Like most, I don't hate America, or Americans.

But, everything over the last eight years has led me to believe that a large number are incredibly dumb, and a large number are so completely radically patriotic to the point of inducing nausea.

Few can deny that Bush has been a disaster for America, and much of the world. But Americans seem fine with this.

The government is now robbing you blind and refusing to explain themselves (while giving themselves a pay rise, I read somewhere) and still you all do nothing.

You trust your media implicitly, follow blindly and then blame the rest of the world for the state of your country.

If any American dares to mention a word against the American regime they are deemed "unpatriotic".
If a citizen of another nation dares to say anything against America they are often deemed to be a "terrorist sympathizer" or "Commie"! This all just supports the idea that most of you are brainwashed into accepting everything your government and media tells you.

You all seem completely caught up in a perpetual orgy of flag waving.

I know that there are some very intelligent Americans; there must be because so many of them have managed to convince an entire nation that robbing them blind is perfectly fine and that fighting back or even questioning it would be "un-American".

In Europe we still (just about) hold on to the idea that we own the government, and that they work for us. And when they step out of line to such a degree as to deserve a response, we will march on the seat of power and demand an answer.
It seems America has completely forgotten this fact and is willing to let their leaders bend them over and take extreme liberties without thinking twice about it.

So, no, I don't hate Americans. I just wonder how the hell the people have let their country become what it is.

I have no problem most people don't like us, it's their choice. BUT FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, STOP CALLING EVERY AMERICAN YOU TALK TO FAT. IM SICK OF SOMEONE LOSING AN ARGUMENT AND THEN THEY TELL ME TO EAT A CHEESEBURGER. NOT EVERY AMERICAN IS FAT!!!!

what has India and Ireland in common, except of the I ...

Originally posted by resistancia
Watch me get flamed now for being Anti-American so predictable
[edit on 22-12-2008 by resistancia]

well that is a good comparison lol
...as we know, that in Ireland they still burned women( may be some men too) because of being "just a bit intuitive"!!

Furthermore no country fighted till death because of religion as ireland, oppressed from good England...
Well and here I just were told about my some silly litterally stuff, I would not complain about an english who tries to write in german to me; i wud at last understand the words lol and combine ... as modern woman
That is a reason to hate haha the Englisch may be, as they seem to be arrogant as well sometimes. hehe
And England was not invaded by Hitler A... as he thought they would stick may be to him...that what I heard.
Now half of German folks, stasis, can talk russian, that is a difficult language! I am western and I am glad I was Not closed behind walls, thx to USA , English and French.
And the money from the Nazis were all splitted... and some kept.
And I was not taught to be proud of germany, as they teach Americans, and you could follow that on Tv with Obama, which was a very good motivation!

I always wondered myself, why the Russians opened the walls.... after soo many years without wanting something back...
And germans did not want the EURO , but we were not asked, scandinavains could vote for a no
Ireland could vote for No, against new Europe Union contract... but they suddenly had another animal desease ... ? ?
And now here the middle class is gone... again ppl can moan about rich and poor, Bank corruptions everywhere... and so on
and we still have nazis here and stasis , sneaking and peeping their arses off... lol (hello!)
As I posted before: Some are good and vice versa and some who loves to cause dramas --> 2 have a dispute and the 3rd loves it

so patriotism is not bad i guess

French are one of the biggest patriots btway

And some Americans say BE is No English lol

There is a bumper sticker here in the states it says:

"I love my Country, but I Fear my government"

I think it sums up a common opinion of the state of governments across the world today.

It really does sum up my current view of the country.

The people have much reason to have lost faith in their leadership over the years.

Hopefully we're getting back on the right track, but it's still unlikely.

sad really.

Originally posted by magicmushroom
Baz, of course it is but for the benefit of the US's foreign policy I split them into 2 groups, within those there would be many sub groups. But at the moment the radicals have the loudest voice. You see them on ATS all the time shouting down anyone who does not agree with the mass murder of people in the ME.

