non Americans: do you think we are violent?

[Timeless Lavender]

I am from the Caribbean more specifically Barbados and Belize. Even though USA have there fair share of violence, I am also exposed about the "gangsta" culture here where "singers" from different "gangs" "fight" with one another and young men are seen cool to be part of them. Barbados is seen to be more peaceful than Trinidad, Jamaica, Guyana and Belize since these are the crime heavy places.

But even as a Belizean, I heard some scary things about Mexico, Honduras and Guatemala and their crimes are always more frequent and grotesque than an average Caribbean crimes. Not to offend anyone from these countries but darn, every time my family decided to plan a trip to Mexico , I cannot stop thinking about dem guerrillas


But to answers your question: Yes but because USA broadcast their crimes worldwide (and because of your multicultural background). Also, even though USA have their crimes, many countries have crimes and they are faaaar worse, since their own police department and government cannot do anything because they are scared (Mexico and the drug trade). There are many crimes in the Caribbean too but the police department and the Tourism sector want to play "This country is a Paradise" card so many crimes are not on TV news or newspaper.

 

[Mechamorph]

In my neck of the woods? In one word? Yes.

I am blessed that I was born in a developed Asian country. We have a Confucianist culture so the US does appear to us as incredibly violent. This is not to say that Americans are necessarily that violent but they do appear so to many people in our culture. I think part of the problem is that a lot of international news comes from the US or US sources. We get news reports of accidental shootings, purposeful shootings, police shootings, school shootings, psychos with sniper rifles, wars fought with no apparent purpose and media released from the US that seems to fetishise guns, violence and the military. In short a lot of people outside of the US only see this side of the country which can lead that a perception that the US as a country is pretty much in love with killing people that don't agree with them and that the crazies that live in the US (as they do in all countries) can readily live out their wildest, bloodiest fantasies because of easy access to firearms. Where I live, carrying a firearm is punishable by death. Overall most of us understand that the average American is not very much more violent that anyone else in the world but we still joke about wearing kevlar vests when on American soil because those that *are* violent, and such people exist in all societies, can easily get their hands on tools to enact that violence.

 

[Johnny Novgorod]

I think your culture glorifies violence, yes.

 

[Dizchu]

A combination of a huge collective hard-on for guns, a rather frivolous attitude towards war and this very weird obsession and glorification of serial killers.

There is a startling amount of Americans that believe that gun control = "THEY'RE GONNA TAKE AWAY MA GUNS!!"

As mentioned earlier though, it depends on the state. It seems to be a much bigger problem in the south from what I can gather.

 

[Level 7 Dragon]

Well, comming from a guy who lives in Russia..

First, ethnic conflicts. Especially the native american thing.

Second, the way your politicians and some citizens see foregn policy. What creeps me out is how casually a lot of americans talk about invading other countries and use of force to "put nations on the path of democracy".

When mum visited the states in 2003, her taxi driver asked where did she come from. After replying that she was from Russia, he asked her opinion on the war in Iraq. After saying that she was against it, the driver almost kicked her out.

Use of nuclear weapons in warfare. Use of biological weapons in warfare. And use of depleted uranium based weapons in warfare.



Granted, we arn't much better, though most of us see you as the black sheep of the West.

 

[Joccaren]

From Australia. I guess we count as Europe, for being first world, predominantly white anglosaxon population?

Is America Violent... Depends on where you go.
The same can be said of anything in America really. Is America arrogant? Depends where you go. Is America fat? Depends where you go. Is America a religious dictatorship? Depends where you go [Mostly joking on that one. Mostly].

America, in general though, is not a place I'd like to live. If offered the option of living there, or living in a country I didn't speak the language of and having to pick it up - I'd pick the latter. Too many guns, too many religious nutcases, food I don't actually enjoy [Stayed in America for a while, returning home I've never been so fond of vegetables and normal home cooked meals], shitty politicians [Not that we can talk these days]... the list goes on. As said, depends on where you are, but not somewhere I'd want to live.

