Do you like the US?

[Phlegmak]

and let me add another thing: I dislike the fact that I need a car and a licence to go anywhere. Greyhound buses, please.

Los Angeles. San Francisco. New York City. Mass transit takes you everywhere.

 

[Irish Caesar]

Yeah, I realise that there is cultural diversity in the US - it's the degree compared to that in Europe which I was trying to highlight. I do recognise that St Louis feels really quite different to New York, or Chicago or San Diego - but the degree of difference is much less than comparing London, Paris, Barcelona, Moscow (ugh) and Munich, say. I was just using the malls and the TV shows as examples.

True, but you're comparing one country to a continent with many countries. Of course there's going to be more similarity between San Francisco and Denver and Miami and Boston than London and Rome and Paris and Moscow.

Mass transit takes you everywhere.

I challenge you to come to Atlanta and say that!

 

[Phlegmak]

I challenge you to come to Atlanta and say that!

I wasn't talking about Atlanta. I was talking about three cities only.

 

[Lambert Simnel]

True, but you're comparing one country to a continent with many countries. Of course there's going to be more similarity between San Francisco and Denver and Miami and Boston than London and Rome and Paris and Moscow.

We could argue about the physical distance between these cities, but I'm not sure it makes much sense. My original point was that I liked the USA, despite its relative cultural homogeneity. Saying it's one country perhaps helps explains the relative lack of variation, but doesn't make it go away.

Nice place overall, but there are times when I flit between office, mall, hotel, taxis, restaurants and airport & find there is no real difference between St Louis, Chicago and New York*. Even with a similarly limited itinery in Europe, you'll noice a big difference between London, Paris, Rome and Glasgow.

(Edit: * Please note that I accept there are differences between these locations if you get around a bit more...)

 

[Rambuchan]

I agree with Lambert and would like to register the fact I'm not American but I do always enjoy going there. This quite simply tells me I like the place, so I shall vote as such. I'm also quite aware of the fact that the widespread anti-Americanism we see these days has only come about owing to certain presidents (not just the most recent). For example, America was still highly regarded when Clinton was in office. It's only "that dynasty" which has spoiled it for all Americans in recent decades.

 

[CurtSibling]

I agree with Ram, there is more the USA than just the leaders.

There is so much there to see and experience, much like all nations.

.

 

[kingjoshi]

I challenge you to come to Atlanta and say that!

Maybe the local government should work on it?

Chicago and Boston also have good mass transit. I think DC does as well.

 

[PrinceOfLeigh]

I lived in just outside Chicago in Elgin, IL, for a few months and I loved it when I was there. I was never able to get a descent breakfast drenched in oil and fat as it should be, and I did look at each person and think (do you have a gun) but on the whole the people I met there were strangely welcoming. (It baffles me that people I barely know would offer you their home when they live in such a violent place.)

Notwithstanding the above, I also like the other countries I've been to as much as I liked the US but for different reasons. Paris for example is dripping in culture in a way that no US city can compete with. The people however are not warm and do not offer you to dinner

***DISCLAIMER
- All of the above is a generalisation based upon my experience only.

 

[anarres]

Well I *hate* the general right-wing "help yourself or f-off" attitude that pervades in the USA. The total refusal to see social issues as issues, and the stupid stupid patriotism that exists to every corner of the nation. Oh and the damn rightous-right-of-right-wing-religous-fundies that also seem to exist in every nook and cranny.

TBH I think it would drive me nuts.

But I wouldn't say I hate the USA, just some of it's current social trends and attitudes, and about half of the people.

I find that the more informed a non-American is about the USA, the less they hate it.

Actually going there for 5 weeks when I was 15 kind of made me hate everywhere but San Fransisco (*great* people) and the Grand Canyon (great scenery). We only did about 7 or 8 cities but I really didn't like them.

News to you....if you hate half the people in the USA...then you hate the USA irregardless.

You know I think I hate some people more than others , but meh, ok, I HATE ALL OF AMERICA, cos MobBoss said so, and he is king dong and must be obeyed.

