Anti-Americanism 'feels like racism'
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Richard A. Abbott wrote:
Do other Americans in other Countries have similar experiences?
My son just returned from a two week tour of Europe and England, he reported no abuse of any kind, but was traveling with a large group of other Americans, so didn't have the chance to interact with any of the locals on a one-on-one basis.
Richard A. Abbott wrote:
And what should American Policymakers do about it?
I don't know. More bombs? "You have no concept of the depth and complexity of my beliefs." Jim A. Johnson
Stan Shannon wrote:
My son just returned from a two week tour of Europe and England, he reported no abuse of any kind,
Two weeks isn't enough to feel it. Live here (Europe) for 1/2 a year and then you'll see/feel it.
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I have been living in Switzerland (for over three years now) and I'm Canadian and I feel it. I have also experienced it in France, the Czech Republic, Italy and Turkey. One exception was Greece. It's more along the lines of anti-North Americanism. Sometimes it is mild, sometimes quite severe. Speak North American English around anybody at your own risk. I get screamed at, eyes rolled at me, long stares, impatience and downright rudeness directed at me. I have even been called a "bloody capitalist" once. :rolleyes: The best is that usually within 10 seconds of initiating a conversation I get the inevitable: "So, where are you from?". I hate it. What should be done about it? Well, I think know that Europeans have large misconceptions regarding (North) American culture. Their source of what North America is all about comes from television and the news media which, generally, do not portray the U.S. in a positive light. Most reports are biased and critical of U.S. culture, society and politics. Consequently, they adopt this view of America via osmosis. Many of my European colleagues engage me in conversations that centre on what life is like in North America. My experience is that while they have many misconceptions of it, they are interested in what it is "really like". In my opinion, the North American governments need to promote an accurate, unbiased image of what North American society is and Europeans need to stop being so critical of North America. -- modified at 8:53 Wednesday 19th July, 2006 And that crap about "Tell people you're Canadian" is total rubbish. I get just as much flack as the author of that article does. I can sympathize with her experiences.
thealj wrote:
I have even been called a "bloody capitalist" once.
Cool. Was this by someone from Switzerland? :laugh: Ryan
"Michael Moore and Mel Gibson are the same person, except for a few sit-ups. Moore thought his cheesy political blooper reel was going to tell people how to vote. Mel thought that his little gay SM movie about his imaginary friend was going to help him get to heaven." - Penn Jillette
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espeir wrote:
There you go again about NeoconservativesIslam...When you don't even know what they are.
Oh Fisticuffs, I Need Your Approval For I Am Misguided Without Your Awesome Insight Please Validate My Existence With You're Internet Powers By Pumpkinhead, Age 15 or something
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I agree that I will never understand the madness of Islam.
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http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/4881474.stm[^] A US citizen living in London, wrote to the BBC news website to express her concern about the amount of abuse she receives because of her nationality. Do other Americans in other Countries have similar experiences? And what should American Policymakers do about it?
You don't have to leave America for anti-Americanism! Just come to the Soapbox!
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thealj wrote:
I have even been called a "bloody capitalist" once.
Cool. Was this by someone from Switzerland? :laugh: Ryan
"Michael Moore and Mel Gibson are the same person, except for a few sit-ups. Moore thought his cheesy political blooper reel was going to tell people how to vote. Mel thought that his little gay SM movie about his imaginary friend was going to help him get to heaven." - Penn Jillette
Ryan Roberts wrote:
Cool. Was this by someone from Switzerland?
Sadly, yes. :laugh: I was on a train speaking to someone else and this person overheard the conversation. I suppose he could tell I was North American. He asked me where I was from and I (as always) dodged the answer. The conversation got more heated and (as he was doing to me) I began to not-so-subtley insult him. I was making a bit of an ass of him and out of frustration he called me a "bloody capitalist". I couldn't contain myself and burst out laughing in his face. He didn't find it very amusing, but neither did I, really. At least I had a laugh and a story to tell.
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http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/4881474.stm[^] A US citizen living in London, wrote to the BBC news website to express her concern about the amount of abuse she receives because of her nationality. Do other Americans in other Countries have similar experiences? And what should American Policymakers do about it?
It doesn't suprise me in the least, given conversations I have overheard and taken part in. Knee Jerk lefties blame America for pretty much everything. The fact that your president if percived as an incoherant retard really doesn't help either. Personaly I can't blame you too much for voting him in though, given the competition. Ryan
"Michael Moore and Mel Gibson are the same person, except for a few sit-ups. Moore thought his cheesy political blooper reel was going to tell people how to vote. Mel thought that his little gay SM movie about his imaginary friend was going to help him get to heaven." - Penn Jillette
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http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/4881474.stm[^] A US citizen living in London, wrote to the BBC news website to express her concern about the amount of abuse she receives because of her nationality. Do other Americans in other Countries have similar experiences? And what should American Policymakers do about it?