 

[Arcane Azmadi]

I think you're bloody psychopaths. I won't even go to America because I'm afraid I'll get shot. Your cops are racist, state-sponsored murderers and half your people think a gun is more important than a child's life.

Yes, I know I'm judging the majority by the actions of the minority, but I think that's the only way to do things. When people's lives are at stake, you should judge things by their worst aspects, not their average. If a man lives a totally blameless and generally good life except for that ONE time -it was only once, mind- he raped and murdered a child, you don't give him a pass as a good man "on average".

 

[Casual Shinji]

No more violent than any other society that has easy access to guns.

Having the cops over there dial down those itchy trigger fingers would go a long way, I think. This includes the use of tasers.

You're certainly not as bad as Russia or anything.

 

[Parasondox]

From general international news, I would be shot scared if I attended one of your high schools for fears of a school shooting. All it takes is for one kid to be insult to bring in a gun and "punish" his fellow class mates.

The police, people in the UK think our police were bad but shit is more insane when you discover that some states allow police to handle military weapons with the proper training to handle large groups. If you are a small county WHY DO YOU NEED A TANK?!?!

 

[TheRightToArmBears]

I wouldn't say that I think Americans are violent people (obviously you're all individuals and all that), but America... I'm not sure. Sometimes your country feels like a cartoon. It's not just violence but in general, it seems like you're a country that's somewhat lacking in restraint.

 

[Phasmal]

I don't understand your thing with guns and gun control.

So, I don't want to say I think Americans are violent but I'd definitely be uncomfortable if I went to America, mostly because I am not comfortable around guns. Also your police are a bit freaking scary, too.

 

[Zontar]

Canadian here

In my eyes Yankees love the IDEA of violence, but can't stomach the real thing. When I watch a typical American action movie these days, where's the blood? Where's the grit? Where's the blows actually having something come as a result of them? At best most of what you see is purple mack-up, with the exceptions being few and far between. This applies as much to movies as it does television and games.

 

[Callate]

Speaking as an American, I will definitely say there are places in my country I wouldn't feel safe walking alone, and more that I wouldn't feel safe walking at night, and a few that I wouldn't even want to drive through. Not long ago, I had the experience of playing board games over at a friend's house when we heard a series of popping sounds.

Fireworks, someone said. No, I thought; those pops were way too regular in their interval for a firework...

...It turned out someone had unloaded a gun into the house down the street from a car window, and then driven away.

No one hurt, fortunately, even in the house targeted; someone was apparently trying to "send a message".

I'm bothered by the ready availability of firearms in my country, and even more so by a certain mindset that thinks one has to own a gun to be safe, or worse, that owning a gun makes one a self-enforcer of a sort of private law. I've known responsible gun owners- hunters, veterans- but I've also encountered some people who never should have been allowed behind the wheel of a car, let alone to own a gun.

Yet I would have to say, on a day-to-day basis, I don't fear violence. I don't feel unsafe. I don't think someone is going to break into my home and kill me for drug money, or mug me if I walk downtown, or down the street to a grocery store. Most of the people around me would sooner stop to help someone who was in trouble than hurt someone who seemed vulnerable.

Despite the amount of fear-mongering that goes on in our media, I think most people feel they have something to lose by hurting each other. That life isn't cheap. I fear people who feel they have nothing to lose, whether those people are in Seattle or Toronto, Chicago or Paris, Baltimore or Auckland.

But- and perhaps I am fortunate in where I've happened to live and travel- I don't feel that I encounter such people that often. Even most of the people I've dealt with in unfortunate circumstances- homeless, drug addicts, felons- wanted something better for their lives, and didn't want to take it from someone else.

