Post: #26

(04-29-2013 02:30 AM)Teedub Wrote:  

(04-29-2013 01:15 AM)InternationPlayboy Wrote:  If America didn't pull the weight for Europe in the 2nd world war, Europeans would be wearing swastikas right now.

We'd probably be speaking Russian actually. Hitler committed warfare suicide by attacking the Soviets and opening up a second front.

Let's not downplay Americas role though. It was a big turning point. England was in serious bad shape by the time we entered the war and Hitler had taken over most of Europe and Northern Africa at that point.

Post: #27

When I go abroad people generally treat me awesome. Many people ask me questions about America and how they want to come here and visit some day. On the other hand I notice a lot of negative stereotypes regarding politics like thinking everybody in America carry AK-47's, or that 100% of Americans are fat, etc.

I would never get hate but many will tell me with passion how they disagree with certain political issues. Although I do remember a British guy who told me that he didnt understand our fascination with Peanut Butter and told me that Americans have bad taste and that our food was like its people, "greasy". Other than that time I never got hate from anybody.

Although I want to know though, what is with everybody around the world and their obsession with trying a twinkie? Everybody always ask me that abroad "Do you eat twinkies?" One guy said that he paid 50 Euro on ebay to get a box of twinkies mailed to him in England because hes been wanting to try it after seeing American movies advertise it.

Overall I think people love America around the world.

Post: #28

(04-29-2013 02:53 AM)InternationPlayboy Wrote:  

(04-29-2013 02:30 AM)Teedub Wrote:  

(04-29-2013 01:15 AM)InternationPlayboy Wrote:  If America didn't pull the weight for Europe in the 2nd world war, Europeans would be wearing swastikas right now.

We'd probably be speaking Russian actually. Hitler committed warfare suicide by attacking the Soviets and opening up a second front.

Let's not downplay Americas role though. It was a big turning point. England was in serious bad shape by the time we entered the war and Hitler had taken over most of Europe and Northern Africa at that point.

Somehow every thread about the USA ends up talking about the USA saving us Europeans. It's getting old.

I recently found out about Operation Unthinkable. A plan to attack Russia right after the war against Germany stopped. The Brits and US were even planning to use a hundred thousand German soldiers but eventually bailed on the plan since the Russians outnumbered the Allied forces 4 by 1. If you see the Allied forces picture in the link it's looks more like 10 to 1 actually. I'm glad they bailed on the plan though since it looked like a horrible fail and we would probably speak Russian all over Europe if they did. By the end of the war Russia seemed to be just warming up and still had massive reserves in the east.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Unthinkable

Nowadays I think the main reason for hate on Americans are the many politically charged pictures like this floating around the net. (I don't know if any of it is true, nor have I looked in to it. It wouldn't surprise me though)

[attachment=11687]

Personally, I was pleasantly surprised by the overwhelming friendliness of Americans I met abroad (give or take a few ignorant rednecks) and in NY and DC.
I hope to see this kind of friendliness again on my 3 month visit (mainly westcoast) and of course from the members here who want to meet up.

Post: #29

(04-28-2013 08:39 PM)speakeasy Wrote:  

(04-28-2013 08:20 PM)EisenBarde Wrote:  P.S Ammericans aren't even Americans to "Latin" Americans. Los EEUU aint America to like a billion people.

I get sick of this. When you hear someone yelling "death to America" we know damn well they ain't talking about Paraguay.

Americans using the word England all the time instead of using UK or Great Britain just sounds so wrong.

Post: #30

(04-29-2013 03:46 AM)Neil Skywalker Wrote:  Somehow every thread about the USA ends up talking about the USA saving us Europeans. It's getting old.

Come on dude, are you really gonna sit here and tell me that the US didn't play a huge roll in WWII? And the Russians outnumbering the allies 4-1 is simply b/s. America had 16 mil. soldiers in the war, SU had about 22 mil. Sure, they also had some civilians are partisans fighting as well, which may have added on another couple mil, but with the British, US, and German armies combined, you're gonna tell me they were outnumbered 4-1. B/S.

Post: #31

In the UK and Ireland as an American you will get special treatment and generally loved.

Can't comment on mainland Europe but I would say don't feel as though it is exclusively anti-American anywhere. Lots of French people dislike Brits, Germans etc etc.

Post: #32

(04-29-2013 03:55 AM)InternationPlayboy Wrote:  

(04-29-2013 03:46 AM)Neil Skywalker Wrote:  Somehow every thread about the USA ends up talking about the USA saving us Europeans. It's getting old.

