How the world sees the US -- NON-politically

[Autumn]

OK, I wrote this befor reading the replies:

The archetype of "the american man" in my head is a big fat dude with sun glasses, wearing shirt and shorts. A tourist of course, with a camera hangin' on his neck and a straw hat. Loud speaking, ignorant fool with lots of money. Arrogant too.

A cheap stereotype I know, but you asked for it :).

[Acala1]

I think the deciding factor is where the person forming an opinion on the US is from. I'm sure thats been said.

Nope, the prejudice about USA is pretty much the same around the world, except maybe for Muslim countries, and those countries that are so poor they dont give a flying fuck about USA.

:think:->:confused:-> :popcorn:

[charred_heart]

If I asked an Arab who doesn't speak English and only knows the U.S from what he/she has seen on TV and youtube, the response would be that ppl in the U.S are naive, don't work hard for their money, are only interested in material goods and getting rich. It's your pop culture that's making you look bad.

[Neppy]

OK, I wrote this befor reading the replies:

The archetype of "the american man" in my head is a big fat dude with sun glasses, wearing shirt and shorts. A tourist of course, with a camera hangin' on his neck and a straw hat. Loud speaking, ignorant fool with lots of money. Arrogant too.

A cheap stereotype I know, but you asked for it :).

I think we can blame The Simpsons for this stereotype. ;)

Those people probably exist. Hell, they exist in the UK too, or most countries, only without the American accent.

Almost all Americans I've met have been intelligent and open-minded, but then again, they have access to the Internet... :stupid:

I think how I see America is weird. I imagine absolutely everything in the country to be enormous. Big buildings, big TVs, big cars, big houses, big everything. I also imagine it to be absolutely chock-full of fast food chains and massive Wal-Marts.

That's just what springs to mind every time I think about the country, which is weird. I really need to go there sometime.

[Kathara]

Americans also do not like to mix with other nationalities. A friend of mine went to the USA to study, and she said that everybody who was a native American treated her with a superior attitude. I have heard the same story several times. Also, I was good friend with an American who lived in Romania, but the moment a second USA citizen was brought into the group, he forgot all about me, and retreated into his newly found world with his new buddy.

[dvntrsnsltd]

As an international student in college here in the States, I've unfortunately come across a lot of people who fit in the loud, obnoxious and ignorant stereotype.

Granted, yes, I'm sure there are stupid people in every country, but perhaps speaking up is such a big part of the American culture that it encourages an awful lot of dumb comments as well.

[trapstar]

Americans also do not like to mix with other nationalities. A friend of mine went to the USA to study, and she said that everybody who was a native American treated her with a superior attitude. I have heard the same story several times. Also, I was good friend with an American who lived in Romania, but the moment a second USA citizen was brought into the group, he forgot all about me, and retreated into his newly found world with his new buddy.

That's a characteristic of all germanic first world citizens. Believe me. They lack manners.

EDIT: Germanic as in western... sorry
And I would like to exclude brits also, they are very humble and fun to drink with

[jingle]

I think how I see America is weird. I imagine absolutely everything in the country to be enormous. Big buildings, big TVs, big cars, big houses, big everything. I also imagine it to be absolutely chock-full of fast food chains and massive Wal-Marts.

That's just what springs to mind every time I think about the country, which is weird. I really need to go there sometime.


I was wondering if anyone still (or ever) feels this way! I have heard similar views of Americans as stated throughout this thread and others through the years, but have not run across your exact sentiments recently.

When I was still living in one of the 3rd world countries until the early eighties, most of the population viewed everything America/Americans as lovely and big. Big everything. For me, I imagined there are big pencils and erasers, big streets, big cars, big mattresses. Big and tall people. Food and candies everywhere. All this despite the government's incessant droning on about American Imperialist and banned anything American. For me, the material things were made more desirable by the promise of freedom that America is known for. So, the combination of the riches and freedom is irresistible and delicious *drools...wiped mouth*

Even now, my country is obsessed with America and would do most anything to come here. The rich wants to have a safety net here, and the poor just wants an opportunity.

