Those are the things people didn't understand? There was only one thing: "How can you drink that piss ffs?!?". American "beer" I'll never understand and I can't understand why the americans are so fond of their colored water.
best selling car ? No, it is no car, just a truck and Ford has close to no more cars to sell, just 1: mustang Everything else are trucks and playing with the image of the wild west and what not is the only way for americas big three to sell vehicles with a margin, they simply avoid the competition this way. It is the last niche they can perform against the international competition which is so small compared to what the USA are offering. And also in the USA everyone who wants to tow thinks he needs a truck for that while we tow whatever with every kind of car, I have seen even SL roadster with a tow hook here.
I understand most of these things. They're just sad. There is this beautiful country that is still a dominant world power that is circling down the drain in terms of education and spiraling out from that in many other ways. And it's especially sad for me when I see similar things starting to happen here.
I guess our (german) view of societey is not as diffenrent as you say. But some facts about social behavior are extremely different. In sum this may give the impression that we actually have no understanding of the American way of life itself.
What I'll never get: In US stores, they tell you the net price at the shelf and never add the VAT until you're actually at the check-out. I got used to it, but I don't think it's customer friendly.
it certainly isn't. however, the interests of consumers, customers, patients, citizens etc is not on the forefront of minds in US agencies tasked with regulating and supervising corporations
@@embreis2257 I actually tried to figure this out and can not find a consistent answer. But I guess you are right that its NOT regulated and basically "it's always been done this way so it's done this way". That won't change. The only reason I could find is if the grocery chain has a flyer and says eggs are 3.99 in one store and add the tax then the price would be different 2 miles down the road when its a different city or county or whatever jurisdiction there is.
There are just so many different taxes at different rates rates that prices would vary widely. I pay city, county and state taxes on all my items. All 3 are different rates. Every town has a their own tax rate. Also, you wouldn't know the true cost of the item itself. We don't have a national sales tax.
There is no VAT in the US. You are referring to sales taxes. There are more than 11,000 sales tax jurisdictions in the US - each with their own tax rates. Sales taxes can be temporarily suspended, increased / decreased, or otherwise altered on a seemingly random basis. The same item can have sales tax at the state, county, city, or zone level (a zone being a small section of a city) - the rates of which can change at different times. Sales taxes and special purpose taxes can be imposed "permanently" or on a short-term basis. If prices on the shelves were marked today, they could need to be changed tomorrow because of changes in the sales tax. It is much easier and less expensive to simply add the current tax at the register than to continually re-mark prices on inventory. For example, the typical Wal-Mart store stocks 120,000 different items; each may be taxed differently and each may need to be remarked should any of the applicable sales tax change - even temporarily. Each tax jurisdiction also can impose taxes on virtually any basis they wish. For example, in one jurisdiction, you can purchase a whole bagel with no sales tax, but if the bagel is sliced, it becomes taxable. In some places, basic food is not taxed, but prepared food is - and the definition of prepared food varies across jurisdictions. Certain clothing may be taxable while other clothing in the same place is taxed. Just a few examples of the complications of how sales taxes work. If you have lived in the US your whole life, it is normal and you simply deal with it. If you are new to the US, it is strange.
As an American, I've always found our media's sense of "ethics" bizarre, at best. Showing a woman getting her head blown off on a prime time drama is fine, but showing her bare breast? Outrage!! I recall seeing "Braveheart" in theaters with some coworkers back in the 1990s. My southern Baptist coworkers LOVED the film and said that they would like to take their young children to see it...but the wedding night scene where Catherine McCormick's breast is seen briefly, that's what stopped them. The bloody war and torture scenes? Those weren't the least bit offensive to them! Love is "offensive" to a Nation built on bloody imperialism, apparently. Violence is "fun, righteous entertainment". And we wonder why we have so many guns and gun violence here.
It all makes sense once you connect the dots and realise the USA was (at first) populated/colonised by europeans fleeing Europe in search of a new place where they could practice their own brand of extremist christian views without being persecuted by the european governments of the day. And said colonists very rapidly acquired a taste for guns when they arrived to this enormous landmass and established homesteads that needed defending. So America by default started out with these views of violence = necessary but sex = sinful.
You are so right. When I visited Canada in 1990 for the first time, I was shocked to see how violent the cartoons (like Tom & Jerry) were. This was never shown in Germany. I also noticed that no nudity was shown. If you treat nudity as a threat it will become unnatural. Nowadays US people are sexualizing everything. E.g. when someone bites into a bratwurst (seen several times in YT videos).
As a German I do not really understand that "nudity" is in the same category as "porn"... I kind of get it why somebody wants to protect their childrem from sex scenes in movies... (whether that makes sense of not is a different story...). I do, however, not understand why a bare breast is in that same category. (For context: I have lived in the US for one year, many moons ago...)
Hey Nick, I think it is safe to say that this is way bigger than just USA vs Germany. As I am not German, but Dutch I can say that everything you've mentioned for us Dutchies would feel the same as it does for the Germans. In fact, knowing Europe as is, I even think it is safe to say that these cultural differences between the USA and Germany apply in general to all European countries as well, and these differences between the USA and Germany go even beyond Europe. There really are very few countries in the world that have more or less the same cultural aspects like the USA. Maybe Canada for a certain percentage and maybe even Mexico for a certain percentage and maybe a small country here or there, but that's about it.
8:33 It's not always considered rude in Germany to not eat everything at a restaurant, if you ask to box it up (most restaurants will do that for you nowadays). It even is a compliment to the chef, telling him his food is so good that you want to take it home and eat it there sometime later. However, it is rude not to eat up everything if you eat at someone's place you have been invited to, especially if you filled your plate yourself - which you usually do.
I remember as a teenager accompanying my father to the United States because he was giving a lecture there. After the presentation, some listeners came up to him and gushed with compliments about how "amazing" the talk had been. A short time later we were standing in front of the building waiting for our ride. The same people who had come to see my father were showing each other the promotional items they had received at the show. Each pen was "awesome" and "amazing." My just-proud father and I had to realize that America just ticks differently.
Well, yeah. A half assed 'that was ok' from a german is more sincere and probably more valuable praise than 'amaaaazingggg' from all americans together.
Another great video, NALF! As an American that just moved back to the US after two years in Germany...I want to go back!!! I miss that culture, the walks, bier, brotchen! Vielen dank for the great content!
I just recently visited my former host family in the USA and they took me to a college football game in Austin, Texas. I wasn't prepared for that. Jets flying over a stadium with more than 100k visitors, pyrotechnics, drone light show... In our hotel were families, alumni taking their little kids to a game on a regular baisis, perfectly dressed as longhorn cheerleaders. They whole city was dressed in orange. Insane! 😂 On the other hand, I was absolutely impressed about how chilled everybody in and around the stadium was. No pushing, no aggressions, people just enjoyed the game, the atmosphere was totally relaxed. European fans of soccer should try that for a change.
It's just at soccer games. I once attended a 2nd league ice-hockey game in Germany. There were 2 police officers who just greeted and no one even tried to get a look into my handbag or at least try to split the hardcore-fans of each team and it also wasn't necessary. They declared themselves as "ultras", which would be considered as a violent group in soccer, but they were harmless.
Hilarious- I live in Austin and make it a point to go out in public on game days only when the actual game is on. Dealing with the traffic and collateral stupidity is insufferable.
I think, German broadcasters are tamer, but still don't refrain from spinning everything a certain way. American Media is basically unwatchable for me due to how everything is so blatantly emotionally charged one way or another. But even when you don't do that, the stories you choose to report on, because there's too many stories to report them all, influence the viewers opinion.
German news media is largely just relaying what the government says on a particular issue. Typically, you only see real in depth investigative journalism when it is regarding what is happening in other countries (often the US), and in those cases what they report is sometimes completely made up nonsense (look up Claus Relotius at Spiegel for an example). You rarely if ever see any sort of in depth reporting on issues within Germany - what you hear is basically what the government says with only the most superficial criticisms added to it. It’s just as unwatchable as US news media, but in a different way.
The video of Not Just Bikes goes in depth on how the pickup trucks became so dominant. In addition to that they explain why these trucks are literally killing people. I can highly recommend those videos.
If you are in a pub in Washington for example... there are signs at the wall who tell you that you are literally committing a crime if you walk outside with your glas of beer in the hand. 😊 But at other places you may walk around in full military gear, assault rifle etc. ... and it is ok?!?.😢
I understand completely as an American. It’s really terrifying to walk into a Taco Bell with your child and have someone sitting there with their AK-47 on the table.
Eating habits have also changed significanty in Germany. In the past it was always said that what was on the plate was eaten. Or if you had left over food in the restaurant, because you were full, it was trown away. Nowadays you can have it wrapped up and taken home and eaten the next day.
@@blackforestwanderer Es ist dahingehend verpönter, dass man die Verpackung einspart, verteuert oder auf kleinere Portionen setzt, unabhängig, ob der steigenden Anzahl an Rentnern.
Great video. I got some more ideas for you 1) Why do Americans spent so much on things they do not really need? - They pay extra storage to keep the stuff they don't use. 2) For a country that is highly religious compared to Europe, why are stores open on a Sunday? - When I drive by churches on Sundays in America, they are packed compared to a handful of people in Germany. 3) Why do people not stand up for mandatory vacation and sick days? - America is the ONLY western country with 0 vacation and 0 sick days mandated by the government. 4) Why do people not stand up for more equal health insurance or fight the insane cost of healthcare? - As an example: My daughter was 6 hours in the hospital. Cost: $60,000! 5) Why are houses build like card board boxes? - Every house I lived in, from Florida, over Texas and Nevada to California was built so cheap and is so outdated but still costs so much. Why would nobody complain?
1) Because buying things is an addiction fed by the convenience of buying things online now. I am guilty of this too. Also Europe has a more minimalist style and American houses have to fill every corner with tables and knick knacks and frames and lamps... 2) Sunday closed was never part of the religion here. Some states have a no alcohol can be purchased on Sunday but the state can NOT dictate when a store is open. 3)Because people don't stand up for anything anymore. Brainwashing and politicisation of anything makes it impossible to stand up. And even if you do, nothing happens. Millions can march and nobody in power cares. Without pain, there is no gain as we saw with the writers strike. Lots of pain needed to be had before they even talked. 4) see 3 5) because it was cheap to build this way and sufficient and you just built a new one. Nobody outside of cities builds anything to last more than a few decades. And its not how cheap or expensive a house is now, its how expensive a brick, solid, european style house would be compared to an american built house. Plus its easier to change and fix things in the US. But I can hear my neighbor... it is what it is.
1) Consumerism. Americans are indoctrinated to "need" the new shiny thing, because corporations need to boost profits 2) There are many different religions in the US, and a significant number of stores are closed on Sundays, or they at least close early. The others stay open to make more money, because capitalism 3) They do, but Republicans are almost all completely against the idea. "It's not the government's place to interfere" 🙄 4) They do, but most Democrats only support marginal improvements at best. Republicans hate the idea of universal healthcare and use scare tactics of sOcIaLisM. Polls show a majority of Americans approve of universal health care (was at about 68% last one I saw) 5) Older homes were built more like European homes and used materials like brick, stone, plaster, etc. Newer homes are made with lesser materials, because it's cheaper. So many issues come back to money and capitalism
Actually, state and local governments in the United States can dictate when stores are open. Google "Blue Laws." It is just that since the 1970's the trend has been to remove such restrictions.@@roncenti
The short answer to every one of these is MONEY and PROFIT. WE MONETIZE EVERYTHING Above religion, democracy anything lies Capitalism The companies control our politicians The politicians convince the masses, actually the less educated and poor to vote against things that are in thEIR interest. We monetize Healthcare, college, prisons you name it. Pull yourself up by your own bootstraps. THE LESS EDUCATED FALL for this Commie or Socialist propaganda their crazy congressman throw out. It's mind boggling so the candidates eho actually want to bring some reform or equity to workers or social saftey nets loses . ITS the college educated here who are the democratics as well as the black vote ..the very top elite business leaders which is understandable...those policies benefit them directly are Republicans but the large working white population ? The skilled trades or average joe? It's that group truly keeping things this way..they vote against their own interest all the time..
It's so mind blowing that people get shamed when they don't tip in america. Why am I the one that has to make sure the workers are getting paid enough? Shouldn't the employer be the one who is responsible for that?
It's because you know how the system works and you decide to partake In it. If you decide to consume something from a tipped environment and then choose not to tip you are actually stealing time and money from that employee. You do not have to consume that service. Maybe it will change someday, but you have no right to make those people work for you and then not pay them.
@@FreonUWP Tipping is not mandatory, it is 100% optional. The employees decided to work in this tipping environment therefore it's their fault, not mine. They can either blame themself or their employer.
@@figl100 Exactly. Why choose a job without salary? Don't get why people agree to and enable such terms, then put the blame and responsibility for their situation on others.
OMG the US school education is beyond poor. I know a British woman who came to the US as a child because her dad had a business here. He eventually got homesick and returned to the UK. The daughter told me when she was assessed in the English education she was 5 grade levels behind!! I came over to US but was educated in England. When I saw my kids high school curriculum it was so poor I was shocked.
People I know who went to the US as an exchange student also used that year to chill. Yes, their English improved but everything else was just a walk in the park for them. I am from Germany btw.
What some places are putting into their public education is a joke. Teachers are not going to go into teaching when their are better ways to make a living.
Speaking about obesity out of a dibbet gave me the chuckles AND when you said that Germans are at the other end of the spectrum of polite talk... THAT depends on where in Germany you are Germans can get amazed! But the way Americans overuse amazement it is seen as inhonest, yes I know that feeling very well If there is a reason to be amazed one should use "amazing " and not for just to be positive about it There are enough adjectives in the world for Germans and Americans to express themselves They both need to just start using them
The scales of excitement/judgement are just different. that is all. the opinions are the same. Lets say the scale is from 1 to 10. Germans live between 1 and 5 and Americans live between 7 to 10. translating one to the other is difficult. The American thinks the German is always negative and the German thinks the Americans are superficial and fake. None of it is true. The only issue I have is when something is really great, I mean so rarely encountered great. If I live on 5, I can go up to 8 or 9... (10 would be unachievable and reserved for a once in a lifetime/Generation great event.) But if I live on 7 to 10 and this happens I have to add a 15 to the scale. That's when words like Awesomest or super crazy special fantastic come from.
