What does the world have against America?

[SwagLordYoloson]

I only dislike the government, they are a total bunch of dick flopping twats. The people on the other hand are like people anywhere, I am indifferent to their plight.

 

[DaJoW]

Well, many of the points I was going to make have been made, but I haven't seen this one: American media exports. It's not so much the quality, but the characters - "Average Joes" who are nearly always arrogant, bossy and often ignorant (and proud of it), pretty much how people around here view Americans at large. This is mostly in comedy shows, but that's also the vast majority of American shows we get here. Add to that the fairly common "oh look a foreigner" episodes with classic stereotypes of other countries (something I don't think I've ever seen in a Swedish show, though it does happen in British shows) and the regular cast making fun of them for not being Americans, and it adds to the image of Americans being ignorant of the rest of the world. HIMYMs constant taunting of Canada and Canadians, which is commonly seen as very similar to us, is a fairly good example.

Then there's of course the "[America is the] greatest, best country God has ever given man on the face of the Earth" (quote from Sean Hannity) rhetoric that seems to be the basic mindset of American politicians, and admitting that the US isn't perfect is somehow a bad thing. I hear Obama has caught some flack for saying "We have lost our ambition, our imagination, and our willingness to do the things that built the Golden Gate Bridge." Since politicians play on the voters, trying to present the image of how the voters want their elected officials to be, it looks really, really bad. Ron Paul (whom I'm not a fan of) got booed in a debate for suggesting that maybe the reason for terrorist attacks isn't "they hate our freedoms" but what the terrorists said they disliked, which just seemed a like a really stupid reaction.

Add to that the statistic saying the US is the most obese country on Earth with >30% of the population being classified as obese in 2005 [http://www.nationmaster.com/graph/hea_obe-health-obesity] and it kind of verifies one stereotype, making the rest all the more believable.

 

[Psymon138]

snip

This is really well written and i was honestly looking at the keyboard after reading this trying to decide what to add. I dont hate americans but as one "combined" country entity you can be rather dislikable.

I mean you can try and brush that genocide under the carpet as much as you like america but you were built on taking natives and brutally murdering them then building on top of the rivers of blood. Now you tend to be quite scared of anyone bringing change to your country from outside. We hate hitler for what he did but for some reason no one tends to hold this against you. It kinda rankles me that so many can die and no one even cares. The native americans are just a forgotten people. And when your average american complains about invading "aliens" the hypocracy makes me cringe.

Youre an OK bunch, but like the above poster said you tend to speak for the "west" like some kind of spokesman, and it kinda makes us come of douchy. I despise Mr cameron. I wish hed stop licking shoe for a minute to actually say some of his own stuff. Not that id even agree with it but hell its a start.

To play Devil's Advocate here, we Brits are hardly blameless on the genocide and enslavement of native populations front. Just look at some of the stuff that happened in Africa, or India, or Australia when we were running those places. If you want a 'forgotten people' who were massacred to make room for white settlers, look no further than the Aborigines of Australia. Even as late as the 1920s they were considered barely more than animals and even today there's a lot of legal and social prejudice against them.

Or closer to home, look at the treatment of the Irish when we were running the place. The British ran the country into the ground and when it was hit by a famine that killed or drove away almost a quarter of its population, we did nothing.

People hate America because it's easy to. They are a huge, powerful country that can easily be given a faceless 'them bastard americans' identity. Britain and most other countries have a lot of skeletons in our closets. The only reason we aren't in the exact same situation as America is that we aren't that powerful any more.

 

[silversnake4133]

Well, think of it this way: the only thing that other countries' citizens hear of the US is through the media, and what does the media report on? Stereotypes, suffering, misery, basically negative things. That's all the news is anymore is negative. Also, you have to take into account that as a populous, the US is probably one of the most diverse countries in terms of culture. And since there is a limited space to abide by, many of these different cultures cross and form conflicts. One culture believes this should happen, or another culture thinks this should be law. It's just back and forth arguing that essentially becomes a way of life over here.

