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The entire thing gets oversimplified (probably because, without that, Americans can't or won't bother to understand it). A lot of people in other countries have problems with US foreign policy, or think our domestic policies are wacko, but don't have anything against us as individuals.
I haven't been treated badly very often in my limited foreign travels, except for the occasional churl or grump, but I have had the experience of people wanting me to assume the impromptu role of US ambassador, and complain to me about our leadership and its behavior. They evidently expect me to start defending both. The worst was being in Greece just before the Obama vs. McCain election, and everyone I met wanting to know who I was supporting (assumption being it must be one of the two). I don't even like our politics here, and I really, really do not fly halfway around the world to talk about them. But one mustn't be rude, so one has to endure some of it without throwing up.
I have heard Americans braying very loudly abroad, treating people like vending machines of information, and have exchanged more than one sympathetic eyeroll with a local. I've seen them wear their ignorance like a badge of pride. But I've also met plenty who behaved themselves like civilized individuals, and have seen non-Americans behave in those ways also. I've had rural interior Canadians tell me that rude Canadians are far more common and irritating than rude Americans, for example.
What I do know is this: everywhere I've traveled, I was excited. I felt confident I would enjoy seeing a new place and meeting the people. And damned if it didn't almost always turn out to be justified.
Heck, I remember travelling in Europe in the early 70's and Americans had Canadian flags... so they were not recognized as Americans. Y'all understand that?
It might be ignorant, but that's the perception other countries have about Americans (no idea about the French)
American tourists are 'known' to be loud, demanding, obnoxious and make stupid, inappropriate comments about the country they are visiting. As someone who resides part time in the US and part time in the West Indies, I can tell you that's exactly how at least half the American tourists we see into act.
So, yeah, it might be ignorant, but it does have merit.
No, it does not have merit. There are obnoxious people from every country. It's ignorant to generalize about Americans like that.
My family and I went on a RTW trip about 9 years ago and had several interesting conversations with folks about perceptions of Americans. The third day out we got an earful by a man in Oz, who was Canadian, and he let us have it. He let us know that it wasn't personal but proceeded to tell us everything wrong with our country. About 4 months later, in New Zealand, again a Canadian woman who thought I was great but she hated my country. Was talking about that conversation with a NZ woman and she agreed with the Canadian woman. Again, no personal offense but George Bush! Can see maybe why you elected him the first time, but re-elected?
A few months later I got an earful from a Dutch man who went on and on about how horribly we talk and his accent was thick so I enunciated very clearly so he could understand me. As he was leaving I said well I'm really sorry we offend you but maybe you should realize we're not all bad. He jumped back and said, "Oh no, you're an American?" LOL, I had said that a couple of times but he missed it. The French were lovely--not one moment of that famed French rudeness--we thought they were great. You've got to love people who see you eating in the park and wink conspiratorially as they say Bon Appetit!
Oh yes, and then there was the man in Spain who thought that we all answer a knock on the door with a gun in our hands. I didn't tell him the sadder truth--we don't usually just visit someone anymore. I knew a Turkish man who came here and got suicidal when he realized that his social life was going to be much more limited. He died of alcoholism.
Never had that question asked anywhere in the world I've traveled.
But! I have had, particularly, sales people, ask me what part of the U.S. I lived in.
When I was contemplating buying something in Greece, one time, I replied: Minneapolis.
"Ah! People in Minneapolis have a lot of money!" (Not too far from the truth!)
In Tijuana, prostitutes I'd hire would ask me that, too, what part of the U.S. I was from, thinking, they could charge more dependent on the city.
I learned very quickly not to mention I was from Las Vegas, as many of their eyes would be covered with dollar bills! As if everyone who lives in Las Vegas is a jackpot winter!
So, very quickly I turned to saying: Tucson! That worked!
A Persian rug dealer in Fez, Morocco also asked me what city I came from in the U.S., knowing full-well I was an American.
No, it does not have merit. There are obnoxious people from every country. It's ignorant to generalize about Americans like that.
Yes, it does have merit because this is based on my personal experience. This is what I see on a weekly basis every time a cruise ship lands that's full of Americans. Do they all act this way? Of course not! But, it's the ones that do that ruin for the ones that don't. The ones that sit in tours/on the beaches/in the restaurants/on the street and make stupid derogatory comments about local culture or the locals themselves is offensive and rude. I know that most, if not all, of their comments are based on ignorance, but good God, when visiting a foreign country at least educate yourself a bit before coming.
To be fair though, Brits do the same. British tourists come to Florida and spend most of their time in British pubs, conversing with other Brits, complaining that they can't get good British food. One time working in the US we got a Brit who joined the company and he asked me if I wanted to go out one night with him and "take the **** out of Americans". Thankfully he left shortly afterwards.
People from all countries do this. It's this horrible, tribal, patriotic, flag waving mob attitude that people have about wherever they're from being better than anywhere else, even if they're from a total dump. You get it between cities too, and even between different neighborhoods.
Americans might stand out more because they're generally more vocal. But they're no worse.
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