This is the perfect chance everyone. It almost seems like everyone who is NOT American hates Americans. [A lot of the time]. Anytime something goes wrong, we're blamed. Why is this?

Americans: here is your chance to tell everyone the truth about us. So let's hear what everyone has to say. [I know this is in the wrong forum, but I really want to know what the people in thisforum have to say, since we've all just had lovelyconversations lately, and already know each other.

Basically, I want someone to bring up a good "why it's America's fault" discussion, then the Americans can tell you whether or not this is the truth.

oi!

Uh.. we want to take over Canada *nods*

Oh come on. Seriously.

Gah, fine. I'll start. For example!

Last spring break I went to Germany with my Aunt and Mom to visit my Great Grandfather in Germany.

We have friends there, and my mom and aunt speak german.


This is just how it was for me: These are some incidents. We went to this mini mall there, and we were passing through this hallway that was under construction. The whole hallways was empty except for the three of us (on one side of the hallway) and another lady who was walking towards us.

Well when she passed by us she ran right into me when the whole hallways was there for her to pass through, and she turned around and said "Ach, Americanischins (sp?)" and kept walking.

Same thing when we were on the bus. My aunt was paying to get on when the guy made a mistake with the euros. And my Aunt just corrected him and instead of just being like, "Oh, that's right. Sorry." He had to make this rude comment about americans before shoving the correct change to her.

Then as we walk down the freaking street, there's a theatre playing American movies and shops along the street playing american music. What's the deal??

they hate Americans because they Envy us.

Yes well, we canadians want to take over the US. Difference being... we're doing it.

You keep right on telling yourself that.

I don't know. Sometimes I wish we would have listened to George Washington when he advised to stay out of foreign affairs.

They hate it when we help them. But my guess is, if we DIDN'T help them, they'd be even more pissed off. We're damned if we do, we're damned if we don't.

The problem is we keep acting like the big brother of all the other countires, coming to aid when they are in trouble and acting like the big tough guy that no one wants to mess with. That's probably why everyone hates us.

Okkk....seriously not really

I am happy to be in Canada and I never wish to have a goverment like Americans do.

But to the subject, honestly I have no idea why people hate Americans.

I personnaly have nothing against them. The only one I met in person where just plain rude and act as if they knew everything, but I know better than to put all americans into the same boat.

A question though,...can anyone exlpained to me what is the deal with shows like Jerry Springer and the likes....the people that go there are just plain crazy and sorry to say stupid most of the time. This does not help at all to portray to US... I listened to it a few times and I just could not stand it...plz tell me its not like that. This is very scary

I must sound silly right now

No way, it's not like that. Basically Jerry Springer goes around looking for all the uneducated retarded people of America that are just too stupid to be true. Sometimes I wonder if that stuff is an act. I'm sure there are dumbasses everywhere...

Truthfully I'm thinking about moving to Canada myself. Everything I hear about it seems great. Part of my family came from Canada.

Thats what I thought too....its seems a bit too stupid to be true. If it would be true, I would be so shy in their place.





It sure is a beautifull country. But as anywhere else it as its bad parts too. If you are really considering it, then inform yourself of all the details you can to make sure it is for you. Its really cold here you know

Yeah I expected it to be cold... but that means snowborading galore! Really, I haven't much problems with cold. I mean I live in a desert, but I would love to be able to wear my wonderful coat all year long...

So, tell me what it's like!

