"Ugly American"

[Elwood70]

Since this is a truly international board,I thought I'd share this here
http://today.reuters.com/news/newsa...67_RTRUKOC_0_US-USA-UGLY.xml&src=rss&rpc=22"]

I'm curious to see what my fellow board members think.

Is America really that bad?

Will this work,or is it spin-control bullshit?

 

[georges]

I am not American but I will have to say my opinion. This is typical hatred from a country (Pakistan) that has probably adopted its view on fundamentalism and perhaps radical islamism. You will also note that there is a bill board where there is something written in an arab language not in paki and it also insults Israel. I think that this article makes a gneralization of all Americans which is bad. In every country you have disciplined and well educated people and others that aren't. But burning a foreign flag is certainly a lack of tolerance and acceptance of the others. Radical islamists and fundamentalists never liked America and probably never will. They always have been a danger for the USA.

 

[Elwood70]

Thanks for the response,georges.

I meant to add in the initial post that Members from other parts off the world are encouraged to reply.I live in the USA,and I'm interested in other peoples' perspective on this.I put it on this board beacause it is truly international.

 

[member2686]

Being an American and having lived abroad before, the "Ugly American Syndrome" is very real and is a real pain in the ass.

You'll see Americans acting like they're at their local Wal-Mart when they're at an Aldi or Cactus or Alima grocery, expecting to be able to buy exactly what they get here in the USA, bitching about prices, how there's no "Ranch" salad dressing, expecting things to be priced in dollars and not Euros or whatever other currency is used, and they expect that everyone speaks perfect English and yet they themselves haven't bothered to learn even the most basic of tourist expressions in the country's language to which they've travelled (danke, bedankt, bitte, prego, grazie, merci, de rien, de nada, s'il vous plait, etc.).

Uuuggghhhh. :ban: :thefinger LOL

 

[Peter Gazinya]

I guess the world has always seen us as the arrogant redneck cowboy - unkempt, uncouth, and uncultured. I meet people every day that fit that description to a T: Loud, arrogant, self absorbed, always talking about themselves, their wealth, power, or status and completely lacking any ability to listen to what anyone else says (Shit, I hope I don't come off too much like this). And most people I meet like that have NO idea how much of a dickhead they are, arrogant and lost in their own world.

Yeah, I know Americans have always had this international reputation at least to some extent but I think this article just hightlights the "Bush Backlash". Leaders are a representative of the people they lead. It would be more than obvious to say that G.W. Bush does nothing to dispel the "Dumb Arrogant Redneck" perception that the international community may have of the average American.

 

[Civickiller80]

One of the Worse things that I see Americans doing when they travel and go away, is that they think they are better then everyone (I was a waiter when I was in college and I would get many tourists in the restaurant I worked in), some of the comments I would get is that they didnt want this tin or monopoly money (refering to the Canadian Currency)..they would look at our quarter and ask what is this...and I'm like its exactly the same size/shape/colour as your quater and it says quater on the coin!!!.if they couldnt get excatly what they wanted they would freak, I think that more people should do a little bit of research when travelling to a new country... but my all time one is when I am i other countires why if someone doesnt speak English they Talk louder and slower like that will help...lol...but also I have met some who are great and fantastic..its just a sterotype

 

[pussy+dickdenice]

I'm not American. But as I said before, I had been to UsA and have many American friends. May be it's my good fortune, but I have completely different experience. I've been treated well by almost all of them when I was in US or I met them in any outside-US country, including my own.

Some are not friendly, no doubt; but that type is available in all countries, in all races & not specific to USA.

That attitude , IMO, comes out because of facing the unknown, not knowing how to tackle some one who stays in an uncharted area. It's more from insecurity than from a feeling of superiority.

Sorry for the long post.

 

[ÆGEAN]

America is hated so much due to its blind ignorance to other nation's opinions and sensitivities.

i mean i never supported the war but now we are involved, we have to stick it out. But that is like going into ones house and saying you don't like how it is run and take it over..... you will piss off those people..... that is the same with the middle east.

enduring stereotype of Americans abroad -- loud, arrogant, ill-dressed, ill-mannered and lacking respect for other cultures.

sad but true, i mean i was called a fucking New Zealander when i was on holiday by some yanks..... that sent me off my tree and i cut sick at them and publicly tore them to shreds in Auckland and another incident in Mt Cook...... i was fed up and i was insulted. You don't call a kiwi an Aussie and vice versa.

 

[degenerate_Jeb]

I live near Stonehenge in England, so where I live we get rather alot of tourists every year, but I have to say the Americans are probably the most respectful. I'm no xenophobe but I have to say the majority of Spanish & French tourists I have come across are pretty rude when they're moving around in big groups, but the Americans are really pretty polite. The place my friends and I have our lunch breaks generally has alot of tourists around and the American tourists are always really polite when they ask if we could take their pictures for them. Though I have noticed when it comes to Americans in pubs, its kind of a different story, cos it generally younger people and they do complain about the beer and are pretty loud and obnoxious.

