Okay, I understand that the USA Is not perfect but why do so many people call us horrible names?

Question

I have seen on this site people call my country invaders, evil empire, they campare us to Nazi (which is completely untrue). What is up with all this America bashin?

Answer 1

Their Jealous.

We have many Freedoms that other countries don't have.

Answer 2

As many of the above answers show, a key point is ignorance. Americans tend to think they live in the best country in the world (which is manifestly untrue), they think the rest of the world should follow their way (why should they?) and adopt their culture (again, why should they?).

Americans are generally perceived as looking down on other cultures. I don't think that's really true, but it's a fact that Americans generally do not understand other cultures very well. The reason for this is that America is such a big and relatively culturally homogenous country that you can live your whole live there without ever learning about different cultures.

Compare this to Europe: from almost any place, a two or three hour car drive will take you into a different country, where people speak a different language and have their very own culture, starting with food, history, religion and so on. And this is true for most parts of the world, but not for the US.

The people here who write that the reason for all those anti-american utterings are jealousy and envy display this very ignorance about the value of other cultures as they assume that American culture is somehow superior to other cultures.

Another example for American ignorance is the fact that so many Americans know so little about other parts of the world. Many Americans think that the standard of living in the US is higher than any place else. That is just not true. Just look at the various economic indices. Child mortality in the US for instance is as high as in third world countries. All other developed countries do much better than the US in medical care. I could go on and on about this. A lot of Europeans are just baffled that on their travels to the US they frequently meet Americans who honestly ask if people are dying of hunger in their home countries, or if they are allowed to vote! P-lease! I just recently met a film producer at a Hollywood party who asked me if there is a good film festival in Germany (the Berlin film festival is the second biggest in the world) and then went on to ask if it is in East or West Berlin. Now, if you meet people like this, how can you not think that Americans are totally stupid and ignorant?

And please, everybody out there, do not accuse me of not knowing what I talk about, because I've been around in the world and around in the US.

The only thing that can cure American ignorance towards other cultures is travel: and in fact if you talk to Americans who have traveled long stretches abroad, you find their ignorance diminished. Some begin to marvel at other cultures. Some of them even can't stand it in the US anymore, once they've experienced the world outside.

So, my advice to you guys: get on a plane and travel! Take an unprejudiced look at other cultures. And stop thinking you are the greatest, just because you have the most powerful military in the world (which is really the only worthy claim to exceptionalism).

Answer 3

What is up is that although The United States is the most free country in the world and is a wonderful, progressive place, it does a lot of horrible things in the world. There is virtually no connection between a countries internal benefits and its external murderous policies (which for some reason, bombing people's kids makes them a bit mad). So, the US is a free, great place, that does a lot of absolutely terrible things in the world.

If you truley are free, you assume responsiblity for the likely outcome of YOUR ACTIONS, not others. You do not say what some peasant in Istambul should do to "rise up and overthrow thier government". What you do is to take a close look at what your government is doing. In a democracy, you ratified these actions, therefore, you have a part in it.

There is no lack of resources in the US to know the truth, just a lack of willpower.

People dislike looking themselves in the mirror when they know they are in the wrong. On mnay issues the US is on the wrong side, absolutely... It is not acting to spread democracy. It is acting to secure global dominance through brutal force, usually against unarmed and weak opponents to gain control over thier resources. Iraq is an example. Sanctioned to death... then assaulted.

If you buy into the fearmongering, the propaganda (which a breif look at history revelas that all Imperialist forces use this, its not some conspiracy theory) then you'll see that we can do a lot of good, if the citizenry is educated and awake, the US will do a lot of bad if certain factions dominate the democracy and lead it towards fullfilling only thier interests.

This goes back to Madison and Jefferson man... it is 100% American.

I submit, humbly, that you read some Thomas Paine, read some of the history of this country! The People's History, not this historical revisionism that is a quick sale on the far right. It is total garbage, not based on fact whatsoever.

Dissent is Patriotic.

Answer 4

Extreme labels like "Nazi" are usually the resort of people who cannot do more than call people names. This covers a lot of people on message boards of both political extremes.

(The regime in recent history that most closely resembled the Nazis AFAIK was the one that we toppled in Iraq. I don't know if the anarchy we've left there is any better for the average Iraqi but if anyone wants to call anyone a Nazi then they should tell it to Saddam.)

There are extremists who are our enemies. They understandably hate the U.S. and use those terms. That's name calling.

There are people who are honestly jealous of the U.S.' wealth and position in the world. I don't think there's as much of this as some Americans seem to think but I do think it exists. Again, it's name calling.

There are people who see the attitudes of some Americans as being arrogant, ignorant and aggressive. No doubt some are--I see them all the time myself.

There are also people who are expecting the U.S. government to live up to rhetoric about being the most just and compassionate country on earth--you know, champions of liberty and freedom and all that. As you say nobody's perfect but some of this criticism has got a point. You can't shrug your shoulders and say "We're not so bad" when that's what you're trying to live up to.

The way our government conveys itself through foreign policy as of late is just not in that spirit of championing justice and liberty. "With us or against us" is not in that spirit. Pre-emptive war is not in that spirit. Breaking the Geneva Conventions in regards to war prisoners (P.O.W.'s or 'enemy combatants') is not in that spirit. The fact that America can do these things--get away with them, really--does not mean they should. The fact that 'the bad guys' do those things or worse is hardly an excuse.

If any of these things really assisted us in 'the war on terror' then perhaps some of these criticisms could be mitigated. As it is they can't. These actions have just made us appear imperial, alienated our allies and provided moral support to our enemies.