This has to be one of the easiest Questions on this forum as of yet.... I have an endless list as to WHY people hate America.... I personally do not hate American people BUT just the way the Country conducts itself sometimes is appaling... here are a few examples of what I mean published in the media as newspaper cut-outs.... Please do enjoy explaining.... .....
1. "Unconstrained by any superpower rival or system of global governance, the US giant has rewritten the global financial and trading system in its own interest; ripped up a string of treaties it finds inconvenient; sent troops to every corner of the globe; bombed Afghanistan, Sudan, Yugoslavia and Iraq without troubling the United Nations; maintained a string of murderous embargos against recalcitrant regimes; and recklessly thrown its weight behind Israel's 34-year illegal military occupation of the West Bank and Gaza as the Palestinian intifada rages."
"They can't see why they are hated"
article in The Guardian. Seumas Milne.
Thursday September 13, 2001
2. "Three years ago, in response to embassy bombings, America attacked a pharmaceutical factory in one of the poorest countries in the world. The Clinton administration said that the Sudanese factory was linked to Osama bin Laden and involved in the production of chemical weapons.
In the following months, that justification fell apart. Although it was not widely reported, it appears that our leaders reacted too hastily, with tragic results. While there were few injuries from the bombing itself, the people of Sudan have suffered enormously as a result of losing this crucial source of medicine.
Please, let's not let that happen again." Jeff Kandt 2001 Sep 13
3. "George Bush's administration yesterday blasted another lethal hole in the vital structure of multilateral arms agreements that has so far protected most of the world from the worst dangers of the modern military age. America's lone, wanton wrecking of long-running negotiations to enforce the 1972 treaty banning biological or germ weapons is an insult to the pact's 142 other signatories, a body-blow for the treaty itself and a major setback for international efforts to agree practical curbs on the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction.
By this action, the US suggests that its national security interests, narrowly defined, and the commercial interests of its dominant biotechnology sector should take precedence over responsible global collaboration to meet a common threat. By rejecting the proposed inspection regime, it further, dangerously, suggests to others that the US is not really worried about germ-warfare controls and wants to develop its own, advanced biological weapons.
This in turn could have a serious impact on continuing efforts to bolster the equally important chemical weapons convention. Since Tony Blair's government has been particularly active in promoting the BWC enforcement protocol, it may now be expected to be particularly active in condemning this latest piece of Bush vandalism. Jack Straw should summon the US ambassador, a Bush appointee, to the Foreign Office and demand an explanation.
The US move confirms a pattern of reckless, unilateralist behaviour on arms control, as on environmental and other issues. Since taking office, Mr Bush has spoken in grandiose terms of the need for "new thinking" and for a "new strategic framework". But to date, this supposed post-cold war global security "vision" has largely amounted to trashing existing agreements without any clear idea of what to put in their place." "Proliferator-in-chief"
Leader. 2001 July 26 Thurs. The Guardian.
4. "The USA drew worldwide criticism for failing to adopt the greatest international agreement for the reduction of some greenhouse gases, The Kyoto Protocol, which has been accepted by nearly every other country. This is despite the fact that the USA is by a massive margin the world's biggest polluter and very disproportionately so. President bush has repeatedly stated that he will not adopt such protocols if they harm American economy. Commercialism and greed overcome all common sense and thought for the welfare of future generations. See my complete page on "Oil, Pollution and Kyoto". This failure causes hatred not only of the Bush administration, but of American commercialism in general."
Vexen Crabtree, "Oil, Pollution and Kyoto", 2002 Jun 04
5. "The US contains 4% of the world's population but produces about 25% of all carbon dioxide emissions. By comparison, Britain emits 3% - about the same as India which has 15 times as many people "
BBC: The US and climate change
6. Rape and violent crime statistics - the highest in the modern world :
"1 in every 3 women are sexually assaulted in the US. The United States has the world's highest rape rate of the countries that publish such statistics --- 4 times higher than Germany, 13 times higher than England, and 20 times higher than Japan " University of Alabama Women's Center: sa.ua.edu/wrc/.../SAstats.doc

Like I said the list is endless... let me know if you want anymore reasons

Whoah, hold the phone! Im sorry? Afghanistan, is unjustified and is not supported by the UN!?

There are so many people in the US that hate Bush it's almost scary that he won the election AGAIN. We were pissed at this too, but there's nothing we can do about the mad man unless everyone else can agree with us. But for some reason people still LIKE him. That bastard. Also, we keep asking him "WHAT NUCLEAR WEAPONS!?" [The reason he gave for going to war]. THERE HAVE BEEN NO SIGN OF NUCLEAR WEAPONS. This really pisses me off.



Again, Bush. Half the people here hate him. It's almost as if the elections were rigged. Don't judge us by that man.



The rate at which people are killed by guns is by far larger than any other country also. ut if you look into it, there are a hell of a lot more people here. Check population charts.

By the way, I haven't been raped. You can't tell me all of the women I know who have not been raped are that much of a minority.

