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Earwicker
Jan 6, 2003

Captain Monkey posted:

Ok, fair, I was talking about internationally, but I see what you're saying. The US' hosed up history concerning its native populations is well documented and discussed on these forums. In no way am I defending the united states, I've made that repeatedly clear. I'm just actually interested in what the OP was asking about. These weird slapfights between former British colonies get really repetitive and aren't ever all that insightful.

How people think of a county's current and past foreign policy and how people think of that country's citizens are not separate subjects, they affect each other tremendously - especially since people's presence in foreign countries is often a direct result of said policy. What you seem to be not getting is that a lot of what you see as "slapfights" is not just about the past but about the present. Sure if this thread was about Spain you wouldn't have nearly as much of this kind of thing, but if there were currently Spanish military bases all over the world, a huge Spanish naval presence in every ocean, and Spanish foreign policy driving a number of conflicts, then a lot of the same things would come up.

Earwicker fucked around with this message at 18:30 on Mar 13, 2017

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Jeb Bush 2012
Apr 4, 2007

A mathematician, like a painter or poet, is a maker of patterns. If his patterns are more permanent than theirs, it is because they are made with ideas.

Captain Monkey posted:

I'm not actually being defensive, I'm on board to make fun of America and attack their foreign policy - in fact, I said pretty much all western countries have done horrible things, the US included, and I specifically wasn't diminishing criticisms of the US. It's just not really pertinent in a thread about how people view individual Americans abroad. Like, actually go re-read my post - if this thread was about Britain, we probably wouldn't have to wade through a bunch of shut-ins telling us how awful Britain is, despite Britain also having done horrible things. If anything, people lashing out wildly against the US as a whole is them being really defensive. There are a number of threads where the US' many flaws are pointed out. If people were pointing out flaws of Americans as individual people (loud, don't learn languages, etc.) then they'd be interesting. But talking about how Reagan was a criminal (he definitely was, the US has done some hosed up things) isn't really useful here.

American foreign policy is a huge influence on what foreigners think of the USA, which is what this thread is about


Captain Monkey posted:

Ok, fair, I was talking about internationally, but I see what you're saying. The US' hosed up history concerning its native populations is well documented and discussed on these forums.

that's a very strange distinction to draw, like if you wipe out the native population and then annex the territory it's domestic policy so it doesn't count but if you exploit them and they become independent later then it counts?

Yngwie Mangosteen
Aug 23, 2007

Jeb Bush 2012 posted:

American foreign policy is a huge influence on what foreigners think of the USA, which is what this thread is about


that's a very strange distinction to draw, like if you wipe out the native population and then annex the territory it's domestic policy so it doesn't count but if you exploit them and they become independent later then it counts?

Its a geographic distinction, which seems reasonable. I mean, I guess my point is - I don't disagree with any of the criticisms, I just also don't agree this is a very interesting thread to discuss those criticisms in, so calling me 'defensive' is a dumb and bad critique. But, like calling me sort of pedantic about the location of the discussion would absolutely be true. This thread had potential, instead its been 3 pages of 'did u no about iran contra?!! Lol the pledge of allegiance, they pray to a flag!!!!!!!! ' and that isn't actually insightful, and rolling your eyes at that level of 'discourse' isn't being defensive, its just a reaction to low effort hypocricy.

whiter than a Wilco show
Mar 30, 2011

by FactsAreUseless
Only an American would tell people who are not American, how to feel about America, in the how do people who are not American, feel about America, thread.

GRINDCORE MEGGIDO
Feb 28, 1985


The general opinion of my Brit friends would be: That's it's big, exciting, thoroughly right wing, very shallow socially, has an absolutely hosed up idea about what Christianity is, an overly fascist police system, and that people will work themselves to death and somehow think this is how things should be. Also the healthcare system is legit evil, and so is socialised healthcare not existing.

They also think Hershey's bars are redolant of vomit, that Trump is a dangerous, self serving lunatic, that American beer tastes like piss and that Americans are legit dumb for thinking we drink it warm.

They also think there is something wonderful about the place, too.

I can't really stress enough how much of a negative impression the whole healthcare thing gives people though. We're being thoroughly hosed in that regard here too, right now.