I think you are quite mistaken about the leftover culture in germany. Taking the rest of your food home here is actually very much appreciated by MOST restaurants. Especially smaller establishments, even more so the ones that are family lead, try to reduce food waste whenever possible. Oftentimes you will be offered to take your leftovers with you without even asking. This is mostly my experience from the more rural parts of GER so its very much possible this is a different scenario where you are located.
As a Brit that lives in Germany and have visited the USA a number of times and am actually in Orlando currently. I just have to say that during a trip to the Florida Mall earlier today I had to use the “Restrooms” and was very surprised to see that I between the urinals was a screen that virtually turned it i to a cubical without a door. So plenty of privacy there, but as Nick explained, gong for a number two is a different matter all together. Portion sizes… yes very much so, far to large. We could have a soup or salad starter which was included in the price of the main. My wife and I went for the soup and my son had a salad, which came in a bowl in which we Europeans would mix a family sized salad. After my wife and I had our soup with a breadstick (small baguette) we could have finished there. I managed to fight through most of my main but she had no chance and we all took most of it home. Guns… why? I just don’t get it. Not in this day and age. Just watch Gun Control by Jim Jefferies the Aussie comedian. Trump… less said the better, but whose politics is any better? Nudity… each to his own. Sometimes it feels good, but in the right place. In this I don’t get Germans that scoff at you for using the sauna with a swimsuit on. I personally don’t want to sit my ring down where someone else has just had theirs parked. Why can wearing a swimsuit in a sauna be unhygienic? And I dare any German to come up with a good enough reason for that. Obesity… yup. Just done the whole Disney and universal park thing and the amount of obese people scooting around on their little electrical scooter chairs for want of a better word, was sad to see. Something needs doing about that for sure.
Supposedly, though I'm very much not an expert, because you're sweating so much in a very hot and humid environment, bacteria will breed quite fast. Additionally, since you'd usually go into a sauna more than once per trip, your trunks would cool off on your body, which isn't very good. You'll also get the pools dirtier than necessary (since you can wash your body, but your swimsuit (especially if it's polyester) can't be cleansed easily. While we're at it, swimsuits tend to soak up the sweat. So, inevitably, they will reek. Lastly, swimsuits defeat the purpose of sweating (in the area they're covering). They basically prevent air circulation and natural cooling.
Love your statements (and NALFˋs too) and agree a lot! However, not only Germans are naked in a sauna, Finns too! And, who invented the Sauna? 😂 But seriously, Germans will always sit on a towel there.
Why would you rather sit on a *very thin* piece of cloth, which is easily penetrated by the sweat of the previous sitter (your swimsuit) - than on a *thick* sauna towel, like you are supposed to? It is, btw, *not* well received to sit naked and *directly* on the wood in German saunas, exactly for the reason you mention. Besides, sauna towels are made from cotton, while, most of the time, swimsuits are some kind of plastics, which can get really hot inside the sauna and is a thriving hub for bacteria outside of the sauna (when they get sweaty.) You will spread those bacteria all over the place (and yourself) - somewhat defeating your argument. Skin on the other hand is able to reduce bacterial growth on its own before they even start to multiply - especially in combination with the sauna towel, which is somewhat more antiseptic, i.e. being made of cotton and thicker. Also it has exactly one side for the wood and one for the b-end + feet and gets left at the shelf, too, if you don't use it. ☺️
Here is the answer to why a swimsuit or swimming trunks at 90 degrees Celsius is not a good idea: the material releases vapors in the heat, which are not healthy. Sitting on a cotton towel, as you do in the sauna, on the other hand, is fine.
Across Europe, the portion sizes vary as well. During my Abitur (graduation) years, my mother and I have been to Tartu, Estonia, for the Christmas holidays. On Christmas Eve, we were looking for a nice restaurant, then decided to start with a salad appetizer. After that, we were already too full for a main course or dessert. 😅
It's different even from restaurant to restaurant in the same area. Some have huge portions, others are just OK. Not speaking of "high cuisine" where you get really small portions.
As an American in Germany for over 19 years, I was back in the States in spring. I was in the Texas panhandle, I'm not from TX, and I was amazed or shocked at the convenience. You can go to a restaurant and eat an entire meal in your car. Also on patriotism, due to its past, Germany is the only country in Europe that seldom has its flag flying. I was just in Sweden in the summer and you often see Swedish flags flying everywhere. Same in London, you will see the Union Jack all over.
The UK flag in London is there for the foreign tourists. Outside London you will seldom see the flag and in fact people have been told sometimes NOT to put up our flag in case it offends someone. The UK is busily being made unpatriotic by the Powers that Be ( whoever they might be)
We learned to hate our country. When I was going to school in the 80´s in western Germany, we had anti-fascism-weeks every year. We never really criticised the Soviet Union, though, because being "left" was okay, being "right" was bad. So of course it was an outrage to be proud of the fatherland, because after all it was the historical incarnation of evil. Apparently this has continued to this day. We are a nation with a guilt complex we can´t get rid of.
I do not understand the word "transfer" for a normal bus ticket, some US transit agencies use that word for this. I am a regular bus user in the US, Canada and Europe and have seen that many times... 10:23 I walked one kilometer in Franklin Park, IL a year ago just from the hotel to the Denny's Restaurant and was honked at and one dude had nothing else to do than to empty his coffee in front of me on the ground.. 13:28 Albeit the uselessness of these trucks, there are also Pick up trucks in Europe. And they are awful...
I think the American patriotism is a logical consequence of a relative young nation formed by a lot different nationalities. Especially in the early years of the American history patriotism was a social need to create a culture. It was and is just a necessary thing to be united and not fall apart regarding the space or geography and diversity given. Just my two cents as a german.
The thing Germans don't understand, is American never complaining about any of these things, they seem to love it, they hardly ever criticize their country, what Germans to permanently. They don't say "give the waiter a minimum wage" - they say "I give 20% tip". Nobody complains.
We are not allowed to vote for political parties. The only way to get into congress is to win a district. This - along with the political foxes who are guarding the chicken coop drawing the district lines - practically guarantees that we will have only two viable political parties. We don't pick them - they divide us, get us to hate each other, then they pick us. The US has much higher odds of falling into chaos, civil war, or fascism than Germany due in part to having so many guns. Also being a very wealthy country and not having lived through the world wars the way Europeans did, US people just don't get how horrible war can be. Kudos to NALF for a very hard hitting, no holds barred video.
Yeah... NO! Sorry but you are plainly wrong. We complain all the time about everything. And we DO say give the waiter a minimum wage and many cities do now. West Hollywood has now the highest minimum wage and the waiters get that and we still tip. There is a huge uproar about tipping at the moment everywhere because we have less and less money. The main difference is that we don't complain when we meet people right away. Then its just plain politeness until we know that person better. But once they do... Everything sucks. Just like in Germany.
@@arnodobler1096 i was talking, not NALF. And i talked about the guests, the Citizens like you. I never heared anything like " I think tip is too high". They just pay and are happy. The only one paying is the client anyway. I just would like to see the price in the menu. A very simple request. They put the Pizza for 9.99 in the menu, at the end you pay 17.50
I love this video and the differences. Especially traveling there for the first time. Once I tried to walk to a destination in LA. I found myself walking through roadside vegetation and other non-pedestrian areas when the police stopped me. They thought I was some crazy that they needed to check in with me. The outgoing and exaggeration I like. Total strangers complement on your new sneakers. People say "amazing' and sometimes that they even "love" you. It makes me feel like I am truly amazing.
Bathroom thing is to catch people doing things they shouldn’t like drugs. You’ll notice you’ll have a lot less privacy at rest stops along the highway and other bathrooms that are more open to the public.
Hey Nalf, I've been watching your videos for a couple of years now, and I have to say; it always amazes me, how entertaining and well made your videos are. Firstly your friendly character is always very inviting and you have the talent to tell storys and facts in a way that just makes the listener feel good. Then there is the background music to your videos, which I find very fitting and even funny at times (without being overly silly). Lastly all the different camera angles (or different clips for each topic) make the video come alive. All those facts combined makes me feel like im watching an art piece, every time I tune in. I love everything about those videos and your in my top 3 youtubers fs. Keep it up, buddy
I'm an American that has traveled to Germany quite a bit for their AWESOME music festivals and I usually travel solo. I'm good at striking up conversations with people I don't know and the two questions that I always get are about guns and Trump. I'll literally be standing around waiting for a band to start and someone wants to discuss these topics. I find it funny but embarrassing at the same time because these topics are what I'm ashamed the most about the US...and I'm a conservative from Texas.
We like to exchange or share our political views, even with strangers. But we almost never say what we deserve. Being conservative is nothing bad at first. In some things I am, but then in others the opposite. For US-Americans (there are also other Americans) that would probably be left-wing radical.
I'd love to go to Wacken some day. I was set to go to Sweden Rock in 2020 but that didn't happen... I'm a Trump supporter from the Midwest and travelled to the Netherlands this summer. I got asked the same questions, and then got a big dose of culture shock when people, regardless of their politics, listened honestly to what I had to say. Being able to express complete thoughts, sometimes complex thoughts, without immediate interruption or the shouting and name-calling, was an unexpected pleasure. It would make sense that people who are fluent in multiple languages would be more likely to carry an adult conversation.
@@BH6242KCh Och I would like to understand why one would vote Trump and then pick apart his arguments ;) But quite factual as it should be for civilized people. But now not here, and not under his video.
German here, with many friends in the USA. There is also another reason for the trucks. Many sedans and station wagons, are not allowed to tow trailers in the USA. With a VW Golf I can easily tow a trailer load of over 1.5 tons here in Germany, in the USA not an ounce.
Dude...i seen a golf cart towing a trailer yesterday. Your reason isnt reality. Some people like bigger vehicles and some dont. For some people a vehicle is just a form of transportation. For others, trucks i vital useful tool for thier lives, whether for work or play. ANY VEHICLE CAN TOW A TRAILER..ALL THAT HAS TO BE DONE IS ADD A TOW BALL AND ELECTRICAL PLUG FOR THE LIGHTS.
Hey Nalf, you mentioned the 2nd Amendment and some facts about gun culture in the US. A couple of years ago I had to hold a technical presentation for my high school diploma (Abitur) on it and that`s when I`ve discovered what a complicated topic it is. I find it extremely interesting how the Constitution, the history of the US, politics, and a non-governmental organisation -the NRA- have an intricately intertwined relation and stand behind the whole gun culture. In one of your earlier videos, we`ve already saw you at a shooting range but you`ve never really talked about the whole phenomenon in an in-depth video. I`d be immensely interested on your perspective on it and if/how your feelings/opinions changed on the subject ever since you`ve been living in Europe. xx Ina from Bavaria
I am german, and Brittas boyfriend. Most german people have no knowledge about weapons, i only read magazines and watch the weapons in Museums and castles, for reason of my historical interesst. So US gunlaw is much more complicated than Most people think. It is in USA very important, in which state, county or town you live, so liberality of gunlaw is between very liberal and harder than in Germany.
@@brittakriep2938 The "gun problem" in the US, and the laws related to it, are more of an urban-rural divide than anything else. I will give an example. One of the most dangerous cities in the USA is Chicago, with 600-800 gun murders every year. About 80 of those happen in Police District 11, which is a small, impoverished slum riddled with drugs and gangs. Most of the murders are criminals killing each other over territory or innocents who happened to be standing next to them. The city of Chicago has some of the toughest gun laws in our country, requiring a permit from the chief of police which is seldom granted. Less than 2% of households own a gun. I live in a very rural state with roughly the same population as Chicago, the same rates of poverty with far less government resources to help, and a massive crisis with drug addiction. We are a "consitutional carry" state, which means that any adult who is not a criminal can purchase a gun and carry it, open or concealed, anywhere it isn't specifically prohibited such as hospital or courthouses. About 42% of households surveyed own at least one gun, I own a dozen and I know at least two people who own more than I do. In our worst recent year we had 170 murders with guns. Again, most of those murders happen in the poorest areas in a few large town, and most of them involve drug deals. Those of us in rural areas use our guns for hunting, defense against dangerous animals, or target shooting. Hunting is a huge part of the culture because many families are farmers who own land and those who don't may get a permit to hunt in state hunting preserves. Most fathers who hunt introduce their sons and even daughters to hunting and shooting from an early age. Guns are also a heritage passed from generations. I own two guns over 100 years old that my grandfather first bought. Rural people strongly support the 2nd amendment because safe, responsible gun use is a part of daily life, and we resent being told that we must be deprived of cultural practices, constitutional rights and valuable, cherished property because city government in distant states can't get their gangs under control. People think the USA is a warzone but, if you avoid the poorest slums after dark, you are more likely to be killed by lightning than a bullet.
@@dc4457 : I am german and Brittas boyfriend. For about fourty years i read the german weapons magazines Deutsches Waffenjournal, Visier and Schweizer Waffen Magazin from Switzerland, i visited dozens of weapons collections in Museums and castles. And on Events with context of weapons, i speak with collectors, target shooters, huntsmen, reenactors etc.. So i, non gunowner, and for reason of bad eyes Not serving in Bundeswehr, i have more knowledge about most other Germans. I have basic knowledge of US Situation in guncontext, the noted weapons magazines often wrote about. Germany has a restrictive gunlaw, but crime is in german speaking Austria and Switzerland a bit lower, Germany even their gunlaw is less restrictive. Note: All three countries are Federal democracies, relative rich industry countries ( but in case of Germany: How Long?) and belong to ,Circle of German Culture'. I understand you, because i know, you are right, but the nonsens you can hear and read about weapons in USA by newspaper, TV and politicians is unbelieveable.
@@brittakriep2938 Greetings. I think for us, a large part of the problem as it relates to the cities is the issue of poverty and crowding. Most of the crime, of every sort, happens in specific parts of town. The "bad neighborhoods" as we call them. These are mostly in the inner parts of cities where nothing new can be built, which mostly began as factory areas because American cities were founded after the industrial revolution. People moved there in large numbers to work the factories and owners built a lot of poor quality housing. People had large families but the number of jobs did not increase, so families became poor. Then laws changed and factories could not operate in residential areas where people live, so a lot of the jobs moved to newer and more distant parts of the city. With jobs gone, people lived difficult lives and turned to alcoholism and crime because of stress and poverty. Now begins a vicious cycle. Because of the crime, stores close down and move away. There are still too many people, but now no jobs and more stress. Families live on welfare which affords little more than survival. People turn to harder drugs than alcohol, and drug dealing becomes the only way to make more money. Drug dealers fight over territory so guns becomes more and more common. Youth with no jobs or hopes form armed gangs to control more drug territory, and now there are bad neighborhoods where no one goes except to buy drugs or sell guns. If someone is shot there the police must come like the military to clear the area before ambulances can come, or the medics will be shot at. The city leaders claim that eliminating the guns will eliminate the problems, but the guns have nothing to do with the root cause. They are a symptom of decay.