Come on dude, are you really gonna sit here and tell me that the US didn't play a huge roll in WWII?

I don't think that is what he is saying. It's the notion that the US saved Europe when take anyway any of the main allied nations and it would have been lost.

Post: #33

(04-29-2013 02:30 AM)Teedub Wrote:  

(04-29-2013 01:15 AM)InternationPlayboy Wrote:  If America didn't pull the weight for Europe in the 2nd world war, Europeans would be wearing swastikas right now.

We'd probably be speaking Russian actually. Hitler committed warfare suicide by attacking the Soviets and opening up a second front.

Hitler was actually winning that second front against the Soviets. Stalin was literally on his knees as the Germans were driving through Russia. If it wasnt for FDR's Lend-Lease Act which gave aid to the Soviet Union and England and America opening another front in the West (D-Day invasion) Hitler would have quite possibly taken over all of Europe. So InternationalPlayboy is right on this one.

Post: #34

I suppose the Eastern Europeans can thank the US for being subjects of the Russian rather than German empire. Not much of a prize.

Post: #35

(04-29-2013 03:55 AM)InternationPlayboy Wrote:  

(04-29-2013 03:46 AM)Neil Skywalker Wrote:  Somehow every thread about the USA ends up talking about the USA saving us Europeans. It's getting old.

Come on dude, are you really gonna sit here and tell me that the US didn't play a huge roll in WWII?

You are talking about two different things. Make a new thread on the topic and I will happily point out the issues with both polarized positions.

Post: #36

(04-29-2013 04:06 AM)MidWest Wrote:  

(04-29-2013 02:30 AM)Teedub Wrote:  

(04-29-2013 01:15 AM)InternationPlayboy Wrote:  If America didn't pull the weight for Europe in the 2nd world war, Europeans would be wearing swastikas right now.

We'd probably be speaking Russian actually. Hitler committed warfare suicide by attacking the Soviets and opening up a second front.

Hitler was actually winning that second front against the Soviets. Stalin was literally on his knees as the Germans were driving through Russia. If it wasnt for FDR's Lend-Lease Act which gave aid to the Soviet Union and England and America opening another front in the West (D-Day invasion) Hitler would have quite possibly taken over all of Europe. So InternationalPlayboy is right on this one.

Hitler did already take the whole of Europe and major parts of Africa and Russia but Hitler was too greedy and high on power to stop. Stalin and the Soviet regime were a lot smarter than him.
Russia used the scorched earth tactics in some of the more deserted areas of Russia. Since Stalin was ruthless he was willing to give up major parts of the country (and have the people butchered there without losing a night of sleep over it) just to defend other parts. It was true that the Germans almost reached Moscow and the fall of Moscow would have meant the end of Russia. But on the other hand, Moscow was so heavily fortified that it was nearly impossible to overtake. Just look at the battle of Leninggrad and Stalinggrad to see how difficult it was to take over a major Russian city.

Hitler was an egomaniac and went into the advise of all the major German generals and ordered the overtaking of Stalingrad just because the city bared the name of his much hated adversary. This was the turning point in the war.

Stalin pretty much outsmarted both the allied and the Axis forces. Read here how Russia played a major role in the surrender of Japan http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soviet%E2%8...War_(1945)

Russians play chess, Americans play poker. That's the difference.

That said I'm glad Holland was liberated (by the Canadians mostly) and that we ended up a free western nation not bowing to Russian or German totalitarian will.

Post: #37

(04-29-2013 04:17 AM)Vicious Wrote:  

(04-29-2013 03:55 AM)InternationPlayboy Wrote:  

(04-29-2013 03:46 AM)Neil Skywalker Wrote:  Somehow every thread about the USA ends up talking about the USA saving us Europeans. It's getting old.

Come on dude, are you really gonna sit here and tell me that the US didn't play a huge roll in WWII?

You are talking about two different things. Make a new thread on the topic and I will happily point out the issues with both polarized positions.

Yes, this sound like a good idea. A separate thread so that we can keep the other threads clear of militairy history. Let me start one.

Post: #38

(04-29-2013 04:06 AM)MidWest Wrote:  

(04-29-2013 02:30 AM)Teedub Wrote:  

(04-29-2013 01:15 AM)InternationPlayboy Wrote:  If America didn't pull the weight for Europe in the 2nd world war, Europeans would be wearing swastikas right now.

We'd probably be speaking Russian actually. Hitler committed warfare suicide by attacking the Soviets and opening up a second front.

