Greetings fellow users, I have recently been assigned to write a paper for my Sociology class discussing one of several possible issues, including the reasons why people around the world dislike America. I thought that this would be an interesting subject and I knew I could receive some very well-thought out and detailed answers from the fine users of Smogon. So I ask you the following questions: Why do so many people around the world hate us? How are they affected by U.S. foreign and military policy? How are they affected by the actions of U.S. global corporations? When replying to this thread, please state what country you are from if it is not already displayed in your location. Thank you all very much for your help!
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Why do so many people around the world dislike America and the people who inhabit it?
- Thread starter theamericandream38
- Start date
The intrusion of American culture and language into ours. There is nothing more annoying to me than Zs that shouldn't be there. It was our language first.
(a really detailed answer I know - someone else will elaborate I'm sure. I actually have no problems with Amercans in an environment such as this one - this site is American and I am the visitor)
(a really detailed answer I know - someone else will elaborate I'm sure. I actually have no problems with Amercans in an environment such as this one - this site is American and I am the visitor)
I don't exactly hate American - but during the 8 years of the Bush presidency, I would not have lived there.
Some impressions I get about the US:
There is an extreme hatred towards left-wing politics in some sectors of the population. I think this is a hangover of the cold war - many Americans still hate communism, whereas you'll find in Britain that even though few people support it, few would consider it evil. (My own opinion is it's a nice idea that never seems to work very well). This distaste towards communism extends to socialism and other 'left-wing' politics. Even the Democrats are rather to the right of most of Europe. I find it hard to understand, for example, how many of the American public can be against universal healthcare - I consider its provision to be something that any decent nation does (just as we provide universal schooling, policing, fire service). (Business interests I can see why they're against it, but not the man on the street.)
There is a lot of strong religious belief in the US. The US is supposed to have a separation between church and state, yet religion influences US politics far more than it does in the UK - and our Head of State (the Queen) is also Supreme Governor of the Church of England. (Not that she exercise much power over either government or the Church). I suppose this just shows that constitutional separation of church and state does not result in less influence of religion in politics.
Perhaps relating the the religiousness - there is a lot of scepticism towards science. Depending on poll, a significant number of Americans do not consider evolution by natural selection to be true. A significant number of Americans also do not consider anthropogenic global warming to be true - in this case, it is business, rather than religion, that has a vested interest in promoting that view.
A number of Americans think they're the best at everything. Naturally, expressing this view towards those from other nations will not make one popular.
Note: Do not start a debate about evolution, climate change, or anything else in this thread please. Start another thread for it.
Some impressions I get about the US:
There is an extreme hatred towards left-wing politics in some sectors of the population. I think this is a hangover of the cold war - many Americans still hate communism, whereas you'll find in Britain that even though few people support it, few would consider it evil. (My own opinion is it's a nice idea that never seems to work very well). This distaste towards communism extends to socialism and other 'left-wing' politics. Even the Democrats are rather to the right of most of Europe. I find it hard to understand, for example, how many of the American public can be against universal healthcare - I consider its provision to be something that any decent nation does (just as we provide universal schooling, policing, fire service). (Business interests I can see why they're against it, but not the man on the street.)
There is a lot of strong religious belief in the US. The US is supposed to have a separation between church and state, yet religion influences US politics far more than it does in the UK - and our Head of State (the Queen) is also Supreme Governor of the Church of England. (Not that she exercise much power over either government or the Church). I suppose this just shows that constitutional separation of church and state does not result in less influence of religion in politics.
Perhaps relating the the religiousness - there is a lot of scepticism towards science. Depending on poll, a significant number of Americans do not consider evolution by natural selection to be true. A significant number of Americans also do not consider anthropogenic global warming to be true - in this case, it is business, rather than religion, that has a vested interest in promoting that view.
A number of Americans think they're the best at everything. Naturally, expressing this view towards those from other nations will not make one popular.
