Do we in Europe really hate each other?

[TravelingMaaike]

Or is it all just banter?

In sports that's normal, but in general?

Updates

+1 y

Spanish, Dutch (that's me), English, Irish, Germans, French, Danish, Italians, Portuguese, Polish, Swiss, Scandinavians, etc. It seems like none of us get along.

[Avicenna]

I have a European parent and lived over half of my life in Europe, so I'll give you my thoughts.

No, there generally is not abject hate (there are some exceptions to this, however, which I won't go into here), but there are cultural differences and people have not completely forgotten history. Some people don't let that affect them, though.

Sports rivalries among national teams are healthy competition, so I don't see anything wrong with that, but to give you an unhealthy example of it, in the 1974 World Cup Final, the Dutch manager brought up WWII to motivate his team against West Germany. I doubt that would happen today, though.

[goaded]

No. We take the micky out of various countries based on stereotypes, but only in jest. There is friction when it comes to people moving to a country with high wages and costs but with an expectation of moving back home when they retire; how can people who expect to retire in the high income country compete?

On a lighter note: Heaven is where the police are British, the lovers French, the mechanics German, the chefs Italian, and it is all organized by the Swiss. Hell is where the police are German, the lovers Swiss, the mechanics French, the chefs British, and it is all organized by the Italians.

[IslaTheWitch]

I don't think so... as a multinational child raised in multicultural family i don't see it...

[andreasderjuengere]

I am FROM Europe, if that counts.

I do have a few cautious reservations towards some chosen -stereotypical- 'foreign' traits.

But always willing to let an individual prove that I was wrong :)

As for the little rivalries... isn't that just ''among friendly neighbours'' only?

(I'd include even Switzerland in this, although the mountain tribe there isn't ''us'' by their own choice...)(UK is and was Europe - no matter what they 'vote' for (or against...))

'How could one seriously 'HATE'' external contributions such as pizza, wonderful cheese, wine, summer holidays, matjes, cars, music, ... and so much more?

[goaded]

I'm with you, with the possible exception of matjes (and Sauerkraut) although they're growing on me.

[andreasderjuengere]

@goaded... Captain James Cook saved lives with sauerkraut :)

[goaded]

It is better than scurvy. C:

[IslaTheWitch]

@goaded both are great, I don't understand your reservations 😂😂

[AmeerX]

Honestly, I am not European but my German friend has some stereotype he shares and so yeah it's not hate but some qualities of each nation are different.

Honestly when going got tough and time to unite against a common foe the European countries splintered 😅. Like Hungary, Serbs siding with Russia and Germany was too late to react.

Ukrainians have been thrown in front of the truck. Unity in easy times never counts, it's in difficult times people know who their real allies are

[RebelinSteel]

No not really, there are extremists who are exceptions, the rest is just banter or social media propaganda with people trying to stir up trouble. I have travelled most of Europe pretty much everyone is the same. There are some exceptions Balkans area being one.

[AviatorTom]

You all got together to establish the European Union, the Euro currency, the European Schengen area that provides for passport-free moving among countries, and the European courts of Justice in The Hague. That sounds like getting along to me.

[AngryCarl]

UK here. These are all the reasons we hate our European neighbours. Why get involved in joint ventures with other countries when you can sit in a darkened room enjoying your sovereignty? I hasten to add these aren't my personal views, just the Will of the People, as established in the 2016 referendum.

[goaded]

@AngryCarl Bloody Krauts, am I right? :)

"Brexit has completely failed for UK, say clear majority of Britons – poll

Only one in 10 feel leaving the EU has helped their finances, while just 9% say it has benefited the NHS, despite £350m a week pledge according to new poll"
www.theguardian.com/.../britons-brexit-bad-uk-poll-eu-finances-nhs

I didn't even get a chance to vote, despite being directly affected.

[DryGermanGuy]

No, we do not. The majority certainly does not, since the World Wars are over. The sad exception would be the Balkans (Yugoslavia) where nothing ever seems to work for a peaceful future.

