Here is an interesting question: to those from outside the United States:

[MelziGurl]

The funny thing is, the American's I meet in person are genuinely nice people. It's the dickheads online that ruin it for the good people of America. I began to build a very bad opinion of them online, because of their arrogance and their attempts to seem tough in a retarded manner. Luckily I've met some very decent American's.

 

[Flamewall]

Well, I'm a Finn and I have never been in America. That is not to say that I haven't travelled and I've been around (mostly Europe though) but I hope to visit US someday. That is not to say that I don't have at least a little beef with the US. Here in Finnland people have very negative image on the USA, but it has nothing to do with how americans behave themselves here (altough I've heard several stories of americans being even overly (=creepily) nice and pleasant, but that propably is the cause of difference in our cultures, but more with US foreign policy.
US is considered to be the bully of the world. Since the end of the Cold War with the collapse of the USSR, US has been the leader of a single-polar world. This has lead to US being able to do virtually anything they wish and behave any way the want towards us smaller countries. This is at least the perspective we here in the neighbor of Russia see it (consult your map for more information on, how fucked Finnland will be if Russia gets angry with us). The US has a huge number of meaningless wars on its roster the latest (and the least popular) being the totally futile war on Iraq.
Here many people have a deep grudge against USA as a country and unfortunately that often translates into nagetive perception of the habitants of that country. I personnally have always tried to make a difference between a state and its citizens, but with foreign policy like Guantanamo Bay or the (ridiculous) War on Terrorism (wich is not a bad cause, but is waged against the wrong people in all the wrong ways, that make it seem that US is really only trying to promote its own agendas) it has gotten harder and harder to like reeasons to like the US in late. I'm keeping hope that the new president will help the country really come around.

 

[Gamine]

I was supposed to go to America last year, NC actually but it was damn too cold, my sister who still went, thoroughly regretted it..

Anyway..the general notion here, is that America is a land of opp (The UK being the first port of call, London preferably) and even if theres racism, theres still alot of black people to cushion it compared to the European countries

They also think Americans are Fat, Bush is a rat and Obama Rocks!

 

[Jesterz]

Absolute Power corrupts absolutely.

Whilst there are many intelligent hard working Americans, there are just too many fat, lazy, greedy, moronic people over there. Approx 65% Overweight or Obese. Klu Klux Klan. George Bush. A lot of money and Power and little help to give.

Now, my opinion is pretty bias simply from my knowledge of USA, merely because I know bits and pieces, but this thread isn't about what USA is really, but rather my views on USA. So summed up a VERY Powerful country that has so much potential if only there weren't so many fat, greedy, gun-toting hicks that don't know their ass from their elbows.

Sorry for all the intelligent USA citizens.

 

[Mr_spamamam]

like alot of people on this thread, i dont hate americans, some of the ones ive met are good blokes, and some are proper spastics ( useually the ones on COD4). its not the epople that are hated, it's what your country does to the rest of the world.
i cant say that britain is any better because we arn't. but since your government appointed its self the "Worlds Policeman" its pissed on alot of peoples chips and garnered resentment around the world for it

now i know this bit will sound harsh but im trying to explain things, on 9/11 alot of people in the arabic and third world countries were celebrating the attacks, not out of malice towards individual americans but to your country as a whole, they saw it as revenge for over 30 maybe 40 years of dicking around in other peoples countries. there are a lot to list so i got a link to a page if you want to have a look.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CIA_sponsored_regime_change

i know some of these are just alligations but you can see why parts of the world harbour such hostility towards you, they think that you just like to go around imposing your own views and ideologies on people with no thought to the consequences.

People pilloried that priest during the obama election for saying that 9/11 was americas "chickens coming home to roost" but he was kinda right. any thats it, rant over. now i just sit back and wait for the hate mail

 

[Rooster Cogburn]

You know, whatever else you could say about us, I don't think anybody can tolerate unwarranted abuse on an internet forum like an American. *salutes the Statue of Techno-Liberty*

 

[black lincon]

name a few policies then. what are the things about him that you don't like.

(sorry I had to get rid of all that, it was cluttering up the quote messages.)

I think you misunderstand me. I like him, I like him a lot however there are many people who don't like his policies(republican party) and some who just don't like him(racists). I couldn't explain the latter's hate for him very well, I'm not racist I wouldn't know what's going on in their heads, however I could tell you that anyone who is a conservative in our country hates his policies because he spends so much, less than 100 days in and he's spent over $1,000,000,000,000 USD, that's a lot of money and it's catching him some serious flack.

 

[ace_of_something]

I'm American. I traveled in 1999 and again in 2005. The difference was staggering.
In 1999; most people greeted me kindly. Like I was a big talking wallet willed. Although I will admit most people even those with excellent english, spoke to me like I was a small child.

2006; Most people wanted to yell at me about what 'our president' has done even though it takes a lot more people then our president to start a war. I would explain that I didn't do anything I just live there. I am only one voice in 300,000,000, And if 150,000,001 disagree with me then I'm out. This is of course a GROSS oversimplification of the process but it got the point across.
I don't blame people for not understanding the intricacies of a foreign government though.

 

[santaandy]

...and even if theres racism, theres still alot of black people to cushion it compared to the European countries...

It's amazing how amusingly naive non-Americans can be. Any race is prone to racism. Adding the discriminated population doesn't balance it out. Besides, in America, all races suffer from some form of racism, both that they commit and that is committed against them.

