Calling All Non-Americans!!!: America?

[deathninja]

My country: DFK,DFC

Personally, I love the US, never had a bad experience while I've been over there, nor with students and tourists that came here I've got to know.

Shame I could never emigrate, the restrictions on scientists are farcical compared to other disciplines.

 

[Bobic]

lol i've never met an american, or been to america, but I hate it because the TV and popular culture tell me i should

 

[Ekonk]

I've met some Americans, and they were terrific folk.

I just think that the people running that country are a bunch of utter butterdicks who are so hilariously cartoonishly evil that it would be funny if it wasn't real. I mean, Guantanamo Bay? Come the fuck on, guys! What kind of fucking freedom is that!

Australian. We tend to think of America as two seperate continents North America and South America.

I think it's kind of obvious he means [The United States of] America.

 

[Section Crow]

from the UK

most of us think your obese, moronic and nationalist is the basic standpoint from my area, a lot of American stereotype jokes being thrown around too...

my view of america is don't know don't care to be honest

 

[GundamSentinel]

I don't like the people that represent America, I don't like the way America presents itself, I don't like the way Americans think other people should think about America. I don't like American patriotism, I don't America's superiority complex. I like some Americans, the ones I don't like I've never met. That's about it.

I dislike America on an impersonal level. However. I like America on a personal level.

 

[Jabberwock xeno]

American's view of america:

Less guns than you think, less idots then you think, assuming you look for the smart ones.

I am so distanced from the sterotype of americans that I hardly feel american myself...

 

[manaman]

Hey look this thread again..this week.

inb4 "lol i've never met an american, or been to america, but I hate it because the TV and popular culture tell me i should"

Pretty much my feelings on this. I hate these threads. Its just a thinly disguised "Bash America" thread.

Sometimes not even thinly disguised.

American's view of america:

Less guns than you think, less idots then you think, assuming you look for the smart ones.

I am so distanced from the sterotype of americans that I hardly feel american myself...

There are about 90 guns per 100 people in civilian ownership. More then half of the households in the US have one or more firearms in them.

Not that it's a bad thing, but there are more guns then you think. The fact that we are not a bunch of maddened killing machines shows them for what they are a tool and only that. It's a shame that so many people can act so enlightened when it comes to defending the negative image of something they like (video games), but are so willing to do the same to something else (guns).

The UK largely seen as a model of gun control has more violent crime then the US. Both Canada and well pick your Westernized country aside from Australia. About the only thing that the US leads on is homicides, and rapes but that is debatable. Even then it's predominantly the result of crime within the poorer urban areas. Those areas have murder rates as high as 20 while the rest of the country has rates down around 1.8 and 2. Comparable with the rates in countries like Canada, and the UK. Think of it this way, the average US rate is 5.4 the average rate across all of Europe is 5.4. The US population is 310 million, Europe 490 million. Both have large populations with vast cultural differences. Both have their trouble areas.

Destroying this socioeconomic barrier and bringing the people within them up to the same standards in education and the same standards of living are one of the few major social hurdles the US has in front of it. Something that they are making great progress on in cities like New York and Chicago. Something they are trying to adapt to wider use across the country.

Sure you can look at gun crime, and see higher rates all day, but that doesn't spell out the whole picture. Which is that gun ownership rates have never been directly tied to crime rates in any meaningful way.

 

[Sniper Team 4]

I live in Canada and have all my life. I think that the United States is starting to wane on its global influence as the model of Economy, Industry and Education they maintain (which heavily influences development in those respects on an International basis) are outdated because of those models being directed and largely unmodified since the legal and cultural constructs assembled in the Industrial Revolution.

I see it takes someone who lives on the same continent to note that the United States is all of America. Well done

 

[manaman]

I don't like the people that represent America, I don't like the way America presents itself, I don't like the way Americans think other people should think about America. I don't like American patriotism, I don't America's superiority complex. I like some Americans, the ones I don't like I've never met. That's about it.

I dislike America on an impersonal level. However. I like America on a personal level.

Wait a second, I am reading that as you have never actually met an American you don't like, but you are sure you don't like them.

Nifty.