I think there are 2 vastly different perspectives on how the US is viewed.
1. From the Upper and Middle class - Those having the time and resources to either access the information through the media or interactions with Americans (as tourists or with Americans living abroad) would most likely be more vocal about it.
2. From the Lower class - Those not having the luxury of time or resources would most likely dream of the abundance that America could offer...in every way from food/material things to freedom.

It's human nature that if you have it already, you wouldn't miss it. For those experienced with poverty, would not take such things for granted. It comes down to choices, or lack thereof.

No specific scientific study, just my 2 cents ;)

[Camelopardalis]

Americans are more open to debates than other parts of the world, but it is also one of the world's fattest countries (for reasons I can only imagine). Some are racist (not just against one race) and the election process is more like a giant economic game of propoganda and religion (I'm talking about how people tend to vote for the candidates of their own religion). The country itself like to interfere with private matters of other countries. Who told them to butt in on the Taiwan-China affair? They may think that it's best that they intervene, but why impose your views on others? Also, studying in an American school, I find that their textbooks may be slightly biased against other cultures, criticizing and analysing as they understand the subject. For a fact, I know that there are definitely more to Chinese History than their skin-deep analysis of it, and I've actually gathered testimony from people who had lived through historical events.

As for their accents, I find it natural and 'right', as I use that particular accent as well.

I've been to America twice, and I find that my family and I are looked down upon because of our ethnicity.

[MacGuffin]

I've been to America twice, and I find that my family and I are looked down upon because of our ethnicity.

I better inform my wife.

[Nighthawk]

Also, studying in an American school, I find that their textbooks may be slightly biased against other cultures, criticizing and analysing as they understand the subject.

Having grown up in a family where most of the adult males fought against the USA in WW2, I had the same experience when confronted with history texts in both grade school and high school. A very shallow coverage of popular (US) beliefs, conveniently leaving out anything that did not correspond. A lot of deatils were missing as well. I was pleasantly surprised that my university studies covered the topics more in depth and with greater perspective.

[thod]

Americans seem to want to be in a perpetual war. Without an "other" there is no "us". If they were to ever wake up and realise they realy dont have much in common with the other guy a except passport their whole society would collapse die to constant emphasis they place on competition.

You see their editing of history all the time.

They won WW1: They took part in a single campaign towards the end which was already assured, most people outside the US dont even know the US had any involvement in that war.

They won WW2: Once again false, they were helpful in opening a 2nd front with the British but it was the Russians that beat the nazis.

The got a draw in Vietnam: They actualy got kicked out and badly beaten.

They must believe they are winners. If you believe you are goint to be a loser then you begin to object to the competition mentality that drives the US. They ignore the reality that most people in the US are losers, that most of them never get rich. That a poor guy realy doesnt have much chance to get rich. Just that tiny bit of hope is traded for lousy social conditions.

[charred_heart]

I better inform my wife.how do you know you're not looking down on her ?

like, did you ever ask her?

[Nighthawk]

They must believe they are winners. If you believe you are goint to be a loser then you begin to object to the competition mentality that drives the US. They ignore the reality that most people in the US are losers, that most of them never get rich. That a poor guy realy doesnt have much chance to get rich. Just that tiny bit of hope is traded for lousy social conditions.

Will be interesting to see how the present Iraqi war is written into history.

[thod]

Iraq isnt a war, its a police action. Soldiers are trained to fight other soldiers openly in fire fights. Iraq has a mostly passive population with a terrorist/freedom fighter minority, less than 0.1%.

Soldiers are hopless at this. Its the realm of intelligence operatives and policemen.

Afghanistan is much more of a soldiers domain. The British are facing full scale light infantry assualts on their compounds. Machine guns and mortars, men running across open ground firing thier rifles and lobbinig grenades. Its why they pulled out of Iraq to put the men into Afghanistan.

[Nighthawk]

Iraq isnt a war, its a police action. Soldiers are trained to fight other soldiers openly in fire fights. Iraq has a mostly passive population with a terrorist/freedom fighter minority, less than 0.1%.


Agreed ... much like the partisan warfare the Germans faced in occupied regions of Yugoslavia and the USSR in WW2. As you alluded, different kinds of troops dealt with that type of threat.