Hitler was actually winning that second front against the Soviets. Stalin was literally on his knees as the Germans were driving through Russia. If it wasnt for FDR's Lend-Lease Act which gave aid to the Soviet Union and England and America opening another front in the West (D-Day invasion) Hitler would have quite possibly taken over all of Europe. So InternationalPlayboy is right on this one.

He was winning up to a point, but his army was very, very unprepared for the extreme winter weather conditions. The turning point of the war was the Battle of Stalingrad, not American involvement. I'm not being anti-American, but I'm also not going to overstate the influence of 'Murica in WW2. But yes, they did help.

Post: #39

(04-29-2013 04:43 AM)Teedub Wrote:  

(04-29-2013 04:06 AM)MidWest Wrote:  

(04-29-2013 02:30 AM)Teedub Wrote:  

(04-29-2013 01:15 AM)InternationPlayboy Wrote:  If America didn't pull the weight for Europe in the 2nd world war, Europeans would be wearing swastikas right now.

We'd probably be speaking Russian actually. Hitler committed warfare suicide by attacking the Soviets and opening up a second front.

Hitler was actually winning that second front against the Soviets. Stalin was literally on his knees as the Germans were driving through Russia. If it wasnt for FDR's Lend-Lease Act which gave aid to the Soviet Union and England and America opening another front in the West (D-Day invasion) Hitler would have quite possibly taken over all of Europe. So InternationalPlayboy is right on this one.

He was winning up to a point, but his army was very, very unprepared for the extreme winter weather conditions. The turning point of the war was the Battle of Stalingrad, not American involvement. I'm not being anti-American, but I'm also not going to overstate the influence of 'Murica in WW2. But yes, they did help.

Britain would most likely have fallen to the Nazis had the Americans not stepped in. They helped in a huge way.

Post: #40

(04-29-2013 04:45 AM)InternationPlayboy Wrote:  

(04-29-2013 04:43 AM)Teedub Wrote:  

(04-29-2013 04:06 AM)MidWest Wrote:  

(04-29-2013 02:30 AM)Teedub Wrote:  

(04-29-2013 01:15 AM)InternationPlayboy Wrote:  If America didn't pull the weight for Europe in the 2nd world war, Europeans would be wearing swastikas right now.

We'd probably be speaking Russian actually. Hitler committed warfare suicide by attacking the Soviets and opening up a second front.

Hitler was actually winning that second front against the Soviets. Stalin was literally on his knees as the Germans were driving through Russia. If it wasnt for FDR's Lend-Lease Act which gave aid to the Soviet Union and England and America opening another front in the West (D-Day invasion) Hitler would have quite possibly taken over all of Europe. So InternationalPlayboy is right on this one.

He was winning up to a point, but his army was very, very unprepared for the extreme winter weather conditions. The turning point of the war was the Battle of Stalingrad, not American involvement. I'm not being anti-American, but I'm also not going to overstate the influence of 'Murica in WW2. But yes, they did help.

Britain would most likely have fallen to the Nazis had the Americans not stepped in. They helped in a huge way.

There's a new thread, we'll continue discussion there. Yeah you're possibly right, but I disagree that we'd all be speaking German now, or wearing swastikas, as the Soviets would have just kept marching West and would have taken over a battered, bruised and exhausted Western Europe after they'd defeated Germany.

EDIT- I've copied the above into a new thread.

Post: #41

Let me get this thread on the right track by saying that I LOVE Americans, their culture and the American dream. I literally had tears in my eyes when flying into New York and looking through the window over New York.

It was a dream to visit New York ever since I was a child. It was also the last country on a epic 3 year trip so that helped my sentimentalism also. I can't wait to set foot in America again and explore the cities on the west coast.

Post: #42

I've never experienced it, and you can see from my user profile that I've traveled a lot.

I have been stereotyped e.g. everyone assumes I'd like to know where to find a good hamburger.

Post: #43

Yeah America is still frequently seen as "cool" and everything over here, nothing wrong with that. I'd love to be heading to the States this summer on 'vacation'. My cousins go to Florida every year. If they went to LA for a change, I'd definitely be trying to tag along. I've got extended family in Dallas as well, and hope to head out to see them sometime in the near future.

Post: #44

America is still America. Has a lot of issues, well so does everybody else. In our lifetime and for a very long time in the future, it is not losing it's place.

