Too much American 'culture' in the UK?

[buck]

[/b]

 

So....... Army lost and RAF eliminated? That still leaves the matter of the Royal Navy far greater in numbers and power than the Kriegsmarine and neither defeated nor neutralized? What then? How do you move a force of some 200,000 troops or more across a channel 22 miles wide without the cover of a large neval escort? The German navy in 1940 didnt have that many subs to put to sea and as for their surface fleet the Bismarck, Tirpitz, Gneisau etc were bottled up in Norwegian Fjiords. It had already suffered a number of lost ships during the invasion of Norway.

 

Even in June 1944 at the time of D-day when the Allies had complete air supremacy the mighty armada was still escorted by a huge naval force.

 

The preparation for the invasion of Britain were amateurish anyway. Not at all typical of the usual practice of German efficiency and know how.

All they had was a fleet of old barges and no troop transports whatsoever.

 

That's why it's believed that Hitler was never serious about invading. Just carrying out his usual policy of intimidation by the threat of force

 

BTW I'm a reasonable enough bloke if treated politely. I react to the way people approach me. I try not to let myself be blinded by false assumptions. America has it's faults as much as it's many blessing just as any other country has. The country has been very good to me. I worked hard to get to the good life I now enjoy but the opportunities were there also which were not available to me before I moved here.

 

I'll always put in a good word for the country when it's unfairly portrayed in a negative light

Hitler's face was never hard to read. You could tell when he was enjoying himself like the trip to Paris after the French were defeated. You could tell when he was angry, and particularly when he was depressed like when the Russians were at the gates of Berlin. The classic one was when he was looking across the channel at the cliffs of Dover stood with Herman Goering during the Battle of Britain. Here was a man who was doubtful and concerned unlike the ReichsMarshall who was sure his luftwaffe would carry the day.Gbye Tyke don't let the door hit you on the arse on the way out. Just one little smiley, don't report me.

[buck]

More - I suggest- within the Nouveau riche (the 'ten bob millionaires.')

 

 

 

As they say 'your mileage may vary'. I've encountered enough snobs in the US to blow the theory that the Brits have a monopoly on 'snobbishness' out of the water.

 

I lived in MIchigan for a while. (Michigan is like your left hand. The bit between the thumb and fore-finger is where the Polacks and Irish live. - Lively, high crime (sort of) and laid back.

 

Your little finger is where the Dutch live. They're not the real Dutch - they're the Dutch who were kicked out of Holland because they were such a pain in the arse (real Dutch are [fairly] friendly tolerant people. Michigan Dutch are not.

 

If you smile in Holland (Michigan) on a Sunday, that's probably an offence.

 

They have Tee shirts which say: "If you're not Dutch, you're not much." They mean it, too.

 

A Dutch name is a passport to pleasure.

 

If your name starts with 'van' (and particularly if you remember to use a lower case 'v') you are Royalty.

 

I introduced myself to one of those people as 'van Rentl'.

 

Hertz van Rentl.

 

I was accepted immediately.

 

I introduced my wife as 'Avis'.:hihi:

 

(I might even have got away with introducing her as 'Avis car Hier', but I didn't want to push it.)

 

 

 

Unfortunately, that's not so!

 

'Traditional English food' (judging by the surveys) ranges from ring-stinging Vindaloo to sugar-filled Korma.

I agree there are enough snobs around in he US. They tend to stay in their own enclaves and snoot it out together far away from the likes of us. My time in Britain was one when the intent to out Jones the Jones was in every neighborhood. You were considered inferior if your Dad owned a 2 door car instead of a four door. My sister in law refused to allow her husband to drive his new Austin A35 into a certain Cornish village because it was full of Jags. So we rode in my 1949 Ford Anglia colored black and rust, without my sister in law. You still find traces of it on SF with the constant attacks on the Manor or Low Edges.

[Harleyman]

Hitler's face was never hard to read. You could tell when he was enjoying himself like the trip to Paris after the French were defeated. You could tell when he was angry, and particularly when he was depressed like when the Russians were at the gates of Berlin. The classic one was when he was looking across the channel at the cliffs of Dover stood with Herman Goering during the Battle of Britain. Here was a man who was doubtful and concerned unlike the ReichsMarshall who was sure his luftwaffe would carry the day.Gbye Tyke don't let the door hit you on the arse on the way out. Just one little smiley, don't report me.

