Public Post
So, today, on PBS, I watched America at a Crossroads: The Anti-Americans (a hate/love relationship).
Let me begin by saying that not all of these quotes are direct, but rather, what I had managed to jot down in the time while watching it.
It started with several quotes from people:
- "They only love themselves."
- "They're the fattest people I've ever seen, I wanted to get out of there before I got fat too!"
- "Every state there is racist! Every one of them, except New York, because it's like a country in itself... but other than that, they're all racist!"
- "The first chocolate I was ever able to buy was with a dollar bill... I have fond memories of going to a communist shop with this dollar bill, and buying chocolate."
They showed a brief clip of Ireland... with a public debate in a pub that was supposed to be going on for or against America, although it was lopsided. When they asked a political science expert, he explained that when a country or a person had nothing to offer, they could at least join in on bashing America.
Then they show went to France... where, well, there came the worst responses of the show. Several more experts explained that they feared their culture would be lost. What does France have to offer? Wine, cheese, and tourism. Changing to American standards might mean losing that. It was interesting to see a panel of language experts trying to get rid of the word "Airbag" because it was not the French name, and that calling it an air bag "is stupid since its GAS and not AIR." Then they talked about how they had to make it appear as if it were stupid to use the word "airbag." Of course, another political expert said that deep down they (the French in general) like America, but will lie through their teeth about it.
At the same time, it was interesting to hear a French rapper, rapping about his bitches, bling and weed in his native language. He mentioned that he thought that other rappers ran a tight game.
Then they showed French children's drawings... what they thought of when they thought of America. One kid drew an American soldier using guns and knives on people. Another showed a picture of George Bush and the C.E.O. of McDonald's, "with his campaign slogan: 'Vote for me and burgers will be half-price!'" Lastly, there was a girl who showed a picture of Bush happily collecting oil while massacring the planet.
At the end, they mentioned it that every country's opinion was like a mirror that reflected something about the country - with opinions made from history, national pride, and prejudice.
---
Next? They went to Poland... where they don't complain about or critique America. A woman explained that they felt like America was like a big brother... except, they weren't quite sure America was sure it had a little brother. Another person talked about how the countries surrounding it turned their backs on Poland during Soviet rule. The man who bought his first chocolate with an American dollar was from there... and went on to say, "Britain, France, they don't care about anyone but themselves! If we were in trouble, America would help us out."
Poland still remembers the relationship it had with America in the 80's... many there say they have relatives in America. In fact, the show mentioned that some areas of Poland looked somewhat like Branson, Missouri - with people wearing cowboy hats and listening to western music. As a viewer, I had never seen a Polish country western singer and Polish girls wearing cowboy boots while line dancing.
The main issue, the show explained, was that they all had to apply for Visas to get into the country... while the French, who bash America, can show their passports and simply go whenever they please for however long they please. The citizens of Poland have to apply, get put in queue, pay $100 and possibly lose that $100 due to red tape.
In the end, it showed part of Warsaw... the tour guides pointed out different buildings. One was an old communist building, one from America, another from Italy, another from a western corporation... but yet, none of them were Polish.
---
I think I found Britain's opinions the most entertaining. I wrote down some of the quotes:
- "They're big-headed, and want to rule the world."
- "Well they like everything big, don't they?"
- "They've always been polite to me while I was there."
According to the show, about half of Brits like America... and the other half think it's full of blundering clowns. Yet it specified that there was a relationship between Britain and America... although most Americans seemed unaware of it.
It then showed Britains discussing America at the dinner table, explaining that they were Anti-Bush, not Anti-America; With quotes such as, "They're very ill-informed," "They don't have enough intellectual politicians," and "the people only care about having a car, a house."
The show then went on to explain that America has fascinated Britain... and brought something to my attention that I wasn't aware of: Jerry Springer, The Opera (actual website is here). Which had everything from Satan to cheating lovers to men in KKK robes holding up their robes while tap-dancing on stage.
Later on in the show, there was discussion about how America and Britain have what could be called the "old couple" syndrome. Basically, after being together for so long, they realized that they didn't have as many things in common as they thought they did.