This is complete bullsh1t. No one I know or work with has or openly airs anti-American sentiment; quite the reverse, usually. They may not like President Bush and his administration or what he/they represent through their policies but they are smart enough not to confuse Bush with every other American. Besides, having lived in the States and with many American friends (and family) I can quite happily say that ordinary Americans are exactly the same as everyone else: they have the same basic needs and do the same basic things. They have families, work, pay bills and worry about crime and schools and medicine, etc, etc. The only difference is the cultural backdrop in which these activities take place. Footnote: the only people I have met that didn't like Yanks turned out never to have actually met or talked with one: they based their bias on what they saw and heard in the media. Shame. home
bookmarks You can ignore relatives but the neighbours live next door -
You don't have to leave America for anti-Americanism! Just come to the Soapbox!
Espeir, The reason I posted that question was ... Britain is arguably Americas best ally, and this lady is receiving this kind of abuse from a friendly nation, something must be really wrong. I would expect unfriendliness from a country who despise everything that America stands for, but that should not be experienced by anybody living or visiting the UK. What should America do to improve its image.
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Espeir, The reason I posted that question was ... Britain is arguably Americas best ally, and this lady is receiving this kind of abuse from a friendly nation, something must be really wrong. I would expect unfriendliness from a country who despise everything that America stands for, but that should not be experienced by anybody living or visiting the UK. What should America do to improve its image.
Richard A. Abbott wrote:
Britain is arguably Americas best ally, and this lady is receiving this kind of abuse from a friendly nation, something must be really wrong. I would expect unfriendliness from a country who despise everything that America stands for, but that should not be experienced by anybody living or visiting the UK.
It's not just the UK - see my post above.
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Espeir, The reason I posted that question was ... Britain is arguably Americas best ally, and this lady is receiving this kind of abuse from a friendly nation, something must be really wrong. I would expect unfriendliness from a country who despise everything that America stands for, but that should not be experienced by anybody living or visiting the UK. What should America do to improve its image.
Americans receive just as much abuse from left-wing Americans. I do not believe that conservative Americans (presumably the ones hated by left-wing Europe) need to compromise our position because leftists disagree. They can disagree all they want, but they does not mean that we cannot disagree with them. Case in point: My wife's best friend's boyfriend is an American (barely) and a left-wing extremist. He told my wife's friend that my wife is a murderer because she drives an SUV. Do I feel compelled to be apologetic to somebody like that? Answer: No.
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Americans receive just as much abuse from left-wing Americans. I do not believe that conservative Americans (presumably the ones hated by left-wing Europe) need to compromise our position because leftists disagree. They can disagree all they want, but they does not mean that we cannot disagree with them. Case in point: My wife's best friend's boyfriend is an American (barely) and a left-wing extremist. He told my wife's friend that my wife is a murderer because she drives an SUV. Do I feel compelled to be apologetic to somebody like that? Answer: No.
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Richard A. Abbott wrote:
Britain is arguably Americas best ally, and this lady is receiving this kind of abuse from a friendly nation, something must be really wrong. I would expect unfriendliness from a country who despise everything that America stands for, but that should not be experienced by anybody living or visiting the UK.
It's not just the UK - see my post above.
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This is complete bullsh1t. No one I know or work with has or openly airs anti-American sentiment; quite the reverse, usually. They may not like President Bush and his administration or what he/they represent through their policies but they are smart enough not to confuse Bush with every other American. Besides, having lived in the States and with many American friends (and family) I can quite happily say that ordinary Americans are exactly the same as everyone else: they have the same basic needs and do the same basic things. They have families, work, pay bills and worry about crime and schools and medicine, etc, etc. The only difference is the cultural backdrop in which these activities take place. Footnote: the only people I have met that didn't like Yanks turned out never to have actually met or talked with one: they based their bias on what they saw and heard in the media. Shame. home
bookmarks You can ignore relatives but the neighbours live next door -
Espeir, The reason I posted that question was ... Britain is arguably Americas best ally, and this lady is receiving this kind of abuse from a friendly nation, something must be really wrong. I would expect unfriendliness from a country who despise everything that America stands for, but that should not be experienced by anybody living or visiting the UK. What should America do to improve its image.
Richard A. Abbott wrote:
I would expect unfriendliness from a country who despise everything that America stands for, but that should not be experienced by anybody living or visiting the UK.
But your very question implies arrogance on your part. Did you ever stop to think that there might be something wrong with Britain. Maybe they are the ones who need to be introspective and change. Is it really all that important that there are members of US society who have not yet signed on to western civilizations suicide pact with itself? "You have no concept of the depth and complexity of my beliefs." Jim A. Johnson
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I suspect Stan doesn't give a rat's ass... How about it Stan? :)
"Why don't you tie a kerosene-soaked rag around your ankles so the ants won't climb up and eat your candy ass..." - Dale Earnhardt, 1997
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"...the staggering layers of obscenity in your statement make it a work of art on so many levels." - Jason Jystad, 10/26/2001John Simmons / outlaw programmer wrote:
How about it Stan?
