Non-American views of America/Americans

[nbcrusader]

To be honest, outside of the war on terror the British media doesn't tell you anything at all on what Bush's policies are, as far as the British media is concerned all he's campaigned on is the war on terror.

Thank you for the thoughtful insight.

 

[bammo2]

If you hang around liberal/leftist circles, you might receive the impression that the BBC and the Guardian are the only sources of media in the entire UK.

I find the Telegraph and the Economist to be a bit more balanced. (Of course, this qualifies them as right-wing in the UK.)

lol the telegraph is one of the most right wing papers (bar FT etc lol)

they were staunch maggie supporters in her day, and still support conservative now

The guardian is very left wing. BBC has a duty to be impartial owing to its public funding, but often wavers in it's objectivity

Interestingly, The Sun has come out today in full support of Bush. On the breakfast news this morning, there was an analysis of the coverage in the UK press. the Mail apparantly has got the most objective coverage, and some very solid journalism in there (apparantly!)

And of course, there's always the News of the World.

lol and don't forget the Sunday Sport

 

[bammo2]

*edit - double post*

 

[kawai17]

To be fair, at least 40 percent of Americans who voted yesterday apparently don't approve of what Bush is doing.

To be specific, 48% (or 55.7 million Americans who voted)

 

[kaig]

Let me try to write down my point of view as a german.

When I grew up, i always looked up to america - everybody i knew did. I always respected the United States for what they are - a great country with ideals and big ideas. Hey, it saved us from the Nazis and let our country become a great democrathy!
America always had a good reputation here in Germany, especially when Clinton was President.
Then there was the election in 00 - a total mess and betrayal to the voter, and suddenly the country that always seemed to be the perfect one wasn´t that perfect anymore. But: shit happends, I thought.
There were some people who were worried about Bush, but then again, they said: ok, what´s the matter - maybe he´s not the right man for the job of the most important man in the world, but it´s still America, the trusted country with all those ideals and bis ideas.
That´s four years ago. Only four years, but they changed it all.
At first there was 9/11, and it was one of the saddest days - not only in the US, also in the rest of the world and germany. I was shocked and fighting with tears when i saw what happened. And I was on the side of the US when they marched in in Afghanistan.

But then there was Iraq, which has nothing to do with the war on terror and was already planned before 9/11. The false resons for that war and the lies that were made to start the war.
Now there´s anti-americanism wherever you go. Many germans lost their trust and respect to the US, and all because of Mr. Bush ("Aaaaall becauuuse of yooouuu!" *g*). The country that we all looked up to turned into one that we don´t trust anymore. In only four years!! The enormous lie, that led into the Iraq-war changed it all. Then there was Kyoto, Abu-Graibh and all those things that let us lose our trust. America has lost its respect in the world because of its president. It isolated itself because of the imperialistic, greedy and dishonest politics in Iraq.
Not all germans were against the war. I wasn´t, because I trusted this president. I couldn´t imagine that the president of a great country like yours would betray the whole world. He did.

That´s why about 80 % of the german people would have voted for Kerry, and so would I have. But it was a democratic decision (and I´m glad it was!) and I respect it. And I still respect the amercian people and their country. But I hope Kerry was not right when he said, the re-election of Bush would mean "more of the same". Because I still do believe and hope, that the people here can look up to america the way they did before and respect and trust it. But I´m afraid that this will take another four years and another election.
Nevertheless, I´m not as negative as many others in my country because I know that America is better that its president.
God bless you!

sorry if i quoted the entire post, i did it because here in Italy we feel end think the same things.
from the first line to the last one of your reply.
we don't hate you Americans, but we can't understand how you can trust in a man like G.W.Bush.
how do you feel while a lot of American boys (and some girls, too) die fighting a war which is the "doughter" of an ocean of rotten lies that G.W.Bush has vomited?
where are those damn weapons of mass destruction?
i hope you friends don't take offence at my words, i really respect you (and can't understand the most of you today, sorry), but i hate your president because i guess he's taking the world (and so not only the USA) into the deepest hell hole... and now he has got other 4 years to complete this disaster...

 

[mkdominatr]

For a look at a more true representation of the U.S. populace, please watch Jerry Springer .

funny but not correct. the only people who watch springer are people with the same IQ as the morons on the show.

 

[nbcrusader]

Let's get this straight, we shouldn't discriminate, but if you watch Jerry Springer (or have that "level of mental ability") your vote shouldn't count.

 

[Anthony]

1) Because America really does affect me and the environment around me on a daily basis, I do have some very strong feelings on America, some positive and some negative. Needless to say, my feelings on Bush are vehemently negative, and I tend to agree with what seems to be the classical view of Europe in that it is a disappointment.