I love America, a ton, and had an absolute blast there. The people there were way more polite then here (UK), happier, /much/ less repressed socially, and people just seem more individual. They didn't seem shallow to me. Also tons of v8's. I want to go back.

:911:

Holy gently caress you guys make lovely Tea.

GRINDCORE MEGGIDO fucked around with this message at 09:33 on Mar 14, 2017

Earwicker
Jan 6, 2003

Captain Monkey posted:

Lol the pledge of allegiance, they pray to a flag!!!!!!!! ' and that isn't actually insightful, and rolling your eyes at that level of 'discourse' isn't being defensive, its just a reaction to low effort hypocricy.

How is that hypocritical? The US is one of the only modern countries where masses of schoolchildren pledging their allegiance to the state is a thing. I thought it was normal when i was a kid but once I started reading history and travelling to other places I realized that it's really creepy and hosed up.

Scudworth
Jan 1, 2005

When life gives you lemons, you clone those lemons, and make super lemons.

Dinosaur Gum

Captain Monkey posted:

This thread had potential, instead its been 3 pages of 'did u no about iran contra?!! Lol the pledge of allegiance, they pray to a flag!!!!!!!! ' and that isn't actually insightful, and rolling your eyes at that level of 'discourse' isn't being defensive, its just a reaction to low effort hypocricy.

I am deeply sorry that the "How do non Americans feel about America?" thread has been a let down for you, an American.

Were you aware you can just not read this very disappointing thread? Your rap sheet indicates this isn't a function you're aware of.

GRINDCORE MEGGIDO
Feb 28, 1985


Angry American itt, hope we don't get shot !

Testikles
Feb 22, 2009
I am a Canadian and in the main we think of you as arrogant, pig-headed, superstitious, and proudly moronic. When you elected Donald Trump that's what tipped it for many of us. We realize our dependence on you for trade and media but we wish we had other options.

One time we were discussing American politics and my friend blurted out he didn't care any more because "America is a garbage country for garbage people."

A co-worker after Donald Trump was elected said "I used to think they were ok but now they're just trash."

I have jokingly referred to the United States as "the southern barbarians."

My girlfriend is a natural born US citizen but because of her Jewish last name I have worries that maybe one day in the not too distant future people will come after her or her family.

Testikles fucked around with this message at 09:00 on Mar 14, 2017

Xequecal
Jun 14, 2005

GRINDCORE MEGGIDO posted:

The general opinion of my friends would be: That's it's big, exciting, thoroughly right wing, very shallow socially, has an absolutely hosed up idea about what Christianity is, an overly fascist police system, and that people will work themselves to death. Also the healthcare system is legit evil, so is socialised healthcare not existing, and that people are very rude. They also think Hershey's bars are redolant of hangover vomit and that Trump is a dangerous, self serving lunatic.

I love America, a ton, and had an absolute blast there. The people there were way more polite then here (UK), happier, /much/ less repressed socially, and people just seem more individual. They didn't seem shallow to me. Also tons of v8's. I want to go back.

:911:

(Non sweet, hot) Tea sucks balls there though, holy gently caress you guys make lovely Tea.

I'm a German immigrant to the US and calling US cops "fascist" compared to European cops is utterly hilarious. Carrying a gun around doesn't make you a fascist. European cops have far, far more official power than US cops do.

GRINDCORE MEGGIDO
Feb 28, 1985


I'm glad it's hilarious to you, really.

Police brutality and threats of violence for arbitrary things are super sensationalised.

I don't really have an opinion, but I was scared of police in DC when we were stopped in traffic, and one cop kept his hand on his gun holster while I found ID, and that's a first.

GRINDCORE MEGGIDO fucked around with this message at 10:09 on Mar 14, 2017

Xequecal
Jun 14, 2005

GRINDCORE MEGGIDO posted:

I'm glad it's hilarious to you, really.

I've never been scared of police in my life, across Europe, except once in DC, when we were stopped in traffic and asked to provide driving licenses.

I mean the dude just wanted somewhere to rest his hands, and they happened to be on a gun.

If you aren't aware of how police brutality in the USA is sensationalised to the rest of the world, you're living under a rock.

