FOREIGNERS: what do you think about american culture/gov??

Question

i volunteer at this big tourist attraction downtown and i talk to people everyday asking them this stuff and its always interesting to speak with them. im african american, 18 years old.

im already expecting ignorant generalizations about americans but you know that comes with the territory.

how i see my own country: this bipartisan government gets annoying because all the wealthy white politicians do is run after each minority making empty promises to secure votes; bush and the current government in general kind of suck.im kind of bitter toward older americans because they tend to be very conservative, make up most of the country, and voted this monkey into presidency twice.

culture - i love the gist of american culture today - very liberal and casual. while i respect more formal strict cultures, i think id shoot myself if i had to dress a certain way by law or couldnt laugh, joke, be loud with people in public. i could write more but just answer the question!! lol

Answer 1

Unfortunately, the present US government has reduced America's stocks throughout the world. People are very critical of America and Americans because Americans put this government in power.
As for American culture, a similar story is evident with most countries getting more and more upset with American cultural imperialism, which is usurping their own culture. Not because its any better and in most cases it's immeasurably worse, but because of promotion as being 'cool'.
Recent international research has shown America is not very highly regarded internationally, even amongst traditional American supporter countries such as Australia and UK.

Answer 2

I am an American, and I resent some of your comments. I personally do not know anyone who ever voted for any Bush family members. I also remember all too well how very 'neatly arranged' were both elections of our current president. My personal opinion is that American Presidency was for sale, so Bush father simply purchased it for his slow witted boy twice... and we (the people) let them get away with it... It is a disgrace, because we truly cannot expect much in terms of performance from the unqualified imposter, his friends and family members (he would not hire anyone else, because they would announce right away the true extend of his failures, and that scares him).

Your referral to ' wealthy white politicians' is laughable to me: it has absolutely nothing to do with their race. Have you ever heard of any honest politician? Decent people do not mix in politics; it takes a true bastard to do their dirty work. BTW, bastards come in all colors and shapes.

I also would like to make a few comments about the rest of the answers to your question:

1. Most hateful remarks are made by people who know very little about USA. Their information comes from TV and affected by their own country’s propaganda.

2. Stereotype is expression of ignorance. Americans are human (just like you are), which means different. There are some bad apples (don’t you have them in your own country?), but there are many brilliant, witty and compassionate people (don’t you dare dismiss them).

We live in a great country, because I do not know any other place in the world, where everyone (including owners of those hateful remarks) has been trying to relocate for last two and a half centuries.

Answer 3

I disagree with most posts on here. I find Americans to be much deeper, thoughtful, curious, comfortable in their own skin, confident, happy-go-lucky, extroverted, unjaded, willing to give the benefit of the doubt, and more accepting than most other societies. I've lived in America (Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Florida, Georgia, Utah, Colorado and California) and met literally hundreds while living in Norway, Italy, Britain, Tanzania, Israel, and Japan and I've never met a single American who I would call "unaware" or "ignorant." They are happy people and good for them for achieving all that they are. You see, I think that once you live somewhere you begin to better understand why a society thinks the way they do. Americans can appear loud or obnoxious or too outgoing/friendly or unaware but I think this negative judgment comes from those with a lower level of understanding. All people should endeavor to do what the Americans do..... give people the benefit of the doubt. I interpret their behavior as a product of their environment. For example, they have largely spent the last 400 years developing a nation of immigrants far before any other European country did so. This has made them extremely diverse and, over time, very accepting and tolerant of differences. I believe this development has also made them extroverted, outspoken, and more excited about things in life (laughing out loud and so on) because when you belong to a nation of differences predicated upon the protections of freedom, liberty, and justice for all and the protections of a nation OF the people, FOR the people, BY the people and, lastly, a society largely without one single identity .... people tend to feel more comfortable and confident expressing themselves. Americans are used to being the world's greatest land of opportunity so they don't struggle in the same ways as the rest of the world in terms of cost of living, taxation, chronic unemployment, etc. So their generally more happy-go-lucky. Listen, they don't need to go anywhere else in the world because they have it pretty sweet. People and products and money and culture come to them. That's something to admire about America. Honestly, I was shocked at how unaware the British were when I lived there. I met one woman who stated, “In America, isn’t the law that people are considered guilty until proven innocent?” I responded, “Ummm…. No. America was the first nation in the world to base their society (in The Bill of Rights) on innocence until proven guilty. In fact, Britain didn’t adopt this right until after the French and the French didn’t adopt it until after their revolution which, by-the-way, was sparked by the prior success of the American Revolution against Britain.” Hmmmm……. I met many racist Brits who called Eastern Europeans, "white *******", and Norwegians who were alcoholics, unaware, racist, and toothless and I've also met ignorant island-mentality people in Australia and a New Zealander who was clearly suffering from 'Tall Poppy Syndrome'. Guys, you can't judge an entire society on just a few. When they're loud in public they don't mean to be inconsiderate; I think the responder who said this should look within first and uncover why loud people get on his/her nerves? There's good people everywhere and those are the ones you should surround yourself with. Americans are fine and so are good people in all other societies. I suggest you examine yourself before spouting off judgments based on limited observations about others. And that’s a moral that has been expressed by loving mom’s and dad’s throughout the Earth throughout all time. AMERICA IS A GREAT NATION FILLED WITH MILLIONS OF WONDERFUL PEOPLE WHO DESERVE OUR RESPECT AND ADMIRATION. :)

Answer 4

I'm Arab, but raised in America. I think that American has different faces. I find it difficult to convince ppl that there is a difference between the American ppl, and their government and the American ppl themselves. Like all countries it is judged as a whole. But since the part few years the world has grown to HATE America...

Answer 5

Try this one for size, Memo. It's honest.
I see America (the people) as being like us Australians, but not as relaxed, not as self-assured, and very much more fearful of "foreigners". We think Americans are too noisy, and fuss too much. Maybe it's because they carry guns, and can't trust each other?
Americans seem to be very distrusting of their neighbours, too. We like everybody. There is the story of a refugee struggling through the surf to the beach in Northern Australia when his boat sank just offshore, when a man approached him from a beach party, put out his hand and said "G'Day Mate. Welcome to Australia." That refugee is now a prominent businessman in my State, and a naturalised Australian. OK, things are a bit different now with our current pro-Bush government, but that'll change come the election later this year, and we'll get on with life.
Just one man's opinion, formed over more than half a century, but subject to change without notice.

PS. We don't generally refer to other people as "foreigners". We prefer to call them by their country of origin, as I have you above.

Answer 6

As a British person I see American culture as gross.Your imports to us seem to be vile unhealthy food,guns and gangsta rappers and our current youth seems to aspire to this.
You govt. seems corrupt and was voted in twice although the 1st time everyone said fix! so perhaps the electorate is stupid. Anyway all Bushes mates have the top jobs now.

I don't get America!

Answer 7

I had been there once..my answer is..American culture is liberal and casual..I liked it's hardworking and extroverted culture also..but I did not like the open racism in their society..it was so open and so ugly that I decided, I will never migrate and live there..

Answer 8

We have alot of exchange students at our school, and talking to one of the Brazillians last night she said that over there they think Americans are stand off-ish and snobby..

Answer 9

I just can't compete with YOUR ignorant generalizations - so, I guess - you win!

Answer 10

USA has always been a Joke. But it is not funny any more!