A holiday/vacation for most of us is a welcome break from the repetitive monotony and stresses of the office or factory. Ideally a chance to unwind with family and friends, and explore new areas. Apart from the change of scenery, a holiday for me is usually an opportunity to learn something new about the world we live in, the nuances of other cultures, and even how I relate to the rest of the world as an individual. I say this because the way you're treated abroad may differ than in your home country. That applies to me certainly, and is one reason why I don't believe we're all the same. Of all the nations in the world, The United States has remained a beacon of fascination to me since my student days. This trip was my seventh visit there since 1990. I chose to foray into the rural heartlands of Kentucky, and West Virginia, states I had never traversed before given they're off the beaten tourist track. I drove a snazzy Chrysler rental car, covering roughly 1500 miles in a loop that took me from Michigan, Ohio, West Virginia, Ohio and then back up to Michigan. A highlight was a stop off at Mammoth National Park in south western Kentucky, which is home to the longest known cavern system in the world. Half the fun was getting there, meandering up the rolling hills with vistas to take in under the glorious basking sunshine. My overall impression of this particular chunk of America was favourable indeed, though I didn't venture into any major cities. Driving across the wide open spaces of America is an exhilarating and even therapeutic experience for the mind and soul.  It's certainly roomy for my liking. The vastness of the land reminds you that you're in a great nation with probably more miles of paved road than any other country on Earth. The United States has long shared a special relationship with the UK during the 20th century, which grew stronger following the aftermath of World War II as television and improved communications permeated mass society. The PC (computers that is) revolution also played it's part in strengthening ties, and from the mid 1990s the Internet enhanced this relationship at a personal level. A fair number of Americans and Brits have met each on the net through a variety of interest areas.  However, aside from the basic similarities that bond the countries together, this essay will later suggest that the rate of decay in Britain is leaving it less similar to the sprit and character of America. As far as patriots are concerned, Britain and the US are rowing the same boat by enduring the transitional side effect pains to enforced multiculturalism. In Western Critiques opinion Britain is faring worse,  mainly as it's smaller and densely populated. So after 5 years since my last visit I was keenly intrigued to see how England measured up to America. Nationalists on both sides of the Atlantic pessimistically assert they're sinking ships. But despite whatever you read about another place, be it a city or country, it's best to visit the place in person to experience it yourself.  Usually you can't beat first hand observation. 

Throughout this part of the USA  I observed the majority of Americans to be civilised and orderly. Not a new observation given it was my seventh visit. It just reinforced the more favourable perceptions of my previous visits, not all of which were necessarily as uplifting. Almost everyone was assertive and emotionally mature.   There were fewer anti-social miscreants about and less litter in the streets of nearly everywhere I went. The standard of driving was commendable.  Drivers  stuck to the speed limit, and there was only mild bit of tailgating when I was passing through Detroit. Back home half the drivers on motorways think they're on a Formula 1 race circuit, easily doing over 100 miles per hour in the brief periods of calm on the congested roads. Actually, I don't mind putting the pedal down when the road is clear. Just a nuisance when I see arrogant  drivers tailgating other cars or my own. Whereas speed humps continue to slowly proliferate in Britain in residential roads, I have not encountered these contraptions in suburban America so far. In Britain their installation by local authorities is done in the name of traffic calming. Maniac calming would be a more appropriate description.  They have really been installed to prevent mad drivers doing 50 miles per hour in 30 mile per hour zones. Previous road signs pleading drivers to slow down have proved ineffective. At moments I succumbed to a mild sense of inferiority coming from a country where civility and formality in public conduct is increasingly disregarded.  The national mood is certainly not upbeat or optimistic. Walk past people on the pavement in many towns in Britain today and your often greeted by sullen faces, frowns, or an unfriendly glare. That should be enough to gauge the state of the country.

On the social front, a vacation sometimes presents an opportunity to make new acquaintances.  However, since I was cruising on the road most of the time, staying in motels just off the interstate highways, my verbal interaction was limited. Still, I was able to utter a few phrases when ordering meals at fast food restaurants. In a couple of outlets a young lady serving behind the counter sweetly remarked 'I like his accent' to her colleagues. The general reception was positive, which I partly attributed to the fact that I travelled through rural areas where locals were unaccustomed to hearing an English accent.  I must admit that I fancied some of the delightful chicks working behind the counters. Moreover, I  don't recall any women in America on this trip who turned me off.  They're definitely one of Americas greatest assets.  In general they tend to outshine English women in beauty and femininity, and I have not found them to be as stuck up, negative or spiteful by comparison.

