Do you hold a positive or negative view of the United States?

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Positives: Free speech, guns, armed forces, cost of living, variety of landscape/climate, the South, regionalism, patriotism, economy, low taxes, women.

Negatives: PC culture creeping in, everything looked at through lens of gender/race, obesity, political elite, massive debt.

Reply 41

Whomp

Original post by SunnysideSea

Oh nothing, I agree with what you were saying. Just wondering if I was talking to a real life Green supporter ,tis all. Aren't you using up electricity supplies being on here? :tongue:

Nah m8 I'm running on a treadmill to create eco-electricity as we speak. :tongue:

Reply 42

the bear

tbh the affairs of Indonesia do not affect me directly day-to-day ?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_of_Indonesia*

Reply 43

ohgodwhatamidoin

The country itself I can't stand. It's in an utter shambles in almost every way. The political system, the education system, the laws, the culture (or lack thereof), etc. Apart from the constitutional right of free speech (which as someone else has said, has hardly any protection compared to certain other constitutional rights) I find few positives about the country itself. It's a shame because it was built on strong ideals which in my opinion have been ultimately failed as time went on. Beautiful nature though, I would love to visit America just for that.

Regarding the people, decent Americans are very welcome. Despite the difference in behaviour to us they're very kind and nice to talk to. Unfortunately however, at the risk of sounding condescending, there's a very large amount of people who aren't "decent Americans". There is a huge number of Americans who are idiots for various reasons (and I don't mean the usual TSR meaning of "if you support Trump you're an idiot" - there's idiots across the spectrum). Various contrasting stereotypes exist of Americans and unfortunately they're all true to some degree. It's a shame because even though these people may not be the majority they certainly drown out the noise of the others, and prevent America from becoming a truly nice place.

So all in all, I'd have to say negative.

Reply 44

L i b

Anti-Americanism unfortunately became vaguely fashionable in the George W Bush/Iraq War/etc era. While a lot of it was homegrown, there was an element of imported distaste: we absorbed the criticisms of many American commentators and regurgitated them. Either way, like any prejudice it's an absolute cancer on our society - and something usually found among our most hard-of-thinking citizens.

For my part, I'm always strangely surprised by the little differences between our countries. The way New York seems dazzling as a city but simultaneous in many ways faintly old fashioned to a British eye. Or how quickly you can transition from the wealthy areas of California into some absolute slums, that seem little more than shanty towns. Parts of the US are also far more multicultural in a multi-generational way. It's clear that the country is far from being simply an Anglo-Saxon outpost: its culture incorporate so many different influences in a far deeper way than Britain's does.

I enjoy your attachment to quality of life: larger houses, not prohibitively taxing things like petrol, promoting enterprise. Politically, there's a suspicion there that the "special relationship" between our countries was never quite equal.

One of the biggest divides I find with Americans is in terms of assertiveness, which is a strangely mixed blessing. Confidence is, of course, good - but Brits tend to hide their own self-assurance under a veil of "well, I suppose, but..." politeness. To us it seems brash. It's peculiar, because it's something you don't really see among our European neighbours, or other English-speaking countries like Australia.

It's also quite odd to hear people on this thread knocking the US as being some sort of cultural backwater. No country has had a bigger cultural impact on the world across the board than the US in the last century.

Reply 45

Drewski

The obsession with what you were rather than what you are or what you will be always perplexes me.

By this I mean the notion of claiming yourself as Irish even though nobody in your family has even visited Ireland in 4 generations, or Scottish, or Norwegian or whatever it is that some long dead relative of yours was.

I get wanting a connection to the past, but don't delude yourself, you're American.

Reply 46

Captain Haddock

It is illegal to cross the road.

You take great pride in property rights, yet entire neighbourhoods are beholden to HOAs who will boot you out of your house if your curtains are the wrong colour.

Your cops are insane and resort to violence frighteningly quickly

It is illegal to cross the road.

It's painfully obvious that guns are a huge problem in your country and it's time to admit it.

The cubicle doors in your public toilets offer zero privacy

The pledge of allegiance is weird and creepy

It is illegal to cross the road

Reply 47

caravaggio2

I can see plusses and minuses.
While America is responsible for various incursions and violence around the world, can you imagine the untold destruction that many other regimes would have unleashed to get their way if they had the weapinary power and technology that the US has had since WWII?
As for the guns, it is what it is. I wouldn't want a gun here to defend my home but if I lived there I certainly would.