There was also another expert on who went on to say that the true secret about Britain was that it had a paternal relationship with America; that it felt it had created this monster, and therefore whenever we did something it would say "well done, carry on."
Curiously enough, the reasons for hating America were often repeated:
1. Nationalism, History and Prejudice
2. It’s easy to do, it sells, and you belong if you do it too
3. It isn’t fair that they’re so strong and we’re so weak (power envy)
Anyway. I was tired when I wrote this up, so it might be shaky, but I wanted to make sure I got it written down. To quote myself from an earlier post:
I saw on the news that the Anti-Americanism can be attributed to, in part, a lot of media distortion. It reported that foreign country newspapers gave off the impression that all Americans are fat... that we're a glossed over, superficial country... and that we're stupid for having such deeply religious faith. A man mentioned that someone asked him, in all honesty, if all Americans carried M-16's.
I asked my mother about it and she said when she'd gone to visit Europe with a church choir consisting of high school students back in 1999, they were shocked that such young people went to church.
The only personal experience I've had with Anti-American sentiment was in online games... where people would swear at me, call me names, and gang up on me if my nationality ever came out. (Because I type with proper punctuation and grammar, they would be prompted them to ask me where I was from.)
Also. I don’t write this out of resentment for other countries, nor do I feel like we’re better than the rest… it’s mainly because I’m surprised (and feeling a little slighted) that there’s so much hate for one country - not just the government, but the people.
Finally, I leave you excerpts from the book, DUH! The Stupid History of the Human Race by Bob Fenster.
Is there any way our foreign policy could be more idiotic?
Apparently not, or our politicians would be voting it into effect right now.
American national policy since World War II has been based on the School-Yard Bully theory of diplomacy: If you know we can beat you up, you won’t force us to do it.
This approach might work if other countries weren’t run by leaders as dumb as ours, people who base their national policies on the Oh Yeah? theory of government. When they meet up with a school-yard bully, they figure they’d better test him out to see if he’s as tough as he says he is.
Our military and CIA carry out our bully policy around the world through a simple strategy: If we kill you now, we won’t have to kill you later.
Let me begin by saying that not all of these quotes are direct, but rather, what I had managed to jot down in the time while watching it.
It started with several quotes from people:
- "They only love themselves."
- "They're the fattest people I've ever seen, I wanted to get out of there before I got fat too!"
- "Every state there is racist! Every one of them, except New York, because it's like a country in itself... but other than that, they're all racist!"
- "The first chocolate I was ever able to buy was with a dollar bill... I have fond memories of going to a communist shop with this dollar bill, and buying chocolate."
They showed a brief clip of Ireland... with a public debate in a pub that was supposed to be going on for or against America, although it was lopsided. When they asked a political science expert, he explained that when a country or a person had nothing to offer, they could at least join in on bashing America.
Then they show went to France... where, well, there came the worst responses of the show. Several more experts explained that they feared their culture would be lost. What does France have to offer? Wine, cheese, and tourism. Changing to American standards might mean losing that. It was interesting to see a panel of language experts trying to get rid of the word "Airbag" because it was not the French name, and that calling it an air bag "is stupid since its GAS and not AIR." Then they talked about how they had to make it appear as if it were stupid to use the word "airbag." Of course, another political expert said that deep down they (the French in general) like America, but will lie through their teeth about it.
At the same time, it was interesting to hear a French rapper, rapping about his bitches, bling and weed in his native language. He mentioned that he thought that other rappers ran a tight game.
Then they showed French children's drawings... what they thought of when they thought of America. One kid drew an American soldier using guns and knives on people. Another showed a picture of George Bush and the C.E.O. of McDonald's, "with his campaign slogan: 'Vote for me and burgers will be half-price!'" Lastly, there was a girl who showed a picture of Bush happily collecting oil while massacring the planet.
At the end, they mentioned it that every country's opinion was like a mirror that reflected something about the country - with opinions made from history, national pride, and prejudice.
