Are These Common Misconceptions About the USA True?

[whozum]

How exactly did this idea that Americans don't know anything about world politics come from? Has there been studies to actually prove this? I've seen my fair share of idiots in this country but I've heard my fair share of idiots from around the world on the internet. My guess is that this is just another thing like chound says which are stereotypes associated with America that are 100% valid ( to even larger extent in many cases) in every other nation on earth.

Just look at the amount of people who support the war, that should be evidence enough. Americans don't know **** about the outside. People sitll ask me where Sudan is. I still get "are you from iraq?"

Your average american probably couldn't draw you a decent map of the world. Actually I would be more confident in a 4th grader drawing the world than your average 30 year old. They are taught the stuff, they just are too absent-minded (as far as education goes) to care.

 

[Pengwuino]

Just look at the amount of people who support the war, that should be evidence enough. Americans don't know **** about the outside. People sitll ask me where Sudan is. I still get "are you from iraq?"

Your average american probably couldn't draw you a decent map of the world. Actually I would be more confident in a 4th grader drawing the world than your average 30 year old. They are taught the stuff, they just are too absent-minded (as far as education goes) to care.

Oh yes, the "war". Let me guess, "War for oil!". Hilarious. Most of the world is blinded by propoganda and think the UN has some sense of dignity when they put gross human rights violaters on human rights commissions! So I think the amount of people that support the UN shows how little the "international community" knows.

 

[whozum]

Oh yes, the "war". Let me guess, "War for oil!". Hilarious. Most of the world is blinded by propoganda and think the UN has some sense of dignity when they put gross human rights violaters on human rights commissions! So I think the amount of people that support the UN shows how little the "international community" knows.

Please don't mock me. I didnt mention anything about oil.

 

[Pengwuino]

hehehe :) Yet you mock the American public...

 

[whozum]

hehehe :) Yet you mock the American public...

I haven't mocked the public. I've stated that the american public is deceived, that isn't a mockery.

 

[Evo]

I think everyone(including myself) was a little too quick to jump down chound's throat. He was pointing out the impression that media has given him, and was asking for clarification.

The USA is a media giant (movies, music television... that's popular worldwide). It is difficult for those outside the USA not to gain a skewed impression of the country.

I wonder what he'd think if he saw the Jerry Springer show. The people on that show are an embarassment to humans in general, they are the dregs of society.

There are some dumb people in this country that enjoy watching other dumb people. It doesn't represent the majority of people here, but it certainly doesn't help our image.

 

[Evo]

Let's also watch getting too emotional in here.

 

[Artman]

whoa whoa whoa... let's not insult the guy for making unfounded generalizations by making our own generalizations. The only real thing we can say are we are all humans and certain % of people are black or white or asian or stuff like that. Its difficult to put numbers to people that are "kind" or "hard working". If i had to gauge the people i know, id say they were basically not hard working and not generous... but of course i know only a few dozen or a couple hundred people. Its hardly a majority but its still something to kinda take into account. Many generalizations stem from peoples personal views being extrapolated out to an entire population.

True enough. In my opinion
I find americans to be...However, what I was saying is that we are humans, very much like people all over the world.

 

[honestrosewater]

A stereotype is something you believe a majority of hte people do/are like simply because of their background/ethnicity. The key word is SOME people. If you think of say, southern people marry their cousins, its a stereotype because I am pretty sure nowhere near a majority of them actually do or even think about it.

And where did I say anything at all like that?

I think it's also difficult to judge cultures that are very different from your own. For instance, polygamy, animal sacrifice, dowries, arranged marriages, living your whole life with your parents and extended family, and so on might seem strange, unnatural, or even plainly wrong to someone who didn't grow up where these were common and accepted practices. By the same token, monogamy, animal rights, divorce, the nuclear family, and so on might seem strange, unnatural, or even plainly wrong to someone else. Just something to keep in mind. I think people actually have more in common than it seems- most people just want to live and be merry.