Having said that may be ask the family in the paper today in London (I think) where an armed gang broke into the house, violently assaulting women and threatening the children to make them open a safe if they would rather have a handgun or two to defend themselves or hope a neighbour heard something and called the police. Even if they did how long would you be happy to take a beating until they showed up?

Reply 48

cashcash871

Original post by Snufkin

Most Americans are friendly and nice people, but I would never want to live there. In my experience, America it is quite an insular society; very little non-American news is covered in the media and people generally take no interest in the outside world. Outside the big cities there isn't much culture, American politics is (and has been for decades) crazy and completely ineffective, terrible public TV/Radio, poor standard high school education and ridiculously expensive college tuition, health insurance, overly capitalistic, appalling prison system, guns, lots of poverty and high crime/murder rates. :afraid:

Thanks for your comment! But if have to disagree with you on the cost of college tuition. Public universities in the USA (and there are a lot of them) charge $9000 a year which is pretty cheap. Private universities (well most of them anyway) charge around $30000-50000 a year but the vast majority of Americans receive financial aid which cuts down the cost to around $10000-20000, and some people get additional scholarships on top of this if you're from a low economic background. It is expensive if you're an international but for Americans it's not as bad as you think.

High school education does depend a lot on which school you go to but most schools aren't awful- they fall behind on international tests like PISA because American texting methods are different- maths, science and English aren't as ingrained into us as much as, say, China or India or the UK. American education focuses more on soft skills like communication, entrepreneurship and public speaking.

I'd have to agree with you on high murder rates, especially in inner cities. But I do feel safe here. It's something you get used to I guess.

I don't really care about the prison system and tbf neither do most Americans. We are a society where international news is given a small section of the overall news programme

Reply 49

cashcash871

Original post by Captain Haddock

Yeah it's called jaywalking and it's stupid but no one actually gets arrested for it except in rare cases. The pledge of allegiance is amazing imo, it brings a sense of pride to me.

I don't feel that guns are a problem. It's something that non-Americans don't really understand- guns are a part of our society, culture and way of life to many Americans. My family does not own guns but I would much like to own one in the future as I feel that it gives me more independence and protection. I see the statistics often on gun deaths but I do feel that we are better off with the freedom to carry guns and protect our property. America is a country that focuses on rugged individualism, independence and freedom from the government- that was what it was founded upon at least. If guns are removed, then it's no longer America.

I agree that our police are more aggressive but I dont see this as a huge problem. I do feel that racial bias seems to be a problem among certain police forces, especially in the south. I'm not black (I'm Asian American) so I haven't personally experienced racial discrimination but I know that it does happen from time to time.

(edited 7 years ago)

Reply 50

Drewski

Original post by cashcash871

The pledge of allegiance is amazing imo, it brings a sense of pride to me.

It may be to you, but have you any idea how creepily fanatical and fascistic it comes across as?

It's so close to a Nuremberg rally it's incredible. For a country who spent so long demonising anything that came out of Soviet Russia, the pledging of allegiance is so similar to those sessions of worshipping Stalin or Lenin that it's full on bizarre. Honestly, the only other place you'd see that kind of behaviour now is North Korea and that's not an exaggeration.

Reply 51

slot_

I'm neutral, government wise I'm not the fan of most governments, I like the people from America though, I know there are a select few of Americans that believe America is the overall best country in the world but I still like America, the people, history even. Also Obama is 10/10

Reply 52

Golden State

I love the USA!!

I used to have a lot of negative stereotypes towards Americans like a lot of people do. But, my views have changes since I used to live in the USA, in the Ol' Midwest (in Madison, Wisconsin).

The thing that I admire the most about the US is that Americans have a really good work ethic. Another thing that I like is that Americans are a lot more straightforward with you, and are not afraid to say it as it is. Also, there's a lot more diversity in cultures, and the way in which people think, which I think is a good thing, because it's easier to make friends, etc.

Travelling within and from States is a real nightmare though unless you have a car. America is a really tough country, in that you have to work really hard to get anywhere in life, but because of the sheer size of the country itself, there are a lot more opportunities.

I also like the fact that there is less big government in the US, and people have the right to free speech.

