I know that sometimes have a dig at you Lyle, but having lived in the US when I was a kid - you are quite right.

Americans value their freedom and liberties much more than Europeans. Culturally, yanks like to be individualistic, to make a difference and to suffer/enjoy the consequences of their decisions and actions. Europeans are much more into belonging to larger groups and working as teams towards common goals.

This is reflected in the team ethics in sports on either side of the pond, as well as the cultures, size and types of businesses that are successful in each place. It is rare for a US company to be successful in Europe unless it follows a European model (and vice versa)

We in Britain are being dragged more and more into the European way of thinking (when actually we have more in common with you Americans). Our public services become ever more bloated and inefficient, our benefits system is geared towards the lowest common denominator, we begin to phase out 'competition' in schools, we follow someone else's rules and laws like obedient dogs, it is a bigger crime to offend a maniac rather than jail him etc etc etc.

Now we are all on CCTV all the time. face recognition software is coming! Our police will be busier dealing with giving nonthreatening people parking tickets via CCTV evidence as it's a nice little earner - tackling international terrorism is in the 'too difficult' pile in case we 'offend' people are break 'human rights' laws.

Trouble is, we like rules and laws and like to follow them. The French would be out rioting in the streets by now, the Kurds would have declared Independence, the Yanks would all be in Survivalist camps in Utah or somewhere, Pakistanis would be burning flags and effigies outside embassies.

What do the Brits do........ we go "tchoh" and go down the pub instead.