We really aren't stupid (except for a few of course). Really that is a stereotype.
Do people who live in Italy like to be stereotyped as a bunch of fat, lazy, greasy people sitting around all day? Do the British like the fact that they are stereotyped as people with no hygiene? Do Japanese MMO players like to know that they are stereotyped as gold sellers and power levelers? Do Africans like to be stereotyped as the "forgotten continent" just because they aren't as advanced?
The final answer is no. Nobody likes to be stereotyped, I'm not saying that we do or anybody else does.
What I'm saying is the fact that just because our president is a complete idiot doesn't mean that we are. Most of us do know our geography, about 1/1000000 probably couldn't locate USA on a map. We are a very advanced society and we are not stupid (for the most part).
This is racism. It's like when an American goes to Europe on vacation, they are criticized. What if a European came to America and was treated like that?
Is it jealousy perhaps? Jealousy of the fact that we are a country of great acceptance? Jealousy of the fact that we have control of a lot of media? Jealousy of the fact that we are a free country, we can do almost anything we want? I would really want to know what everybody has against us Americans.
Comments
No, Resident Evil 5 is racist.
First off, this is nothing but harmless stereotyping. Sometimes it is funny, sometimes it's not. I love how this site is filled with people who complain about everybody trying to be too "Politically Correct" and then when somebody makes a stupid little thread about Americans being stupid (as a joke by the way) the very same people get up in arms about it. Talk about your high points of hypocricy.
Second, this isn't racism. I don't know where or when you got it into your head that the American people were their own race but they are not. Race is derived from physical features not nationality, culture, or environment.
Third, we are not a "country of great acceptance". This very day there are "minute men" armed with rifles and other weapons patrolling the border. No matter your stance on immigration that cannot be seen as "accepting".
Fourth, finally as done by an international non partisan survey group the U.S. was ranked number 27 in the world's free-est societies. Almost all of western Europe was ranked higher than our own.
P.S. I am a U.S. citizen, and you do not speak for me.
Eternally mine,
Keebs
The MMO gaming blog I write for.
What this forum needs more than anything else is another thread about Americans, the way they perceive the world, and the way the world perceives them.
"Speaking haygywaygy or some other gibberish with your mum doesn't make you foreign."
-baff
First off, this is nothing but harmless stereotyping. Sometimes it is funny, sometimes it's not. I love how this site is filled with people who complain about everybody trying to be too "Politically Correct" and then when somebody makes a stupid little thread about Americans being stupid (as a joke by the way) the very same people get up in arms about it. Talk about your high points of hypocricy.
Second, this isn't racism. I don't know where or when you got it into your head that the American people were their own race but they are not. Race is derived from physical features not nationality, culture, or environment.
Third, we are not a "country of great acceptance". This very day there are "minute men" armed with rifles and other weapons patrolling the border. No matter your stance on immigration that cannot be seen as "accepting".
Fourth, finally as done by an international non partisan survey group the U.S. was ranked number 27 in the world's free-est societies. Almost all of western Europe was ranked higher than our own.
P.S. I am a U.S. citizen, and you do not speak for me.
1. I was not saying that everyone needs to be politically correct, but the "LOL l00k at the stupid @$$ @mericans" jokes get tiring.
2. I never said we were our own race, but I guess what I meant was "culture". So that is coultirist .
3. When did I say illegal immigration? I was referring to the Asians, Africans, and Europeans coming over.
4. Mind if I had that link? I would really want to see it
How I (and maybe many others) view the US. HOLY NECROPHILIA!!!
Just like many (west) Europeans I have been brought up with the idea that the US is a great and to be respected nation. Mentioning the second world war (an episode that thanks to our elders is still quite in our collective memory) couldn't pass without mentioning the US. Also people always had the utmost respect for the USA as a nation of ever evolving science.
I myself am writing this on a computer which contains many American know how and the very internet was largely an American invention. Tho computers are mostly a British feat.
Also many people here speak reasonable to very good english simply because most things we see on TV (actually that goes mostly for my country since we don't dub stuff) is from the US, with the UK and Australia following. And if not for the influence trough language then we stil have the overwhelming presence of American culture trough movies and music. So my generation is bound to be influenced.
Same goes for my parents and their parents. So did we as a part of the world look up to the US? Most certainly!
Do we still?
...
Sometimes...
Over the years I was forced to notice a growing antipathy concerning the US. With the peak being the last 6 years.
A few things that disturbs many people (tho far from all) people over here:
-Lack of US involvement in tackeling global warming.
-US refusing to sign decleration of Childrens Rights (together with Somalia and North-Korea), tho this is a hypocritical sham since many countries signed and did not follow it, it's still something that is found to be... disturbing.
-arrogance, being a great nation is no excuse to dismiss the rest of mankind as being inferior.
-political counter manouvring, in the UN for example using a veto as a weapon.
-religious zealotism, denial or questioning of the evolution theory is unheard of here. I'm not saying it's right or wrong, just that the difference in view between the two sides of the Atlantic creates a minor form of conflict.