Really, I am more disgusted at the entire human race than I am at my own country. Hell, I want to move out of it. But what I'm trying to say is people judge all Americans by what are government does. Man, freaking government. You know [this is totally irrelevant] there is a law in Texas saying the guy has to be on top during ahem-hem-hem, or else you're breaking the law. Isn't that stupid!? How would they know anyways!?

Like I said, I don't agree with a lot of what my country does... half of the time I hate it. What I'm saying is... I am American. But I am not like the people that everyone else hates so much!

Well, the world needs a scapegoat and since the US is the only remaining superpower left on the Earth, why not? (I think some envy is involved too but not with all of them...if you lived in a third world toilet, wouldn't you wanna live like someone in America or even Canada?)

Also, check this page out on rape statistics.

http://www.rainn.org/statistics.html

It's declined by half already and steadily decreasing.

Which is why there are so many people who come here from other countries. That's what America is made of, people. America is nothing more than a collection of people from other countries!

I can tell you that I am Russian, Romanian, French, Canadian, [I am all of these] German, Polish... the list goes on. But the fact remains that I live in America. SO WHAT!? Am I not a person? Am I not a human like members of every other country? If you look into it, none of us are really that much different. I can't see why we all can't get along.

sure thing

I haven't seen it all but enough to say the beauty of it. In the east where I live, never will you see any desert. Forest, Forest and Forest. Its magnificent. The best place for forest would be BC, the trees are at least 10 times and way more our size. It is truly breathtaking And snow in the winter, tons of it. It is absolutly georguous and really nice to walk on, but 4 month after you'r a bit tired of shoveling

You won't wear your coat all year around but probably at least half of it. That is depending how far north you are. But if you stay near big cities. Half a year with your coat.

We have a few big cities, but I think much smaller compared to Us big cities. But still there are big enough.

As for politics...dont ask me...no idea. But what I know is that we are liked over the world and are knowed has peace keeper and helper.

I'll stop since I dont want to cloud this thread ...since its a bit off topic. But for beautifull things in Canada....I am sure that pages could be filled. Just google for some images you'll get a very good idea what I am talking about

oo! I want to live there.

Yes I've heard that Canada is seen as the Peace Keeper. That really appeals to me. lol. I wish I could go right away, but I still need to finish school. I don't know if I want to go to college. I don't like the idea of spending all of my young life in school.

Sorry, back on topic!

Hey LuQy, were you in Kuwait in 1990/1991?

When I was there; the action that Americans took was appreciated by the Kuwaitis. Saddam could have walked away with all kuwaits oil and resources but people stepped in and fought on kuwaits behalf...as they didn't have the resources(military anyway, plenty of cash though) to protect themselves...

LOL The USA only accounts for 4% of the entire global population my friend... yet it has the highest crime rates.... like I said a long time ago... Freedom/Liberty breeds decadence and America totally epitomises that point... I've also said that there are many people like me who don't hate American people BUT just the Country as a whole is the embodiment of immorality for me and thus I feel a sense of dislike towards HER..!!! btw.. I'm not too sure if many people do envy Americans or their lifestyles, I definately know I don't because they have one of the highest rates for crime, obesity etc... I'm not a woman BUT I doubt many women would want to live in the USA after seeing the rates of rape and murder.... Did you guys know female in the United States is 3 times more likely to be murdered than a female in Canada, 5 times more likely to be murdered than a female in Germany, and 8 times more likely to be murdered than a female in England and Wales. The US female homicide victimisation rate is 5 times that of all the other high income countries combined. The firearm homicide rate for US females is 11 times higher than that in the other high income countries ...??? and then you say its called ENVY ??? I think FEAR would be more appropriate....

The U.S. has 294 million people living in it, it comes in third place as the country with the biggest population. India and China being first and second. You compared America to England and Japan.

LOL nope I was too busy nursing my broken leg watching Italia '90 at the age of 7 ..... I'm not denying the good America has done, I'm sure many people appreciate it as I do, BUT it is somewhat overshadowed by their poor record over the recent past and usually for every good action I can acknowldge America for there are 2 or more poor decisions/bad actions I could hold them responsible for.... The problem with America is it seems to take one step forward and then 2 steps back.... So whatever good they bring is always surrounded by controversy and hostility...

And that is a reason for foreigners to hate the US?



So whats your proposal? Put an end to freedom?

