Your opinion about the USA

One half of my brain (probably the part which is responsible for objective thought) tells me to STAY THE HELL AWAY! While the other half (subjective) tells me to make some sort of contribution.

Well I will contribute, not to vent my spleen but just to make a CONSTRUCTIVE contribution to the topic. The USA has been responsible for many great achievements, we have an abundance of technological, social, political, ecclesiastical and other benefits as a result of the vast creativity of the American nation. As part of the developed world the people of my country have been able to partake in the fruits this impressive nation has to offer. Personally I have probably only met two dozen Americans in my life, all of them from either work or university. My impression of them is mostly good, they have their fair share of flaws and virtues the same as every other people in the world. So basically I quite like Americans and alot of what their country has contributed to the world.

But there are negative points which the beginner of this post wants to learn more about. So I shall try and articulate why it is so many (and you would be surprised how many) different nations of people have a negative opinion of the USA.

Firstly there is a perceived attitude that Americans are very insular and ignorant of the outside world, a worrying trait for a people who seem to have a reach that extends to every area of the globe. I read a statistic I am not sure I can believe, that only 5-10% of American citizens have passports. Again I don't know if that is true, but if it is it's quite shocking.

Another vice is leadership. Again, I must point out I am presenting the views of many disenchanted people in the world, not my own. Yesterday I read an article in the paper which truly surprised me. In one poll Americans had ranked their favourite people and at the top of the list, right above George Washington, was Ronald Reagan. Bush Jr. was sixth on the list. Their qualities aside, these men are widely regarded as intellectual lightweights with a poor grasp of cosmopolitanism. In positions of leadership of the leading nation of the planet, it worries the people of that world that such individuals who were never credited with a deeper intellectual understanding of the globe are now in positions of immense power. I know they have been used alot but comments such as "I know what it means to put food on your family" and "imports and exports are important sources of overseas trade" do not inspire much confidence. It is easy to look up to and admire men like Lincoln and Washington on which the USA was built, but with many of the more recent American Presidents most non-Americans would rather look the other way.

Another vice many in the world perceive is one of avarice and greed. It may not be true that this is the case, but how much did Bush pledge to help Tsunami victims after the disaster? A government which claims to want to create a freer world and bring people together pledged a tiny amount compared to what it spends on its military. The tsunami was a big chance for the US government to show it had a genuine interest in the welfare of the world's people. Bush offered only a small amount (a few hundred million I think) immediately which he later raised due to pressure, while I know the Australian government immediately offered one billion dollars. It sets a poor standard for a government to justify a number of wars with the good of humanity in mind, while at the same time when a natural disaster occurs it offers a fraction of the relief made by countries many times smaller than itself.

Basically without writing a thesis these are a few key reasons why some people dislike the USA. It is perceived as having changed from what it one was. Again I like most of what America and Americans are about and I mean nobody any offence or disrespect. I am simply presenting some reasons why certain people in the world think differently.

Since I identify the USA with the people of USA, and I'm one of this people, I voted that I love it.  It is the few elitists in the government that messed everything up.

I also want to know if there is a way to change certain
perspectives about Americans being all that is
wrong and bad in this world, which I am sure many
people from many countries feel this way. But there
is a catch to this inquiry, these perspectives cannot
be changed by use of our so called "Leaders" of this
nation. Is it possible?

I like it's people,but i dislike their goverment.They have so much power,but instead of helping poor nations,they prefer to make them suffer more.The "virus" of the superpower.

 

i think Arabs in general dont like the US government for one main reason is that US's Blind support to Israel and not being neutral about the problem.

and i think that was one of the main reasons for the terrorest activites against the US.

its always about the Jews.

other than this i think the majority of the Arabs admire US acheivements in many feilds such as sceince.

