re: #377 Gus 802

That’s true. The USA isn’t one monolithic culture. The changes are readily apparent within the states and easily noticed when you cross the state lines. Some states might be similar but there are major differences as we all know. In Europe it might be seen as being one monolithic culture but we here know that there are differences between say Ohio and Oregon.

There’s even a form of, damn the word escapes me now. It’s when you adapt to a new culture. The same thing happens when you move from state to state. You adapt to the state culture and often even begin to pick up the local dialects or accents. This is even observable with foreigners who maintain their particular accent but begin to use the local or state dialect.

In many respects the EU is an adaptation of the US concept. That being the “united” “states.” While our difference are not as stark say between Spain and Germany there are similarities in our differences. The same is true with local laws as they change between states in the USA and change between nations in the EU.

Exactly!!
I’ve been telling UK friends (and in other countries) for years that the EU is basically like the setup the US has always had. The way to understand US politics for them is to tell them to think of the individual states as like the individual countries in the EU— because people in other countries have the problem of understanding how and why things differ in the US from state to state.
Tell them that the EU is replicating the US and it’s easier for them to understand.