-Going into Iraq without UN aproval or help.
-...
Also, there are things that make us genuinly surprised:
-Electing Bush.
-Electing Bush for a second term.
-Lying to the US public by the Bush administration about WOMD in Iraq and getting away with it.
-Lying to allies about WOMD and getting away with it.
-Treating nations that did not participate in the coalition like dirt and getting away with it.
-Unability to deal with Katrina.
-Biased media.
-Fast growing poverty.
-"Counter-terrorism" laws that limit the people's freedom.
-Influence of religion in politics.
-Power of lobbies.
-...
I'm not even saying the US is doing or did all that what is listed, but it's a more or less general view on this side of the Atlantic.
So where the US used to be a bastion of freedom, free speech, science and prosperity it's now something entirely different.
I know for a fact many of my countrymen think like that, and unlike how they prefer to think, they do it very nuanciated. Meaning that they do not put the blame on the American people and still have a great deal of respect for the USA's achievements. Frankly if there's any way of having some kind of sentiment of friendship between nations then I'm pretty sure many European nations are quite fond of the US and wish it no harm whatsoever.
Maybe the overall feeling we (am possibly hugely generalising) have is perhaps...
Dissapointment.
CLICK HERE TO GET A LIST OF FREE MMO LISTS!!!
can we include our lust for suburbans and gas guzzling SUVs in that thread too please ?
____________________________
TheCore
No, WE Americans are not stupid.
We spell the gooderist of all nations.
EDIT: Sorry about that OP, but it was too easy.
Don't you worry little buddy. You're dealing with a man of honor. However, honor requires a higher percentage of profit
MadAce: Supplying the mmorpg.com forums with heaping buckets of win since 2005. XD
"Speaking haygywaygy or some other gibberish with your mum doesn't make you foreign."
-baff
Theodoryk: stating the obvious since 2006. *looks for saluting emoticon*
Ah f**k it.
CLICK HERE TO GET A LIST OF FREE MMO LISTS!!!
Theodoryk: stating the obvious since 2006. *looks for saluting emoticon*
Ah f**k it.
omfg
"Speaking haygywaygy or some other gibberish with your mum doesn't make you foreign."
-baff
Personally I have no issues being stereotyped.
Stereotypes don't come from out of thin air.
I think the worlds main problem with Americans is all the bombings.
I don't suppose all that many foreigners are jealous of America at all. Most people tend to prefer their own countries. Their own ways of life.
I think Americans stereotypically have issues with other people who do not recognise the American way of life as better than their own. I think they find it an affront to their personal beliefs. I don't so much see it as everybody having something against Americans at all, more the other way round. I think Americans all have a big chip on their shoulders. If anyone doesn't openly laud America as superior to their own nation, American's hate them for it.
It's direct a challenge to the American dream.
No Americans aren't stupid. We're apathetic. We have the intelligence and resources to find out anything we feel that we need to know. Most of us know damn good and well how badly we're being played by the men behind the curtain. We just don't care.
As long as we are let alone and comfortable, those that abuse the power we give them have a free ticket. When that abuse becomes inconvenient for us on a personal level, we'll suddenly start caring. By then, however, it will probably be too late.
Bottom line is that most of us are more worried about who the next American Idol is going to be and the rest of us feel powerless to stop what we know is coming. Great thing about democracy..... the people get exactly what they deserve......
All this thread is missing is a mad Italian saying American football is for pussies, and a British chump telling us how stupid we are for paying high prices for PC parts.
"There's no star system Slave I can't reach, and there's no planet I can't find. There's nowhere in the Galaxy for you to run. Might as well give up now."
Boba Fett
I'm looking for someone to come after my Football, though, I'm pissed and need a laugh at the expense of somebody else's stupidity. Besides, we gotta commemorate the beginning of the season somehow, and sacrificing some "Futbol" fans seems good.
We barely remember who or what came before this precious moment;
We are choosing to be here right now -Tool, Parabola
I'm looking for someone to come after my Football, though, I'm pissed and need a laugh at the expense of somebody else's stupidity. Besides, we gotta commemorate the beginning of the season somehow, and sacrificing some "Futbol" fans seems good.
Fer real...go Colts!
Your argument is like a two legged dog with an eating disorder...weak and unbalanced.
American's are superior to any other nation. We are survivors. If a nuclear war occured, we're so fat that our bodies will be insulated from the cold of the nuclear winter, while you thin and smug Europeans would freeze to death. That same fat would allow us to go for long periods without eating, and our natural laziness would make sure we move so little that atomic T-Rex mutants can't find us (their sight is movement based). We'll still all die in the atomic nightmare that is the future, but we'll die last. We win, world. Suck it long, and suck it hard.
SUCK IT!
"There's no star system Slave I can't reach, and there's no planet I can't find. There's nowhere in the Galaxy for you to run. Might as well give up now."
Boba Fett
Suck it down!