#1 - the NRA (and GOA, etc) are lobbying groups and there are lobbying groups for damn-near everything you can think of. It's nothing intrinsic to the gun community #2 - we own guns, ammo and train with our guns because we don't trust the government. It's that simple. Every time politicians start talking about new gun laws the sales of guns and ammo goes through the roof ... to the point that I think they finally got the message. #3 - dc4457 said it best .... gun crimes are committed overwhelmingly in poor population centers with heavy drug / alcohol use. Outside of those areas it's much less common to hear about shootings. I am a legal gun owner with 3 pistols and an AR-15 rifle, a brick of 9mm and couple hundred rounds of 5.56 .... and yet none of the ppl in my apt complex know anything about it because I'm not running around shooting or threatening anyone. #4 - you don't take away innocent ppl's rights because a criminal broke the law.
Changing rooms in clothes stores are usually locked and you have to ask a sales clerk to unlock them. Very annoying. The person then also checks that you don't go in there in pairs. Otherwise panic attacks are inevitable. I suspect the same with the toilet doors. You want to avoid having more than one person in there and prevent “games in pairs” because everyone could see what's going on immediately. Clearly a case of prudishness.
The quality of public school education in the US has little to do with funding. For example, in my home state of Maryland, we have some of the best school systems in the country in the Washington DC suburbs and then we have Baltimore. Last year Baltimore City had a whopping 0% of high school students pass the mathematics proficiency exams, and guess which school district spends by far the most per student. You are 100% correct if you guess Baltimore City.
Fifty years ago trucks were not popular in the US other than for commercial reasons. What changed is that when pollution control standards were introduced, trucks had lower mileage and pollution requirements than cars. Consequently, they were cheaper. The automakers then started pushing trucks and heavily advertising them to create the image they have today since they can make more money per truck than per a passenger car.
Some more insights on Pickup trucks: a few decades ago, the US government introduced the Corporate Average Fuel Economy regulation, adding higher standards on fuel economy for carmakers across their entire fleet. The same carmakers massively lobbied for (and got) exceptions for some lesser-sold types of cars, where it was harder to achieve those goals: light trucks. Back then, families did regularly use station wagons (German: Kombi), and light trucks were essentially only used in rural areas by farmers or handyman. The safety regulations for light trucks are also different from "other" cars: they're less strict. Those two exceptions gave carmakers more room to add fuel-guzzling extras and some better margin, which over time shifted the marketing from "powerful workhorse" to "recreational freedom car", caught attraction and - the rest is history. That's also where SUVs started: in the US, they're commonly categorized as "light trucks", and so carmakers don't need to care so much about fuel efficiency or safety. Larger cars also have more options for upgrades, increasing the profit margin for carmarkers: and that's why the carmakers have been adjusting their marketing over the decades to increase their sales.
In Germany, the story is different and yet somewhat similar: a long time ago, the industry in Germany lobbied for lower taxes on vehicles powered by Diesel engines. Cars with those engines have been priced much higher, had higher ownership taxes and higher insurance rates. To outweigh those extra cost, one would essentially need to burn a lot of fuel and travel long distances - use the vehicle in a commercial setting, like in actual trucks, taxis or by travelling salesmen. So back in the days, about only commercial cars were using Diesel engines. Additionally, cars and trucks are taxed differently in Germany: cars are commonly taxrated by their engine capacity and CO2 emissions, while trucks are rated according to their weight. If a vehicle is designated to transport stuff and meets some other criteria, it can be tax-registered either as a car or as a truck. This does allow some businesses to register a handyman's van or the like as a truck, which may lower ownership taxes, but can also raise the insurance premiums. It still only takes a common car driving license to drive those tax-registered trucks. And a few years ago, German owners of certain imported US pickups noticed some of those pickups and SUVs satisfy the requirements to be tax-registered as a truck. For a light truck, this can roughly half your yearly vehicle ownership tax. And in combination with a Diesel engine, one is also benefitting from the lower-priced Diesel fuel, somewhat outweighing the fuel-guzzling engine. So fiddling some math and exact circumstances, light trucks in Germany can also benefit from certain tax regulations - which gave them a boost in sales, until the regulations were tightened (and a few years later again lessened). However, parking lots and streets in Germany are simply not as large and wide than in the US, so driving or even just parking such a vehicle is actually much more stressful than in the US. But: the car industry has been very focussed on bringing larger, higher-margin cars to Europe (such as "SUV crossover" cars, combining the worst attributes of trucks, SUVs and compact cars). Accordingly, owners of such cars over the past few years started complaining about parking spaces being "too small" for their car, demanding cities and companies to upgrade parking lots and create "more" parking space for those cars. To give an idea about the sizing: a German standard parking space just barely accommodates the wheelbase of a Ford F-150, so easily a meter or so of a parked truck do extend into the road or some foot/cycling way, and opening doors requires extra room as well.
That is such a good point that yes, we have huge portion sizes in the US, but most people don’t finish their meal and take it home in a box. Also, we’ve had huge portion sizes many times here in Germany, so I think that’s changed a lot here.
On tipping: ok, clear, restaurant owners do not take accountability for quality of service. Which is a odd thing. Plus, note that research found that tipping (aka assessing quality of service after the fact) has no impact on improving quality of service.
There are places in the US where walking is made illegal. People have been stopped by police for the highly suspicious activity of walking. Pedestrians are viewed with suspicion in the US.
Nowhere that I know of, in California, Colorado, Utah or New Mexico and Nevada. You may b3 thinking of dangerous areas for pedestrians that are not accessible.
Hi Nalf, i am German and I work a lot in Asia , mostly Vietnam , there I met many Americans . My question is: Why so many Americans use … Fuck …Fucking … nearly every third word? Mostly even englisch teacher…. I only hope the Vietnamese children don’t copy that….🤦🏼♀️ Nice Videos by the way!
I get the enthusiasm part at the end. As a half Albanian I feel and express my emotions a bit more jovially just in a more hightend sense than most people in Germany do. Unfortunately you're right that most Germans don't like that. I've once even been discriminated because of that
We overuse descriptives like awesome and amazing because our public schools don’t teach us a fully functional vocabulary. We work with what little we have.
It is a serious mistake to conclude from the relative absence of german flags and T-shirts that there is no patriotism and pride in Germany. We just have another way of celebrating our pride. It's private and personal like many things in Germany.
Perfect timing. I just gave my husband a cup of Alpine hot cider (from America) and I was curious what he thought. He said "Not bad" so I know it was amazing: )
On nudity: although I wouldn't see Germans as comfortable with public nudity, I acknowledge that US-Americans have a big problem with it. What I don't get is the reasoning "Nudity is seen as a private thing." In that case it is up to the individual to decide whether disclosing that private thing. Why should others worry about it? But that seems to be the part I don't get.
From a hot blooded American, @0:18 never keep your finger on the trigger unless you are ready to shoot. That is a sign of somebody not familiar with the weapons (guns), and a potential for danger.
Nick, my friend, one of the primary rules with a handgun - those followed by every responsible gun owner - is 'never put your finger on the trigger unless you fully intend to shoot the weapon.' Otherwise, for better or worse, I agree with what you're saying...
At first glance 11:43 looks like the right product is much more healthy than the left one. However: The left contains added vitamins and iron (Niacinamide is B3, Reduced Iron is iron, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride is vitamin B6, Riboflavin is vitamin B2, Thiamin is vitamin B1, Folic Acid is vitamin B9). And Sodium Sulfite and Citric Acid are antioxidants and preservatives (which protect the vitamins in the food). And the terms "natural flavoring" on the right and "artificial strawberry flavor" on the left MIGHT be the exact same composition of substances (only differing in how they are produced). Probably not though, since the left is marketed as strawberry flavored, while the only fruit that's actually in there are apples. In total, the left clearly has more ingredients that are beneficial to your health, but also more ingredients that are completely unnecessary (like the creaming agent). Also, both come pre-sugared. And who can say that the right doesn't make up for the lack of salt, creaming agent and guar gum by adding more sugar? What is obvious though is that the right is intended for customers which are much more health *conscious* and take even the existence of added vitamins as a sign to be suspicious of the healthiness of a product. Whereas the left is marketed to a customer base which just accepts whatever the company decides to put into their products.
On "Amazing": working for American companies for nearly 8 years I came to embrace the modality of super-friendliness and enthusiasm at the workplace. It feel like a big relief after 20 years of German grumpyness and unfriendliness. Makes work a lot more enjoyable. On the other hand: if everything is amazing, where do you go from there? There is no such thing as 11.
A Restaurant wants waiters to take up the order, deliver the food, clean up after the customer and give the customer a good service at your Restaurant. So it is just logically that the Restaurant has to pay them for their Service and not the Customer (in the end the Customer pays it anyway). Tipping should always be optional.
Amazing video ;) Thanks, that was entertaining. One question: the 2nd amendment is just the legal background. There is something deeper laying beyond that. Why do americans feel so insecure that they have to protect theirselves? And why is there so much aggression in the people that are so polite and kind on the surface?
Do you think that America could have expanded without guns? If a military presence would have been required for every household moving west, then no one would have moved west. And that was not so long ago. We have completely different perspectives on this issue, and each perspective is probably correct when set in its historical context. Besides, the British insisted that their colonies have guns, so that the British army did not have to protect the early colonies. On the other hand, Spain forbade gun ownership in their colonies, which developed into the organized violence one can see in Latin America today. It is helpful to compare apples with apples.
It always feels weird wehn visiting north america and everything is just so great and awesome but here in germany if some tells you that its fine thats most likely the highest praise your ever gonna get
"Donald Trump represented the anti establishment" - As a European I have even MORE questions now. Because Trump came from a rich household and is rich himself; he IS the establishment! How or why should he be against it?!
Compared to other billionaires, he’s not super-rich, relatively. But he won, bcos he was considered a non-politician, an outsider, an outsider-of-the-box thinker, biz man, etc.. who puts America first. 😺
Even India is following the same path that the US did. And most places in India have no pavement for pedestrians to walk or good public transportation services. So, the only option is to get a car. I worked for nine months in Palma de Mallorca, Spain and I loved those days there. And yeah, I love Paella Mixta y Cafe Con Leche.
I have a question: why are states so important in the US? Where does this come from - I was talking to someone from the US about how if you live in the US in a state that's not majority your political leaning, your vote is essentially wasted, and why not have a more proportional system. He replied "cause then the Californians and Texans would almost decide all our elections!" and when I asked if a place where a lot more people live should have more voting power (cause every citizen should be equal according to the constitution so shouldn't every citizen have the same voting power?) he got furious at me that I just wanted to destroy the smaller states. I, as a non US citizen, don't really want anything for US states but after that I started noticing that protecting state autonomy, rights and identity seems a lot more important in the US than protecting individuals rights or identity. Any of my follow commenters from the US have an answer here why that is? 🤔🤔
We used to be much more united than we are now. These days there are states that actually talk about not needing to be part of the union and it wouldn't surprise me if in the future there isn't some secession. I live in one of those states and my vote is virtually worthless, so I would actually like to go for a majority vote. The states that think they don't need the US usually aren't states much worth living in because they don't actually care about individual rights other than gun rights. They're usually poverty stricken and in bad disrepair like the one I live in.
@@aaronpatterson2369 Yeah I see the point in terms of size and even GDP in some cases but we in Europe have seperate Governments for that exact reason. There is the EU but as much as the organizations opponents like to claim it, the EU is not a European Government. And in the EU the fact that the populous countries DO have more power is a common gripe amongst smaller countries. So I'm just trying to square 'one US government' and frequently uttert phrases like 'we're all americans' with this strong focus on state rights/equality despite the states not being equal/ states rights over individual rights. Thank you for answering btw 🤗
It's an antiquated voting system called the electoral college and it makes no sense. It disproportionately gives more Presidential voting power to small, rural communities. The disingenuous argument is this: "We can't let the big city folk have all the say" What they are really advocating for, is instead of giving the urban majority more say, we should instead give a rural minority more say. Nothing about that is fair or makes sense
The pledge of allegiance does, at least to this Gen X German, feel like borderline fascist brainwashing. My Gen Z teenager has similar feelings about it, despite not having been prompted by me.
German-American boomer here, who went to American Elementary School (in Germany), then to German School. I never really understood the pledge of allegiance and the fuss about the flag, etc. Flags are just a piece of cloth representing a country... 🤷♀️
Perhaps the freeloaders in Europe should pledge allegiance to the flag of the country responsible for the good life they brag about, meaning the good old U.S.ofA !
The portion sizes have shrunk considerably in the US, believe me. Returning from holidays in the US, and for the prices the portion sizes were very much middle European. For the drink sizes at fast food restaurants I am not sure, never ordered the large size.
I think some other European countries are a little more patriotic than Germany (uh, WW2?😅). The U.K., Scotland and Ireland come to mind, but also Poland and Italy. I'd say Mexico is a very close second to the US on patriotism. Germany, at least in the first half of the 20th century tended to go to war with the world whenever they felt nationalistic. They might still be living that down a bit.
Another solid vid. I think we get the Awesome/Amazing talk from the Brits. They love "brilliant" Even if you changed a light bulb "Brilliant Job, Mate!" And they aren't referring to light either (which could actually be brilliant🤣)
There is A LOT Germans don't understand about others in general. We Germans have this weird habit that we largely have a problem with accepting others views or cultures if they differ from our own personal, not even general, view. In regards to guns it's even worse, many Germans are not only baffled about guns in the US, the same people also have no clue that Germany has a 33% gun ownership rate and Europe has over 200-250 million firearms in private hands.
Interesting, I saw a stat that about 32% of Americans personally own a gun (from a gallup poll). So, not too different from Europe. It seems, if you own a gun in the States, you're likely to own several.
"History repeats itself for those who refuse to learn its lessons." I was at Tegernsee, Bavaria in 2003 when the hotel owner asked us Americans, "What's the deal with GW Bush? Is he going to start WWIII?!!!!" They were totally freaked out. We had a good, long discussion with them. After speaking with us, they realized that America probably hadn't lost its mind completely. What a naive time that was by comparison! If Germans asked me today, "How did Trump get elected leader?" I'd reply: "Same way Hitler did." They'd totally get that.
