NationStates Jolt Archive

Hi,I'm a curious American tired of hearing what my native gov't tells me about what foreigners think about America. I myself believe that the current US gov't is really corrupt.I really hate the current situation in Iraq.I feel very bad about what this nation has done to them,all those innocent children we had on business going there.:mad:What do you guys think?Here post your true thoughts about the USA! I'm mostly interested in what people from all of the world have to say everyone's post will be most appreciated:D

Given the USA's unparalleled influence in the world, don't you think this thread is a little general? You wouldn't, after all, start a thread asking for people's views on 'stuff'. Or maybe you would.

Teh suxx0r.

This will end badly...

Hi,I'm a curious American tired of hearing what my native gov't tells me about what foreigners think about America. I myself believe that the current US gov't is really corrupt.I really hate the current situation in Iraq.I feel very bad about what this nation has done to them,all those innocent children we had on business going there.:mad:What do you guys think?Here post your true thoughts about the USA! I'm mostly interested in what people from China,Europe,and Latin America have to say but everyone's post will be most appreciated:D

http://www.afunnystuff.com/forumpics/notagain.jpg

This thread topic shows up at least once a month, it seems.

This will end badly...

So do I contribute to a horrific end, or do I post a link to a pie fight video?

Hmm....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qwirWWnzJKM

:)

So do I contribute to a horrific end, or do I post a link to a pie fight video?

Hmm....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qwirWWnzJKM

:)

More a fan of this kind of pie fight
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g_zuwfUjrQI

Edit:
Or this!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aG3AqT3CrZE

Well, here's a couple of the influences on British opinion of America:

Doubts regarding the morality and legality of the American government's extraordinary rendition process, which ignores extradition treaties and officially sanctions the kidnap and extrajudicial transfer of people (some of them British citizens) from one country to another, sometimes to one of their covert CIA-run prisons, known as black sites, other times to Guantanamo Bay detention camp.

After the Iraq War, there was a series of coroners' inquests into so-called friendly fire incidents relating to UK armed servicemen who had been killed by US forces. The US Government routinely hindered the coroner's investigation by refusing to cooperate. In January 2007 this culminated in the US preventing the release of cockpit videos showing events leading to the death of Lance-Corporal Matty Hull of the Household Cavalry, and threatening newspapers who published them with prosecution.

(quoted from wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Relationship_between_the_United_States_and_United_Kingdom#Public_opinion), but things I already knew about)

None can start us from consuming all the Earth and enslaving all who oppose us!

*Evil Laugh While Kicking Down the Great Wall And Invading With Army Of American Armored Cavalry*

More a fan of this kind of pie fight
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g_zuwfUjrQI

Edit:
Or this!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g_zuwfUjrQI

Thumbs way up! :D

Thumbs way up! :D

OOPS the second link was supposed to be this http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aG3AqT3CrZE

I have some very good friends who are Americans, but you are led by the village idiot.

Now before ths thread gets too spammy, allow me to point out that pies can achieve political and even cultural goals. For instance:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oM2yInYIIdE

Drama Praire Dog REMIX:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=pHSSHqlW6OE

I'm a bit partial to Mary ann and Ginger having a coconut pie fight. When I was a young lad growing up I dreamed of being stranded with those two. ;)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pw8TCpxXsDA&feature=related

Generalites, don't be all too mean. We're all guilty of rehashing topics. Here, get a cookie to keep yourselves quiet.

*brings a plateful of chocolate-chip cookies*

Hi,I'm a curious American tired of hearing what my native gov't tells me about what foreigners think about America. I myself believe that the current US gov't is really corrupt.I really hate the current situation in Iraq.I feel very bad about what this nation has done to them,all those innocent children we had on business going there.:mad:What do you guys think?Here post your true thoughts about the USA! I'm mostly interested in what people from China,Europe,and Latin America have to say but everyone's post will be most appreciated:D
Seems like he doesn't want my contribution either. :(

So I'll be just givin' you this:
America - Jewel (http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/jewel/america.html)

Everywhere I go, seems like Bush is on TV
We shed blood in the name of liberty
...
The circus tents are dead, but the sideshow is doing well
The Osbournes and Anna Nicole are too freaky to tell

We are trying in America
We're spying in America
We're getting high in America

We are getting tan in America
We love Spam in America...
Yay Spam!

Mostly, I laugh at your political stances, especially your (general you) perception of left-wing. So, so...... ugh. And fairly barbaric concerning gay rights, torture, war, foreigners(especially those from the Middle East, which I almost spelt as 'Middle Eart'. I also believe that you are too anti-hobbit, by the way), immigrants, capital punishment, pie fights, mud fights..... And your history is to USA-centric. If you want to learn about your roots, especially due to how new you are you need to learn about England. To understand England you have to understand all of the UK, and to understand the history of the UK you need to have a lot of European history. Then, to make you understand the world around you better Eastern History should be a required course in High School. From what I've heard it's American history throughout elementry school and middle school and the Euro-centric once you get to high school.
Anyway, the part about schools applies to Canada(where I live by the way), too. Actually, I'm mostly just frustrated at how bad the Canadian school system is and I think that both our countries need to improve on this.