 

I'm sure his thoughts when looking at the white cliffs of Dover must have been 'So near yet as far as a million miles away"

Goering of course was the proverbial confidence trickster

 

The Germans had nothing whatsoever in the way of equipemt to carry out an immense seaborn invasion.

 

The Japanes by contrast had carriers, battleships and a huge fleet of troop transports and in the first months after Pearl Harbor achieved all their objectives in the Far East sweeping the Americans, Dutch, British and French before them and leaving Australia wide open for invasion

 

Meanwhile by the first part of 1942 Hitler had subdued neither Britain or Russia and his armies had suffered badly from their first taste of a Russian winter

[plekhanov]

I don't recall where I heard this Dunkirk can be seen as illustrating a disparity in both mentality & capability between the British and German forces early in the war. One reason for the Nazis failure to close in on Dunkirk as hindsight suggested they should is because being very much a land power the Nazis saw an army with it's back to a major body of water as trapped and going nowhere.

 

In contrast the Brits with their naval tradition & power saw the sea as a means of a fast & secure escape.

 

That same tradition and power is what meant that even if the Nazis had really wanted to conquer Britain they were in no position to do so.

[buck]

It seems that you're the **** artist around here buck - you're coming across like a hick high on hooch. And I wouldn't imagine you'd rate too highly around here in a popularity poll, the significant fact here is - I don't give a flying fig WHAT you or anyone else thinks of me - (unlike yourself) I'm well loved where it matters my friend.

 

I must admit slight surprise though in your sudden unwarranted attack - especially as Harl made an equally surprising attempt at civility in his last reply. Anyone might imagine you're trying to provoke me!

 

I didn't get back to you when you and your pals were discussing my user-name. I know you like to call me 'Superdyke' (amongst other things) you tiny minded meat-head. but didn't you know that we don't have a problem over here with homosexuality? So that one's a bit of a non-starter isn't it buck.

 

But just for you -; A 'tyke' is according to the OED a miscreant child. Therefore a 'super'tyke is an extremely misbehaved child. O.K?

 

You see I don't need to have a tough sounding name in a feeble attempt to impress. I can take the pee out of myself - something you seem to find somewhat hard to do. Did you lose your sense of humour in the crossing buck? Or maybe you never had one.

 

And though I'm getting seriously bored with this aspect of the thread I'll make my reply to Harl and Plek here.

 

Are you saying that had we lost our armies at Dunkerque - as we very nearly did; and had we lost our airforce during the B.of B. - as we nearly did, the nazis WOULD NOT HAVE INVADED?

I have never called you Superdyke. I don't care if you're queer or not, so why say such lies. You're cleaarly frustrated in life, and I can see no possibility of you having many friends, but that's just my opiniion. Ask a few others around here without calling them lobsters or tiny minded meat heads. Just for once in your life try to be civil. As for whether the Germans would have invaded or not, read the history books, they didn't.

[Harleyman]

I agree there are enough snobs around in he US. They tend to stay in their own enclaves and snoot it out together far away from the likes of us. My time in Britain was one when the intent to out Jones the Jones was in every neighborhood. You were considered inferior if your Dad owned a 2 door car instead of a four door. My sister in law refused to allow her husband to drive his new Austin A35 into a certain Cornish village because it was full of Jags. So we rode in my 1949 Ford Anglia colored black and rust, without my sister in law. You still find traces of it on SF with the constant attacks on the Manor or Low Edges.

 

 

 

Have you ever visited the Vanderbilt mansion in New York? Now there's a classic example of snobbery if ever there was. Cornelius Vanderbilt must have fancied himself akin to King Louie the 16th of France.

The grandeur of the interior decorations almost wants to make you laugh.

You want to ask yourself "how could anyone want to live in a fancy dog house like this?"

Then there's the Hearst Castle in Califonia. Much of the interior imported from Italy, a dining hall that resembles that of a medieval castle with a balcony for the orchestra overhead.

Randolph Hearst wasn't one for "fomal dining" though. His dinnesr guests may all have dressed in tuxedos and gowns but they ate mostly hamburgers

[SUPERTYKE]

Go to bed and sleep it off, you tiresome little man. We're all sick to death of you.

