Why are Americans so defensive about America?

[Anonymous]

Europeans act like typical old money has beens that are not broke but still hold their nose and act superior when they have to deign to accept help from the new money. Like....you're broke, needy and begging. Get some perspective.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Europeans act like typical old money has beens that are not broke but still hold their nose and act superior when they have to deign to accept help from the new money. Like....you're broke, needy and begging. Get some perspective.

now* broke.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:A lot of you are making valid points about people whining and criticising. Fair enough. But I go back to OP’s original point “It BAFFLES me that any time you say anything about America is sub par, Americans FREAK OUT.”

The key word is ANYTHING. If I say I think American coffee is horrible, I guarantee there will be posters telling me to go back to my own country and that there are millions of people clustered at the border who are desperate to come so American coffee must be great (okay, I made the last bit up but you get my point).

The criticism we hear isn't about American coffee. The criticism is along the lines of oh you say you are democracy but you invade other countries and seek to impose your values on them when you don't uphold your values. These kinds of statements always have an agenda behind them. Or the criticism is along the lines of your cities are not walkable and people have to drive far to work and you all do not get a lot of vacation time--but yeah, you complainers come here to take advantage of the economy that requires these sacrificies. Oh, and specifically for European criticizers, what is the size of your country's defense budget? How much do you contribute to NATO? I thought so.

Huh? My point is that ANY criticism seems to rub some people the wrong way. You’re saying ‘we’ (guess you’re speaking for everyone?) are annoyed by the hypocrisy of the more substantive criticisms. I understand your point but are you just dismissing mine?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:A lot of you are making valid points about people whining and criticising. Fair enough. But I go back to OP’s original point “It BAFFLES me that any time you say anything about America is sub par, Americans FREAK OUT.”

The key word is ANYTHING. If I say I think American coffee is horrible, I guarantee there will be posters telling me to go back to my own country and that there are millions of people clustered at the border who are desperate to come so American coffee must be great (okay, I made the last bit up but you get my point).

The criticism we hear isn't about American coffee. The criticism is along the lines of oh you say you are democracy but you invade other countries and seek to impose your values on them when you don't uphold your values. These kinds of statements always have an agenda behind them. Or the criticism is along the lines of your cities are not walkable and people have to drive far to work and you all do not get a lot of vacation time--but yeah, you complainers come here to take advantage of the economy that requires these sacrificies. Oh, and specifically for European criticizers, what is the size of your country's defense budget? How much do you contribute to NATO? I thought so.

Yes, dismissing your point. that is my right. And if we don't want to hear your criticism, that is your right. Not saying you can't talk but doesn't mean we have to care about what you are saying. You are offended by this, the fact that we most time will choose not to care about your criticism.


Huh? My point is that ANY criticism seems to rub some people the wrong way. You’re saying ‘we’ (guess you’re speaking for everyone?) are annoyed by the hypocrisy of the more substantive criticisms. I understand your point but are you just dismissing mine?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:A lot of you are making valid points about people whining and criticising. Fair enough. But I go back to OP’s original point “It BAFFLES me that any time you say anything about America is sub par, Americans FREAK OUT.”

The key word is ANYTHING. If I say I think American coffee is horrible, I guarantee there will be posters telling me to go back to my own country and that there are millions of people clustered at the border who are desperate to come so American coffee must be great (okay, I made the last bit up but you get my point).

The criticism we hear isn't about American coffee. The criticism is along the lines of oh you say you are democracy but you invade other countries and seek to impose your values on them when you don't uphold your values. These kinds of statements always have an agenda behind them. Or the criticism is along the lines of your cities are not walkable and people have to drive far to work and you all do not get a lot of vacation time--but yeah, you complainers come here to take advantage of the economy that requires these sacrificies. Oh, and specifically for European criticizers, what is the size of your country's defense budget? How much do you contribute to NATO? I thought so.

Huh? My point is that ANY criticism seems to rub some people the wrong way. You’re saying ‘we’ (guess you’re speaking for everyone?) are annoyed by the hypocrisy of the more substantive criticisms. I understand your point but are you just dismissing mine?

Yes, dismissing your point. that is my right. And if we don't want to hear your criticism, that is your right. Not saying you can't talk but doesn't mean we have to care about what you are saying. We do not need to say "thank you for your insight, it is valued." You are offended by this, the fact that we most time will choose not to care about your criticism.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Because it is culturally unacceptable in America to say that America is not the best country in the world. They are raised on that.

We do know that people are reared and vegetables, fruits, and four legged animals are raised. So, yes, we are reared on the premise that the US is the best country in the world and, thus far, no one has proven otherwise even with all flaws.

I have lived in Europe and Asia and I know damn well it's the best.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Because it is culturally unacceptable in America to say that America is not the best country in the world. They are raised on that.