Generalites, don't be all too mean. We're all guilty of rehashing topics. Here, get a cookie to keep yourselves quiet.

*brings a plateful of chocolate-chip cookies*


Seems like he doesn't want my contribution either. :(

So I'll be just givin' you this:
America - Jewel (http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/jewel/america.html)

Yay Spam!

/me takes cookies and eats them

:D

Mostly, I laugh at your political stances, especially your (general you) perception of left-wing. So, so...... ugh.
Does this refer to me? :confused:

/me takes cookies and eats them
I said get just a cookie! Just one!

Meh, I can still get some more. Enjoy. :D

Does this refer to me? :confused:

General you, the United States in general seems to consider anyone near center and radically left wing.

So no, not you.

My post was disgustingly ranty... ugh I'm slightly inclined to delete it. Or start a thread complaining about how bad curriculums seem to be, or just get a blog. *sigh*

This will end badly...

That's what I was thinking. Prepare the fire department,

I don't know about foreigners' views on the US, but I certainly love Foreigner. And I know rock and roll.

Mostly, I laugh at your political stances, especially your (general you) perception of left-wing. So, so...... ugh. And fairly barbaric concerning gay rights, torture, war, foreigners(especially those from the Middle East, which I almost spelt as 'Middle Eart'. I also believe that you are too anti-hobbit, by the way), immigrants, capital punishment, pie fights, mud fights..... And your history is to USA-centric. If you want to learn about your roots, especially due to how new you are you need to learn about England. To understand England you have to understand all of the UK, and to understand the history of the UK you need to have a lot of European history. Then, to make you understand the world around you better Eastern History should be a required course in High School. From what I've heard it's American history throughout elementry school and middle school and the Euro-centric once you get to high school.
Anyway, the part about schools applies to Canada(where I live by the way), too. Actually, I'm mostly just frustrated at how bad the Canadian school system is and I think that both our countries need to improve on this.

*pies you for ten minutes then pushes you into the mud*

…Anyway, the part about schools applies to Canada(where I live by the way), too. Actually, I'm mostly just frustrated at how bad the Canadian school system is and I think that both our countries need to improve on this.

For those of you that don't know, Canadian history class works like this:
Grades 5-6: How the fur traders got to Canada.
Grades 7-8: What the fur traders did once they were there.
Grade 10: The wars the fur traders fought in during the 20th century.

*pies you for ten minutes then pushes you into the mud*

See?! Utterly barbaric! :p

For those of you that don't know, Canadian history class works like this:
Grades 5-6: How the fur traders got to Canada.
Grades 7-8: What the fur traders did once they were there.
Grade 10: The wars the fur traders fought in during the 20th century.

In grade 8 we briefly mentioned Louis Riel, and I mean briefly as in: There was this guy in the west that pissed of the East and the West has been bitching ever since.

A two party system which needs a lot of corporate sponsorship, is not benificial for the pursuit of happiness for the bottom 60% of a society,
Americans do not understand the difference between socialism and communism, electing representatives on their "moral"(extremist Christian) grounds instead of policy, politics of fear, privatised airwaves which leads to fox's "fair and balanced" views. Puritanical sexual repression is not healthy.Having the largest gap between rich and poor of any western nation is shamefull.Only 5% of the population have travelled outside the country. A social welfare system which keeps single mothers away from their kids for 14 hours a day how wrong is that, The Patriot act, Continuas violation of the national sovereignity of other countries in respect to phone and email tapping and extra - ordinary rendition which amounts to kidnapping, use of waterboarding- it is torture, detaining people without access to a lawyer let alone trial by jury. The death penalty, look it up in wikipedia to see who else is a fan!.

In grade 8 we briefly mentioned Louis Riel, and I mean briefly as in: There was this guy in the west that pissed of the East and the West has been bitching ever since.

Loius Riel? Was he a fur trader? ;)

fur trader?

I never want to see that word again!!!!!

I never want to see that word again!!!!!

Coureur des bois? Voyageur?

I never want to see that word again!!!!!
fur trader
fur trader
fur trader
fur trader
fur trader

cookie for you.
http://img515.imageshack.us/img515/8079/chocochipcookiesmallkx2.png

Coureur des bois?
Ugh, unlicensed fur traders.... No! I'm trying to forget! :mad:
Voyageur?
This I can live with.