Note: Do not start a debate about evolution, climate change, or anything else in this thread please. Start another thread for it.
The worst thing regarding the heathcare debate was he hysteria surrounding "Death Panels" - is seemed to be a travesty that such ignorance and flawed reasoning can have such an impact on American politics.
Just for those of you that are not aware of the flaws:
1. "Death Panels" already exist. They just belong to an insurance company - would you really trust an insurance company but not your own government?
2. The healthcare reform was not providing a state healthcare system, just free medical insurance - i.e the same as it is for everyone, just without paying
EDIT 3. Is it not better to be saved by a "Death Panel" than to die or rack up huge amounts of debt, as is the current option for those that cannot afford health insurance.
Just for those of you that are not aware of the flaws:
1. "Death Panels" already exist. They just belong to an insurance company - would you really trust an insurance company but not your own government?
2. The healthcare reform was not providing a state healthcare system, just free medical insurance - i.e the same as it is for everyone, just without paying
EDIT 3. Is it not better to be saved by a "Death Panel" than to die or rack up huge amounts of debt, as is the current option for those that cannot afford health insurance.
I agree with cantab; I think the cold war had a lot to do with it, but not just on an individual scale--also on the global scale. Some American politicians still have that "us against the world" feel, just this time it's mostly against some nondemocratic nations (and terrorists), not just communists. Though this has spurred up mostly after 9/11-throughout the 90s things seemed okay as compared to now. As for the Middle Eastern countries hating America, besides Iran and the history we have with them, it was mostly just because we support Israel. Now the two wars the U.S has doesn't do much for popularity over there--though it did at first, when things seemed more positive.
I don't think Americans are used to being messed with, so it upsets them more than other countries. If you look at the terrorist attacks on other countries, even in Europe, there are usually far more than America.
I remember seeing an opinion poll based on country in my political science class; Kenya had the highest approval of America across the board, almost untouched throughout the Bush years even. Maybe you could look into that for data to support why people dislike/like America.
EDIT: I'm from Michigan.
EDIT: I'm not embarrassed to say that I'm American. If I get confronted with "All you Americans ever do is this....you're all so racist and you always stereotype..." I just laugh and shrug it off. Somebody telling me that I'm a bad person because of my nationality is just darn silly, especially if "all you do is stereotype people" is in there.
I don't think Americans are used to being messed with, so it upsets them more than other countries. If you look at the terrorist attacks on other countries, even in Europe, there are usually far more than America.
I remember seeing an opinion poll based on country in my political science class; Kenya had the highest approval of America across the board, almost untouched throughout the Bush years even. Maybe you could look into that for data to support why people dislike/like America.
EDIT: I'm from Michigan.
EDIT: I'm not embarrassed to say that I'm American. If I get confronted with "All you Americans ever do is this....you're all so racist and you always stereotype..." I just laugh and shrug it off. Somebody telling me that I'm a bad person because of my nationality is just darn silly, especially if "all you do is stereotype people" is in there.
Kenya's support for America was unchanged during the Bush years, because other things about him aside, he did continue the previous Anti-AIDS measures, and increased them.
Furthermore, as an American, I am sometimes embarrassed to admit it. I think its things like how the average american still can't find Iraq on a map, that irritate the rest of the world. I know it irritates me.
Furthermore, as an American, I am sometimes embarrassed to admit it. I think its things like how the average american still can't find Iraq on a map, that irritate the rest of the world. I know it irritates me.
One thing I think about America is it is really isolated. Uhh, I think with the internet this is changing a bit, but Americans dont really have the same contact with other cultures that most other people do.
And everyone hates everyone. When we are talking about the general case at least. And most people outside of America know this, and when they find out people from other countries dont like people from their own country they already reciprocate that hate so it isnt a big deal. America on the other hand dont hate other cultures because they usually dont know anything about them. And they arent really aware of this so they tend to get really upset about being hated..
And when you hate everyone else, then the biggest country will be the country you hate the most.