We have not been behaving like the U.S. that could proudly say it saved the world from Fascism in WWII and then helped friends and enemies rebuild. That's the standard that many folks still measure us by and I'm sorry to say that we are falling well short of the standard our grandparents and great-grandparents set.

As for one term you used--invader--we were invaders in Iraq, plain and simple. You can say 'liberator' but that's just the other side of the same coin. We invaded the sovereign country of Iraq. It's true that Iraq was governed by a murderous gangster POS but it was still a sovereign country. I don't miss Saddam or his sons but it's just the truth that we invaded that country.

Answer 5

I think that USA as a most poverfull state in a world at the moment, the richest and most influential, and it messes with things that doesn't have anything to do with it because it is so strong that it has to do something. USA puts alot of conditions and many little states depend on her.
It has done some things wrong because it can see only one side of a story and then it all comes wrongly,(I know I am from Serbia and USA bombed us in 1999, and I know I didn't deserved it, all of our town bridges were destroyed)
And I can not understand foreign soldiers fighting on a strangers ground and fighting four cause that they do not understand, and do not even now what it
And people from USA are not interested in rest of the world, not all but it is a general opinion

Answer 6

I Do not know, it certainly is not respectable and all this hate breeds hate,
unfortunately, i think the people who do the bashing, are hurt, or believe some americans are horrible,

It could be that they heard things thru their source, the news , they could have had a bad experience with some american folk, they could feel unwanted, or cheated out of a priviledge they expected.

or they could be the typoe that are always looking for a reason to be offended,
and it is sad when people \"need" GOOD GUYS, AND BAD GUYS, TO KEEP THEIR HEAD STRAIGHT.
I Must say though i have heard a lot of bashing coming from our american citizens, and that only sets off more anger and resentment..and then some people accept that attitude, and go throught the short life they have, being angry, bitter, and no time to Love thy neighbor,

Answer 7

Because you're so arrogant; despite all your imperfections you behave like you are the greatest country to ever have lived.

For instance, your quality of life or political freedoms aren't as good as many European countries, and you have a corrupt government, no completely free press, high crime rate, very, very poor human rights record and an idiotic leader.
Normally no one would begrudge you for that, but you still behave as if you are superior in every sense of the word. Even in this question you see people saying 'they're jealous' or 'because we are the best' or 'we have more freedoms than they do'.

Answer 8

Well, if you travel outside the US you will find out why....

Not that you can automatically do that, its not cheap. Since US is a superpower, many feel that we are imperialists, who want to impose our values and politics on them.....

Also, we as Americans, we feel this country is the best. While it is a good country, why do we feel we have to compete with the rest of the world? I think it stems from our own insecurities....It bothers me when I hear some say, USA is the best place to live....It really isn't, we have many social problems....We are divided on many issues.

If I had a choice, I would prefer to live somewhere else, say like Costa Rica, where the quality of life is good and stress is low....

Answer 9

I believe that people tend to call the u.s. horrible names is for several reasons. Number one, and most important, because it's easy to blame the U.S.. Number two it's because the U.S. represents itself as a country that knows what is best for the rest of the world (in many cases) whilest there are many many problems within the country itself. It's easy to tell other people are doing wrong but don't say it when you're not doing it right yourself. Thirdly I think that a lot of Europeans (for insatnce) are annoyed by the fact that the American government says it knows what's best, and many americans support that view whilest many American citizens are very ignorant when it comes to anything non-U.S..

Answer 10

Anti-american europeans think of us as the evil ones. The real evil ones are the islamic facist.
The Europeans hated us during the cold war, that was long before Bush was in office. They compare us to nazis and the russians compare us to soveits even though we were the ones that got rid of them. Also we TRULY have freedom of speech (In certain european countrys you can't praise hitler or insult jews. I know thats a bad thing to do but wheres the freedom of speech?).

Long live the US.

Answer 11

Excellent answer of Alexander M, indeed, and particularly that :

"Thirdly I think that a lot of Europeans (for insatnce) are annoyed by the fact that the American government says it knows what's best, and many americans support that view whilest many American citizens are very ignorant when it comes to anything non-U.S.. "

We can’t consider American citizens are responsive of their government acts, but we however do it when most Americans support it’s politic.

I would add that irritating way US has to presents itself like the Holy Help of the world when it only acts, like most countries in the world, to defend its own economic and military interests, and as it is more warrior and killer than ever.

I would add how we can be fed up with hearing American’s complaints about ungratefulness of countries they helped in the past. No, we have not forgotten that American people are dead to set Europe free of the Hitler’s madness, and for that we’ll always be grateful. But is past US’s help a reason that Europeans countries must submit to US’s intention to take us off in a war against Irak that we considered as unjustified and unjust ? Must the fact that you helped us become an instrument of blackmail to impose Europe the way US wants to see us acting ? Please just admit that we can’t always agree with you and it’s true we don’t often agree with you since Bush is your president. Hope we will agree more often in future.

I can so much understand how it can be unpleasant to read there so many talks full of hate against US. Yahoo Answers is a new way for a lot of countries in the world to communicate together. Americans, Arabs, Europeans, Jewish, we now are talking together and have so much to say each others that we never said. So much to learn from each others’s ways of thinking, I hope we will become able to understand than no one hold the truth, truth is made of a little bit of American’s, Arab’s, European’s, Jewish (what’s about Asia ? I’m ashamed) way of thinking.

Just open our minds to the world…

(thank you to "Songs M" - next page - to reconcile me with American people)