[lowtech redneck]

The country itself like to interfere with private matters of other countries. Who told them to butt in on the Taiwan-China affair? They may think that it's best that they intervene, but why impose your views on others? Also, studying in an American school, I find that their textbooks may be slightly biased against other cultures, criticizing and analysing as they understand the subject. For a fact, I know that there are definitely more to Chinese History than their skin-deep analysis of it, and I've actually gathered testimony from people who had lived through historical events.


Are there any specific historical events you are talking about? Also, the United States "interferes" in the Taiwan-China affair because we do not want a) to be chain-ganged into another war with China and b) we do not want more than 20 million people living in a de-facto free and independent country to be forcibly deprived of their liberty by an authoritarian regime. Any official and substantive interference is aimed toward maintaining the status-quo for these reasons. You failed to mention which perspective of the issue you identify with, so hopefully my response will provide an explanation either way.

One way to understand the American perspective is to realize that we are a state-nation rather than a nation-state. Our country is based upon classical liberal theories and principles, to the extent that such provide much of the "national culture" we lack due our diverse population and lack of centuries-old traditions. Our actual adherence to such principles (disregarding the fact that certain principles conflict with other principles at some point) may be more rhetorical than real, but even ostensibly basing our national identities through this paradigm shapes the way we view the world. And yes, even the puritanical segment of our population has internalized such ideals, resulting in American Christian fundamentalists believing in a "free market of religion" where freedom of religion and speech are almost as valued as religiosity itself.

[pangolin]

I think many Americans don't realize how the rest of the world view them, it could be a real eye-opener.

Except that most of the stereotypes listed so far don't apply to me and are in fact things I dislike about American culture as well, which makes the rest of the world just as shallow and shortsighted.

[MacGuffin]

how do you know you're not looking down on her ?

like, did you ever ask her?
She is pretty short.

Fuckin' Asians.

[Nocapszy]

Some are racist (not just against one race)
So were the Nazis.





This thread officially Godwined by Nocapszy

[Oso Mocoso]

You see their editing of history all the time.


Umm ... they must really suck at editing history then, because what you're presenting runs counter to what is taught in U.S. history books.


They won WW1: They took part in a single campaign towards the end which was already assured, most people outside the US dont even know the US had any involvement in that war.

U.S. history presents the fact that many individual Americans participated in the war in various capacities. The way the U.S. history texts present this war, it was fought among European states and the U.S. was allied with the victorious powers but not really itself a major combatant. The U.S. mostly helped by selling them cotton and stuff.


They won WW2: Once again false, they were helpful in opening a 2nd front with the British but it was the Russians that beat the nazis.

... and you're biased by not placing any importance on the fight against Japan. Again, in U.S. history books it's never portrayed as the US winning WW2. It's presented that the U.S. was on the winning side of the war. Message = the Allies won WW2, not the U.S.

You might be reacting to the fact that they teach the fact that WW2 left the U.S. in a globally favorable position because our economy didn't get repeatedly kicked in the balls the way Europe's and Japan's did.


The got a draw in Vietnam: They actualy got kicked out and badly beaten.

Are you joking? Have you been to Vietnam lately? In the long run, it turned out to be an economic victory. And the dollar was far more important to McNamara than how many people got their villages napalmed and how often. Note the numerous people getting their villages napalmed were entirely in one of the two countries.

[rogue_ausa]

Ok I'd first like to say that I love this place. I didn't know about it until the other day and I'm very happy I found it. Oddly enough found it while having coffee at Waffle House in Texas and held the grits :)

Basically over the past 3 days I've read about 8 pages on and off. I will not disagree with a damn thing that was said, except that japan thing. They bomb us, we didn't want in the war at all the public was against it until pearl harbor, and while the damage that was done was extensive we are still paying for it to this day and it was a defensive measure.

All I have to say about it is that we as americans represent the world as a whole. Every race, culture, religion is here. We are made up of the worlds original rejects and have stayed that way throughout our history. We stand up for the underdog and then pay for it. When you want someone to take care of something you turn to us however when we want to stand up for ourselves you say that we are power hungery people on a rampage. Everything that you find annoying in your own culture is here which is why you can pick it out so easily. Haven't you ever heard the saying, "Your biggest pet peeve is one one thing you hate most about yourselves." While I can't stand a lot about this place I wouldn't live anywhere else because atleast I know here I have a voice, no matter how small and soft I know that if I wanted it to be louder it could be. I'm very proud to be an American and a Texan. Now I would expect that ya'll would be proud of your countries also. If not then maybe you should look at your roots. All this forum is doing is bringing in the exact predigest, anger, and violent thoughts and act that you claim is one of the worst things about American.

