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Author Topic: How the rest of the world views the United States
Emlyn K Helicopter
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Member # 44

posted June 19, 2003 07:46     Profile for Emlyn K Helicopter   Email Emlyn K Helicopter     Send New Private Message   Edit/Delete Post   Reply With Quote
The BBC ran an evening of debate and analysis the other day on how the world views the US of A. Thousands of people were polled in serveal countries (Brazil, Indonesia, Canada, France, Jordan etc) and the result was more or less this:

Everyone thinks that the US is full of arrogant cunts who nonetheless are here to save mankind with their coca-cola and their "Bill Hayley and his Comets" rock and roll music thank you please.

Interestingly, the ex-Premier of Pakestan, hitherto the most succinct, intellegent member of the panel which included Clair Short, a Palestinian chap and a US neo-nazi (sorry, neo-conservative) among others, suddenly said that everyone likes McDonalds because it tastes very good.

Don't know why I'm telling you this actually, it's not going to change anything is it? Anyway, check URL=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/wtwta/default.stm]here[/URL] for more pointless info.


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LyKcantropen
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posted June 19, 2003 07:49     Profile for LyKcantropen   Email LyKcantropen     Send New Private Message   Edit/Delete Post   Reply With Quote
A good book to read is 'Why do People Hate America?'. An interesting read, and hard to disagree with. It's not about saying 'America is crap' like so many other books, it's just an analysis of the reasons so many people in the world want to blow you (and us Brits) into the next Ice Age.
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Emlyn K Helicopter
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posted June 19, 2003 07:53     Profile for Emlyn K Helicopter   Email Emlyn K Helicopter     Send New Private Message   Edit/Delete Post   Reply With Quote
Lyc, I think everyone hates us because of that whole slavery and concentration camp stuff we invented. It's like - get OVER it, man!

Just you wait until Mez wakes up. He'll have something juicy to add to this.


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h
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posted June 19, 2003 07:58     Profile for h   Email h     Send New Private Message   Edit/Delete Post   Reply With Quote
Yeah, I saw that. It was kinda interesting in places. I had to turn it off though cause the old hippy in me started ranting about how we should be more pro-earth than pro-any-particular-country. In fact make that pro-universe mother fuckers! Put a Mcdonalds on Mars, see if the dust creatures enjoy the new healty options menu!
Woah - that post went abit astray. Ah well.

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K
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posted June 19, 2003 07:59     Profile for K   Email K     Send New Private Message   Edit/Delete Post   Reply With Quote
I think that this pretty sums up how the world views Americans:

"Arrogant, Clumbsy and incredibly Short-Sighted."

I live here...and know first hand how true that is.
Maybe the concerted effort of Mexicans taking over the U.S....isnt such a bad idea.
Nah! On second thought...they still need to learn how to drive. lol!


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Mezcalhead
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posted June 19, 2003 08:53     Profile for Mezcalhead   Email Mezcalhead     Send New Private Message   Edit/Delete Post   Reply With Quote
I was having a telephone conversation with a member of this forum about a week or so ago and he was telling me about how only 2% of Americans have passports. The basic idea being of course that Americans don't travel to other countries, give a shit about other cultures, languages, religions....etc..
He followed this with something like "Americans don't even realize that other countries, cultures exist outside of the USA."

I answered, "There are????"

Now obviously I was cracking a funny just to get under the skin of my good friend. Seriously I do recognize the blissful ignorance that Americans exhibit(myself included at times)of other cultures around the world. But I also realize the incredible arrogance and elitism of certain European nations who are under the impression that America should actually take the time to listen and actually CARE about whatever the fuck they have to say. Sorry, but no. Americans have been dealing with this EuroEnvy&Spite ever since we broke the chains that bound us to that side of the Atlantic over two centuries ago. Fuck'em.

Juicy enough for ya baby!!!!


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LyKcantropen
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posted June 19, 2003 09:07     Profile for LyKcantropen   Email LyKcantropen     Send New Private Message   Edit/Delete Post   Reply With Quote
Now break the chains that hold most of the rest of the world in abject poverty.

