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[hector13]

Honest question: why do people even care?

I can get behind this sentiment. I don't really get why people trace their family trees or get nationalistic or whatever. Most of your ancestors are dead and most western countries are pretty much the same culturally.

You are who you are as a result of your family and wherever you grew up (either nature/nurture, or primary and secondary socialisation) so it just seems a natural consequence of that.

I wouldn't go so far as to say most western countries are culturally dead though. Even things as small as regional dialects or what you eat are part of culture. I'm probably biased on this though, I'm moving away to live with my wife from where I was born and lived for 27 years, in a few weeks. I won't have access to things like people who can understand what I'm saying when I speak without en-un-see-ate-ing properly or some food and drink I'm used to consuming.

[Helgoland]

most western countries are pretty much the same culturally.

That part I disagree with. Not a reason to get nationalistic though.

Yup. Even different parts of one nation aren't the same - you know what a guy from my school said the first Karneval (Carnival. It's kind of a bif deal)? "Der Erste, der Helau ruft, kriegt was auf die Fresse." ("The first person who says "Helau" won't be able to walk home." 'Helau' is what they say in Düsseldorf, 'Alaaf' is what they say in Cologne during Karneval. The cities are less than 50 kilometers apart.)

[Frumple]

... and suddenly there's a plus in the favor of the states. Bad as some of the regional/racial stuff I've seen has been, I've never seen anything like that.

E: Implied subtext: If that's what history and heritage leads to, I'm glad I don't really know jack beyond about two-three generations, and that much only because some of the oldest one was still alive when I was a kid.

[Helgoland]

It was in good humor... Plus the guy wasn't fit enough to get into a street fight anyway.

(Plus no one in our area would even dream of saying "Helau". That would be seriously stupid.)

[Funk]

And we think the watford gap is a big change in the uk.
(Watford gap is used as line in North/South' Divide of the uk.)

[Owlbread]

I have experienced the same sort of situation as Helgoland in the Scotland. Up in this part though people are traditionally very conscious of which village they belong to.

[Helgoland]

I have experienced the same sort of situation as Helgoland in the Scotland. Up in this part though people are traditionally very conscious of which village they belong to.

very conscious of which village they belong to

village

They're towns with one million and ~600.000 inhabitants, respectively, with a much greater Hinterland...

And we think the watford gap is a big change in the uk.

Well, the Köln/Düsseldorf divide is known throughout Germany. It's about more than Karneval - it's about language, culture, and beer, which is a big deal. In Cologne, they drink Kölsch, while in Düsseldorf, they drink piss*.

*Literal piss**.

**Alt beer, which tastes like literal piss.

[Descan]

I think your post exploded.

[Owlbread]

I know they're cities Helgoland, I even visited Dusseldorf a few years ago. It was the cleanest large city I've ever been to. Beautiful place, I'd love to go back.

Perhaps a better comparison though from me would be the relationship between Glasgow and Edinburgh, only 52 miles apart but they're like night and day in accent,  culture,  attitude etc. Folk from Edinburgh in Glasgow will probably get this kind of reception.

[hector13]

I apparently have a West coast accent, despite having been born and lived in/around Edinburgh my entire life.

It is most bizarre, since I've only ever been to Glasgow a handful of times, and went as far as Oban twice. Though not by choice.

[Owlbread]

I apparently have a West coast accent, despite having been born and lived in/around Edinburgh my entire life.

It is most bizarre, since I've only ever been to Glasgow a handful of times, and went as far as Oban twice. Though not by choice.

Do you not say ken or eh? What kind of a Lothian man are you? And yes, few would go to Oban by choice.

I am in a similar position, though. I grew up in Perthshire but my family is from the Strathclyde area so I have a fairly mixed accent, tending towards West Coast. If I had a Perthshire accent I would probably sound like this man. A lot of my friends in High School spoke like that.

[Dutchling]

Iceland to become Ukraine 2.0

[10ebbor10]

Meanwhile, the EU is taking the Swiss referendum seriously.

Switzerland will be locked out from the Erasmus program*, and will have to reapply as an foreign participant (rather than having the same benefits as an EU member state) if it wants to participate again. This is followed by news of the EU suspending Switzerlands participation in it's Horizon 2020 program (80 billion research investement program) and various other participation systems.

Meanwhile, Switzerland has said it will take at least 3 years before the referendum can be turned into law. 

*Massive student exchange program.

[Sheb]

My understanding is that the Swiss government is prohibited from signing new treaty letting people in, which is an issue since Croatia joined the EU (and Erasmus) and Switzerland would need to sign a new treaty including it.

[Max White]

I take it this is the EUs way of saying "Oh, you don't want to be bros anymore? Well ok, I'll respect your choice, buddy! I'll respect it to the grave..."