What does the world have against America?

[ChildishLegacy]

They mispronounce the word "aluminium".

Gotta say I did lol when in the middle of a heated discussion you bring the 'butchering of the English language' joke into it xD.

But a short answer to this long long thread would probably go something like this:

The fact that she got an ounce (and loads more) of attention in america and was considered 'presidential material' by ANY of your citizens is enough to make people raise an eyebrow. I mean, I can live with having people like Nigel Farage and Nick Griffin campaigning in England if you people have to put up with that.

 

[spartan231490]

Is it because we've been acting like the global "big kid on the playground" bully for decades? Yes, yes i think it is.

 

[DarkRyter]

Because we rape and murder everyone we meet.

Oh wait, that's just me.

 

[SL33TBL1ND]

People don't hate Americans, they hate America. Or, more accurately, it's policies, political climate and over-the-top patriotism.

An example of this? "God bless the United States of America."

The implication being, "And nowhere else".

 

[Pierce Graham]

You speak as though I support the US. I don't. As I said, there are many things about them that I don't like, a lot of things I hate. SOPA and their foreign policy are the worst.

 

[Foxbat Flyer]

For me its because they seem to be soo stuck on the past when the whole world couldn't stand up to them, They still feel like they are the most important race in the world so they can push other countrys around, and tread over who ever they want...

Although, I have met probably about 10 or so Americans in the past 6 months who are willing to explore the world, and see what it is really like, they have an understanding of the world, and don't think they are better than everyone else. They are the only ones that stop me fully ranting about America (Yes, what you see below is not my full rant...)

The people who ruin America's image are the ones who go on about how America is the best country in the world, without going out to see the world and try it out before claiming it. Its kinda like owning a PS3 (America) and saying the Xbox 360 (every other country) is shit without trying it, or owning a PS3 (America) and trying out a low end PC (Seeing on the news a documetary about the slums in a developing country) that can't run as good as a PS3 (America), they are judging based on what they assume all other PC's (All other countries) are like (If that third world country is like that then everyone else must be like that!).

Thats just my opinion, so in no way do I think that I am correct. So from my view, this is what I See

 

[Doctor Glocktor]

Republicans.

The USA's almost trademark arrogance.

The overlap between the two.

 

[SilentCom]

I've had an American family stay with us for 3 weeks. They are friends of my step mums that she hasn't seen for yonks, so they decided to come pay her (and us) a visit. There was a fat mother with a big mouth, who liked to down a bottle of wine every night, which made her even louder. There was a skinny father, who barely said a word the entire 3 weeks. I could actually stand him. And then there was the spoilt 8 year old fat daughter, who would just sit there watching me as I played games. Not watching the game. She would watch ME. No idea why. The most annoying thing though was their accent. They had a really deep, Southern accent, which pissed me off to no end whenever they would open their mouths. And as the fat mother would get drunk every night, the annoying accent would be heard from further and further distances. I really hope I never see those people again. I am not going to go to America, ever. I cannot stand that accent, and those people have ruined my perception about the country.

I don't know about everyone else, but this is why I don't like America.

(also, the patriotism I always see in the media, movies, etc, is sickening. Not a fan)

Sounds kind of like a sitcom. Also, very few people are like that here in America. At least very few that I've seen in person. Also, patriotism here isn't necessarily like the movies. It's more prevalent in movies and stuff like that than actually displayed by the citizens.

I live in Washington state btw, I can't really say about the other states.

 

[Astoria]

It's mostly because they seem to think they have the right to control the rest of the world. The patriotism of some Americans becomes arrogance sometimes too and that doesn't help either.

 

[Jinx_Dragon]

Sounds kind of like a sitcom. Also, very few people are like that here in America. At least very few that I've seen in person. Also, patriotism here isn't necessarily like the movies. It's more prevalent in movies and stuff like that than actually displayed by the citizens.

I live in Washington state btw, I can't really say about the other states.

I don't know... I made a joke about Americans forgetting what country they are in and requiring flags to remind themselves for a reason. I kid you not, every second house in California was decked out with flags and other signs of nationalize. Oh yes, the act of displaying flags and other national identities is not patriotism but nationalism, in that you blindly follow what these things represent regardless of the reality around you.

As someone who has been through the States, and other countries, I can contest your level of nationalism is frightfully high.

This is part of the problem if you ask me: Blind following of symbols is just one aspect of a nationalistic nation. The others are present and directly lead to the reasons why others might not like America as a nation. Sadly, those flag wavers have the loudest voice and they are all for the USA "policing the world." After all, you're the 'good guys who can do no wrong' in the eyes of this vocal minority so any other nation that disagrees with your laws or does anything to upset the ruling class have to be evil and deserve the bombs being dropped on them.

That is the core reason many nations do not like the USA: It is led by this vocal minority whom have no fucking clue about the real world and yet still believe that they are the good guys and everything they do is justified. This very thought pattern is then used to excuse all sorts of actions being taken in the name of the US, after all: The US can not do any wrong in the eyes of these nationalistic followers. Hell, the very act of dropping a bomb on another nation automatically makes that nation evil: after all, if they where not evil the US would not be bombing them now, would they?

Nationalism has always been dangerous because of this fact, it makes it possible for a whole bunch of people to turn a blind eye to the crimes of their nation and further promotes these crimes to continue.

This nationalistic group, this vocal minority, see no problem in shitting over other countries laws, customs and traditions as they are clearly inferior to the US way of life. In fact, the very existence of a different thought pattern is often seen as justification to bomb the hell out of a country for being 'evil.' The logical conclusion of this thought pattern is: if the USA is the good guys then anything non-westernized has to be evil because it isn't the USA and hence is not 'good.'

At least they make themselves easy to identify when you are in the US: don't go near streets flying a sea of American flags and you should be fine.

