AMAA - USA - 13 CRAZY Laws Discussed by German Woman - Reaction from Middle Aged American
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 29 พ.ย. 2024
- In this video, I react to and discuss the video: "13 CRAZY LAWS IN THE US! Surprising things that are forbidden here... | Feli from Germany." My commentary is my based on my opinion as an Average Middle Aged American that had not yet been to Europe.
#americanreacts #averageamerican #averagemiddleagedamerican #americantourist #americantourists #touringeurope #europeantravel #europe #cultureshock #europeantourist #europeanunion #visiteurope #visitingeurope #middleagedamerican
Original Video: • 13 CRAZY LAWS IN THE U...
@FelifromGermany
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You asked for examples of more freedom in Germany than in the US: here are some ad hoc ideas - please correct me, I am not an expert! ❤
In general, of course, both countries are beacons of freedom - compared to many other countries on this planet! And there are certainly other examples of more freedom in the USA than in Germany!
Public Nudity: Germany allows for more relaxed attitudes toward public nudity, such as in mixed saunas, topless bathing for women, and specific areas like the English Garden in Munich where total nudity is permitted. This is less common and more restricted in the USA. Also in TV movies, documentaries etc. often without hiding private parts.
Drinking Alcohol in Public: In Germany, it's generally legal to drink alcohol in public spaces like parks, streets, and on public transportation, whereas in the USA, public drinking is often restricted or prohibited.
Free Use of Language in Media: German television and media have fewer restrictions on language, allowing for the free use of words without censorship or sound blocking, which is more heavily regulated in the USA.
Bicycle Traffic Laws: Germany's infrastructure and regulations are very bike-friendly, with fewer restrictions for cyclists, encouraging cycling as a primary mode of transportation. This is contrasted with the USA, where cycling infrastructure and laws can be more restrictive and less accommodating.
Prostitution Laws: Prostitution is legal and regulated in Germany, with licensed brothels and health checks, whereas it is illegal in most parts of the USA.
Free Choice of Doctors: Under Germany's public health insurance system, patients have the freedom to choose their doctors and specialists without needing referrals in most cases, providing more personal autonomy in healthcare decisions compared to many US health insurance plans that limit doctor choice and require referrals.
Legal Drinking Age: In Germany, the legal drinking age is lower. Beer and wine can be legally consumed at 16, and spirits at 18. In contrast, the legal drinking age across the USA is uniformly 21 for all types of alcohol.
Worker Rights: Germany has robust labor laws that provide workers with greater protections and freedoms, including strong collective bargaining rights, shorter workweeks, and longer vacations (4 weeks fully paid at least or more). The USA, in contrast, often has weaker labor protections and shorter mandatory vacation times.
Voting Rights: In Germany, voting is easier with fewer barriers to registration and voting. The process is straightforward, and there are fewer controversies over voter suppression or disenfranchisement compared to some parts of the USA.
Parental Leave: Germany offers generous parental leave policies, with both parents eligible for paid leave for up to 14 months after the birth of a child. This provides greater freedom for parents to spend time with their newborns without financial pressure, compared to the USA, where parental leave is often limited or unpaid.
Education System: The German education system offers more freedom in terms of early career choice through its apprenticeship programs (Ausbildung), where students can enter into specific vocational training tracks as early as the age of 16. In the USA, a more generalized education system often delays specialization until later stages.
Education Costs: Public universities in Germany are free even for international students (also many from the USA for that reason). This grants greater freedom to pursue higher education without the burden of significant student debt, which is a common issue in the USA, where tuition fees can be high, leading to long-term financial commitments for students.
End-of-Life Choices: Germany has relatively liberal laws concerning end-of-life decisions, including the right to refuse life-sustaining treatment and access to palliative care. While euthanasia is not legal, assisted suicide is normally allowed. In the USA, laws regarding end-of-life choices vary by state, with some states having more restrictive policies.
Sexual Rights for Disabled Individuals: Germany is generally more progressive in recognizing and supporting the sexual rights of physically disabled individuals, both at home and in care facilities. This includes facilitating access to sexual partners and providing assistance if needed, whereas the approach in the USA can be more restrictive and less supportive.
@minamahal17 - Very well written and informative. Thank you for providing your points without feeling the need to insult America. I agree with most of your points. Of course, our laws about drinking, nudity, etc are formed from what the USA population wants in general, so it is not really a loss of freedom. But there are definitely areas we need to change/improve on.
@@Average_Middle_Aged_American Thank you very much!
