Do other countries really think ALL americans are stupid?

[ScrubberDucky]

It's a generalization. It took me a while to understand or kinda mentally come to terms with it, but once I had hung out with about 20 British people for a few months, I started to understand. Whereas you and I might look at Welsh people and think "sheep and countryside" or English blokes and "Fish and chips and bad teeth", or Brazil as "slums", Russia as "poverty", etc. a lot of the world thinks of the US as "fat and rather dim". That probably won't even make much since since it takes some personal, internal adjusting to get used to.

 

[mysecondlife]

i hear things like "for those of you who are too american to understand" or "what is it with Americans and.." and it just goes on and on and on and i just dont understand.

maybe you're too of an American to understand

But really. what was the context of it?

 

[silversnake4133]

There we go. Every country has a stereotype, our country just happened to get the "stupid and fat" category. Plus I believe our "freedoms" have gone to our heads, thus we think we're better than everyone because we think we can do/say whatever the fuck we want without penalties. I don't know, I just find it easier to accept that everyone is different and they all have different opinions. A majority of our country men seem to disregard that. :/

Plus I really think the 2nd amendment needs to be more strictly regulated.

 

[Sparkytheyetti]

Unfortunately we live in a time where Racism and separatism are still fresh in our minds. Hitler, Civil Rights movement, numerous African wars where near genocide was committed. All of these in the last century. It will take some to weed out the mindset of people being of different races, creeds, gender etc. Instead of just being "people" in general.

Even with cultural boundaries. One country might hate another because of the fact that their histories collided at some point. Making a bad result for the relationship of those countries. After that happens, newer generations are brought up with that hate and bigotry from their parents. So on and so forth until one set of parents breaks the cycle of hate. Realizing that the hate was from another generation, and we have no reason to hate someone for something that happened from the past.

For TODAY'S reasoning, mass media takes a large portion of this too. This is the first time humankind has been in direct contact with the rest of the world instantaneously. Word travels fast. Not to mention people will always have opinions. You just have to see their point of view and take it with a grain of salt. Don't dismiss it off the bat. See it, analyze it, and then retort.

just my 2 cents.

 

[DarkRyter]

More importantly,

Do Americans think other countries think all Americans are stupid?

I like to think other countries don't really care that much to have an opinion.

 

[Soviet Steve]

From a Dane: Nope, not all Americans are stupid, but there are a lot've Americans, American culture is alien to us, and the stupid folk in America get attention because that's what we associate with the US after Bush was elected twice.

 

[Dirzzit]

Canadians are soft
Americans are stupid
The English are snotty
The French are cowards
Italians all speak like Vito Corleone
Australians ride kangaroos and dingos

I think it's all even :3

 

[SilentCom]

The answer is stereotypes. Some people will conform to them and judge others with irrational bias and misunderstanding. Also, our public image isn't exactly the best with much of what other countries know of our culture coming from Hollywood.

 

[Get_A_Grip_]

I think most Americans are stupid...

Mainly because I think most people are stupid, including myself most of the time.

 

[Troublesome Lagomorph]

No. I've known many smart Americans. With that said, I've known about as many American dumbasses. So, as with all nations, it's a mix.

 

[Captain Epic]

Most Americans are perfectly fine. Some have proven themselves to be somewhat ignorant concerning other countries however.

 

[Torrasque]

Statistically speaking, the average American is fat and stupid.

(OK maybe I made that up. At least, the stupid part.)

But that's the impression the country sends people. I'm sure every country has its WBCs, or its Glenn Becks; they just don't get publicised as much as the American ones do.

Pretty much this.
I have some very good American friends, so I know you're not all complete retards.
I just think most of you are complete retards who think their country, is the best, did everything in WW2, is the leader at everything ever, has the greatest military, best minds, best economy, etc. etc.
Americans are raised on the belief that their country is the greatest in the world, and very very few that I have talked to, will admit that their country sucks at something, let alone many things.

Semi-related: I am Canadian.

 

[pearcinator]

No they aren't ALL stupid...but this video proves that there are a few surprisingly stupid Americans (BTW this is off an Australian show so expect bias )

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DJ3RrqBqk14

 

[Jim Tungsten]

no, not in New Zealand we don't or at least most of us don't.

 

[English Stew]

For the longest time, since most of my life occurred during the Bush years, my view of America was that not everyone was stupid, just their leaders were stupid.

Today, I don't think it's so much specific leaders that are stupid (though there are some dumb ones to be sure), it's more that the institutions of America are retarded; Education is crippled, the Military is bloated and misdirected, healthcare's a well-told joke, and political discourse is so polarized that I think some debaters no longer have any concept of objective truth. Maybe I'm arrogant for thinking the problems of a nation can be summed up so succinctly, and these problems are by no means unique to America, but what's more important is that slander aimed a America is based more off of larger trends that need not apply to a specific person to be essentially true.

Just to be clear, I'm Canadian.

 

[Mechamorph]

National stereotypes are often created by historical baggage or by the loudest, most visible group of citizens. Unfortunately for the USA, it?s a little of Column A and a little of Column B at the moment. For example, Vichy France gave them the image of cheese-eating surrender monkeys in America. Despite the fact that Lafayette and other Frenchmen contributed much to the American Revolution and the Napoleonic armies were once the terror of Europe. Fair? Hardly. Same?s with America. I?m old enough to remember that America was once renowned for its ingenuity, know-how and can-do spirit. Now it?s more famous for spin, financial skullduggery and a congress that would rather let their country spiral down the drain than put aside their differences and work together. Hardly unique to the American milieu but add to that a straining school system and some rather rambunctious individuals and you get the current image the USA is afflicted with today.

 

[Slick Samurai]

I think Americans are smarter than most countries. I think countries are jealous that such a young country has become the juggernaut superpower that it is. I can't say I really care about things happening outside American borders.

I may find it interesting, but I can't bring myself to actually care about them. If that makes me and my fellow countrymen who think like me stupid, then know that the feeling is mutual.

 

[Irony's Acolyte]

Eh, the Europeans are just jealous that we stole the limelight after they had it for so long.

 

[Drenaje1]

I consider most of the people in my country to be stupid. Our government is run by stupid people, and the citizens aren't usually smart enough to realize it. I remember that when Obama was going to be elected, everybody was so hyped up about him promising change. Well, that change never came (I blame the way we structure our government, again) and a few days ago I remember seeing some pissed off people trying to run a campaign of sorts for people to vote against Obama in the 2012 elections, to get someone who was actually going to change things. What they don't realize is that the way our government works, things that don't benefit wealthy corporations usually won't get done. (If all 14 year olds figured out that their government sucks balls, they might grow up wanting to actually change things for real instead of resting assured that the bastards already in office were going to do things for the good of the people they represent instead of for their own agendas.) And then of course there's the fact that most of us Americans are just normally...of lower intelligence and energy. We like to sit in front of our TVs. We like to eat, and whatever, that's fine, but apparently all these habits have become a regular running joke to the rest of the world. At least I'm not fat, and not that stupid.

The accusations are probably well placed, and yes, it is mostly our fault.

 

[Roroshi14]

If you have ever worked in the customer service industry you know EXACTLY why people from other countries think American's are stupid. It is because we are. Individuals may be smart, but as a whole we are pretty damn dumb.