2) speedracer; the BBC is not leftist media. The Guardian (and, while we're at it, The Independent) I would agree with you wholeheartedly, but I truly think that to rate the BBC as leftist is simply inaccurate. It isn't. If anything (though they do tend to be relatively objective), its centre-right, and has been so since before even Thatcher's Britain.

Ant.

 

[BluRmGrl]

Ummm.... I usually refrain from much discussion when the subject is politics - it's an extremely volatile issue and many folks aren't able or williing to do the old "let's agree to disagree" thing. My intention here is NOT to p*ss anybody off, it's simply to state my own, somewhat simple-minded opinion. OK - now that my disclaimer has been made.....
I didn't vote for Bush in 2000; I didn't vote for him in 2004 - I wouldn't vote for him if he was campaigning for a position as Chief Trash Collector.
I also did not approve of Bill Clinton's behaviour in the White House - I think 95% of Americans found him to be a disgrace. And sadly, probably 65% of those people think the entire Democratic party is just as disgraceful. Thus, Democrat = bad, Republican = good & you vote Republican to keep the evil Dems out of office. Even if said Republican is so desperate to not loose the approval ratings he started his term with that he'd take his "War on Terror" to a country that had NOTHING to do with the deadliest, most brazen attack to American soil in history!
Granted, Saddam Hussein certainly wasn't running a day camp & he's no lover of the US - BUT! I assert that if he was such a d*mn threat as to make Desert Storm necessary, then George Herbert should have taken care of the weasel back in the day. That way, little George Walker wouldn't be confused about WHO to attack in retaliation of 9/11. I deeply resent the fact that although Dubbya made the grand announcement MONTHS ago that "the war is over!", we continue to lose lives every day - and to what gain?
I apologize for the rambling - I hope you can follow my train of thought here before it derails! My point is, I HAVE to believe that Bush is back in for another 4 years because human nature leads the majority of people to be afraid and suspicious of the unknown. Unfortunately, Kerry/Edwards was the unknown this time.... I have to remain hopeful for 2008 (Sweet Lord, that's a long time from now!) and just continue praying for the USA.
I hope our friends out in the world can understand that although Dubbya got the most votes, HE DOES NOT REPRESENT EVERY AMERICAN.

 

[hiphop]

Some say that U.S. foreign policy (esp. regarding Israel) wouldn´t have changed that much if Kerry had won.

 

[popshopper]

I'm actually glad that the US has voted Bush back in. 4 more years of his economic policy and huge spending, and the bottom will fall out of the already flagging dollar. I'm talking an south american type collapse. The asian economies and europe will no longer be able to fund the US's lavish lifestyle (i.e its artifically low interest rates and inflation), and will instead concentrate on their own economies improving the standard of living around the globe, limiting aggressive american
actions, and also limiting the growth of terrorism.

Meanwhile the international reserve currency will switch to the euro, and us europeans will have twenty years of good times until the oil starts to dry up.

But of course, to the american's the election was not about the economy, it was about faith, morals and fear. Well those thing don't put food on the table, as I'm afraid the americans are about to find out.

 

[U2Traveller]

I'm actually glad that the US has voted Bush back in. 4 more years of his economic policy and huge spending, and the bottom will fall out of the already flagging dollar. I'm talking an south american type collapse. The asian economies and europe will no longer be able to fund the US's lavish lifestyle (i.e its artifically low interest rates and inflation), and will instead concentrate on their own economies improving the standard of living around the globe, limiting aggressive american
actions, and also limiting the growth of terrorism.

Meanwhile the international reserve currency will switch to the euro, and us europeans will have twenty years of good times until the oil starts to dry up.

But of course, to the american's the election was not about the economy, it was about faith, morals and fear. Well those thing don't put food on the table, as I'm afraid the americans are about to find out.

Bullcrap. Our economy is doing just fine and about to get better. I have high hopes. Looks good for small businesses here.

I see it as healthy and rosy and improving.

 

[pianorocker]

Well, My first "view" is:

Isn't America an entire continent? I don't see why just one country gets to be "America". I used to think I was an American because I live in Honduras. I guess I was wrong...

My spanish teacher brought this to our (my class's) attention in high school. I usually avoid calling myself American for this reason. I'd rather say I'm from the United States (or Ohio now, and more people would know where that is...heh.)

 

[nbcrusader]

I'm not sure anyone intended the word America to refer to the entire continent.

 

[mkdominatr]

I also did not approve of Bill Clinton's behaviour in the White House - I think 95% of Americans found him to be a disgrace.

I will agree that his behavior was not moral. However, he was one of the better presidents. His mistake had nothing to do with the presidency. We had a very solid economy and he too didnt take crap from Saddam as seen in several of those Bagdad bombing campaigns.

