Pew Reserach -- Global Attitudes Shifting Against Americans

[Liam]

I read about this Pew Research survey released a week or two ago concerning international attitudes toward the US. I'm not surprised that people dislike the US government (or, at least it's policies), but international opinion is now starting to turn agains the American people.

I'm curious if people here have felt the same trend shift (growing disdain for Americans personally, not just the government) among friends, colleagues, or even personally?

http://pewglobal.org/commentary/display.php?AnalysisID=1019

[bush_cheney2004]

Most definitely.....Canadians are rushing to get passports to the tune of 20,000 per day and illegal immigrants crash the US border from north and south. I guess they still love American cats and dogs?.

[jdobbin]

I guess they still love American cats and dogs?.

Actually, Canada has been poisoning them.

[PolyNewbie]

Too many people, too few human beings

[Shakeyhands]

Most definitely.....Canadians are rushing to get passports to the tune of 20,000 per day and illegal immigrants crash the US border from north and south. I guess they still love American cats and dogs?.

neither of those have anything to do with like or dislike of Americans.... do they?

[bush_cheney2004]

neither of those have anything to do with like or dislike of Americans.... do they?

No...just everything the Americans represent. Americans...like many Canadians....come from all over the world. Do they dislike themselves as well?

[Liam]

I tend to be a statistics geek, so one of the things that interested me is that more Canadians thought the US wasn't religious enough than thought it was too religious. Of course even as a secular Catholic, I think the US could actually be more religious -- that is, it could be guided more by true Christian principles of caring for the sick and needy and not so callous as to the deaths of non-American children globally and indifferent to our stewardship of the earth. Maybe that's what the Canadians who responded thought, too, but the more superficial definition of religiosity sits out there and makes me wonder if there isn't some large and secret cabal of Christianists in Canada. *LOL

[obsidian]

i have definetly noticed this. we just look at them and say "damn that shits retarded" and wait for it to trickle down to us...

alot of people i know think americans are really stupid(no offense), and alot think they're being conned.

[bush_cheney2004]

I tend to be a statistics geek, so one of the things that interested me is that more Canadians thought the US wasn't religious enough than thought it was too religious. Of course even as a secular Catholic, I think the US could actually be more religious -- that is, it could be guided more by true Christian principles of caring for the sick and needy and not so callous as to the deaths of non-American children globally and indifferent to our stewardship of the earth. Maybe that's what the Canadians who responded thought, too, but the more superficial definition of religiosity sits out there and makes me wonder if there isn't some large and secret cabal of Christianists in Canada. *LOL

The US "Christians" and NGOs give more money and aid than many other nations combined. This was true for Afghanistan even before 9/11:

http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/rwb.nsf/AllDoc...525698f007625c8

[obsidian]

and how much of that aid does any good, sending money to africa wont help, or any other country for that matter. you need to identify the source, and in most cases, it is us. (debt to world bank)

[bush_cheney2004]

and how much of that aid does any good, sending money to africa wont help, or any other country for that matter. you need to identify the source, and in most cases, it is us. (debt to world bank)

A lot more than no aid at all. I hope you don't mind if they keep accepting the aid despite your expert opinion.

[Liam]

The US "Christians" and NGOs give more money and aid than many other nations combined. This was true for Afghanistan even before 9/11:

http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/rwb.nsf/AllDoc...525698f007625c8

I applaud anyone who gives money to chairty, and if you want a thread about that, I'd be happy to contribute. But I'd prefer we discuss the issue I posed, which is whether or not non-Americans have actually started to turn against Americans as individuals.

It seems that on other boards I sometimes participate on, many foreign nationals will claim to love Americans as people, yet the statistics of reports like these point in the opposite direction. What gives?

[bush_cheney2004]

I applaud anyone who gives money to chairty, and if you want a thread about that, I'd be happy to contribute. But I'd prefer we discuss the issue I posed, which is whether or not non-Americans have actually started to turn against Americans as individuals.

It seems that on other boards I sometimes participate on, many foreign nationals will claim to love Americans as people, yet the statistics of reports like these point in the opposite direction. What gives?

Do you mean the non-Americans who take the money from aid, tourism, commerce, trade, education, immigration, media, etc. etc. ? How can they dislike the Americans while embracing the very things that define what an American is?

Canada's CRTC specifically erects barriers to protect domestic Canadian content in media. It's a dismal failure.

[Liam]

Canada's CRTC specifically erects barriers to protect domestic Canadian content in media. It's a dismal failure.

You should start a thread on that issue, I'm sure it will be a lively discussion, because it is off topic to the original post concerning non-Americans' attitudes.

[Drea]

Do you mean the non-Americans who take the money from aid, tourism, commerce, trade, education, immigration, media, etc. etc. ? How can they dislike the Americans while embracing the very things that define what an American is?

I may hate the guy down the street who sells me my chocolate (read Hollywood, Starbucks, Disneyland -- frivilous American exports) but I will still buy chocolate from him as he produces the best darn chocolate (frivilous crap) in the world!

[Guthrie]

Canada's CRTC specifically erects barriers to protect domestic Canadian content in media. It's a dismal failure.

You should start a thread on that issue, I'm sure it will be a lively discussion, because it is off topic to the original post concerning non-Americans' attitudes.