I forgot to mention a very special famous kind of freedom in Germany 🙂
The freedom to drive on (about 70% of) German autobahns (highways) without speed limits! The average speed is about 150 to 200 km/h, fast cars sometimes reach up to 350 km/h:
Porsche 911: th-cam.com/video/TF_csd4uxU4/w-d-xo.html
(records higher): th-cam.com/video/7pg1hhW5qhM/w-d-xo.html (!!)
But this does not lead to more accidents:
The official estimate of traffic fatalities in general and on highways is much higher in the USA than in Germany in general and on highways - so this freedom does not lead to more traffic fatalities. Instead, difficult driving tests, high safety measures, good tires and smooth road surfaces... many factors seem to play a role.
Regarding the moose vs. meese question, in English, generally, the rules for how words are pluralized depend on the source language for the word. Goose is an Anglo-Saxon root, just like tooth -> teeth and foot -> feet. Moose has a native American root, and they generally remain unchanged in the plural. English words with Greek origins are the most messy, eg octopus, the technically correct plural would be octopodes but the dictionary also has octopuses and octopi as options.
WOW - thanks for the information!
@twoeyedjack6836 - No wonder English is such a hard language to learn.
@twoeyedjack6836 The etymological root of mongoose is actually from the Hindi word "mangūṣ", and so doesn't follow the same rules as goose.
@@Average_Middle_Aged_American
English is not such an hard language, it has an extremely simple grammar. It has a lot of eceptions in things like conjugations and plurals that can be tricky, and the hardest part are the pretty random rules to pronounce it.
Or take for example tenses, italian has 21 tenses, most of them that decline according to number e pronoun.
And italian is not even the european language with the hardest grammar.
In the UK I have the freedom to walk on anyone's land and not be arrested for trespass. I have the freedom to set up a business without a licence - business licenses do not exist here. I do not have to carry ID ever - even when driving. It's legal to drink alcohol in a private place from age 5 and can driink alcohol in public places too. The police can confiscate alcohol from under 18s if not supervised though. I can also gamble in any way I want with gambling businesses or with private persons. Furthermore, as long as everyone is equal and the house isnt the banker you can gamble in bars and pubs. Oh and you're free to bring children to pubs and bars if the management wishes.
I can make any alterations I want to my private property unless it affects the neighbours, without the need of an inspection.
I can emigrate to another country and only pay income tax to my new country. Unlike Americans who still have to pay US Federal income tax.
I can walk on the street at night without being harassed by the police and don't need to explain why I am walking or prove I am not "behaving suspiciously".
I can pay for sexual services as prostitution is and has never been illegal. I can have an abortion up to 24 weeks.
And the owners lose the right to keep people off their privately owned land. Always two sides.
@@Average_Middle_Aged_American Well its regarded as a civil matter. Trespass is not a criminal offence, but a civil dispute. So you can take the trespasser to court and sue them for trespass. But you have to prove that a harm was caused. Merely walking across someone's open land is not a harm. If you walked through a crop field or disturbed livestock in some way that damage was caused there would be a case.
The landowner or leaseholder can resort to limited physical means to remove you as long as they don't physically harm you - in the same way a store can have security physically frog march you out of the premises.
My point being is trespass is not a criminal issue. If you call the police for trespassers they will ask you what the trespassers are doing. If you say they are just sitting on a wall on your property - even if it's a wall far inside your outer property line the police will tell you they can't do anything. If your description alludes to possibility of criminal damage or anything that might be a breach of the peace they will attend to supervise. This happens when bailiffs (a kind of court appointed repo man) that are trying to settle debts by claiming property turn up and the homeowner isn't co-operative etc.
That's another thing. Not really a right but if you can avoid communication with a business you owe money to for 6 years, the debt has to be written off, in most cases. I only found out about that when I was helping someone apply for a credit check with Experian.
@drcl7429 - enjoy!
@ around 05:00 To drink beer in public ;-)
You can drink in some public areas; you can't drink in a moving car without a chauffeur. 🙂
Ok, you asked:
1. As a German, I have the freedom to sue the government and/or administration _directly_ at the Supreme Court without even needing a lawyer. I simply write a letter to the Bundesverfassungsgericht (our Supreme Court) in Karlsruhe that a law, rule or how I am treated is infringing my constitutional rights (= the Universal Human Rights according to the UN Charter). They WILL come back at me unless my case is obviously unsubstantiated.
2. I have the freedom to vote and being elected no matter what. Even as a convicted murderer in prison. This right cannot be withdrawn except for high treason, planning a coup d'état, planning a war of aggression etc. and even then only for a limited amount of time.
3. I have the freedom to collect all fruits, vegetables, herbs, mushrooms and even branches lying on the ground (as firewood) in nature, even if it is a privately owned forest, with the exception that it does not exceed "normal household quantities".
