Why do so many people hate Americans so much that they are willing to die to hurt us?

Question

Help me understand why someone would strap a bomb to their chest or fly a plane into a building because they hate us so deeply that they would die just to hurt a few of us.

Reply to duke diode:
I use the word "us" because terrorists are targeting anyone American in random attacks. When they do a suicide bomb or crash a plane, are they being careful who they kill? No. Any American will do. Any of us. That includes you too my friend.

Answer 1

They are ignorant. Most terrorists are "brain washed" because they think americans are evil and they can not accept our culture. We are more tolerant than others. We arent better than them we are just more fortunate.

Answer 2

I think it may have to do with naivety. America is a big and powerful country with many resources. If you live in America you really don't need to worry about anywhere else because you have everything at your fingertips. This is where a problem could lie. Many Americans do not know a lot about other countries and don't really have to care. There are many different lifestyles and religions around the world but in the end, we all bleed the same blood. Americans sometimes forget this and think that they are better than other people or countries.This can create a lot of anger and disdain. How would you feel if someone thought that they were better than you? Like someone mentioned earlier, This attitude is apparent all the way to the top. To the government even. This particular administration especially enjoys "putting its nose where it doesn't belong". Like somehow it also thinks that it is better than others and therefore needs to "correct things". I was born to American parents and have spent much time there, but do not live in America. I live in New Zealand and thoroughly enjoy my freedom and lifestyle. As a New Zealander i take it in my stride to learn about and try to understand and respect other countries and cultures because we, as many other countries including America, are relatively new countries. Only a few hundred years old. Nothing like many middle eastern countries that have been around for thousands of years. Maybe, just maybe they could have something to teach us if we just listened?

Answer 3

The answer to your question in my opinion is that many people abroad hate a lot of what we stand for such as:

1. God / Churches (we are a practicing Christian church going country)

2. They are envious of our freedom, our access to everything that is beyond their reach.

3. Because we are a superpower. Superpowers tend to draw in rude gunslingers. If you are the good guy in the old west, and say you are the Sherrif, wouldn't that attract many bad guys? Sure. They are determine to drag him down in order to bring themselves up.

Americans are a blessed people. But we had better watch out because too many people take too much for granted. Many want to do away with God, Jesus Christ and all that this stands for. The people who feel this way are being influenced by invisible influences they themselves do not believe exist.

We are an individualistic society in some ways. We have the freedom to be this way. Many of the bad guys assume that we Americans think we are superior and the best when in fact we don't feel this way; we are moral, sensitive and loving people.

Those people who would do us harm just do not possess or cherish the values we hold dear. Their god is in reality the GREAT SATAN that they loosely call the U.S.A.

God blesses countries that honor him. When a country stops honoring him to an extent that only He knows, God will bring that country down a notch.

Remember Rome. Rome was never conquered. It was destroyed first from within. Bad morals, corruption etc. When Rome was so ripe for the plucking the barbarians had an easy time picking the spoils.

This country will never be destoryed. If this country goes down a notch it will be due to the fact that God allowed it. And God's reason would be that this country had passed the crossroads or line in the road that God had drawned a long time ago.

Answer 4

Well, I don't think it is a large number of people that are willing to die to hurt us, however, in the cases where there are people who do want to hurt us, I think it is for a variety of reasons.

1) I don't think they really know any Americans. It is easier to dislike someone you don't really know.

2) I think that some cultures put a lot of store in history and feel upset about things that happened a long time ago (not necessarily by Americans, but by Christians in the crusades and such).

3) Any country that support Isreal is going to be a problem for some groups of people.

4) There is a big difference culturally and a lot of things that are acceptable here are offensive to some groups of people. It is sometimes hard to like someone that you feel is very far from what you feel is right morally and/or spiritually.

5) American foreign policy at times has come off as very arrogant. I mean, not many people like having someone they don't know stepping in and telling them how to live (ie. give women equal rights and such... or you can't have nuclear stuff even for energy production even if the US can have it).

6) Disparity of wealth also can become a factor. If one group has a lot more income and lives a better lifestyle it can become an issue for people who in some cases are struggling to find food or don't have electricty etc.

7) Early education by parents can form a child's perceptions for life. I mean, if you mother and father tell you the guy down the street is evil, you are probably going to believe them without bothering to find out if it is true or not.

8) Other reasons I cannot think of at the moment.

Answer 5

Other countries in the world see U.S. as the most popular and riches countries in the world and they think that the U.S. is being selfish because with all that's going on in their countries and we see this stuff on our TV and aren't doing anything to help them. I agree with them because when genocide and everything was happening in Africa and Rwanda, everybody turned their backs which was sad because there were officers killing all of the African women's husbands and raping their women, killing their sons, etc. and nobody did anything to stop it but George Bush decides to pick with Iraq for nothing - taking over someone else's country. People in other countries know more about the U.S. than the American people know and they know that America has something to hide - America is running more than we know and not just Iraq. Anyway, people in other countries watch their news and find things out that we don't even know here. Other country's beliefs are much stronger than the U.S. because they all believe in the same thing while in the U.S. we shun people if they don't believe a certain way or are different - people who strap a bomb to their chest or fly a plane into a building are just trying to get the U.S. to understand what their doing to them & the consequences of their actions; they have nothing to lose.