Ugh, can't even shop or look at The Bay anymore. *shakes head*

That's what I was thinking. Prepare the fire department,

Yeah, but when you least expect it, a pie fight breaks out (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NOrgDbldcA4), apparently...
oh yeah, same guy who brought you The Wall...sleep tight!

fur trader
fur trader
fur trader
fur trader
fur trader




:eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek:

I'm mostly interested in what people from China,Europe,and Latin America have to say but everyone's post will be most appreciated:D

South America, Asia, Africa, Canada and Oceania aren't good enough for you 'ey?

South America, Asia, Africa, Canada and Oceania aren't good enough for you 'ey?
Yup, s/he isn't interested in us. :(

None can start us from consuming all the Earth and enslaving all who oppose us!

*Evil Laugh While Kicking Down the Great Wall And Invading With Army Of American Armored Cavalry*

*Counter-attacks with berserking vikings*

*Counter-attacks with berserking vikings*

*Counter-attacks with berserking ferrets*

That's right.

*Counter-attacks with berserking ferrets*

That's right.

Jesus Christ, what the hell...effete, high pitched, yet well dressed thin men with goat leather cowboy boots, fashionably distressed jeans, and vintage blazers tastefully augmented with angel wing prints, howling as they burnish pastel cell phones?

Oh, wait...berserking FERRETS...sorry.

Hi,I'm a curious American tired of hearing what my native gov't tells me about what foreigners think about America. I myself believe that the current US gov't is really corrupt.I really hate the current situation in Iraq.I feel very bad about what this nation has done to them,all those innocent children we had on business going there.:mad:What do you guys think?Here post your true thoughts about the USA! I'm mostly interested in what people from China,Europe,and Latin America have to say but everyone's post will be most appreciated:D

well i am a muslim/christain from the middle east, and my personal view is that while the american goverment must be subjected to Goobalian torture, and the US should stay out of middleastern affairs i really like american people in general, however lots of people i know think of the american people as these rich fat bastards who have models as wives and are busy laughing at the arabs getting the short end of the stick

I've got no problem with America. I'm against things like the war in Iraq and I think Britain should distance itself a bit from America. But I don't blame this on America, I blame our own weak government for getting us dragged into international misadventures. I'm not really concerned about what America does internationally, as long as we're out of it it's not my problem.

Yeah, but when you least expect it, a pie fight breaks out (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NOrgDbldcA4), apparently...
oh yeah, same guy who brought you The Wall...sleep tight!

If only real life imitated art a wee bit more. :(

I am an American, don't know if my opinion counts...

I'm happy with our government and the way things work as a whole. I dislike the current administration, though. STRONGLY dislike.

Thank you for all of your posts!Please disregard my China,Europe,Latin American statement.I'm curious about all opininons.But I really want to thank those from the Middle East that responded.please continue,this is getting good.

As an Aussie.

The US people are generally nice.... Apart from the nut job religious busy body types who need to tell everyone what they can't do. Don't abort, don't euthanase. I'm going to tell you what to do because invisible sky fairy told me to!

The elites of the US are downright evil due to their selfishness. The US has such wealth, but it is incredibly concentrated. Poor people are sent to war to line the pockets of the rich.

US foreign policy is also just evil. The US support of the brutal regimes is well documented. Iraq, before they disobeyed the orders of their masters were well supported by the US. Large parts of central America, Israel, etc.

I try to avoid making generalisations about other countries i haven't visited but from my experience the USA gets alot of bad press, as in the butt of alot of jokes, in some places in the UK you can joke about how bad the US government is to start a conversation with absolute strangers.
which is unfortunate and unfair because i know that not all Americans are bad people alot of them are very friendly.

Erm, to break it down :

People = :) (in general)
Beauty of country = from :eek: to :(
System of government = :(
Foreign Policy = :(
Cuisine = :) (ish)

Hope this helps.

Some of the best places I've ever been to are in the USA. However its government is shit atm. That is all that needs to be said.

Erm, to break it down :

People = :) (in general)
Beauty of country = from :eek: to :(
System of government = :(
Foreign Policy = :(
Cuisine = :) (ish)

Hope this helps.

What parts of American cuisine do you like?

As an Aussie.

The US people are generally nice.... Apart from the nut job religious busy body types who need to tell everyone what they can't do. Don't abort, don't euthanase. I'm going to tell you what to do because invisible sky fairy told me to!

The elites of the US are downright evil due to their selfishness. The US has such wealth, but it is incredibly concentrated. Poor people are sent to war to line the pockets of the rich.

US foreign policy is also just evil. The US support of the brutal regimes is well documented. Iraq, before they disobeyed the orders of their masters were well supported by the US. Large parts of central America, Israel, etc.

No, the poor aren't sent. That would be too unethical. Giving them a rifle and square meals. Everyone knows poor people shouldn't fight and get meals.