 

I'll try to be civil when you do. And you gave me this after I'd said nothing to you!!!

 

I note you use the word 'queer' when referring to homosexuals. Am I to assume that you don't have much time for them? You could refer to them as 'gay' - much friendlier sounding don't you think? You see there's nothing 'queer' about them - they're just people.

 

Or is it that you hate to see the English Language abused in such a way?? I mean 'gay means 'happy' doesn't it? And I'm sorry to disappoint you my big tough manly buck but I'm not gay.

 

Underneath your 'amiable old guy' image you are a mean spirited vicious and bitter man - you think that by defending America against criticism, deserved or otherwise, you somehow make yourself 'more American'.

 

THINK AGAIN TIGER.

[poppins]

Have you ever visited the Vanderbilt mansion in New York? Now there's a classic example of snobbery if ever there was. Cornelius Vanderbilt must have fancied himself akin to King Louie the 16th of France.

The grandeur of the interior decorations almost wants to make you laugh.

You want to ask yourself "how could anyone want to live in a fancy dog house like this?"

Then there's the Hearst Castle in Califonia. Much of the interior imported from Italy, a dining hall that resembles that of a medieval castle with a balcony for the orchestra overhead.

Randolph Hearst wasn't one for "fomal dining" though. His dinnesr guests may all have dressed in tuxedos and gowns but they ate mostly hamburgers

 

I'm sure theres snobbery within the rich, but I find more snobbery in England within the working /middle class..not the wealthy, the Brits look down on people that live on the council estates, don't they ? they even dislike their own people that live in certain parts of Sheffield I don't find that in the US in working class areas like Sheffield, people doin't care what you do for a livng or if you own your own home or rent a place or what you drive.......but it does matter in England, I've spent many years in both places to have seen it.

[buck]

I'll try to be civil when you do. And you gave me this after I'd said nothing to you!!!

 

I note you use the word 'queer' when referring to homosexuals. Am I to assume that you don't have much time for them? You could refer to them as 'gay' - much friendlier sounding don't you think? You see there's nothing 'queer' about them - they're just people.

 

Or is it that you hate to see the English Language abused in such a way?? I mean 'gay means 'happy' doesn't it? And I'm sorry to disappoint you my big tough manly buck but I'm not gay.

 

Underneath your 'amiable old guy' image you are a mean spirited vicious and bitter man - you think that by defending America against criticism, deserved or otherwise, you somehow make yourself 'more American'.

THINK AGAIN TIGER.

I don't care if you're queer or not. It is of no importance to me, and neither are you. But your spite and nastiness to others is like that which is common in some gays. I'm as American as I want to be and no more, you have no idea how I think other than knowing I dislike blowhards like you. I am liked by my many friends as a person with a great sense of humor and generous to a fault. I am adored by my wife, sons, and grandchildren, all of whom speak with American accents except my wife. I will defend them against anyone who dares to call them stupid, obese, loud mouthed or any of those names you choose to voice. I seek no censure from the likes of you. Go hate someplace else, PUSSY.

[SUPERTYKE]

Well before I shared the prevalent opinion amongst historians that:

 

the Nazis didn't want to invade the UK they wanted us out of the war so they could turn their attention to the east

large scale amphibious invasions are really rather difficult & require total air and sea superiority

 

But your in no way delusional argument that German paras alone would conquer the UK after which the Nazis would move on the USA totally changed my mind

 

Oooo plek - you really are a terrier aren't you?

 

But in your opening sentence you really should have said 'SOME historians'. You naughty boy.

 

If I'm 'delusional' I really don't know what that makes you. You have this crazy idea that Hitler was somehow determined not to hurt the British too much - that he rather liked us really and that he had no ambitions of world domination.

 

But anyway, back to my scenario;-- we've lost our airforce and we have no army. Even Captain Manwaring is legging it for the hills!!

 

So what would I do next if I were Hitler? I know - I'd bomb anything that put to sea destroy harbours and food depots and maybe scatter a few thousand pounders around - aaaaaaand then wait!

 

So - now would he invade? COME ON PLEK - DON'T GIVE UP NOW - he still wouldn't invade would he - after all, the vast and treacherous English Channel is in his way isn't it??