4. I have the freedom to roam freely in nature (= everything outside a private garden around a house or a company premises). Property owners are not allowed to fence in their undeveloped land unless it is for the purpose of fencing in livestock or excluding wildlife (such as deer to protect newly planted trees from browsing). This right to roam also applies to all lake, river and sea shores that are not protected by nature reserves. You can own a piece of land on the shores of a lake, river or sea in Germany, but you cannot deny people access to the shores. And of course I am free to climb any mountain I want. However, vandalism is not permitted, trampling through wheat fields for example.
5. I have the freedom not to be killed by my country!!!!!!! There is no death penalty in Germany. And even as a convicted prisoner I have the right to be treated with dignity.
Enjoy those very specific and odd rights and lack of rights. Just make sure you get your kid's name approved.
@@Average_Middle_Aged_American Didn't you just respond to another commentator, "[said laws] are formed from what the USA population wants in general, so it is not really a loss of freedom"? - We Germans in general want "normal" christian names for our children and fellow Germans and not R2D2 or Superman or Jägermeister, so it is not really a loss of freedom either!!!!!
And don't forget to cover up your alcohol in public! th-cam.com/video/CFPiOL4_NZQ/w-d-xo.htmlsi=ZwnPr4y_C3IydDq4
@@Average_Middle_Aged_AmericanIs it better that I can call my child Shit If I want to?
Basic Law for the Federal Republic of Germany
Article 1
(1) Human dignity shall be inviolable. It is the duty of all state authority to respect and protect it.
(2) The German people are therefore committed to inviolable and inalienable human rights as the basis of every human community, of peace and of justice in the world.
(3) The following fundamental rights shall bind legislation, executive power and jurisdiction as directly applicable law.
Article 5
Freedom of opinion, art and science
(1) Everyone shall have the right freely to express and disseminate his opinions in speech, writing and pictures and to inform himself without hindrance from generally accessible sources. Freedom of the press and freedom of reporting by radio and film shall be guaranteed. There shall be no censorship.
(2) These rights shall be limited by the provisions of the general laws, the statutory provisions for the protection of youth and the right to personal honor.
(3) Art and science, research and teaching shall be free. The freedom of teaching shall not release from loyalty to the Constitution.
As I said, my freedom ends where that of others begins.
Scotland here. The right to roam law
Yep - you got me on that one. Although, I could argue that right to have my private property remain private. 🙂 BTW - I have Scottish in me, more Scottish than German, I believe.
@@Average_Middle_Aged_American lol yes right to roam is a good law but it is expected that you leave places as you found them. Which part of Scotland
0:59
That are 600 more than i have 😃
Könnte am Alias liegen!
Did you notice that I haven't commented on this video? That's because I'm _not_ out to bash the US. Again, that doesn't mean I'm all about _defending_ Germany/Europe, but when you hastily express a superficial "opinion" about us, I try to set the record straight - if necessary by pointing out strong contrasts with the US. I hope you now understand my motivation and our recent disputes better?
You can do that without the childish name calling.
So odd for you to say that considering you are the one that constantly bashes America resulting in my defense of my country.
@@Average_Middle_Aged_American For example, YOU ask what more freedom we have in Germany. Ok, I answer that children are freer because they are safe from beatings and mutilation (and from being shot at school, for that matter). Isn’t that more freedom for kids?
Then you claim that this is also the case in the USA. But that is factually untrue! You spread "alternative facts" because the truth doesn't fit into your world view.
Then I'll prove to you that parents are allowed to hit their children in 50 US states and teachers in 17 US states. In Germany, you go to prison for it.
As for circumcision: over 80% of men in the US are circumcised, in Germany about 6.7% (we have 5% Muslims in the country, mind you). In Germany, circumcision is illegal without a medical or (unfortunately) religious reason.
These are FACTS. Google them yourself if you don't believe me.
And now I'm the asshole because some FACTS YOU asked about hurt your feelings? Then don't ask!
And the top joke is that two minutes after claiming you can call a cop anything because of the 1sT aMenDmeNt, you threaten to block me because I supposedly insulted you. Don't you realize how hypocritical that is? 🤦♂
13000 died from drunk driving. Three times more from firearms.
"Think about that."
Freedom!
What exactly is your point?
@@Average_Middle_Aged_American Is my British sardonic tone not obvious enough for you?
You said that drunk driving is a big problem, I don't doubt that, but if 3 times as many people are dying from firearms isn't that a bigger problem? You could say a three times bigger problem. Especially when according to you you have individuals who would try to inhale a whole kinder egg? Let them have a gun but not a kinder egg. Make it make sense.
