Some
interesting statistics to chew on:- According to Gallup, 90% of
Americans would vote for a Jewish, black or female presidential
candidate. But 22% wouldn't vote for a Mormon, 32% wouldn't vote for
a gay or lesbian and 49% wouldn't vote for an atheist. So, not so
much a God-fearing country as a Richard Dawkins-fearing country.
Funny that . . . With most Americans surely praying for their candidate of
choice, roughly half of them must have to explain to themselves why
God has blatantly ignored them.
And
now some statistics about we Brits:- Only 19% of those of us who want
to stay in the EU regard the Germans as unfriendly, against 39% of
those who want to leave the club. But far more of us regard the
French as unfriendly – 42% among the pro-EU voters, and 64% among
the antis. As the old joke puts it – France is our permanent enemy,
whereas Germany is only occasionally hostile. Interestingly, the
evidence doesn't support any suggestion of war-related antipathy to
Germany; those aged 60 or above also deemed Germans to be the most
trustworthy. As Peter Kellner concluded from the survey findings:-
“All told, the poll suggests our views on EU membership are largely shaped by how we in
these islands see ourselves. What distinguishes those who call
themselves “English” is a passion for keeping other countries at
arm's length. Whisper it softly, but is Englishness these days a
source not just of pride but also of insecurity?”
Finally
. . . The Spanish version of Fawlty
Towers
was a flop, until the character of Manuel, the clueless
Spanish/Catalan waiter, was re-dubbed to become an Italian
from Naples, called Paolo.
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