 

[sharky]

My spanish teacher brought this to our (my class's) attention in high school. I usually avoid calling myself American for this reason. I'd rather say I'm from the United States (or Ohio now, and more people would know where that is...heh.)

I don't know if you want to tell people you're from Ohio.

Thanks for all the replies in this thread -- it's been interesting. I guess my next question is if any of you ever run into Americans and how do they react when you tell them about your views? I ask because one of the questions during the town hall debate was from someone who said her relatives went to Europe and were surprised by how knowledgable people were about American policy and how they were for the most part against it -- at least much more than here.

 

[BrownEyedBoy]

I'm not sure anyone intended the word America to refer to the entire continent.

Oh no? Then what is the continent called?

America is America. The US is the US.

 

[U2Traveller]

It's the U.S. of A. if I recall. That is the complete name. So, we ARE Americans. It's part of our name.

 

[Anthony]

Please, for the love of Mercy, let us not get away from the topic at hand.

Ant.

 

[indra]

I don't know if you want to tell people you're from Ohio.

Thanks for all the replies in this thread -- it's been interesting. I guess my next question is if any of you ever run into Americans and how do they react when you tell them about your views? I ask because one of the questions during the town hall debate was from someone who said her relatives went to Europe and were surprised by how knowledgable people were about American policy and how they were for the most part against it -- at least much more than here.

No, you really don't want to be telling people you're from Ohio right now...and I'm from Ohio! Wahhhh!!! (If you must admit to being from Ohio, tell people you're from Yellow Springs -- it's overwhelmingly progressive )

I have noticed that also -- that people from other nations are far more likely to have a decent understanding of US policy than the average US citizen is to have about the policies of anywhere else. And sometimes people from other nations have a better understanding of US policy than do many of our own citizens.

 

[GOP_Catholic]

But the country is really divided. i think everyone at school voted for kerry, and that sasy something about the young vote.

The country is not really divided, Clinton never won either election with more than 49% of the vote, and the liberal media was never using this 'divided nation' excuse back in the 90s.

As for the young people at your school voting for Kerry, the young people at your school probably aren't paying any taxes or very very little taxes, so it's smart for them to vote Kerry. If a guy is going to promise a watered-down version of socialism and social programs, it's smart for people that don't pay taxes to support that. Problem is that most voters are taxpayers and have jobs, and don't feel like getting involved in Kerry's social programs which he makes sure he targets at low income minorities.

 

[U2Traveller]

I don't think our country is divided. I just think there's a lot of people who are disappointed. But, we don't hate one another.

 

[meegannie]

Re: Re: Non-American views of America/Americans

liberal media

....anyway, there's been talk of a "divided nation" since the Civil War. It's hardly a new concept.

 

[A_Wanderer]

I am sure that Dan Rather was really working to help Bush by using fabricated TANG documents and the NYT was setting a trap for John Kerry with the explosives debacle.

 

[meegannie]

I hardly consider John Kerry liberal, but maybe that's just me.

 

[indra]

I hardly consider John Kerry liberal, but maybe that's just me.

Me either! But Rove and his henchmen said it often enough, and enough people feel it's a horrible thing to be (I don't happen to be one of those people), that it stuck -- true or not. Amazing how easy it can be to make something "true" even if it isn't.

 

[U2Traveller]

Me either! But Rove and his henchmen said it often enough, and enough people feel it's a horrible thing to be (I don't happen to be one of those people), that it stuck -- true or not. Amazing how easy it can be to make something "true" even if it isn't.

Why do I find your last statement so funny? Lol. I guess when it comes to "studies".

 

[indra]

Why do I find your last statement so funny? Lol. I guess when it comes to "studies".

Well my dear, you've been doing lots of that very thing today. Most here aren't buying it, but that doesn't mean you aren't trying.


And I told you we were sirens...our song keeps dragging you back in.


Of course, the sirens lured their prey to be dashed on the rocks...

 

[U2Traveller]

Well my dear, you've been doing lots of that very thing today. Most here aren't buying it, but that doesn't mean you aren't trying.


And I told you we were sirens...our song keeps dragging you back in.


Of course, the sirens lured their prey to be dashed on the rocks...

You know what I meant.

 

[Boston01]

as far as clinton not takign crap from saddam...US fighters patrolling the no fly zone were targeted or locked on an average of once per day for several years during his presidency. we took out anti-aircraft sites routinely but systematically let his regime re-establish these sites with chinese technology. also, i don't really remember any massive bombing campaigns in bagdad at the time. i'm not sure you can count the aspirin factory. the war to keep weapons inspectors in country was also not waged very effectively.

regarding the BBC...i just wan't to know why any post i have ever made to their website has been suppressed. i could see if there were offensive language or some other inhibitor, but they seem to place a filter on your idealogy.