Here are some of America's best and worst cities for crime.

http://www.bestplaces.net/crime02/crime_study3.asp

If we look into these things, maybe we can find out WHY there is so much crime. What drives these people? If violence is the reason people hate America, we chould all try to figure out why Americans are so violent. How does that sound?

Why does a majority of the world dislike America?

I'll be as brief and simple as possible...

1 - The arrogance of your society...most (not all) are virtually unaware that there are other countries out there and operate under the ideals that if its not happening in America or not being done in America its not worth knowing.

2 - Tourists. These people are representitives of your country. And most tend to act disrespectful and very arrogant (I've been on tours with Americans and I've also bumped into dozens in Sydney). Again, not all are like this, just most that I've met.

3 - Your governments overall pretentious, contradictory, hypocritical and, sorry for using this word again, arrogant behaviour towards other countries.

Honestly guys...most people do not want your help...you assume they do and you feel as though it's your obligation to do so because you're the self-proclaimed "most powerful and greatest country on Earth". And please don't give me the tiring "but when you're in trouble America would be the first country you'd call" argument...you couldn't be more wrong.

4 - This is the number #1 reason, IMO, that you're globally dispised. Iraq, Afghanistan, Vietnam, North Korea and Iran. And lets not forget the dozen other countries your government in squatting in.

5 - This is number #1 for me - your citizens and government commenting on the treatment on Australia's treatment of its natives, the Aboriginies and our treatment of ILLEGAL refugees. A supurb example of your arrogance and hypocricy. I was very proud of John Howard, our Prime Minister (who is a notorious lackey of Bush's), basically, gave you the finger in response.

If you're an American I very much doubt you'd understand how others, non-Americans, feel about you...you'll have an idea...but you'll never fully grasp it. It's complicated.

PS. Geez, came off really anti-American then didn't I?

PSS. Wasn't very short or simple was it?

YES because I was discussing developed countries that record such crimes and plus the number and size of population shouldn't matter when we take into account percentages (I'm hoping you know your maths) because we're considering the same proportions when it comes down to it.... if UK has 50 million people and 5 million commit crimes then the rate is still 10% so if America has 300 million for the crime rate to match the UK's it would have to be 30 million... Anyway I'll leave the maths out for now...

Yes it is very sad.

There was a show once where these people would go online in a chat room and pretend to be a fourteen year old girl, then the guy would ask, "Where do you live?" and the guy would come to the house and get his face right there on tv. Some bum looking for sex with a fourteen year old girl. The sad part of it is, one of the men that came was a New York firefighter, one of the people we've looked up to since the 9/11 attack. That can really break someone's spirits.

Can you tell me more about this? [Really I'd like to move out of America, I just want to know everyone else's perspectives first.] I can't even read a hostory book without getting pissed off at my forefathers. Wait, did I say "my" forefathers? My family was scattered across Europe during that time.

Sure.

During 2000-2003 Australia had a big problem with illegal immigrants from the Middle-East and Asia coming over on wrecked boats half-dead.

Problem is, most (not all) Australians, and the government viewed them more as trespassers as they didn't qualify as "asylum seekers" (people who were fleeing horrifying circumstances). Only about 10% qualified and those were granted visas or whatever.

The rest were placed in "detention centres" and the following months they acted like animals. Attacking the staff of the centres and even breaking out and rioting in a nearby town.

Over the next few months the illegal refugees began claiming inhumane treatment. After independent investigations were complete they found no evidence to support this. So the refugees began starving and killing themselves and complaining about the lack of cable television (I kid you not).

To sum it up...they came to our country illegally, rioted, harmed our citizens and then complained because they were denied extravagent luxuries.

Cue America and, to be fair, the UN. They basically told us what we SHOULD do. Luckily, as I said, our Prime Minister quickly shot them down.

Thousands Illegal Refugees are still in detention to this day. We can't do anything with them because most wont tell us where they're from (because they know if we knew they'd be sent back on the next plane, which is what we do when we find out) and others requests at asylum are still being processed.



And about the Aboriginies...America has commented numerous times about their horrible treatment at the hands of the Australian government.

Most of the Aboriginies live in the outback and some communities refuse help...we're trying to make up for our, and the British Empires, past mistakes.

We're giving them billions of dollars, food, education, and many other types of support.