 

[LordZack]

America is hated so much due to its blind ignorance to other nation's opinions and sensitivities.

i mean i never supported the war but now we are involved, we have to stick it out. But that is like going into ones house and saying you don't like how it is run and take it over..... you will piss off those people..... that is the same with the middle east.


sad but true, i mean i was called a fucking New Zealander when i was on holiday by some yanks..... that sent me off my tree and i cut sick at them and publicly tore them to shreds in Auckland and another incident in Mt Cook...... i was fed up and i was insulted. You don't call a kiwi an Aussie and vice versa.

Carful when you say America that includes Canada Personnally i find theirs a little to much arrogance in the US

 

[Rattrap]

I think it's wonderful somebody's taking steps to remedy the behavior. The 'Gimmie Gimmie' attitude's prevalent even beside the attitudes; take a look at all the SUVs on the road. Or Hummers (ugh, gross). We've got an oversaturation of just...stuff. We can get anything and everything, in copious amounts. Have it delivered, even.

It's unhealthy. But again, I applaud them for taking steps to help. I only worry they're gunning for symptoms instead of the cause.

 

[Civickiller80]

Carful when you say America that includes Canada Personnally i find theirs a little to much arrogance in the US

America Includes Canada?.since when?...not until we discover oil and they have to "liberate" us...not yet at least...:1orglaugh

 

[LordZack]

Well If you see it from the way he wrote it could of been America's I guess ur right ;p. Good thing were investing in the army. lol

 

[qweretyuiopas@]

Carful when you say America that includes Canada Personnally i find theirs a little to much arrogance in the US

Now if he said North America thats one thing but just America doesnt include Canada.

 

[londonyid]

My other half is American and this image 'we' have of the Yanks does piss her off a bit but she also understands it to some extent. I'm not sure of the exact figure but something like 60% of Americans don't even have a passport and those that do travel abroad only do so on holiday. My missus is one of the rare ones that has actually lived outside the US for more than two weeks. I don't think they mean to be rude/arrogant or whatever, they just don't know how to act amongst different cultures, having, in most cases, never interacted with any others.

 

[arealous]

America is hated so much due to its blind ignorance to other nation's opinions and sensitivities.

We have to be sensitive to other nations now? I'm a chinese american and I've visited China in the past. Back there, they were cheering when 9-11 happened. So when someone says we're ignorant to other countries, I'd agree, but I don't give a shit either way. Excuse my French here, but why do we have to love and care so deeply about other countries that talk shit behind our backs?

Why is it our duty to send help to other countries while they call us fat, loud, ignorant slobs? My father made it to this country on a full ride to various universities, saying that America doesn't open up oppurtunities for other people is a bunch of crap. Some people just don't have what it takes to get here. For those who don't even want to come to America, I see nothing wrong with that and understand your love for your own country, but you must understand that I feel the same way. It always seems that another country is one to initiate hate towards America, not the other way around.

Maybe Nightfly is right in that we can be obnoxious abroad, but don't tell me you've never seen any Asian complain about how bad America is and how he/she wishes it was China/Korea and still stay put complaining. I can't speak too much for Europeans, but as for the ones I have met, I have either been categorized as a fat white lazy slob (even though I am not fat or white), or have just gotten flat out racist remarks.

Excuse me vented feelings, but I do feel quite strongly on the subject matter. Whether from Europe or even my own relatives in China, I've experienced and dealt with a lot of crap, and frankly I feel someone needs to stand up for the US, too many hippy Americans don't even have enough pride to do so anymore.

 

[arealous]

You would be suprised Fox, the things they say sometimes. I would never even dare to say something about another country in the context that I have been told things.

 

[Jagger69]

I have heard "ugly American" speak rear its ugly head on visits abroad but the USA certainly has no monopoly on assholes by any measure. I think the perception is exacerbated by the current political situation more than anything.

By the way, America is not "really that bad" at all. It's an AWESOME place to live and to call home. That's why our population continues to swell from immigrants, both legal and otherwise, from all over the globe.

 

[member2686]

The ugliest Americans are ex-patriots who come here and then bitch about it here - the culture, the food, the politics, the government, healthcare, blah blah blah. Fucking go back to your home country if you don't like the USA or its people. You were lucky to get in (if you did so legally, and if you're here illegally you should be deported forthwith, IMO), and there are MILLIONS of people wanting to walk in your shoes as legal, productive, hopeful, optimistic residents of the USA.

"Back in my country I earned $150 per month, and now I earn $2,000 per month, but America is hateful and "this and that and this and that and whatever blah blah blah" is horrible. It's a shameful country." O.k. asswipe, then leave. Oh...you don't want to leave? I didn't think you would... :thefinger

As Foxycougar used to say in her sig: Love it or shove it.

:2 cents: :hatsoff:

 

[KungFuDude]

First, my own experiences travelling and living outside the U.S. has shown me that service in other countries is just plain different than in the U.S. I'm not saying its always terrible in other countries. We just focus on the customer more than most. Although Japanese flight attendants are without a doubt the best in the business. :thumbsup:

Second, we're the 3rd largest country in the world. There is way more of us out there and our people are everywhere. Of course you're gonna trip over the bad apples every now and then. Every country has them. Repeat - every country has them, but there seems to be a blind hatred of the U.S. to begin with, so our bad apples are more singled out and remembered in the end sometimes. We seem to be the lightning rod of hate in the world at the moment. It is always sobering to hear and read some of the blind hatred directed at our country. :2 cents: