I don't get it. The other day after the Paris attack, I was sitting in a bar in a country that's considered by most accounts less than friendly towards the west. They have news on the screen telling a landmark structure was lit up in red, white and blue to show solidarity with France. I said something really stupid. I said, "funny they didn't pull that one when 9/11 happened." Then faintly, I heard a German guy next to me went:"Pfft, typical Americans." Right that moment I knew I was being a complete donkey. But before I could say something to bail my butt out of the would-be frying pan, an Australian guy went :"Oh me me me, it's always about me isn't it?" Then more and more expats chimed in. At some point even a Swedish guy whom I considered to be quite gentile dished out some rather vitriolic remark. At that point, the only thing I was happy about was that it was a small bar, and only less than half of the bar could speak English. Some Ukraine girls were sitting at tables behind us looking genuinely puzzled. Did I do something incredibly inappropriate? Yes, I freely admit that I did. But smart people do stupid things all the time. I just blurred it out without thinking. It was an honest mistake. No need to make a huge fuss of it. Yet everyone unleashed on me like to get the bastards who committed the atrocity was no longer on the schedule. I toughed through a soccer game (oh yea, nobody watch real sports there) and went home after 10 PM local time, with an unpleasant feeling smoldering in my chest, and a bad taste in my mouth. And here at this very forum, America seems to be a constant source for laughing stock to some non-American users always getting jeered at. I just don't get it.
"(oh yea, nobody watch real sports there) " And you have to ask why the all jumped on you? You display attitude of disdain for anything other than American and you think foreigners will like you for it?
I think it's because of the exceptionalism crap. Jews and Americans like to claim that they are the chosen people, so why are they surprised when the rest of the world tends to disagree? I remember the Europeans all coming out in solidarity with America after 9/11, with France announcing that "We are all Americans today." The symbolism of turning on lights as a show of support is a recent development. Nobody turned on any lights for the Brits after the attacks in London in 2005, but I didn't hear anyone grouse about it when people did it after the Paris attacks. Maybe if Americans weren't so parochial, they could see beyond their own navels and understand why 70 years of meddling in the affairs of others just to prop up our own lifestyle is not a record to be very proud of.
True for everyone and anyone who is stereotyped. And since everyone is stereotyped in one way or another it's true for all people.
Someone I'm thinking of displays all the qualities that make most other westerners dislike Americans. They have an egocentric attitude where everything good comes from them and every complaint is based on envy. They have a bullying attitude and say ignorant things in a thinly veiled attempt to insult and discredit their critics. They are entranced by their successes and forgetful or willfully ignorant of their failures. They believe anything they are not directly involved with can be fixed or improved with little effort; if they were in charge. They have a long record of being opportunistic and taking advantage of others whenever possible, and then labeling those they took advantage of immoral and unethical. Whoever you think of who displays those qualities, is exactly what most other western countries think of all of us.
Do feel bad taking advantage of that lifestyle? Seems you're typing on the internet right now. Be thankful we made that possible.
That would be when we rebuilt the economic engines and the cities of both our allies and former foes? Yeah, we are real pricks!
Yes and all humans do it. It is not always even a bad thing. IS it wrong or bad to stereotype Asians as hard working people dedicated to education and self improvement? No I think it is a compliment and a common stereotype. Same with stereotyping jewish people as being smart with money or successful. As many examples of good stereotyping exist as bad.
Awww C'mon! It's soccer! You don't find the game, alone with volleyball and dodgeball kinda meaningless and feminine? Be honest with yourself. - - - Updated - - - Oh yea? Like what?
In last 15-20 years Americans are hated because they do not live by themselves and do not allow other people to live. Americans have no universal health, no guaranteed vacation, they have legalized corruption (lobby-ism), poor school education, ban on sex in most states, etc etc etc. but somehow they teach other how to run their countries.
Positive stereotyping isn't always good bro... I have Asian friends who at first enjoyed it when they first went to America... but when people figured out they aren't phds or can't do 8 figure maths in their heads, they get discredited... some people even dismissed them with "you are some Asian guy huh" Generalization is always problematic.
They are embarrassed that we are either kicking their ass in war or they are asking us to bail them out of it.
No it is not problematic it is normal. Nothing is problematic I never said it was always good. Sometimes it is sometimes it is not