There are still huge cultural difference between countries, and anyone who doesnt behave the way you expect is going to annoy you. In most situations it wont be a big deal, but every now and then Americans will do something American, and non-Americans dont like it..
Also pretty much every country is evil in terms of foreign policy. But Americans have the most foreign policy, so they appear to be one of the most evil.
Have a nice day.
And everyone hates everyone. When we are talking about the general case at least. And most people outside of America know this, and when they find out people from other countries dont like people from their own country they already reciprocate that hate so it isnt a big deal. America on the other hand dont hate other cultures because they usually dont know anything about them. And they arent really aware of this so they tend to get really upset about being hated..
And when you hate everyone else, then the biggest country will be the country you hate the most.
There are still huge cultural difference between countries, and anyone who doesnt behave the way you expect is going to annoy you. In most situations it wont be a big deal, but every now and then Americans will do something American, and non-Americans dont like it..
Also pretty much every country is evil in terms of foreign policy. But Americans have the most foreign policy, so they appear to be one of the most evil.
Have a nice day.
This. This. This.
Basically, here in America everyone has their head up their ass. Most of us are really self-absorbed and arrogant, with no room for anyone else's issues or opinions. Basically, our attitude toward life is "I'm not fat, I'm not stupid, I'm not the problem - YOU are." Don't even get me started on the fact that we are way too proud of our country. I kid you not when I say that my uncle was complaining throughout the entire olympics about NBC playing the Canadian national anthem.
@Hip: Agreeing here, we've isolated ourselves from other cultures for so long that the only thing we could possibly comprehend, let alone care about, is our own stupid culture.
First of all pastel, calling them gringos is like when they call us beaners, we do NOT like that, and if you dont like them calling us like that, why should we call them on a way they do not like.
Your second point is really racist, but to each his own I guess.
Now the third one is very damn ignorant. They may feel superior in your opinion, but using restaurants and insulting them? Seriously?
Anyways, I dont really hate USA, what I kind of dislike about them is how they treat mexicans and some other races like trash (some, not all), I know theres a lot of stereotypes in all the world and that cant be dealt with, but it just seems like americans love to go all "look a mexican hehehe ill tell him to mow my lawn". Sure using it as a joke isnt wrong at all, but when you see it happen everyday it becomes a pretty serious issue, at least in my opinion.
Your second point is really racist, but to each his own I guess.
Now the third one is very damn ignorant. They may feel superior in your opinion, but using restaurants and insulting them? Seriously?
Anyways, I dont really hate USA, what I kind of dislike about them is how they treat mexicans and some other races like trash (some, not all), I know theres a lot of stereotypes in all the world and that cant be dealt with, but it just seems like americans love to go all "look a mexican hehehe ill tell him to mow my lawn". Sure using it as a joke isnt wrong at all, but when you see it happen everyday it becomes a pretty serious issue, at least in my opinion.
So true.
As probably the only Turkish fella here, I guess I'll have to elaborate on why Americans are hated here.
1) Pop culture. The Turkish language is "detoriating" as they most put it. American culture is considered "hip" and "trendy" by the younger generations. Not only English is becoming the lingua franca here -if you don't know English, you have no chance in hell at getting a job- but also the language is changing rapidly with lots of English words starting to see use in our language.
Also, most people prefer to eat out at McDonalds, KFC or BK than to eat traditional food, people prefer Starbucks over Turkish coffee, etc. This ticks some people off.
2) Ignorance. All Muslims are terrorists by default, you cannot show any country other than yours on the map and what Altmer said:
3) American capitalism, as they put it. You guys invade Iraq and filch all their petrol, you guys invade Afghanstan, you don't recognize Palestine and support Israel and ignore their war crimes. You guys feel that it's your right to invade a country if they are doing something you don't want them to. You despise NK for having nuclear weapons, but have more than all other nations. Communism isn't an evil, and general health care should be given to everyone. Poor people also have rights.