 

[bhsup]

Actually going there for 5 weeks when I was 15 kind of made me hate everywhere but San Fransisco (*great* people) and the Grand Canyon (great scenery). We only did about 7 or 8 cities but I really didn't like them.

That was your mistake, staying in so many cities. You ought to redo the trip and resolve to stay in rural communities or small towns next time. Now, you won't be able to find many high class establishments to stay at, but I think you'll find a friendlier attitude overall.

 

[McManus]

I like the US in general, its people, (some of) its culture, but nowadays, I hate its politics and policies, its attitudes and its pride.

 

[RegentMan]

I'm an American and I like the US.

 

[anarres]

That was your mistake, staying in so many cities. You ought to redo the trip and resolve to stay in rural communities or small towns next time. Now, you won't be able to find many high class establishments to stay at, but I think you'll find a friendlier attitude overall.

You could be right, but I did spend a lot of time in NY state, and stayed a lot in the suberbs.

Most of the time was spent with relatives in their houses rather then hotels, so I imagine we got a fairly non-tourist view.

And just to be clear I wasn't jaded by my relatives: My US relatives are nearly all Conservatives, with a couple of black sheep hardcore left-wingers (in the real sense, not Dems). They are also nearly all Jewish, some cultural only and some orthadox.

I have to say my issue was with the inbuilt belief that nearly everyone I met had: that the USA was not only the greatest nation on earth, but anyone who doubted it was unpatriotic. And this was before 9/11. This is a cultural trait that sucks to everyone else in the world, but that is seen as a positive cultural trait by those who have it.

And to prove my point: Go in to any bar in the USA and start chanting "U S A! U S A! U S A!" and everyone will join in. Do that in any bar in any other country, and people would look at you as though you are mentally ill. In fact, if I went to my local pub now and started chanting "U K! U K! U K!" I'd probably just get smacked.

 

[Adebisi]

Some things I like, some things I dont. But overall I have a positive picture, yeah.

 

[Phlegmak]

If anyone cares, this is what I see at the moment. 71% of respondants like the US, 29% dislike it. 88% of American respondants like it, and 56% of nonAmericans like it. That's amazingly bad.


I'm an American and I like the US. 73 42.69%
I'm an American and I dislike the US. 10 5.85%
I'm not an American and I like the US. 49 28.65%
I'm not an American and I dislike the US. 39 22.81%

 

[downtown]

Maybe the local government should work on it?

Chicago and Boston also have good mass transit. I think DC does as well.

I'm not a fan of the Chicago systems. DC has some faults, but man, METRO is GREAT!

 

[Irish Caesar]

Yep, Washington and Boston have it figured out.

MARTA has some interesting financial issues, though...I heard how they get their funding, and I was rather surprised...but now I don't remember if it's a State of Georgia project, a City of Atlanta project, or a Fulton County project. I think it needs a lot of work...new lines, more drivers...but I just don't see it happening. Atlanta is too spread out for what we have for public transportation right now.

 

[Lambert Simnel]

In fact, if I went to my local pub now and started chanting "U K! U K! U K!" I'd probably just get smacked.

On the other hand, choose your time carefully, and you can go into at least half the pubs in England and start chanting "Ing-ger-land, Ing-ger-land, Ing-ger-land" and many others will join in.

I do agree with the patriotism comment, though. Relatively few Americans seem to share or even understand the rather mixed feelings that many Europeans have about their countries. To be honest, though, it is almost impossible for citizens of countries with such strong colonial pasts as the UK, France, Germany, Portugal, Spain and the Netherlands not to be aware of the strongly negative aspects of their countries treatment of others. Many Americans see at worst mistakes in their past, and not the abuse of others for self-interest which UK citizens have got to recognise in their own country.

 

[SS-18 ICBM]

I like America.
America under Bush, that's a different story...

 

[conquer_dude]

I love America! And I support Jimi Hendrix's all-American Star Spangled Banner!