---
Next? They went to Poland... where they don't complain about or critique America. A woman explained that they felt like America was like a big brother... except, they weren't quite sure America was sure it had a little brother. Another person talked about how the countries surrounding it turned their backs on Poland during Soviet rule. The man who bought his first chocolate with an American dollar was from there... and went on to say, "Britain, France, they don't care about anyone but themselves! If we were in trouble, America would help us out."
Poland still remembers the relationship it had with America in the 80's... many there say they have relatives in America. In fact, the show mentioned that some areas of Poland looked somewhat like Branson, Missouri - with people wearing cowboy hats and listening to western music. As a viewer, I had never seen a Polish country western singer and Polish girls wearing cowboy boots while line dancing.
The main issue, the show explained, was that they all had to apply for Visas to get into the country... while the French, who bash America, can show their passports and simply go whenever they please for however long they please. The citizens of Poland have to apply, get put in queue, pay $100 and possibly lose that $100 due to red tape.
In the end, it showed part of Warsaw... the tour guides pointed out different buildings. One was an old communist building, one from America, another from Italy, another from a western corporation... but yet, none of them were Polish.
---
I think I found Britain's opinions the most entertaining. I wrote down some of the quotes:
- "They're big-headed, and want to rule the world."
- "Well they like everything big, don't they?"
- "They've always been polite to me while I was there."
According to the show, about half of Brits like America... and the other half think it's full of blundering clowns. Yet it specified that there was a relationship between Britain and America... although most Americans seemed unaware of it.
It then showed Britains discussing America at the dinner table, explaining that they were Anti-Bush, not Anti-America; With quotes such as, "They're very ill-informed," "They don't have enough intellectual politicians," and "the people only care about having a car, a house."
The show then went on to explain that America has fascinated Britain... and brought something to my attention that I wasn't aware of: Jerry Springer, The Opera (actual website is here). Which had everything from Satan to cheating lovers to men in KKK robes holding up their robes while tap-dancing on stage.
Later on in the show, there was discussion about how America and Britain have what could be called the "old couple" syndrome. Basically, after being together for so long, they realized that they didn't have as many things in common as they thought they did.
There was also another expert on who went on to say that the true secret about Britain was that it had a paternal relationship with America; that it felt it had created this monster, and therefore whenever we did something it would say "well done, carry on."
Curiously enough, the reasons for hating America were often repeated:
1. Nationalism, History and Prejudice
2. It’s easy to do, it sells, and you belong if you do it too
3. It isn’t fair that they’re so strong and we’re so weak (power envy)
Anyway. I was tired when I wrote this up, so it might be shaky, but I wanted to make sure I got it written down. To quote myself from an earlier post:
I saw on the news that the Anti-Americanism can be attributed to, in part, a lot of media distortion. It reported that foreign country newspapers gave off the impression that all Americans are fat... that we're a glossed over, superficial country... and that we're stupid for having such deeply religious faith. A man mentioned that someone asked him, in all honesty, if all Americans carried M-16's.
I asked my mother about it and she said when she'd gone to visit Europe with a church choir consisting of high school students back in 1999, they were shocked that such young people went to church.
The only personal experience I've had with Anti-American sentiment was in online games... where people would swear at me, call me names, and gang up on me if my nationality ever came out. (Because I type with proper punctuation and grammar, they would be prompted them to ask me where I was from.)
Also. I don’t write this out of resentment for other countries, nor do I feel like we’re better than the rest… it’s mainly because I’m surprised (and feeling a little slighted) that there’s so much hate for one country - not just the government, but the people.
Finally, I leave you excerpts from the book, DUH! The Stupid History of the Human Race by Bob Fenster.
Is there any way our foreign policy could be more idiotic?
Apparently not, or our politicians would be voting it into effect right now.
American national policy since World War II has been based on the School-Yard Bully theory of diplomacy: If you know we can beat you up, you won’t force us to do it.
This approach might work if other countries weren’t run by leaders as dumb as ours, people who base their national policies on the Oh Yeah? theory of government. When they meet up with a school-yard bully, they figure they’d better test him out to see if he’s as tough as he says he is.
Our military and CIA carry out our bully policy around the world through a simple strategy: If we kill you now, we won’t have to kill you later.