Was he supposed to explain it all to you? I don’t see where any in-depth explanations were promised. And if you already know all the differences, maybe stop watching videos about them. 🤔
Nudity- I as surprised to learn high school kids are reluctant to shower after gym class or after athletics practice. I had been a member of our YMCA and was surprised to find the men’s shower area was changed from open communal to individual stalls.
Hi Nick, another very nice video. I was an exchange student to rural Central Illinois from August 1974 until July 1975, and my impressions regarding a few of your topics include: PORTION SIZES: I (born 1956) was still what I would qualify as a post-war child that was told to always finish what you have on your plate. So I took only as much as I thought I would eat and never left anything on my plate in my host family's home (my host mom's cooking was excellent and mostly from scratch, by the way). One day, my younger host brother left half a hamburger (freshly prepared) on his plate, and I decided to finish it and did. Everybody said I was going to catch mononucleosis. Now I had never heard of mononucleosis, but I did ask, "If he [my host brother] doesn't have mononucleosis, why should I catch it from saving his hamburger from oblivion?" PATRIOTISM: In spite of having been "warned" by my exchange organisation that something like the pledge of allegiance might exist in the place I would be going, I was relieved to find that my very tiny high school (120 students and since been consolidated a long time ago) did not practice that - in fact I found the school run by very "liberal" (not a dirty word for me), enlightened and educated officials and teachers. I wouldn't have pledged allegiance anyway but explained that this was obviously not my flag and not my republic which it stands for, and not "under god". I would have respected others doing it, just like I respect the christian creed and its believers but don't utter it because I would be lying. Nevertheless, I am sure that in the first six weeks of being in the U.S. I heard "The Star-Spangled Banner" more often than the (West) German national anthem for my entire life until then, simply by attending a few basketball games. Nobody here plays or even sings the national anthem at a sports event, unless it is an international match of national teams where both national anthems are played. TOILET STALLS: I'm among those Germans who don't mind nudity. Sauna, nude beaches, what have you. It's completely normal and non-sexually related in those places over here. But in my Illinois high school, they had shithouse stalls WITHOUT A DOOR! And I managed not to use any of them for my entire exchange year. I find that completely gross for all possible people involved.
The boxed up thing is actually changing a bit. Still it is not the usual thing to do, and depends a bit on the place and type of food, but it is changing.
When I was an exchange student in the US I stayed with host families. In the evening my German friend and I wanted to take a stroll through the neighborhood. The hosts were horrified and flatly forbid it. It was too dangerous they said. Nobody in their right mind does it.
That depends on the type of neighborhood you were staying in. Generally speaking, the wealthier a neighborhood is (usually in the suburbs so the opposite of Europe but that’s changing due to, to put it mildly, "revitalized" inner cities), the more walkable the area. Also, a lot of the old industrial cities of the Northeast and midwest (aka the Rust Belt, our version of the Rhine River area) have fallen on hard times over the last several decades so a lot of their neighborhoods have a tendency to get a little rowdy and thus, less walkable. I haven’t even gotten into the extremely rural parts of America yet either since those places usually don’t have sidewalks.
In the US we put ice in our drinks which is one of the many reasons we have bigger cups. I think we lose roughly 1/3 or more of the volume of liquid because of the ice.
On Americans and guns: sorrily you only explain that US-Americans have the right to wear guns. Which does not explain this total obsession with guns at all. Only because I have the right to do something does not mean I have to do it. Would be good to hear some more elaborate thought about the american mentality and history in order to gather an understanding what this gun thing is all about.
It's not that difficult (or at least shouldn't be) to understand. You have to remember how the country came to be in the first place. The (at the time) American colonies were ruled by the United Kingdom, which was the most powerful military in the world at the time. The British government imposed some heavy taxes and restrictions on trade and commerce upon people in the colonies despite not allowing them representation in the British Parliament. On multiple occasions the colonists protested being subjected to rule from a government which they had no voice in, and the response from the British Crown was to either ignore them or to increase taxes and trade restrictions. This escalated until 1775, when the British military got word of a stockpile of weapons outside of Boston and moved to confiscate them but instead were met by armed colonists who were able to chase them back to Boston - the start of the War of Independence. For the next year the colonists continued fighting the British while still holding out hope that they would be able to find common ground and be granted representation in Parliament. The Founding Fathers at this time, despite the fighting, still thought of themselves as Englishmen and simply wanted their grievances to be heard. It wasn't until a year later, in 1776, when King George declared that the leaders of the colonists would be put to death as traitors that they decided that a complete split from Britain was necessary. This context is vital in understanding why the right to bear arms is so important in the history of the US, and why it was given such importance in the writing of the Constitution in 1787. You have to remember that the people who wrote the Constitution had just gone through a long war, and an even longer run-up to war, that in their eyes was caused by their government acting tyrannically and ignoring their grievances. So, as a means of helping to ensure that this sort of tyranny would not happen in the (now) US again, they specifically forbade the new government from restricting the right of citizens from arming and protecting themselves against it. Of course, people argue about the need to be armed to protect themselves against criminals, or for purposes like hunting, but the number one reason why this right was specifically put in the Constitution was to make sure that the government doesn't forget that it's power is derived from the people it governs. You can agree or disagree with the thought process behind this, but that's why this right is there.
@@UncleJunSushi Thanks for your elaborate answer on why this right is put so prominently into the US constitution. Still, that does not explain this total obsession of current US citizens with guns.
I really can`t understand why there is such a huge rise of homophobia especially the fear and hate towards trans persons lately in the US. It finally reaches german konservertives, who nearly adopts this political agenda and this makes me feel uneasy and angry.
Because both of those are a blight on society AND god! Neither one is a natural thing. Both go against the species inherent need to reproduce, therefore it is frowned upon as unnatural...WHICH IT IS! If that angers and upsets you, go get therapy to reset your thinking to the natural hetro sexual mindset.
It has always existed, but was a bit more "hidden" in the recent past. Since Trump won by dog whistling racism and bigotry, the bigots are feeling more comfortable to say how they really feel
I can understand the sceptiscism behind the "trans boom" (like entire middle school classes suddenly being trans despite the chance for that being astronomically low. Have observed it myself on 2 occasions) but trans people are still real and deserve proper help. But, this whole neo-pronoun and non-binary thing isnt real in the slightest. It literally started as a troll on 4chan who then flooded tumblr with it in the hopes that just a few people would pick it up so they could make fun of them. The only reason why its getting backed by some doctors is because its easy money with mostly no consequences. The hate for gays also comes from woke media. Everything has to be changed, legacy characters are now bi, black, gay, trans, non-binary or whatever the fuck. They culturally appropriate european legends and culture to generate money. The people that should be flamed for this are clearly disney and hollywood and not gay people, but i dont think its hard to see why some would get to dislike those that support this stuff. Also just to clarify, i'm not homophobic in the least and only think that neogenders and non-binary isnt real. That doesnt mean that i hate people who identify as such, i just think that they have a few screws loose and deserve help instead of putting them into the spotlight for diversity sake. Rainbow capitalism sucks.
Conservatives feel disregarded and have the feeling that the world only revolves around quotas for migrants, other ethnicities and queer people. Some people in Germany have a similar feeling, and of course the media also convey this.
One thing I don't understand about Americans is, why so many don't know about their ethnical background. I often met people that didn't know what their name was. For example a guy with second name "Nowak". He didn't know the slightest that was a Polish name.
Im a germen. I use propably 1 or two times a year the word Amazing (or the german equivalent) for food. In total propably less than 10 times a year. But when i say it, it realy has weight. For example the Tiramisu of a good friend last Month. The first amazing piece of food since new year.
Engineering degree loans should have a 4% interest rate and a transgender basket weaving degree should carry a 40% interest rate. This is seen as discriminating against the liberal arts, so the insanity continues.
The thing I do not understand about Donald Trump: Why is he still not sitting in jail simply for his overall fraudulent financial and entrepreneurial conduct?
Because everyone is entitled to a fair and public hearing by an independent and partial tribunal. It may seem like it sometimes, but the US isn't a Communist country. You are innocent until proven guilty (if you are a white man). They are collecting all the data they need to charge him in 1 and only 1 trial (it's cheaper). I still don't see him going to prison, because he was president. It's difficult to secure the prison of anyone who would harm him. Ex Presidents still have secret service. This runs for 10 years even though they are out of office. It used to be for the rest of the presidents life, but they did away with that.
He's been indicted 4 times recently, and is given the assumption of innocence until proven guilty in a court of law. From past things, he is super wealthy and hires expensive lawyers
Actually in Germany you would be wary of people who show the german flag outside of events like the soccer world championship. Chances are they might be aggressive towards foreigners. Furtunately there aren't that many of them. So when a german sees all the american flags they get a bit uncomfortable.
As long as we speak about the modern black, red and yellow this is a very left wing way of fearmongering against normal degrees of patriotism. Here in Germany a loud minority of left extremists are actively speaking against normal degrees of patriotism like showing national flag but they aren't the majority. If we speak about the flag of the second german empire than yes it is abused by right extremists which could be aggressive towards foreigners.
Our YMCA closed off several berths in the men's shower with bathroom stall type constructions, presumably for the more prudish clientele. The problem was that the hardware didn't stand up to being constantly wet. The overuse of "perfect" drives me crazy, especially when one gives their order to a wait staffer and they respond with "perfect." As a former school teacher a grade of perfect was something I seldom had the joy of giving out. Talk about wholesale grade inflation. Just another term that has lost its currency through overuse.
"We're not Spartans. We're Americans, with a capital 'A', huh? You know what that means? Do ya? That means that our forefathers were kicked out of every decent country in the world. We are the wretched refuse. We're the underdog. We're mutts!" - Bill Murray as John Winger, 'Stripes'. The key phrase here is 'our forefathers were kicked out of every decent country in the world'. There were a few reasons why: - they didn't play well with others: ex. The Puritans; German Catholics - they weren't able to hack it financially: ex. The Irish Famine; Latin American immigration - they were utter greedheads: ex. The Hudson Bay traders; Elon Musk - they were unlawfully detained: ex. The African slave trade
You are dead on spot about the news. I actually watch DW English for news. They’re pretty good. They take the whole climate thing a little too far. But hay we’re all different.
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Those are the things people didn't understand? There was only one thing: "How can you drink that piss ffs?!?". American "beer" I'll never understand and I can't understand why the americans are so fond of their colored water.
@@Notfallhamster revealing oneself to be a booze hound is not the best look.
I'm a news junkie, so this is a deal I couldn't pass up. I subscribed. For how long is the 30% discount effective?
best selling car ? No, it is no car, just a truck and Ford has close to no more cars to sell, just 1: mustang
Everything else are trucks and playing with the image of the wild west and what not is the only way for americas big three to sell vehicles with a margin, they simply avoid the competition this way. It is the last niche they can perform against the international competition which is so small compared to what the USA are offering.
And also in the USA everyone who wants to tow thinks he needs a truck for that while we tow whatever with every kind of car, I have seen even SL roadster with a tow hook here.
I really don't understand how so many Americans are so insecure about the length of their penises that they call themselves Alfa males.
I think it's not so much a lack of understanding. We understand very well, but we have a completely different view of society and the world.
We have the POV the Capitalist want us to have.
American pride….it’s easy Nalf. it’s called indoctrination
I understand most of these things. They're just sad. There is this beautiful country that is still a dominant world power that is circling down the drain in terms of education and spiraling out from that in many other ways.
And it's especially sad for me when I see similar things starting to happen here.
AUGSCHBUUUURG
I guess our (german) view of societey is not as diffenrent as you say.
But some facts about social behavior are extremely different. In sum this may give the impression that we actually have no understanding of the American way of life itself.
What I'll never get: In US stores, they tell you the net price at the shelf and never add the VAT until you're actually at the check-out. I got used to it, but I don't think it's customer friendly.
it certainly isn't. however, the interests of consumers, customers, patients, citizens etc is not on the forefront of minds in US agencies tasked with regulating and supervising corporations
@@embreis2257 I actually tried to figure this out and can not find a consistent answer. But I guess you are right that its NOT regulated and basically "it's always been done this way so it's done this way". That won't change. The only reason I could find is if the grocery chain has a flyer and says eggs are 3.99 in one store and add the tax then the price would be different 2 miles down the road when its a different city or county or whatever jurisdiction there is.
There are just so many different taxes at different rates rates that prices would vary widely. I pay city, county and state taxes on all my items. All 3 are different rates. Every town has a their own tax rate. Also, you wouldn't know the true cost of the item itself. We don't have a national sales tax.
There is no VAT in the US. You are referring to sales taxes. There are more than 11,000 sales tax jurisdictions in the US - each with their own tax rates. Sales taxes can be temporarily suspended, increased / decreased, or otherwise altered on a seemingly random basis. The same item can have sales tax at the state, county, city, or zone level (a zone being a small section of a city) - the rates of which can change at different times. Sales taxes and special purpose taxes can be imposed "permanently" or on a short-term basis.
If prices on the shelves were marked today, they could need to be changed tomorrow because of changes in the sales tax. It is much easier and less expensive to simply add the current tax at the register than to continually re-mark prices on inventory. For example, the typical Wal-Mart store stocks 120,000 different items; each may be taxed differently and each may need to be remarked should any of the applicable sales tax change - even temporarily.
Each tax jurisdiction also can impose taxes on virtually any basis they wish. For example, in one jurisdiction, you can purchase a whole bagel with no sales tax, but if the bagel is sliced, it becomes taxable. In some places, basic food is not taxed, but prepared food is - and the definition of prepared food varies across jurisdictions. Certain clothing may be taxable while other clothing in the same place is taxed. Just a few examples of the complications of how sales taxes work.
If you have lived in the US your whole life, it is normal and you simply deal with it. If you are new to the US, it is strange.
@@CTBauer thanks for explaining! I didn't know how many different taxes can be put on an item in the US. Now to me it makes totally sense.
As an American, I've always found our media's sense of "ethics" bizarre, at best. Showing a woman getting her head blown off on a prime time drama is fine, but showing her bare breast? Outrage!! I recall seeing "Braveheart" in theaters with some coworkers back in the 1990s. My southern Baptist coworkers LOVED the film and said that they would like to take their young children to see it...but the wedding night scene where Catherine McCormick's breast is seen briefly, that's what stopped them. The bloody war and torture scenes? Those weren't the least bit offensive to them!
Love is "offensive" to a Nation built on bloody imperialism, apparently. Violence is "fun, righteous entertainment". And we wonder why we have so many guns and gun violence here.