Those are two examples of two different cultures with different customs. I had the list of American customs in mind, so to illustrate my point, I chose a set of customs that were different. I even clarified that I wasn't talking about any place or people in particular; It was just a generic example. Monogamy, animal rights, and the nuclear family are American customs. This is not an unfounded generalization or prejudiced opinion about a group of people, which is what "stereotype" means to me and every dictionary I checked; It is a documented fact- you can just look at the laws. The other group of customs can't be stereotypes since I didn't apply them to any group of people. I don't even know that they all apply to anyone group of people. Is anything not clear about that?
Or are you saying that the facts themselves are stereotypes? Well, I guess you can call them what you want to. But if you want to accuse me again, now you at least know what "stereotype" means to me.

 

[JamesU]

It is illegal to show breast, buttocks, or genitalia on TV except on premium (paid privately) channels. However, rap videos tend to push this.

you're wrong. any cable channel can show whatever they want. the only restrictions (or rather suggestions) is that it's late at night

 

[Moonbear]

you're wrong. any cable channel can show whatever they want. the only restrictions (or rather suggestions) is that it's late at night

You pay for cable. On broadcast TV, those rules apply. I think cable is actually quite a bit tamer than it was when it first came out. It really was pushing the limits, and at the time, the Playboy Channel wasn't a premium channel, it was one of the regular channels on cable 24 h with no scrambling until they got a lot of complaints from parents requesting a way to block it...you could get quite an eyeful just flipping channels. I'm probably one of the last 10 people in the country who doesn't have pay TV in my house.

But, generally, all the things that stand out as shocking in the media are rare enough in the general population that they stand out as shocking to us too. Big stories on the news are big news because they are uncommon; if that stuff happened everywhere and all the time, it wouldn't be news. The stuff that goes into our entertainment media is also entertaining because it isn't stuff you see all the time or get to do all the time. A lot of what you see on the TV is there because it's controversial for us too. They don't show stories about the issues everyone agrees about, that's pretty boring and won't get the ratings and boost profits.

 

[JamesU]

I'm probably one of the last 10 people in the country who doesn't have pay TV in my house.

​

How do you survive?!?

 

[honestrosewater]

This thread is giving me cold pricklies But it was worth it to see whozum say "the butt, where poop comes out of."

Just look at the amount of people who support the war, that should be evidence enough.

They could support the war for other reasons.

People sitll ask me where Sudan is.

Do you tell them it's in the driveway? ;) I thought you were from the UK? You're a real man of mystery. If you ever feel like sharing some stories about life in Sudan, I'd love to hear them.

Your average american probably couldn't draw you a decent map of the world. Actually I would be more confident in a 4th grader drawing the world than your average 30 year old. They are taught the stuff, they just are too absent-minded (as far as education goes) to care.

I was looking for some actual studies about this and happened upon this: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/spl/hi/programmes/wtwta/poll/html/default.stm
BBC Poll Results- What the World Thinks of America.

 

[heman]

​

How do you survive?!?

May be she don't have time for all these...
I know she is a professor in very renowned university and mad scientist
and i think she is one of them who spends most of time here
and especially talking to you Yomamma Something is fishy :!) he he

 

[Moonbear]

​

How do you survive?!?

I don't miss it at all.

 

[russ_watters]

Yeah, America sucks - so damnit, why can't we keep people from risking their lives to immigrate here?

 

[Pengwuino]

Yeah, America sucks - so damnit, why can't we keep people from risking their lives to immigrate here?

Go live in northern mexico (but not the border towns)... its super suck :D its suck to the max :D

 

[russ_watters]

Go live in northern mexico (but not the border towns)... its super suck :D its suck to the max :D

Heh - I do live in northern Mexico (for the next few days, anyway...)

 

[Pengwuino]

Heh - I do live in northern Mexico (for the next few days, anyway...)

haha, what crime did you commit

 

[whozum]

haha, what crime did you commit

I'll admit, I laughed when I read that.

They could support the war for other reasons.