To be fair, it's not America's fault that the really evil organisations are mostly based in America. It's just the way the country developed. For example:

World Trade Organisation - dominated by (mostly US-based, but that means squat) MULTINATIONAL CORPORATIONS that don't GIVE A SHIT about anything but profit.

You could insert a ND quote here, but I'm not going to.

Americans, if anything, need to wake up to what these people (your fellow countrymen!) are doing to the world. Stop them getting away with it time and again. Hell, these people are also responsible for a lot of the problems in your own country.

End of rant.


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Emlyn K Helicopter
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posted June 19, 2003 09:10     Profile for Emlyn K Helicopter   Email Emlyn K Helicopter     Send New Private Message   Edit/Delete Post   Reply With Quote
But even minor actions in America affect everyone else in the world to some degree. In which case, certainly in Europe and definatly in developing countries, we have every right to voice our opinions on America.

The problem is, we have absolutely no influence on how America is run but can feel American influence on everything we do.

Then again, it could be worse. We could be speaking Chinese and waving little red books. Does'nt excuse a thing, though.


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Mezcalhead
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posted June 19, 2003 09:36     Profile for Mezcalhead   Email Mezcalhead     Send New Private Message   Edit/Delete Post   Reply With Quote
Your last point there Mr. Emlyn was an excellent one. You Brits better stay on the good side of Big Daddy. Ol'Tony's not as daft as you may think. But is this discussion about the cuntish attitudes of the American populace or the actions and economic policies of our government? Just wondering cause I see the argument starting to shift.
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Emlyn K Helicopter
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posted June 19, 2003 09:42     Profile for Emlyn K Helicopter   Email Emlyn K Helicopter     Send New Private Message   Edit/Delete Post   Reply With Quote
It is a multi-faceted discussion embracing all levels of US cuntishness and European hypocrisy. Viva La France!

My last point was half arsed. Yes, thank you america for protecting me against the red menace. now go away.


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Mezcalhead
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posted June 19, 2003 10:07     Profile for Mezcalhead   Email Mezcalhead     Send New Private Message   Edit/Delete Post   Reply With Quote
No sir, I disagree. That point was entirely accurate. If you think not, then it is time to start learning to speak chinese. And I hear its a bitch of a language to learn.

And Euros, not to worry, in 2008 your favorite couple will again be running America in casa blanca. That's correct, Hillary and Bill will be back at the top. So all's well, that ends well correct? I'm sure with the leadership of the smartest woman in the world(and her sidekick-Bubba), America will bridge that gap between itself and her neighbors and reverse all the pain and suffering inflicted on its neighbors by the evil GW. Hahahaha, I can't wait!


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Emlyn K Helicopter
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posted June 19, 2003 10:15     Profile for Emlyn K Helicopter   Email Emlyn K Helicopter     Send New Private Message   Edit/Delete Post   Reply With Quote
So I should bow to my superiors? I'll bite yer ankles, yer bastards!
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K
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posted June 19, 2003 10:23     Profile for K   Email K     Send New Private Message   Edit/Delete Post   Reply With Quote
Now look at what yall did!

You've done gone and set off Mezcalhead.
We are all doomed now.


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LyKcantropen
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posted June 19, 2003 10:45     Profile for LyKcantropen   Email LyKcantropen     Send New Private Message   Edit/Delete Post   Reply With Quote
Thankyou for protecting us from the Red menace you created anyway.

The United States is still the only country ever to have Nuked someone else. You started building more bombs before anyone else had them.

By the 1950's, the US had a nice cosy 10,000 bombs, Russia on the other hand had about a fifth of that. The arms race, red menace etc. was all propaganda so people would willingly watch their tax dollars pay for overblown government spending on various methods of killing lots of people. Oh, and so that the Soviets would take the bait, disposing of them the only way, realistically, the US could.