My only slight criticism of interpersonal interaction in the States was the tendency to keep verbal transactions terse and to the point. I would have preferred a slightly more laid back, chatty demeanour, though obviously not too laid back where manners and etiquette are lowered. I noticed that conversations were initiated mainly for functional purposes rather than casual relaxed banter. It might be influenced by the fast paced nature of American life where time is money and there's no time to waste. Still, I felt more affinity with the mindset and attitude of most Americans than the prevailing attitude in not so merry England.  This was a nation that I readily identified with, and one where I feel I would fit in well. I had the impression that if you made an effort you would get somewhere. I respected the style of social co-operation without the herd like, cliquey behaviour so pervasive in England. This was apparent in the way people associated with each other in public. You might see groups of youths together occasionally, but unlike Britain you don't encounter  so many unfriendly teenage gangs loitering around, unless you unwisely or unwittingly strayed into the no go inner city areas. That's also partly due to the fact that there is a higher level of individualism in America, whereas Britain is all about fitting into a group or clique. I did notice a shady 'Hoodie' enter a MacDonalds restaurant in Kentucky accompanied with a few other youths, but they were the minority rather than the rule.  The menacing 'Hoodie' youth image which originated in New York City amongst rebellious teenagers in the early 1990s was transplanted to Britain in a big way in the early part of this century.  That said, you must stay vigilant in the States,  as situations in public places can change quickly. In addition there is always the threat of gun crime, though fortunately most Americans take firearms ownership seriously.

America is undoubtedly home and king of the fast food outlet. The number of these places along the interstate highways is simply mind boggling. When you think of it, the combined workforce of this industry must occupy a sizeable portion of the overall national labour market.  They're ok to use provide you only visit them occasionally, resisting the temptation of their convenience at every meal stop. After driving long distances I grew tired of seeing the big MacDonald M signs, and couldn't stomach eating hamburgers every day. Fortunately, MacDonalds as with many other restaurants offer salads on the menu to help the long distance traveller or vegetarian vary their diet. It's a shame there is not a greater variety of fast food on offer. I would have preferred places selling fresh sandwiches. A sub is probably the closest snack to that. One thing I did miss about England was the delicate gourmet food offered by Marks & Spencer, who as far as I know don't operate in the States.

During reflections on the trip I was often preoccupied with how different America was from the motherland that principally gave birth to it.  Different in the social sense I mean. The English playwright George Bernard Shaw once said England and America are two nations divided by a common language. That may have been apparent in Shaws day, but in my opinion the differences in language and even its usage are relatively trivial compared to the behavioural differences. It's more appropriate to say that England and America are two nations divided by a different psychology. The psychology of America was fresh and healthy to begin it with since many of the early settlers were religious zealots who were seeking greater freedom than they had in England. Ironically, there has not been much improvement three centuries later. The British (well the English mainly to begin with) of course were amongst the first European settlers to colonise America in Virginia and other states along the Eastern seaboard.  I firmly believe that some of the finest English people departed for the New World in that era. Other Europeans, particularly from Germany, settled in America in those days. Anyhow many of the Americans I interacted with must have been descended or partly descended from those early settlers. I can only grimly conclude that since the 17th century, the Anglo-Saxon gene pool in England has degraded in eugenic quality, whereas in America they practiced sensible reproductive preferences, even if they weren't consciously aware of it. There is no clear reason as to why this happened.  One idea I have contemplated is that the rigid class system in England meant that the individuals with the most blessed genetic inheritance in the upper classes bore few children. You can find variable quality of people in all socio-economic classes, but it still seems that the upper middle classes are the best behaved, and quite often attractive. Of course people should always be judged by their behaviour rather than by financial status. I'm not keen on petty snobbery, though I do prefer people to select suitable compatible partners. Furthermore,  in America the European immigrants were not interested in recreating the exclusive class structure in Britain that persisted to the present day. That is not to say there are no divisions in America amongst citizens even of the same ethnicity: approximately 38 million people live at or below the poverty line in America, which represents about 9% of the estimated 300 million population, excluding the illegal alien population.

