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The wild celebrations when Osama was caught or when one of the Boston bombers was caught was ridiculous, people singing and dancing in the streets like the sports team they follow won a title or something, thankfully i couldnt imagine any such scenes in Australia following a tragedy.
PLEASE don't believe every sound byte or 20 second video you see on the "news." I live in Texas - one of the most patriotic states in the US - and never saw anything like what you're describing. When bin Laden was killed, everyone I know felt a sort of subdued grimness. Too little too late would describe it best.
Well, being the top dog on this earth has its flipside of the coin.
What I don't agree with is the fact that some Americans get a bad pref just being Americans, and are held accountable for actions or opinons that they can't affect. (Say, the Finnish prime minister says that the UK is crap and a terrorist nation, nobody will judge all Finnish persons as stupid, but in case of an American in similar position, some may).
On the other hand, many Americans seem to be very judgemental/stereotyping towards other nations, or at least being very ignorant of the lifestyles people living there. This is enhanced with the narrow and often ignorant view of the media in the US.
Sorry, stop spreading your culture at us and stop making money with it. If you retain an isolationist policy again, much of this will stop. And don't get me wrong, I'm fond of the US, but some humility could do you good sometimes.
As far as i'm aware the only real criticism that the USA receives from people in the outside world is due to what we'll politely call it's "robust foreign policy".
On the whole i'd say that most people have very little interest in the USA unless it's doing something that directly affects them.
Hearing people saying "God bless America" always makes me laugh. It is like they say that God (whatever it is) was waiting for thousands years to pick up his team :-) How can anybody be so arrogant?
I'm sure it will be co-opted at some point to further someone's ego or worldview, but I'll try to keep this as close to what your original intent is as I can. Note, my closest male friend is an ex-Soviet (not willingly, he was just a Chernobyl kid!), and most of the people that I'm in regular contact are really educated Americans, or foreign born.
First off, Americans have a really myopic world-view. That is generally not the fault of the American, per say - but it is the fault of how American media puts American interest above all others. You kinda have to work hard to find non-vitriolic valid information, especially foreign, whether it be on television or online.
Foreign news, AKA global newsworthy events, is an afterthought really in the US. Unless there is some calamity (tsunami), or some serious infringement on American business, you tend not to hear about it easily. This is a shame, there are tons of topics that I think most Americans would be interested in, but the overwhelming media bobble-heads like to talk more about celebrities, like how little clothing Ms. Cyrus is wearing or what some politician that they don't like gaffed.
How many Americans know that the rule for a woman in Pakistan who alleges rape, is supposed to be killed by her father?
My German friends came here for graduate work, and as soon as they are done with school, are going back to Germany. Their opinion, take this however you like, is that the US is run-down, and politically stupid. They've seen Faux News, and can't believe people would watch that drivel. American liberals would be called conservatives in just about every country but here. Also, since we lack a sensible single-payer health care regime, they have no interest in staying in a country that apparently can't or won't care for its people.
Australia banned semi-automatic weapons, and as a result haven't had a mass shooting since. There have been a number of forum posts here, in which I wonder very seriously why the person was ever allowed a firearm. These issues don't occur in normal developed countries.
The US was on track under Nixon, with the development of the EPA, and then further in many ways with the next couple of presidents, and then sharply downhill with the anti-intellectual known as Reagan. While many will credit him with fanciful ideas, like defeating communism, he was an anti-intellectual and was the early architect of putting the US on a non-sustainable economic downward spiral. He was a classic cut taxes, increase spending buffoon, which makes no sense to elementary school students, I don't know why that isn't part of a basic math class.
So as America, in its Imperialist wisdom, goes about policing nations that don't particularly want our brand of corporate consumer culture, expects sovereign nations to happily capitulate to our manifest destiny? The big target is asked for, and that is where I agree with the Libertarians. Usually I don't, but on foreign policy, they are usually right on, live and let live, do what you want in your country, and we will do what we want in ours.
The only time I have an issue with anyone criticizing the USA is if it's inaccurate or meaningless like the Celsius vs Fahrenheit thread. Now your post above is going to sting a little for many Americans but I tend to agree with it for the most part. The further from the truth we get, the more we hate people who dare speak it.
People from OUTSIDE the United States complaining about American English not being like English English, US not converting to Metric, our lax gun laws, our lack in world travel, our fat tourist etc...
They live in another country but they complain about our lifestyle and culture like its affecting them.
I agree with most of these although our gun laws are a bit wild wild west for a 21st century civilization. I don't understand why anyone cares what measuring system we use. I also don't think they should talk about our lack of traveling and American tourist in the same breath as that makes them look stupid. If we're not travelling, how are you seeing our tourist?
Now as far as things like US foreign policy, declining education standards, those things do effect the rest of the world. The US has more impact in the world than any other nation and I don't think most Americans realize that so those sorts of things I think others have a right to have an opinion on.
We are a country that gets criticized a lot by people from all over the globe.
Me and other Americans get confused by all this criticism we get from people from the outside world. sometimes we get offended by the things people say about our country.
I created this thread for us to understand all this. some people are very harsh with their comments and make it seem like they really dislike us...
I'll just start out by guessing and someone can tell me if i am right or wrong.
Basically it seems like we have all eyes on us watching every single thing we do, when we do something everyone will see it and we just have this big target on our backs.
Also, it is willing to note we do have a lot of crazy people in this country esp in the past couple of years with the mass shootings, boston bombings, that cop killer in california, crazy politicians, etc...
Don't worry its not just Americans, you should see the negative sh*t thats directed at the British! Mostly from Europeans (particularly French) :-D
I know I'll regret getting into this discussion, but I can say as an American who moved abroad in middle-age that I too was guilty of falling for the propaganda that the US is the greatest country in the world. I didn't realize it until I saw it from across the pond.
We know this thread is just an excuse for invincibl3 to again bash the world outside of the US. And again I will be accused of being anti-American.
When I was a kid we said the pledge of allegiance every morning in school, hand on heart. What other countries do/did that? Maybe communist ones?
The fact that the flag is almost worshipped - can't touch the ground, etc. - does seem very weird to those outside the US.
The fact that all/many presidents often say 'god bless America' in their speeches.
Many Americans are under the impression that a big majority of the world would just love to live in the US. Those in poor countries, of course. But those in places like western Europe, Australia, etc. No.
Americans who claim that the rest of the world bashes them because they are jealous of them. Very arrogant.
The US appointing themselves 'World Police'. The good guys/bad guys thing.
The fact that in most Hollywood WWII movies the US is seen as winning the war almost single-handedly.
The worship of guns.
The ultra-patriotism. 911 was the only time I ever felt homesick for the US. But when I returned for a family visit at the xmas just after 911 I was gobsmacked to see giant flags everywhere - car dealers with a massive flag on every single pole around the lot, flags on every car, flags in the xmas decorations on the outside of homes. And it hasn't stopped.
The flag thing bothers me. I never understood it. Even our national anthem is about the damn flag!
I agree with most of these although our gun laws are a bit wild wild west for a 21st century civilization. I don't understand why anyone cares what measuring system we use. I also don't think they should talk about our lack of traveling and American tourist in the same breath as that makes them look stupid. If we're not travelling, how are you seeing our tourist?
I am tired of having to keep switching sockets and wrenches on ONE vehicle!!!! Or spending twice as much on tools because I have to have standard AND metric.
JUST GO METRIC ALREADY!!!!
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