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#151
10-22-2007, 02:19 AM
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Re: How do Americans view Europeans?
[ QUOTE ]
I would venture to say that a good percentage of Americans could not point out Europe on a map. And I can say with certainty that a sizeable majority of American could not point out, say, Sweden, Norway, the Netherlands, or any other of a number of European countries on a map. [/ QUOTE ] There are many Americans who don't know their geography, but I think saying "most", and "a sizable majority" is overstating it. [ QUOTE ] The insularity of American culture is, in my experience, something that is difficult for Europeans to fully grasp. So the answer to the question is, it depends: Most don't have a view on Europeans at all. [/ QUOTE ] I think this is true. [ QUOTE ] Of those that do have a view, for the vast majority most of that view has been informed by right-wing rhetoric and propaganda. They, in general, look down on you. [/ QUOTE ] I think this is totally wrong. I think that for the most part, Americans have a positive view of Europeans. Many Americans have an appreciation for Itialian cloths, or French food, etc. I think the biggest complaint that Americans would have about europeans is the "holier than thou" attitude they are perceived as having. Oddly enough, if you change right-winged to left-winged, I think you have described the view of Europeans that many AMericans have. 
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#152
10-22-2007, 02:23 AM
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Re: How do Americans view Europeans?
[ QUOTE ]
One that hasn't been mentioned is Americans are [censored] really annoying as tourists in the main. [/ QUOTE ] I grew up in Florida, so I went to Disney a TON as a kid and one thing about European tourists stood out: They smell [censored] terrible. Is bathing not a common practice in some countries over there? Oh also the overwieght, hairy, pale, old men in speedos at all our water parks is [censored] gross... Other than that, I don't every really think about Europe at all. Oh, if you want a good idea of how we think of Germans, watch Beerfest.
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#153
10-22-2007, 02:27 AM
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Re: How do Americans view Europeans?
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ] And I'll add one more time to the sentiment that the States really are different and separate, more so than it may appear from the outside. [/ QUOTE ] I don't think anyone is disputing this, but comparing it to European countries is pretty ridiculous imo [/ QUOTE ] Given the increasing authority of the EU government, I don't think it is so ridiculous.
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#154
10-22-2007, 02:33 AM
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Re: How do Americans view Europeans?
i think we are really looking at the wrong thing in comparison. from those i have talked to, people from the netherlands, UK, and even Honk Kong, the difference isn't mostly where you are from but what kind of environment. those i know from other countries that lived in big cities outside US i find more similar to me in beliefs/interests than people from rural areas of the US. its really amazing how similar people can be that experience totally different life styles.
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#155
10-22-2007, 02:40 AM
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Re: How do Americans view Europeans?
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ] One that hasn't been mentioned is Americans are [censored] really annoying as tourists in the main. [/ QUOTE ] I grew up in Florida, so I went to Disney a TON as a kid and one thing about European tourists stood out: They smell [censored] terrible. Is bathing not a common practice in some countries over there? Oh also the overwieght, hairy, pale, old men in speedos at all our water parks is [censored] gross... Other than that, I don't every really think about Europe at all. Oh, if you want a good idea of how we think of Germans, watch Beerfest. [/ QUOTE ] the whole "europeans smell bad" thing probably comes from the fact that at colder drier climates, you sweat less, so you dont smell as bad you wont smell bad if you dont bathe every day.
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#156
10-22-2007, 02:52 AM
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Re: How do Americans view Europeans?
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ] And part of why you should treat other countries well, is that if people dislike you for your foreign policies they're going to take it out on all Americans, not just the ones who admit to have supported the current president. It's the game-theorietically sensible thing to do. [/ QUOTE ] Now you're doing the same thing. What control does he have over how our government treats other countries? Why do you think the Americans in this thread need to be taught this lesson? [/ QUOTE ] I'm not interested in teaching you a lesson. I'm saying if you dislike American foreign policy, taking it out on Americans is the game theoretically sound thing to do as long as the US is a democracy. That's one of the things that suck about being part of a democracy, people will blame you for your government's policies. I don't know what you mean by "what control does he have over how our government treats other countries?". If dealing with him is a pain for Americans, that is a negative consequence of whatever the US government did that he did not like. If electing people that will do this or that has negative consequences, it becomes a less diserable choice. I'm not doing the same thing, anyway. I dislike US foreign policy, but I don't really think other countries would do better if they had the US' military power. And I know enough about people to think the approach I defended in the last two paragraphs won't really do any good. If I take my feelings about US foreign policy out on you, it's most likely just going to make you think foreign people/Europeans suck. And that won't help my cause.
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#157
10-22-2007, 03:13 AM
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Re: How do Americans view Europeans?
English - Ugly, pale, smart
French - Stinky, suck, gay Spanish - Woman stealers, gay Italians - meatballs, lazy, like pasta Greeks - Tan, stinky and sweaty, eat gyros Germans - Nazis, like pain and science Polish - LOL Scandinavians - Girls blond/hot, like cheese and clocks Swiss - Robert Federer, again like clocks and chocolate Dutch - like windmills and tulips, cheese
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#159
10-22-2007, 03:16 AM
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Re: How do Americans view Europeans?
hoyasnaxa,
tell us about Belgians.
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#160
10-22-2007, 04:14 AM
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Re: How do Americans view Europeans?
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ] I generally like Europeans. They seem to "get it" about the important stuff, like family and vacations and work/life balance. It's tough to generalize because of all the different countries but that's my overall sense. I understand that you may be interested in the thoughts of Americans on this matter but I don't think you're going to get much out of it. Most Americans think about very little beyond food and tv. Plus, Americans are all so different. I'm a northern liberal. I like hockey and Democrats, I live in an urban apartment, shop at a natural foods co-op and so forth. I drive a German car. I have way, way more in common with your average European (at least, in the Western European countries) than I do with a huge numbers of Americans (maybe even most). For instance, people in the South. I have nothing in common with them. Nothing. Their accents are ridiculous, they're politically retarted and their insanely consumeristic and narrow minded. I guess the thing I like best about Europeans is that they don't have huge political blocs in their country that are trying to roll them back to the 19th century. [/ QUOTE ] This is (hopefully), one of the best satirical posts on the internets. [/ QUOTE ] Very nice. It is satirical. I wasn't sure anybody would get it. The one thing I don't understand about this thread is all the people saying Americans feel politically superior to Europe. Really? I've never felt that way. Hell, everything we did was born out of Rousseau and the French Revolution.
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