Reply 53

Joep95

I would say I have a positive view of America although it is slowly being eroded by the overly PC culture that seems to be forming and people supporting removing their rights.

Reply 54

303Pharma

Yeah, beautiful diverse country. Some of the nicest environments on Earth. Usually have decent climate, cept for far northern coastal cities. California is permanent summer. Mostly pretty cool, unpretentious, down to earth people. Tolerant of lots of weird subcultures. Downside, no real sense of history, country is only, what 200 years old. There's been Britain's on these isle for fourteen thousand years. Also there is a lot anti-intellectualism. And they're generally seriously religious. Think I read that 2/3 of the country believe in creationism, the earth is only 4000 years old, because bible. And the cult of personality, celebrity culture is bonkers.

Reply 55

Failingstudent98

Original post by cashcash871

I'm an American and I lived in the UK (in St Albans near London) for about a year during an exchange program and during that time I heard a lot of positive things about the US and some negative things. I would love to hear what you think of the USA and what you think of Americans.

My perception of the UK was that the people are more reserved but very friendly. The country itself is quite cool because you can travel between major cities quite quickly and the public transport in the London area was really good. Your houses are absolutely tiny though (how do you live in them?) but the good thing is that I also saw less homelessness in the UK.

(Guys, I'm not actually the Trump supporting Muslim hater that I might come across in my troll threads haha. I like most Muslims and I am currently stuck between voting for Clinton or Trump)

I have no issues with individual average Americans however as a whole I can't help but dislike you guys. I'm not sure if it's because I've only encountered Americans that confirmed stereotypes but I can't bare how dramatic you guys are. Wether it's celebrities or average Americans I've met, everything is such a big deal where as English people are like 'yer I don't care enough about it to kick off'/ English people take things as banter, offend an American and they take it way to personally. Also, I know so many Americans that think they are the sh*t and actually are quite dumb, lacking information I consider as general knowledge. But apparently they are top of their cohort within school/college? I think the fact people even consider voting trump is another major reason British people are sceptical of Americans. It just seems so obvious not to, at least to every Brit ive spoken to.

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Reply 56

username1921011

The US - great in theory.

They have people starving, requiring food stamps, requiring handouts outside their woefully under supportive welfare system that punishes and demonises the poor - their wealth divide is insane and none of it is 'trickle down economics', the poorest in America are only getting poorer but everyone isn't particularly bothered as the 'American dream' and ideas of the 'free market deciding' perpetuate all levels of their society never mind that places like Detroit, Compton and others are so poor that crime is all but a necessity. Its no coincidence this abject poverty breeds crime in enormous numbers. Its freidmann esque, the market will correct even though a lot of undocumented workers drive down and undercut the minimum wage pushing out people who need a legal employment and the wage it promises to live - on average American citizens are the most indebted in the western world.

Their politics are crazy, Obama threatened to put the UK to the back of the queue then just quietly gave up, Trump is a documented liar and charlatan who only looks like a good option because a) he says whatever he likes and people are tired of being told how to speak and b) Clinton threatened her husbands rape victims, laughed when she helped a child molester (acquitted) cheat a polygraph test, lies compulsively (landing under sniper fire in Bosnia for example of a pointless lie because it changed nothing), plays on people (wasn't a feminist until she ran for election now she plays the woman card every three seconds) and is generally a disgrace. Sanders policies were actually impossible and half of the voters give an answer 'because they are x or y' ie because they're a democrat and cannot answer a simple question on what that person actually has as policies which is exemplified in their debates where they just sl@g each other off for an hour to the bays of the crowd like its a particularly aggressive pantomime. Their political commentators are crazy spinning everything Alex Jones style, even congressman(?) Trey Gowdy (I think) who I like because he's a human BS detector has some out there views.

Plus their gun lobbies are crazy on both sides. On the one side you've got people going on about banning assault weapons (that isn't actually a type of gun, that's a made up category) and on the other people who hold the constitution to be politically invariable as if in modern day America you need a gun in case a tyrannical government sends the army to your house (the questionability of the US government is more insidious now with laws and police enforcement being geared towards a more subtle control) when was the last time a citizen shot a police officer for violating their fundamental rights and got acquitted in a court? I'd wager about 1894.

I don't actually dislike America but its practices are very odd