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So you use media bytes strategically edited to be as incendiary as possible to form opinions? let me guess, it's all from FOX news, right?
Having traveled to half a dozen European countries in the past three years I can assure you that your perception is not reality. We've been greeted warmly in every country we've visited.
That's good to know. But based on my own experiences it has been the opposite in many cases. Typically from what I've noticed from Europeans, Canadians, Australians that I've met over the years in Canada, Mexico and Jamaica they would initially be friendly and approachable, and then at some point they would bring up the USA...
Usually they would start off innocent by asking general questions about the USA, and that would eventually lead into talking about politics, our health care system, our gun culture and so much more. In some cases they would bend my ear in letting me know what is wrong with America, but typically in question form to seem more polite and not as blatant/rude (i.e. "Are Americans that scared of socialized health care?", "I just don't understand how a country as rich as the USA refuses to provide national health care for all? In our country we do...," "Do Americans really believe the best way to solve gun violence is more guns?", "How can your government shut itself down?" etc.). It's quite insulting at times.
Also, it's not FOX news. I am talking about original stories made in other countries (BBC, SkyNews, ABC Online, Spiegel, CBC, Global TV, The Guardian, The Australian, The Telegraph, El Pais, etc.) on the USA. The top coverage stories that I've noticed in most countries about the USA typically entails the following:
1. Poverty in America (i.e Detroit, Baltimore), as if the majority of Americans live there and are impoverished and making it seem worse than it is.
2. An examination on our health care system and comparing to their nations and how bad America's is. They make it seem Americans are dying in the streets in mass numbers and most have no good health care.
3. An examination on comparing how better their country's paid mandated maternity leave, sick leave, vacation leave etc. is better than America.
4. Obesity in America.
5. Racism all over America.
6. The Republican Party and the presidential election and politicians saying USA is the "greatest country in the world", even though other country leaders say the same thing in their telecast)
7. Gun Violence (sometimes they break news on gun story in the USA that doesn't even make nationwide headlines in the USA). This is despite the USA is a very safe country with 3.9 gun deaths per 100,000 and with crime in the USA near historic lows in comparison to 20 years ago. If people think the USA is dangerous now they should have seen the 1980's and 90s. Unless you live the ghetto within a few minority majority cities you will be fine.
8. Something about the American stupidity (i.e. Honey Boo Boo) or irrelevance (The Kardashians).
9. The collapse in the ME and the USA's involvement.
10. America's education system.
It's an endless rotation of those main 10 items and not much else other countries cover on the USA and Americans and it feeds this anti-Americanism. Below is a great example of what I mean.
Below are two videos from young American guys that are studying in Germany and were asking questions to Germans on what they think about Americans, the USA or what they like about the USA. The answers were stunning:
I think those examples along with the general range of anti-Americanism in the media and online deters Americans from traveling abroad more or at least limits many that might be apprehensive, even if they have the money, time and resources to do it. Like I said, it's only my two cents...
I wouldn't waste my money and vacation days in North America. All the sameness. This mountain that mountain, this city that city. What's the difference.
If you truly can't see any difference between Santa Fe, New Orleans, and New York City, between the Sierra Nevada mountains of California and the White Mountains of New Hampshire, or between the Sonoran Desert of southern Arizona, the Everglades of Florida, and the Finger Lakes region of upstate New York, I pity you.
The North American continent has some of the most stunning natural scenery on earth, as well as a number of very interesting cities. Don't underrate it just because you enjoy traveling to foreign destinations.
The people who work at the "exclusive" resorts in Jamaica and the DR likely hate Americans a lot more than your typical Brit on the streets of London or Frenchman on the streets of Paris.
As a previous poster said, "some are international travellers, some are not". I have to say, however, that Americans get an unfair knock on this count.
Europeans in particular don't realize just how massive the U.S. is... an American could bounce around from NYC to Maine, to Miami, to Hawaii, to Los Angeles, to Chicago, to Houston, to Santa Fe, to Seattle, to Alaska... and spend years like that, just travelling domestically. Some Americans haven't been overseas for years, yet they're very well travelled IMO and just as cosmopolitan as anyone.
