America

I do like it when Rick lapses back into Shakespearian English

Uh… Americans may be the source of a lot of the nonsense in the world, but I rather feel that trying to lay blame on them for how thou dost spaketh in the days of old Wobblypole is a bit of a stretch. ;)

despite never having lived in the USA.

Uh, actually not correct.

Not only did I live there for a while, I was “bused”. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Desegregation_busing

I’ve already mentioned, recently, some of the blatantly racist segregation issues of mom’s childhood. Some things were still “in course” when I was young. Not that they aren’t nowadays with black people seemingly being acceptable targets for stray bullets emanating from the weapons of police officers. But, at least, the country did vote for a black President (and then utterly broke it with the jerk that followed).

Mom’s influence lives on,

Of course. Mom was a chess master. She didn’t try to change anything, I think memories of protesting ’Nam taught her the futility of that. Instead she tried to arrange things in such a way that change happened. Only small things, but changes cause changes and…

Sorry, a bit off-topic.

That’s why I’ve moved it here.

Not that they aren’t nowadays with black people seemingly being acceptable targets for stray bullets emanating from the weapons of police officers

I seem to recall one such being shot 60 times in recent weeks.

Mom was a chess master. She didn’t try to change anything, I think memories of protesting ’Nam taught her the futility of that. Instead she tried to arrange things in such a way that change happened. Only small things, but changes cause changes and…

Guidance. Just make the bits you don’t want them to pursue unpalatable, and they go roughly where you want them.¹
My detractors tend to use the label “railroading”. That’s false, I’ve never forced people to do anything or go anywhere – they chose what they did from the options open to them :)

¹ After a few iterations the fit is pretty good.

they chose what they did from the options open to them

That’s exactly what trains do, even at points (switches, to you, Americans). Normally…

From elsewhere:

could of pointed out. :)

The Americanism that really bugs me, asides from thinking that “gas” is a liquid that goes into cars, is the expression

Write me

Write you what?
A sick note? A love letter? Up for speeding?
Literally inking “M” and “E” on a piece of paper?
So many possibilities…

But, at least, the country did vote for a black President (and then utterly broke it with the jerk that followed).

Well, they have a good excuse for voting for Trump: it would have been Hillary otherwise. After many realized (some a bit belated, after 8 years) that “black” might not be enough qualification for being a good president, that would have been too much. Even Biden could beat Trump, so just imagine how they hated Mrs Clinton.

“Black” isn’t enough qualification, any more than “white” is, of course; but (admittedly against some pretty weak competition) Obama was the best (perhaps “least dreadful” would be more accurate) president the USA has had in quite a long time.

Another Clinton would indeed have been another dreadful president, but I doubt she’d have been as dreadful as Trump.

When the USA President travels around – what about a small private Jet with fighter escort?

And use use local cars when he arrives.

Down here two pensioners – seem to use their mums helicopter – and then complain about climate change!

I wonder if Putin would have moved if Trump was in power?

“Click to close when done reading” in a readme file for US software always annoyed me – not seen so often now.

Even Biden could beat Trump, so just imagine how they hated Mrs Clinton.

The Trump campaign was all about “crooked Hilary” for some reason that never had any evidence. Well, they do say that the best defence is to accuse your enemy of the offences you are guilty of – now the evidence for Trumps guilt starts to surface¹, and it’s labelled a “political witch hunt”

¹ Sort of like watching the continent of Atlantis surface and occupy the whole of the Atlantic.

The Trump campaign was all about “crooked Hilary” for some reason that never had any evidence.

There is a lot of evidence. The tax stuff, Whitewater. the Mailserver thing, “Pay to play” via the Clinton Foundation…as a technically minded administration guy, I am sure you can judge at least the Mailserver scandal for yourself.

Not to begin with her “performance” as Secretary of State. A complete disaster.