| rickholio |
05-27-2004 02:21 PM |
Quote:
Originally posted by Greg B
Well how do behave in other countries might be the better question.
Are we rude, boastful, sloppy, drunk, violent?
From your vantage point how do we conduct ourselves?
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I think a large part of the perception problems in other countries come from the people representing the US abroad... there seems to be three basic types of people from the US that go abroad: military, college students and old people. Military has a long and checkered past of boozing hard and engaging in criminal acts that local governments don't get to handle internally (vis. habitual rapes and BnEs in okinawa, running over civilians in Korea, etc).
College students tend to booze and carouse too, but are less likely to be armed while doing so. Still, a brawl involving a couple juiced up frat boys will leave a bad taste in people's mouths, whether they were the cause of the problem by instigation or just simply making the mistake of revealing their country of origin in the wrong place.
Old people are old people. They can be bossy and demanding and complain bitterly when things aren't exactly the way they are at home, and nothing is ever quite 'good enough' to the point where you wonder wtf they're doing out of the trailer park in the first place. I'd suggest that the term 'ugly american' probably sources from this group.
These are all the grossest of stereotypes, of course... but stereotypes exist because a plurality actually do exhibit these traits. For example, I will never, ever, EVER go hunting with another american. The lack of respect for the use and care of firearms exhibited on one trip has forever cured me of that desire, plus it's hard to watch some pristine forest be turned into a garbage dump with numerous beer cans, cigarette butts and various plastic detria.
That being said, I know that sometimes my countrymen will go overseas and cause needless dust-ups because they lack the motivation to get familiar with the culture they're getting into. Americans don't have a monopoly on ignorant assmonkeys leaving a bad impression overseas. For example, we Canadians are purported to be very stingy tippers. :2 cents:
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