 

[Gamine]

...and even if theres racism, theres still alot of black people to cushion it compared to the European countries...

It's amazing how amusingly naive non-Americans can be. Any race is prone to racism. Adding the discriminated population doesn't balance it out. Besides, in America, all races suffer from some form of racism, both that they commit and that is committed against them.

Yep some people are grossly naive. . .Also those that think Africans live on trees and sleep with animals

 

[GunnerGraye]

I know I really have no place in this, being an American but I'd just want to make a quick statement so people can know where I'm coming from (I'm trying to help make not so much hate so at least hear me out): A lot of Americans are nice people. Average people, who have no misguided hate or ridiculous actions or feel any absurd way about anything. You need to know that it isn't all one in the same, we're different than every other American. Yes, A LOT of Americans live up to the stereotype of, "fat, lazy, inconsiderate, a**holes." but some of us aren't. Really, it isn't our fault we have morons run our country. I personally think that we have the wrong people running things. Most of our higher up politicians are corrupt and make the wrong decisions. They don't represent everyone like they're made to do, they go with what they think is right, instead of what everyone thinks. Ultimately, we have total idiots run our country who have no idea what they're doing, and make awful decisions that the rest of the world sees, but we aren't all like that. Give SOME of us a chance. Thank to anyone who bothered to read all that. =]

 

[Hunt3r_of_3vil]

In my experience as someone who is from Canada and sees the by-product of the culture of our neighbors to the south, Americans are very introspective; they don't seem to really know much about things outside of America. That's cool; I won't pretend to be an expert on things outside of Canada. But some of the assumptions I've seen Americans make about other countries...

Americans are really dense when it comes to other countries in my experience, but I think a large part of that comes from an upbringing that brainwashes American people into thinking they are the best and they don't need to care about other cultures. All it does is breeds xenophobia.

 

[chaser[phoenix]]

In my experience as someone who is from Canada and sees the by-product of the culture of our neighbors to the south, Americans are very introspective; they don't seem to really know much about things outside of America. That's cool; I won't pretend to be an expert on things outside of Canada. But some of the assumptions I've seen Americans make about other countries...

Americans are really dense when it comes to other countries in my experience, but I think a large part of that comes from an upbringing that brainwashes American people into thinking they are the best and they don't need to care about other cultures. All it does is breeds xenophobia.

Oooh I don't know exactly sir.
Perhaps a majority are like that though, because it just came to mind that the United States of America is horribly racist. I swear, there are so many people now that have an irrational hatred and fear of the Hispanic population (which they simply label as "Mexicans").

Me, though, am eager to learn about cultures beyond mine and I have no problem learning Spanish as a means of communicating with folk in and out of my homeland.

 

[black lincon]

name a few policies then. what are the things about him that you don't like.

(sorry I had to get rid of all that, it was cluttering up the quote messages.)

I think you misunderstand me. I like him, I like him a lot however there are many people who don't like his policies(republican party) and some who just don't like him(racists). I couldn't explain the latter's hate for him very well, I'm not racist I wouldn't know what's going on in their heads, however I could tell you that anyone who is a conservative in our country hates his policies because he spends so much, less than 100 days in and he's spent over $1,000,000,000,000 USD, that's a lot of money and it's catching him some serious flack.

that i must agree with, about the money. but still at least he isn't declaring useless wars or getting the country involved in other peoples wars(seems to be a proud 20th century USA tradition.)

Bush had 2 years, 58 days in office and a bloodthirsty public before invading Iraq. Obama has neither, the conditions of the beginning of these mens' presidency are very different. Not only that but Obama has been in office a little over 50 day and has had no major disasters to deal with other than the ones he inherited. To be fair to Bush he did have an entire country looking to blow something up, whether or not we should have gone in isn't the question when you consider that most residents of the US wanted to be there.

 

[XJ-0461]

well, Americans are like the rest of the world; there are the crazy ones, and there are the all right ones. Gotta say though, Americans can be a bit arrogant, seeing as you think you're better than everyone else, even though without the rest of the world, a lot of Americans wouldn't exist right now.

 

[Ratman95]

"Shaved your asses in World War 1"

I think its the other way around dude .

 

[Hunde Des Krieg]

Also, when I went on vacation to Cedar Point I was filled with over Patriotic, America Rules everyone else sucks, crap. One of my biggest problems with America is their patriotism , they blind themselves with lies, saying, thinking , believing that they are the best, and only decent country in the world.

^I blame the schools

 

[Sparrow]

I have to admit, I feel a bit like the kid that gets bullied only slightly, so the teachers don't do anything about it because it doesn't matter.

Let me make that bit clearer.

My entire life (I'm only 15 btw) media has basically mocked my country. People have mocked me from being from where I live. And every American I meet seems to pull some snide comment about "tea".

So, going back to the schoolkid thing, because nobody cares, theres nothing I can do. Therefore, I must endure this for the rest of Primary school.

I don't know what my country did to deserve this snide hate either. Wether it's the complete dick on TV that speaks in the worst "posh" stereotypical English voice ever, and rants something about loving tea, or the fact that some Americans who came to my country, had at go at ME for saying Football instead of "soccer".

Yet, I don't hate Americans. Maybe I'm too nice. Maybe it's really not that big a deal.

But I still get the same feeling welling up inside me whenever someone insults my country. That I should just walk over there and break that morons jaw, and show every other bully and tell them the same thing will happen to them if they don't keep quiet.

Oh. And I'm English btw, incase you didn't figure that out.