Do Americans really think they are the best?

[Belonging To Night]

David2074

Belonging To Night

David2074

Belonging To Night

Americans don't have a habit of that. The perception that America has a habit of that is why they are perceived as having have that habit.

Untrue.
Unfortunately many times we have earned our reputation for arrogance.
On the presidential level we've had things like George W Bush telling other nations what they should think and declaring they are either "with us or against us" (as in, they couldn't possibly be our friend but just disagree with us).

On a more personal level, I've traveled to many countries and a number of times seen Americans acting in ways that embarrassed me. Mocking locals because they didn't speak English even though the American was in their country, acting condescending towards the 'foreigners' and customs they didn't understand and so on. Obviously not all Americans (I didn't act that way) but enough of that goes on to get a reputation. I've even had locals in different countries compliment me that I didn't act like "those other Americans". Americans certainly don't have the monopoly on acting like assholes but there are enough out there that at least some of the reputation is earned.

From a military standpoint for many years we have been the most powerful nation in the world. Whether our status is declining depends on who you talk to but historically we have made decisions that affected smaller countries who had little or no say in those decisions. We are also the only country to have every dropped nuclear bombs on another country. The fact we both had them first and were willing to use them adds to our image of at least us thinking we are the number one nation in the world.

I'm not arguing for Americans being arrogant.
I'm saying our reputation is largely based on our own actions and didn't just materialize on it's own because some other country said it.
I still like America best but I'm not all, "America is great and you guys suck!". Frankly I've been to some very nice countries that had some aspects I liked better than America. It's too bad we can't pick and choose what we like about various countries and create our own little utopia. I miss some of the countries I've visited and would like to return.

Stereotyping and generalizing Americans based upon a few of your personal experiences isn't an accurate or fair assessment to make for how America and American's actually might be. Every country has those who are arrogant, those who are patriots, and those who are nationalists, and America is probably one of the least patriotic countries there is anymore due to a lot of anti-American sentiment that is coursing through the actual American population.

I was neither stereotyping or generalizing.
I was responding tor your own blanket statement that "Americans don't do that" (act like they are the best / #1) and that "The perception that America has a habit of that is why they are perceived as having have that habit".

I was stating from experience that
1. I know for a fact quite a few Americans do act that way. and
2. Enough Americans do it that in many countries they have a reputation for it based on the personal experiences of various shop keepers and other locals I spoke to.
I never said it was a majority or all but for you to say Americans don't act that way and it's all just perception is simply untrue.

Also, my experiences are more than just a 'few'. I've likely lived a lot longer than you, I've been around the world about three times, been to almost every continent except the Artics and seen a lot of countries. The American actions and perceptions they created were almost universal. You can also see it here in the states the way some Americans act towards just about any foreigner. There are a lot of good people in every country I've been to including America but unfortunately the rude and arrogant ones are the ones people remember the most. To dismiss the views of other countries who say America / Americans think pretty highly of themselves as having no basis in fact is just being in denial.

A few are arrogant, sure, but generally Americans do seem to have a self-loathing and apologetic attitude when it comes to being citizens of their own country. But when people usually say that Americans act like their arrogant, it seems to be a case of the pot calling the kettle black because a lot of other countries are generalized as being arrogant and patriotic.

In most of these cases, it ignores the individual personalities that exist in these countries, and instead lumps everyone together into a single category, which basically amounts to people perceiving something to be a certain way.

[David2074]

Belonging To Night

David2074

Belonging To Night

David2074

Belonging To Night

Americans don't have a habit of that. The perception that America has a habit of that is why they are perceived as having have that habit.

Untrue.
Unfortunately many times we have earned our reputation for arrogance.
On the presidential level we've had things like George W Bush telling other nations what they should think and declaring they are either "with us or against us" (as in, they couldn't possibly be our friend but just disagree with us).

On a more personal level, I've traveled to many countries and a number of times seen Americans acting in ways that embarrassed me. Mocking locals because they didn't speak English even though the American was in their country, acting condescending towards the 'foreigners' and customs they didn't understand and so on. Obviously not all Americans (I didn't act that way) but enough of that goes on to get a reputation. I've even had locals in different countries compliment me that I didn't act like "those other Americans". Americans certainly don't have the monopoly on acting like assholes but there are enough out there that at least some of the reputation is earned.

