Originally Posted by Richyrich03867

I remember the first time I heard that Americans were hated the world over, I was dumbfounded. I was in 6th grade, and the notion that we were hated seemed impossible to me, but it did get me thinking. Now 35 some-odd years later I think consternation with America is at times well-founded but quite often is motivated by misinformation, such as the US "consuming 80% of the world's resources" which began this thread. I think too often anti-American sentiment is fueled by resentment and bitterness that people feel when they compare lifestyles. Sometimes it's just cultural differences; the individualism, materialsm and self-absorption people see in Americans is distasteful to many. Bottom line is that it is a human condition to look around and want to blame someone, or something else, for your own misfortunes; I find myself doing it all the time. A wealthy neighbor that parties hard, spends hard, and never seems to fail is an irresistable target for antiapthy. Having said that, if the dollar ever comes back strong enough to make it affordable for me to visit Europe again and some asshole tries giving me a bunch of shit for being American, first I'll tell him to kiss my ass, next I'll turn tables on him, because there's not a country on this planet that doesn't have an embarrassing history.

Originally Posted by CYDdharta

Probably eventually, but I doubt it would be here today, and I doubt it would be as freely accessable.

Originally Posted by Richyrich03867

... Having said that, if the dollar ever comes back strong enough to make it affordable for me to visit Europe again and some asshole tries giving me a bunch of shit for being American, first I'll tell him to kiss my ass ...

Originally Posted by Slartibartfas

I don't know about the validity of those 80%, they are probably quite outdated, in case they were correct at all once.

That the average American needs two times the energy per capita than an average European needs is no myth however. The difference hardly can be explained away by wealth differences.

Originally Posted by solletica

... The right, along with the statements of Bush, Rummy, and the comments made in interviews w/the (brain-dead) soldiers that fight for them ("we gonna kill ragheads", etc.), has embarrassed America in the world. ...

Originally Posted by Richyrich03867

I agree with you that we use too much energy. We drive in cars too much. I attribute this to the low cost of fuel versus much of Europe for example. Your fuels are taxed much more; and in return you get free healthcare. This will change as the price of fuel continues upward.

However, this popular myth of Americans as being showoff welthy jerks is far from the truth. I drive around my hometown and look at the loser wandering around waiting for their welfare check - there's a lot more of those Americans than filthy-rich ones...

Originally Posted by Slartibartfas

For example that you see TVs running when no one is watching, lights burning in rooms where no one is, ... just to name two things.

Some say this mentality has something to do with the "American way". I personally doubt that there has to be an incompatibility of it with taking ecological viewpoints into account on a daily bases.

Originally Posted by Slartibartfas

For example that you see TVs running when no one is watching, lights burning in rooms where no one is, ... just to name two things.

Originally Posted by solletica

There is so much Anti-Americanism in Europe because there are many Europeans who confuse the beliefs of all Americans w/the mindless right wing farts you hear from Hannity, Limbaugh, and other such individuals who claim their anal output is a perfectly good substitute for rational thought.

The right, along with the statements of Bush, Rummy, and the comments made in interviews w/the (brain-dead) soldiers that fight for them ("we gonna kill ragheads", etc.), has embarrassed America in the world.

Originally Posted by anobsitar

Donald Rumsfeld: Now, you're thinking of Europe as Germany and France. I don't. I think that's old Europe.

I tried to discuss with an american about, that the reasons of the american government to do war in Iraq are a little misterious and not very easy to understand. For example Rumsfeld: Reports that say that something hasn't happened are always interesting to me, because as we know, there are known knowns; there are things we know we know. We also know there are known unknowns; that is to say we know there are some things we do not know. But there are also unknown unknowns - the ones we don't know we don't know.

But fortunatelly there was a nice guy who translated how americans are thinking it in a way for me I was able to understand: "Germany is like Carthago and the USA is the new Rome. In the Third World War the USA will erase Germany totally from the earth. Do you like war in Iraq now?" I understood - in lots of discussions with different people in the USA - that Americans are thinking in this way about Germans:

Originally Posted by Slartibartfas

You deem the rest of the world pretty stupid. Your technologic leadership is mostly a post WWII thing. Other countries had capable scientists as well, actually the US absorpt large parts of them during and after WWII.

I don't doubt a second that we could have PCs also without the US, it simply was a logical development derived from dearly needed computing demands that already existed.

Originally Posted by Tim

These are two section of a serious documentary about anti-Americanism, mostly in Europe. The title is "The Anti-Americans". It was shown on public television. It is split up into parts and is found on youtube; this is just part of it:

YouTube - "The Anti-Americans" -- a British Dinner Party, full length

YouTube - The Anti-Americans pt. 1

The entire show is a lot to take for any American: the hatred, contempt, bitterness and rage are a noxious brew. But it is worth seeing because it is a cross-section of nations and peoples. It is not a tabloid. It is a well made and serious show.

All of this has dramatically changed my own view of Europeans in recent years, for the worse. I had a much higher opinion of them before this. But when hatred reaches this level, it becomes impossible to have a civil discussion.

Originally Posted by Richyrich03867

Tim all I can tell you is that it should not lower your view of Europeans in general, whom are, I believe, wonderful people by a great majority. The few nitwit bigots and snobs one can fish up on youtube should not be used as a broad brush to paint all Europeans as trash.