"Going native" in this context means sympathizing with the local population to the extent that their loyalty effectively shifts from the United States to the lo

"Going native" in this context means sympathizing with the local population to the extent that their loyalty effectively shifts from the United States to the local people. I suspect the Americans have this problem due to cultural factors. The binding ethos of the United States includes a hefty (if not total) tolerance to the idea of nationality being less important than their ideals. The chief unifying principle of Great Britain is ultimately old-fashioned nationalism. They have an expectation that other peoples should become more British, rather than that they should accommodate new cultural norms.