And quite frankly I think that because there's just so much negativity thrown onto us as a nation anymore, that the average citizen just doesn't care. We don't give a shit what you think about us because we're constantly assaulted with it on a daily basis. It's 2011, almost 2012 and yet we're still being blamed for things that our great grandparents, and our grandparents had done. Honestly, I'm just really tired of it. I'm tired of being looked upon as the bane of the entire world because of the narcissistic, greedy dealings of our government and the fucking fat cat businesses that rule over us. Honestly if you guys from other countries want to call me stupid, fat, greedy, ignorant, and all those other stereotypic words, try putting yourself in my shoes (a common citizen, or essentially a "nobody"), where even though I live in one of the wealthiest countries in the world, I still have to worry about whether or not I'm going to live past 35, whether or not I'll have enough money and resources to support myself and my future family, and whether or not I'll be able to get a job despite the fact that I have a Masters degree (plus hoping that others out there will be able to look past gender and race stereotyping and similar bs).

This isn't just an "American" thing either, I'm pretty sure these kinds of things are occurring right now in countries with enough economic presence to have divided socioeconomic classes. Honestly I would have hoped that we as a species would have grown out of this petty hatred, but alas as long as there is money to be had, there will be conflict.

 

[Thaluikhain]

Well, people seem to judge nations based on their politicians (who have to appeal to their citizens to get voted for) and possibly what pop culture they produce for themselves (which has to appeal to to their citizens to make money).

UK politicians seem to be somewhat silly and antiquated in their approach to things, but more or less muddle through. Only two TV shows have ever been made in the UK ever, the one about the grizzled policeman and Doctor Who. Both of these have a long suffering assistant and some older government bloke that gets in the way for half the show, but is a nice guy really.

Australian politicians are boring, and occasionally call for calm in big international things they have nothing to do with. The Australian film industry has only ever made one movie, that one about the Aussie battler not been taken seriously, but muddling through at the end. When New Zealand isn't being confused with Australia, it's got two TV shows, the one with all the tasteless jokes, and Flight of the Concords.

So nobody is too annoyed with the UK, AUS or NZ.

US politicians, seem to spend their time simultaneously claiming that the US is the greatest nation ever, and that everyone in the US who isn't exactly like them is a subhuman traitor. The US has made two TV shows, the teenage comedy thing with the laughtrack, and the show where the police/FBI/CIA/NSA/DEA/ATFe/ICE/OMG/WTF fight over who gets to beat up the criminals.

Yeah...

To play Devil's Advocate here, we Brits are hardly blameless on the genocide and enslavement of native populations front. Just look at some of the stuff that happened in Africa, or India, or Australia when we were running those places. If you want a 'forgotten people' who were massacred to make room for white settlers, look no further than the Aborigines of Australia. Even as late as the 1920s they were considered barely more than animals and even today there's a lot of legal and social prejudice against them.

Though this is true, you can't blame the UK for the last hundred years plus of Australia's racism.

 

[Sugna]

well the CIA put sadam husein in power, americans sold weapons to iran in order to fund an anticommunist movement in south america, and wow that worked out well. They also have a huge nuclear stockpile that could destroy the world something like 300 times over and refuse to allow other countries including their allies to have independent nuclear capacity's. but that's just the politics many of the people there have no real knowledge of the outside world consider other countries automatically inferior and refuse to admit to wrong doings such as vietnam and nagasaki. oh and they refuse to admit they ever lost a war despite having lost in vietnam and to the british in 1812. oh and they're trying to censor the internet!

 

[Killclaw Kilrathi]

I don't hate Americans, but some of the really conservative ones on low income baffle me. The ones who cheer on politicians when they say with almost complete transparency, that they're basically going to screw the workers and give it all to the rich. If you stood up in the Australian parliament and said things like poor people should be denied healthcare, your political career would be over. Different cultures, I guess.

 

[TheYellowCellPhone]

Because the citizens are just a magical scapegoat for everyone to fuel any hatred they have into us. A lot of the hate you can blame on the higher ups, but there will always be that person who calls all 300,000,000+ of us stupid because one Senator wanted to go through with SOPA.