What else most of you don't thing of is we are a fairly new country compaired to most of the others. We are making the same mistakes all of your countries have made in the past only it seems worse because your cultures have all 'advanced' socially than we have. Give us 100 more years and we will just be getting to the mindset that ya'll are. Our country is only in its Teens, why don't you be parents and instead of judging and rediculing us try and understand what we are going through. Try treating us with respect as people and individuals instead of clumping us all together. Every culture has violent people, crime, drugs, hatred. We are no different just a little new and not as experienced with what we should do with it.

[Rhu]

The idea of developing a pure national identity while asserting that the country is and always will be a conglomeration of peoples with no dominant culture has always struck me as a sort of naive contradiction.

[Thevenin]

I think that there can be different levels of identity without each level contradicting another. For example, Americans generally seem to hold, to varying degrees) some common, fundamental beliefs such as freedom of speech, property rights, rule of law, etc. Most Americans, if they don't speak English, eventually do. Even if we don't vote, we believe in elections. The list is long. Despite some hypocrisy, as there is everywhere, this doesn't necessarily obviate ethnic identity, socio-economic position, and regional or personal variations/cultures.

[Rhu]

I think that there can be different levels of identity without each level contradicting another. For example, Americans generally seem to hold, (to varying degrees) some common, fundamental beliefs...
It's not common and general if its intensity varies so widely, is it?


Most Americans, if they don't speak English, eventually do.
Right. There's a general internal and external drive for immigrants towards assimilation into an American Dream.


this doesn't necessarily obviate ethnic identity, socio-economic position, and regional or personal variations/cultures.
Oh, certainly. For every culture there are also counter-cultural movements, absolutist political false dichotomies, and any number of other descriptors that you can come up with to uniquely identify an individual member of that culture.

This is saying something else entirely, however:

All I have to say about it is that we as americans represent the world as a whole.

Try treating us with respect as people and individuals instead of clumping us all together.

[Bwian]

This is saying something else entirely, however:


I see it as two sides of the same coin. Recognize that America is what it is because of all cultures. We all collectively represent many cultures, so please try to understand what makes an American act the way they do because of his or her individual background and experiences.

I agree that we are such a young country. Being young can make it hard for some people that come from a tradition-heavy culture, since everyone has had to bring their own traditions with them and attempt to assimilate them, or to make new traditions and holidays for Americans and by Americans, together.

I'd say we've come a long way in under 300 years. How many countries have rampant ethnic cleansing, or racial violence, or gender equality problems? How about population control? Education? There are plenty of comparatively ancient countries that still haven't figured out how to get along not only with other countries, but with themselves.

We tend to attract some pretty bright people, and have decent enough education for those that really want it, to solve some of the problems we have, and sometimes even spread that elsewhere. But like a teenager, we tend to be a little ambitious, headstrong, and stubborn, and get ourselves into messes we either don't understand or haven't encountered, and tend not to listen to our elders. I don't see any other countries really smacking us in the face to get us in line, and sometimes I think we could really use it.

[Thevenin]

It's not common and general if its intensity varies so widely, is it?

How an INTP buys into the common, fundamental beliefs of Americans is likely to be somewhat different than how ISTPs or ESTPs do, or any other type for that matter, wouldn't you think? They can believe with different "intensities" and even vary somewhat qualitatively, yet still uphold the importance of the freedom of speech, for example.


Oh, certainly. For every culture there are also counter-cultural movements, absolutist political false dichotomies, and any number of other descriptors that you can come up with to uniquely identify an individual member of that culture.

My point is that people, even third and fourth generation ethnic families, can subscribe to the general American culture while retaining what they value of their ethnic culture.

[Arod301]

Personally I think the US has alot of problems like any country, but i feel blessed to be born and live here