People of the world, lets face the facts: Most "Americans" are your saviors.

Fifty..........

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Being an American, it is only logical that he got a distorted image of people's views on America. Few people would say to someone's face: "Hey, I fucking hate your country dude".

However, the views of young Europeans on America are neither entirely negative nor entirely positive. Most young Europeans abhor America politically, and a vast majority consider it to be intolerant, fundamentalist, aggressive, arrogant and culturally ignorant. I am by no means a supporter of the Bush administration, American mass culture or the American political system, but in almost all discussions I have with others at my university I am by far the most "pro-American".

On the other hand, everybody realizes that America is at the forefront of research, technology, business and popular culture. Ambitious young Europeans want to study at Harvard, Yale, Berkeley or Columbia, not the University of Amsterdam, Humboldt University or the University of Bordeaux. Their idea of success is, ultimately, to be successful in New York, Silicon Valley or Hollywood. Not because they like American culture taken as a whole, but because the places where it's happening in the world right now are in America.

Cory, I always appreciate your posts because they generally get people thinking.

I have about 30 to 40 of those stamps on my passports, as I've been fortunate enough to travel all over the world and to most states in the USA. Some things that I've learned.

1. There seems to be as many Americans wishing to live elsewhere as non-Americans wishing to live here. At least I seem to meet a lot of both.

2. It's a fact that Americans are one of the most uneducated of all the industrialized countries. It gets worse when looking at current affairs, math and science. I find that many non-Americans know far more about America then some pretty smart Americans.

3. Anyone that thinks they know or understand anything because they learned it in school is as clueless as they think they are smart.

4. When you really talk to people you will find that most vote for a D or R because they always have and for no other reason.

5. The poor are not better off here then they are in other industrialized nations. True they may have a TV but they get poor education, terrible health care and generally die young. It also sucks to be old here and that?s getting worse every day.

6. The differences between people in South Carolina and New York (or any 2 states that far apart) is fucking huge. They can barely understand each other much less agree on anything.

7. Most, not all, Americans that think our shit don?t stink have never spent any real time else where.

I totally agree. I especially like number 5!

Well said Cory.