 

[NotSoLoneWanderer]

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)

I'm American and loud mouthed drunks, Especially ones who a parents annoy me but that would annoy anyone right no matter the country. The father was probably beaten into submission by years of living with a woman who would win arguments by being the loudest and talking the longest. Feel bad for him, I know I do. The 8 year old girl probably liked you and wanted attention. The accent is only in the south. Stick to the coast and upper interior and you may never have to hear it. Likewise I could be turned off if I were in your situation to Americans but they are not at all what were like. Except maybe the obesity and loud talking...and depending on where you go the drinking...eh.

 

[Descalon]

My personal bias against Americans is the statistical ignorance. Yes, it's that petty. But let's face it, we're all biased. Every time I mention being Dutch, most foreigners (usually republicans) tend to gather I'm a bloody junk and a frequent patron at the local brothel. And the Dutch still speak about the Germans as if they're all Nazi's.

 

[Thaluikhain]

well the CIA put sadam husein in power, americans sold weapons to iran in order to fund an anticommunist movement in south america, and wow that worked out well. They also have a huge nuclear stockpile that could destroy the world something like 300 times over and refuse to allow other countries including their allies to have independent nuclear capacity's. but that's just the politics many of the people there have no real knowledge of the outside world consider other countries automatically inferior and refuse to admit to wrong doings such as vietnam and nagasaki. oh and they refuse to admit they ever lost a war despite having lost in vietnam and to the british in 1812. oh and they're trying to censor the internet!

Firstly, the US does not have the capacity to destroy the world even once.

Secondly, a number of US allies have developed nuclear weapons. The UK has had nuclear weapons for decades, France developed them recently.

Thirdly, Nagasaki was justified to bring and end to WW2.

 

[Sion_Barzahd]

As you said, americans are stupid, greedy, lazy, obnoxious, arrogant and a whole list of other negative things. Granted it isn't all of them, it is however a shockingly large number of them and they tend to be the ones that make all the noise, attract all the attention and make a bad name for the country as a whole.

I don't hate americans, i just start with a massive decrease in expectations when dealing with them. I welcome any american that pleasently surprises me. However i'm sadly rarely surprised outside of some small communities, like this one.

 

[Descalon]

Firstly, the US does not have the capacity to destroy the world even once.

Well, if we put MAD in the equation, everyone has the capacity to destroy the world.

 

[rayen020]

Mostly stereotypes. Those arrogant, self-centered, greedy, obnoxious, stubborn, ignorant, aggressive americans are all that other countries ever see... especially because there seem to be alot of them in the government. they are easy to hate and becasue they somehow seem to keep being elected, most would assume the people of the country are like that too.

 

[Kreett]

I don't hate the country itself, just some of the population and its politicians.

 

[For.I.Am.Mad]

There was a war in 1812?

 

[Thaluikhain]

Firstly, the US does not have the capacity to destroy the world even once.

Well, if we put MAD in the equation, everyone has the capacity to destroy the world.

No, nobody has the capacity to destroy the world. They are able to destroy nations, sure, but that's not the same thing. In the event of a full scale nuclear war, most people (as in, somewhat more than half) would survive. Humanity would be set back decades or centuries, but it'd recover.

Thirdly, Nagasaki was justified to bring and end to WW2.

Not just ignoring hiroshima, but also that japan, germany and their allies didnt have a chance to win the war at that point. Brilliant.

I didn't say "win". I said "end".

You're right, Japan and its allies were long defeated by that point, but Japan refused to admit it. They were training schoolkids to attack enemy soldiers with pointy sticks rather than surrender.

Even after Nagasaki, there were many important Japanese people that wanted to keep fighting.

 

[Aurora Firestorm]

We just had one of these threads a couple months ago. Must we do it again?

Probably because people perceive Americans as being overly patriotic, proud, kind of socially backward sometimes, and beating up on Middle Eastern countries.

I like America (well, I live here, I guess I generally would), but in the end, we do as much stupid crap as any other country. We're just drawing the attention now.

Let us *please* separate "conservative religious types" from "all religious types." As a religious liberal, I resent that, and we need to stop spreading the ignorance that is "oh man, let's assume all Christians are dicks!" If I had a nickel for every time someone thought that way...

 

[theriddlen]

Well, we actually like US over here, in Poland, and i used to be quite a fan of it, but right now, after all the police violence, disrespecting of their own constitution and government making some very controversial decisions, I am concerned about what will happen there.

 

[hubert]

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