 

[J Tyran]

I Don't believe America is more violent but the abundance of firearms makes the violence worse for a number of reasons, criminals carry guns because other criminals do, the cops carry guns because everyone else does. Its easier to kill someone when you just point a piece of metal in someone direction and pull a trigger, situations that usually end up in fist fights end up in gunfights.

 

[Amaror]

Well kindof. I don't think Americans are violent per se, but i do get the feeling sometimes that violence is kind of accepted by americans as a fact of life and keeps them from trying to do anything against it.
It's the only real explanation i can come up with why, in the face of mass shooting after mass shooting, many americans desperatly want to hold onto the right of every potentially insane person to own a deadly weapon. Something that was only and exclusively designed to kill human beings as effective and fast as possible.
And that they exspecially try to tell everyone that gun control wouldn't work when there are numerous examples of it working, like Australia or many european countries.

 

[Neonsilver]

I don't think that Americans are necessary more violent, but I think there are factors that cause the violence that does happen to escalate quicker. Prime factor in my opinion is that it's a lot easier to get a gun in the USA. I read once about another possible factor, the article said the police in the USA often develop an us vs. them mentality concerning the citizens they are supposed to protect. So when they are on patrol they feel more like they are surrounded by potential enemies instead of fellow citizens.

 

[jklinders]

I try to avoid stereotyping people from other countries where I can. I'm not saying I'm good at it but I try.
Near as i can tell, the US does OK overall. The socio-economic issues you have are going to bring with them a certain amount of crap. Unfortunately there is a lot of race baiting on both sides over this about where the problem is coming from, but if people would just step back and realize most of the shit boils down to money and who has it and try not to blame the whole thing on guns and race then maybe things would be better.

The US is not enough different from Canada for me to avoid it. I've known some great and smart people from the US over the years. I've known some dumb as shit Canadians. Intelligence and decency is not caring of borders.

Some aspects of classic American culture annoy me a bit. There seems to be an obsession with glorifying criminals like Al Capone or other elements of organized crime. This seems to stem from a love affair with the underdog which permeates US national identity i think from the American Revolution.

Internationally, the US has their asses in a crack like no other nation in the world. If they don't intervene somewhere there are people screaming bloody murder at them for not doing anything about (insert atrocity here) but if they do they get screamed at for not doing it right. On these things I try to educate myself but nothing about international politics is black and white and I know enough to know I don't know shit.

tl;dr

Money not guns is the problem domestically. Admiring bloody handed organized criminals is weird. Clearer objectives for the purpose of international intervention is needed. Some of my best friends over the years are Americans. They are doing all right overall.

 

[CrystalShadow]

honestly? Yes.

As someone who has never visited the US, and knows it only from media depictions and talking to people online, it seems like a place that is especially dangerous in terms of violent crime.

It also seems to glorify and fetishise violent things, (such as the obsession with private gun ownership and the 'right' of people to shoot 'criminals' in 'self defense')


Then there's the whole military industrial complex thing.
Which honestly, at times makes the US as a country look like it's run by bloody-minded warmongers.

It's especially ironic because it's closely attached to the idea that America is the 'good guy'.

Yeah, sure. The giant bully who by virtue of being the biggest and strongest thing around has repeatedly shown it's willingless to threaten people into doing what it wants is of course, the 'good guy'.

Mostly in the sense that the people that think otherwise probably feel like they can't say so out loud because they feel like America has a gun to their heads.

Yes! Yes! Of course you're the good guys, and have perfectly good and honourable intentions and such.
That sounds a little hollow coming from someone that essentially has a metaphorical gun to their head...

The relationship with it has with it's smaller, less powerful allies, when you dig into it also starts to look a little like stockholm syndrome...

Or massive dependency. Does Australia really agree with America as readily as it seems to? Or is it just that we are too small to defend ourselves, and need to suck up to someone or other that might be big enough to hold back someone else...

Yeah... That's um... OK, probably a bit over the top. But seriously, if you look at America's behaviour without rose-tinted glasses, and dig into the history of how they behave towards other countries, it can start to look very much like a lot of it consists of dysfunctional relationships resulting from massive power imbalances...

