"I think what you are trying to say is that all ales and largers are beer, but not all beer is ale or lager."

I'm trying to comprehend what you are accusing me of saying. Your sentence is a bit confusing.

It is very simple. All ales and lagers are types of Beer.   Period. There are numerous variations of ales and lagers. Stout is technically an ale. There are also lambics which are

I understand that the UK has a unique way of referring to ale and beer, but you are unique in that regard - probably vicitms of ad campaigns.

Beer is created by the fermentation of sugars from starch sources - typically barley.   (Cider and wine are not created from starch sources and they are not part of the beer family.)

"Real" ale that you are so fond of is also a misnomer. It is actually cask conditioned ale - which is an historic vessel for conditioning beer through the ages, but copper and other elements have also been used.

The "real" ale that you are fond of is also lower in alcohol content - generally about 4%. It is typically referred to as "session" beers because the lower alcohol content and fuller body enable easier consumption over the long haul.

Lager is typically higher in alcohol - about 5%. The bottom fermenting yeast gives it a "cleaner" process - which is why people think of it as being thin. Because it has less body, you drink more - and because of the higher alcohol you get drunk faster. That is generally one of the reasons why it is so popular among the youth.

Don't get me wrong - I love ale and I think the UK produces some fine beer. But you need to understand that what you are being served is just a small portion of the world of beer. Cask conditioned ale is available in the U.S. - but is is a much smaller market than what you have in the UK. That does not mean the product is less desireable.

Historically, beer does not travel well. Lagering and pasteurization - and the bottling process, enabled changes.   Still, it rare that you would sample microbrews outside of the U.S. because of the conditions.

Beer is ale and lager. Period.