Non-Americans: How do you view us?

[ArbiterX13]

WOW......Im amazed at the short memory of peoples in other countries. How much american blood has been spilled since the 1940's for the liberation of nations in Europe, Asia, Africa, and the middle east. We were asked because we were the only ones who could help or had the power to. When the world asks you to be the cops, or cries upon you to say you have the power therefore you have the responsibility to help dont ***** when we do take action because were not helping your favorite cause. Step up and take charge yourself or sit down and shut up.

See, this is exactly why I wish I lived in some other country half the time. I try to like America, I really do...but when you're surrounded by people like this (which has been happening at an increasing rate), it really makes you wish you were a few continents away. In some ways, our problem is that we're too patriotic; many Americans like to believe that they are, without a doubt, the absolute greatest nation in the world, and will blatantly ignore any evidence (which would be virtually everything after WWII) that contradicts their current idea. We're the Unitologists of Earth, in that we deny anything bad involving our cause (thank you, Yahtzee, for helping with that analogy).

 

[lionsprey]

As a country you suffer from a bad case of the "ignore intelligent people and give dumb people talk shows and or places of power" syndrome.

 

[confluxfighter]

Well, yes. Our most trusted news source is a comedian. And the reason for this thread isn't arrogance. It's insecurity.

Believe me, I know we didn't 'win' WWII. We kinda came in at the end and now we yell a lot about how cool we were. But it is all we have.

 

[ecoho]

Contrary to my views on the whole 9/11 thing I don't dislike America or the people dwelling there.

Quite the opposite, i've had 3 fantastic holidays there and never before have I come across a friendlier bunch of people than those I met while on my holidays.

Also during my time in the army I served with American soldiers and got on quite well with them.

I think America is the same as any other country. It has it's decent folk and it has it's dicks. You just find that the dicks in America tend to be twice as loud as the dicks anywhere else. It's a shame but thats how it goes.

British media doesn't paint a great picture of the states though. We do get a lot of your batshit nuts folks on our news. Mainly your incredibly insane politicians and some of your weird as fuck religious nuts.

While most of us know thats not the entirety of America there are people that view America as full of thick as shit crazy people.

But on the whole I do like America. You have your bad points and you have your good points but the people i've met and talk to have been friendly enough and thats all that matters to me.

thank you you've pretty much summed up what most people think of us. What we also have are idiots with a lot of money who go over to Europe and act cocky which makes us all look bad

 

[Wrath 228]

(American here) I can understand completely why the rest of the world would have a general dislike or distaste, hell even downright hatred of Americans, but then I just take solace in the fact that they're just as ignorant and spiteful as Americans who are ignorant and spiteful of other cultures and countries just because they can be.

When it comes down to it, for me, every country has (to bring up another George Carlin quote), "a few winners and a whole lot of losers." You want to hate all Americans because of our media or because of the few assholes that we (sadly) let speak for us, fine, go for it. I for one don't hate anyone until I know something substantial about them.

Problem is the same weirdly enough with Islam... the good majority who aren't crazed loonbags or psychotics aren't firmly smacked down by the others. So, the world gets to see your Sarah Palin's or Rick Perry's and Rush Limbaugh's all yelling and carrying on. They show the inbred redneck backwater racists on TV, they show the cast from Jersey Shore...

So, when you combine that with American recent history, and lack of follow up in some cases, it shouldn't be a surprise.

Trust me, I'm not surprised. It is very unfortunate that decent, hard-working and level-headed people are so overshadowed by the sheer stupidity of politicians and the popular culture we put on display. Don't get me wrong, I'm not some Internet misanthrope who hides behind insecurities by insulting the tastes of others, but I really, really, really hate some of my peers and what they find "entertaining," if not for the sole reason that it makes me look bad.

But at the same time, I also find myself not caring as much. Sure, it's good to be liked, but at the end of the day I honestly couldn't give two shits about what someone from Europe, Asia or any other civilized area of the world thinks of me. If I'm not going to know someone personally or they're not going to have an affect on my career/life in some way, then let them hate.

