3 ms·

I don't think American culture is as uniform as you're implying it is. I'm from the bay area in california and Santorum's positions seem very foreign to me, but

by jvrossb 15y ago

I don't think American culture is as uniform as you're implying it is. I'm from the bay area in california and Santorum's positions seem very foreign to me, but everyone in my circles around here at least thinks they "get" Santorum - it is accepted wisdom that's he's a crazy idiot. I don't think someone who isn't a U.S. voter is automatically more at a disadvantage than most Americans when it comes to understanding what's going on this election season. Curious to hear some European opinions that are shocking to you. I wonder if they would be shocking to Americans in general and I wonder if Europeans would agree that those opinions and ideas are uniformly European.

dagw 15y ago
Curious to hear some European opinions that are shocking to you. One European idea (as practised in a reasonable sub set of Europe) that I can see many Americans finding shocking are the legal limits to free speech. Gun control is another one which would shock at least a fair number of Americans (again this varies a bit across Europe, but is always far stricter than in the US). Various ideas on taxation is a third, depending slightly on your political leaning. The lax (from a US perspective) attitude towards punishing criminals as yet another.
- yequalsx 15y ago
  I do not get the lax jail sentences for violent crimes in Europe either. For me it's not about punishment but about preventing such people from perpetrating their violence again. I don't get it but here in Europe (at least until recently) they have less violent crime so it appears to work for them.
deleted 15y ago
[deleted]
- saraid216 15y ago
  The parent to your comment would have made a lot more sense to you if you had read its parent. Just saying.
  - deleted 15y ago
    [deleted]
einhverfr 15y ago
I have lived in rural parts of the US most of my life and I don't see Santorum's positions as being from most of there either. It IS typical of a small subset of people widely dispersed, though, and that includes some Catholics and Evangelicals I know.....
philwelch 15y ago
The Bay Area ain't flyover country.
stonemetal 15y ago
I don't think American culture is as uniform as you're implying it is. I'm from the bay area in california When was the last time the bay area was referred to as flyover country? And so far Santorum has won 10 and seconded quite a few other primaries. Crazy or not he appears to reflect the ideas of a large portion of the american populous. He regularly gets 20-30% of the vote.

by jvrossb 15y ago

dagw 15y ago

Curious to hear some European opinions that are shocking to you. One European idea (as practised in a reasonable sub set of Europe) that I can see many Americans finding shocking are the legal limits to free speech. Gun control is another one which would shock at least a fair number of Americans (again this varies a bit across Europe, but is always far stricter than in the US). Various ideas on taxation is a third, depending slightly on your political leaning. The lax (from a US perspective) attitude towards punishing criminals as yet another.

yequalsx 15y ago
I do not get the lax jail sentences for violent crimes in Europe either. For me it's not about punishment but about preventing such people from perpetrating their violence again. I don't get it but here in Europe (at least until recently) they have less violent crime so it appears to work for them.

deleted 15y ago

[deleted]

saraid216 15y ago
The parent to your comment would have made a lot more sense to you if you had read its parent. Just saying.
- deleted 15y ago
  [deleted]

einhverfr 15y ago

I have lived in rural parts of the US most of my life and I don't see Santorum's positions as being from most of there either. It IS typical of a small subset of people widely dispersed, though, and that includes some Catholics and Evangelicals I know.....

philwelch 15y ago

The Bay Area ain't flyover country.

stonemetal 15y ago

I don't think American culture is as uniform as you're implying it is. I'm from the bay area in california When was the last time the bay area was referred to as flyover country? And so far Santorum has won 10 and seconded quite a few other primaries. Crazy or not he appears to reflect the ideas of a large portion of the american populous. He regularly gets 20-30% of the vote.