Quote:
Originally Posted by Bello Uomo
The replies are all perceptions. They may very well be factually incorrect, but they are how outsiders perceive that country's people, leaders, political landscape to be.
For some people, those perceptions might be grounded in expansive experience travelling the globe and meeting people from different walks of life, but for others those perceptions might come from watching CNN or a Steve Irwin Croc Hunter documentary.
PS: I knew this thread was going to end in  |
I purposely stayed away from this thread from the beginning, but took the time tonight to read (most) of it. It was obvious from the start that it would go (mostly) south for Americans.
As I was reading through it I wanted to quote nearly every second post and make comments, but I chose yours Marc, because it seemed to be the most sensible of all.
IMHO, it is mostly a combination of politics, media influence and envy that is the root cause of all this. As an immigrant to the US, I believe I have the ability to see the issue from at least two sides. From where I came and from where I am.
The world is in a political turmoil at the moment and the US is very much in the forefront. Some agree with the politics and others disagree, but as in most conflicting situations the negative voice is always louder. Within the borders of the US politics is also polarized as ever. I am going to stop short of taking sides, however, I believe that the media has a big role in fueling all this.
The net results is that people through out the world are taking sides, some for and some against ... and a few in the middle (or should I say objective). All this gets accelerated into something more personal and all of a sudden Americans are either hated or loved. Hate speaks louder than love, unfortunately.
I used the word "envy" before. That does not mean that I believe that most wants to be Americans if they could, but there is IMHO an envy of the US power, which more often manifest itself as resentment, which escalate into hate. If it is not envy it may be a sense of forced submissiveness.
Back when there was 2 superpowers it was easy for most people in the western world to side with America. After the fall of the Soviet Union the status quo in the US became too one-sided for many.
Agreeing or disagreeing with politics it is sad that these views are brought to a personal level. I can speak first hand about this. Sometimes I introduce myself as a Dane and sometimes as an American and while most of the times it makes no difference I have several examples where the reception of ME was different depending on how I introduced my self and I find that truly sad, because I am only ONE person.
Most Americans that I know, on the surface will say that they do not care what others think (making them arrogant), however, they do care. but have a conviction strong enough to simply stand up for themselves and their country.
I think a perfect example of this ebb and flow relationship between France and the United States. Under Jacques Chirac most French disliked the Americans and most Americans disliked the French. Believe me I have worked for a French company from 2001 to 2007 and felt it first hand ... actually I was part of the problem. I have not voluntarily had any French wine for 4 years or as far as I had any control any French product. Now the political table it turning with Nicolas Sarkozy at the helm in France and attitudes are changing in both France and the US in a rapid pace, even I have made a decision to buy a bottle of French wine soon. This whole thing is going to turn nearly 180º solely because of politics, just like the animosity was solely political.
As I said before, it is sad when we make the issue personal. Believe me I have seen the worst of people in some Americans, but as a whole I have to say that Americans are some of the most compassionate and good hearted people than I have ever met. I will go so far as to say I believe I have become a better person living here.
Agree of disagree with American politics as you please. Bash or praise Bush as you like. Stereotype Americans as being fat if you choose to go that far. But please be mindful, that behind most of the 300 million people here, that some of you are painting with one brush .... there are more admirable people than you can throw a stick at.
Just my very humble opinion ... feel free to throw mud at me, because like most Americans I can handle it.