Bottom line, I hate the popular image everyone has of America, but not the United States itself. I love living here and I love the opportunities I've been fortunate enough to encounter in my short time here, and I can't picture myself growing up anywhere else. However, I cannot and will not be patriotic and ooh-rah about my country simply because I live here. If we do something genuinely stupid or negative, I'm more than willing to acknowledge and try to fix it, so long as the ones who point it out aren't hypocrites.

 

[ecoho]

And didnt the word "soccer" originated in the UK or something?

You are quite right. Somewhere in the 1800's.

We stopped using as a whole (except in some Universities still) but America took it as it's rightful name due to the confusion between Football and "American" Football. Thus the birth of Soccer and Football in American culture.

You'll have to excuse us Brits that are massive Football fans, the term "soccer" just gets our backs up but none of us can explain why.

The word "soccer" comes from the original name of the game "Association Football" or more precisely from its abbreviation Assoc. Assoc. was a slang term used in UK universities from about 1889. It later became socca, socker (1891) and finally evolved into soccer (1895).

The Football Association was founded in London in October 1863 by eleven clubs/schools. The Association agreed upon a standard set of rules prohibiting use of the hands or carrying the ball. The clubs which opposed this rule eventually broke away conceiving their own version of the game - rugby.

And there you see the birth of Rugby aswell. I'm too kind to you people I really am.

For those Americans that don't know what Rugby is, it's the same as your "Football" but with no cowards body armour.

uhmm just want to point out rugby is not the same as American football. the players are larger and hit harder.(theres a reason for the pads and "body armor")

 

[Peter Davis]

I don't have anything against the people until i've met them (within reason) your govenment and the retarted laws that get proposed kinda make me cringe a nice bit. As for the 9/11 thing I'm just kind of hearing about it, it was terrible don't get me wrong but unless you were there or lost somone...like one news peice maybe. Other than that its was a bad thing that happened 10 years ago. I feel for those who were lost and those who lost. But beyond that i don't give a fuck. Sorry to say, and i might get reported for this. But again i don;t care have a good day, and best of wishes to all of you

 

[Bloedhoest]

Comments like this make me wonder if all Americans are complete idiots. That and Fox News.

Oh, view in new window for maxed version.

 

[Rawne1980]

uhmm just want to point out rugby is not the same as American football. the players are larger and hit harder.(theres a reason for the pads and "body armor")

I know that bud.

Like I said earlier I do like Americans but that doesn't mean I can't have a little friendly dig every now and then.

 

[Magicmad5511]

I'm English and my only issue with America is all the religious nuts who think the slightest opposition their beliefs is a personal insult to them and everyone else who shares their beliefs.
Also the fact Fox news(the very heart of miss information and hate mongering) comes from your country and many believe it.
I'm sure that face to face I would get along well with you but the extremes paint you in a bad light and that is what people then think of when they think of America. Ironically it is how many people(too many) think of countries that your at war with. Not all of you are so extreme but some are.
Online gaming hasn't helped you either. Every one of my friends will state that 11 year old Americans screaming down the mic is their least favorite thing. Again, not all of you are like that but it's just people stereotyping.

Blame the loud obnoxious idiots of your vast country. I'd specifically blame Alabama(taking this knowledge from an episode of Top Gear where they are chased out of town because they have homosexual and political slurs written on their cars). I may be wrong but as long as your a nice person it doesn't matter about your nationality.

 

[Daverson]

Personally, I think Americans have weird accents. Even Especially Canadians! (...says the half Welsh Yorkshireman =p )

You don't notice it on TV, but when you actually meet one it's impossible not to notice! D=

 

[The Unworthy Gentleman]

How do you view the U.S.A as a whole?

When people think of the US, they think of the people who posted "japanese earthquake= payback For pearl Harbour!! LOL!!!!"

That isn't what you are of course, it's just how stereotypes are made; it's only ever the negative aspects that shine through. Most of you are normal, admirable people.