From a military standpoint for many years we have been the most powerful nation in the world. Whether our status is declining depends on who you talk to but historically we have made decisions that affected smaller countries who had little or no say in those decisions. We are also the only country to have every dropped nuclear bombs on another country. The fact we both had them first and were willing to use them adds to our image of at least us thinking we are the number one nation in the world.

I'm not arguing for Americans being arrogant.
I'm saying our reputation is largely based on our own actions and didn't just materialize on it's own because some other country said it.
I still like America best but I'm not all, "America is great and you guys suck!". Frankly I've been to some very nice countries that had some aspects I liked better than America. It's too bad we can't pick and choose what we like about various countries and create our own little utopia. I miss some of the countries I've visited and would like to return.

Stereotyping and generalizing Americans based upon a few of your personal experiences isn't an accurate or fair assessment to make for how America and American's actually might be. Every country has those who are arrogant, those who are patriots, and those who are nationalists, and America is probably one of the least patriotic countries there is anymore due to a lot of anti-American sentiment that is coursing through the actual American population.

I was neither stereotyping or generalizing.
I was responding tor your own blanket statement that "Americans don't do that" (act like they are the best / #1) and that "The perception that America has a habit of that is why they are perceived as having have that habit".

I was stating from experience that
1. I know for a fact quite a few Americans do act that way. and
2. Enough Americans do it that in many countries they have a reputation for it based on the personal experiences of various shop keepers and other locals I spoke to.
I never said it was a majority or all but for you to say Americans don't act that way and it's all just perception is simply untrue.

Also, my experiences are more than just a 'few'. I've likely lived a lot longer than you, I've been around the world about three times, been to almost every continent except the Artics and seen a lot of countries. The American actions and perceptions they created were almost universal. You can also see it here in the states the way some Americans act towards just about any foreigner. There are a lot of good people in every country I've been to including America but unfortunately the rude and arrogant ones are the ones people remember the most. To dismiss the views of other countries who say America / Americans think pretty highly of themselves as having no basis in fact is just being in denial.

A few are arrogant, sure, but generally Americans do seem to have a self-loathing and apologetic attitude when it comes to being citizens of their own country. But when people usually say that Americans act like their arrogant, it seems to be a case of the pot calling the kettle black because a lot of other countries are generalized as being arrogant and patriotic.

In most of these cases, it ignores the individual personalities that exist in these countries, and instead lumps everyone together into a single category, which basically amounts to people perceiving something to be a certain way.

self-loathing and apologetic attitude -
That has not been my experience. Possibly that has changed some; it has been quite a few years since the majority of my travels. I know if I were traveling abroad right now I wouldn't deny my citizenship but I certainly wouldn't be shouting it from the mountaintops thinking it would make me better liked. On the other hand, I was like that back then too.
There's an old joke to the effect of "tell them your a Canadian" because a lot of countries don't hate Canada as much as the USA.

Other Countries -
I totally agree but that wasn't the subject of this thread. Many countries are very nationalistic but they can be so whether or not America has an overinflated sense of itself. Some of it might even be in response to America. As in, they get tired of America more or less running so many things around the world and decide to trumpet their own pride of country.

individual personalities -
Certainly there are good people in every country, even the countries we love to hate.
I'm not a huge muppets fan but years ago I saw the muppet movie and there was the rat chef whose philosophy of life was, "People is people". I was amused how often that came to mind in my travels. I'd be places where I didn't speak the language, the customs, clothing, food, buildings etc were very different but at the end of the day you could tell most people wanted pretty much the same thing. Kids wanting attention or a toy, parents doting on their kids, people working to get by or enjoying simple pleasures. In other words, pretty much the same basic day to day desires and wants you see in America. Treating people with basic respect and kindness went a long way towards enhancing my own experiences and sometimes resulted in a local going out of their way to share some good part of their country with me.

[Capricious Conundrum]

Camera Stellata

N3bu

Fermionic

The man most responsibile for the creation of the internet was English.

The World Wide Web is a system built on top of the Internet.
The Internet was made by US government Network research.

Can we have credit for inventing Australia?