Police brutality is sensationalized in the US because it's illegal, and because it often has a racial aspect not present in Europe. If you mouth off to an Italian cop you'll be lucky to escape that encounter without broken bones, and if you try to go to court afterwards the court will punish you for wasting its time.

Furthermore, fascism =/= violence. German cops will do random, warrantless searches of entire neighborhoods looking for guns or drugs. This blatant invasion of privacy is completely legal there.

GRINDCORE MEGGIDO
Feb 28, 1985


I didn't know that at all about Germany, got to say. Shocking.

vintagepurple
Jan 31, 2014

by Nyc_Tattoo

Earwicker posted:

I'm not sure what you are reading but I was responding to a person who described 19th century America as "a damned benevolent paradise compared to say the UK, France, or Prussia/Germany.


American westward expansion was not "more gentle" than British colonialism.

I stand by that. You realize that in this era even Belgium is chopping off people's hands? It's not a high bar us westerners have to cross to be a better-than-most 19th century power. Also, british westward expansion was identical-to-if-not-worse than american, (Canada: less polite than you think) except they managed 5 more continents worth of imperialism while the USA only managed the two, mostly. And lol that you think I'm american, since you probably need reminding, Canada is a place.

Earwicker posted:

How is that hypocritical? The US is one of the only modern countries where masses of schoolchildren pledging their allegiance to the state is a thing. I thought it was normal when i was a kid but once I started reading history and travelling to other places I realized that it's really creepy and hosed up.

Canadian kids sit through a rendition of "Oh Canada" every day (a bilingual version, and still manage to not speak french) and even american companies that come here throw a maple leaf onto the logo. Jingoism is alive and well and from across the sea, a bunch of assholes like Marine le Pen send their regards. You honestly sound less well-traveled and more like a left-wing american who self-flagellates over how awful it is compared to socialist paradises like Denmark. Lemme infobomb ya there's fascist idiots everywhere.

I'm also curious about how the hell your school did the pledge of allegiance. I'm a dual citizen and my home state is fuckin Texas, even there no one but maybe one weirdo actually took it seriously. By high school half the class made a point of ignoring or talking through it. One time a conservative teacher got pissy at kids for not giving are troops the proper respect and the administration slapped him down.

vintagepurple fucked around with this message at 11:54 on Mar 14, 2017

Yngwie Mangosteen
Aug 23, 2007

Earwicker posted:

How is that hypocritical? The US is one of the only modern countries where masses of schoolchildren pledging their allegiance to the state is a thing. I thought it was normal when i was a kid but once I started reading history and travelling to other places I realized that it's really creepy and hosed up.

The English obsession with the Queen/Royal Family is about the same thing, really. Nobody takes it that seriously unless they're already going to be weird crazy patriot people anyway.

I guess I just don't understand why US citizens get blamed for their government so much more than people from other places. If someone asked an American what they thought about a British tourist, they probably wouldn't start attacking Thatcher. It's just weird to me that there's this level of vitriol, as a lot of it seems to be far more a response to the US' foreign policy, rather than to the American people themselves when that's never really true for anyone else.

System Metternich
Feb 28, 2010

But what did he mean by that?

That's because noone outside the UK cares about Thatcher (except Argentinians, possibly), whereas both the domestic and the foreign policy of the US had and continues to have an enormous influence on the rest of the world. You may not know it, but American politics are very important to us and play a large role in the daily news (indeed I've had Americans tell me that the average German is supposedly better informed about American politics than the average American, though I can't really believe that), and when Washington does something it won't take long until we feel the repercussions.

Also there's the divergence between official US rhetoric (shining city on the hill, land of the free, home of the brave, defender of liberty, protector of the West etc) and what actually happens, which is probably why anti-Americanism didn't really take off before Vietnam. No Brit will be grilled about politics because a) they aren't very important to those outside of the UK (though that might have changed now with Brexit and a possible Scottish independence) and b) British politics and media don't continuously remind us that everything that is cool and good and full of freedoms is actually British. Which is something Hollywood totally does.

Yngwie Mangosteen
Aug 23, 2007
So your argument is that America is more important (impactful?) than, say, England? So the policies of our officials (who are as much under our control as your officials are under yours) reflect more strongly on us?

coolusername
Aug 23, 2011

cooltitletext

Captain Monkey posted:

So your argument is that America is more important (impactful?) than, say, England? So the policies of our officials (who are as much under our control as your officials are under yours) reflect more strongly on us?