Turkey has a large leftist lobby, I might add.
Note that the reasons here aren't my own opinions, but what general public thinks about Americans.
Cool story bro. Let's just ignore the fact that natural languages do change over time (including spelling!) especially in a "non-regulated" language like English is, the fact that not only Americans use -ize (doesn't Oxford prefer -ize anyway? either them or another major British publication), and -ize is more correct (the actual Greek translation of the root is -ize, not -ise). But I digress, it's not that big of a deal anyway.
What I find most baffling is the Canadian position on all of this. I've read numerous accounts (just recently too) that Canadian nationalism and pride is at its core Anti-American (along with your more traditional stuff).
In a country of 300+ million residents, you're bound to find someone you hate. But you're also bound to find some of the nicest and most generous people out there.
And another thing, Americans were originally called Columbians until Colombia gained it's independence. And there is no demonym (sp?) for a citizen/resident of the US besides American
well I hate a loooooooooot of groups of people (read: not usually individual people) because people in groups seem to be capable of incredible stupidity. i hate butt-hurt liberals who are too caught up in their own self-annointed worldliness and tolerance to understand that they are actually morons, i hate bible-thumping conservatives who stuff the bible in front of their faces so as to avoid anything that might contest it, i hate americans (i am an american) because they don't know a thing about the world around them (in general), i hate jewish american princesses, i hate people that are overly proud of their personal 'abnormalities' like being Jewish or being gay (there is nothing wrong with either, its when you make a point of mentioning it, or being proud of it, or applying it to every single situation that pisses me off), i hate dumb asses that don't pay attention in class, i hate people who think words like 'fuck' should be censorship, i hate campus Marxists (different then legitimate Marxism (and as a side note i happen to agree w/ a previous poster, to lazy to look, that communism is a good idea that unfortunately doesn't work in practice), i hate people who are loud, i hate people who are members of a minority and reinforce the stereotype of that minority (i.e. black guy speaks obnoxiously loud in a public place) i hate i hate i hate i hate ...
people enjoy hating or can't help it, it seems
people enjoy hating or can't help it, it seems
Because we're a nation of excess. Excess food, excess money (only in, what, 1% of the population?) and excessive use of force.
Well, I'd love to know who figured this one out. All the people I know would be able to do it, and I live in America. Do you have proof or are you pulling this out of your ass / saying this because a few people you know can't do it so you assume the rest of the country is the same?
Americans = all of America or the government or the people who are in the news?
Most of us = all Americans or the people in your city? We = all of us or the people you know?
being an american and not having a lot of friends who live outside the country, I'm really not in the best position to talk about this, but I would tend to guess that people who live in other countries, both similar and different then the US; probably do not spend a lot of time dwelling on the subject. But there are a LOT of convincing reasons to hate America, including:
- we're an empire/colonial power. Talk to anyone native to Hawaii or the Philippines. They will agree with this to the utmost extent.
- we have a tenancy to mess up other parts of the world for our own interests. (eg. the CIA's actions in Iran)
- the cold war/proxy wars: face it, who likes being in the middle of a fight with russia and the US that they have little or no interest in.
- Not to mention that for some reason, we like to make ourselves look like idiots. Or at least our media likes to make us look like idiots.
Dur Dur, you mean all muslims aren't terrorists?
Seriously, if even 1% of muslims were terrorists at "war" with america, america would be screwed, just because of the numbers.
Support of Israel is completely separate from capitalism, it began as guilt for not stopping the Holocaust, and continued because of religious fundamentalism. In one of the more predominate interpretations of the Apocalyptica, Israel is rebuilt and supported by one ally before the End Times. And the Israeli lobby is ridiculously strong.
Hell, skip the nuclear weapons thing, we didn't sign close to half of the normal world treaties, like no space weaponization, rights of children, the law of the sea, and more. Our foreign policy is primarily dictated by our domestic policies. And the cases were our foreign policies aren't guided by our domestic policies, we are coldly pragmatic (or stupid, stupid also seems popular).
http://www.cnn.com/2006/EDUCATION/05/02/geog.test/
Sad, but true.
