Why people hate and generalize Americans when?

USA is only about 62.6% non Hispanic white, and 12% of Americans are foreign born. Source: http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/00000.html

USA is one of the most diverse and populated countries. People in rural West Virginia or Alabama would generally not share the same cultural values as people in Hawaii or San Franciso for example. I could understand why people may generalize Germans, Indians or Chinese, but it makes little sense to me why people generilize a country such as USA. Why?

Because it's funny

you probably should have stated what people are generalizing Americans as

Envy, plain and simple.

Along the same reasons why people generalize any group. One of the major ones is ignorance. Only paying attention to the most vocal or awful examples. Ignoring stuff that goes against their preconceived notions. Like people who view gay people as bitter, angry people who want to overthrow all and force the abandonment of all traditional values.

Probably because it's the country most prominently on display in the media. Foreign news are normally about the US (99% bad news, 1% inconsequential news more often than not...nobody cares to cover acts of kindness, etc), music, tv shows, movies, most of them come from the US, and mostly everywhere you go on the internet (not exactly known to be full of intelligent and articulated people) is full of Americans. Adding to all of that, some subsets of American culture seem to create some of the most annoying individuals in the world. So it's just all too easy to generalise and think that those people represent all Americans (yes, it's wrong to do so).

Speaking stricly online, for every nice American I meet, I meet 3 or 4 assholes, which is not so different from the percentage I get from other countries; I just meet a lot more Americans than any other nationality. Also, to distort the situation even more, it's easy to (wrongly) assume most people you talk to online are American because a lot of people adopt US writing habits, so some of those assholes might not even be American =P

Adding to that, Americans are so used to being treated as the scum of the Earth by other countries that most of them seemed to have developed a knee-jerk reaction to anything remotely offensive, coming through as assholes even if they aren't. It's a lose-lose situation.

Because America has a large influence on the globe and people don't like that. Along with being at the center of media doesn't help. It's easy to point fingers at a country that is getting attention.

I never understood why people waste so much energy hating other people.

it's mainly because a lot of your laws are simply inhumane.

and also because you invade countries for no reason and support criminals like israel

the attention has nothing do with it

obama brought your country forward, you should thank him.

@jasean79: lol

do you actually think anyone envies you

it's compassion because the people of the us don't have much of a say in government issues.

So many people jailed over little things that other countries (which have some common sense) don't punish you for.

No.

America has plenty of attention. Tell me how many times out of ten your country would go on the news for scandal in the government or something bad your government did. People sure as hell enjoy talking about all the negative things America has done but don't have the guts to talk about their own country because they'll look like hypocrites.

EDIT: All countries have their own problems but people seem to enjoy talking about America as if they live in the country itself and know how everything works in America.

Lol.

@Barbariser:

What I meant was that those countries are mostly racially homogeneous and people in those countries generally share similar cultural values and have similar accents so it would at least make more sense to generalize them, as oppose to generalizing Americans who are much more different from each other.

Because it's popular. It's funny, though. We'll be insulted behind our backs but when a country needs help they call us.

Fatty bum-bums. But in some cultures... being fat is just a sign of wealth. So maybe it's a compliment.

@crazyguy111: So you're saying it's alright to generalize germans?

Pot calling the kettle black much? It seems you've forgotten your own history.

We are far more humane than you have been in the past.

This is comical. Your line of thinking is so beyond warped I...I...I can't even comment on it.

At least I can spell tyranny...

@jasean79: he sure is an odd duck

Since I've already responded to this in previous threads I'll pick your newest addition to this idiotic list: "Shooting someone when I'm a cop will give me a lot explaining to do." As an American cop I go through the same process that European cops go through when they're involved in an incident where they discharged their firearms. An investigation is conducted, I'm drug tested, and I'm either cleared to go back to duty, or I'm not. If I'm not the case will either get brought to the DA's office or if the incident didn't result in loss of life I might just be fired.

So please explain to me how that doesn't constitute explaining myself.

But yeah envy isn't why people generalize us

That's silly thought

Evil dead seems very much an ignorant naive guy

Wow! I'll pack my bags!!

please stay there...

That you don't infect our youngsters with your radical ways

Rofl. Evildead you really are an idiot. If you're the result of radical liberalism, I really don't want any of that over here.

liberalism?

it's all socialism here allthough our latest elections have given us right winged results, a lot of people want to get rid of the immigrants

the lowered benefits that have been announced will not digest so well i guess.

Normally you get 200 € per child/ monthly, now it's diminished to 150€. Well , ecomization for everyone i guess

And when i ever would go to the usa (probably not anyone, i don't like bars (metal bars)), it would only be on travel.

And it's also what we describe as liberalism in our lexicon. So thank you for proving me correct: You are an idiot.

Air don't be silly darling

Edited out what evildead said because what he just said is beyond questionable. Criticism is accepted but that was an inappropriate way of talking about your freedoms in the country you live in. Please don't aggravate people like that.

why the namecalling?

i haven an iq of 145 btw, so i'm actually the opposite of an idiot

Well liberalism where I come from means, free market, stuff like that. We're past the point we have to be liberated from religion or silly lawmaking.

To be a guest speaker at a psychology and/or engineering convention?

I don't work anymore

Because you deserve it. You flame us constantly and I'm supposed to be friendly to you? Please.

You haven't been demonstrating those smarts.

You already know what it means for us Americans. So why did you press the point?

Sorry, but everything I said is true, If you want any proof I'm happy to mail it to you.

I'm from belgium, you know , the red devils football team.

Well, I'm just trying to help, you take this way to seriously

Is it so hard to respect other cultures and that doesn't mean we can't laugh with each others cultures.

What does liberalism mean in America?

It has nothing to do with being true. The way you put it was just to make people angry and provoke others.

Hey air, have you played the destiny beta?

People may say a lot of shit about the US. Yet, it's still the number one choice for immigrants to live in.

well if you're a cop, then i'm sorry i said than apparently I have the wrong idea about cops shooting guns in the usa.

The other stuff in the list is all true

edit you may have been offended by what i said about 17 year olds stealing a cop car

the thing , is nobody knows to shoot a gun here, so the police wasn't really affraid to get hit .

oh ok, sorry about that, I was just fishing how people in the usa would react to certain aspects of my culture

The US mostly gets flack for their role as a world police. In the eyes of many non-Americans, the American government is seen as warmongers and heavily partial in international issues.

Stupidity.....