No, it's the middle class that volunteers and fights. Sometimes you get rich people continuing a family military tradition. Maybe a poor person who would gladly fight and die for three square meals. But mostly the middle class. Nobody remembers us middle class. Too poor for the Republicans to care. Not poor enough for your everyday democrat. I guess if you can afford three square meals, you're rich enough to help fund stuff.

I know it's a re-hashed topic, but I'll give the OP the benefit of the doubt and give him an answer. And who hasn't seen the occasional re-hashed topic on NS general?


Anyway... I've lived and worked in the US, Australia, Belgium, Iceland, Jamaica and my native UK, as well as visiting some 40-odd countries (not to be confused with 40 odd countries) on five continents, which I only raise to point out that this isn't the opinion of some isolationist insular European. My brother is now a US citizen who lives in Michigan.

For all that, my opinion is similar to several of those previously posted, that Americans themselves are often some of the nicest people you could possibly hope to meet. They're open, friendly, welcoming - and simultaneously often utterly bewildered at why anyone in the rest of the world might resent the actions of their goverment, though there seems to have been a wider awareness of this over the last four years.

I think that we should perhaps spend less time here in the outside world complaining about Bush, and more time wondering about an electoral system that could elect someone like Bush. If I were to get started on the iniquities of the American electoral system, we'd be here the rest of the day, but it's probably fair to say that some third world countries are within their rights to raise an eyebrow when Washington lectures them about democracy. This isn't a complaint about a system that can see someone elected after they've lost the popular vote; both Britain and Australia have managed to do that since the Second World War, and it can be argued that all systems of electoral representation have their flaws when it comes to results (though I have a soft spot for mixed proportional/constituency parliamentary systems). No, the problems in the USA's system are instead:

1) The primacy of money, to the extent that electoral office is mostly closed to those unable to raise and/or spend obscene amounts of cash.

2) The reliance on a system of primary elections in which, typically, only a party's motivated core vote turns out, requiring candidates to pander to the more extreme voters in their party.

3) A Congressional system in which districts are typically drawn up by the ruling party in the state legislature rather than a neutral panel (to the best of my knowledge, Iowa is the only exception among states with more than 2 representatives); this is an open invitation to gerrymandering, and again encourages pandering to the more extreme voters as in most cases there's no incentive to reach out to the voters of the other party. Win selection by your party and you've won your seat.

4) An over-reliance on dodgy technology when casting votes. Regardless of how one feels about the result in Florida in 2000, no major democracy should be reduced to arguing about whether partially-punched cards really count as a vote or not. Ironically, the subsequent shift to computer systems in some electoral regions arguably makes fraud more likely, especially where hardcopy isn't also produced. Pencil and paper, people! Just physically write a tick in a box! Less technology is more reliable! It works for most countries I've lived in, including the fiendishly complicated Australian senate ballot paper.

Part of the problem with acknowledging that there is a problem is that, from personal experience, the American educational system teaches its students that the USA is naturally superior in its democracy, and always acts for just reasons in its foreign policy. This can make it difficult for some to escape the mindset that the American system is the best in the world. To take two examples, I was told by one of my high school teachers that the number of representatives in the House of Reps was 'perfect' - that 400 and something was 'not too big and not too small', and allowed for proper representation without paralysing debate through having too many representatives. This was over 20 years ago, but I remember pointing out that many European countries had more representatives in their lower houses without paralysing European democracy, and that because of population growth in the USA, members of the House now represented far more people than they had once done (and far more people than many of their European equivalents). Yes, I was a difficult student. The second example is a speech I once heard (Bill) Clinton give where he openly stated that the USA was morally superior to other nations as it had 'never fought a war of territorial conquest' (I paraphrase only), only moral wars; no doubt the US government will therefore be happy to return New Mexico, Arizona, southern Colorado and Upper California back to Mexico.

On a slightly different issue, of course there are blatent and appalling social inequalities in the United States as well, but these are now shared by most western industrial democracies (parts of Scandinavia and the occasional microstate possibly aside), so we're in no real position to lecture. Why, we even have Mexicans in the UK now! Except we call them 'Poles', and allow them here legally. The social inequalities are arguably greater in the US - and people, do something about that healthcare system - but I'll take the position that I shouldn't throw stones from my glass house here.

So in sum, just to be a contrary bastard, I'll argue that Bush - and by extension most of the foreign and domestic policies that those of us in the rest of the world find objectionable - is a product of the electoral system, not some random incompetent. To avoid dangerous extremists like Bush, Americans need to overhaul their entire electoral system, which is increasingly close to a dangerous parody of democracy.

But given how difficult this reform would be, and the extent to which it would require overcoming entrenched self-interest, I doubt anyone has the will or ability.