Poll: What do other country think of america

[Astoria]

I think Australia's main problem with America is that our Government does what ever America's tell them to. Personally, I don't like America's World Police attitude and the fact that someone like Rick Santorum can run for president and have support! Really? The country that supposedly fights for freedom could have a guy like that for president? I will say though that you guys have awesome theme parks and rediculously cheap food with large sizes. Plus you have Vegas.

 

[Whitewillow]

I hate the all people, just the stupid, ignorant, bigots. *cough* *republicans!*

See, I've got a couple of friends who are Republican, and they're nice people I can have a rational conversation with. I don't agree with some of their political views. And they aren't far-right-wing Republicans. They seem to be somewhere near the middle of the spectrum. I will agree that an awful lot of the party seem to be pretty scarily right wing though.

 

[SciMal]

Sorry about that, you can only have your country and your nationality insulted so many times before you snap. I admit that America is flawed, but point out a country that is perfect. People that get haughty just anger me is all, other countries aren't below America, but they sure as fuck aren't above us.

Eh, it can be a bit taxing to hear others' views.

Then again, from my travels most people in other countries have some basic misconceptions. You take a country like, say, France - and try to explain how it's basically the same size as Texas. Yup, one very large European country is about the same size as the second largest US State, and that the United States is about 14x the size of France.

The entire EU is about half the size of the USA. So, for Europeans, talking about the citizens of the United States and how wacky the politics are is basically asking:

"Imagine that the European Union had twice as many countries, and none of them could be removed if their economy turned to shit."

So, yeah, states are closer to countries in Europe - and as far as that metaphor goes, most States have a pretty homogenous population and pretty similar opinions within the states themselves.

In general, individuals and small groups are nice regardless of where they are.

My personal opinion is that the USA should just let (or FORCE) the South to secede. It wanted to 150 years ago, and it's dragging the rest of the country into its pit of despair. The poorest states are in the South, and the most political wackos come from the South. They can have their Theocracy, and the North could have a government that's not deadlocked for 90% of the year.

 

[Smiley Face]

America is the combination of South America and North America. I think it's funny that citizens of USA seem to believe their country spans two continents. I understand that this is just a colloquialism, and no one really believes it, but if a brit started talking about Europe being occupied solely by other brits people would look at him as if he was an imbecile

It seems so much easier to call those the Americas, and I'm pretty sure that's how it's usually done.

Call it a pet peeve, but I always think it implies a level of arrogance you do not see in other countries.

How many other countries have a name that can really only easily be shortened to part of the name of the continent? I'm not sure how I'm arrogant for having no better word to call myself.

It doesn't imply arrogance, it's just the easiest abbreviation. I'm Canadian, we're on the North American continent too, but we call people from the U.S.A. Americans, we call the country America, that's just how we think of it, and not in a sense that they're the arrogant masters of the continent - they're just called Americans. It doesn't make them seem superior - I don't think of them that way.

OT: As to what I think of America... well, right now, what leaps foremost to my mind is that, as a country, it's politically insane - socially in particular, but also economically - seriously, it scares me to think that some people can honestly hold some of the beliefs being bandied about in such large numbers as to make them viable voting blocs. Obviously this doesn't apply to everyone, and like any place you can find plenty of lovely people. Historically it's a mixed bag - the way it's treated your native population is a far sight worse than Canada, there's the whole slavery thing, but the political example it set was far ahead of its time, and it really broke major ground in developing the modern western liberal democracy and demonstrating its viability. Culturally you tend to drown out other stuff a little, but there's enough good stuff there that it's not a huge deal.

 

[Smiley Face]

My personal opinion is that the USA should just let (or FORCE) the South to secede. It wanted to 150 years ago, and it's dragging the rest of the country into its pit of despair. The poorest states are in the South, and the most political wackos come from the South. They can have their Theocracy, and the North could have a government that's not deadlocked for 90% of the year.

The problem is that then you have a theocracy full of pushy political wackos with lots of guns and no government to restrain them on your border. And depending on how their laws get written, there's very little to stop them going into Manifest Destiny mode and starting a civil war anyways. Not to mention that it's not fair to the people who live there who are would be disenfranchised by the social regulations that would be put in place. Personally, I think aggressive education reform is the best solution. While you're at it, take a vorpal sword to the jabberwocky that is Fox News

 

[Joccaren]

Some of you are fine.
Some of you are idiots.
Same as most other countries.
I hate the attitude some display towards a lot of things, but there are others who display the opposite attitude.

I've run into both nice Americans who I have no problem with, and some stupid, arrogant and rude Americans, who I have many problems with. From personal experience I run into more of the latter group, and that latter group tends to be worse than, say, a stupid, arrogant and rude British person, but that doesn't necessarily reflect the whole country.