Actually, I'm not fat at all, I actually am getting near the 6 pack range with my body fat...but uhh...soccer sucks, go america! F*** yeah!
Your argument is like a two legged dog with an eating disorder...weak and unbalanced.
boo -america- --->
Chinese=/=Japanese
And how can europeans be racist towards their own race?
Last time I checked the euros didn't hate us because we have people who aren't white in our country.
EDIT:damn I should of read all the posts :P
It's interesting how point of views differ from country to country. There are a lot of US issues that are disturbing and it seems to be getting worse. Also there are often two sides to every story and even more ways to look at it.
-Lack of US involvement in tackeling global warming.
Agreed but only for the sake of saving resources and having cleaner air.
-US refusing to sign decleration of Childrens Rights (together with Somalia and North-Korea), tho this is a hypocritical sham since many countries signed and did not follow it, it's still something that is found to be... disturbing.
I'm all for protecting children but the US has too many opprotuistic lawyers that would use the decloration to undermine the family unit more than our culture already has.
-arrogance, being a great nation is no excuse to dismiss the rest of mankind as being inferior.
I'm not sure what you are refering to. There are ignorant people everywhere that think they are better than others.
-religious zealotism, denial or questioning of the evolution theory is unheard of here. I'm not saying it's right or wrong, just that the difference in view between the two sides of the Atlantic creates a minor form of conflict.
Questioning a belief is unheard of? I thought being able to question was called freedom of thought.
-Going into Iraq without UN aproval or help.
The UN had 10 years to keep Saddam in check and was unable to do so. Once he had enriched Uranium and nuclear facility plans from France, something had to be done.
-Electing Bush.
Ummm, yea, sorry about that. Though seriously if Bush was a better speaker he wouldn't be looked at so badly. You might laugh but I think it's true.
-Electing Bush for a second term.
Reason: John Kerry
-Lying to the US public by the Bush administration about WOMD in Iraq and getting away with it.
No one really knows if the positive intelligence was there or not. Again the UN inspection team was kicked out for 4 years at one point. That and fact Saddam had alreay used WOMD's to kill thousands of his own people woudl lead anyone to believe they were still there.
-Lying to allies about WOMD and getting away with it.
-Treating nations that did not participate in the coalition like dirt and getting away with it.
If you are refering to the "Freedom Fry" incident...yeah, that was a littel over the top.
-Unability to deal with Katrina.
Well at one point the residents in need were shooting at rescue choppers so they had to pull back. Other than that I agree it should have been handled a lot quicker.
-Biased media.
I absolutly agree, the left has secured 80% of the media.
-Fast growing poverty.
It breaks my heart to know children are in poverty. Fact is only 2.8% of Americans who work full time are in poverty.
-"Counter-terrorism" laws that limit the people's freedom.
Each law needs it's own review but fear is not freedom, I'll give a little up front to avoid another attack.
-Influence of religion in politics.
You'll be happy to know religion is being pushed out of US culture day by day. To it's downfall I might add.
-Power of lobbies.
Agreed. Both sides trade the the will of the people for special intrest groups. I hope our next president will lessen this but I doubt it.
Just not worth my time anymore.
the t-rex mutants will get the pommies first,and you fat americans second.their hunting/scavenging was largely scent based.gogo godzilla
No, Resident Evil 5 is racist.
QFT
-In memory of Laura "Taera" Genender. Passed away on Aug/13/08-
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RISING DRAGOON ~AION US ONLINE LEGION for Elyos
To me the jealousy argument is a key example of why there is a low esteem of US citizens. It assumes that what the US citizen has is the best and that what anyone else has is not worth having. "They must want what we have, that’s why they are mean and attack us, they must be jealous". It exposes an arogance and clear failing in the espoused ideals of the greatness of the USA. The irony is enormous.
If you are a country that loves freedom of speech, require public review of its own government, advocates freedom of the press, tolerance and freedom for all, it should be fine for you to take criticism? You should invite it and enjoy it as it leads to debate and the building of a better country. Isn't that what the ideals are for?
It is arrogant and belittling to say to someone else, what you have is not as good as what I have. It is worse to say that any criticism or argument that you have against my country is just a jealous response because you have so little. The hypocrisy of this when tied in with saying you are a country of tolerance should be obvious for everyone. If you do think your country is best, lead by example, show why it is, show that you can learn from other cultures, respect their individuality, believe that there is good within them, try to find it and see how it can be added to your own, then hope those cultures take from your society to benefit themselves.
Pride in ones nation is a great thing, the United States of America have a lot to be proud of. One of which is the recognition that there is no perfect form of governance, the government must always be reviewed and modified so that it can be improved. The understanding that the USA is intrinsically flawed is its greatness, that it has been built to be what it is today, but it needs to built upon to make it greater. This should lead to the knowledge and acceptance that citizens of other nations also have a flawed government, but that they are also entitled to pride in their own nation.
The arrogance of saying my country is best, denigrates every other nation, and there is a sense that with that arrogance there is an ignorance of what is good there can be in every other nation.