@drcl7429 - adults dont eat kinder eggs. I will verify gun stats. I dont count sucicde or justified self-defense. Guns are not a problem in the USA. 90% of the highest crime cities in America had the strictest gun laws. 17 states have less gins per person than France. Does France have a gun problem? Does Switzerland have a gun problem?
@drcl7429 - FTR, more than half of gun deaths are sucicide. More people die from alcohol than are murder by guns in USA. Should we ban alcohol again?
@@Average_Middle_Aged_American Well I would say France doesn't have a gun problem. It's easier to own a gun there than in most US states. The US does have a gun problem though. What is wrong with the USA then do you think? The homicide rate by gun is far and away higher in the USA - even if you take out the lawful uses of force. The police also "lawfully" kill magnitudes more when you compare rates per 100000. Maybe you have a right to kill people. I don't know?
welp you asked for the freedoms you don't have, here goes:
Freedom to roam ( In Germany if you have land like say you own a couple of fields, you have to let people walk through there - not straight through the fields but through the accessible walkways besides the fields- i wouldnt do that in the US where trespassers can be shot. )
Freedom to plan a family ( you cannot be let go immediately from a job unless you were stealing or something so you always have at least a few months to look for a new job while being employed in the old one even if they have already given you a termination. Also, a pregnant women cannot be let go and can take up to three years unpaid off after the child is born (while receivin government money )
Freedom to drink alcohol in public - some of our holidays even revolve around hiking with friends and a case of beer
Freedom to get sick - because treatment will always be taken care off, i did an emergency response training in school and was told to ALWAYS call an ambulance when in doubt because they'd rather the ambulance goes out one more time than needed instead of someone dieing for preventable reasons.
Freedom to travel, live and/or work in a different EU country. As EU regulation has it, every EU citizen is free to just move to a different EU country with no visa restrictions.
Thanks for commenting! Here are some thoughts...
I have the freedom to not worry about strangers being on my property, damaging my property, and intruding on my privacy. Now, there are deed restrictions on properties in USA for access to other properties, utility easements, driveway access, etc.
We have unemployment benefits in USA. If you are let go, you will recieve a portion of your normal income until you find a new job. USA also has one of the highest median incomes in the world, so one can also save money for such an event. In addition, we also have one of the lowest unemployment rates in the world, so there are jobs available.
Sorry, I will never agree with paying someone to have kids and not work. How is it fair for a person to take off 18 years of work to have 6 kids when someone else is paying for that with taxes by working all the time. Not fair, not cool, will never agree with that.
There is no federal law against drinking in public in USA. Each state/county/city makes their own laws and those laws are created with the wishes of the locals in mind whom elected the officials that make laws.
No one is refused at a hospital in USA. More than half of hospitals in the USA are non-profit. 40% of Americans do not pay any income tax. More than 60 million Americans get free health care. 90% of all criticism about American health care is a lie, misinformation, or at a minimum inaccurate. Is it perfect, no. No system is.
It is nice to be able to move and work in other countries easily. We can do that with states and the USA is about the same size as Europe, but it is not the same benefit. That is a cool right to have.
This is not an argument, I am simply trying to provide information about USA while learning about Europe.
@@Average_Middle_Aged_American " I have the freedom to not worry about strangers being on my property, damaging my property, and intruding on my privacy. "
You must have misunderstood something! It is not allowed to simply go onto private property and steal or damage something. But I can walk along country lanes, through vineyards and forests. But I can't steal or damage anything, which doesn't mean I'm allowed to shoot someone because of it.
@@arnodobler1096 - There are deed restrictions tied to property for easements, etc. They are continued when the property is sold. No one is shooting someone for walking on their property. Good grief.
@@Average_Middle_Aged_American
Stand-your-ground law in Florida?
@@arnodobler1096 - what about it?
Hey, guys - what about Booze ... ?! 😊- Beeze, Preef, Reem, Teel, … ☯
Please explain.
@@Average_Middle_Aged_American In the next answer: Moose 'meese' discussion just for fun! :-) Proof, Room, Tool ... :-)
Well, the Anglo-Saxon rule is not so simple: 'Room', 'Tool': also Anglo-Saxon roots (plural reet?! :-) ) but not 'Reem', 'Teel'; 'Proof' also Old French and Latin roots!
Hello 👋 🫎 Moose in German Elch
Servus!
@@arnodobler1096 Moin! Ich bin noch da, aber das lustig sein fällt mir immer schwerer. Hoffe bei dir und deiner Mama alles gut soweit,schönen Tag mach was draus der Sommer ist kurz.
@@wietholdtbuhl6168 Tut mir leid zu hören. Machs gut.