It all makes sense once you connect the dots and realise the USA was (at first) populated/colonised by europeans fleeing Europe in search of a new place where they could practice their own brand of extremist christian views without being persecuted by the european governments of the day. And said colonists very rapidly acquired a taste for guns when they arrived to this enormous landmass and established homesteads that needed defending. So America by default started out with these views of violence = necessary but sex = sinful.
You are so right. When I visited Canada in 1990 for the first time, I was shocked to see how violent the cartoons (like Tom & Jerry) were. This was never shown in Germany. I also noticed that no nudity was shown. If you treat nudity as a threat it will become unnatural. Nowadays US people are sexualizing everything. E.g. when someone bites into a bratwurst (seen several times in YT videos).
@@maxbarko8717Tom and Jerry was also shown in Germany.
@@maxbarko8717Udo Jürgens sang die Titelmelodie: Vielen Dank für die Blumen!
As a German I do not really understand that "nudity" is in the same category as "porn"... I kind of get it why somebody wants to protect their childrem from sex scenes in movies... (whether that makes sense of not is a different story...). I do, however, not understand why a bare breast is in that same category. (For context: I have lived in the US for one year, many moons ago...)
Hey Nick, I think it is safe to say that this is way bigger than just USA vs Germany. As I am not German, but Dutch I can say that everything you've mentioned for us Dutchies would feel the same as it does for the Germans. In fact, knowing Europe as is, I even think it is safe to say that these cultural differences between the USA and Germany apply in general to all European countries as well, and these differences between the USA and Germany go even beyond Europe. There really are very few countries in the world that have more or less the same cultural aspects like the USA. Maybe Canada for a certain percentage and maybe even Mexico for a certain percentage and maybe a small country here or there, but that's about it.
That's a nice way of saying. "It's you guys, not us".😂
Being Dutch aswell, I watched this video knowing that if it goes for the Germans, it goes for us aswell 😅
Even the Canadians have more in common with us europeans than with the US
@@Schmudinithat’s not true at all lol
gun regulations, public healthcare, green energy?@@KirbyComicsVids
8:33 It's not always considered rude in Germany to not eat everything at a restaurant, if you ask to box it up (most restaurants will do that for you nowadays). It even is a compliment to the chef, telling him his food is so good that you want to take it home and eat it there sometime later. However, it is rude not to eat up everything if you eat at someone's place you have been invited to, especially if you filled your plate yourself - which you usually do.
This exactly, thank you.
Genau so , danke !
I remember as a teenager accompanying my father to the United States because he was giving a lecture there. After the presentation, some listeners came up to him and gushed with compliments about how "amazing" the talk had been.
A short time later we were standing in front of the building waiting for our ride. The same people who had come to see my father were showing each other the promotional items they had received at the show. Each pen was "awesome" and "amazing."
My just-proud father and I had to realize that America just ticks differently.
😂😂😅😆😁😄😃😀
...tick differently. YES...think of America as a nervous tick! Not what you meant probably but pretty accurate!
Well, yeah. A half assed 'that was ok' from a german is more sincere and probably more valuable praise than 'amaaaazingggg' from all americans together.
The German would ask if the ink was refillable, and if not, declare it ecological waste.
Hell the only reason to attend a event is the free things. You know I never need to buy pens and even shirts because I get them for free😅
This channel never ceases to capture my interest. Simple informative, genuine, unique... on and on thank's Nalf
Another great video, NALF! As an American that just moved back to the US after two years in Germany...I want to go back!!! I miss that culture, the walks, bier, brotchen! Vielen dank for the great content!
I just recently visited my former host family in the USA and they took me to a college football game in Austin, Texas.
I wasn't prepared for that.
Jets flying over a stadium with more than 100k visitors, pyrotechnics, drone light show... In our hotel were families, alumni taking their little kids to a game on a regular baisis, perfectly dressed as longhorn cheerleaders. They whole city was dressed in orange. Insane! 😂
On the other hand, I was absolutely impressed about how chilled everybody in and around the stadium was. No pushing, no aggressions, people just enjoyed the game, the atmosphere was totally relaxed.
European fans of soccer should try that for a change.
It's just at soccer games. I once attended a 2nd league ice-hockey game in Germany. There were 2 police officers who just greeted and no one even tried to get a look into my handbag or at least try to split the hardcore-fans of each team and it also wasn't necessary. They declared themselves as "ultras", which would be considered as a violent group in soccer, but they were harmless.
Hilarious- I live in Austin and make it a point to go out in public on game days only when the actual game is on. Dealing with the traffic and collateral stupidity is insufferable.
Very true video. You nailed it on the news. It was so nice when we moved to Germany and actually got to hear the news and not someone's spin on it.
Public broadcasting can really make a difference in that regard, in my opinion.
@@BrokenCurtaintrue
I think, German broadcasters are tamer, but still don't refrain from spinning everything a certain way.
American Media is basically unwatchable for me due to how everything is so blatantly emotionally charged one way or another.
But even when you don't do that, the stories you choose to report on, because there's too many stories to report them all, influence the viewers opinion.
Funny that you say that. A lot of Germans say that the news here are very biased.
German news media is largely just relaying what the government says on a particular issue. Typically, you only see real in depth investigative journalism when it is regarding what is happening in other countries (often the US), and in those cases what they report is sometimes completely made up nonsense (look up Claus Relotius at Spiegel for an example). You rarely if ever see any sort of in depth reporting on issues within Germany - what you hear is basically what the government says with only the most superficial criticisms added to it. It’s just as unwatchable as US news media, but in a different way.
The video of Not Just Bikes goes in depth on how the pickup trucks became so dominant. In addition to that they explain why these trucks are literally killing people. I can highly recommend those videos.
The part where these SUV drivers go out of their way to run over animals was horrifying.
If you are in a pub in Washington for example... there are signs at the wall who tell you that you are literally committing a crime if you walk outside with your glas of beer in the hand. 😊 But at other places you may walk around in full military gear, assault rifle etc. ... and it is ok?!?.😢
Freedom applies only to guns not drinking beverages in public dont be silly
I understand completely as an American. It’s really terrifying to walk into a Taco Bell with your child and have someone sitting there with their AK-47 on the table.
@@PDewinter Taco Bell is a bad place to go to with your child. Offer them something more substantial instead.🙃
Eating habits have also changed significanty in Germany. In the past it was always said that what was on the plate was eaten. Or if you had left over food in the restaurant, because you were full, it was trown away. Nowadays you can have it wrapped up and taken home and eaten the next day.
Ich finde es gerade andersrum. Als ich ein Kind war, war es total in Ordnung, sich das Essen einpacken zu lassen. Ich finde das heute eher anders.
@@blackforestwanderer Es ist dahingehend verpönter, dass man die Verpackung einspart, verteuert oder auf kleinere Portionen setzt, unabhängig, ob der steigenden Anzahl an Rentnern.
Great video. I got some more ideas for you
1) Why do Americans spent so much on things they do not really need?
- They pay extra storage to keep the stuff they don't use.
2) For a country that is highly religious compared to Europe, why are stores open on a Sunday?
- When I drive by churches on Sundays in America, they are packed compared to a handful of people in Germany.
3) Why do people not stand up for mandatory vacation and sick days?
- America is the ONLY western country with 0 vacation and 0 sick days mandated by the government.
4) Why do people not stand up for more equal health insurance or fight the insane cost of healthcare?
- As an example: My daughter was 6 hours in the hospital. Cost: $60,000!
5) Why are houses build like card board boxes?
- Every house I lived in, from Florida, over Texas and Nevada to California was built so cheap and is so outdated but still costs so much. Why would nobody complain?
Because: In God We Trust! - oder so ähnlich!
1) Because buying things is an addiction fed by the convenience of buying things online now. I am guilty of this too. Also Europe has a more minimalist style and American houses have to fill every corner with tables and knick knacks and frames and lamps...
2) Sunday closed was never part of the religion here. Some states have a no alcohol can be purchased on Sunday but the state can NOT dictate when a store is open.
3)Because people don't stand up for anything anymore. Brainwashing and politicisation of anything makes it impossible to stand up. And even if you do, nothing happens. Millions can march and nobody in power cares. Without pain, there is no gain as we saw with the writers strike. Lots of pain needed to be had before they even talked.
4) see 3
5) because it was cheap to build this way and sufficient and you just built a new one. Nobody outside of cities builds anything to last more than a few decades. And its not how cheap or expensive a house is now, its how expensive a brick, solid, european style house would be compared to an american built house. Plus its easier to change and fix things in the US. But I can hear my neighbor... it is what it is.
1) Consumerism. Americans are indoctrinated to "need" the new shiny thing, because corporations need to boost profits
2) There are many different religions in the US, and a significant number of stores are closed on Sundays, or they at least close early. The others stay open to make more money, because capitalism
3) They do, but Republicans are almost all completely against the idea. "It's not the government's place to interfere" 🙄
4) They do, but most Democrats only support marginal improvements at best. Republicans hate the idea of universal healthcare and use scare tactics of sOcIaLisM. Polls show a majority of Americans approve of universal health care (was at about 68% last one I saw)
5) Older homes were built more like European homes and used materials like brick, stone, plaster, etc. Newer homes are made with lesser materials, because it's cheaper. So many issues come back to money and capitalism
Actually, state and local governments in the United States can dictate when stores are open. Google "Blue Laws." It is just that since the 1970's the trend has been to remove such restrictions.@@roncenti
The short answer to every one of these is MONEY and PROFIT. WE MONETIZE EVERYTHING Above religion, democracy anything lies Capitalism The companies control our politicians The politicians convince the masses, actually the less educated and poor to vote against things that are in thEIR interest. We monetize Healthcare, college, prisons you name it. Pull yourself up by your own bootstraps. THE LESS EDUCATED FALL for this Commie or Socialist propaganda their crazy congressman throw out. It's mind boggling so the candidates eho actually want to bring some reform or equity to workers or social saftey nets loses
. ITS the college educated here who are the democratics as well as the black vote ..the very top elite business leaders which is understandable...those policies benefit them directly are Republicans but the large working white population ? The skilled trades or average joe? It's that group truly keeping things this way..they vote against their own interest all the time..
It's so mind blowing that people get shamed when they don't tip in america. Why am I the one that has to make sure the workers are getting paid enough? Shouldn't the employer be the one who is responsible for that?
Yep, I hate tipping that's why I eat fast food. 😁
Employers are responsible for very little here beyond filling their own pockets. Capitalism at its finest
It's because you know how the system works and you decide to partake In it. If you decide to consume something from a tipped environment and then choose not to tip you are actually stealing time and money from that employee. You do not have to consume that service. Maybe it will change someday, but you have no right to make those people work for you and then not pay them.
@@FreonUWP Tipping is not mandatory, it is 100% optional. The employees decided to work in this tipping environment therefore it's their fault, not mine. They can either blame themself or their employer.
@@figl100 Exactly. Why choose a job without salary? Don't get why people agree to and enable such terms, then put the blame and responsibility for their situation on others.
As a German, I have to say, your video is not bad.
Amazing!
Awesome!
OMG the US school education is beyond poor. I know a British woman who came to the US as a child because her dad had a business here. He eventually got homesick and returned to the UK. The daughter told me when she was assessed in the English education she was 5 grade levels behind!! I came over to US but was educated in England. When I saw my kids high school curriculum it was so poor I was shocked.
Because our schools have become federal indoctrination camps, not environments for true critical thinking.
People I know who went to the US as an exchange student also used that year to chill. Yes, their English improved but everything else was just a walk in the park for them. I am from Germany btw.
What some places are putting into their public education is a joke. Teachers are not going to go into teaching when their are better ways to make a living.
Speaking about obesity out of a dibbet gave me the chuckles AND when you said that Germans are at the other end of the spectrum of polite talk...
THAT depends on where in Germany you are
Germans can get amazed!
But the way Americans overuse amazement it is seen as inhonest, yes
I know that feeling very well
If there is a reason to be amazed one should use "amazing " and not for just to be positive about it
There are enough adjectives in the world for Germans and Americans to express themselves
They both need to just start using them
The scales of excitement/judgement are just different. that is all. the opinions are the same. Lets say the scale is from 1 to 10. Germans live between 1 and 5 and Americans live between 7 to 10. translating one to the other is difficult. The American thinks the German is always negative and the German thinks the Americans are superficial and fake. None of it is true.
The only issue I have is when something is really great, I mean so rarely encountered great. If I live on 5, I can go up to 8 or 9... (10 would be unachievable and reserved for a once in a lifetime/Generation great event.) But if I live on 7 to 10 and this happens I have to add a 15 to the scale. That's when words like Awesomest or super crazy special fantastic come from.
You awesome girl!!! 😂🤣😂🤣😂
AMAZING video. Really not bad
Nicht übertreiben mit dem Lob.😂
Well spoken, Nick. Objective, unemotional, analytical. My respect.
I think you are quite mistaken about the leftover culture in germany.
Taking the rest of your food home here is actually very much appreciated by MOST restaurants. Especially smaller establishments, even more so the ones that are family lead, try to reduce food waste whenever possible. Oftentimes you will be offered to take your leftovers with you without even asking. This is mostly my experience from the more rural parts of GER so its very much possible this is a different scenario where you are located.
Yep...lived in Germany for 5.5 yrs. and he's way off on NOT taking leftovers home.
As a Brit that lives in Germany and have visited the USA a number of times and am actually in Orlando currently. I just have to say that during a trip to the Florida Mall earlier today I had to use the “Restrooms” and was very surprised to see that I between the urinals was a screen that virtually turned it i to a cubical without a door. So plenty of privacy there, but as Nick explained, gong for a number two is a different matter all together.
Portion sizes… yes very much so, far to large. We could have a soup or salad starter which was included in the price of the main. My wife and I went for the soup and my son had a salad, which came in a bowl in which we Europeans would mix a family sized salad. After my wife and I had our soup with a breadstick (small baguette) we could have finished there. I managed to fight through most of my main but she had no chance and we all took most of it home.
Guns… why? I just don’t get it. Not in this day and age. Just watch Gun Control by Jim Jefferies the Aussie comedian.
Trump… less said the better, but whose politics is any better?
Nudity… each to his own. Sometimes it feels good, but in the right place. In this I don’t get Germans that scoff at you for using the sauna with a swimsuit on. I personally don’t want to sit my ring down where someone else has just had theirs parked. Why can wearing a swimsuit in a sauna be unhygienic? And I dare any German to come up with a good enough reason for that.
