Should Americans care about what people in other countries think about them?

Question

I seems that most people in the world have a negative view of America. Some people down right hate America. Should we just concerns ourselves with our own problems and not the world problems?

Answer 1

Yes, We as Americans should be very concerned about world opinion. My girlfriend went on a vacation to Australia not long after we met. She noticed a little hostility from some of the people from other countries that were in their group. These ultra conservative "cowboy" extremest are giving us a very bad image around the world. I stumbled across a website for a German band ......... I think it was Ram-stein but I'm not sure. I was shocked and appalled at all the anti U.S. statements.
I once got into a discussion at a bar with a girl from Czechoslovakia she told me that Americans in general were uninformed and often deceived by our media. We are the most powerful country in the world right now our problems are the worlds problems and visa verse. We as Americans have a responsibility to know whats going on in the world (not just what FOX news tells us) and act accordingly.

Answer 2

We should care about other countries because in a manner of speaking the world is getting smaller and smaller. When I was a child, I never knew anyone from anyplace far away, but now people are moving a lot more than ever before, and our chances of having to deal with someone from another country are becoming greater and greater. There are a growing number of corporations with offices in many countries around the world.

Part of the reason we're in the mess we're in now is that most Americans have just concerned themselves with their own problems and not paid any attention to the impact of their behaviors on people of other countries. American companies (not only American companies, by the way... some European countries do the same thing) have gone into many countries and used up their natural resources while only compensating them a small portion of the worth of the resources. The cheap labor force in other countries is one of the reasons for all the outsourcing you see these days. And people in the wealthier countries go on their merry way wearing clothes and using products that were made in sweatshops where children work longer hours than adults are allowed to in some developed countries.

I won't even talk about the situation in Iraq.

And we wonder why people from other countries have a negative view of America.

Answer 3

We as people should always concern ourselves with ourselves first but still look to help other people if we can. But if those other people do not want help then that's all you can do. There's always going to be someone saying something bad about you. No matter what you do you can not please everyone. There are some negative things about America but there are also some really great things and they tend to outway the bad. If a country or person does not like America then they don't have to come here or worry about us. As sad as it may be, there is always going to be stife and there is always going to be someone saying something it's like we're in a really big high school and someone always has a problem. Ohh well, life goes on! Worry about you and where you're at and what YOU believe in because no it doesn't matter what other places think as long as you're happy with it.

Answer 4

Some of you people are friggin' morons...this "We must reach out to the world" stuff is horsesh!t. This nation funds the UN, we send FREE money to 3rd world pissant countries every year (my tax money), and who does the world come to for help? US, you morons.

Who donates more money & supplies to charities? US. Who ALWAYS lead the way in the major wars when the "elitists" in Europe were getting their butts handed to them? US. Who does the UN turn to for help overseas? US. Who sent BILLIONS of dollars in aid overseas the last few years? US. Hello, McFly! Remember the tsunami and the earthquakes?

"Because of our evil interventionist policies some good, but misguided, freedom fighters flew their planes into those buildings to protest..."

You people are fu(king pathetic. When your done getting that liberal crap fed into your mind at college go see what this nation has really done for the world. If you don't like it then pack your stuff in trash bags and move to a better place...maybe Cuba.

The ONLY reason this nation gets involved overseas is because the rest of the world is too big of a pu$$y to deal with it. They ALWAYS come whining for help, then when we do something were being "interventionist" or "imperialistic."

If Iraq was about oil, and oil only, then why are the prices so high? Why not invade another country that had MORE oil?

As far as the war...why was it okay for Clinton to bomb the living crap out of Bosnia? A dead Bosnian is the same as a dead Iraqi!

Morons...

Answer 5

The US must do what is good and best for the US, without worrying about what other countries think of us.

We are a great nation, we are a charitable nation, are we perfect NO, no nation is perfect.

The world has become a small place..because of technology advancements..etc..
We are part of the world..and must deal with certain things on a global level..but, first and foremost we must not allow outsiders to control our policies, lives.

We are the United States of America..blessed by God, we are not infidels..although many consider us to be..we can not and will not please all, all the time...

Answer 6

There is no "us" and "them." When we get that concept we'll start treating people ourselves and people in other countries with more respect and compassion. Right now, Americans are perceived as downright selfish and arrogant sheep who have no idea who inhabits the rest of the world. Of course I care. I'm not the only person on this planet.

Answer 7

Nope, it doesn't matter what people in other countries think about America. Do you think the Dallas Mavericks care what the Denver Nuggets think about them? Hell no! When you are #1 everyone is gunning for you. Just because they all suck by comparison doesn't mean we need to worry about why we are so great.

The only exception is if you are going backpacking through Europe and want to get laid by hairy Euro-trash girls. Then just slap a maple leaf on your bag and say "Aboot" instead of "About" and you're golden.

Answer 8

You need to care what other countries think about America. If they perceive that we are a huge military threat to their ways of life, they will take steps to protect their own interest, including economic steps

we see this in the OPEC nations today, they are withholding making more oil available on world markets thus causing the price of gasoline to rise in the U.S.

Answer 9

That would be a great start. If we just turned inward and took care of our own, we would achieve more, but then the rest of the world would still hate us because we would no longer answer their calls for help. It's a no win situation.

Answer 10

I agree. America need to worry about her own problems and not those of the world.