 

Originally posted by Alparslan I do not hate USA. I do not like it on the other hand...... But the regime in USA is at he hands of the "darkest" people on the world. They are really bad. USA is a country which is ruled by democratic manipulations so non-democratic. They do not have anything to export such as "democracy". If you do not have enough money to make lobby, it means that you do not have right to say in administrative and judiciary level. Oil and arms industry are abusing American citizens, manipulate them and send them to die in dirty wars. They are also mostly controlling media. I wonder how Bush has been reelected after being proofed that his administration lied constantly for an unfair war costing hundred thousands of life and billions of dollars. Could any American explain me this nonsense political life in USA?

These are the words that i was ready to write!

 

Originally posted by gcle2003 You mean like in 1914 and 1939 (1937 if you are Chinese)?

Yes. Like in 1917 and 1941.

Originally posted by gcle2003 The US didn't join WWII until (a) the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor and (b) the Germans declared war on them.

"Prompt" was maybe not adequate. But I was not speaking about politicians decision but about people sacrifice. This is a fact that we have a debt.

Originally posted by gcle2003 When Europe was struggling to free itself from Napoleon, the US sided with Napoleon.

Yes and that's making me closer to them.

Originally posted by gcle2003 But unthinking and uninformed comments about 'the US has saved Europe twice', or 'without the US Europe would be speaking German' are exactly the kind of thing that heighten resentment against the US.

Explain me why.

 

so Thegeneral

did you find an answer to your Question"why do they hate us?" and i think Bush asked the same Question too.

 

 

America and its people are a complicated problem.  I do not know why people like to bash the nation--maybe its because America isn't really a nation.  An answer to those who that USA is insular would be look at the:

Italian-Americans, Irish-Americans, Arab-Americans, Hispanic-Americans, Asian-Americans, African-Americans, Jewish-Americans, Catholic-Americans, Protestant-Americans, Muslim-Americans, Atheist-Americans, Buddhist-Americans, Mexican-Americans, German-Americans, Polish-Americans, Indian-Americans (Hindu), Alien-Americans (if "The Weekly World News" is to be believed), Native-Americans and whatever-Americans.  Our view on the rest of the world is that it's welcome here to come and work.

If America is anything, it's a combination of cultures, a clash of views.   Plurality of necessity is the American way. 

But then there is Corporate America, which would have everybody believe that an American drives an air-conditoned, 800 Gazillion horse-power, gas-guzzling bright red convertable up to a pick-up window of a fast food joint for a low-cal cheeseburger, fries and drink.   This is not the truth--but is it what Americans want?  I don't know; I don't know if Americans know.  A friend of mine wants security for her family;  another friend wants a permanent job, and yet another friend wants cultural rebellion. 

Also, there is political America.  And it's politics that is polerizing the USA.  Some leave political decisions in the hands of a God and his self-proclaimed representatives.  Others are actively against this idea.  Everybody sees problems here:  corruption, terrorism, greed, debt--a massive feeling of dis-satisified dehumanization.  We can't make up our collective minds, and the politicians have to think winning an election by a single-digit percentage is a mandate.  But once somebody acts, it always seems half-hearted because someone will disagree with it.

I don't know if the world realizes all of this.  Some folks will probably see this post as arrogant, boastful, and rude.  But before criticizing America, try explaining it.  I've done the best I can do here.

Mord.

Hardly so! Americans have long molded into a single nation, not ethnically naturally, but just like any other western nation. This statement, that America is the perfect combination of over half of the worlds cultures is bogus - of course there are social differences on cultural levels, and different religious factions act across the country, but not unlike any other country. Americas local culture has ripped away whatever any of these immigrant cultures may have brought centuries, a century, or years ago. Now it is a single mass with little factions here and there. A common American hardly knows anything about Brittish or Arab culture and those whose ancestors once immigrated from those cultural areas would rather go watch the super bowl than know about the history of their former home. So what i think i am saying is, that leave the blabber of America being a symbiosis of worlds cultures to the romantics and movie directors who make annual films about America saving the Earth from aliens etc.