@ FerrousWheel
I'll copy the response that I VMd you for this thread:
Well, firstly, that was in May 2006, nearly 4 years ago. Secondly, " 510 young Americans" is not very good for a survey, especially when you made the claim to Americans. Over [308] million people live in America and probably a good 60% of them are over the age of 18. A poor survey and poor facts, and they must have been really young if they couldn't identify China. Everyone can tell which one is China because besides India and Russia it's twice / thrice as big as the other countries. Also I don't trust CNN as a source for anything; they have horrible coverage of news - but that's for some other discussion.
I'll copy the response that I VMd you for this thread:
Well, firstly, that was in May 2006, nearly 4 years ago. Secondly, " 510 young Americans" is not very good for a survey, especially when you made the claim to Americans. Over [308] million people live in America and probably a good 60% of them are over the age of 18. A poor survey and poor facts, and they must have been really young if they couldn't identify China. Everyone can tell which one is China because besides India and Russia it's twice / thrice as big as the other countries. Also I don't trust CNN as a source for anything; they have horrible coverage of news - but that's for some other discussion.
Just on the CNN part, my VM was incorrect, it's a National Geographic-Roper Public Affairs 2006 Geographic Literacy Study. Not CNN. I do agree that news is horrible off for commercial reasons, so no argument there.
Well, I'll agree that it might have changed in four years, I've just been using that study in arguments since it came out, and to my knowledge there hasn't been one with differing results since.
Also, 510 people isn't actually that bad of a estimate, assuming that 1 in 6 americans is between ages of 18 - 24, then it would mean that there's only a 4.5% margin of error for the polling results. I won't contest that the result applies to americans outside of that age group, thanks for correcting me.
1. Foreigners screen information about America, it's history, and it's culture even more poorly than American progressives.
Mention George W. Bush and you will get a monsoon of insults against America's intelligence in electing him. Meanwhile they gladly ate up every word Obama said while praising him as a "European-minded" presidential candidate. For all the "ugly American" stereotypes, Europeans question authority with the vigor of a sloth. Their media is, if anything, worse than ours when it comes to biased reporting. Plus side: the accents are better.
Basically expect from most foreigners what you would a Democratic Party operative. Their news sources are effectively the same, merely multiple languages spewing the exact same drivel.
2. Foreigners like naive, malleable American presidents.
Again with George W. Bush being the prime counterpoint (even more to the point: Reagan), for all the chimp jokes and other insults, foreign leaders did whatever the hell Bush wanted. This is because Bush, for all his incoherent speech, was not an idiot and did not buckle to vain praise or pretend "world consensus" was desirable. Obama on the other hand is infinitely malleable and unfailingly incompetent. He has systematically weakened every one of America's old alliances thinking America's old enemies have suddenly turned over a new leaf. Obama's precursor in this regard was Carter, who was so weak that Iran held 53 US citizens hostage for over a year under his "leadership." The Euros had a good laugh at us over that one. It's a pity now Iran will probably try the same thing, only this time they'll have nukes. Pretty sure Belgium's in range too, and those bastards would sell out Tel Aviv long before Iran even threatened to do so.
What it boils down to is a weak United States is good for foreigners.
With a caveat. Once they realize that China or Russia (or previously, Germany or Russia) have come back with tanks, suddenly they want the old Cowboy America back to die on their soil and protect the entitlement state they've crafted largely by neglecting their own defense.
3. Foreigners which fit neither 1. or 2. are already here or in the process thereof.
Assuming you are a foreigner who has not bought into your entitlement state's propaganda (1) nor treat the security America has provided for the world as an irrevocable given (2), you are probably already here or are pursuing life here legally or illegally. You refer to your previous nation of residence in the past tense. You are as patriotic, if not moreso than the average American citizen. You detest our nation's slow creep into the habits of the nation you abandoned in order to get here.