 

[Thaluikhain]

People don't hate Americans, they hate America. Or, more accurately, it's policies, political climate and over-the-top patriotism.

An example of this? "God bless the United States of America."

The implication being, "And nowhere else".

Remind me, what's the national anthem of the UK, which is used for various occasions across the Commonwealth?

Though, fair enough if you also hate much of the Commonwealth, especially the UK, and New Zealand twice as much

 

[Blow_Pop]

What is there about us to like?

Darth Vader? http://www.nationalcathedral.org/about/darthVader.shtml

 

[Thyunda]

I feel so bad for the American people. In the Middle East, there are people that would happily burn you and rape your family due to the actions of your government. I know a lot of you are stupid, a lot of you are ignorant, and a few are completely insane, but you're really not bad people. 99% of the Americans on this site certainly don't fit into the above groups, but thanks to your leaders, you're the Infidel now.

I could point the finger at my government, but I live in a republic. Those leaders were elected into office, and a lof of them are now just doing whatever they have to in order to appease voters and win the next election, instead of risking their jobs by trying to really fix things. The problem is that appeasing the voters and fixing things are not the same thing. They ought to be.

I also have the suspicion that the American government formed contingency plans in case of rebellion sometime in the past, so there are entities more shadowy, more permanent than whichever president is in charge. Obama could declare peace with the Middle East and cuddle with Ahmedinejad (forgive the misspelling, it was either that or I'm-A-Dinner-Jacket), and yet, somebody would still see a mysterious black helicopter or a couple of Americans riling things up.
The Libyan 'revolution' was reportedly started by a few 'Westerners', and the Ugandan gay death penalty was started by a trio of American evangelists. I don't think these operations would cease just because the President says so.

I have no evidence to back up this idea, though, so it remains just a theory. I'm not a conspiracy theorist - I don't believe a race of alien lizards are running the government - but it doesn't sound too far-fetched, given America's current actions.

 

[Bobzer77]

I don't dislike Americans, I dislike America.

 

[Airsoftslayer93]

Arrogant world policing, Ridiculously conservative politics, huge influence of religion on everything, ignorant culture...

 

[Mr Somewhere]

American culture seems to be rather insular. Yet, their views are broadcast around the world, so, they come off as rather arrogant, or ignorant to many people. I guess some people feel they've invaded culture, perhaps that or it's just people hating the big boys.

I don't have that problem, many of my favourite authors are American, Bradbury and the like.

 

[The_root_of_all_evil]

America won't share centre stage with anyone.

Americans are generally as decent as the rest of us. But America is as obnoxiously self-centred and reactionary as .... we were in the Victorian age.

 

[mrhappy1489]

Now, I'm Canadian, and I know that a lot of people dislike, even hate, the US. There are several things about the US that I really dislike and hate. But I've always wondered why people seem to view every single American in a bad way. Sure, the US has a lot of obnoxious, arrogant, self-centered, greedy, immoral people, especially in the government. But honestly, what country doesn't? Can any country claim to be perfect bastions of freedom, democracy, happiness, cute puppies and cute smiles on a baby's face? None. Each country has it's flaws. Is it maybe because the US is often set as a country to aspire to? Is it because it's one of the three most powerful countries on Earth? Is it because the Republicans and Democrats seem determined to tear the country in two apart because of their feud? What are your thoughts?

Because in other countries the greedy self-centred arrogant asses in office and those ignorant ass holes who tell them what to do only affect the poor fools in their own country and those directly involved in the issue. Take for example, the current Euro currency crisis and the on going debates. Affects noone really but Europe, ok and china but only because they hold so much of the debt.

In the US, those idiots inflict their ignorance on the WORLD. If you don't believe me...SOPO.

Really it just boils down to the wars America has been in. Also America was half of the reason the whole world could have been fucked by nukes in the 60s.

But then nobody seems to hate Russia for that.

Because the Russia your talking about collapsed for good in 1991 and had been in civil turmoil for some time leading up to that.

The USA is still the USA.

The rest of the world is still wondering why you can let go of the USSR and communism in general.

I'm too lazy to remove everything else but I will say this, the European Union and the Euro Zone on their own are either the biggest or second biggest economy in the world, so what goes on there is going to have significant impact on any country that has invested in them. For example, being an Australian I know that we have a fair bit riding on what happens over in there, case in point that we keep lending money to the Euro Zone, because of it's importance. I'm not saying the US doesn't affect the world significantly whenever they have financial trouble, or feel the need to intervene in world affairs, but it is silly and ignorant to think that one of the worlds chief economic regions would have no affect on the world around it. Also I don't hate the Americans and I believe that the reason so many people have a bad view is because of the image that America projects of itself. I never see the US lovingly portraying it's intelligent individuals about, like it does it's good old fashion mentally challenged trailer trash, which includes the idiotic trailer trash who happen to make money from other mentally challenged trailer trash.

 

[ultimateownage]

Because they're cocky and self centred, and their accent is horrible. Also, all the fucking patriotism. Most irritating and horrible comments or acts I see usually tend to be done by an American. That's not even getting into all of the shit with their foreign policies.
So yes I dislike America, and no I do not dislike every American I come across.

 

[Talshere]

snip

As I pointed out to a previous poster, if the euro were genuinely entered a point where it became unsalvageable in its current form, the euro would either decentralize and revert to individual currencies within the single currency (Each EU note has a serial on it, the first 2 letter states the country of origin so this is more than feasible), or it would boot out all the countries that can no longer support its value and let them crash and burn.


The issue was never "will it kill the big economies", its "can we save the Euro". After all, Germany and France have invested a lot in the Euro and its value to the poorer Eastern Europe countries make it incredibly valuable and desirable to keep active.