Why would you want credit for -that-? >u>

[Rocket Marine]

N3bu

Rocket Marine

Lets move on to WW2. Again, US involvement was critical to the allied war effort, even before the US actually entered the war. The lend lease program sent billions of dollars worth of war material to the UK and Commonwealth, USSR, Free French, and Chinese. When the US became officially active, they contributed over 16 million troops. Without US involvment, there would have been no 2nd front in North Africa, no invasion of Italy, no invasion of mainland Europe, and the bombing campaign over Germany would have been impossible to sustain. Additionally, Australia would have been essentially on it's own against the Japanese in the Pacific.

Now, every nation involved in these wars played their part, and nations such as the US, UK, French, Russian, and Chinese were incredibly important. Blind Guardian, however,seems ignorant of this fact. Not only that, he suggests that the outcome of both wars was written in stone years before they actually ended. THAT is the absolute height ignorance, and frankly, you should be ashamed.

In regards to WWII I believe you are essentially correct. While late yet again I would consider US involvement and contribution both significant and integral to the war effort.

In the Pacific while the Japanese were loosing steam (it's not easy to maintain forces in Papua with your central command in Tokyo) and Australia was holding them off they most certainly would never have been dislodged from the South Pacific without the US, especially since Britain had to re-prioritise away from that theatre.

While Britain could of indefinitely held the Germans off their island (the German war effort was largely unstable and when it wasn't taking territory is was basically loosing it), without the US forcing open fronts in North Africa, Italy and ultimately Norway is seems likely that German troops (without having the need to secure Western Europe) would of eventually crushed the Russian resistance, having already surrounded Stalingrad, Moscow and Leningrad.

Pretty much agree. Not sure how I think Stalingrad and Leningrad would have went. They were both such close things that I think even a slight shift in the balance of power between the 2 nations could have changed the outcome. Perhaps the lack of supplies would have been enough, perhaps not. Ultimately, I think the Germans would have eventually crushed Russians without having the other fronts to distract them, with how much difficulty is up for debate though.

As for the WW1, you're right the US didn't "Save the world". The war was very much a group effort. The war would have lasted much longer, I think, if Germany had taken Paris. The final outcome would have been a defeated Germany either way, but the devil is in the details. As for Nazi Germany, it would depend on the details of the final armistice. The terms of the Treaty of Versaille were so punishing, that's really what gave Hitler the platform to advance on. If Germany could get a good position, if they had managed to take Paris and then negotiate a treaty, then yes you may be right about Nazi's never coming to power in Germany. Best part of studying history, imo, is seeing how 1 event can have such lasting consequences.

As for whether WW1 was America's war, it was and it wasn't. President Wilson ordered Gen Pershing to keep the AEF together, rather than dividing it up amongst the British and French forces. He felt it was important to keep the AEF together because the US wasn't there to fight Europe's war. They had their own reasons for going to war.

[Rocket Marine]

Capricious Conundrum

Camera Stellata

N3bu

Fermionic

The man most responsibile for the creation of the internet was English.

The World Wide Web is a system built on top of the Internet.
The Internet was made by US government Network research.

Can we have credit for inventing Australia?

Why would you want credit for -that-? >u>

Who WOULDN'T want credit for creating Australia. I may have only spent 5 days there, but I never saw a single ugly woman the whole time. Granted, I had spent the previous 6 months in the middle east, and most of my time in Australia I was drunk. So my perception may have been slightly skewed...

[Beatus Sine Nomine]

I'm an American, and I think that there will always be a four to eleven year old Asian child on Youtube who will be better than me at whatever it is I wish to do... emo

[Suicidesoldier#1]

No.

We know it.

[Navi Le Faye]

Rose die Valkyrie

Actually, depending on region, most Americans are pretty cynical these days. Even in Texas which is a patriotic red state the overall mood is one of disappointment with our system.

Americans are just very narcissistic and self-involved I think, compared perhaps to other first worlds such as the members of the EU. We're focusing on our collapsed economy atm and not feeling particularly prideful or arrogant.

The following is an opinion:
The overall mood of the country is significantly less prideful than that of previous years. I'm sure there is a study somewhere to back this. My personal belief is that if we change the broken and crumbling state of civil rights as well as the medical and education systems. It would not only influence the nation's pride as well as mood in a beneficial manner, but also improve our economy. Focusing on one problem, does not always make for a solution. A country is not simply made up of its economy or individual facets, but of the people who live in it. In order to make a nation grow and succeed all parties must be met with some amount of benevolent change.