But they caught on, eventually, y'see. In 1985 Mikhail Gorbachev gave the US a unique offer - complete, spontaneous disarmament of every single nuclear weapon they own, if America would do the same at the same time. The response? Guess.

However, I'm not saying that the Soviet regime was good and just - far from it.

I love history. Don't want to ofend anyone here, mind, so if you don't like anything, just say and I'll take it into 'consideration'.

Oh, and Clinton put into place most of the 'Very Bad Things' Dubya is made to take credit for. Even though he's a cheating, lying, militant asshole from a family of cheating, lying stealing militant assholes, Duby ain't to blame for everything, Kids. The Democrats these days are like little Republicans with different wigs.

Rant two over.


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Slaytanic
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posted June 19, 2003 11:03     Profile for Slaytanic   Email Slaytanic     Send New Private Message   Edit/Delete Post   Reply With Quote
I've read about that BBC research just the other day. It even states that Brasilians are some of the people that hate US people the most.

Can't say I, personally, agree with that, though.

I know a few people from the US, and they happen to be some of the most down-to-earth guys I know, with none of the arrogance pointed on that show. Maybe the fact that they're mostly metalheads helps them not to be influenced by the regular "american lifestyle", or whatever.

But then, what do metalheads know about life???


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LyKcantropen
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posted June 19, 2003 11:06     Profile for LyKcantropen   Email LyKcantropen     Send New Private Message   Edit/Delete Post   Reply With Quote
Oh, and just a thought... American people are fantastic, wonderful, friendly, witty and funny. It's just *some* (a minority) that are a problem.
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K
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posted June 19, 2003 11:37     Profile for K   Email K     Send New Private Message   Edit/Delete Post   Reply With Quote
quote:
Originally posted by Lycanthropy:
Oh, and just a thought... American people are fantastic, wonderful, friendly, witty and funny. It's just *some* (a minority) that are a problem.

No, Lyc.

The MAJORITY of Americans are the problem.
They are the ones who elect the Minority to Govern over them.
It is simpily like this...
Dumbasses voting for Dumbasses who make Dumbass decisions.


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X-D
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posted June 19, 2003 15:05     Profile for X-D   Email X-D     Send New Private Message   Edit/Delete Post   Reply With Quote
quote:
Originally posted by King Kula:
No, Lyc.

The MAJORITY of Americans are the problem.
They are the ones who elect the Minority to Govern over them.
It is simpily like this...
Dumbasses voting for Dumbasses who make Dumbass decisions.


Agreed! Bringing this convo back to the American populace (don't care for political discussions as they are beyond frustrating).

I believe Kula is correct in his assertion that most American citizens are ignorant, often mis-informed, and shockingly arrogant about the role the USA plays on a global scale. A vibe that, as an American, I am embarrassed to be assiciated with. Not to mention a feeling of increased uneasiness about the future of our apparent freedoms here, which I believe are being threatened in the name of 'safety' and 'security'.


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LyKcantropen
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posted June 19, 2003 16:17     Profile for LyKcantropen   Email LyKcantropen     Send New Private Message   Edit/Delete Post   Reply With Quote
Well, I sorta made that statement out of a cowardly wish not to offend anyone.

But yeah. We're all being conned that a big bad enemy is out there to get us so we let the governments shoot to hell freedom of speech, expression, thought and actions.

Two words: 'Patriot Act'.

Fun fact: The US spends something like ten (or was it a hundred?) times more on 'Defence' (big bombs to kill those that poverty and starvation don't knock out) than it does on it's education sytems.

I would hereby like to raise a big:

WTF!?


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Emlyn K Helicopter
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posted June 19, 2003 16:26     Profile for Emlyn K Helicopter   Email Emlyn K Helicopter     Send New Private Message   Edit/Delete Post   Reply With Quote
"Bringing this convo back to the American populace "

Ok.

In the BBC poll, opinions were sought of over American Culture, and by 'culture' the pollsters mistakenly (I think) meant McDonalds, Britany (not him! the popbitch I mean) Pepsi, 4th generation Hip-Hop made by white middle-aged businessmen...

