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Seems it has become in vogue the last few years to hate U.S. citizens. Seems like a fairly broad stroke IMO. If we in the U.S. stated we didn't like people from xxx country we would be demonized. I take it pretty much with a grain of salt. It's easy to dislike people you don't know. The people I interact with from other countries seem to like me!
You mean like when we went after the French You know .... Freedom Fries.
Strel,
Hope it does decrease as it is not nice to take a vacation and not be comfortable on how people welcome you. I remember a few months ago while vacationing in the Greek Islands this American girl couldn’t start her rental bike. I approached her to give her a hand. As I was taking a look at her bike we talked about how nice the island was and then came the question “So, where are you from?” she tried to avoid answering but I don’t blame her.
Good tips for Americans from your link:
Avoid American fast-food restaurants and chains.
Keep discussions of politics to private places, not rowdy bars.
Take a rain check on wearing clothes featuring American flags or sports team logos.
I never felt like I had to hide the fact I was American (as if I could, despite doing our best to dress like Europeans, everyone could tell anyway!). But I didn't walk around Florence with red white and blue sweatpants on either.
A lot of Americans don't realize how chauvinistic they can come across...and you know the type.
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Keep your passport out of sight.
Keep cameras, video equipment and maps tucked away.
Soften your speech; Americans typically overshadow their hosts in the volume department.
This is something that is hard to grasp for me. Are we really that loud, just in normal conversation?
I'm not talking about the obnoxious, drunk student, but just normal people in normal conversation. I honestly tried to notice whether Americans were louder when I was in Europe, but didn't really notice a difference.
"Cajones" meaning the will to pick on nations 1/100th of their size with no ability to strike back militarily?
When America faced down the USSR in Eastern Europe for decades, serving as last line of defense for Western Europe while Western Europe built up its social infrastructure without getting steamrolled by the Soviets, it was certainly facing a nation that could "strike back" militarily.
Research: proxy wars. Fighting "little nations" was often a contest between the US and the Soviets.
When fear of American military reprisal is one of the only things keeping China from invading and reclaiming Taiwan, it is certainly facing a power with the ability to "strike back" at any time.
When South Korea's economy depends on American military presence to keep capital and business interests confident in the stability of that nation, the American military is certainly in a situation where it's facing an enemy nation that can "strike back."
And when Euro forces have to "hitch" rides on American military equipment to get around, it's a problem. Europeans (and I love Europeans, just not their misplaced arrogance) do take the American defense umbrella for granted. Be it for even simple things like military-secured shipping lanes for European and American goods, or the securing of "resources" that Europeans enjoy whilst criticizing America for seeking.
Of course, I would love to see the United States remove itself from policing the world. Spend the money here. We've got enough armed citizenry to ensure we'll never be taken in a land invasion, and lord knows our own infrastructure and social development works could use an influx of capital currently spent propping up peoples who have no love for Americans.
Seriously? Do you not watch the news?
How about our supporting totalitarian regimes over there, or providing cover for Israel whenever they feel like misbehaving?
You really don't know?
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Are you saying that this is one of the main reasons that people in foreign nations hate us? Because we dash through their city squares and across their Mediterranean beaches shouting USA-USA-USA!!!
Given that I have actually seen that happen, yes, it is a factor. Rather I chose it as an example of American chauvinism, which some posters in this thread have already exhibited.
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Are you saying that Europeans do not want us to visit their nations because we do not bother to learn their many languages which change every 200 hundred miles?
No, I wrote what I wrote, and it wasn't the above at all.
It is important when visiting a foreign country to make an attempt to speak the language. This is basic diplomacy and politeness, nothing more.
Phrasebooks are cheap, and can make a huge difference in how you are perceived by your host.
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If I go for a tour of several European nations which language would you suggest I spend 5 years learning before I go? Belgian, Italian, Greek, Albanian, French, Spanish, German?
No, its not. Everything was perfectly fine before Bush and Cheney started to act like arrogant pricks. But I see you are not willing to -for one second- think about the possibility that your behaviour has something to do with the perception we have of you. And that IS the reason people dislike (not hate) Americans. Jesus, its not like we don't have similar living standards (some countries even higher). No ghettos here, free universities etc.
Yeah sure, its all Bush's fault, the world love America until January 2001..... and then......
That's what happens when you have the mindset that you are somehow better than anybody just because you are an American.
Also Americans are notorious for traveling to other countries and not respecting the culture, history and language of other people. After all why would you travel to another country where English is not the native language and get indignant that people there do not speak English.
You can build those straw men at the drop of a hat, can't you. Ever thought about doing it professionally? Where did onih mention anything that you are ranting about?
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You know .... Freedom Fries.
