I agree completely with the original post (which is all that I have read).
It is destructive and rediculous that so much of American life is about owning things.
Bush is so undefendably bad that it isn’t even worth discussing.
Most of the world wastes resources, but a lot of that is America’s fault. We, along with our European ancestors, conquered the rest of the world and turned it into a wasteful economic infrastructure that exists just to support us.
[QUOTE=Lissa]
I’ve always heard a vague urban legend that automobile companies bought up the railroads/trams, or their tracks, or* something* along those lines to discourage people from using trains by making them less available.
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Maybe we should call it a suburban legend.
I agree with JohnT’s “simple no” to a point. Though it may not have the primary intent, however, replacing trams with buses undoubtedly resulted in a more unpleasant passenger experience which must have driven many people away. Buses are jerky and smelly, and accelerate poorly compared to electric traction vehicles.
[QUOTE=FrantzJ]
Bush is so undefendably bad that it isn’t even worth discussing.
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Whoa there, this thread is about irrational dislike of Americans.
So that was us then, in India, Africa, and Indonesia?
To the Europeans who have commented here, I wonder if you are aware that there are many disaffected Americans, who dislike this car-centered lifestyle (because when it comes right down to it, that’s where most of the resources are going), who would love to move to Europe, but you’re not having most of us. Have you looked at your immigration laws lately? Unless a person as got a million bucks to live on without working papers, or are in some other fortunate circumstance, like pending marriage or the right parents, I don’t know how anyone manages to emigrate to Western Europe.
[QUOTE=constanze]
Why is it so important if somebody has visited the US or not before being qualified to talk about the culture and politics? This isn’t, after all, about individual Americans being nice chap (while voting for a president who started a war) or clueless idiots as every country has them. It’s about the general population, the general culture.
And again, does talking on the Internet with many Americans, reading their opinions on key topics, not count as knowing Americans? Do I have to meet them face to face? Would you consider me qualified if I had been to America?
[/QUOTE]
Because you can’t get a realistic view of the United States from viewing our media output (Hollywood and CNN), observing our politics, or talking with the slice of our populace that actively chats on the Internet. While most of the US these days uses the Internet to some degree, you’ll find that the most prolific users are younger and a little more left of center (as evidenced by this board).
If I only went by initial impressions of Germany, I would tend to think that your cities are all small villages, you are all so into your culture you tend to wear traditional outfits at the drop of a hat and you all have an obsessive need for organization.
Your cities are large, and dreary, and full of people wearing dark clothing with somber demeanors.
Everyone drinks beer all the dang time.
Also, most folks are blonde, and women have ample bosoms and wide birthing hips.
See? It’s easy to misinterpret things based on the surface stuff you get from the media. The only thing that speaking with a lot of German’s on the Internet would add is that a lot of you are very left of center, and you all hate America/Americans (such as the impression you’re giving here).
However, having hosted foreign exchange students, and having my step-mothers family come from Germany, and working with a german immigrant, I like to think that I’ve gotten a much better grasp of the fact that German’s are pretty much just like us, with a slightly better grasp of history (except WW2) and tend to think more Globally.
Freelancer and FrantzJ, I just have two questions.
How old are you?
When did you get the idea that it’s acceptable to make sweeping judgements on large groups of people?
I am 19 years old.
I did not make judgements at all. I said its a feeling I had regarding (dislike/or hate as some people called it) americans and there culture. From the responces I got though I changed my mind regarding this, and I now consider them basically the same as the dutchies and the culture different but in many ways the same.
[QUOTE=constanze]
Why is it so important if somebody has visited the US or not before being qualified to talk about the culture and politics? This isn’t, after all, about individual Americans being nice chap (while voting for a president who started a war) or clueless idiots as every country has them. It’s about the general population, the general culture.
And again, does talking on the Internet with many Americans, reading their opinions on key topics, not count as knowing Americans? Do I have to meet them face to face? Would you consider me qualified if I had been to America?
[/QUOTE]
No, I don’t think that counts. I, for example, am pretty familiar with Germany, especially Bavaria; I’ve visited it several times and love the area. Regensburg is one of the neatest cities I’ve ever been to. (I’m not sure you’d call me a tourist, as I was visiting family members.) However, I would not say that I really know much about Bavarians at all. I can say that I know Denmark quite well, since I lived there for over a year, but I’m not up on their current issues.
Besides, just from your generalizations about Americans, it’s obvious that you don’t really know much about us. It’s like seeing a funhouse mirror reflection–so distorted and backwards that it isn’t even recognizable. To quote Kermit the Frog: “Wow, that’s really amazing. I mean, nothing you’ve said has been right.”
Now, if you came for a visit, I’d bet money that dozens of Dopers would be happy to show you their lives, all over the country. (Just think what a Doper tour of the USA would be like!) I’d show you all our local farmland, the creek we play in, our great park and the stuff we do every day. Much better than watching CNN, any day–American news is pretty much “New ways you’re going to die horribly! Story at 11!” because they’re trying to draw in the viewers and scare tactics is all they can think of. You can see how effective this is by observing their declining ratings…
[QUOTE=JohnT]
That’s a bit off topic ( 
) but the simple answer is “No”. A good, succinct explanation of Los Angeles and her transportation system can be found in Sir Peter Hall’s Cities in Civilization.
[/QUOTE]
Off topic, yes, but now I don’t have to start a thread about it! Ah, the Dope is a marvelous place!
Thanks for the answers, everyone and I apologize for the interruption.