[Rose die Valkyrie]

Navi Le Faye

Rose die Valkyrie

Actually, depending on region, most Americans are pretty cynical these days. Even in Texas which is a patriotic red state the overall mood is one of disappointment with our system.

Americans are just very narcissistic and self-involved I think, compared perhaps to other first worlds such as the members of the EU. We're focusing on our collapsed economy atm and not feeling particularly prideful or arrogant.

The following is an opinion:
The overall mood of the country is significantly less prideful than that of previous years. I'm sure there is a study somewhere to back this. My personal belief is that if we change the broken and crumbling state of civil rights as well as the medical and education systems. It would not only influence the nation's pride as well as mood in a beneficial manner, but also improve our economy. Focusing on one problem, does not always make for a solution. A country is not simply made up of its economy or individual facets, but of the people who live in it. In order to make a nation grow and succeed all parties must be met with some amount of benevolent change.

Step 1. Nationally legalize all same-sex marriages
Step 2. Nationally legalize cannabis
Step 3. Socialize healthcare to the same extent as European countries
Step 4. Begin national renovation project of roads, bridges, and public buildings, perhaps even erect new monuments to provide jobs for the jobless
Optional step 5. Dissolve the Republican party and form a substitute party without the religious and ignorant zealots, bigots, and idiots. Call it the Conservative party or something.
Step 6. ???
Step 7. Profit.

We'd have country where everyone has a job, everyone can relive their depression and stress with weed, sexual minorities won't feel oppressed, we'll all have free healthcare options, our countryside will become even more beautiful, and with Step 5 we'd no longer have the obstructive and dysfunctional Republican party we have today.

[Navi Le Faye]

Rose die Valkyrie

Navi Le Faye

Rose die Valkyrie

Actually, depending on region, most Americans are pretty cynical these days. Even in Texas which is a patriotic red state the overall mood is one of disappointment with our system.

Americans are just very narcissistic and self-involved I think, compared perhaps to other first worlds such as the members of the EU. We're focusing on our collapsed economy atm and not feeling particularly prideful or arrogant.

The following is an opinion:
The overall mood of the country is significantly less prideful than that of previous years. I'm sure there is a study somewhere to back this. My personal belief is that if we change the broken and crumbling state of civil rights as well as the medical and education systems. It would not only influence the nation's pride as well as mood in a beneficial manner, but also improve our economy. Focusing on one problem, does not always make for a solution. A country is not simply made up of its economy or individual facets, but of the people who live in it. In order to make a nation grow and succeed all parties must be met with some amount of benevolent change.

Step 1. Nationally legalize all same-sex marriages
Step 2. Nationally legalize cannabis
Step 3. Socialize healthcare to the same extent as European countries
Step 4. Begin national renovation project of roads, bridges, and public buildings, perhaps even erect new monuments to provide jobs for the jobless
Optional step 5. Dissolve the Republican party and form a substitute party without the religious and ignorant zealots, bigots, and idiots. Call it the Conservative party or something.
Step 6. ???
Step 7. Profit.

We'd have country where everyone has a job, everyone can relive their depression and stress with weed, sexual minorities won't feel oppressed, we'll all have free healthcare options, our countryside will become even more beautiful, and with Step 5 we'd no longer have the obstructive and dysfunctional Republican party we have today.

I appreciate there of those in country with the same thoughts, I give it 50 years until a candidate actually shares these beliefs.

[ShalomTheStargazer]

Ishilied

If the American ego were food, not one person would have to go hungry.

Actually, that's inaccurate because Americans would eat all of it and become obese while half the world starved. XD

[Kani Jalo]

PandorasJackinthebox

Ishilied

If the American ego were food, not one person would have to go hungry.

Actually, that's inaccurate because Americans would eat all of it and become obese while half the world starved. XD

I said they wouldn't have to go hungry, not that they wouldn't go hungry.

[Macaroni Junior]

Every country thinks they're the best, it's not just an American thing. neutral

[ShalomTheStargazer]

Ishilied

PandorasJackinthebox

Ishilied

If the American ego were food, not one person would have to go hungry.

Actually, that's inaccurate because Americans would eat all of it and become obese while half the world starved. XD

I said they wouldn't have to go hungry, not that they wouldn't go hungry.

Touche. xd