For non-Americans....?

Question

1) What are your impressions of Americans, and 2) What has made this impression on you (T.V., news reports, books, gossip)

Answer 1

I think Americans aren't very smart, nor are they generally very worldly either.
I get the impression that most of them don't really know what's happening outside their country (and even within their own country because there is so much inside corruption within the government and corporate dirt within corporate giants that can actually pressure governmental decisions). because of that ignorance, they tend to hold the impression that they are much more technologically advanced and intelligent than people of other nations.
I also get the impression they are stuck up and basically a very paradoxical society - where pornography is widely accepted and sometimes, even encouraged, whereas a family magazine that shows an artistic front cover of a pregnant woman breast feeding her baby - the most natural of acts, can be defiled and accused of "obscenity" when the "obscenity" that reeks within America is the pornography and freedom of carnal and bodily pleasures without any respect nor feeling of responsibility of the act itself. (This as an example, out of the many examples.)
Sex seems to be such a main selling point so much so that a person is defined by many aspects that are overtly over sexualized. A society that doesn't see the error of teaching (or implying that such is acceptable through various outlets which can include media, and so on) promiscuity isn't something you should be proud of (I don't mean it should be FORBIDDEN or made a crime. I think it's just not something we should aspire to make socially acceptable, as if it were something casual and insignificant.).
All in all,
I just think that Americans are very irresponsible and proud. Their idea of liberty only applies to Americans, and not the people outside their country.
Their idea of freedom is made trivial by the ridiculous things that are done by the people in the name of "freedom". "My freedom to live in a ghetto.", "My freedom to be promiscuous, to have many sexual partners", "My freedom to parade around naked", "My freedom to do the most silliest, foolish thing I can think of".
The noble idea of freedom and liberty by their forefathers has been made a great big joke, which is sad, because America had been founded upon noble and admirable principles.
The freedom many Americans seem to live by has become a "freedom to do anything I d@mn well please" without the consequences that come along with it.
With action comes a consequence. Many Americans seem to think its' their freedom to do anything they want, say anything they want, and yet refuse to accept the consequences that comes with it.
I believe in a balance. And to me, America is what, say, Afghanistan or Pakistan is to me. Both on each end of the spectrum. Both are extreme forms.
I still believe in balance. And both extremes are never good, in my eyes.
Anyway. That's just my 2 cents on the matter.

Answer 2

i think well i know something is very wrong with your country. your president lies big time. do you even know where all but 3 of the 9-11 hi jackers came from . i can tell you it had nothing to do with iraq none of them came from there and there is was and never will be a tie to iraq and osoma bin laden.
you have massive gang problems . you need your military there on the streets getting rid of the gangs not spread out all over the world where they are not wanted. and may cause world war 3
you have a terrrible health care system. you are the only developed nation that does not have universal health care.

you electronic voting system being used now and used more and more is so flawed first year university computer programers were able to completely mess it up but did this as a demo of how flawed it was for tv yet you still used it .

you have within your country a huge number of people who belong to groups that want to break off from the federal goverment such as tim mcfay . he was only one of many people but your press covers it for a few days and then drops it for a car chase or come rich girls falling down drunk.

your federal goverment only very recently acknowledged global warming was caused by people. and still you wont change.

your unions are so strongh you are loosing your share of the auto market which plays a huge roll in your economy .

if you cross from buffalo ny on the peace brige into canada
you see on the usa side a slum or near to it . once in canada
you see niagra on the lakes one of the most beutifull places in southern ontario.

oh the list goes on and on . nope sorry but i can see clearly that although your president thinks democarcy works and is intent on spreading it threw force that it is falling . you should see that no goverment will last regardless of the system if it does not work . you dont need to have wars to change a goverment the soviets stopped because the system did not work . democarcy as you have it in the usa is falling apart.
you should either return to having the queen as your real leader or adopt a system much more like that of the swiss.

Answer 3

Most of the Americans I have met have seemed self-centered to varying extent. They've all thought their country is the only one that matters (I've heard medical degrees from foreign countries referred to as not real) and they turn away from anything that detracts from their idea of a perfect life. Hard to explain without going into a lot of examples and details. And this impression was not formed based on anything except the people I've actually known. (and this is not a rant; I love America and I love quite a few Americans)