As an Englishman born, and having lived all my life in the South of England (now in East Anglia) I get really annoyed by the constant American bashing in this country, fuelled primarily by ignorance.

So from someone who has travelled extensively, a few truths as to why these beliefs are all so wrong.

Here is a list of what I love about America and dislike about Britain :

1. American don't judge a nation by their leader. Why do we say that we hate America and its people because we dislike its president? Can't we make a proper judgement based on facts and not on what we believe may be true?

2. Why do people say they hate George Bush? He is a politician, but is hated by people with no knowledge of his politics. How many people actually know much about his politics, and which party he represents?

3. You may disagree with war, but if you do, blame that on Tony Blair not Geroge Bush. Blair was under no obligation to join, but he elected to do so. Always look within to question, before looking outside. If something goes wrong in your life, question yourself before seeking to blame others.

4. Eating out - the American know how to do this and give you choice. How many places are there to eat good food near you? What choice do you have? In America, the choice is amazing. Never any shortage of places to go... give you choice and this is all you can ask for. When did you last go out to eat breakfast? When did you last find a good place for breakfast, that wasn't a a dirty cafe or McDonalds.

5. American pancakes are the greatest. If you've never been to Cracker Barrel in the US, then you haven't lived! Breakfast made in heaven.

6. Tabloids! I hate british tabloids! Fill the nation with mindless gossip, and mostly rubbish. How many of the stories are actually true? Give me real news, real stories, not inane rubbish. People read them and beleive them. They are responsible for the absurd interest in Big Brother and other similar crap. Do people think for themselves anymore?

7. How can you hate a nation? You can hate a person, an act, a taste but you can't hate a country. Treat everyone as a individual not as a collective being. Prejudice's are harmful and mostly inaccurate.

8. Space...space..space. We need more space, everyone is cramped in to little towns, narrow streets, terraced housing. Nowhere to park, no space to breathe. We need more room, we need our own privacy. Can we switch on a tv without the neighbours hearing? You then go for a drive and see farmland everywhere with an occasional animal grazing. A cow gets more space than we do. 10 acres per cow, but 100 people per acre. Come on get real...make use of our space better and control that population. We, as humans, may require company but that doesn't mean we want to be cramped. We need independence, freedom and space.

9. The young today! Have you ever heard the language of youngsters, effing this, effing that. How does that help? Does it really help you express yourself? It doesn't do any good. Go to a school in the US, you will not hear a s*, a f*, all day long because they teach them the right way.

10. The education system. Leave school at 16? You can't be serious. No wonder there are so many losers living off the state....don't get me started....

11. Sponging off the state....sponging off me! The state doesn't pay for them. I pay for them and so does every other hardworker. We wake up early and earn hard earned money, and where does it go? To feeding the drink and drug habits of those losers who can't be bothered. To supporting those lazy people who have an imaginary back complaint, and then complain about the state of the country. Look at yourself, bet you can't unless you have no conscience.

10. Football?? What an obsession! I don't want to hear it day and night. I don't want it rammed down my throat... can't we have some balance in the games and sports we watch. What is the main news today? Some rich overpaid footballer had a secret meeting with another team... don't worry there was a murder in the park, pollution is increasing, interest rates have gone up. All that matters is some stupid game with people who can't even kick the ball in the direction they want to.

11. Tax! Everywhere, how many do we have? Income tax, VAT, Tv licence (I have to pay to watch tv and have no choice over it, are you serious?), car tax, council tax..shall I go on..give us one rate of tax, so we have visibility but no we hide it everywhere. Total tax rates are so high, makes you wonder why we bother sometimes.

12. I go to america and everyone welcomes me. I'm treated as a visitor with respect and great interest, with people who are proud to show me their home, their place their lifestyle. An american comes to the UK ,and they are told...what are you doing here? I hate you! Yes, I have actual actual experiences of that happening over here. How can you judge a person from their nationality?

13. Bank Holidays. What do they mean and what are we celebrating? Christmas and Easter are religious holiday for a country where no-one is religious yet we support them fully. What are the 2 May bank holidays for, what are we celebrating, how are they significant to our lives! The Americans how how to have holidays and treat them as a real celebration. Independence day, Thanksgiving - they mean something and they have a way to celebrate them. We are missing out here, their lack of meaning contributes to our lack of identity, of our lack of pride in our country. We are not together, just a collection of people gathered in Northern Europe.

14. When did you last go down the street and say hello or good morning to the person coming the other way despite them being a stranger? Why don't you smile at strangers in the street? Our culture makes such actions weird and unacceptable. We should be happy to see other happy, and not scared of being friendly. We are part of the human race but are programmed to be de-humanised.

So,before you next make a comment about americans just take a little think first and reflect on what you were going to say. Is it based on what you know, or perhaps what other people have said, or what you have read? Have you been influenced by the media? Is it possible, not likey but just possible, that you could be mistaken?

I can't make a comment about life in Russia as I've never been there but Americans are easy prey aren't they? It doesn't have to be there. If you've been there and seen it, then that's fine but if you don't know then don't comment just because everyone else does.

They do not judge us like we judge them. They treat us with open arms and actually admire our country from afar. Can we not do the same? We don't have to hate, and judge people we don't actually know. I am 100% British, but I can see the world with open eyes and acknowledge there are ways we could be better. Judge by what you see and experience, not by any other way.