So, out of the options:
-You are different from us. Different culture, different views on things - to claim that you are the same would be to ignore that so no.
-You're ok. Some of you are anyway.
-You're idiots. Some of you are anyway.
-I'd rather not engage in intercourse with a large, solid landmass, and it burning would be a waste of resources. As for the people of the USA, I try to make it a habit not to wish any ill will upon others. Some that I've met from the US really need to get a Darwin award sometime soon however, though others are completely fine.

 

[SwagLordYoloson]

Americans online = idiots
Americans IRL = Normal People

But this generally extends to everyone but sweds and swiss peoples.

 

[Guffe]

Well you're one of the leading superpowers so you're good to have around.
The thing that I think mainly (at least in Scandinavia) people are often thinking is that you guys are pretty ignorant when it comes to other countries. I have heard that you study other countries very little, while I understand that with the size of your own and all the history you'd have to know you study USA a lot. As I said this is stuff I've heard not based on facts.
But there comes a lot of stuff both good and bad out of a country your size, I won't say you're all screwed dickheads who should be shot but I don't have A USA flag either and some things in your country could be changed (like in my country too).

 

[Saulkar]

I am stuck between you are ok and you are idiots. The many individuals in the states are all right but both the government, culture (seems quite narcissistic), and a small but vocal and to some extent, powerful group of right wing extreme nationalists. But all nations have a few of those.

 

[Ironman126]

...some food ideas are hilarious I like it seriously spreadable marshmallow

Wait, wait. We have what?! I've never heard of that until now... Lets see what Google has to- Oh god. Why. Why would anyone ever want to spread a marshmallow on anything? Only one of my countrymen could dream this up. Who thinks, "You know what the world needs? A way to spread congealed sugar on stuff without having to heat a marshmallow."

Sorry if this seems melodramatic, but that blows my mind.

 

[wintercoat]

As an American, I'm rather disappointed in my home country. As someone who thinks bullies should be vilified, it's hard witnessing the things my government does and understanding where some of the hate that other countries throw our way comes from. That being said, some of the vitriol that gets spewed about my country is just terrible. It baffles me that people will use a ridiculous stereotype to judge every single person in the States.

 

[Agow95]

no offence to you, I'm sure there are many exceptions to this, but as a majority I think Americans are stupid

 

[thethird0611]

My personal opinion is that the USA should just let (or FORCE) the South to secede. It wanted to 150 years ago, and it's dragging the rest of the country into its pit of despair. The poorest states are in the South, and the most political wackos come from the South. They can have their Theocracy, and the North could have a government that's not deadlocked for 90% of the year.

Erm, I have to intervene here and say a few things.

http://www.census.gov/compendia/statab/2012/tables/12s0728.pdf
Census info showing the south with some of the lowest cost of living (which shows proof of financial stability).

Also, this info shows how the poverty rates in the census can be skewed. Why?
http://www.census.gov/hhes/www/poverty/about/overview/measure.html
Poverty levels do not vary geographically.

Sorry, I just take offense to that statement when the south has a great economy, providing many many raw materials and food, and who put the love of America in their children, MANY of who give their lives for the country.

Sorry once again for the tangent.

OT: Well, im an American. So... I like us? Well, most of us.

 

[J Tyran]

Voted "no differant to us". Every country has its share of crazy and stupid.

 

[GundamSentinel]

Way too religious, too annoyingly patriotic, a lot of people seem more than a bit ignorant about the rest of the world (to quote Jeremy Clarkson: I can honestly believe that in certain parts of America now, people have started to mate with vegetables), sometimes a bit of a superiority complex, your gun laws are retarded, so are your politics in general (though in that respect not much different from the rest of the world).

But those are just generalizations. Every country has its own problems (don't get me started about my own). In the end, what it comes down to is that all the Americans I know are nice and friendly people.

 

[JoJo]

While I don't agree with a lot of your typical American's views, as an Englishman I find them a friendly and interesting people, which is lucky I guess because I'll be going over there to work in less than two months time.

What part of the US will you be working in?

New York state, teaching outdoor skills in particular. Afterwards I travel for three weeks with an organised trip from there to California visiting various cool things along the way ;-)

 

[Arakasi]

You're alright.
Got a lot of fixing to do, but you're alright.

 

[mParadox]

It's been implied over the years the USA's education system is in a dire need of an overhaul. Seems that's a very correct implication.

It's always peeved me that the USA makes out itself as the big hero of WWII. Nevermind the fact, that not many high school from any part of the world don't bother mentioning the sacrifices British-India had to do for the war. That's a bit personal peeve. *ahem* Moving on!

The politics are insane over there. It's akin to reality television.

Speaking of which, reality television. Why USAmerica... why?

 

[chinangel]

I gotta be careful here.

See, I'm Canadian (eh?) and my boyfriend is American, and I'll likely being moving down past the border.

This siad however, as a Canadian, we typically view Americans as being loud and kinda obnoxious, but otherewise harmless.

 

[Arkhangelsk]

Soon to be 18-year old from Sweden, and what I can gather without ever visiting the great apple pie country is that there are a number of highly intellectual individuals, but a number of parts of the country seems to have a very high idiot ratio.