# Non-US Dopers: What do you see as ridiculous American propaganda? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [May 7, 2014, 5:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-us-dopers-what-do-you-see-as-ridiculous-american-propaganda/687876 "2014-05-07T05:48:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Reply](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/reply/32/15952_2.png) [@Reply](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reply)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2014, 5:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-us-dopers-what-do-you-see-as-ridiculous-american-propaganda/687876/1 "2014-05-07T05:48:18Z")
Of the messages our government likes to sell us, which ones stand out to you as obvious propaganda pieces? ---
**Author:** ![Urbanredneck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ea5d25/32.png) [@Urbanredneck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Urbanredneck)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2014, 6:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-us-dopers-what-do-you-see-as-ridiculous-american-propaganda/687876/2 "2014-05-07T06:11:21Z")
I’m American and I’ll say years ago I was at Disney in Orlando in the Americana section and many an international would roll their eyes and mutter under their breath when they would say things about how America is so great, that it stands for freedom, that we are the greatest nation, etc… ---
**Author:** ![Reply](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/reply/32/15952_2.png) [@Reply](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reply)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2014, 6:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-us-dopers-what-do-you-see-as-ridiculous-american-propaganda/687876/3 "2014-05-07T06:17:23Z")
Wait, there’s a theme park that overtly sells Americana to Americans? That’s just sad. ---
**Author:** ![the\_diego](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7bcc69/32.png) [@the\_diego](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/the_diego)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2014, 7:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-us-dopers-what-do-you-see-as-ridiculous-american-propaganda/687876/4 "2014-05-07T07:17:45Z")
Countries that harbor terrorists. Very few countries really want to do that. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2014, 8:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-us-dopers-what-do-you-see-as-ridiculous-american-propaganda/687876/5 "2014-05-07T08:08:17Z")
> [@the\_diego](#): > > Countries that harbor terrorists. Very few countries really want to do that. I’ll agree that very few countries want to harbor terrorists. But I think the dispute they’d have with America over the issue is differing definitions of who’s a terrorist. ---
**Author:** ![amanset](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8dc957/32.png) [@amanset](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amanset)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2014, 9:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-us-dopers-what-do-you-see-as-ridiculous-american-propaganda/687876/6 "2014-05-07T09:03:19Z")
There’s that pledge of allegiance thing. That, seriously, is a massive WTF. Even if you can opt out or not all schools do it, the sheer fact that it exists as a concept is utterly ridiculous to many, many people abroad. ---
**Author:** ![Ken001](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/43a26b/32.png) [@Ken001](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ken001)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2014, 9:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-us-dopers-what-do-you-see-as-ridiculous-american-propaganda/687876/7 "2014-05-07T09:42:30Z")
The War on Terror. “Terror” is an abstract noun. You can’t wage a war against it. That is like fighting smoke. Oppose, resist, defuse, ignore - certainly. ---
**Author:** ![SciFiSam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/47e85d/32.png) [@SciFiSam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SciFiSam)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2014, 9:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-us-dopers-what-do-you-see-as-ridiculous-american-propaganda/687876/8 "2014-05-07T09:56:29Z")
Presidents mentioning God all the time. (Well, all the time compared to other Western leaders). The phrase God Bless America. Just the whole self-aggrandizing thing. The UK govt gets a bit like that with the monarchy sometimes, sadly. ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2014, 12:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-us-dopers-what-do-you-see-as-ridiculous-american-propaganda/687876/9 "2014-05-07T12:12:16Z")
> [@the\_diego](#): > > Countries that harbor terrorists. Very few countries really want to do that. Similarly, countries that want to attack the US. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2014, 12:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-us-dopers-what-do-you-see-as-ridiculous-american-propaganda/687876/10 "2014-05-07T12:17:41Z")
> [@the\_diego](#): > > Countries that harbor terrorists. Very few countries really want to do that. Pakistan is a notable country where many sectors of the establishment do indeed harbor terrorists. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2014, 12:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-us-dopers-what-do-you-see-as-ridiculous-american-propaganda/687876/11 "2014-05-07T12:40:28Z")
