Why other counties HATE Americans!

[artful dodger]

What I can't stand is when you call an American company and you hear "For English, press 1" and if you are not quick enough you are hit with a barrage of Spanish. Why do we have to bow to the ones who don't speak our language? You're in this country now. If I go to Spain or France or whatever, I won't expect them to all speak English. Why does the same not apply here? Why do foreigners get tax breaks here? I've lived here all my life and could never get the breaks these people get. It just does not make sense.

[redgirlshell]

Ah Artful, that happens everywhere. We have street signs in greek, vietnamese, chinese, japanese etc Thankfully we dont have the phone thingy though.

I agree, if you chose to live in a country you must learn the language. If not reading and writing it at least learn how to speak it. I work in customer relations and often used to get people come in speaking russian and got annoyed (well at least it sounded like they were annoyed) cos i couldnt understand them.

Red

[lavieenrose]

It's weird, yeah, but I think they do it cause they want to maintain as wide a customer base as possible. Why not make their service bilingual if they can tap a large portion of the American population in the process? It's all about the benjamins, as they used to say.

[lavieenrose]

Oh, and about people in foreign countries hating Americans: it's been my experience that they think American culture is the coolest in the world, especially in places where they don't speak English, but they're not pleased with "our" world-view (neither are some of us, for that matter). I haven't been abroad for over 10 years, so perhaps this would be different nowadays.

[RuthsHere]

I know some Aussies who hate the word "Krikey".

I am self absorbed. I don't even know much about my own country let alone the rest of the world. (then again I hide my smarts behind my Gilligan-ish persona)

I am one of those Americans who isn't learned in other cultures and things. I will freely admit this.

but if you go to Mexico and expect English speaking people... stay home. ha! (what the people on TV don't know...)

[illumination70]

I hear ya Redgirlshell,
I work in retail (as a demonstrator/sampler) and I get the same stuff whenever I encounter some of the older Russians.

[desertduranie]

I lived in Europe for a number of years in the late 80s and I was often embarrassed by Americans behavior. In addition to the traits already mentioned you can spot, or rather hear an American, from far away: they are loud and obnoxious, especially young people who were more often than not drunk. I in no way intend to demean the troops but I understand why the Germans didn't like the American soldiers: they were among the worst offenders in the loudness and rudeness. In fact I once pretended to speak only German when a few hit on me. I think every American, or at least college graduate, should be required to spend a year abroad to expand his or her understanding of the world, and have to manage in entirely strange situations. As far as politics, the government's policies have a big impact. In the 80s, after Reagan, many Europeans wanted to know that you were a "good" American, in that you didn't support Reagan/Bush I policies. During the Clinton administration it was more comfortable to be an American in Europe. I can only imagine it now.

[NineTails]

In Ireland, we get the elderly American tourists. Now, I'm not anti American, simply because I was born in the States. I just moved to Ireland when I was 3.

You can spot these tourists a mile off. They're usually wearing Aran sweaters, sometimes teamed with tartan trousers. They have at least one digital camera plus a video camera hanging off of them, while they proclaim everything to be 'cute'. All they're short of doing is asking where the local leprechaun colony is, lol.

[iami]

Yes, the people in many countries hate our current administration, but I don't think that's the reason they dislike Americans. With regard to Bush, I detect two attitudes: (1) we got what we deserved, having been so self-centered for so long; or (2) extreme pity.

However, I visited Europe during the Reagon, Bush, Clinton, and Bush II administrations, and the attitudes towards Americans were pretty much the same, regardless. The fact is, many Americans are rude and obnoxious when overseas, and I was completely embarrassed on many occasions. E.g., I recall being on a tram in Basel when some American tourists got on, bragging LOUDLY that they had driven through the Black Forest in Germany without ever reading a road sign because they weren't in English, had probably violated at least 20 rules, and never got caught. Everyone was watching them and rolling their eyes. UGH!

On the brighter side, if you get to really sit down and talk with Europeans, get to know them, and are polite and respectful yourself, you can change a lot of attitudes. I remember being told, "Wow, I didn't know Americans could be so nice." That made me feel quite pleased.

iami

[Khanada]

Stop putting the Canadian Flag on things when you travel, its pisses us Canadians off. That was our trick so people new we weren't American. Now we have to carry around Tim Hortons coffee.