

So, stay away from road signs. I've had beer bottle tossed at me as well and I'm a Texan.
If you are acting/dressed in a way that is not along with the society's norm then you will recieve extra attention. Where ever you may be, EU, Irag, Denmark, Honduras or even in the deep South.

I thought the spot that JC did was entertaining but many things can be edited for the desired effect. Wouldn't be much of a show without some conflict.

[SLO-BOB]

Originally posted by Dottore
In the days when we were young and stupid and had long hair, a mate and I hitchhiked through the deep south.

Four times we had the road sign we were standing under shot at by rednecks. Four times!

We lost count of the beer bottles hurled at us from passing picks ups, and the times we were just simply refused service in places based on our long hair alone - although we were always clean and had plenty of funds.

Although we toured the entire country, and had many truly superb experiences, the south - and parts of Texas - really stood out as paradigms of intolerance.

This must be the experience I requested. I missed it 1st time around. Now I've narrowed your country of origin to the U.K. Am I correct?

Might I ask, when was this trip?

[scottbombedout]

Originally posted by berettafan
Oh and Jeremy seems to have forgotten that he'd be speaking German if some of those Alabama boy's granddaddys hadn't stepped in a few decades ago and saved the day.

Yawn, late for 2 world wars and early for the 3rd?
Russia would have seen off the Germans on there own eventually. I think the debt has been repaid with Korea, 2 Gulf Wars and the halting of Communism .

[SLO-BOB]

Originally posted by scottbombedout
Yawn, late for 2 world wars

Typical sentiment expressed by a young and thankless generation who weren't there and know dick.

and early for the 3rd?

Uhhh, well ya got us there. When are your boys gonna join the fight?

Russia would have seen off the Germans on there own eventually. I think the debt has been repaid with Korea, 2 Gulf Wars and the halting of Communism .

Thanks for the revisionist's take on history as you know it.



Now keep your "Man Lovin" Lymies where they belong, pushing rusty minnies through their paces in the rain on the wrong side of the road.

[berettafan]

Originally posted by scottbombedout
Yawn, late for 2 world wars and early for the 3rd?
Russia would have seen off the Germans on there own eventually. I think the debt has been repaid with Korea, 2 Gulf Wars and the halting of Communism .

Regarding your points:
a-Yes, it does seem we're working on front row seats for the 3rd.

b-Probably not before the UK became a German outpost.

c-Where was repayment mentioned? I never used the word 'debt'

[SLO-BOB]

Seriously, we're all a lot more alike than some of us admit. You can bring out the worst in any culture if you push the right buttons.

I think Clarkeson is funny. I like most of his stuff. Problem is, some folks don't know he's kidding. (He is kidding right?)

[scottbombedout]

Originally posted by SLO-BOB
Seriously, we're all a lot more alike than some of us admit. You can bring out the worst in any culture if you push the right buttons.

I think Clarkeson is funny. I like most of his stuff. Problem is, some folks don't know he's kidding. (He is kidding right?)

Bob, he was kidding. I've never been to America but that seriously put me off.
How can the USA go around the globe trying to install democracy when you dont even have freedom of speech in your own country. My first reaction to the petrol station owner was 'pathetic' . But she was kidding right?

[MichiganMat]

"In America, through pressure of conformity, there is freedom of choice, but nothing to choose from."

- Peter Ustinov

[928ram]

The film was funny, the reaction and ensuing thread here is simple priceless. P.T. Barnum must be giggling in his grave; I'll bet he's a fan.

[Moses]

Originally posted by Christien
"I honestly believe that in certain parts of America people have started mating with vegetables"
-Jeremey Clarkson

He's right, of course. These two hooked up at www.e-harmony.com/alabama

[berettafan]

Does Dr. Phil know about this?

[SLO-BOB]

Originally posted by scottbombedout
Bob, he was kidding. I've never been to America but that seriously put me off.
How can the USA go around the globe trying to install democracy when you dont even have freedom of speech in your own country. My first reaction to the petrol station owner was 'pathetic' . But she was kidding right?

I hope you're kidding about being put off by that. THAT is what I fear happens when people like Clarkeson make such episodes. Some people will think all of Alabama, or even all of America is represented by a few.

Not that we as Americans are exempt from that. A group of zealots flies some planes into our buildings and we invade a country. Nothing new there sadly. I don't agree with a LOT of our politics, but I love my country and I love being an American. It's a great country. I believe we need to learn a lot more about our adversaries. Maybe then they can be our friends.

That said, Man's biggest failing is to understand the mindset of those other than himself. I believe that Americans do not have the corner on that market, but rather, it's a world wide affliction.

And no-she was not kidding.