The most infuriating thing America has said in regards to the Aboriginies?

Get this:

There was this "stolen generation" fiasco, 50 years or so ago, we made some pretty big mistakes and took many children from their parents.

Aboriginals and many, many Australians wanted the Australian Government to make a formal apology for those events. The Australian Prime Minister, John Howard, refused and still does to this day.

He feels that if he apologises for this it will leave the Australian government open for billions of dollars worth of lawsuits...and he's right. Alot of political mumbo jumbo is involed.

America then stepped up and openly criticised the Australian government for not apologising.

Their comments reeked of hypocricy and arrogance.


PS. sorry for the length.

LMAO Funny you should say that, if you trace back the modern Australians ancestry you'll come to realise just exactly how many were perpetrators of crime most of them were deployed there as convicts... talk about illegal immigrants.. oh the irony....

Just for the record 13 May 1787 the First Fleet set sail for Australia, 6 transport ships, together with 2 warships and 3 store-ships, taking 717 convicts of which 48 died en route, arriving in January 1788 at Port Jackson. The names of the convicts transported are listed in P G Fidlon and R J Ryan, ed. The First Fleeters (Sydney, 1981). A list of convicts transported on the second fleet of ships, which left in 1789, and during which 278 died, has also been compiled in R J Ryan, ed. The Second Fleet Convicts (Sydney, 1982).
Transportation was not formally abolished until 1868, but in practice it was effectively stopped in 1857, and had become increasingly unusual well before that date. During those 80 years 158,702 convicts arrived in Australia from England and Ireland, and 1321 from other parts of the Empire, making a total of 160,023 men and women transported. A good account of the transportation system is given in R Hughes, The Fatal Shore (London, 1987).

Yes, I was aware of the irony and those facts...almost every other country on the planet is guilty of this...and you'll noticed I mentioned that. By no means am I saying Australians, especially their ancestors, are saints.

The point is, today, we cannot just let any old immigrant walk into our country unopposed.

For the record, there is evidence that suggests that the Aboriginies weren't the original inhabitants, but refugees themselves from New Guinea thousands of years ago.

But we're straying from the topic

Wow.

Well that explains a lot. So the US and the UN kept trying to talk your prime minister into doing something he didn't want to do... are the aboriginies still peeved at you, or are they cool? lol, cool. heh.

Mad manfred, you said a mouthful. And I as an American agree with much of what your saying.

The above quote is really, really, REALLY ironic.

In the U.S. we have about 500 indian reservations. Prior to my accident in 1994, I worked on the largest reservation in this country. The Navajo reservation in north east Arizona. Because the reservations, until very recently were trust funds lands, these people were treated has third class citizens on their own land. 45% to 78% lived well below the U.S. poverty level. The only choices avaliable was to either give up their heritage and move off the reservation, or scrape by day to day. Bush Sr. did change the laws so the tribes became more independent and self governing. But with that brought new problems. Gambling, alcohol abuse, obesity, high rate (60% higher than nation average.) diabetics

It is very hypocritical for the U.S. to complain about the Australian handling of the natives, when our own country STILL treats the former owners of this nation and third class citizens.

I for one do understand why many folks outside the U.S. dislike us. And your right, just looking at some of the Americans on this forum, it is very understandable.

Overall they don't hate us. Though there are small communities that raise their children to be wary of us...but thats changing.

Mostly they just want to co-exist and each major aboriginal group wants a different thing. Some want independence (hence the aboriginal tent-embassy), while some want their hereditary land back.

There isn't much racism going on...its hard to describe...its like the relationship England has with Scotland.

Well, why in Central and South America the USA is hated?
I myself hate the USA goverment, not the common people.

First: The USA putting hands in the internal affairs of South and Central american since 1900, reinforcing things like the United Fruit C.O. and puting military dictatorships or juntas to fight anything your goverment didn´t like.

Second: The whole "this is our backyard" way of thinking.

Third: The ignorance of your goverment and sadly, of a lot of your people, about the rest of the world. (i have some discussion whit USA citizens about if Argentina is like Brazil or not, or if Argentina was the capitol of Brazil)

Third: The hipocrisy of your goverment. They say they are the beacon of liberty, but support dictators all over the world,and overthwo legitimal democratic or people elected goverments. You were and are no better than the Reds.

