Why do people dislike the americans so muxch?

Question

Is it because we only see the gullable rich americans on this side of the pond or is it b ecause we get a lot of c rap yankee t.v programmes. Why?

Answer 1

Because they are the self appointed world police, they don't give a damn about the world though as they drive round in ridiculously large cars using up everyone else's air and ozone, they refuse to discuss this issue , they talk too loudly in restaurants and think everyone cares about what they have to say AND their clothes are too bright.

Answer 2

The "muxch" problem is easy.

The X and C keys happen to be neighbours. Asker must have a huge index finger.

Now the Americans: look, they know they have a superior civilization and the moxie to show up the rest of the world. Plus historically they have felt a great generosity towards the world at large. This is undeniable: ask anyone who lived though WWII (your parents, granny, grampy ?).

There is cultural difference especially with some parts of Europe, signally France, but at the margin others, too. And, unavoidably some degree of envy at the material accomplishments and the idealism that they are (generalizing a lot here) driven by.

For me the hate comes from situations such as this one: in the mid-70s a young wife who had seldom traveoled outside of So. Cal. is suddenly carried to Italy on a repeat honeymoon.

At the impressive sight of the Roman Forum the stage of so much ancient drama, all she can observe is,

"why don't they take down all this decrepit old stuff and build skyscrapers and parking lots".

This is from a former honor student.

The husband was -coincidentally- Italian.

_Now_ you can you understand the hate ?. Yuk !.

Answer 3

Perhaps it's because they're all brain-washed into thinking their country and leaders can do no wrong, that rich people are good and poor ones are lazy or inferior. Maybe it's because they're self-righteous about everything, whilst at the same time having a massive chip on their collective shoulder that they're a young, immature country made of mis-informed ignoramuses (therefore more easily controlled by their leadership). Maybe it's their short-sighted tendency to screw over other countries, rather than trying to co-exist and co-operate, and their "You're with us or against us" school-bullyish nature. Or perhaps it's their polluting of the earth with their toxic waste, or polluting other countries' cultures with their grasping, corrupt lowest-common-denominator "culture". They act like a nation of spoilt brats, and their foreign policy shows their immaturity - now they want an Empire, when the rest of the world learned long ago that Empires are not the right way to go. They believe that because of their nationality they can do no wrong, and in this respect (amongst others), they are the new Nazis of the world. I think this may have something to do with it.

Answer 4

In a word, ignorance.

No Nation in the world is made up with horrible people.
Certainly their governments may present a despicable policy but that doesn't make its people bad.
Are you responsible for Thatcher or Blair?
Try a little travel where you mix with the natives of the country and then give us your views.

When you fly for eight hours and still use the same currency you begin to appreciate the vastness of the country.
They are mentally like us in many ways but are influenced differently.
Having read through the answers I feel ashamed to be British.

Answer 5

Our attitude to nations or groups of people is shaped by our experiences of them. Unfortunately, our perceptions of Americans is shaped by our exposure to things like:
(a)GW Bush whom we regard as the guy who lost the presidential election but who is the president.
We know that he is president because he is an accomplished liar.

(b) Movie stars whose entire lives are built around shallowness and hypocracy yet they are paid millions of dollars for being just that. James Caan when asked about the contribution that movie stars make to the quality of life replied, "The garbage man makes an infinitely greater contribution to the quality of life than any of us ever could"

(c) We are left with the image "The America Corporation" a huge firm that makes and exports arms to anyone with enough money. A firm that will relentlessly persue profit no matter who it hurts, maims or kills.

(d) WE see the "cosmetic morality" - (Coetzee) of "declaring war on poverty" and homeless tramps living not half a mile from the worst symbol of decadence in the western world - The White House.

Answer 6

Its because for a country that is considered to be one of most advanced and most powerful in the world it is incredibely insular. The majority of Americans do not understand or care about other cultures, religions, countries etc. They are the biggest example of being scared of something you don't understand. And yet the news agencies and government do nothing to promote knowledge of other nations or to report world news.

The average American's knowledge of anything outside their own nation is scary. That is why I believe they are generally disliked.

Also to xenon I would like to point out that there would also be no USA if it weren't for the French and yet in the recent American elections there was an anti french campaign laid by George W. I think they called the French cheese eating surrender monkeys

Answer 7

Allegedly it's because of their foreign policy, but I think it's more likely to do with how people always dislike larger, more powerful neighbours, even if they are benevolent. The Scots hate the English, even though England subsidises Scotland enormously. Moving further down, small town Scots probably hate Edinburgh Scots etc etc ad infinitum. It's just human nature, and the US is the largest global example of the phenomenon.

Answer 8

A lot of people don't like Americans because they speak their minds which is something us Brits should do more often.
I have lived and worked with Americans and served with them in the forces and their sense of humour is different to ours which,can sometimes cause problems due to a lack of understanding.
On the whole the Americans are a lot like us,in so much as all they want is a peaceful and happy life,and who are we to fault that?

Answer 9

It's because it's easy to make fun of them from this side. We also have a bit of a tradition for treating them as second class; maybe some are, but it isn't a fair thing to do, really. On the other hand, we do it to the Irish, and the Americans do it to the Oklahomans and Polish, so...hell, why not?

Answer 10

My daughter and her husband once lived in the USA for several years and my wife and I visited them frequently.
We found that, apart from the odd exception, Americans were friendly,polite, generous and, on the whole, very nice people to know. Once people were polite in this country(UK) but unfortunately there are too many people around now like the person who posed the question.