Did Moving to Britain Change Your Views?

Just a slight question here, and I would love to put a poll but I can't quite figure out how, but I was wondering if moving to Britain led you to have different political views or just different views on life and the world in general?

Before my father moved here he was an Nixon-voting, Vietnam supporting Republican. Now he's this rather nice lefty type who dislikes Israel, defends the NHS to his family until he goes red in the face and goes on anti-war protests. Admittedly he came in 1977, but still!

Anyone else undergone a shift, however slight, in their opinions? Anyone buy into the NHS scare stories before you came and realised it's not that bad? Or on the otherside, did anyone idealise Britain and realise that there are druggies and murders everywhere, even 20 metres from a cashpoint where everyone queues rather neatly?

I find that moving here I have become more interested in politics. I think it is because it is a completely new system. But the only change it made in me was to appreciate and be more interested in the US government. I guess I never paid much attention when I lived in the states. But now that I am not there and have something to compare it to it makes me more involved and interesting. The one thing I noticed the same between politics in the US and the UK is all the smarmy politicians lol...you still can't trust them. But it also made me realize how lucky we were to live in the US in a free country. They say England is a free country but it seems like a nanny state. Political correctness and Health and Safety gone mad. (I am not saying this to upset anyone it is just my opinion at this current time). I find the NHS isn't as bad as everyone says I have had a great experience. I think what living here does is lets me see things from both sides. The US and the UK...and both have good things and bad things about them. But I find I am not taking them for granted like I used to.
It is very interesting learning all these new things....

Hard for me to say, as I was young, sheltered and naive when I moved here... I sincerely doubt I even *had* any views!
So for me, living in the UK actually formed my views, rather than changing them.

JEP, I understand where you're coming from because, well, those aren't exactly criticisms which would never come from a Briton's mouth! But have you ever considered why this is the case? Like, why do you think Britain is more PC and more concerned with H&S?

And perhaps, from your perspective, it's better a nanny state than the bureaucratic levelling of continental Europe?

And Genau, have those views been formed in a British way or in an American in Britain way?

And Genau, have those views been formed in a British way or in an American in Britain way?

probably the former.

I was a far left lefty in the US and I find I'm a more moderate centrist with slight lefty leanings in the UK.

I was a far left lefty in the US and I find I'm a more moderate centrist with slight lefty leanings in the UK.

Is that because you've changed or because Britain's not as right-wing as America?

Is that because you've changed or because Britain's not as right-wing as America?

Definitely the latter. One of my biggest beefs with the US right wing is the insane obsession with religion and the inexplicable need to tie it in with every political issue under the sun. It's nice that neither side of the political spectrum does that in the UK.

peterm I am naive when it comes to politics. Like I said I never really paid too much attention to it before. When I was 18 I registered to vote to the same party my parents were registered. I never really thought any of it would really affect me. But now that I am living in a different country where I am just learning about the political system over here and paying more attention to the US political system. I am starting to see the differences but I only called it like I see it currently. And perhaps as I live here longer maybe my views will change.

I am more interested in immigration.   

For me, not really.  I am still interested in more or less the same things.  I am much more laid back though and try to go with the flow more.  I do realise that no place is perfect and no place is horrible.  I also appreciate the US more, which I never thought would be a side effect.

My views haven't changed, just more people agree with me here. I have to love that.

I am more interested in immigration.    

For me, not really.  I am still interested in more or less the same things.  I am much more laid back though and try to go with the flow more.  I do realise that no place is perfect and no place is horrible.  I also appreciate the US more, which I never thought would be a side effect.

I agree with this 100%! There are views I miss from the US and I imagine there will be opinions that I will miss when I leave the UK.

I agree it is a little more PC in the UK, in my opinion, probably due to hate-speech legislation. I don't find it particularly good or bad.

I was a far left lefty in the US and I find I'm a more moderate centrist with slight lefty leanings in the UK.

My views are similar to Chary's....I have moved slightly to the right since moving over here. 

Definitely more left leaning (centrist, I think), but then, I was only 17 when I came here so had some pretty funny ideas about things anyway 

I have probably gone more left-libertarian/anarcho-socialist.  I think this has more to do with being an immigrant than being in the UK.

I have become more critical in my opinion of Israel.  During the last conflict, I remember watching the newcasts online for MSNBC, CNN, and Democracy Now!, and only DN! came close to the coverage we saw here.  It was a bit shocking to see the difference.  It's no wonder that we sort of form the viewpoints we do in the States regarding Israel.  I think they have a right to exist (although now I think it probably wasn't the best idea to see the creation of Israel as a solution to the attempted genocide), but the whole "do no wrong" thing that we have in the media in regards to them in the States really needs to be addressed.

From my early teenage years I was always pretty leftist.  I don't really find the UK to be all that more left leaning than the States, but I grew up and lived in the Northeast.  Sure, there are very conservative people there, and the more rural you are, the more likely the people are more conservative.  But I don't think that's different than here.  I think if I lived in the Bible Belt, I'd definitely see the difference.

I also think that the political crazies here are scarier than the political crazies back in the US (of any political flavour) because they seem more likely to act on their extremism.  Just my opinion though, and I am definitely not saying that people don't do stupid, violent, hurtful things based on wacky ideologies back in the US either.