Fourth: That bothersome actitud of "WE are AMERICA,f*** THE WORLD; WE ARE RIGHT" while keep pumping CO2 and other funny subtances in the atmosfere, whiout thinking in the rest of the world.

And thats all .......for the moment.

I know it's a bit off the subject but has anyone seen that 'Team America' film? I'd be interested to know what everyone thinks about it.

What's team America??

It's from the creators of south park. They use puppets in a film which has just been brought out here in England. It basically takes the mick out of the way America deals with terrorists etc.

Has it not been brought out in America?

http://www.teamamerica.com/

Goto trailer...

There payed to do it, I know a family down here who got into debt. They had the accents, so they got about 4000 dollars and a free vacation to fight on tv.

LOL I've seen trailers and definately looks amusing so I'll have to go watch it... seems like a Thunderbirds spin-off to me

It is. I'll have to go and see it only cuz it makes fun of bush kerry moore and a host of other egotistical mental midgets.

People are People. There Is No Difference In My Eyes~

I am an American and am happy to be one. However, I must agree that the U.S. has to stop trying to be the Police Force for the world. We need to start worrying more about our country and less about other countries. We can't feed the world. We can't solve the worlds problems. We have a hard enough time with our own problems.

I would like the US to begin pulling back its military from foriegn countires. It might even be nice to let other countries to have a turn to host the UN. We should start using all those trillions of dollars spent on war to help in cleaning up our own county, cleaning it up both ecologicaly and socially. I do not favor total isolation, but do beleive that it is sometimes best to let other coutries solve their own problems, for better or worse. Of course it won't be easy for us to change, but we need to do so.

As for tourists, americans are no different than foriegn tourists here in the U.S. Tourists are tourists where ever you go. I live next to Washington D.C. and have seen my share of tourists and diplomats, and some are very baddly behaved and some are fantastic. I particulary stay way from diplomats who drive like they have a suicide wish.

America was founded on the idea that we should keep out of foreign affairs. Unfortunately/fortunately this was not taken to heart. I think the US has done alot of good for the world. We provided a haven for countless citizens of other coutries who were fleeing oppresssion, starvation, persecution... We contribute huge amounts of aide on a global scale. We make a lot of big budget movies.

Ok, that being said, yes there are MANY problems w/ the way the country is presenting itself, both by the government and its citizens. It's always easy to lash out at the more powerful, so America has become a scape-goat, but not without good cause. We create more pollution per person than any other country. Our leaders do cry "Liberty" and 'depose of despotic rulers for the good of the world' but at the same time champion some heinous dictators. And yes, some of our citizens are vile, fat, obnoxious prigs that need to never leave their trailer park, let alone visit another country. I hereby apologize to every city on the planet that has been visited by these people.

But hopefully in 4 years we can begin to make some changes. Not all Americans are ethno-centric morons with no idea of what goes on beyond their borders. Unfortunately for the time being, just over half of our country is.

I do get tired of this "Bigger is better" additude... as well as this over huge in your face patriatism...

I think it is because your gov't polices the globe, the whole lot of you are arrogant jerks, and I even saw that a company produced "Proud to be Canadian" shirts to go to other countries with so they'll 'like' you. So much for patriotism now.

Personally, I can stand some American's and couldn't pick them out of a crowd if I tried, being the fact that some are really nice, and caring and don't act like scoundrels. Others, which I and many other people can't stand, believe that they're are better than everyone else because they have more money and that their way of life is 'better', when it is far from it.

Gee.. thanks ;P

I'm also tired of being clumped together with the american "arrogant jerks"

Just because I'm an American, doesn't mean I have that mentality that some in the world like this guy gripes about.


PS I didn't vote for Bush... so don't you even dare blame me for what this government does.

On another note...

I've heard that some American tourists wear Mapleleaf T-Shirts whilst overseas (Anywhere, Asia, Mid-East, Europe, UK, Australia) so they don't get attacked or discriminated against...in fact, I heard that tour guides advise it...is there any truth behind this?

I agree completely with what you two have to say.




Most likely. If someone finds out you're American, they automatically judge you for someone you're not. We don't like it when people make faces at us........ but some of these people deserve it. I know people who think the U.S. is the greatest country ever. I feel like smacking them over the head, too. Bastards.