Obesity… yup. Just done the whole Disney and universal park thing and the amount of obese people scooting around on their little electrical scooter chairs for want of a better word, was sad to see. Something needs doing about that for sure.
I only know that you sit on your towel in the sauna. Find the wooden bench much too hot.
Supposedly, though I'm very much not an expert, because you're sweating so much in a very hot and humid environment, bacteria will breed quite fast.
Additionally, since you'd usually go into a sauna more than once per trip, your trunks would cool off on your body, which isn't very good.
You'll also get the pools dirtier than necessary (since you can wash your body, but your swimsuit (especially if it's polyester) can't be cleansed easily.
While we're at it, swimsuits tend to soak up the sweat. So, inevitably, they will reek.
Lastly, swimsuits defeat the purpose of sweating (in the area they're covering). They basically prevent air circulation and natural cooling.
Love your statements (and NALFˋs too) and agree a lot! However, not only Germans are naked in a sauna, Finns too! And, who invented the Sauna? 😂 But seriously, Germans will always sit on a towel there.
Why would you rather sit on a *very thin* piece of cloth, which is easily penetrated by the sweat of the previous sitter (your swimsuit) - than on a *thick* sauna towel, like you are supposed to?
It is, btw, *not* well received to sit naked and *directly* on the wood in German saunas, exactly for the reason you mention.
Besides, sauna towels are made from cotton, while, most of the time, swimsuits are some kind of plastics, which can get really hot inside the sauna and is a thriving hub for bacteria outside of the sauna (when they get sweaty.) You will spread those bacteria all over the place (and yourself) - somewhat defeating your argument.
Skin on the other hand is able to reduce bacterial growth on its own before they even start to multiply - especially in combination with the sauna towel, which is somewhat more antiseptic, i.e. being made of cotton and thicker. Also it has exactly one side for the wood and one for the b-end + feet and gets left at the shelf, too, if you don't use it. ☺️
Here is the answer to why a swimsuit or swimming trunks at 90 degrees Celsius is not a good idea: the material releases vapors in the heat, which are not healthy. Sitting on a cotton towel, as you do in the sauna, on the other hand, is fine.
Across Europe, the portion sizes vary as well.
During my Abitur (graduation) years, my mother and I have been to Tartu, Estonia, for the Christmas holidays.
On Christmas Eve, we were looking for a nice restaurant, then decided to start with a salad appetizer.
After that, we were already too full for a main course or dessert. 😅
It's different even from restaurant to restaurant in the same area. Some have huge portions, others are just OK. Not speaking of "high cuisine" where you get really small portions.
Very amazing and awesome video dude - keep it up 😉
As an American in Germany for over 19 years, I was back in the States in spring. I was in the Texas panhandle, I'm not from TX, and I was amazed or shocked at the convenience. You can go to a restaurant and eat an entire meal in your car. Also on patriotism, due to its past, Germany is the only country in Europe that seldom has its flag flying. I was just in Sweden in the summer and you often see Swedish flags flying everywhere. Same in London, you will see the Union Jack all over.
The UK flag in London is there for the foreign tourists.
Outside London you will seldom see the flag and in fact people have been told sometimes NOT to put up our flag in case it offends someone. The UK is busily being made unpatriotic by the Powers that Be ( whoever they might be)
We learned to hate our country. When I was going to school in the 80´s in western Germany, we had anti-fascism-weeks every year. We never really criticised the Soviet Union, though, because being "left" was okay, being "right" was bad. So of course it was an outrage to be proud of the fatherland, because after all it was the historical incarnation of evil. Apparently this has continued to this day. We are a nation with a guilt complex we can´t get rid of.
As always, very well observed and presented the unique Nalf-style!
I do not understand the word "transfer" for a normal bus ticket, some US transit agencies use that word for this. I am a regular bus user in the US, Canada and Europe and have seen that many times...
10:23 I walked one kilometer in Franklin Park, IL a year ago just from the hotel to the Denny's Restaurant and was honked at and one dude had nothing else to do than to empty his coffee in front of me on the ground..
13:28 Albeit the uselessness of these trucks, there are also Pick up trucks in Europe. And they are awful...
I think the American patriotism is a logical consequence of a relative young nation formed by a lot different nationalities. Especially in the early years of the American history patriotism was a social need to create a culture. It was and is just a necessary thing to be united and not fall apart regarding the space or geography and diversity given. Just my two cents as a german.
That is a very logical explanation.
I`m sure that you are right .
The exact opposite is now being played out in the UK , no overt signs of patriotism in case it offends the `new people`.
The thing Germans don't understand, is American never complaining about any of these things, they seem to love it, they hardly ever criticize their country, what Germans to permanently.
They don't say "give the waiter a minimum wage" - they say "I give 20% tip". Nobody complains.
Ach, das ist also der bessere Weg? Soll die Bedienung doch verhungern, that would be awesome!
We are not allowed to vote for political parties. The only way to get into congress is to win a district. This - along with the political foxes who are guarding the chicken coop drawing the district lines - practically guarantees that we will have only two viable political parties. We don't pick them - they divide us, get us to hate each other, then they pick us.
The US has much higher odds of falling into chaos, civil war, or fascism than Germany due in part to having so many guns. Also being a very wealthy country and not having lived through the world wars the way Europeans did, US people just don't get how horrible war can be.
Kudos to NALF for a very hard hitting, no holds barred video.
@berndbrakemeier1418 what? He didn't even say that! US restaurateurs say: "Tip the staff or they'll starve! And I'm too greedy to pay them!"
Yeah... NO! Sorry but you are plainly wrong. We complain all the time about everything. And we DO say give the waiter a minimum wage and many cities do now. West Hollywood has now the highest minimum wage and the waiters get that and we still tip. There is a huge uproar about tipping at the moment everywhere because we have less and less money. The main difference is that we don't complain when we meet people right away. Then its just plain politeness until we know that person better. But once they do... Everything sucks. Just like in Germany.
@@arnodobler1096 i was talking, not NALF. And i talked about the guests, the Citizens like you.
I never heared anything like " I think tip is too high". They just pay and are happy.
The only one paying is the client anyway. I just would like to see the price in the menu. A very simple request. They put the Pizza for 9.99 in the menu, at the end you pay 17.50
I love this video and the differences. Especially traveling there for the first time. Once I tried to walk to a destination in LA. I found myself walking through roadside vegetation and other non-pedestrian areas when the police stopped me. They thought I was some crazy that they needed to check in with me. The outgoing and exaggeration I like. Total strangers complement on your new sneakers. People say "amazing' and sometimes that they even "love" you. It makes me feel like I am truly amazing.
Bathroom thing is to catch people doing things they shouldn’t like drugs. You’ll notice you’ll have a lot less privacy at rest stops along the highway and other bathrooms that are more open to the public.
Hey Nalf,
I've been watching your videos for a couple of years now, and I have to say; it always amazes me, how entertaining and well made your videos are. Firstly your friendly character is always very inviting and you have the talent to tell storys and facts in a way that just makes the listener feel good. Then there is the background music to your videos, which I find very fitting and even funny at times (without being overly silly). Lastly all the different camera angles (or different clips for each topic) make the video come alive.
All those facts combined makes me feel like im watching an art piece, every time I tune in. I love everything about those videos and your in my top 3 youtubers fs.
Keep it up, buddy
I'm an American that has traveled to Germany quite a bit for their AWESOME music festivals and I usually travel solo. I'm good at striking up conversations with people I don't know and the two questions that I always get are about guns and Trump. I'll literally be standing around waiting for a band to start and someone wants to discuss these topics. I find it funny but embarrassing at the same time because these topics are what I'm ashamed the most about the US...and I'm a conservative from Texas.
We like to exchange or share our political views, even with strangers. But we almost never say what we deserve.
Being conservative is nothing bad at first. In some things I am, but then in others the opposite. For US-Americans (there are also other Americans) that would probably be left-wing radical.
I'd love to go to Wacken some day. I was set to go to Sweden Rock in 2020 but that didn't happen...
I'm a Trump supporter from the Midwest and travelled to the Netherlands this summer. I got asked the same questions, and then got a big dose of culture shock when people, regardless of their politics, listened honestly to what I had to say. Being able to express complete thoughts, sometimes complex thoughts, without immediate interruption or the shouting and name-calling, was an unexpected pleasure.
It would make sense that people who are fluent in multiple languages would be more likely to carry an adult conversation.
@@BH6242KCh Och I would like to understand why one would vote Trump and then pick apart his arguments ;) But quite factual as it should be for civilized people. But now not here, and not under his video.
You shouldn't be embarassed. The Germans asking you these stupid questions should be though.
@@Oldmarty If you're not 100% on board with either party, the left will call you right, and the right will call you left.
German here, with many friends in the USA. There is also another reason for the trucks. Many sedans and station wagons, are not allowed to tow trailers in the USA. With a VW Golf I can easily tow a trailer load of over 1.5 tons here in Germany, in the USA not an ounce.
Dude...i seen a golf cart towing a trailer yesterday. Your reason isnt reality. Some people like bigger vehicles and some dont. For some people a vehicle is just a form of transportation. For others, trucks i vital useful tool for thier lives, whether for work or play. ANY VEHICLE CAN TOW A TRAILER..ALL THAT HAS TO BE DONE IS ADD A TOW BALL AND ELECTRICAL PLUG FOR THE LIGHTS.
My Prius is not allowed to tow anything in Germany. So there's another skill I've lost.
Hey Nalf,
you mentioned the 2nd Amendment and some facts about gun culture in the US. A couple of years ago I had to hold a technical presentation for my high school diploma (Abitur) on it and that`s when I`ve discovered what a complicated topic it is. I find it extremely interesting how the Constitution, the history of the US, politics, and a non-governmental organisation -the NRA- have an intricately intertwined relation and stand behind the whole gun culture.
In one of your earlier videos, we`ve already saw you at a shooting range but you`ve never really talked about the whole phenomenon in an in-depth video. I`d be immensely interested on your perspective on it and if/how your feelings/opinions changed on the subject ever since you`ve been living in Europe.
xx Ina from Bavaria
I am german, and Brittas boyfriend. Most german people have no knowledge about weapons, i only read magazines and watch the weapons in Museums and castles, for reason of my historical interesst. So US gunlaw is much more complicated than Most people think. It is in USA very important, in which state, county or town you live, so liberality of gunlaw is between very liberal and harder than in Germany.
@@brittakriep2938 The "gun problem" in the US, and the laws related to it, are more of an urban-rural divide than anything else. I will give an example. One of the most dangerous cities in the USA is Chicago, with 600-800 gun murders every year. About 80 of those happen in Police District 11, which is a small, impoverished slum riddled with drugs and gangs. Most of the murders are criminals killing each other over territory or innocents who happened to be standing next to them. The city of Chicago has some of the toughest gun laws in our country, requiring a permit from the chief of police which is seldom granted. Less than 2% of households own a gun.
I live in a very rural state with roughly the same population as Chicago, the same rates of poverty with far less government resources to help, and a massive crisis with drug addiction. We are a "consitutional carry" state, which means that any adult who is not a criminal can purchase a gun and carry it, open or concealed, anywhere it isn't specifically prohibited such as hospital or courthouses. About 42% of households surveyed own at least one gun, I own a dozen and I know at least two people who own more than I do. In our worst recent year we had 170 murders with guns. Again, most of those murders happen in the poorest areas in a few large town, and most of them involve drug deals.
Those of us in rural areas use our guns for hunting, defense against dangerous animals, or target shooting. Hunting is a huge part of the culture because many families are farmers who own land and those who don't may get a permit to hunt in state hunting preserves. Most fathers who hunt introduce their sons and even daughters to hunting and shooting from an early age. Guns are also a heritage passed from generations. I own two guns over 100 years old that my grandfather first bought.
Rural people strongly support the 2nd amendment because safe, responsible gun use is a part of daily life, and we resent being told that we must be deprived of cultural practices, constitutional rights and valuable, cherished property because city government in distant states can't get their gangs under control. People think the USA is a warzone but, if you avoid the poorest slums after dark, you are more likely to be killed by lightning than a bullet.
@@dc4457 : I am german and Brittas boyfriend. For about fourty years i read the german weapons magazines Deutsches Waffenjournal, Visier and Schweizer Waffen Magazin from Switzerland, i visited dozens of weapons collections in Museums and castles. And on Events with context of weapons, i speak with collectors, target shooters, huntsmen, reenactors etc.. So i, non gunowner, and for reason of bad eyes Not serving in Bundeswehr, i have more knowledge about most other Germans. I have basic knowledge of US Situation in guncontext, the noted weapons magazines often wrote about.
Germany has a restrictive gunlaw, but crime is in german speaking Austria and Switzerland a bit lower, Germany even their gunlaw is less restrictive. Note: All three countries are Federal democracies, relative rich industry countries ( but in case of Germany: How Long?) and belong to ,Circle of German Culture'.
I understand you, because i know, you are right, but the nonsens you can hear and read about weapons in USA by newspaper, TV and politicians is unbelieveable.
@@brittakriep2938 Greetings. I think for us, a large part of the problem as it relates to the cities is the issue of poverty and crowding. Most of the crime, of every sort, happens in specific parts of town. The "bad neighborhoods" as we call them. These are mostly in the inner parts of cities where nothing new can be built, which mostly began as factory areas because American cities were founded after the industrial revolution. People moved there in large numbers to work the factories and owners built a lot of poor quality housing. People had large families but the number of jobs did not increase, so families became poor. Then laws changed and factories could not operate in residential areas where people live, so a lot of the jobs moved to newer and more distant parts of the city.
With jobs gone, people lived difficult lives and turned to alcoholism and crime because of stress and poverty. Now begins a vicious cycle. Because of the crime, stores close down and move away. There are still too many people, but now no jobs and more stress. Families live on welfare which affords little more than survival. People turn to harder drugs than alcohol, and drug dealing becomes the only way to make more money.
Drug dealers fight over territory so guns becomes more and more common. Youth with no jobs or hopes form armed gangs to control more drug territory, and now there are bad neighborhoods where no one goes except to buy drugs or sell guns. If someone is shot there the police must come like the military to clear the area before ambulances can come, or the medics will be shot at. The city leaders claim that eliminating the guns will eliminate the problems, but the guns have nothing to do with the root cause. They are a symptom of decay.
#1 - the NRA (and GOA, etc) are lobbying groups and there are lobbying groups for damn-near everything you can think of. It's nothing intrinsic to the gun community
#2 - we own guns, ammo and train with our guns because we don't trust the government. It's that simple. Every time politicians start talking about new gun laws the sales of guns and ammo goes through the roof ... to the point that I think they finally got the message.