All the reasons I've heard of were either for revenge or under a deceitful impression that has already been withdrawn and disproven by the government or is highly skepticized by the world. Note that I said the world.

After all, I'm not a big fan of going into afghanistan or any other country (in the name of anti terrorism) for revenge rather than for solving the political mess between the US and the middle east the last 13.5 billion years (that was grounds for the attacks in the first place).

You can't be anti-terrorism. If you think you are anti-terrorist, read the definition of terrorism. It happens for a reason.

Do you tell them it's in the driveway? ;) I thought you were from the UK? You're a real man of mystery. If you ever feel like sharing some stories about life in Sudan, I'd love to hear them.

I've never lived there, but I've been there for about three years worth of summers. I'm going back in a few weeks. I'm english born and have been there my fair share also. I've lived in Arizona for the last eight years.

I was looking for some actual studies about this and happened upon this:

Interesting read, pretty amusing and enlightening.

 

[Pengwuino]

I wonder if any journalists or news organizations have the integrity to do a "What the world thinks about France" or the UK or the Russians or Syrians etc etc.

 

[whozum]

I wonder if any journalists or news organizations have the integrity to do a "What the world thinks about France" or the UK or the Russians or Syrians etc etc.

I'd bet its (the feedback) not as bad as the US. Its worst because the US is "supposed to be the best".

Think about it, in high school, the biggest drama, the one everyone knew about, was about the most successful kids. The losers never got much attention, let alone had drama spread about em.

You're really patriotic, have you ever been out of the Americas?

 

[arildno]

Yes, historically, marriage in the world has usually been more about economics, security, and social status than happiness and large extended families equals security in numbers. Marriages were arranged for the overall families' benefit, not the couple getting married.

In industrialized countries, marriage has evolved to be about happiness and the high divorce rates have been disappointing. It's also a comparison of apples and oranges. If marriage is about practicality, not happiness, people stay married even if they're not all that happy with each other. If marriage is about happiness, high divorce rates could mean that love is a silly reason to get married or it could just mean that more people don't put up with unhappy marriages.

Kind of like the scene in "Fiddler on the Roof", where, after 20+ years of marriage, the husband finally asks the wife if she loves him.

I don't think there is anything disappointing about high divorce rates; I think it is a healthy sign:
People dare now to stop living under the same roof with someone they are no longer sexually and emotionally interested in.
As for children, it is much better that parents split up soon and amicably, rather than that the parents delay their divorce and build up layers of frustration and bitterness among themselves.
You will find that those children born of parents who came to their senses early enough to avoid the build-up of hatred amongst themselves will have no less quality in their upbringing (in a typical two-household situation) than those children whose parents remain happily married.

It is the children who are torn apart by their parents' quarrels who are the big sufferers here.
There will be fewer of these cases when the image of a divorce is no longer that of an embarassing/shameful failure.

 

[honestrosewater]

I remember watching Powell's address at the UN and being so impressed. I was 20 and just starting to pay attention to politics and world affairs when the war started.

I've never lived there, but I've been there for about three years worth of summers. I'm going back in a few weeks. I'm english born and have been there my fair share also. I've lived in Arizona for the last eight years.

Are you doing humanitarian work?

 

[Pengwuino]

I'd bet its (the feedback) not as bad as the US. Its worst because the US is "supposed to be the best".

Think about it, in high school, the biggest drama, the one everyone knew about, was about the most successful kids. The losers never got much attention, let alone had drama spread about em.

You're really patriotic, have you ever been out of the Americas?

See, that's what I've always felt is wrong with most people. They think this world is high school and that everyone has to be liked and we all must follow high school principles. I woulnd't hire a high schooler as an employee must less have the world follow his beliefs as to what's important and logical in life. If high school life really defines a good analogy as to how the world works, then this world needs to in a sense, "grow up".

And yes, i am very patriotic (even more so lately thanks to the almost daily rants similar to the OP on this thread) and have not left the nation.