Geen probleem. And indeed, the dope is a marvelous place. 
There are 300 million-ish individual Americans. This makes it impossible to say I either like or dislike them en masse.
I must say though, that Americans would do well to understand (and many of you do) what it’s like not to be American. You’re the biggest kid on the block and are an easy target. Sometimes, when I see little kids in Australia adopt an American accent when they’re playing, it grates. Of course it does. But it’s not the kids’ fault, and it’s not Americans’ fault either.
I’m very, very glad that I’ve come to know so many Americans through the SDMB. In a sense I visit Americas every day when I log on here. It’s a wonderful antidote to Hollywood. You’re not all blond, loud, and crass. And some of you even dare to have bad teeth! 
Yeah, Americans is okay…
I’ve never been bothered by being around Americans, either online or off. I’m related by blood to born an’ bred citizens of the USA, so it’d be stupid for me to dislike the country or its people. 'Sides, Americans treated my mum well when she was over there married to a WWII veteran back in the late 1940s and on her way back home to England in the 1950s. For that, even though it was before I was born, I will always feel grateful and appreciative.
There are some folk I know who consider Americans to be too loud, too brash, too “in your face”. But hey – there’s always something to not quite like about everybody.
Hey, I have a quick question for all you out there about cars. (Probably this is too far down and I won’t get an answer, but oh well.) I was just thinking about cars, and remembered the quote by *constanze:
Now, when I lived in Denmark, I was told that no one was allowed to drive cars that were over 10 years old, because of smog concerns. (This was quite surprising to me, since my family has almost never owned a car that was less than 10 years old.) There didn’t seem to be much of a used-car market; as far as I could tell, people generally bought their cars new and then bought new ones again within 10 years.
This contrasted with the American laws that require cars to pass a smog test every year, but allow cars of any age on the road as long as they pass the test. Americans also buy a lot of used cars; many think that it is a waste of money to buy a brand-new car, since it loses thousands of dollars of value as soon as it is driven off the car lot. An almost new car is far cheaper.
So, I’m wondering what the other European (and hey, down under too) laws are. Do Dutchies and Germans buy used cars? Do you have to get rid of your older cars? What are Euro car-habits?
Americans vary greatly in their car-habits; while a few do indeed trade in their cars for newer models every few years, most drive their cars for years. Then, we can either sell our old cars to people who want them, or drive them until they just die. By my own personal standards, we have two pretty new cars–a '93 and a '94, both of which we got used (one in '97, one in '03, when we graduated to being a two-car family). We’ll drive them until they die; the '94 probably only has a couple more years on it, and then we’ll get a better (but still used) sedan.
Anyway, how common is it to buy used cars in Europe? And how long are cars generally driven?
[QUOTE=TheLoadedDog]
Sometimes, when I see little kids in Australia adopt an American accent when they’re playing, it grates. Of course it does. But it’s not the kids’ fault, and it’s not Americans’ fault either.
[/QUOTE]
Why do they adopt an American accent when they’re playing? Because they’ve been watching a lot of American TV and it comes naturally, or to give off a certain impression (like when American kids put on a British accent to sound smart and refined)? If the latter, what impression does it give?
[QUOTE=dangermom]
So, I’m wondering what the other European (and hey, down under too) laws are. Do Dutchies and Germans buy used cars? Do you have to get rid of your older cars? What are Euro car-habits?
[/QUOTE]
Europe’s so diverse there’s no proper answer for that. However, if what you say is true, I think Denmark is quite unusual. In the UK and Ireland there’s an annual roadworthiness test (MOT in UK and NCT in Ireland) that covers everything, including emissions, and there’s a huge used car market, and quite a few people drive very old vehicles. On purely observational evidence, I’d say this is probably true of France as well.
. I took that as a compliment of the highest order. A bank president was complementing me, a guy with a greasy shirt, and dirt under his fingernails. siennablock well if the the bank president was wearing a greasy shirt and dirt under his fingernails what the hell were the tellers wearing ?rags and flip flops ?
Its quite normal to buy used cars, but not unusual to buy new ones either. There are quite a few older cars driving around in the netherlands, but theres a test the APK that I think also coveres emissions.
[QUOTE=Lissa]
Off topic, yes, but now I don’t have to start a thread about it! Ah, the Dope is a marvelous place!
Thanks for the answers, everyone and I apologize for the interruption.
[/QUOTE]
One last thing… if you care to read, I went into more exhaustive detail in a previous thread. And you’re welcome.
Speaking of gas-guzzling cars, I have a Honda Civic LX that averages 35-38 mpg. I love it, and since I drive 40 miles round trip to work, I wouldn’t have a gas guzzler if you gave it to me for free.
freelancer, I can’t help but think what you really don’t like is American governmental policy, which translates in the internatinal arena mostly as support for untrammeled capitalism, and contempt or outright undermining of any form of social welfare programs or environmental initiatives funded by taxes or restrictions on private business.
Well. I’m pretty much with you if that’s your actual meaning.
I have NEVER understood America’s odd blend of Christianity and capitalism. The two are not really at all compatible, yet are somehow very close bedfellows among the American right.
[QUOTE=Rodgers01]
Why do they adopt an American accent when they’re playing? Because they’ve been watching a lot of American TV and it comes naturally, or to give off a certain impression (like when American kids put on a British accent to sound smart and refined)? If the latter, what impression does it give?
[/QUOTE]
It’s to sound important, authoritative, and grown-up. So, they’ll use it in such things arepretending to be a pilot or a cop, etc.