Why am I bothered by anti-American sentiments?

LBA! whats happened to your spegging??

Don't know how, but I phink I furgat hou to spegg todaye!  Phanks fer poignting that out two mee becawz that's really helpful!!!   

I think no one is attractive in BCGs and BDUs.  I have a feeling they were staring at me because my top button on my jacket pocket wasn't buttoned after removing my glasses in the morning.

How could they have noticed across the dining hall?  HOW?  The only thing I can think of is that they just picked every other female with glasses.  One of them would be bound to forget to button it. 

At least I always rememered my cover. 

LBA, I get what you are doing, but I don't think it is fair to drag Jim into it.


Vicky

LBA, I get what you are doing, but I don't think it is fair to drag Jim into it.


Vicky

My original point to Jim was to take care when typing something that, at face value, could have been interpreted as a direct compliment, which could have made the recipient uncomfortable (particularly as Jim is married) and the wife jealous.

I didn't expect the thread to take the turn that it did, and took advantage of making a point when opportunity struck. 

I don't think anyone would see my last post (before the one full of misspellings) as referring to Jim in terms of the women in other cultures aspect.  If so, apologies to Jim, and just be sensitive to how your wife might feel if she read your posts. 

And I'm not having a dig at you either, just illustrating how certain arguments work (or don't work) when applied with a broad brush - nothing personal of course.

I wanted to dance around and shout, "SEE?!  Americans aren't the only ones who make occasional geography mistakes!" 

I've had this from fellow Brits on quite a number of occasions.  You know the sort of thing, "Stupid insular American was here the other day and didn't even know the capital of Wales!"   

"So what's the capital of Iowa?"

<Silence> ......

[MOD NOTE]

Everybody pack it in, please.   We locked one topic tonight.  Let's not let it spread into this one.  If people can't stop themselves from carrying a feud on all over the forum perhaps they need to take a breather.

I've had this from fellow Brits on quite a number of occasions.  You know the sort of thing, "Stupid insular American was here the other day and didn't even know the capital of Wales!"   

"So what's the capital of Iowa?"

<Silence> ......

ROFL!

LBA,
I've been married 43 years. My wife knows who she is and doesn't get jealous. She is, IMO, a jewel.

Congratulations, Jim - glad to hear it.

LBA,
I've been married 43 years. My wife knows who she is and doesn't get jealous. She is, IMO, a jewel.

Your lady sounds secure with her relationship and that's good. I'm sure she knows that she's loved, and that's why she doesn't worry about it.

Luckily, I haven't encountered too much of this yet, but when I have had to correct someone's assumption about America, I did it as gently as possible.  But I truly believe a lot of it (just as I dont' know how things work here yet, and the regional differences that can affect views and such) is not willful ignorance, but just because people don't know any better.  I really don't know the geography here yet, nor would I expect someone to know the surrounding states around say, North Dakota.  What would bother me more any day of the week is if someone were racist/sexist/homophobic and saying those sorts of things around me.  So if they think Americans are fat or lazy or whatever - that stuff doesn't really bother me. 

I will say, though, that I might be having an easier time of it because I'm from New York City, and I have found everyone's reaction to NY overwhelmingly positive and I find that London and NY do share similar views in terms of being more broadly liberal.  And we're used to crowded transporation and walking fast. 

I am an American, and that being said I would have to agree with the notion that American in general are NOT aware of the world around them as much as people living in UK. Foremost, Americans on an average are terrbile on world geography, much less their own geography. Second, American news does not talk about foreign affairs that much, it actually barely mentions anything outside of the current wars and economic problems. I have to tune in to the BBC America just to see what is going on in the world. Go figure. And a perfect example i can give you, is the most American didn't even know what a Sunni or shia was until after 9/11, lol. British have known the difference for at least since WWI. I don't think it is the fault of Americans in particular, just that they are isolated land wise to the rest of the world. Britain being located where it is, must understand its surrounding more in order to survive, and having a nice big empire didn't hurt either. 


Now about the culture comment. I would have to side with the guy who said that for the most part or at least i understand where he's comming from. Here in American there is not one popular culture per se, like i suppose in Britain. Every region does it's own thing, sometimes it is totally different to the point you think your in another country. And it changes so often that to me seems ridiculous. No your right, that doesn't mean there is no culture, but i think those aspects i outlined is what that guy was getting at.

And i agree generalizing is silly. Because i personally have always been well aware of the world around me, and maybe you have too, but i would say most have not been and are not now, even after this global war on terror.


Basically it comes down to where your countries located, I bet more Americans know more about Mexican culture than British people do, right? ok

and I bet that more British people know more about lets say, Arab culture, right? ok

so there you go.

oh and lastly, our world geography courses in school are a joke, unless you take extensive classes at a good university.


ok i done. 

Do you ever get the feeling that when people compare the generic American to the generic citizen of another country, they're comparing our dumber guys with everybody else's smarter guys?

Do you ever get the feeling that when people compare the generic American to the generic citizen of another country, they're comparing our dumber guys with everybody else's smarter guys?

LOL, yea that tends to happen, but you have to look at it in a unscientific average.

Yea, that doesnt sound any better..... but it is the best method out there. 

Its worth mentioning (if it hasnt been already) that what may be taken as anti American sentiment may just be misunderstood humour or ... just misunderstanding in general. Things dont work the way they might at home, yr coming in from a different angle. I recall people thinking the US Top Gear special was very anti US and it more a self effacing pisstake of stupid brits abroad I thought.