#3 - dc4457 said it best .... gun crimes are committed overwhelmingly in poor population centers with heavy drug / alcohol use. Outside of those areas it's much less common to hear about shootings. I am a legal gun owner with 3 pistols and an AR-15 rifle, a brick of 9mm and couple hundred rounds of 5.56 .... and yet none of the ppl in my apt complex know anything about it because I'm not running around shooting or threatening anyone.
#4 - you don't take away innocent ppl's rights because a criminal broke the law.
Changing rooms in clothes stores are usually locked and you have to ask a sales clerk to unlock them. Very annoying. The person then also checks that you don't go in there in pairs. Otherwise panic attacks are inevitable. I suspect the same with the toilet doors. You want to avoid having more than one person in there and prevent “games in pairs” because everyone could see what's going on immediately. Clearly a case of prudishness.
The quality of public school education in the US has little to do with funding. For example, in my home state of Maryland, we have some of the best school systems in the country in the Washington DC suburbs and then we have Baltimore. Last year Baltimore City had a whopping 0% of high school students pass the mathematics proficiency exams, and guess which school district spends by far the most per student. You are 100% correct if you guess Baltimore City.
I went to public School in Frederick County. Frederick County has some of the best public schools.
Fifty years ago trucks were not popular in the US other than for commercial reasons. What changed is that when pollution control standards were introduced, trucks had lower mileage and pollution requirements than cars. Consequently, they were cheaper. The automakers then started pushing trucks and heavily advertising them to create the image they have today since they can make more money per truck than per a passenger car.
Keep it up!!!! Great videos
In San Francisco you leave not only a tip but a further “surcharge“ to finance the employees‘ health insurance 😂
Why do you have so many guns?
You just don't understand: we have them because we can have them.
Ok thanks for the explanation, I feel enlightened now!
Some more insights on Pickup trucks: a few decades ago, the US government introduced the Corporate Average Fuel Economy regulation, adding higher standards on fuel economy for carmakers across their entire fleet. The same carmakers massively lobbied for (and got) exceptions for some lesser-sold types of cars, where it was harder to achieve those goals: light trucks.
Back then, families did regularly use station wagons (German: Kombi), and light trucks were essentially only used in rural areas by farmers or handyman. The safety regulations for light trucks are also different from "other" cars: they're less strict. Those two exceptions gave carmakers more room to add fuel-guzzling extras and some better margin, which over time shifted the marketing from "powerful workhorse" to "recreational freedom car", caught attraction and - the rest is history. That's also where SUVs started: in the US, they're commonly categorized as "light trucks", and so carmakers don't need to care so much about fuel efficiency or safety. Larger cars also have more options for upgrades, increasing the profit margin for carmarkers: and that's why the carmakers have been adjusting their marketing over the decades to increase their sales.
In Germany, the story is different and yet somewhat similar: a long time ago, the industry in Germany lobbied for lower taxes on vehicles powered by Diesel engines. Cars with those engines have been priced much higher, had higher ownership taxes and higher insurance rates. To outweigh those extra cost, one would essentially need to burn a lot of fuel and travel long distances - use the vehicle in a commercial setting, like in actual trucks, taxis or by travelling salesmen. So back in the days, about only commercial cars were using Diesel engines.
Additionally, cars and trucks are taxed differently in Germany: cars are commonly taxrated by their engine capacity and CO2 emissions, while trucks are rated according to their weight. If a vehicle is designated to transport stuff and meets some other criteria, it can be tax-registered either as a car or as a truck. This does allow some businesses to register a handyman's van or the like as a truck, which may lower ownership taxes, but can also raise the insurance premiums. It still only takes a common car driving license to drive those tax-registered trucks.
And a few years ago, German owners of certain imported US pickups noticed some of those pickups and SUVs satisfy the requirements to be tax-registered as a truck. For a light truck, this can roughly half your yearly vehicle ownership tax. And in combination with a Diesel engine, one is also benefitting from the lower-priced Diesel fuel, somewhat outweighing the fuel-guzzling engine. So fiddling some math and exact circumstances, light trucks in Germany can also benefit from certain tax regulations - which gave them a boost in sales, until the regulations were tightened (and a few years later again lessened).
However, parking lots and streets in Germany are simply not as large and wide than in the US, so driving or even just parking such a vehicle is actually much more stressful than in the US.
But: the car industry has been very focussed on bringing larger, higher-margin cars to Europe (such as "SUV crossover" cars, combining the worst attributes of trucks, SUVs and compact cars). Accordingly, owners of such cars over the past few years started complaining about parking spaces being "too small" for their car, demanding cities and companies to upgrade parking lots and create "more" parking space for those cars.
To give an idea about the sizing: a German standard parking space just barely accommodates the wheelbase of a Ford F-150, so easily a meter or so of a parked truck do extend into the road or some foot/cycling way, and opening doors requires extra room as well.
Thank you for this awesome and amazing Vlog 😴
That is such a good point that yes, we have huge portion sizes in the US, but most people don’t finish their meal and take it home in a box. Also, we’ve had huge portion sizes many times here in Germany, so I think that’s changed a lot here.
Another AWESOME, AMAZING video! Thanks for all those great points! Laughed a lot..........so true......all of it!
On tipping: ok, clear, restaurant owners do not take accountability for quality of service. Which is a odd thing. Plus, note that research found that tipping (aka assessing quality of service after the fact) has no impact on improving quality of service.
There are places in the US where walking is made illegal. People have been stopped by police for the highly suspicious activity of walking. Pedestrians are viewed with suspicion in the US.
Nowhere that I know of, in California, Colorado, Utah or New Mexico and Nevada. You may b3 thinking of dangerous areas for pedestrians that are not accessible.
You can walk carefree even in Beverly Hills now.
I've been to Houston a few times and it's THE most walking unfreindly city I have ever been to. It's just mindnumbing.
Hi Nalf, i am German and I work a lot in Asia , mostly Vietnam , there I met many Americans . My question is:
Why so many Americans use … Fuck …Fucking … nearly every third word? Mostly even englisch teacher…. I only hope the Vietnamese children don’t copy that….🤦🏼♀️
Nice Videos by the way!
Because its such a versatile word. Noun, verb, adjective...etc. Why wouldnt anyone use such a useful tool?
It has become so commonplace. Growing up, I would get in trouble for saying it. Now it is just common. I try to catch myself.
I get the enthusiasm part at the end. As a half Albanian I feel and express my emotions a bit more jovially just in a more hightend sense than most people in Germany do. Unfortunately you're right that most Germans don't like that. I've once even been discriminated because of that
There is a difference between not knowing something or being unable to understand something.
Or willingly refuse to get to know somthing which one could understand = typical USA
We overuse descriptives like awesome and amazing because our public schools don’t teach us a fully functional vocabulary. We work with what little we have.
It is a serious mistake to conclude from the relative absence of german flags and T-shirts that there is no patriotism and pride in Germany. We just have another way of celebrating our pride.
It's private and personal like many things in Germany.
Perfect timing. I just gave my husband a cup of Alpine hot cider (from America) and I was curious what he thought. He said "Not bad" so I know it was amazing: )
On nudity: although I wouldn't see Germans as comfortable with public nudity, I acknowledge that US-Americans have a big problem with it. What I don't get is the reasoning "Nudity is seen as a private thing." In that case it is up to the individual to decide whether disclosing that private thing. Why should others worry about it? But that seems to be the part I don't get.
From a hot blooded American, @0:18 never keep your finger on the trigger unless you are ready to shoot. That is a sign of somebody not familiar with the weapons (guns), and a potential for danger.
Nick, my friend, one of the primary rules with a handgun - those followed by every responsible gun owner - is 'never put your finger on the trigger unless you fully intend to shoot the weapon.' Otherwise, for better or worse, I agree with what you're saying...
Well, it was a german gun.
@@K__a__M__I A "German Gun" is one that you point and wait for the Americans to come and defend you.
@@K__a__M__I And that makes it less lethal? This weapon rule apply worldwide for every gun. Even the german ones.
At first glance 11:43 looks like the right product is much more healthy than the left one. However:
The left contains added vitamins and iron (Niacinamide is B3, Reduced Iron is iron, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride is vitamin B6, Riboflavin is vitamin B2, Thiamin is vitamin B1, Folic Acid is vitamin B9). And Sodium Sulfite and Citric Acid are antioxidants and preservatives (which protect the vitamins in the food). And the terms "natural flavoring" on the right and "artificial strawberry flavor" on the left MIGHT be the exact same composition of substances (only differing in how they are produced). Probably not though, since the left is marketed as strawberry flavored, while the only fruit that's actually in there are apples.
In total, the left clearly has more ingredients that are beneficial to your health, but also more ingredients that are completely unnecessary (like the creaming agent). Also, both come pre-sugared. And who can say that the right doesn't make up for the lack of salt, creaming agent and guar gum by adding more sugar?
What is obvious though is that the right is intended for customers which are much more health *conscious* and take even the existence of added vitamins as a sign to be suspicious of the healthiness of a product. Whereas the left is marketed to a customer base which just accepts whatever the company decides to put into their products.
On "Amazing": working for American companies for nearly 8 years I came to embrace the modality of super-friendliness and enthusiasm at the workplace. It feel like a big relief after 20 years of German grumpyness and unfriendliness. Makes work a lot more enjoyable. On the other hand: if everything is amazing, where do you go from there? There is no such thing as 11.
Friendliness is good if it’s meant, but not if it’s fake.
@@ErikaWelindt-cs6uz Disagree. Friendliness is good. It is that simple.
You need to watch Spinal Tap. There is 11.
A Restaurant wants waiters to take up the order, deliver the food, clean up after the customer and give the customer a good service at your Restaurant. So it is just logically that the Restaurant has to pay them for their Service and not the Customer (in the end the Customer pays it anyway). Tipping should always be optional.
Amazing video ;) Thanks, that was entertaining.
One question: the 2nd amendment is just the legal background. There is something deeper laying beyond that. Why do americans feel so insecure that they have to protect theirselves? And why is there so much aggression in the people that are so polite and kind on the surface?
Do you think that America could have expanded without guns? If a military presence would have been required for every household moving west, then no one would have moved west. And that was not so long ago. We have completely different perspectives on this issue, and each perspective is probably correct when set in its historical context. Besides, the British insisted that their colonies have guns, so that the British army did not have to protect the early colonies. On the other hand, Spain forbade gun ownership in their colonies, which developed into the organized violence one can see in Latin America today. It is helpful to compare apples with apples.
It always feels weird wehn visiting north america and everything is just so great and awesome but here in germany if some tells you that its fine thats most likely the highest praise your ever gonna get
"Donald Trump represented the anti establishment" - As a European I have even MORE questions now. Because Trump came from a rich household and is rich himself; he IS the establishment! How or why should he be against it?!
Because he said he is against the establishment. Trump never lies, he is the second coming of Christ.
he's considered nouveau riche; his grandfather was middle class. Establishment families have generational wealth going back at least 50-75 years
Compared to other billionaires, he’s not super-rich, relatively. But he won, bcos he was considered a non-politician, an outsider, an outsider-of-the-box thinker, biz man, etc.. who puts America first. 😺
Even India is following the same path that the US did. And most places in India have no pavement for pedestrians to walk or good public transportation services. So, the only option is to get a car. I worked for nine months in Palma de Mallorca, Spain and I loved those days there. And yeah, I love Paella Mixta y Cafe Con Leche.
I have a question: why are states so important in the US?
Where does this come from - I was talking to someone from the US about how if you live in the US in a state that's not majority your political leaning, your vote is essentially wasted, and why not have a more proportional system. He replied "cause then the Californians and Texans would almost decide all our elections!" and when I asked if a place where a lot more people live should have more voting power (cause every citizen should be equal according to the constitution so shouldn't every citizen have the same voting power?) he got furious at me that I just wanted to destroy the smaller states.
I, as a non US citizen, don't really want anything for US states but after that I started noticing that protecting state autonomy, rights and identity seems a lot more important in the US than protecting individuals rights or identity. Any of my follow commenters from the US have an answer here why that is? 🤔🤔
Why are countries so important in Europe? Replace the word "state" with "country". Literally same concept!
We used to be much more united than we are now. These days there are states that actually talk about not needing to be part of the union and it wouldn't surprise me if in the future there isn't some secession. I live in one of those states and my vote is virtually worthless, so I would actually like to go for a majority vote. The states that think they don't need the US usually aren't states much worth living in because they don't actually care about individual rights other than gun rights. They're usually poverty stricken and in bad disrepair like the one I live in.
@@aaronpatterson2369 Yeah I see the point in terms of size and even GDP in some cases but we in Europe have seperate Governments for that exact reason. There is the EU but as much as the organizations opponents like to claim it, the EU is not a European Government. And in the EU the fact that the populous countries DO have more power is a common gripe amongst smaller countries. So I'm just trying to square 'one US government' and frequently uttert phrases like 'we're all americans' with this strong focus on state rights/equality despite the states not being equal/ states rights over individual rights.
Thank you for answering btw 🤗
It's an antiquated voting system called the electoral college and it makes no sense. It disproportionately gives more Presidential voting power to small, rural communities.
The disingenuous argument is this: "We can't let the big city folk have all the say"
What they are really advocating for, is instead of giving the urban majority more say, we should instead give a rural minority more say. Nothing about that is fair or makes sense
@@reginakeith8187Have you not figured out that we have selections not elections? Biden got 81 million votes my ass
Fantastic. Thanks for this awareness. Love your level of ability to reveal our strange American "stuff".
The pledge of allegiance does, at least to this Gen X German, feel like borderline fascist brainwashing. My Gen Z teenager has similar feelings about it, despite not having been prompted by me.
✌️Gen Y agreeing, too. And I am pretty sure, my boomer mom would be in the same boat if I asked her about her opinion on the matter.
German-American boomer here, who went to American Elementary School (in Germany), then to German School.
I never really understood the pledge of allegiance and the fuss about the flag, etc.
Flags are just a piece of cloth representing a country... 🤷♀️
which begs the question: what happens to the student *refusing* to do the _pledge of allegiance_ ?
Perhaps the freeloaders in Europe should pledge allegiance to the flag of the country responsible for the good life they brag about, meaning the good old U.S.ofA !
@@markhuber5981i love Satire😂
The portion sizes have shrunk considerably in the US, believe me. Returning from holidays in the US, and for the prices the portion sizes were very much middle European. For the drink sizes at fast food restaurants I am not sure, never ordered the large size.
I think some other European countries are a little more patriotic than Germany (uh, WW2?😅). The U.K., Scotland and Ireland come to mind, but also Poland and Italy. I'd say Mexico is a very close second to the US on patriotism. Germany, at least in the first half of the 20th century tended to go to war with the world whenever they felt nationalistic. They might still be living that down a bit.
You forgot to mention France, "La grande nation!". Patriotism, even nationalism and chauvinism is part of the French DNA. Sound harsh? Yeah, maybe.
Yeah, probably France, too. I haven't had much interaction with the French and I haven't been there, so I forgot about them.
Another solid vid. I think we get the Awesome/Amazing talk from the Brits. They love "brilliant" Even if you changed a light bulb "Brilliant Job, Mate!" And they aren't referring to light either (which could actually be brilliant🤣)
There is A LOT Germans don't understand about others in general. We Germans have this weird habit that we largely have a problem with accepting others views or cultures if they differ from our own personal, not even general, view.
In regards to guns it's even worse, many Germans are not only baffled about guns in the US, the same people also have no clue that Germany has a 33% gun ownership rate and Europe has over 200-250 million firearms in private hands.
Interesting, I saw a stat that about 32% of Americans personally own a gun (from a gallup poll). So, not too different from Europe. It seems, if you own a gun in the States, you're likely to own several.
"History repeats itself for those who refuse to learn its lessons."
I was at Tegernsee, Bavaria in 2003 when the hotel owner asked us Americans, "What's the deal with GW Bush? Is he going to start WWIII?!!!!" They were totally freaked out. We had a good, long discussion with them. After speaking with us, they realized that America probably hadn't lost its mind completely.
What a naive time that was by comparison!
If Germans asked me today, "How did Trump get elected leader?" I'd reply:
"Same way Hitler did." They'd totally get that.
Your comment is awesome.
You didn't explain anything you just talked about the differences we all know about 😅
Was he supposed to explain it all to you? I don’t see where any in-depth explanations were promised. And if you already know all the differences, maybe stop watching videos about them. 🤔
@ShavinMcCrotch See the title card at the beginning? It says "13 things ... (explained)"
Nudity- I as surprised to learn high school kids are reluctant to shower after gym class or after athletics practice. I had been a member of our YMCA and was surprised to find the men’s shower area was changed from open communal to individual stalls.
Hi Nick, another very nice video. I was an exchange student to rural Central Illinois from August 1974 until July 1975, and my impressions regarding a few of your topics include:
PORTION SIZES: I (born 1956) was still what I would qualify as a post-war child that was told to always finish what you have on your plate. So I took only as much as I thought I would eat and never left anything on my plate in my host family's home (my host mom's cooking was excellent and mostly from scratch, by the way). One day, my younger host brother left half a hamburger (freshly prepared) on his plate, and I decided to finish it and did. Everybody said I was going to catch mononucleosis. Now I had never heard of mononucleosis, but I did ask, "If he [my host brother] doesn't have mononucleosis, why should I catch it from saving his hamburger from oblivion?"
PATRIOTISM: In spite of having been "warned" by my exchange organisation that something like the pledge of allegiance might exist in the place I would be going, I was relieved to find that my very tiny high school (120 students and since been consolidated a long time ago) did not practice that - in fact I found the school run by very "liberal" (not a dirty word for me), enlightened and educated officials and teachers. I wouldn't have pledged allegiance anyway but explained that this was obviously not my flag and not my republic which it stands for, and not "under god". I would have respected others doing it, just like I respect the christian creed and its believers but don't utter it because I would be lying. Nevertheless, I am sure that in the first six weeks of being in the U.S. I heard "The Star-Spangled Banner" more often than the (West) German national anthem for my entire life until then, simply by attending a few basketball games. Nobody here plays or even sings the national anthem at a sports event, unless it is an international match of national teams where both national anthems are played.
TOILET STALLS: I'm among those Germans who don't mind nudity. Sauna, nude beaches, what have you. It's completely normal and non-sexually related in those places over here. But in my Illinois high school, they had shithouse stalls WITHOUT A DOOR! And I managed not to use any of them for my entire exchange year. I find that completely gross for all possible people involved.
The boxed up thing is actually changing a bit. Still it is not the usual thing to do, and depends a bit on the place and type of food, but it is changing.
When I was an exchange student in the US I stayed with host families.
In the evening my German friend and I wanted to take a stroll through the neighborhood.
The hosts were horrified and flatly forbid it.
It was too dangerous they said. Nobody in their right mind does it.
True a lot of places are very dangerous and depending on what you look like it can be worse for you
That depends on the type of neighborhood you were staying in. Generally speaking, the wealthier a neighborhood is (usually in the suburbs so the opposite of Europe but that’s changing due to, to put it mildly, "revitalized" inner cities), the more walkable the area.
Also, a lot of the old industrial cities of the Northeast and midwest (aka the Rust Belt, our version of the Rhine River area) have fallen on hard times over the last several decades so a lot of their neighborhoods have a tendency to get a little rowdy and thus, less walkable. I haven’t even gotten into the extremely rural parts of America yet either since those places usually don’t have sidewalks.
@@luke_cohen1 it was some well to do suburb in a town in Georgia. Can‘t remember the name.
There are a few places in Germany I would not walk through. Yes , the majority of big US cities are total ghetto he**. It’s called diversity. 😅
In the US we put ice in our drinks which is one of the many reasons we have bigger cups. I think we lose roughly 1/3 or more of the volume of liquid because of the ice.
There is also Ice in our Cups
The same in Germany, just smaller cups. 200ml cola +100ml ice, for example.
On Americans and guns: sorrily you only explain that US-Americans have the right to wear guns. Which does not explain this total obsession with guns at all. Only because I have the right to do something does not mean I have to do it. Would be good to hear some more elaborate thought about the american mentality and history in order to gather an understanding what this gun thing is all about.
It's not that difficult (or at least shouldn't be) to understand. You have to remember how the country came to be in the first place. The (at the time) American colonies were ruled by the United Kingdom, which was the most powerful military in the world at the time. The British government imposed some heavy taxes and restrictions on trade and commerce upon people in the colonies despite not allowing them representation in the British Parliament. On multiple occasions the colonists protested being subjected to rule from a government which they had no voice in, and the response from the British Crown was to either ignore them or to increase taxes and trade restrictions. This escalated until 1775, when the British military got word of a stockpile of weapons outside of Boston and moved to confiscate them but instead were met by armed colonists who were able to chase them back to Boston - the start of the War of Independence.
For the next year the colonists continued fighting the British while still holding out hope that they would be able to find common ground and be granted representation in Parliament. The Founding Fathers at this time, despite the fighting, still thought of themselves as Englishmen and simply wanted their grievances to be heard. It wasn't until a year later, in 1776, when King George declared that the leaders of the colonists would be put to death as traitors that they decided that a complete split from Britain was necessary.
This context is vital in understanding why the right to bear arms is so important in the history of the US, and why it was given such importance in the writing of the Constitution in 1787. You have to remember that the people who wrote the Constitution had just gone through a long war, and an even longer run-up to war, that in their eyes was caused by their government acting tyrannically and ignoring their grievances. So, as a means of helping to ensure that this sort of tyranny would not happen in the (now) US again, they specifically forbade the new government from restricting the right of citizens from arming and protecting themselves against it. Of course, people argue about the need to be armed to protect themselves against criminals, or for purposes like hunting, but the number one reason why this right was specifically put in the Constitution was to make sure that the government doesn't forget that it's power is derived from the people it governs. You can agree or disagree with the thought process behind this, but that's why this right is there.
@@UncleJunSushi Thanks for your elaborate answer on why this right is put so prominently into the US constitution. Still, that does not explain this total obsession of current US citizens with guns.
Wie wahr, wie wahr..das Video ist gar nicht mal schlecht.😂😂😂😂 weiter so...
Could you do a video about the opposite perspective? (What American’s can’t understand about Germans)
If I'm not mistaken he's already done one, not sure
Ha...the average American kid these days doesn't even know where Germany is located on a map...
Awesome video. 😁
I really can`t understand why there is such a huge rise of homophobia especially the fear and hate towards trans persons lately in the US. It finally reaches german konservertives, who nearly adopts this political agenda and this makes me feel uneasy and angry.
Because both of those are a blight on society AND god! Neither one is a natural thing. Both go against the species inherent need to reproduce, therefore it is frowned upon as unnatural...WHICH IT IS! If that angers and upsets you, go get therapy to reset your thinking to the natural hetro sexual mindset.
It has always existed, but was a bit more "hidden" in the recent past.
Since Trump won by dog whistling racism and bigotry, the bigots are feeling more comfortable to say how they really feel
I can understand the sceptiscism behind the "trans boom" (like entire middle school classes suddenly being trans despite the chance for that being astronomically low. Have observed it myself on 2 occasions) but trans people are still real and deserve proper help.
But, this whole neo-pronoun and non-binary thing isnt real in the slightest. It literally started as a troll on 4chan who then flooded tumblr with it in the hopes that just a few people would pick it up so they could make fun of them. The only reason why its getting backed by some doctors is because its easy money with mostly no consequences.
The hate for gays also comes from woke media. Everything has to be changed, legacy characters are now bi, black, gay, trans, non-binary or whatever the fuck. They culturally appropriate european legends and culture to generate money. The people that should be flamed for this are clearly disney and hollywood and not gay people, but i dont think its hard to see why some would get to dislike those that support this stuff.
Also just to clarify, i'm not homophobic in the least and only think that neogenders and non-binary isnt real. That doesnt mean that i hate people who identify as such, i just think that they have a few screws loose and deserve help instead of putting them into the spotlight for diversity sake. Rainbow capitalism sucks.
Yeah,,the freak show must go on.
Conservatives feel disregarded and have the feeling that the world only revolves around quotas for migrants, other ethnicities and queer people. Some people in Germany have a similar feeling, and of course the media also convey this.
One thing I don't understand about Americans is, why so many don't know about their ethnical background.
I often met people that didn't know what their name was.
For example a guy with second name "Nowak". He didn't know the slightest that was a Polish name.
That is actually a good thing.
I love IndyCar!!!
Im a germen. I use propably 1 or two times a year the word Amazing (or the german equivalent) for food. In total propably less than 10 times a year. But when i say it, it realy has weight. For example the Tiramisu of a good friend last Month. The first amazing piece of food since new year.
Student loans cannot be discharged in bankruptcy is the way to say it. 😊
And a $70k loan can easily turn into a $150k loan due to that and the terms of it. It's a highly predatory system.
Engineering degree loans should have a 4% interest rate and a transgender basket weaving degree should carry a 40% interest rate. This is seen as discriminating against the liberal arts, so the insanity continues.
Nick, what happened to air conditioning in the US vs air conditioning in Germany? I know this subject is close to your heart.
The thing I do not understand about Donald Trump: Why is he still not sitting in jail simply for his overall fraudulent financial and entrepreneurial conduct?
Because everyone is entitled to a fair and public hearing by an independent and partial tribunal. It may seem like it sometimes, but the US isn't a Communist country. You are innocent until proven guilty (if you are a white man). They are collecting all the data they need to charge him in 1 and only 1 trial (it's cheaper). I still don't see him going to prison, because he was president. It's difficult to secure the prison of anyone who would harm him. Ex Presidents still have secret service. This runs for 10 years even though they are out of office. It used to be for the rest of the presidents life, but they did away with that.
Well, Olaf Scholz isn't in prison either though.
@@olgahein4384 Then again, Olaf Scholz probably didn't incite an insurrection with the intention to kill the German congress.
@@johndoe-xv3wb I don't have to. The courts will.
He's been indicted 4 times recently, and is given the assumption of innocence until proven guilty in a court of law.
From past things, he is super wealthy and hires expensive lawyers
Thanks, this helps me very much. ☺️
The U.S. is a very young country & still has many lessons to learn. Europe & Asia have gone through a couple of millennia of experiences already
The strangest thing is building credit. It sounds like a dept trap
Being in Germany now just over a year I find it much like California as it was in the 80's.
Ronald Reagan won California in 1984 with an unheard of 58% of the vote. You are right, California was a much different place back then.
Where in Germany? Berlin maybe? I can see that…
@ Was California THAT ugly and depressing in the 80s?
@@olgahein4384 Why don't you move to Murica, if you don't like to live in Germany anymore? Byeeeee... 😋
When it came to portion sizes, I instantly thought of "SuperSize Me".
Actually in Germany you would be wary of people who show the german flag outside of events like the soccer world championship. Chances are they might be aggressive towards foreigners. Furtunately there aren't that many of them. So when a german sees all the american flags they get a bit uncomfortable.
As long as we speak about the modern black, red and yellow this is a very left wing way of fearmongering against normal degrees of patriotism. Here in Germany a loud minority of left extremists are actively speaking against normal degrees of patriotism like showing national flag but they aren't the majority. If we speak about the flag of the second german empire than yes it is abused by right extremists which could be aggressive towards foreigners.
@@futurerails8421was about to say that. Wary of someone with a german flag??
I mean thats a far left take ngl
I feel the same way about the American flag. Flying that to me is a red flag 🚩
I assume they are likely a racist or bigot
Our YMCA closed off several berths in the men's shower with bathroom stall type constructions, presumably for the more prudish clientele. The problem was that the hardware didn't stand up to being constantly wet.
The overuse of "perfect" drives me crazy, especially when one gives their order to a wait staffer and they respond with "perfect." As a former school teacher a grade of perfect was something I seldom had the joy of giving out. Talk about wholesale grade inflation. Just another term that has lost its currency through overuse.
"We're not Spartans. We're Americans, with a capital 'A', huh? You know what that means? Do ya? That means that our forefathers were kicked out of every decent country in the world. We are the wretched refuse. We're the underdog. We're mutts!" - Bill Murray as John Winger, 'Stripes'.
The key phrase here is 'our forefathers were kicked out of every decent country in the world'. There were a few reasons why:
- they didn't play well with others: ex. The Puritans; German Catholics
- they weren't able to hack it financially: ex. The Irish Famine; Latin American immigration
- they were utter greedheads: ex. The Hudson Bay traders; Elon Musk
- they were unlawfully detained: ex. The African slave trade
Also last time I checked 53% of Germany is overweight and 19% obese!
You are dead on spot about the news. I actually watch DW English for news. They’re pretty good. They take the whole climate thing a little too far. But hay we’re all different.