Why are Americans so misinformed about Australia?

Question

Why do they think we have kangaroos and koalas up the main street, that Australia is full of British convicts only and that we are all country hics. And why do they think that we all live in the outbcack. And why do they think their nation is the greatest on earth. If it was that great, why do they have people living in brown cardboard boxes on the street and why do they have still have the death penalty. Australia is the greatest and fairest nation on earth, not America.

Answer 1

Because they are stupid. But in saying that I am a very proud Australian and even though I'm marrying someone from another country I'll always be a proud Australian. People all over the world have strange notions about other people's countries. I have people asking me if Lions run through my other half's village and if I have a pet kangaroo instead of a normal pet. People are just weird and for all you Americans I agree with this guy. learn your facts about other countries and Grow up

Answer 2

My opinion of Australia is that is it a modern country/continent like the US and European nations. I live in a big city that is known for it's sports figures but I have never seen any of them in a store or anything. I would think a kangaroo or koalas would be in wooded country areas and not in the cities but I guess some people think they are everywhere. We have people in the US living in cardboard boxes because we give too much money to the third world countries and let our citizens, no matter how bad or whether or not they brought in on themselves, go without adequate housing and food.

Answer 3

America will be the first to admit that their school system fails them in the area of History and Geography. Also, although tourism trends for American travelling internationally have in increased, the majority of Americans travel within their own country, leaving them wide eyed and naive about different cultures. This same naiveté makes them targets when they do travel abroad as they often unintentionally insult locals in the countries that they do visit.Some of them believe that money buys you everything including respect. I have had Americans ask me if we have running water in Canada, if I live in an igloo during the winter and how many sled dogs I own. I'm their next door neighbour, not across an ocean like Australia. And not to say that these comments come from all Americans. The majority do their research before visiting and are rarely shocked to find that we do indeed drive cars and not sleds. And other that a few cases, I have found most Americans to be very nice.

Answer 4

I agree that many Americans don't know nearly enough about many foreign countries. In Europe people are crossing borders all the time and are less isolated.

You are proud of your country and I am proud of mine, which is as it should be. Why argue?

I may have a misconception of my own. Is it still a custom among some young people there to take a year or two and see the world? I met some when I myself was traveling through Europe. I found the Australians I met to be very friendly and pleasant. But I've only met a few! Most Americans know only Crocodile Dundee. That's the biggest problem.

Answer 5

"...arising from the denial by the Australian Government of a Treaty with the Indigenous peoples of Australia. In particular, it attempts to explain why such a Treaty was never signed with the Indigenous peoples during the period of British colonial rule, and why it has consistently been denied by successive post-colonial governments. The starting point of many arguments for a Treaty between the Indigenous peoples of Australia and the Australian Government is that such a document would finally consolidate recognition of Indigenous sovereignty. Such sovereignty, it is argued, consists in the fact that this continent was not a terra nullius when it was ‘discovered’ by white men, but was already occupied, and that the assertion of British sovereignty was based on the denial of a prior Indigenous sovereignty. This sort of explanation however, overlooks the crucial feature of the modern discourse of sovereignty, namely that sovereignty only inheres in those peoples who have formed themselves into a properly constituted society. The ‘sovereignty’ of the Indigenous peoples of Australia was not recognised, in other words, because it was believed that they had not so constituted themselves, and this belief has continued to shape the administration of Indigenous peoples by both colonial and post-colonial governments well into the twentieth-century."

Yes, very fair over there. Are you calling Midnight Oil liars? Do you deny the infered claims in films such as "Whale Rider"? You Australians have denied the rights of Native Peoples just as countries throughout the American Continents have, so you are not better.

As far as the death penalty, who are you to criticize how another country deals with it's criminals?

Answer 6

It's true we live in the best country in the world!! But I think it goes with all nations, what do we really know about other countries and cultures? Can you name the 52 states of America off the top of your head? We only know a little more about America because of all the movies and TV shows that are shown here. As a nation we are still so young. But I think as time goes on, with the world as chaotic as it is, it will be the ultimate holiday destination for all countries. Unfortunatley poverty is everywhere, that cannot be helped, and there is always going to be differences in laws and views on punishment. Just sit back and enjoy what is around us.
PS- I love telling the tourists about our "Drop-bears"

Answer 7

Having lived in multiple countries, I've seen first hand this is the case for most people. This isn't reserved for Australia vs US.

The simple fact is, if we haven't been to another place, it's hard to really know what it's like. We base our judgement on what we have at hand. Typically this is whatever movies we've watched that involved x place.

I've run into many Australians who haven't the faintest idea about the US. Americans who don't know about anything in the next state. Brits who couldn't tell you a thing about Ireland....

I don't know that it's appropriate to bash the US for a problem that is common across the globe.

How much do you know about Mongolia?

Answer 8

I don't think it's only Americans. After all, after that beach mobbing of an Arab looking man in Australia the Australian image took a terrible beating. Many people I know cancelled their holiday trip there, they were horrified how easy people got riled up and would beat an innocent man for nothing. Hardly the greatest and fairest image, wouldn't you say.

Answer 9

Americans are misinformed about every body not just Australia, We (Americans) are not taught about other country's the way they are taught about us. I learned that living over seas in Germany! Far as I know no one thinks you have animals cruising up and down your streets any civilized place would not. You seem quite bitter. Maybe its because you live in Austral and not America! Suck for you huh?(lol) Before you start bashing on America and there citizen get a clue or better yet a life!

Answer 10

Most of us don't get to travel to the other side of the Earth, so we haven't experienced Australia first-hand and rely too heavily upon movies like Crocodile Dundee for our information. As for your comments on the United States, it's true that the U.S. has many faults. Most Americans agree that we could do far more to help those living on the streets. Some of us are trying.

Answer 11

i agree to some of your points and I have lived in Australia and i know that you have people (aboriginals) that live in cardboard boxes as well and i have seen how your people threat these poor people so don't tell me that we're inhumane or else you look like a hypocrite. As to the British convicts, I have never heard that about Australians. You also watch a lot of TV shows and new casts that come from the US. We don't watch Australian TV... that may be a reason we're so MISS-informed.