Answer 6

basically they do not approve or accept the awy americans life. The fact that our television and media is consumed with half naked people running around and some of our most popular shows are have strong sexual content, etc.

Keep in mind that these religons and cultures have exsisted far longer than american culture, and yet hear we are telling how the rest of the world how they should live. While we may be right, most cultures are based strongly around respecting elders. so think of america as a teenager telling their parents that their way of life is wrong and that they need to change. the parents (other countries) do not like it.

not to mention terrorists can be seen similar to the crusades. for example the during the crusades, millions were slaughtered in the name of god, however, according to the bible war and violence are not good. but people have twisted the bible to fit their own needs. It is the same with the koran. the muslim religon is very peaceful, however there are those few that have twisted one of the oldest religous documents to fit what they are saying.

The whole dying for a cause thing can be very compelling and has always been seen as honorable. Think about the japanese with their kamakazis. In japan, dying for your country is considered the highest honor and dying as a kamakazi is even more praised. These people are dying for what they believe in. sort of like that saying 'the need of many outweighs the need of the one' meaning that the need or belief of the majority is important to keep alive or intact than the need that only one person may have. all of the above can apply to terrorists.

I mean, think about it. these terrorists are similar is martyrs (sp?) in the sense that they are willing to die for a cause. it is not saying that I personally feel that they are doing good, but in their eyes they are.

You can also use past mass suicides. Like cults. they prey on people who are outcasts, do not have family, etc. The cults or gangs can provide protection, friendship and the sense of being included and the sense of family that many of these people have never expereinced. AFter awhile, they become so compeltely branwashed with what the cult or gang is pumping into their head that they truley believe that their "family" is right and is doing what is in that individual's best interest. Even if they would have never ever considered murder before they met the gang or cult, but all of sudden find themselves commiting acts that under normal cicumstances, they would have never commited.

While none of the reasons above can justify taking another's life, regardless if it is war, murder or an act of terror, they can help to explain and understand why and how people can be deticated enough to kill themselves for a cause.

Answer 7

Firstly I'm appalled at how people have responded to your question by misunderstanding Islam.

I'm merely here to clear up the misunderstanding that terrorists practice the ideal version of Islam. They do NOT. What I'm trying to drive in, is the basic fact that ALL religion practises peace and harmony. Likewise for Islam.

I live in a country where people of all religion live side by side in harmony. True there are a few who hold radical views, but it's the majority of the muslim community who are reaching out to the rest of the community mending ties and the mistrust that the sept 11 incident has created. This has in turn brought ppl of all walks of life together through it's awareness and inter faith dialogues

I hope your definition of ' us' includes those who are allies of Americans.

These people are called terrorist for a reason. They strongly believe in their OWN interpretation of the Quran[ the holy book of Islam]

I do not hate Americans. Although it never hurts to consider people's feelings and culture before deciding on your chosen words and action. This is what America as one of the pioneers of industrialization and globalization should have foreseen when engaging countries of different background from its own.

Answer 8

I`m not american,but i can say this:America is a country that try to keep the balance in the world.May be some presidents have taken wrong decisions in terms of foreign policy,but averall,this is a country that respect human rights.Seems that a lot of jealousy,for what America have accomplished,since it became an independent country,makes it the target of,these fanatics,empty headed,brain washed scumbags.Of course,the good american people are the ones that suffer with all these erratic political decisions.

Answer 9

Dude, Merk, all that about the catholic preists and stuff is well and good, and you're right. But has the vatican denounced that? Yes. Has it denounced bombing abortion clinics? Yes. Has the middle eastern muslim leadership, fragmented tho it is, largely denounced the 9/11 attack and general attacks on american interests? No. They are curiously silent. I don't hold that all muslims are terrorists, or that all muslims are evil, or that even most muslims are either. But if the bad apples of Islam are no different than the bad apples of Christianity (a dubious comparison), then why do the middle eastern Muslim higher-ups not condemn it as the Christian higher ups do to their own degenerates? It all indicates a problem not with the people, but with the belief system itself. They should have the common knowledge to be able to distinguish a holy war from murder.

Answer 10

It's not only that they want to hurt a few people, they want to send a message to us that they are going to be able to over power us soon and that we should be afraid. They are not simply dying to hurt us, they are dying for their people and country. They will never over power us, no matter how many of us they kill. They will never throw us down, no matter how many people strap bombs to their chest or how many planes they crash into our buildings. Sure we are hurt by it, but no body will ever be able to hurt us as a country to the point of us being over taken or over thrown or extinct. Because that's what America is about, it is all of us standing up and working together to fight off the people trying to take us down.

Answer 11

Well I feel that I should point out that we (and when I say "we" I mean Southerners for the most part) as Americans realize that this is the greatest country in the world. Partly because we allow freedom to do just about whatever somebody wants to do, and people hate us for it. I, as a Christian male, am of course biased, but I also know the truth about God and feel sorry for the people that havent found him yet. Not all Islams are bad and most of the sucide bombers are not even from Iraq but the fact of the matter is that we are hated all over the world and one day according to the Bible this great country will fall. Democrats and other liberals will try to hide the fact that this country was founded on Christian values---- and that is the real reason that this country has been so blessed. Mark my words though, those people who you are talking about want to kill me and you, your family and mine all our children... just because we are American. I take that to heart and i dont forget it.