There’s recently been a poll discussed in the media about the opinions of other countries concerning the US. As usual we’re not doing so well. It’s nothing new to me that the US isn’t well liked worldwide but it concerns me more so these days. I wonder if people just don’t like the government, or is it us Americans as individuals, is it only the people they read about or see in the movies? What should America do differently? Why is Canada so well liked? Is everyone jealous because we get to border Canada? Okay, kidding about that. But seriously, is any one else worried? Is it really all about oil in the Persian Gulf?
I’m sceptical about this supposed widespread anti-Americanism, or at least about how deeply-felt it is. As a Brit, I’m used to hearing “typical bloody Yanks”-type comments, but I’ve never known anybody who genuinely dislikes Americans, for obvious reasons. It’s just human nature to occasionally grumble about the big kid on the block. If it were something about Americans themselves, how come nobody hates Canadians, as you point out? Most furriners can’t tell the difference. Many people dislike the policies of the US government, but then so do quite a few Americans.
My understanding of “THE POLL”* by the Pew Research Center, was that there was a general decline across the world in attitudes toward the U.S. the reasons:
quote;-------------------------
Suspicion about U.S. motives in Iraq coupled with the widely held beliefs that the United States routinely ignores the interests of other nations and doesn’t do enough to help solve global problems
End quote----------------------
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A11089-2002Dec4.html
But that U.S. culture, products (esp. media products) and people were generally well regarded and wanted.
*Survey include a total of 38,263 randomly selected adults in 44 countries
When people here express dislike (often strong) for “Americans” they nearly always - as far as I am aware - mean American politics/politicians, and most specifically, George Dubya Bush.
The only thing that causes huge dislike and resentment here against Americans generally is the perceived ignorance or bias of the American masses against matters Islamic, and Israel/Palestine.
The more educated here focus this dislike on the American and international media though, rather than blaming the consumers of that media.
Like any racism, racism against Americans in a true prejudicial, hostile, irrational sense tends to only be prevalent among certain echelons of society - ie the far less well educated.
I lived in England for a time and at first was offended by anything said against Americans. But after a while I gained a broader perspective and was able to understand alot of the resentment towards us; I could even laugh at all the American jokes Jeremy Clarkson told! It’s good to hear from people in other nations that us average citizens are not being blamed for things we cannot control. Do the people in Islamic nations know that about 99% of media we recieve about the Islamic faith is positive and supportive? We aren’t being told to distrust or hate anyone.
This is encouraging, thank you for the posts!
Most people who have strongly negative or positive opinions on Americans are likely fairly ignorant of our actual culture. I wouldn’t take these polls seriously in terms of condemnation of America – but I would take them seriously in terms of how hatred can take root amongst uninformed masses.
Did you hear Clarkson say anything kind about anyone? The Germans? The French? The Spanish? Vegetarians? He sees himself as a kind of smug, English, P. J. O’Rourke-style curmudgeon slamming anything that might spoil his fun, especially if it’s foreign.
If you had English ears instead of American ones you’d hear plenty of abuse travelling eastwards across the Atlantic as well - trust me. It shouldn’t be taken very seriously IMHO.
These polls only ever seem to be published to get a cheap reaction, or to scare people into thinking paranoid thoughts. The world does not hate America or Americans, but the current geopolitical situation (not only in respect of the Middle East) gives plenty of reason to believe that, perhaps, there are aspects of US policy that might be inspired by selfish reasons that are so far unclear, and that the price for carrying them to fruition might have to be paid by everyone else.
Just for the record, I am an American citizen and I have been living in Canada for 34 years and not become a citizen for a number of reasons, some silly.
There was a poll reported this morning that 38% of Canadians believe that W is a greater threat to world security than Saddam Hussein. Apparently they asked for elaboration of the opinion and it turned out that they typically felt that he was sitting on the largest arsenal the world has ever known (an undeniable fact) and didn’t have the foggiest idea what he was doing. Still 38% (nearly a majority from Ontario east) answered that poll that way. I don’t necessarily agree with the poll (and I do believe that religious fundamentalism–not limited to Islam–trumps them both) but i am fully in accord with the elaboration.
My experience in Asia for many years has been that it is quite rare to find someone who dislikes Americans personally. That is, directed at you personally because you are an American. After the Hainan Plane incident, which is the most tense time I’ve been through for raised passions, a lot of Chinese came up to me and quite venomously said “why did you bomb us?” To which I replied, “me??? WTF, I was in Shanghai over the weekend.” Then it became “why did your government do it” and no longer a personal attack.