9/11 is a strange one. The people deserve to be remembered, however 9/11 is blown way out of proportion in comparison to similar events that have occurred all around the world. And, because of that, there is a lot of resentment harboured towards the US.

 

[loc978]

edit: Jimmy Carter summed you guys just perfectly with the Malaise Speech. it really hit the nail on the head when it comes to america and the american dream.

I think this is it, I've only ever read extracts before

That's the one. A great speech from a great man. Sadly, it's only gotten worse since then. The challenge he issued to that generation... well, they failed it.

I'm an American from the middle of nowhere in the northwest, and I'm generally not fond of Americans. We really do have too many paranoid, ultra-conservative, jingoistic bigots in this country, and those bigots have too much freedom combined with too little respect.

 

[Jakub324]

You guys don't suck, you just have a really vocal minority that gives you a bad name.

 

[Jake0fTrades]

SNIP

Don't apologize, you didn't do anything wrong. Your intentions were devoid of malice and you asked your question without slandering others. If he wants to throw a fit because he thinks his particular set of principles and beliefs is better than anyone else's, that's his problem.

 

[The Lunatic]

The majority of Americans I seem to meet are well-mannered, decent people.

However, that's not to say that there aren't people who are absolutely idiots. This is the same for most or less every country, however, with America, it seems oddly pronounced.

I suppose it's mostly the fault of the media that gives these people attention.

 

[Kekkles]

I see not a single person as a part of a pseudo-superficial stereotype but as an individual, be they American, English, what have you. The Patriotism of this entire event is probably what puts people off but I'm not one that mourns the deaths because it was on American soil but simply because the mass of people that died in this horrific attack.

 

[gewata]

The fact you made a thread asking how people view America is probably a strong contender.


Arrogance.

Also a complete lack of self awareness or an appreciation of cause and effect.

Let's just say if your people fund terrorism in a country for some insipid reason you can't expect too much sympathy from that country's people when terrorism comes to you too.

Oh, like when Americans funded the IRA during the Troubles?

Got there before I could. Still, I'm surprised that it took almost to the bottom of the second page before someone mentioned NORAID. SO yeah, if any Americans are reading this, your country funded some of the worst and most prolonged terrorism the world has ever seen. And when I say prolonged, the Troubles started in 1969 and officialy ended in 2005. Just check out http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Provisional_Irish_Republican_Army and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Noraid to see how many innocent people were killed because the States funded terrorism. In total, about 1800 people were killed.

So don't give me no shit about fighting terrorism in the Middle East when your country was complicit in funding it in Britain.

 

[Daddy Go Bot]

Comments like this make me wonder if all Americans are complete idiots. That and Fox News.
Oh, view in new window for maxed version.

The EXACT same thing happened when the U.S. lost some women's soccer game to Japan a few months later. And that was even more pathetic if you can believe it.

 

[Mad1Cow]

I always say, 'I love America, I hate Americans' but I should probably expand on that point. See because I'm a Brit, we have a public view of Americans, either the rich, business, Scrooge types that would drop all their moral values for a penny (see the sueing scandals) OR the redneck idiot American that claims they had to kill that Beaver in the zoo because it was an object of Satan.

But that's another thing, I hate people in general. People that I have no emotional attatchment too, I hate, because they're usually inconsiderate. These will be people in a queue, or people in a crowded shopping centre, or people getting fuel for the car. I have many American friends that are nothing LIKE the stereotype and I know they exist.

But when the loudest of the bunch come in numbers yelling "YES AMERICA IS THE BEST AND YOU CAN'T STOP US" and when you lose something we see pictures going out reminding people of Iraq or Nukes or whatever, it never paints a pretty picture.

Oh and your entertainment is simple. See I like smart, subtle humour and it's generally an all around British thing, either that or awkward humour. It's reasons why Monty Python, QI and The Inbetweeners does well here. Two and a Half Men? Frasier? How I Met Your Mother? Blehck.