 

[Pengwuino]

I remember watching Powell's address at the UN and being so impressed. I was 20 and just starting to pay attention to politics and world affairs when the war started.

lol watch the UN as a whole for a few more years if you want to see some REAL embarassments.

 

[whozum]

See, that's what I've always felt is wrong with most people. They think this world is high school and that everyone has to be liked and we all must follow high school principles. I woulnd't hire a high schooler as an employee must less have the world follow his beliefs as to what's important and logical in life. If high school life really defines a good analogy as to how the world works, then this world needs to in a sense, "grow up".

And yes, i am very patriotic (even more so lately thanks to the almost daily rants similar to the OP on this thread) and have not left the nation.

It was a very vague analogy, you need to unbutton your collar my friend I still stand by my analogy, the jist of it was no one cares about the paupers, its the dirt on the big people that we all dig, just look at magazines like the Enquirer and such.. its everywhere, not just high school.

I feel it is really important for an american nto only to visit other nations (namely 3rd world) but to live there for a bit to really understand why things are different. Try to take a neutral view, which is really hard to do. For example, if I asked you to judge Argentina you wlndt have any BIAS against it, and it may not be favorable, but atleast its fair. It takes a real man to put down their own country.

 

[whozum]

I remember watching Powell's address at the UN and being so impressed. I was 20 and just starting to pay attention to politics and world affairs when the war started.
Are you doing humanitarian work?

Pfffft I'm 19 :)

 

[Pengwuino]

It was a very vague analogy, you need to unbutton your collar my friend I still stand by my analogy, the jist of it was no one cares about the paupers, its the dirt on the big people that we all dig, just look at magazines like the Enquirer and such.. its everywhere, not just high school.

I feel it is really important for an american nto only to visit other nations (namely 3rd world) but to live there for a bit to really understand why things are different. Try to take a neutral view, which is really hard to do. For example, if I asked you to judge Argentina you wlndt have any BIAS against it, and it may not be favorable, but atleast its fair. It takes a real man to put down their own country.

Well even in high school no one simply cared about 1 single person. Theres around 200 countries on Earth yet we're the only ones who get little BBC specials like the one linked earlier as far as i can tell as to how bad it is. And yes its everywhere, not just in high school and as i said, i think too many people bring the high school attitude out of high school and bring it to the real world.

Im currently in college so i don't have the time or money to go to another nation. As I've heard a lot of the same from different people, i find lately that it takes a real man to actually praise their own country in the US's case. On forums like this for example, speaking positively about the US is like calling Einstein a fool or something. It sounds like a good analogy for other nations but as of late, it seems like "safe haven" for most people is to bash the US. I suppose there's no real men in other nations because as I sadi earlier, there doesn't exactly seem to be any criticism of any other nations allowed in this world.

I think a better way of saying it would be that it takes a real man to decide first and not immediately jump onto a bandwagon.

 

[whozum]

Well even in high school no one simply cared about 1 single person. Theres around 200 countries on Earth yet we're the only ones who get little BBC specials like the one linked earlier as far as i can tell as to how bad it is. And yes its everywhere, not just in high school and as i said, i think too many people bring the high school attitude out of high school and bring it to the real world.

There are many BBC specials on other countries. Things like the BBC specials are what let Americans get such skewed views of other countries. I remember late 2001 there were so many specials on life on afghanistan, a lot of em were way off.

Im currently in college so i don't have the time or money to go to another nation. As I've heard a lot of the same from different people, i find lately that it takes a real man to actually praise their own country in the US's case. On forums like this for example, speaking positively about the US is like calling Einstein a fool or something. It sounds like a good analogy for other nations but as of late, it seems like "safe haven" for most people is to bash the US. I suppose there's no real men in other nations because as I sadi earlier, there doesn't exactly seem to be any criticism of any other nations allowed in this world.

I think a better way of saying it would be that it takes a real man to decide first and not immediately jump onto a bandwagon.

I'm talking about in general, it takes a stronger voice to disagree with something than it does to agree with it. Yeah the US has gotten a lot of bashing, but I think its earned every bit of it.