On a world-wide scale, yes! If the Australian dollar disappeared today, America wouldn't feel it much. But the American dollar is probably the most widely used currency in the world and it's the one everyone pegs their dollar to. Anything happens to the greenback - say, insane politics and a debt ceiling - and we all burn. The civil war in Somali is tragic and terrible, but we're not all automatically dragged into it or have to deal with massive political consequences from it. If America goes to war, allies are dragged in or have to deal with political fallout from refusing, and it completely changes the geopolitical landscape of that region and the world. I don't know how to put it in a sufficiently simple yet terrible metaphor.

Yngwie Mangosteen
Aug 23, 2007

deathbot posted:

On a world-wide scale, yes! If the Australian dollar disappeared today, America wouldn't feel it much. But the American dollar is probably the most widely used currency in the world and it's the one everyone pegs their dollar to. Anything happens to the greenback - say, insane politics and a debt ceiling - and we all burn. The civil war in Somali is tragic and terrible, but we're not all automatically dragged into it or have to deal with massive political consequences from it. If America goes to war, allies are dragged in or have to deal with political fallout from refusing, and it completely changes the geopolitical landscape of that region and the world. I don't know how to put it in a sufficiently simple yet terrible metaphor.

I understand that. I'm asking how its relevant to your perception of individual Americans. We have as much control over our President/Congress as you do over your governmental agencies (potentially less, at least once now the person with less votes has won the presidency because of the oddly designed system) when they do dumb things, which is to say weirdly little despite our governmental system. You don't hold that double standard for any other country, really. Even Russia and China, which have arguably similar effects on the global economy and everything don't color your perceptions of Russian and Chinese people the same way American foreign policy does.

coolusername
Aug 23, 2011

cooltitletext

Captain Monkey posted:

I understand that. I'm asking how its relevant to your perception of individual Americans. We have as much control over our President/Congress as you do over your governmental agencies (potentially less, at least once now the person with less votes has won the presidency because of the oddly designed system) when they do dumb things, which is to say weirdly little despite our governmental system. You don't hold that double standard for any other country, really. Even Russia and China, which have arguably similar effects on the global economy and everything don't color your perceptions of Russian and Chinese people the same way American foreign policy does.

Well, I can't say much for Russia since we're about as far as you can get, but it does colour the average Australian's perception of China. Hooo boy should you see our news sometime when it comes to China, esp. foreign property developers and head honchos. But there's plenty of assumptions and stereotypes made about why the average Chinese person comes here, the policies they must support, their attitudes etc. Based on the politics of their home country. American TV just doesn't exactly go into 'The average Australian's thought on China,' and there isn't a thread on it in A/T or I imagine you'd get similar responses.

Yngwie Mangosteen
Aug 23, 2007

deathbot posted:

Well, I can't say much for Russia since we're about as far as you can get, but it does colour the average Australian's perception of China. Hooo boy should you see our news sometime when it comes to China, esp. foreign property developers and head honchos. But there's plenty of assumptions and stereotypes made about why the average Chinese person comes here, the policies they must support, their attitudes etc. Based on the politics of their home country. American TV just doesn't exactly go into 'The average Australian's thought on China,' and there isn't a thread on it in A/T or I imagine you'd get similar responses.

Cool, what is your opinion of an average Chinese citizen? Since you're from Australia yourself. I'd love to contrast it against your earlier post about the average American.

coolusername
Aug 23, 2011

cooltitletext

Captain Monkey posted:

Cool, what is your opinion of an average Chinese citizen? Since you're from Australia yourself. I'd love to contrast it against your earlier post about the average American.

I feel like I'm about to release The Discourse here.

Let me preface by saying a lot of what I said about the average American came from actually visiting America, and I haven't been to China. My exposure to visiting Chinese citizens, not immigrants, was at my upper class university where you pay $$$$$$$ to be an international student and I didn't have that much contact in my classes. So it's less 'average' and more 'rich people in university.' Because of that, I don't have nearly as much experience and thus it's going to be a lot shorter.

