How the Brits lost their power, and how the Yanks gained a collective ego.

Yesterday was the 4^th July.  Today is the hotdog hangover. Both days are a big deal for American’s. 

In British schools we don’t really get taught all too much (truth?) about the Empire - I never really learnt they story of how we rampaged about the globe shouting “mine! mine!” Instead, the history I remember was filled with brave heroes and explorers who had to occasionally get their hands a bit dirty (although they probably didn’t want to).

But not every nation shares the same collective memory of the Empire, apparently. And whilst we simply keep our eyes down and quickly sweep any past misdemeanors under the carpet (it’s the efficient British way of dealing with the important stuff) the Americans celebrate by eating lots of hotdogs, chest-beating and watching this: 

But for every American that has called me a lobster back I have come across at least two self-conscious Americans who believe their country to be full of ignorants.  I don’t really know if I want to admit that (despite the accent) I’m just as ignorant - until yesterday I’d never bothered to find out any more about Independence Day that what I learnt from Will Smith in 1996.

Naturally I’ve not admitted any of this to the self-conscious Americans– we Brits might have lost control of America, but I’d hate to lose all social power over them.