Most people separate government policy and you being personally responsible. also, an awful lot of people in Asia have at least a distant friend or relative who have become Americans.
I’d agree with istara and China Guy from a German perspective. The attitue of people I talk about politics is mostly:
[ul]
[li]US as a country: awesome.[/li][li]US people: mostly decent people, same proportion of a**holes as everywhere. Lots of achievements they can be proud of (including their part in defeating Nazism). A bit histrionic in expressing patriotism.[/li][li]US-produced mass media: addictive (continues to produce movies and TV series that really cannot be missed) but oh so parochial.[/li][li]US leadership: How can a sane population democratically elect those right-wing zealots and Christian Taliban?[/li][/ul]
I was about to post something, but tschild has expressed everything I was going to say, better than I could. The only addition is - US foreign policy: sometimes good, usually dangerous. Subject to serious amounts of blowback.
My experience overseas and in the U.S. is that there is more ignorance about other countries’ cultures by citizens of the U.S. than the other way around by a wide margin.
Regarding the OP, I tend to agree with the bulk of the previous posters. It has been my experience that Americans as a whole are liked and respected. The current administration, however, is seen as something of a bully who disregards international law and agreements rather cavilerly.
There tend to be two main sterotypes of Americans where I live:
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the 50-something, overweight tourist couple, husband most likely with a loud shirt and baseball cap, camera around neck, both of them talking too loudly in Kings College chapel.
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the v loud, extra-bubbly US college gal over for a couple of semesters. Probably a cheer-leader (usually blonde), annoyingly chirpy voice.
Neither image is actually representative of the majority of American visitors (obviously), but US graduate students do seem to be louder and more “in-yer-face” than other nationalities, and that’s often enough for people to fit them into the standard mould.
Personally I think the reason Americans get a hard time over here sometimes is that they are so close to the UK in so many general ways (language, ethnicity, ethics etc) that any smaller differences in mannerisms or etiquette present themselves more obviously to us.
Basically wot usram said, we take the piss 'cos deep down we know you ain’t so different to us really, and in some ways we are a bit jealous I guess.
Anti-US attitudes are getting worse though, but it still tends to be aimed either specifically at Pres. Bush or at the conservative, ‘bomb anything that moves’, “USA!”-chanting section of society.
The fact you lot seem to enjoy shooting each other so much while still bleating on about the right to bear arms also seems kinda weird to a lot of people over here (IME).
We pollute the world with Baywatch and teh Sopranos…
Yeah, except those people who hate “the US government” but not the citizens seem to forget that we citizens choose our government. It is not “beyond our control”. We have the government we have because we choose that government.
Yes, many countries have dictatorships. You can’t hate Iraqis because of Saddam Hussein. But George Bush isn’t a dictator. He was elected president of the United States by the people of the United States.
An interesting thing about that poll is it showed American popularity surged in the former Soviet countries polled (Russia, Ukraine, and Uzbekistan). Are there any reasons for that? Perhaps Russia’s terrorism problems in Chechnya (or the American’s blind eye to some of Russia’s abuses) has given many people there the impression that at last, we are on the same side?
Bush didn’t even win the popular vote. And how many percent of the total eligible population voted for him? I seem to remember reading somewhere that it was like 8 or 9%. Yea, we really chose him alright…(not that RoboGore would’ve been any better…)
< rant >
OK - I was very very anti american for a long time, this came about by ther american peoples ignorance to world events nor to the damage they are occuring to the rest of the world.
Then i went to America
Pretty much the American people are lovely, warm and open. I honestly was completely wrong about them. I was blaming the American people, whom are force fed censored news - forced to consume - re-educated in there own homes - for the Horrible things the Amreican goverment is doing/has done.
Like … the American goverment insists on telling the American people that the rest of the world is just jealous. pfft whatever.
Anyway - It is only natural that the American people be blamed for the actions of there goverment by the rest of the world because the rest of the world simply does not know how repressed you guys are.
BTW i am going back to the US in a few months to marry a yank - Turn coat ?
Our ignorance is difficult to hide when we have Bush touring the world. Also, ignoring global warming etc so we can drive bigger SUVs does not help our image. Europeans get a chance to look good, and ignore their own spending, as we look like big spenders and consumers.
…I didn’t vote for Goerge W and he never called me to ask what I think he should do regarding international policies. I know we have the idea that the American news media is not full of special intrest additives and government spoon feeding; that’s why I personally am concerned with global opinions and how they will affect the country I live in.
Has Jeremy Clarkson ever made fun of Canada? I think not. Belgium yes, but never Canada. What is it about Canada??? If Americans put gravy on their french fries would that help?