They're either very political or not political at all with no in-between. You'd get that guy in anthro 101 ~explaining the difference between barbarians and civilisation~ in terms of native Asian cultures (Yes, that happened, and oh boy you should have seen when a critique of communism happened..) or absolutely zero care. But even in the people without the politics, or who seem a little dismissive of China as polluted right now, there's still a strong level of "China is the centre of Asia, you are all weakly new civilisations who haven't invented anything." Which is similar to "It's all about AMERICA," and American patriotism, however with a different cultural emphasis on being ancient and powerful versus being a heavy-hitting modern ~we the best at everything~ Despite that, very Western brand-conscious and showy of new purchases. Unlike America, Chinese media hasn't saturated our... everything. We're not constantly flooded with Chinese movies, TV shows, etc. Only an inescapable American presence.

And I suppose I assume anyone who transferred in and is a first year is going to be either a bit of a plagiarist or regurgitate course material when it comes to group work, since that happened a lot even when we were meant to be interpreting something.

Now back to the game show: "Americans tell us what opinions we're allowed to have on America, and how they're wrong!"

fantastic in plastic
Jun 15, 2007

The Socialist Workers Party's newspaper proved to be a tough sell to downtown businessmen.
What do non-Americans think of American food? If you've visited and eaten at non-chain restaurants or had home-cooked meals in America, what did you think?

Is there food in your country which gets branded or marketed as "American"? Are there American-themed restaurants, like how Outback Steakhouse presents itself as "Australian"?

Scudworth
Jan 1, 2005

When life gives you lemons, you clone those lemons, and make super lemons.

Dinosaur Gum

fantastic in plastic posted:

Is there food in your country which gets branded or marketed as "American"? Are there American-themed restaurants, like how Outback Steakhouse presents itself as "Australian"?

There are two canadian restaurant chains that are novelty American steak houses, Montana's & Lone Star. They are both done up inside and out much like a western theme park, fake log cabin poo poo and employees wearing plaid shirts, mounted animal heads on the walls etc. Montana's interior is very similar to a Cracker Barrel without the store section.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Montana's_BBQ_%26_Bar
https://www.lonestartexasgrill.com/

Food is pretty much the same here except for the southern US stuff, grits aren't served anywhere, biscuits and gravy is unknown. I had never had corn bread until my american aunt made it, it's not like mysterious here it's just not a big thing. I bring corn bread mix from Trader Joes back with me every time I went to the states.

Also an interesting difference due to immigration numbers- I find most chinese food I've had in the USA to be almost inedible garbage compared to what even a small town Chinese place makes here, but the opposite is that there are almost no actual Mexican restaurants here. The Mexican food available in the usa is unlike anything you can get here.
So I guess when i think "American food" i think of southern US stuff and small Mexican joints.

Aunt Beth
Feb 24, 2006

Baby, you're ready!
Grimey Drawer

System Metternich posted:

(indeed I've had Americans tell me that the average German is supposedly better informed about American politics than the average American, though I can't really believe that)
This would not surprise me. When I was in Spain in 2009 I met a Chilean woman who listed all the presidents in order from Obama to Nixon with an opinion of each. I sincerely doubt most Americans could do that.

Vincent Van Goatse
Nov 8, 2006

Enjoy every sandwich.

Smellrose

Aunt Beth posted:

This would not surprise me. When I was in Spain in 2009 I met a Chilean woman who listed all the presidents in order from Obama to Nixon with an opinion of each. I sincerely doubt most Americans could do that.

Nixon: As paranoid and scandalmongering as Trump but a million-billion times better at being President
Ford: A good man but doomed from the start because Nixon.
Carter: Well-meaning but horribly inept.
Reagan: Not literally Satan like some people who share my politics would like you to believe, but still not particularly good.
Bush I: Wrong man at the wrong time.
Clinton: Remembered more fondly than he should be, couldn't tell the truth if his presidency depended on it.
Bush II: Terrible, but looks way better in retrospect because Trump. This is not a good thing.
Obama: Thanks for trying, Obama.
Trump: Only the second-worst President ever because he hasn't had a literal civil war break out during his term.

Shbobdb
Dec 16, 2010

by Reene
Nice meltdown.

Yngwie Mangosteen
Aug 23, 2007

deathbot posted:

:words:
Now back to the game show: "Americans tell us what opinions we're allowed to have on America, and how they're wrong!"