As for hate, well either they are jealous or disagree with its foreign policy. One example that I disagree with and not hate about america is its policy on Cuba. I'm greedy, less Americans visiting Cuba is good for me. However, once I am out of the game, they can close Guantanamo and give back Cuban land to Cuba. I'm sure many would agree that gitmo needs to be returned to Cuba, irregardless of political differences.

Post: #45

@InternationPlayboy

Ah you dont like dog turd stew? There you go!

I think mostly Scandinavians arent hating on Americans as individuals, but we don`t agree with the way you operate in politics at times. I`d defenatly tell it straight to you if it was brought up, but ofcourse in a civil manner, not a douche-manner.

And yes indeed, I think we`d see a very different Europe if it wasn`t for the USs contribution in Europe during WW2. With the exception of the French, I haven`t heard anything but gratitude for the effeorts made by US soldiers! At the same time we wouldn`t know the true effects of the atomic bom and napalm on people either.

Post: #46

Been thinking lately about the subject of American naivete. I've been thinking about starting a thread about this, not sure if people want to hear it.

A quick disclaimer - I'm half American, and love this country, and wouldn't want any other country to be the global hegemony instead of us. The people can be some of the best and most giving in the world.

With that being said, when abroad it can seem at times that Americans are the most naive people on the planet.

A few examples:

US Diplomat Killed on Afghan Mission She Coveted
This poor girl thought that bringing books to schoolgirls in Afghanistan would help 'advance' the country. Come on - they kill people there for educating women. If you insist on doing it, at least let the Airborne Rangers clear the area first.

And don't say 'well only a girl would be that dumb', think about the Vietnam war and the naive 'bright young men', Americans who thought they'd be helping the country by invading it.

Same thing in Iraq. Trying to do 'nation building' in a country with no understanding whatsoever of the local culture.

To get off the military track; while doing business abroad, I once had a Dutch salesman tell me "I like doing business with Americans. They are so trusting and straight-forward." Another European businessman told me "Americans will believe anything you tell them. But if they catch you lying once, they'll never work with you again."

Another example is bargaining. Most Americans wouldn't consider bargaining, even in a Middle East market. If they do, they actually just take the salesman's starting offer (i.e. $250 for a 'genuine' Persian rug he bought for $2.50 from a Chinese merchant), and just drop it down 10%, and are happy with themselves for their tough negotiating skills.

Also the ridiculous street scams people fall for. I still see Americans throwing away money to the 3 Card Monte dealer on La Rambla in Barcelona, or being charged triple because they didn't ask the price of a cab ride beforehand in Athens.

I think part of the reason for this American naivete is that the country is so large, and many people don't travel or even own a passport. Contrast that to Europe, where a four hour drive can bring you across three countries. America can be something of a 'bubble'.

So, to tie this back into the OP, I haven't experienced much 'American hate' abroad, aside from a bit during the GW Bush era, but it does seem that Americans have a big rep for being naive throughout much of the world.

Post: #47

I agree that a lot of American "hate" is indeed jealously. A lot claim it's because we are a "bully" and use our military to get our way (somewhat true), but I imagine that if we pulled out of everywhere, we'd still get hate (the hate would switch from "being a bully" to "being selfish and not doing something").

Same type of people that gladly take your money when you vacation in their country, but get holier-than-thou the second you have the gall to raise your eyes at one of "their" women. But it's okay if they sleep with American women, because they are not their culture.

I get the "ugly American" stereotype and is somewhat deserved, but the funny thing is that foreigners are rarely better when they travel, its just comparatively speaking there are much fewer of them they don't stand out like Americans do.

The masses will always hate the top dog and find ways to cut them down since they are too weak to confront them directly.

Post: #48

Americans have a strong personality, it can be good and it can be bad.

I met several Americans while traveling during my months in SEA, many was very nice, and some of them was better left alone.

All in all I got a better view on Americans than what media led me to believe.

Are americans traveling abroad a good representation for Americans in general?

Post: #49

(04-28-2013 09:49 PM)Lemmo Wrote:  [...]

And I was taught that "americano" was the Spanish word for someone from the United States. It may be that my Spanish teacher lied and Latin Americans use a different term but I doubt it. My Spanish is too basic to use regularly but when I've described myself as "americano" people seemed to understand what I meant.

no your teacher didn't lie, but the etymology of americano applies only if you are actually IN the USA. once you enter Latin America, it has a broader meaning

Post: #50

(04-29-2013 04:33 AM)Neil Skywalker Wrote:  Russians play chess, Americans play poker. That's the difference.

i'll take poker any day !!!