They gleefully shout and scream who should be next to be bombed back to the stone age. They are not just dangerous to all none Americans but Americans as well. These same people supported Waco where American men, women and children were shot, gassed and burnt and filmed live for prime time viewing.

There is an old saying that when you start killing your own people then you know things are really bad.

I don't quite agree with your analysis but your not entirely wrong either.

The fact of the matter is "absolute power corrupts absolutely" and the last decade or so this has become painfully obvious to most non-americans or even americans living abroad. They can sense the fascist lies being perpetrated by the american goverment and american media but when we point this we out we are automatically branded labels such as: "anti-american", "socialist/communist sympathiser", "possible terror suspect", etc.

I realise the 9-11 attacks were a tremendous shock to everyone but for a long time I have been getting the sense that the military industrial complex, in both america and europe, was desperately looking for a new fight since the cold war was dead at least a decade earlier and the whole sector was in a deep recession. Instead of closing shop and laying off millions they decided to use false-flag operations to create conflicts when fortunately or unfortunately non exist.

So while we are busy hating each other with spoon fed propaganda, some people on wall street and politicians on both side of the pond are busy making money they never dreamed possible. That would explain why many governments signed on to the iraqi and afghan invasions despite the lack of any solid evidence presented to us and despite thousands upon thousands of peaceful demonstraters making their voices heard to all but our deaf/blind leaders.

What da yaaa think, guys nn gals?

[edit on 23-12-2008 by EarthCitizen07]

Many countries do I suppose, Norway has spoken ill once or twice of America, but I don't think they hate you.

There are a lot of small minded people across the world, that can't see that the government is seperated from the people. Yes, there are a lot of war mongers in America, but that could be said for any nation in the world. It's just that America has a unique position being the so called "police force" of the world, which helps to make every little (and big) mistake, contradiction or whatever, even so much worse. Esepcially, for those said small minded people.

I'm not an American, but I lived in the U.S. and experienced A-Ha and Men at Work reach the Top Ten. I got my first car and motorcycle in the United States and I went to highschool.

All in all, I lived in the U.S. for around sixteen-seventeen years.

I love America. Not the government, but the people. I love the idea of what the government was supposed to do, work FOR the people, not the other way around.

Most people from around the world, are too busy with their heads up their rears. They think because they're from "Europe" that their s*** don't stink.

Instead of ranting on, I'll come to a close. America is a beautiful country with beautiful people. America isn't perfect. No country is.

Peace,
FK

Being an American, born and raised, I love my country obviously...

Do I have reservations as to it's course? Of course, I'm neither blind, nor stupid... But I also have faith in the inate strength of this country that my forebears built here. I look around me, and for every bad thing that I see, I see many good things happening. Small things usually, but out of those small things, grow large things...

America is an ideal and a dream to many, why else would so many risk life and limb to get here, not only theirs, but their childrens, too. Streets of gold, manna from heaven.

America the reality has skeletons in its closet. Most know this, yet the dream endures...and will far into the future.

IMHO.

Originally posted by Dermo
Sometimes its funny but it can get pretty tedious. And if you are from the US and want to know why it causes the sentiment it causes... try picturing yourself trying to have a conversation with a group of people who have been conditioned to think that they are the only ones that matter in the whole universe. Then you will understand.

You must have run into the most arrogant people from the US that you could have possibly met. I don't recall ever being "conditioned" to think I'm better than any of you because I'm from the US. I'm not going to lie and say we don't have it a little better off than some other places in the world - but so what? We focused on making our lives that way earlier in our history instead of all that tribal feuding/shariah law/in-fighting bull# some other places are STILL going through. We had our civil war and got over it.

I think the problem is with other countries is you don't seem to be able to stomach the fact that we don't care what you think about us. I'm not arrogant enough to say I'm the best person in the world or that I'm from the best country in the world - but I am arrogant enough to say that if you don't like me becuase of the flag I wear, the place I live - then tough #. Grow up and find something else to whine about to someone else.

Finally - our freedoms.

Show me where we're being restricted from our liberties.

Show me.