You know me - sensitivity is my middle name! :laugh: "You have no concept of the depth and complexity of my beliefs." Jim A. Johnson -- modified at 9:56 Wednesday 19th July, 2006
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Richard A. Abbott wrote:
I would expect unfriendliness from a country who despise everything that America stands for, but that should not be experienced by anybody living or visiting the UK.
But your very question implies arrogance on your part. Did you ever stop to think that there might be something wrong with Britain. Maybe they are the ones who need to be introspective and change. Is it really all that important that there are members of US society who have not yet signed on to western civilizations suicide pact with itself? "You have no concept of the depth and complexity of my beliefs." Jim A. Johnson
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Do I take your comments to my question "What should America do to improve its image." as either 1. You don't give a damn about what others think/feel/do 2. You are happy with your country's image 3. You don't have a view
You're limiting my possible responses, but closest to 1. One should not have to compromise his beliefs or position just because somebody else doesn't like it. It's not that I'm completely apathetic to the fact that the left is in disagreement (and acts completely inappropriately about it). It's that I don't intend to bend to their wishes because they call me names. I'm not 8 years old. But let's turn the table for a moment. What should liberals do to improve their image with conservatives? Europe isn't looking so good right now to us. Have you given any thought to that?
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I don't think this is a one-way solution. Europeans are highly critical of everything North American. This needs to stop. America is not Europe and Europe is not America. Something as simple as that should be so obvious but it, apparently, is not. One source of the confusion is the media. A quick scan through the BBC and CNN websites should suffice to illustrate what I mean. Unfortunately, most people take their information about a place from such secondhand sources like the media rather than visiting them firsthand. Consequently, impressions of America are biased by the source. This is particularly the case in Switzerland. In France, however, it is different. France is socialist, America is not. That is the difference in that case. The key problem is that Europeans have little first-hand experience of North American society - i.e. they have not lived there, they have not lived amongst the people, they have not "experienced" North America. 2-3 week vacations do not count as "cultural immersion". The reverse is true as well. So, two things: 1./ the onus is not solely on America doing something about it's image. That is only 1/2 of the problem. 2./ The other 1/2 of the problem is Europe doing something about their misconceptions of North America. I think both North Americans and Europeans need to engage each other absent the political situation. Both sides need to ignore the negative and biased media accounts, explore the positive accounts, and focus on the fact that at the most basic level everyone is human and each can learn a little something from the culture of the other. The last generation do have such close contact between the two societies was the Second World War Generation, but now the participants of that conflict are aging and decreasing in number. The younger generations are quite separated in comparison. People need to interact on a personal level rather than through the media. I think we need to get to know one another.
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You're limiting my possible responses, but closest to 1. One should not have to compromise his beliefs or position just because somebody else doesn't like it. It's not that I'm completely apathetic to the fact that the left is in disagreement (and acts completely inappropriately about it). It's that I don't intend to bend to their wishes because they call me names. I'm not 8 years old. But let's turn the table for a moment. What should liberals do to improve their image with conservatives? Europe isn't looking so good right now to us. Have you given any thought to that?
Sorry, I grant to rights to extend options by including your own.
espeir wrote:
Europe isn't looking so good right now to us. Have you given any thought to that
I will have views when you tell me what you consider Europe's failings are. But please don't presume that UK is Europe, or Germany is Europe etc as we are all independant nations, so what you consider as relevant to, say, France is not necessarily relevant elsewhere in Europe.
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Sorry, I grant to rights to extend options by including your own.
espeir wrote:
Europe isn't looking so good right now to us. Have you given any thought to that
I will have views when you tell me what you consider Europe's failings are. But please don't presume that UK is Europe, or Germany is Europe etc as we are all independant nations, so what you consider as relevant to, say, France is not necessarily relevant elsewhere in Europe.
Richard A. Abbott wrote:
I will have views when you tell me what you consider Europe's failings are. But please don't presume that UK is Europe, or Germany is Europe etc as we are all independant nations, so what you consider as relevant to, say, France is not necessarily relevant elsewhere in Europe.
When I say Europe, I generally mean to exclude the UK because I don't have anything particularly against the UK. I'm against the hyper-secular, socialist regimes of the European mainland. There is a segment of society sympathetic with that mindset in both the US (see Vincent Reynolds as an example) and the UK as well, but our nations have not yet completely succumbed to that flawed way of thinking (the details of which can fill many books, so I will leave them out here). But I must add that by forming the European Union, Europe as fast becoming a conglomerate nation in my mind (and certainly others). You have sacrificed your national identities in favor of economic power. So just as you view the US as a single entity (even though the differences between Texas and California are just as significant as those between the UK and France), I'm am beginning to view Europe in the same way. So, in closing, it's the left that I oppose and the European mainland has chosen embrace that ideology. Being a mature adult, I feel no need to compromise my personal beliefs and ideology because the kid next door doesn't like me. Now why don't you explain why, being the kid next door who doesn't like me, you feel that I need to change in order to suit you.