[DJB72]

Growing up I saw more division in Europe than unity. Only the politicians really wanted to unite the currencies. Normal sheeple just went along with it.

[goaded]

You've never had to use traveller's cheques to buy Lire, Francs, Swiss Francs, Deutschmarks, Kroner, Gilder, all in the course of a two week holiday have you? The Euro's been great for most Europeans, although they did let too many countries join without fulfilling the original requirements for political reasons.

[DJB72]

Yep. As a teenager I had to do that AND have a passport checked every time we crossed a border in a ten day trip with 40 other teens and three teachers.

While vomiting for 40 hours straight travelling by coach.

Francs, swiss francs, lira, etc and because I was under 18 I had to carry cash for each country.

I know more people who voted exit than remain. And living in Africa now I've seen how royally fucked up the EU is. Forced trade within the EU instead of countries with centuries of trade history where those countries are now in massive debt due mostly to the shutout by Europe.

Politics is busy starving a billion people in Africa. So the EU can line their pockets.

[goaded]

They probably don't think exit was good any more.

[goaded]

And I'm pretty sure that an ambulance would have come for someone who lost a finger in an accident before.

[DJB72]

Here in South Africa the government is fucking around with export licensing. Unless the manufacturer is majority black owned from this year export licensing will be denied so historically very profitable companies are moving their operations away. It's a problem in the agricultural sector as it's hard to move an established vineyard to another country.

When Brexit was voted in I remember seeing the High Commission offices virtually overrun by representation of African governments seeking to re-establish trade in every major industry. Steel, coal, agriculture, medicine and medically trained professionals. The list is endless.

But the UK government is busy fucking up as many people as it can.

I'm British but thanks to the immigrunt in no. 10 I can't bring my family home. After 20 years of marriage and having been in the UK from 2017-20 I now wouldn't earn enough to bring my wife and son - who was born in Bristol so is as English as me - back with me because she's South African. Nevermind she's a doctor. She might get a work visa, but I'm exiled unless I leave my wife.

We came back to South Africa because the medical care I got in Bristol cost me my leg. It was becoming apparent my only hope of saving it was to return to South Africa and get treated here.

But this isn't the point of the question.

A century ago the theme was the various monarchies. Almost all Europe was ruled by a descendant of Queen Victoria and Albert. The Kaiser, Tsar, and every king in Europe were family.

There's always a way to get along with mutual respect. And at the base we actually had that 40 years ago. It's politics at the top that keeps screwing it up for everyone else.

[lightbulb27]

you are controlling of your cuisine and culture. any attack on your food is an attack on your identity and results in mass casualties. that and soccer. You now fight on the soccer field... an ingeniuos invention!

otherwise, seem fine.

[KostasKouvalis]

Especially if the food is Italian, though if we're being honest, basic pasta and pizza is nothing to be proud of

[lightbulb27]

@KostasKouvalis ugh... Italian food say whut? :) My pasta is bravo!!!

[Miristheiss]

Well, there have been a lot of horrific wars in Europe over the last 110 years, so the neighbors haven't always been playing nicely with each other.

[AngryCarl]

UK here. We hate anyone who isn't British. Why else do you think we left the EU, knowing we were crashing our own economy?

I hasten to add that's not my personal view. I only hate the French.

[msc545]

Here in the US, many white people hate anyone who isn't white. Makes living here miserable.

[KrakenAttackin]

The good news is, we in the U. S. hate you even more.

[AngryCarl]

You hate us because you ain't us.

[KrakenAttackin]

@AngryCarl No, because we currently hate ourselves more than anything.

[AnusDestroyer3169]

I am not european, I am from Turkey. We hate your mates in balkans.

[Unit1]

No, you are either making this up or you associate yourself with the wrong crowd.

[KostasKouvalis]

Some is banter, while other is genuine hatred.

[KostasKouvalis]

It's hard for there not to be hatred when almost every nationality in Europe has a superiority complex.

[NathanDavis]

no generalizations...

[4ngelic]

just banter

[Luméa]

no generalizations

[stranger_girll]

Maybe