> [@amanset](#): > > There’s that pledge of allegiance thing. That, seriously, is a massive WTF. Even if you can opt out or not all schools do it, the sheer fact that it exists as a concept is utterly ridiculous to many, many people abroad. As an American, thank you for mentioning this. The concept of having to pledge your allegiance to anything, let alone a flag, is repugnant . . . and un-American. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2014, 12:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-us-dopers-what-do-you-see-as-ridiculous-american-propaganda/687876/12 "2014-05-07T12:48:02Z")
> [@panache45](#): > > As an American, thank you for mentioning this. The concept of having to pledge your allegiance to anything, let alone a flag, is repugnant . . . and un-American. I agree. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2014, 12:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-us-dopers-what-do-you-see-as-ridiculous-american-propaganda/687876/13 "2014-05-07T12:58:58Z")
‘The Constitution’/‘Amendments’ as gestalt entities. I get that the articles of the US Constitution, The Amendments, The Bill of Rights, etc are all things that didn’t just spring into existence, and have all been fought for and argued into their places, but I often find arguments such as ‘because it says so in the Xth Amendment’ unsatisfying. I’m sure it’s mostly perception on my part, but it feels like people are saying that X is thus and so _because it’s written down_, not just because it’s a demonstrably true or good thing. ---
**Author:** ![Grey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b782af/32.png) [@Grey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grey)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2014, 1:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-us-dopers-what-do-you-see-as-ridiculous-american-propaganda/687876/14 "2014-05-07T13:30:54Z")
The deification of the founding fathers is just bizarre. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2014, 1:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-us-dopers-what-do-you-see-as-ridiculous-american-propaganda/687876/15 "2014-05-07T13:37:58Z")
> [@Grey](#): > > The deification of the founding fathers is just bizarre. Even more bizarre is that, within the last decade or so, anyway, it’s not deification of the actual Founding Fathers. It’s deification of their idealized versions of the Founding Fathers. In their minds, the Founding Fathers are actually the devoutly Evangelical Founding Fathers who wanted the USA to be a Christian theocracy. ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2014, 1:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-us-dopers-what-do-you-see-as-ridiculous-american-propaganda/687876/16 "2014-05-07T13:44:25Z")
The silly notion that the Constitution, (with all its amendments), is the _ne plus ultra_ of constitutions worldwide, a unique treasure trove of rights and freedoms unsurpassed by any other country’s. When, in reality, it is seriously outdated and due for a complete reboot. ---
**Author:** ![Cugel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cugel/32/1199_2.png) [@Cugel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cugel)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2014, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-us-dopers-what-do-you-see-as-ridiculous-american-propaganda/687876/17 "2014-05-07T14:07:01Z")
And the odd thing that allows the question to be asked - presumably most countries get a version of “We are the best”, but we get “U.S.A! U.S.A! U.S.A!” pumped into our living rooms probably more so. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2014, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-us-dopers-what-do-you-see-as-ridiculous-american-propaganda/687876/18 "2014-05-07T14:12:10Z")
> [@Ken001](#): > > The War on Terror. > > “Terror” is an abstract noun. You can’t wage a war against it. That is like fighting smoke. > Oppose, resist, defuse, ignore - certainly. The official term is the Global War of Terrorism which although still broad is a bit more concrete than "terror’. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2014, 2:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-us-dopers-what-do-you-see-as-ridiculous-american-propaganda/687876/19 "2014-05-07T14:19:22Z")
Terror is still a _tactic_, not a thing or a people. A war on terrorism has the same meaning as a war on bullshit. The Pledge is not only to the flag, but to the republic for which it stands, under God, btw. It’s still inconsistent with democratic ideals, though, you’re right. ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2014, 2:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-us-dopers-what-do-you-see-as-ridiculous-american-propaganda/687876/20 "2014-05-07T14:24:12Z")
Yeah, the whole “greatest country in the world” thing. When, in reality, the US doesn’t rank number one in any metric, and in a lot of cases barely cracks the top 10. Look, I like your country, but you’re not the best in the world at anything anymore, OK? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-us-dopers-what-do-you-see-as-ridiculous-american-propaganda/687876.md?page=2)