Hey man, I'm sorry my asking questions about your opinions made you feel dictated to. I was just curious why citizens of certain countries are held totally and completely accountable for their worst politicians, while citizens of different countries are given a total pass on anything their government does, because that seems pretty crazy to me! I've been pretty open to hearing your side, and remain so!

coolusername
Aug 23, 2011

cooltitletext
I didn't mean to sound too salty, it's just this isn't anything unusual. I's amplified by the amount of countries responding because America has its mitts in everyone's businesses 24/7, but any thread asking this about any country with a large influence and some questionable foreign policy would get any least some similar feedback about its policies. It's actually abnormal not to. And it's pretty odd to act like it's the case because everyone's only talking about America... in the thread about our thoughts on America.

System Metternich
Feb 28, 2010

But what did he mean by that?

Nobody said that this attitude was fair, it just is :shrug: as a German I would also expect to get an earful about German politics when I should visit Greece, for example

Yngwie Mangosteen
Aug 23, 2007

deathbot posted:

I didn't mean to sound too salty, it's just this isn't anything unusual. I's amplified by the amount of countries responding because America has its mitts in everyone's businesses 24/7, but any thread asking this about any country with a large influence and some questionable foreign policy would get any least some similar feedback about its policies. It's actually abnormal not to. And it's pretty odd to act like it's the case because everyone's only talking about America... in the thread about our thoughts on America.

Its more that I've literally never seen it as a criticism of the population of any other country despite being very interested in these sort of topics. But its cool, just trying to get a better understanding of it. Lotta people got real salty, you were actually pretty reasonable.

vvv lol, see? Still salty

Yngwie Mangosteen fucked around with this message at 09:42 on Mar 15, 2017

Scudworth
Jan 1, 2005

When life gives you lemons, you clone those lemons, and make super lemons.

Dinosaur Gum

Captain Monkey posted:

I was just curious why citizens of certain countries are held totally and completely accountable for their worst politicians, while citizens of different countries are given a total pass on anything their government does, because that seems pretty crazy to me!

You used China as an example of this when I'm sure you're at least partially aware that China doesn't have freedom or democracy that can be compared to the western world. You can petition and run for office and protest and work against the US government to a wide degree. In China this can still cause you to mysteriously disappear. Not holding citizens accountable to the actions of the Chinese government isn't a double standard when it's a totally different playing field.

Grevling
Dec 18, 2016

I'm Norwegian.

My dad constantly calls the US "the land of hypocrisy" but I can't think of anything else he might have said. My mother has actually been to the US and says people are nice, but clueless about Norway and seemed to think it was a third world country without cars and electrical appliances. She was an au pair, and her host family really didn't like Mexicans and poor people.

My High School English teacher told the class that going to the US was like going back several decades in time in terms of social issues. I think she usually went to the South though. From people who have taken a gap year in the US I've heard of places where men and women aren't supposed to live together unless they're married and that does sound like the 50's.
I remember on September 11 one year my geography teacher brought up the 1973 coup that installed Pinochet happening on that date, and that more people were killed as a result of that than in the 2001 Twin Towers attack.
I don't talk about the US with friends that often, but everyone I know thinks it's completely hosed that Trump is president.

Most of what I could say has been said already. I think of the USA as the most powerful country in the world, but arrogant and internally broken. It's surprising how prevalent Christian Fundementalism is,how much power fundies have over policy, and how just religion's role in politics in general, for example in that you have to pay lip-service to it to become president.
It seems that US workers don't have many rights, that very few have unions, and that many people want things to stay that way. US politics are dirty, corruption is common and corporations have way too much power.
On a positive note, I and most people I've talked to think that Americans are friendly and hospitable.

Scudworth
Jan 1, 2005

When life gives you lemons, you clone those lemons, and make super lemons.

Dinosaur Gum

Captain Monkey posted:


vvv lol, see? Still salty

I answered a question that you asked?

vintagepurple
Jan 31, 2014

by Nyc_Tattoo

Scudworth posted:

You used China as an example of this when I'm sure you're at least partially aware that China doesn't have freedom or democracy that can be compared to the western world. You can petition and run for office and protest and work against the US government to a wide degree. In China this can still cause you to mysteriously disappear. Not holding citizens accountable to the actions of the Chinese government isn't a double standard when it's a totally different playing field.