 

[Ldude893]

I'm from Hong Kong. WHen it comes to America, I'm okay with most of the people, just not the politics.

 

[Mynop]

I'm from Finland and I've never put that much of a thought about America.

 

[supermariner]

well my view on america is hardly worth much

television has taught me that a third of your country are hyper attractive led and hyper stupid
another third is hyper fat and hyper stupid
and the other third are hillbillies

now i would like to point out that i KNOW these representations cannot be trusted
but it's all i have to go on
so i'm sure america is a wonderful place full of wonderful people
but i don't actually know that to be true

so my thoughts on americans: TBD once i meet some
and my thoughts on america: love the movies. hate the politics. But hey. I'm British, don't listen to us liberals, run your country whatever way you'd prefer (well we're conservative again now but that'd be digressing)

 

[Kagim]

I'm from Canada.

America is that country underneath mine.

Most people i know point at America and mock some part of it to feel good about themselves despite not actually doing anything good themselves. Its the place that my social studies class spent a solid twenty minutes mocking causing me to leave the room. When confronted by my principle i merely said "I don't think prejudice should be taught in schools." and spent my suspension playing video games.

Whats my personal opinion of America.

It's a country, that's not mine, and is an ally to mine. I think hating Americans for the loud mouths is as stupid as hating any group for the loud mouths.

I'm sorry if i was supposed to bash America, but i won't.

 

[skywalkerlion]

Hey look this thread again..this week.

inb4 "lol i've never met an american, or been to america, but I hate it because the TV and popular culture tell me i should"

This. Seriously, it's getting so old.

 

[Gxas]

Its the place that my social studies class spent a solid twenty minutes mocking causing me to leave the room. When confronted by my principle i merely said "I don't think prejudice should be taught in schools." and spent my suspension playing video games.

Good on you. You definitely shouldn't have been suspended for that. Thats just bullshit.

People here do the same thing to Canada, and I despise it. I think Canada is one of the best countries around. I mean, I can like hockey and not get made fun of for it? Thats a place I can live in!

 

[Anarchemitis]

I live in Canada and have all my life. I think that the United States is starting to wane on its global influence as the model of Economy, Industry and Education they maintain (which heavily influences development in those respects on an International basis) are outdated because of those models being directed and largely unmodified since the legal and cultural constructs assembled in the Industrial Revolution.

I see it takes someone who lives on the same continent to note that the United States is all of America. Well done

Je n'comprende pas ton point de vue.

 

[Blind Sight]

Most of the Americans I've meet I've liked, I communicate a lot over the internet with some because of my political beliefs as well, and most of them have been decent as well. I do have a problem with the American government and a lot of their actions, but all in all the American people seem no different then others. Also, goddamn you guys make good burgers, not sure why Canadian ones seem not as good.

However, Canadians love to act superior towards Americans. It's a whole superiority complex thing we have going, where we love to bring up our universal healthcare system and such. I personally view that as patriotic bullshit, Canada's got plenty of problems too that we love to remain ignorant about.

 

[colourcodedchaos]

I am from south-east England, but I've been to America a few times now.

I tend to play up the Americans I've met over the years as crass and stupid... but, since I only ever do it as part of a stand-up act - and even then am at pains to point out that not all Americans act how I portray them in the material - the point is moot. I have met some spectacularly stupid Americans in my time, but I've also met Piers Morgan. Idiocy is a global phenomenon.

I quite like the idea of the United States; a society based upon equality is an inherently good thing. However, when it comes to implementing equality for all humanity, regardless of race, colour or creed... don't take this the wrong way, but you guys -suck at it-. Really suck at it. For example, the NHS might be a bit rubbish at times, but it's free at the point of service for everyone to use - and I consider it reprehensible to say that that idea's a bad one. The idea is good, but the execution... not so much.

My four-penn'orth, anyway.

 

[Thaluikhain]

Um...how does "love the people, hate the politics" work? Don't the US people have a say in who runs their nation?

Ok, sure, you can be sympathetic to those US people that don't fit the stereotype and actually are interested in their society and the world around them, but as most people in the US don't vote, they would seem to be in the minority.