We do know that people are reared and vegetables, fruits, and four legged animals are raised. So, yes, we are reared on the premise that the US is the best country in the world and, thus far, no one has proven otherwise even with all flaws.

I have lived in Europe and Asia and I know damn well it's the best.

There are 92 countries in Europe and Asia so that’s not a very useful statement. Where did you live?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You are not American right OP? So people are not going to react well to you criticizing us. Plenty of people in the US are critical of their own country - but most people don’t like it when someone from another country is criticizing your own.

Particularly, when they come here to take advantage of our universities, Standard of living, and freedoms.

How do they "take advantage of our universities"? I can assure, having worked with foreign students that most of them are full pay and are subsidizing tuition for American students. Those who get funding are usually Ph.D.-level students who works as teaching or research assistants in exchange for tuition and a stipend. Also, "standard of living" is quite relative. Don't see too many Europeans, Canadians, or others from equally developed countries clamoring to move here for our standard of living. Ditto on freedoms--what additional freedoms do we have that people from similarly developed countries don't have?

[Anonymous]

Americans, on the whole, are just a generally stupid and unpatriotic people. True Patriots love and be proud of their country while acknowledging that it has flaws and has often fallen short of its own lofty ideals. True Patriots hold their leaders and their countrymen accountable. True Patriots don’t wave the flag and pretend that makes them good Americans while they vote for authoritarians and fascists, when they vote at all.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You are speaking of Republicans. They take everything personally. We Dems criticize ourselves all the time.

+1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The US geographically is a closed society - Canada and Mexico are neighbors yet see how we don't exactly love them. Americans aren't used to be around anyone else - it is very independent in culture. Add geography in - we aren't used to being around anyone at all - it's a difficult concept and one most are not used to in actually considering or even being open to listening to any other country's opinion. The downfall of America will be it's pride. Pride is both our strength and weakness - it is what has lifted American ingenuity, ability to impact the world positively and allowed US economic success. It is our weakness because we think we're the only ones who know anything in the world.

We don’t? Many on this very website hold Canada up as an example of what this country should be (in terms of services provided by the government) They threaten to move there if elections do not go their way, and speak glowingly of the politeness of its subjects.

And Mexico? Cuisine aside, why should anyone love the fact that Mexico enables illegal mass immigration through our Southern border? If we didn’t “love” them, we wouldn’t bend over and take it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Because it is culturally unacceptable in America to say that America is not the best country in the world. They are raised on that.

We do know that people are reared and vegetables, fruits, and four legged animals are raised. So, yes, we are reared on the premise that the US is the best country in the world and, thus far, no one has proven otherwise even with all flaws.

I have lived in Europe and Asia and I know damn well it's the best.

There are 92 countries in Europe and Asia so that’s not a very useful statement. Where did you live?

Considering all the previous random statements of "fact" on this thread, PP's opinion is just as valid as anything else.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You are speaking of Republicans. They take everything personally. We Dems criticize ourselves all the time.

Dems have the thinnest skin of anyone, anywhere. You're delusional.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm from the UK and growing up, when people criticized the UK, it was not a big deal. WE criticized ourselves. Of course there are some stereotypes I disagree with like that ALL the food is terrible. But a lot of them have merit. I feel like we constantly spoke in my family and other families about ways in which other countries were better. France had better access to good quality food and a better attitude to cooking. Japan was healthier. Most places had better weather. Having a royal family was possibly very dumb. English people are often pale and excessively embarrassing in a football abroad context. I could go on. It BAFFLES me that any time you say anything about America is sub par, Americans FREAK OUT. And immediately tell you to 'go back where you came from'. Like - WTF? Americans cannot possibly think that everything about America (obesity, drug prices, health insurance, severe weather + trailer parks, trump etc etc) is amazing. It's just not feasible - that would be lying. So what gives? Doesn't positive change happen when you are able to look inwards, see other possibilities and dream of a better way? Do ppl think they will burst into flames if they admit that Twinkies are... sub optimal?

America is a generous country. We more than pay our fair share in the world and saying "Thanks to the US," would be nice. We are also a young country and frequently a vulgar country but when natural disasters occur any where in the world, the US is first to offer aid. The US, for all its faults and there are many, is still that shining city on the hill and still the best hope for mankind.

+100
Well said. I wonder what this world would look like if the US was no longer part of the picture. I shudder to think.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Americans think that they have it better than everyone else in the world and that they are, in fact, better than other nationalities. That's why. Younger generations will not be so easily convinced about the myth of American superiority.

Signed--
an American who has lived overseas

Sadly, younger generations have been raised on a culture of victimhood and idiocy. I sincerely hope they snap out of it before entering our workplace - otherwise, this country really is doomed.