I'm sure the MacKenzie Bros think it's a successful effort

[bush_cheney2004]

You should start a thread on that issue, I'm sure it will be a lively discussion, because it is off topic to the original post concerning non-Americans' attitudes.

And you should stop trying to deflect biting comment that is most definitely on topic but not to your liking. Most Canadians are non-Americans the last time I checked, and Ottawa has seen fit to officially try and stop Americans and their media from dominating culture north of the border.

[Drea]

And you should stop trying to deflect biting comment that is most definitely on topic but not to your liking. Most Canadians are non-Americans the last time I checked, and Ottawa has seen fit to officially try and stop Americans and their media from dominating culture north of the border.

And I, as a non-American Canadian -- am glad for this.

Am glad that we don't allow American media to dominate (does anyway but at least we're makin' an effort)

Hence we have cultural icon shows like: The Littlest Hobo (corny but we loved it back in the 70's) Corner Gas, W5, Passionate Eye, Canada - A People's History, Rick Mercer Report and many more.

I do not understand who would have a problem protecting our Canadian culture. I prefer it over the American culture -- but hey, I am non-American ;-)

[wolfd]

Most definitely.....Canadians are rushing to get passports to the tune of 20,000 per day and illegal immigrants crash the US border from north and south. I guess they still love American cats and dogs?.

neither of those have anything to do with like or dislike of Americans.... do they?

Love Me, love my dog.

[bush_cheney2004]

And I, as a non-American Canadian -- am glad for this.

Am glad that we don't allow American media to dominate (does anyway but at least we're makin' an effort)

Hence we have cultural icon shows like: The Littlest Hobo (corny but we loved it back in the 70's) Corner Gas, W5, Passionate Eye, Canada - A People's History, Rick Mercer Report and many more.

I do not understand who would have a problem protecting our Canadian culture. I prefer it over the American culture -- but hey, I am non-American ;-)

That's good, because the Canadian penchant to do this is repeated vis-a-vis Quebec. Here we have a nation that erects official media barriers for disliked Americans and their media/dominance and at the very same time Quebec erects barriers to the Rest of Canada (RoC), a disparaging term that exemplifies a national neurosis.

If Americans are so disliked, why would federal law be needed to prevent domination by their media?

Desperately needing to be "liked" (no...loved) is a Canadian value that bespeaks the depth of a citizenry fooled into believing that armed Canadians killing people in far off lands are "peacekeepers". The illusion is made complete by polls and UN rankings that cloak the reality of Canadian globalization, militarism, and domestic subjugation.

[moderateamericain]

I'm an American. I make judgments on very few people that i meet regardless of where they are from. What I find funny is that the American culture is a combination of other cultures. I am German, Irish, Scotch, Dutch, Cherokee, Welsh. I can understand French vaguely I read it better. I'm learning German. And can speak a little Cherokee. Which is practically a dead Language (my grandpa was a full blooded Cherokee). I've seen more of the world then probably 80 percent of the people in it. But no matter where I go I can't run from the fact that I was BORN in the USA. You know what I say to that? TOUGH SHIT FOR YOU! If you don't like me because of where I'm from blow it out your stuck up rear end. Here is the really skinny for you Canadians who maybe do not know this. Americans DONT CARE who likes them. At all.

[Remiel]

I would be interested to know if the Americans really did bring all of this on themselves with all of their bravado over democracy and such. I mean, if world opinion differentiates between Americans and the U.S. Administration, then perhaps people are beginning to get ticked off because they perceive that Americans should be able to reign in their government, since they live in such a " wonderful " country, but they don't see that happening. Thus, they can only conclude that the average American condones the actions of the Administration, even if they say they don't.

[bush_cheney2004]

I would be interested to know if the Americans really did bring all of this on themselves with all of their bravado over democracy and such. I mean, if world opinion differentiates between Americans and the U.S. Administration, then perhaps people are beginning to get ticked off because they perceive that Americans should be able to reign in their government, since they live in such a " wonderful " country, but they don't see that happening. Thus, they can only conclude that the average American condones the actions of the Administration, even if they say they don't.

Interesting, because if they were to use the same logic on their own and other governments (as in not "reigning" them in), we would have a very short list for the liked indeed. Canada's government has bombed/killed/sanctioned/imprisoned more people from other countries than perhaps 90% of all other nations, yet it is the most liked? Right.

[Remiel]

Canada's government has bombed/killed/sanctioned/imprisoned more people from other countries than perhaps 90% of all other nations, yet it is the most liked? Right.

Suuure... And I suppose you have some source of statistics to back up your wild claim?

[Liam]

You should start a thread on that issue, I'm sure it will be a lively discussion, because it is off topic to the original post concerning non-Americans' attitudes.

And you should stop trying to deflect biting comment that is most definitely on topic but not to your liking. Most Canadians are non-Americans the last time I checked, and Ottawa has seen fit to officially try and stop Americans and their media from dominating culture north of the border.

1. Not deflecting

2. Didn't find your commentary at all biting

3. Not at all against my liking

4. But still off topic. If you had connected the dots between Canadian media content managment and anti-Americanism in your initial post, then, it's on topic. But you didn't do that. If you want to talk about TV content restrictions without establishing anti-americanism as its basis, start a thread on that topic. Just a friendly suggestion.

Thanks to moderateamerican and Remiel for getting back on topic.