Country-bashing

[Boozy]

He didnt like it when I asked him if he really believed in Scientology. I got kicked out of the ATT store for it.

What? For real? I need to hear the whole story!

*makes popcorn, waits patiently*

[the_std]

I just wanted to add, back to the topic as it was more discussed in the first few pages, my story about this kind of thing.

My sister and I were visiting some relatives in Belgium (Brussels, specifically) three years ago. We decided to shopping and ended up in a decidedly tourist-trap part of the city. We wandered into a shop and were discussing the wares between ourselves in English. The employee behind the till just stood and glowered at us. We found something we liked, but could see no price attached to it. We took it up to the front and asked, in French (I'm a French-Canadian) what the price was. His face was overcome by confusion and he asked, "You speak French?" "Oui," we answered. He replied that he didn't know that Americans could speak French. We explained that we were Canadian, not American. Instantly, he became all smiles and praises, telling us how much he loved hockey and how much he hated the rude American tourists. We didn't buy anything, but he gave us each a bottle of pop in thanks for stopping to chat with him.

Later on in our trip, we were in France, and were browsing another touristy area, looking at some art displayed by a street vendor. She smiled and said hello, we said hello back. She noticed the Canadian flag sewn on my backpack and asked if I had it there to "disguise my American heritage". I replied that, no, I really was Canadian, and I spoke some French with her. She was so excited by this fact that she offered my sister a free piece of art. We declined, but I gave her a temporary tattoo of the Canadian flag, and she insisted on giving my sister a rather sizable discount on a beautiful drawing because of it.

I just thought I'd share, as it seemed relevant to the topic.

[Wicked_Lexi]

Living outside the US I guess this debate has a different side for me...

I live in Sydney Australia. A fairly popular tourist destination! I have met a fair few Americans. My sisters family lives in Utah. I also have a fairly large group of American internet friends and spend a lot of time on the CS forum and other forums that have a heavy American population.

I worked at the only theme park in Sydney.

A lot of the Americans I met in person (I'm sorry to say) were incredibly stereotypical of what a lot of people in Australia view Americans as: Overbearing loud demanding demeaning towards the country they are visiting. I heard the phrase 'Well back home XYZ" at least 4-5 times a day when I worked at the Amusement park usually when they were not getting their own way! It got to the point where the management approved response was "Well go home then"

HOWEVER this reaction was only when the tourists were being... well arseholes!

I found that these types of tourists tended to find the notion that we (being Australians) don't want to be like America extremely strange and would expound at the length the virtues of being American!

HOWEVER:

I have also met quite a few tourist who were lovely friendly and wonderful people.

I guess it comes down to, a lot of people see you as a representative of your Country. At the moment America is not the most popular country in the world due to political issues... should Americans get harassed and told off for what GWB is doing... NO! Are they going to ... Yes probably... What to do about it?
No Idea!

[aniwahya]

My views can be expressed on this subject with one sentence:
Generalizations are bad.

That is all.

I tried to post more, but the board pwned me.
Mainly I wanted to add that I don't believe people take into account how large the US population is when specifically bashing the US. We have more people of all types for nonUS citizens to have interactions with, and unfortunately people remember the negatives far longer than the positives.

Is anyone else finding themselves becoming jaded with all the US bashing going on that seems to be without purpose other than perpetuating the latest fad in an attempt to be one of the "cool kids"? The legitimate complaints against the US and US citizens are being drowned out by screaming mob of people proclaiming "amerikanz suxxorz LOL! suk my dik amerikaz!" solely for the purpose of being just another lemming jumping off a cliff.

While I am a US citizen, country bashing of any and all countries annoys me greatly, not just of the US. Stereotypes are nothing more than fodder for small minded people, happy to wallow in their own ignorance and negativity.

[protege]

Whenever I'm "bashing" a country, I'm usually kidding. Especially about the "great parking lot to the north" that is Canada. Or how their military has less subs than the average sandwich shop. Just joking around folks--I've been to Canada many times, and everyone I ran into was very nice. Granted, I didn't act like an asshole either

[Slytovhand]

I just thought I'd join this debate after coming back in trying to take care of a stack of roos... Boozy - need any help controlling the beavers?

My views can be expressed on this subject with one sentence:
Generalizations are bad.

That is all.

<snip>

Is anyone else finding themselves becoming jaded with all the US bashing going on that seems to be without purpose other than perpetuating the latest fad in an attempt to be one of the "cool kids"? The legitimate complaints against the US and US citizens are being drowned out by screaming mob of people proclaiming "amerikanz suxxorz LOL! suk my dik amerikaz!" solely for the purpose of being just another lemming jumping off a cliff.

Goes a few different ways there Ani (probably shouldn't call you that, you'll turn into another Darth Vader )

The "amerikanz suxxorz..." bit is ridiculous just from that alone - let alone the attempt at bashing (aka - fitting in). Though some out there feel quite justified to do that, given what the 'nation' (aka - government and military) have done.

But it does the other way with other nations out there - such as Afghanistan and Iraq... or cultures... or religions.

After all - how much violence was perpetrated against muslims in the last 7 years. And the Taliban... they were quite nice people whom the US Gov't thought were pretty nice... until recently. Does that mean that now they're all evil bastards who deserve to be bombed into the ground?

And Iraq. Even if you happen to meet one of the soldiers whom the US are fighting against, will they automatically be branded as evil just because they were trying to defend what they felt was an important way of life for them. (I personally don't believe that all of those 'insurgents' are nasty people, but have seen what's happened to their beloved nation, and seen the invasion as the destructive force - thus that's whom they fight against...but I'm a bit idealistic ). Sort of like - if you're walking down the street and see your best friend in a fight - you automatically help them out... without asking who started it or finding out who's wrong.


Slyt

[Hemily]

here in Norway, we have a kinda similar relationship with Sweden, as US/Canada has, kinda silly bickering, all in good humour
(a lot of silly jokes, like "why'd the swede bring a ladder to the store? he thought the prices were too high" )

As on the topic of America helping countries, the US really ain't the only one, we've lost troops in iraq too, helping y'all with whatever is going on there now, heck, we even send ya money when there's some huge thing, like what happened in New Orleans, or 9/11, heck, we even train your troops for snow combat
Although, looking away from bombing countries silly after 9/11, that was actually when America started showing it's best side, all gathered, no matter skin color, religion or sexual orientation, they all were one people after that, and that was a America to admire, instead of the one we usually hear about outside the US, about suing people for having warm coffee, and managing to force companies to add warning lables that have most sane people scratching their head
Why is there a warning on the Dodge Viper, to not put children in the back seat? THERE IS NO BACK SEAT!
why do Oreos need to have eating instructions?

America's done a lot of great things, but due to a high population, a lot of stupid things too, and because of media, we generally only get the stupid news, yeah... Bush fell off his bike at his ranch... big news... really... can you see how shocked i am? aawh.. his dog died too? poor Bush... WHY IS THIS ON THE NEWS?

[protege]

WHY IS THIS ON THE NEWS?

Because of the same reason that such a big deal was made over British royalty or the Kennedy family in this country...because people *watch* that crap.