America... and the rest of the world.

[Shawna]

I don't know how many Nerd fighters are living outside of the US, but I'm still hoping to get some feedback from those inside and outside the country. I'm going to try my best to not generalize because I don't believe in that, but I did want to discuss a topic that has been popping up a lot for me.

I live in America, and I've (personally) been seeing a really common occurrence of what I would say are insults towards the United States as a whole. I'll admit, it wasn't until recently that I started paying attention to politics and global problems because I realized that they do affect me. With this, I have begun noticing a lot of judgmental comments about this country. They range from Americans being uneducated, ignorant to what the government is doing, controlled, not free, and many other similar insults. Because I have seen so many comments and support for those opinions, I've begun to feel like a lot of the world sees America as a "joke". Although I have read that a lot of it derives from the media and what is aired in other parts of the world, these insults are still very offensive to me. I know there will be some that don't feel this way, and some that do. I am driven to search for statistics or solid facts, but I don't expect to find very many. I was really hoping someone else would have an educated and supported opinion on this matter.

From Americans standpoint, I want to know why you think (in reference to my opinion) a lot of the world looks down on America. Do you think we represent ourselves as ignorant and controlled? Although I have heard that many see America as a "dream land" or "idiot country", what have you heard? What do you think the rest of the world (giving thought to individual opinions) think about America and the citizens?

From Non-Americans standpoint, (though your opinion obviously does not represent your entire country's) what do you think of America? Does the media have a large impact on that opinion? What do you see in American media/TV where you live? Do you feel that much of the world dislikes America and its citizens?

Obviously, any opinions stated here can not be understood as the the opinions of each country. I know that each person in the world will have their own opinion, but as a respected and open-minded generalization, I wanted to at least put a measurement on what a fraction of the world believes.

Hopefully, you can help me find out why I am seeing so many anti-American comments.

Thank you to any who respond :)

[Chloe]

I personally agree with the view that Americans are uneducated and ignorant.
It's not an insult, so much as it is fact.
There are so many people I encounter everyday, whether in person or on the internet, who know nothing of politics, of the issues that are affecting the rest of the world, and they don't care. Especially when I was in highschool. Not only did my classmates not how to properly read or write, they didn't know what was going on in this country, much less in, say, Darfur.

Eh. I could discuss this more eloquently, and with good examples if I weren't so tired.
Maybe tomorrow.

[Shawna]

We could make education a higher priority in this country. That I agree with. Still, I don't think it's right that many consider the entire country to be ignorant. It makes me feel like I'm in a population of cave men. There are some very intelligent people in the United States that I feel are a little less or equal to the number of ignorant ones.

I think a problem with me is also that I don't judge education on a particular subject. There are people out there that can't sign their name but could tell you every way to grow the biggest and most productive garden. There are mechanics that couldn't do the first math equation but can tell you about a car from the windshield wipers to a weight on the tire. I think in America we are all educated in different ways. That's what I find beautiful about it. I don't think everyone has to be an expert at physics to be smart. I don't like that some people base intelligence on similar reasoning.

[Violafaithe90]

That's very true, the whole Howard Gardner Multiple Intelligences thing, but in this country we make it seem that if you don't excel in school then your not very smart and if you don't get into college then you are a failure. In reality, schools need to put more emphasis on finding out what your good at and pursuing a career in that field, becoming the best at what you do, and increasing productivity.

[Nick? No, couldn't be...]

People post comments like that because they have a nasty habit of being true on an all too regular basis. I am American, and often say openly that I hate America -- which isn't entirely true. I hate what America has become: A nation with many fat, stupid, sheeple (all the things that you listed apply). There are still a lot of good people, and I don't know if their numbers are growing or dwindling (I haven't been around long enough or lived in enough places), but I'd like to hope that they are growing in number, because while I hate the modern reality of America, I love what America was founded to be, and could be -- a land of freedom, equality, et cetera, et cetera, and so on and so fourth. That's what I think.

[Chloe]

Hear hear!

[Shawna]

I agree with the fact that we are an overweight country. I honestly believe that has a lot to do with our economy failing so badly. People tend to look for comfort in all the wrong places. Of course, I could probably be wrong. I need to look at charts on how many years our health issues have been rising. I expect it to be many. Then again, Bush has been in office for 8 years. Not that I am blaming all of this on him, but I believe he had a big impact on it. I agree with your last sentence, and I look forward to seeing America gain back the respect that it use to have.

[Matt]

Us being overweight has nothing to do with the economy failing. The United States has had a problem with obesity for quite some time and it's due from lack of exercise and not caring about what we eat. When you don't make time to cook things at home and instead go out to restaurants for many meals, you don't realize the amount of calories you're taking in. Sometimes when you're trying to eat light by getting a salad, you're still getting 1300 calories from the salad. That average fully grown man's daily caloric need is 2000. That salad would be 65% of the average adult male daily caloric needs. Let's not even get started on all of the fast food restaurants that people go to religiously and then get the "super size" with a large chocolate milk shake for desert. It wouldn't be as bad if we didn't have so many preservatives in everything. Basically, there's a lot of reasons why the United States is obese, and none of them have anything to do with the economy failing.

[Viko]

One of the biggest contributors to obesity is soda, and sugary drinks in general. We evolved only drinking water (and milk as children) so our bodies don't think liquids are filling. So when you drink soda you don't feel the calories and your waistline grows.

[Matt]

Yeah, which is why I have to run. I love my soda... of course, I also drink a lot of water, vegetable juice, and hot tea!

[sabelmouse]

was there not slavery while the declaration of independence was written. i think that was a bad start. inbuild hypocracy.
america seems a strange country to me, with many flaws that are made more apparent by the fact that it is still dining of the fact? that it saved the world in WW2.
i am not by the way trying to insult anyones grandfather. i am very gratefull to all the men and women who risked their lives.
but america has become a big bully since politically and in business.
the fact that so many people seem to struggle to make a living but are still considering america the greatest seems strange to me.
also that every critique is seen as unpatriotic,
i was watching a speach by Obama the other day and i noticed how often he said ; our great country, america no 1 ectr. i am not sure other countries do that so much.
why must america always be no 1. why can't it be just ok along with other countries.
i think everyone should read Noam Chompsky's Failed States.

[Kyle Drexler]

Ok, so first...the whole big bully thing. Did Britain not bully its colonies 2-300 years ago, the US included. And not to like boast about the United States...and we are the UNITED STATES, not America, America implies, you know, several other countries...but the US even with this economic failure does have the largest and wealthiest economy in the world. I'm not saying I stand for everything this country does, but don't bash the President for saying our great country and we're number 1. I mean, what is he supposed to say? We suck and let's just sit back and let other people push us around. He's rallying the country in time of need.

[sabelmouse]

i did not bash the president. i said why must every speach about america go on about the country being no .1.do americans have so little selfesteem that they have to remind themselves and each other that they are no. 1.