People, including many Europeans, make a lot of assumptions about Europe.
Americans in particular seem to assume that issues fall along the same political Dem/Rep divide as in the US. That gives them bad ideas. European countries have more solid social safety nets, more accessible and cheaper health care and education, more developed and usable public transport systems, …
On other issues like immigration or racism, they are on a MAGA-level. There is no big controversy because it is widely taken for granted that European nations are ethno-states. This is less so in the former colonial powers Britain and France. But they have their own baggage that gnaws at them from within, just like the history of racial segregation undermines the USA.
Another area where Europe is just different from the US is freedom of information. It’s just not respected in the same way. Intellectual property, on the other hand, is held in much higher regard. That’s how it has been for a long time.
Now that the copyright industry is waging an all-out lobby battle against citizens, you can expect much more like this.
On other issues like immigration or racism, they are on a MAGA-level. There is no big controversy because it is widely taken for granted that European nations are ethno-states. This is less so in the former colonial powers Britain and France. But they have their own baggage that gnaws at them from within, just like the history of racial segregation undermines the USA.
My passing understanding is that they’d really prefer if the people from their former colonies remained an ocean or two away. Portugal recently passed a new law that made it harder for immigrants (the vast majority are Brazilians) to get a worker visa and full citizenship
Somewhat better but not great. In Spain there seems to be a strong regional divide as well. Northern Spain is having a lot of racism too. Southern Spain has its problems too, but it seems to be less strong and is quite absurd as people look more like Arabs than like White Europeans. I also find this silly with Italians and how they are strong on Fascism again. In Germany they are also considered more as part of the “brown people” than of the “Europeans”.
People, including many Europeans, make a lot of assumptions about Europe.
Americans in particular seem to assume that issues fall along the same political Dem/Rep divide as in the US. That gives them bad ideas. European countries have more solid social safety nets, more accessible and cheaper health care and education, more developed and usable public transport systems, …
On other issues like immigration or racism, they are on a MAGA-level. There is no big controversy because it is widely taken for granted that European nations are ethno-states. This is less so in the former colonial powers Britain and France. But they have their own baggage that gnaws at them from within, just like the history of racial segregation undermines the USA.
Another area where Europe is just different from the US is freedom of information. It’s just not respected in the same way. Intellectual property, on the other hand, is held in much higher regard. That’s how it has been for a long time.
Now that the copyright industry is waging an all-out lobby battle against citizens, you can expect much more like this.
What about Spain and Portugal?
In short: IDK.
My passing understanding is that they’d really prefer if the people from their former colonies remained an ocean or two away. Portugal recently passed a new law that made it harder for immigrants (the vast majority are Brazilians) to get a worker visa and full citizenship
Somewhat better but not great. In Spain there seems to be a strong regional divide as well. Northern Spain is having a lot of racism too. Southern Spain has its problems too, but it seems to be less strong and is quite absurd as people look more like Arabs than like White Europeans. I also find this silly with Italians and how they are strong on Fascism again. In Germany they are also considered more as part of the “brown people” than of the “Europeans”.