An acquaintance I know also raised another worthy point.  The two calamitous wars better known as World War I and II claimed the lives of some of the best of the British.  By contrast, as America was a nation born of idealism with serious, conservative values towards work,  morality and drinking, people naturally chose partners who were right for them. Dysgenic reproduction did not guarantee success. Beyond these societal explanations, there is also the environmental influence of land and climate. The vast size of America and its fertile lands may have left its mark on the American psyche,  imbuing it with a spark of idealism. The wide open sunny skies and superb nature retreats likely engender the grand style of open minded thinking that characterises America.  This spirit was epitomised early on in the explorative feats of Lewis and Clark, the commissioned pioneers who sought a trail to the west coast through virgin land acquired by third president Thomas Jefferson as part of the Louisiana purchase in 1803. And famously in the 20th century when Neil Armstrong stepped on the moon in July 1969.  That step may have been a giant leap for mankind but it also marked the zenith of the American pioneer spirit. Such great achievements required a boldness and open mind that is a vital prerequisite of idealism.  Furthermore, the recognised American work ethic reflects itself in standards of behaviour and commitment. On the other hand England evolved as nation without any founding principles, except the Magna Carta perhaps. Actually that is the case with most countries, even the other major ones in the New World. Canada for example only emerged as a nation from a defensive reaction by the British to protect their presence in North America rather than by a citizenry seeking ideals and a distinct identity. Anyway, the typically changeable North Atlantic rainy climate tends to bring out cynicism in the national character. For its part, England has enjoyed its high points and has struggled through adversity before.  Its idealistic era probably culminated in the Victorian age of the late 19th century when the British Empire reached its peak. Since then it has assumed a downward descent, with egalitarianism and political correctness in the late 20th century supplanting the adventurous scientific ethos of the Victorian heyday.  And the change is not confined to a loss of pride and prestige, but also the behaviour of the people themselves.  Years ago in America there once existed  a perception of the typical Englishman as a dignified and proud gentleman.  Maybe the upper middle class English garnered more attention in the old days. Now the average young Englishman today is likely to be a mindless, unprincipled lout. The sort you see driving a fast car blaring out loud music with an aggressive apathetic attitude.  And as for individualism and true character, forget it. Regrettably the majority of the English subscribe to a herd mentality that expresses itself vulgarly in the ubiquitous anti-social teenage yob gangs that are a stain on public life. It is accurate to say now that the communities I saw in America are saner and more pleasant than many towns in England. I also like the way that Americans have preserved customs and mannerisms since the 17th century.

Both Britain and the USA have adopted politically correct  trends since the 1990s. While America is seen as the birthplace of political correctness, Britain is much further down the insidious road of authoritarian PC dogmatism.  Although large global corporations have pushed anti-white agendas by grossly over-representing ethnic minorities in consumer adverts,  I was pleased to discover that the majority of roadside billboard adverts in the states I travelled through featured attractive white men and women together, particularly blonde women I may add. Over in Britain, natural wholesome coupling of whites is less commonplace.  There's absolutely no excuse for this stance, as ethnic minorities still do not constitute more than 15% of the UK population, even though their population is rising at a faster rate.  Likewise government ads/booklets now feature more ethnic minorities than indigenous white British,  not a coincidence either. It's part of the self-hating madness of modern Britain. I attribute the refreshing ads I saw in rural America to be the fact that not only were the areas still majority white, but also that they were put up by local companies. In other words, the inclination of people in those areas is to display model citizens representative of their community, rather than the nefarious multi-national organisations who promote hatred of whites by exclusion. Political correctness and anti-white themes therefore are only the machinations of a small minority in the upper strata of society. They wouldn't be so bad if ordinary people weren't susceptible to the messages conveyed in them. As Britain is  a small country there is not much scale for independent large scale advertising.

When I was eating breakfast  in a McDonalds in a small Ohio Town, I picked up a local newspaper for a quick read. I noticed a 1940s/50s era photo of four local adults, including a couple of women. I can't remember what the article was about. I think it was honouring some local society celebrating an anniversary. But the story was significant in that it  reminded me of a similar photo I've seen in England around about that time. The hairstyles and attire of the people in the photo, as well as their appearance, could have well have been taken in England. But it occurred to me that England has gone downhill so far in tastes, manners,  civility, human quality, and behaviour that the two countries are much less similar to each other than they were in mid 20th century after the war. Whereas the Ohio town I visited seemed to have retained its essential character, a comparably sized town in England is coarser than it was just ten years ago.

For the first time on finishing a holiday I didn't relish coming back home.  I suppose I saw myself as would be 21st century pilgrim, though on this occasion I was strictly visiting on a I94 tourist visa waiver. Emigrating to the states incidentally is not easy as many might assume - Britain is not a country eligible for the Green Card Diversity lottery where 50,000 lucky applicants are selected to win a 4 year residency/work permit. Still we all have our dreams. Settling in the States may take time to adjust at first, but I'm convinced the healthy aspects of the culture would lead to contentment in the long run. Upon landing at Gatwick the differences between the two countries were quite palpable. As I walked out to the arrivals concourse I couldn't help notice listless and unhappy people everywhere, and there seemed to be a stale tatty atmosphere. I eventually reacclimatised myself, but the first day was hard. It wasn't always this way. Like many people in their thirties or older I fondly recall a genteel England of yesteryear which you could be proud of.

Although America may be enduring the bane of  large scale immigration into its cities - both legal and illegal - I stand to the conviction that the nation is fundamentally a white country in its soul, as epitomised in the small towns. And although it has included a multicultural dimension to its character for some time it still retains an underlying bedrock of European culture as its core foundation.  Oh America, please refrain from going as far as Britain on the degenerate path to a stale, mediocre society where white freshness and beauty is being extinguished. Preserve what makes you great. Those small towns were pleasing and tranquil; I shudder to think how they could be spoiled.