 

[Joost Klessens]

tl;dr: Yes!

I do think America as a nation/society is (one of) the most violent in the developed world. However, I get most of my information second hand from news bulletins, movies/tv, and a few friends/acquaintances who visit or live there. And I would never assume that any individual American was violent. It's just that I feel Americans have a really strange way of thinking about people/countries outside of their own, especially compared to a Western European way of thinking (I'm from The Netherlands FYI). The way Americans come across over here is that they are, for lack of an other word, indoctrinated from a young age to think America is the best! USA number one, and all that... And it seems like most Americans know very little of countries outside of their own, and, based on Americans I've met, seem to think they are the best country in the world and that everybody loves them, except for, maybe, Muslim countries.

Furthermore Americans, to me, come across as honoring and adoring soldiers and everything to do with fighting for their country. While, over here, soldiers are mostly respected of course, but still, they are just doing their job and they get paid for it. So why should they get more respect as anyone else who works, and pays taxes and such to keep our country/the world going. This, combined with Americas tendency to first go to war, over working things out peacefully, makes it seem like America is a pretty violent war-mongering nation.

And, as has been said before, Americans have a strange preoccupation with guns and gun control. Which is very hard to understand for someone who lives in a country where even cops aren't allowed to always carry guns. Guns kill people. So, basically, less guns is good, IMO. While it seems that a lot of Americans think that less guns is bad, and that they should be able to kill someone if necessary. This combined with America's history of violence on the street and cop violence, etc, makes me think that besides being aggressive and violent towards other countries, America is also very aggressive and violent withing its own borders.

Lastly from our perspective, which is probably tainted by movies and tv, America seem to have a lot of strange religious groups/cults, racist groups/cults, and gangs, which often encourage violence. So all in all, yeah I think America is a lot more aggressive and violent than most developed countries. However, I'm not particularly scared of that, as I do realize that it mostly a preconception and that most individual Americans are probably not violent or aggressive at all.

What I find interesting in all this, however, is why America seems to be okay with all kinds of violence, for example on tv and in games and such, but is such a stickler when it comes to nudity/religious views/'racist' words/etc. I mean, IMO, violence should be a bigger taboo than nudity, sex, or anything really.

 

[Cowabungaa]

Oh yes, definitely. Of course, it varies from state to state, I realize that, but looking at the US as a whole, your history and all that's been going on; oh yeah, your culture is very gun-ho. And it makes sense, looking at so many factors. It's a young country born out of proto-capitalist expansion (colonialism) and revolution and then expanded very quickly, mainly through force. You can't expect that past to just go away in a century or so.

Honestly, your global cultural, political and economical influence frightens me. It's thanks to the US that the world now suffers under the yoke of neo-liberalism, arguably one of the most terrible things to ever happen to humankind as a whole. The economic violence inflicted upon billions of people caused (in a large part, because never is there just one cause) by the spread of that ideology makes the situation with IS almost seem trivial (read: it isn't though).

But even on a smaller scale, the institutionalized nature of violence in American society honestly shocks me. The way your police forces employ violence is insane. Hell, the fact that guns are largely somehow seen as defensive tools is just plain crazy. When I consume American fiction (and I do so a lot, because yay third-wave imperialism) violent solutions are treated with a casualness I don't see anywhere else in the Western world at least.

So yeah, to a Dutch guy living in Belgium your culture seems very violent. But as individuals, there's of course plenty of cool people there just like in any other country. But I can't deny certain institutionalized problems that reside in the culture psyche of the US as a whole.

And I realize that this rant seems pretty incoherent. Woops.

No more violent than any other society that has easy access to guns.

Y'see, that's the thing; that ain't true. Both Canada and Switzerland, for instance, have as easy or maybe even easier access to guns. Yet gun violence is way lower in those countries.