There are some Americans who can be incredibly insular, yes, and there are a few who have hardly travelled outside their home state... but there are people like that worldwide. Most Americans are at least somewhat familiar with bi-coastal travel in their own country, and it's a pretty long distance between their coasts.
I met a couple from England a few years ago while on vacation in Utah, and they couldn't believe how large and diverse the US is. They were taking a month vacation and driving from NYC to LA. When you really realize how big and diverse North America is you can understand why people don't leave that often. Plus you have things that people overlook and don't contemplate. You can go from just about anywhere from French Speaking Canada, Canada, throughout the US, Mexico, the Caribbean, even parts of Central America and only really need to know English, and maybe a little Spanish or French. All these places have friendly people, good food, good entertainment, they are all relatively safe and inviting to each other. It's just logical that most Americans will spend their lives living and vacationing in these areas. Now, understand I'm not saying Europe, Africa, or Asia are not interesting places, they sure are. I've been to Italy and China, and I loved both places, and want to go back to China and other places in Europe. But at the same time I understand why Americans don't feel a need to leave North America at all.
Interesting post. I have come to see that a lot Americans live in a bubble. They do not know much about anything in the world and they do not care to know. This is so sad to see. They have this false outlook that America is simply the best at everything, so why do they need to travel? Yes, America is huge and it has all types of weather and terrain, but it most certainly does not have all the cultures of the world, or culture at all for that matter.
As far as people oversees being rude to them, well they bring it upon themselves. When you're inhaling your cheeseburger in 30 seconds with extra everything on it in London, and you can't come up with one intelligent thing to say while having an entitled attitude, what do you expect? When you're eating pasta with your bare hands in Rome while everyone else in the restaurant are using their set of silverware appropriately, what do you expect? When you are being really loud and boisterous in a fine dining restaurant in Paris while everyone else is showing class and manners, what do you expect? When men are wearing their baggy jeans underneath their asses while the locals are in dress shirts, what do you expect? Worst of all, when you say "well in America we".
Its the majority of Americans that give the rest of us a bad reputation. When travelling abroad, if you actually act as though you have some class, are respectful, and have moderately intelligent things to say, you will be surprised at the results, trust me
Europeans in particular don't realize just how massive the U.S. is... an American could bounce around from NYC to Maine, to Miami, to Hawaii, to Los Angeles, to Chicago, to Houston, to Santa Fe, to Seattle, to Alaska... .
yeah, they could, but you will hear the same language, pretty much the same food, highly similar lifestyle, very much alike cities and towns.
To pretend the US offers the same quantity and quality of Europe just because they are of similar size is laughable. With 5 hours drive from Frankfort or Munich you have access to a dozen wonderful yet dramatically different cities and towns full of various but rich culture, the same distance from Dallas or Salt Lake city you have what?
Siberia is larger than the US by the way. You can keep bouncing but you don't end up seeing a lot of different things.
The people who work at the "exclusive" resorts in Jamaica and the DR likely hate Americans a lot more than your typical Brit on the streets of London or Frenchman on the streets of Paris.
Yeah, because who wouldn't hate the folks that make their paycheck possible?
Yeah, because who wouldn't hate the folks that make their paycheck possible?
And that "I am responsible for your paycheck" attitude comes through clearly enough for the hate to form in quick order. Good service industry professionals are just often quite good actors who are so not going to let you know how much they despise you if you approach them with that attitude. It's not all tourists by any means, but a high enough percentage of them that most people who work with them can get pretty jaded.
I live in an area with a pretty big tourism sector and will admit to overcompensating on the niceness and politeness when I'm on the road myself because I don't want to get labeled as one of Those People I hear friends and acquaintances frequently grumbling about.
I love traveling solo and the fewer the tourists the better…. Going to any town down there without a hotel reservation and there always being a room waiting for me, sheer heaven!
I agree with everything you said except that I am NOT going anywhere without a hotel reservation. I am 61 years old and standing on the sidewalk freezing all night with my luggage because I didn't bother to make a hotel reservation is not an option.
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