Links.

Sources.

I don't want to hear personal accounts, because I can spread opinion all day long.

Thanks and good night.

Americans in general are good hard working people...... well some are, I think the main resentment for most people apart from the obvious death and destruction the Government leave wherever they go is the brainwashing baa baa mentality they seem to have, but that is no diff than some of the freaks here in the UK to, Look at us English..... We tend to look down on other nations just as much as our obese cousins over the water.

Personally i spent 3 weeks in Chicago on a holiday and found the people to be mostly friendly but couldnt wait to leave the country as i found the gluttony to be a bit much... But thats just my viewpoint.
The only other gripe is Yanks when im at home with the wife in Thailand.... Thats when they are loud, obnoxious and arrogent.
I was on a train going home to the farm and a youngish American guy was sat in the seat in front with a thai lady who he had never met... I was trying to get some sleep but this LOUD american voice was booming over the sound of the train. I heard the guy asking about where she lived, Age, if had a big family, what she worked and how many cars she had.... Thats when i realised how Americans truly have been raised. The guy could not believe that this girl didnt have a car, Boy he was gloating how he had 4 cars himself and how his family owned another 5... Then he proceeded to show her his expensive watch etc.... He just couldnt understand this girl was from a poor farmer family and he just loved boasting what he had.
Needless to say i had to butt in and tell him to shut the f*** up or i would have to crack him as he was embarrassing the woman. at that point my view of Americans was tainted forever

My own perception is abit more narrow than if I love americans.

I love the human being, with the ambition to find forum such as ATS. I love the human being that is able to accept the possibility of the theory, rather than fanatically prove or disprove it.

Whether that human being is american, japanesse, german, british, danish, italian, or from any other nationality.

i have to keep reminding myself that not all americans are the stereotypical, loud, brash, arrogant and overweight lot that the media often portrays them as.

i also need to remember my own people aren't exactly all angels either.

i haven't met many in real life but the few i did were rather loud ... not sure whether they were deaf or they thought i was deaf, lol! but i've befriended quite a few online and most of them are awesome (except for the sweet little school teacher who turned out to be a fraudulent identity thief and got her a@@ hauled into jail, lol!).

[edit on 23-12-2008 by ll__raine__ll]

Dangle, latest stats on overweight Americans is over 60% and thats nearly 200 million which is an awful lot of overweight people just in one country. And ergo the tale of americans working hard must just be that a tale.

You must have run into the most arrogant people from the US that you could have possibly met.

Good point.. thanks for the input.

I think the problem is with other countries is you don't seem to be able to stomach the fact that we don't care what you think about us. I'm not arrogant enough to say I'm the best person in the world or that I'm from the best country in the world - but I am arrogant enough to say that if you don't like me becuase of the flag I wear, the place I live - then tough #. Grow up and find something else to whine about to someone else.

Its not that you don't care what we think about you.. its that """"""Americans""""""" (ie.. the chest beating, flag bearing, war mongering etc types) seem to think that they have something that they should be rubbing in our faces every time we have a conversation.. when in fact.. they don't... Which.. as you can imagine.. gets a little annoying after the 1000th time its been said.

So.. please.. for the sake of an intelligent conversation, don't bring that point up again. Not because it hits a sore point but simply because it is completely irrelevant and somewhat annoying.. but again.. good point.

Finally - our freedoms.

Show me where we're being restricted from our liberties.

Show me.

Links.

Sources.

I don't want to hear personal accounts, because I can spread opinion all day long.

Thanks and good night.

mmm.. not too sure what you are getting at here.. All i can say to this is that it shouldn't matter. Anyone that says you have little liberties as an American is trying to prove a point.. so you should listen for a new perspective... but not take it to heart because it is definitely not correct.

When it comes to freedoms being trodden on.. everyone living in free countries has to deal with that at the moment.


[edit on 23/12/08 by Dermo]

Originally posted by SFwife
Everyone hates America UNTIL They need help/money .Funny how that works

The kind of help America seems to offering the world, we can do without it

kx