That's a bit too far imo, especially give there's literally 2 Chinas.

*screeches, flies into sunset with "Born in the USA" playing*

Grevling posted:

I'm Norwegian.

My dad constantly calls the US "the land of hypocrisy" but I can't think of anything else he might have said. My mother has actually been to the US and says people are nice, but clueless about Norway and seemed to think it was a third world country without cars and electrical appliances. She was an au pair, and her host family really didn't like Mexicans and poor people.

My High School English teacher told the class that going to the US was like going back several decades in time in terms of social issues. I think she usually went to the South though. From people who have taken a gap year in the US I've heard of places where men and women aren't supposed to live together unless they're married and that does sound like the 50's.
I remember on September 11 one year my geography teacher brought up the 1973 coup that installed Pinochet happening on that date, and that more people were killed as a result of that than in the 2001 Twin Towers attack.
I don't talk about the US with friends that often, but everyone I know thinks it's completely hosed that Trump is president.

Most of what I could say has been said already. I think of the USA as the most powerful country in the world, but arrogant and internally broken. It's surprising how prevalent Christian Fundementalism is,how much power fundies have over policy, and how just religion's role in politics in general, for example in that you have to pay lip-service to it to become president.
It seems that US workers don't have many rights, that very few have unions, and that many people want things to stay that way. US politics are dirty, corruption is common and corporations have way too much power.
On a positive note, I and most people I've talked to think that Americans are friendly and hospitable.

Is the norwegian Disney World section well-known in Norway? I ask because I've since fallen in love with your country, but I first ever heard of Norway was from this place. It's a small slice of Disney World where all the buildings are done up in this sort of medieval vikingish style.



The staff is norwegian students on visas and there's a restaurant, a museum, and a viking-themed ride with trolls and so-on that ends with a 1980s-era video of norwegians talking about their country, among other things. As far as that kind of crap goes I thought it was pretty well-done and charming, and again the first time I ever heard of Norway when I was 7 or 8.

I think that fake castle in the distance is the "Germany" section. As a kid, Disney World's "France" was the first place I heard a real person besides my family, some student hostess, talk like me rather than in in a québécois accent. It was a fun place.

vintagepurple fucked around with this message at 16:57 on Mar 15, 2017

Grevling
Dec 18, 2016

vintagepurple posted:

Is the norwegian Disney World section well-known in Norway? I ask because I've since fallen in love with your country, but I first ever heard of Norway was from this place. It's a small slice of Disney World where all the buildings are done up in this sort of medieval vikingish style.



The staff is norwegian students on visas and there's a restaurant, a museum, and a viking-themed ride with trolls and so-on that ends with a 1980s-era video of norwegians talking about their country, among other things. As far as that kind of crap goes I thought it was pretty well-done and charming, and again the first time I ever heard of Norway when I was 7 or 8.

I think that fake castle in the distance is the "Germany" section. As a kid, Disney World's "France" was the first place I heard a real person besides my family, some student hostess, talk like me rather than in in a québécois accent. It was a fun place.

I don't think most people will have heard of that, I hadn't until now. I knew there were copies of stave churches and other "Little Norway" style stuff in the US though, a lot of Norwegians emigrated back in the day. In general, Norwegians love it when the rest of the world pays attention to and cares about us.

Bloke
May 22, 2004

First time in the US 2 months ago, NYC and Philly and was surprised by the lack of morbid obesity. Americans really aren't as fat as I thought.

Oxxidation
Jul 22, 2007

Bloke posted:

First time in the US 2 months ago, NYC and Philly and was surprised by the lack of morbid obesity. Americans really aren't as fat as I thought.

You see it more often in rural areas.

Yngwie Mangosteen
Aug 23, 2007

Oxxidation posted:

You see it more often in rural poor areas.

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Skoll
Jul 26, 2013

Oh You'll Love My Toxic Love
Grimey Drawer
American culture and Hollywood has been cited a few times in this thread. Since our media is pretty world reaching, what do you non US goons think about American movies? What kind of impressions do you get from the ones that are centered in the US as opposed to taking place in international venues?

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