You mentioned counties of the UK, so I mentioned the cities because I have no idea what counties they are in but assume they are different. If you're talking about the countries then yeah, that's more similar to the US. I should have said so.

But you're wrong about the federation. A solid handful of them were (briefly) countries before they were "STATES", but some were properties/colonies of foreign governments, and with the exception of the 13 colonies, all independent lands with their own laws and currency. Also, this is beside the fact the natives were murdered and their land stolen by Europeans and/or Americans. Then, the idea of statehood was floated as a way of keeping them independent under a common roof, analogous to countries. I suppose there's a room for interpretation, but not by much. They operated under their own law, money, norms, cultures, and religions. They were founded as, and remain separate but united states (From MW: a politically organized body of people usually occupying a definite territory - especially : one that is sovereign)

German states are very much a bunch of old countries and tribes, sure. Cool. And? Why are you under the impression that being similar is in anyway important?

Read the fucking post. I said, paraphrasing, people who generalize/judge America don't know how America works and are ignorant and smug. I wouldn't do the same to your fucking country, but here I am, defending mine from smug ignoramuses.

And yeah, wooooow we get it, the Old World is older than the New World. Amazing how that is such an unearned point of pride from Europeans that only Europeans make. The Chinese don't play that card, the Egyptians don't play that card, and the Japanese don't play that card but lo and behold some clown online regularly goes to a dingy pub established in 1698, in some backwater village, and they're the Wise Grandfathers of America.

You call it American Exceptionalism, I call it the country everybody moves to and makes cool shit, choking the poor on their way, and bombing people on occasion.

And it isn't a high bar to know more than me about other nation's internal politics, except Mexico and Canada. None of Europe's or anybody's matter to me or anyone else here besides the big stuff. I have 50+ states/territories in my own backyard to care about. It literally doesn't matter because Europe, for example, is 3.5k miles or more away and I'm not going to be an arrogant, self-righteous, know-it-all, ignorant, condescending, annoying fucking asshole to those people about their dramas and politics when I talk to them.