Thus, it seems most of the world doesn't think much of it. The youth lap it up, mind.

But to me, American Culture is the music and the literature - a quick scan of my bookshelf (the one I like my visitors to see) is 90% American authors. Can't be arsed with looking over my record collection to see if its the same...Led Zep, Deep Purple, Sabbath, Maiden, Priest, Motorhead...oh, hang on...

Where did I leave Mez? One day, Mez, you will see a starving African child cutting herself on a can of pepsi that she's fashioned into some crude tool, having grown an extra head from that GM corn you guys nicely gave them, saving up for a shot of that AIDS vacine you guys won't sell them, and you'll bury your head in your hands and then hold up the Stars and Stripes and say WHY? WHY?

Then you'll realise you're in Zaire and it wasn't your fault after all. It was those fucking Belgians again.


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Hatröss
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posted June 19, 2003 17:44     Profile for Hatröss   Email Hatröss     Send New Private Message   Edit/Delete Post   Reply With Quote
Direct your strategy against authority. not the US of A.

quote:
Originally posted by Emlyn K Helicopter:
Lyc, I think everyone hates us because of that whole slavery and concentration camp stuff we invented. It's like - get OVER it, man!

We invented, i say the chinese were practicing slavery before anyone 'their recorded history goes back 5000yrs' and not to mention African cultures who we probally adopted it from. In fact most of the bulk slaves that were traded to the early settlers (FOR GUNS) and other whiteman luxuries that gave their tribal leaders more and better control over their people and surrounding rival tribes, is most likely how it came to be. Not TheMan cruzing his sailboat to the shore of africa and sneaking on shore to hunt some humans down in the jungle (heh right !) Like the movie ROOTS.

quote:
I was having a telephone conversation with a member of this forum about a week or so ago and he was telling me about how only 2% of Americans have passports. The basic idea being of course that Americans don't travel to other countries, give a shit about other cultures, languages, religions....etc..
He followed this with something like "Americans don't even realize that other countries, cultures exist outside of the USA."

The reason most americans dont seem interested in other cultures is because...

We have every damn culture here allready, and some new ones too! why travel all the way to china just to geta bowl of KungPowChicken. Shit man im finding myself looking the heck around to find where the american culture has gone everythings in different writing and shit. (oh im so lost)

No one is free


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nia
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posted June 19, 2003 19:09     Profile for nia   Email nia     Edit/Delete Post   Reply With Quote
Hatross, Emlyn is British. When he said "we invented" he didn't mean that the Americans invented slavery, I believe he was referring to British colonization. But like a typical American, you assumed he was talking about Americans. That's very funny.

Also, food does not equal culture. It's just a small part of it. If I was Chinese I would be insulted by the idea that you would equate my culture with kung pao chicken (yes, it's pao, not 'pow' like a punch in a comic book). I know you were just being facetious but it might be wise to tread lightly when making references to cultures to which you don't belong.


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Hatröss
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posted June 19, 2003 20:16     Profile for Hatröss   Email Hatröss     Send New Private Message   Edit/Delete Post   Reply With Quote
yeah... it was a metaphor

kungpaochicken that was

UK/US pretty much the same thing in my books, like a typical (insert here Nias nationality) you assumed otherwise.


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nia
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posted June 19, 2003 20:58     Profile for nia   Email nia     Edit/Delete Post   Reply With Quote
Like a typical non-American? Was that the derogatory expression you were thinking of? [EDIT, nice edit there from 'derogorary expression' to 'nia's nationality' how sauve...] Yes, how silly of us non-Americans to not think of the U.S. and the U.K. as the same thing, definitely deserving of denigration...
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Hatröss
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posted June 19, 2003 21:05     Profile for Hatröss   Email Hatröss     Send New Private Message   Edit/Delete Post   Reply With Quote
Well i wasnt gonna call you anything else, it was just the deragatory nature of the way you put typical american i was responding too.

oh gosh dominate me yeaah


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