America is the world's hyperpower. Whatever prattling goes on about us is done in buildings whose technologically advanced equipment we probably designed, whose people enjoy the comforts we likely originated, and whose land is probably secure only because we're stationed either there or in a formerly hostile neighboring nation who fucked up so badly Americans had to die all over both nations to get them to stop killing each other for a couple of decades.
America isn't perfect and we never claim to be. We're still the best country in the world as it stands, and as proof I point to people from almost every other nation literally violating their home nation's laws and ours just to set foot on our soil long enough to give birth to an anchor baby. People don't do that for nations that suck, people don't do that for nations run by imperialistic tyrants and filled with stupid arrogant pigs.
I doubt there's any actual problem Europeans have with Americans being "unable to point to Iraq on a map." It's more that we think of Belgium as a shopping center for chocolate and waffles. Nothing gets an internationalist's dander up like mocking their international relevancy.
Mention George W. Bush and you will get a monsoon of insults against America's intelligence in electing him. Meanwhile they gladly ate up every word Obama said while praising him as a "European-minded" presidential candidate. For all the "ugly American" stereotypes, Europeans question authority with the vigor of a sloth. Their media is, if anything, worse than ours when it comes to biased reporting. Plus side: the accents are better.
Basically expect from most foreigners what you would a Democratic Party operative. Their news sources are effectively the same, merely multiple languages spewing the exact same drivel.
2. Foreigners like naive, malleable American presidents.
Again with George W. Bush being the prime counterpoint (even more to the point: Reagan), for all the chimp jokes and other insults, foreign leaders did whatever the hell Bush wanted. This is because Bush, for all his incoherent speech, was not an idiot and did not buckle to vain praise or pretend "world consensus" was desirable. Obama on the other hand is infinitely malleable and unfailingly incompetent. He has systematically weakened every one of America's old alliances thinking America's old enemies have suddenly turned over a new leaf. Obama's precursor in this regard was Carter, who was so weak that Iran held 53 US citizens hostage for over a year under his "leadership." The Euros had a good laugh at us over that one. It's a pity now Iran will probably try the same thing, only this time they'll have nukes. Pretty sure Belgium's in range too, and those bastards would sell out Tel Aviv long before Iran even threatened to do so.
What it boils down to is a weak United States is good for foreigners.
With a caveat. Once they realize that China or Russia (or previously, Germany or Russia) have come back with tanks, suddenly they want the old Cowboy America back to die on their soil and protect the entitlement state they've crafted largely by neglecting their own defense.
3. Foreigners which fit neither 1. or 2. are already here or in the process thereof.
Assuming you are a foreigner who has not bought into your entitlement state's propaganda (1) nor treat the security America has provided for the world as an irrevocable given (2), you are probably already here or are pursuing life here legally or illegally. You refer to your previous nation of residence in the past tense. You are as patriotic, if not moreso than the average American citizen. You detest our nation's slow creep into the habits of the nation you abandoned in order to get here.
America is the world's hyperpower. Whatever prattling goes on about us is done in buildings whose technologically advanced equipment we probably designed, whose people enjoy the comforts we likely originated, and whose land is probably secure only because we're stationed either there or in a formerly hostile neighboring nation who fucked up so badly Americans had to die all over both nations to get them to stop killing each other for a couple of decades.
America isn't perfect and we never claim to be. We're still the best country in the world as it stands, and as proof I point to people from almost every other nation literally violating their home nation's laws and ours just to set foot on our soil long enough to give birth to an anchor baby. People don't do that for nations that suck, people don't do that for nations run by imperialistic tyrants and filled with stupid arrogant pigs.
I doubt there's any actual problem Europeans have with Americans being "unable to point to Iraq on a map." It's more that we think of Belgium as a shopping center for chocolate and waffles. Nothing gets an internationalist's dander up like mocking their international relevancy.