I am American..

Are you coming on to me?

For me, its not the American people, its the government that pisses me off.

Thank you. Your the first person to recognize the distinction between the two.

It's much better.

I was going to post my own quote:
"Just because we dislike some people from your country and the policies your leaders follow doesn't mean we automatically feel the same way about you."

But then I stopped and thought for a moment. Are the posters on this thread really so wrong when they associate the people of a country (alias the electorate) with the government of a country (elected by a majority of the electorate)?

And don't start talking about electoral votes or anything like that cause Bush was close to 50% in both elections whichever way you look at it.

http://www.nationmaster.com/graph/gov_cor-government-corruption

Much definitely does not need to be in that sentence, nor italicized.

Yes, because campaign platforms and execution are two separate things.

http://www.nationmaster.com/graph/gov_cor-government-corruption

Much definitely does not need to be in that sentence, nor italicized.

Are they only separate things in America? Or are they separate things in politics everywhere?

Because I'm inclined to agree with the latter, and yet with the exception of Italy and Berlus***** no other modern, civilized country has elected such an inadequate fool, certainly not twice.

Did you look at that page properly before posting its subjective rubbish?

DEFINITION: A CPI Score relates to perceptions of the degree of corruption as seen by business people and country analysts and ranges between 10 (highly clean) and 0 (highly corrupt). Includes police corruption, business corruption, political corruption, etc. Data for 2005.

http://www.nationmaster.com/graph/gov_cor-government-corruption

Much definitely does not need to be in that sentence, nor italicized.

The latter. 100 percent. Empirically proven. Looks like we agree. Fair enough?

Not sure how you link it to your last statement, but whatever.

You're entitled to like your country. I'm entitled not to. Here's why (a few choice reasons, there are many more)

1.) You are home to more extreme religious fanatics / right-wing nutjobs per capita than any other country since Nazi Germany (with the possible exception of Iran).
2.) For the past 100 years you have flouted the sovereignty of countless other nations to further your own aims, values and religion.
3.) Recently, you set off a war which has cost hundreds of thousands of lives, and we still don't know why you did it.
4.) You re-elected Bush
5.) The Americans we get to see abroad tend to be loud, arrogant and somewhat brutish.
6.) You're sore losers.
7.) Some of you actually listen to Glenn Beck.
8.) Others amongst you considered voting for the bimbo-cum-lunatic that is Sarah Palin.
9.) You are a country built on immigration, and yet you are now doing your best to persecute immigrants.
oh and
10.) Despite the guaranteed right to freedom of speech, the liberty which is mentioned so often as sacred in your consitution, and so many other big statements, when a normal, everyday man tries to expose your inner dealings to the public, your leaders accuse him of terrorism and start an international manhunt for him.
11.) Socialism is practically a swearword in your country.

Of course no one is perfect, so here's a few reasons I do like your country.

1.) You are home to some of the most intelligent, witty and kind people in the world.
2.) You are home to the worlds finest universities.
3.) You elected Obama
4.) Family Guy
5.) Great TV in general actually
6.) American football (not quite as good as rugby but still awesome)
7.) You have an astounding amount of places that have amazing natural beauty.
8.) NYC

Disclaimer: I am aware my spelling is bad. Please don't bash me too much for it.

Come on!
Anti-America:
1) This area infested with religious fanatics is refered to as the bible belt. I don't recall many instances of American religious fanatics crashing planes into buildings or anything, so in my mind the middle east and some eastern Europeans still win that category. Also, in the same breath that Europeans use to call Americans religious fanatics, many say that our women are the easiest around. The two stereotypes seem pretty contradictory.

2) No argeument there. Our foreign policy is ****ed. I personaly prefer the pre-19th century idea of isolationism. We have our own issues to worry about, and shouldn't be attempting to police the world when we owe China suck a **** load of money.

3) No apparent reason? 9/11 bitches. Al Queida flew two planes into the twin towers, one into the pentagon, and attempted to fly another into an unknown buliding, but the plane never made it. While the actual war may have gotten a little screwed up, you are a dumbass if you can't remember why it was started. If some terrorist group flew planes into buildings in your country, would you expect your own government to not do anything about it? Bush was put in a tricky spot and no matter which way he decided to move, he would have been critisized. He played the best game he could with the hand he was dealt.

4) At the time our people were still freaked out by 9/11. Many supported the war because they felt Bush was put in a tight spot and Americans wanted Justice for the lives lost by the terrorist attacks. (It was also one of the closest elections in history. Bush didn't even win the popular vote, just the electoral, so technicaly most of American didn't want him.)

5) You are thinking Italian Americans, and not all of them! Just the stereotypical New York ones. Living here all my life and traveling to different parts of the world, I find America to have the friendliest people compared to other nations (Uk and Russia specificaly).

6) ? how so? I would appreciate some examples. This statement is like me saying British people don't shower. Ignorant and not backed up with any facts.

7) cant argue. Never heard of him apart from this thred.

8) No one voted for Palin. She didn't run for President. They voted for McCain. The VP has no power at all in government, only if the president die they take over. My theory is that Alaskan Republicans wanted to get rid of her, so they tried to have her elected VP where she would have no power. (similar to what happened with Teddy Roosevelt. He pissed off New York Party members, so they tried to get elected to a place where he couldn't do ****. The only bad news for them was that the prez died and TR became Prez.)

9) Only the illegal immigrants. If you come to our country legaly, our government has no qualms. Most Americans are very proud to come from other parts of the world, those differences are reveered not condemned. Most can tell you exactly where their heritage lies and what percentage, as they are so proud of it (I am 50% Irish and 50% Prussian. I say Prussian because those ancestors came to America before Germany became a country)

10) When? Cause the ACLU would be all over that. the only time the 1st ammendment is suspended for an individual or the entire nation is when it is imperative to the safety and security of the nation, and can be proven by government. Can't say I agree with the law, but you make our officials seem hypocritical. They have lain out the laws pretty clear.

11) It is heated, I agree, but our country was built on free-enterprise. Why should we completly alter the system for the minority that can't seem to compete as well as the rest? I agree with many of the policy's helping the poor and the blue collar people, but the closer we move towards socialism, the closer we move towards communism.

Please know your facts before making an 11 point list of why you dislike another country.

i dont diss americans since i got family from there, plus id love to go there in the summer holidays