America seen from abroad: Arrogant, nice, tech-savvy, free

The plural of anecdote is not data.

America lost any "nice" image when Bush and Cheney started their illegal "war" in Iraq.

This PR write up does not even come close to fixing that.

So the rest of us are defined by the politicians?

What's that strange noise I hear? Ah, it's the sound of someone scraping the bottom of the barrel.

No doubt we are direct and to the point.... we are very "bottom line" oriented and have a difficult time understanding complex business relationships that have been built up over time. When I first came to Japan I was often frustrated over the way things were done here. There were steps we took in the completion of a task that made no obvious sense to me. Over time I realized that those steps were needed in Japan. One thing to remember about business in the USA. The U.S. has seen growth of population and industry going on for 200 years... when you have growth you do not have the need for complex business relationships since the pie itself is still growing and coveting certain markets is not necessary. Not all markets of course but a large enough portion to still provide the American Dream if you're smart and work hard.

There are a lot of us Americans that have traveled abroad and who have come to love other countries, and to know - to a greater degree - their people. I lived in Japan a long time, and did, during that time, come to love the Japanese people, their culture, society, customs, traditions, and the land itself. Thought I spent considerably less time in other parts of the world, there is much to like and to dislike about those places to and in which I lived and traveled.

If I had the opportunity, I would return to Japan in particular, and to Asia in General, in a moment. I love the USA, and if I spend the rest of my days here, it's all good, but Japan, Republic of Korea, Mexico, Brazil, and other places, have treasure and great things about them as well.

I'm astounded no one said "guns".

Multicultural, multicolor, free thinking, "good" individualism and diversity, yeah, after so many years in Japan you crave for all these things. One thing that spoils the beautiful America = very easy access to guns. No need to ban them, just make it a bit harder (in my country you have to either prove or have an interview to tell why you need a gun)

Guns & God.

America lost any "nice" image when Bush and Cheney started their illegal "war" in Iraq.

Some might say that myth, but others would be happy that the butcher of Baghdad is no longer with us.

So the rest of us are defined by the politicians?

Very good question.

@thunderbird

Not a bad analogy or request fair enough.

Blah, blah, blah. It was very difficult to get through this article. The final point is SK, and to some part Japan, who sense a threat call the USA. In the USA election process today, many people see President Obama as weak. The USA taxpayer who supports the GOP candidate are tired of running to the defense at their costs. Arrogance may just be a reflection of frustration, tired of picking up the bill, and not understanding why dependent countries don't understand the frustration.

Quite true about the beer.

@John Michael White - Well now we are getting into a very serious topic. I must respectfully disagree. We now have some great craft breweries in the United States. Places like Portland, Oregon, Boulder, Colorado, Fort Collins, Colorado, etc., etc. are now making some fantastic craft beers. If you are talking about Miller, Budweiser, Coors, etc......yes you are correct - however some of the best beers I have had are the craft beers made recently in the U.S., which probably do not get much exposure overseas.

As an American this one cannot go unchallenged.....

Cheers and have a great Friday!

Well now we are getting into a very serious topic. I must respectfully disagree. We now have some great craft breweries in the United States. Places like Portland, Oregon, Boulder, Colorado, Fort Collins, Colorado, etc., etc. are now making some fantastic craft beers. If you are talking about Miller, Budweiser, Coors, etc......yes you are correct - however some of the best beers I have had are the craft beers made recently in the U.S., which probably do not get much exposure overseas.

As an American this one cannot go unchallenged.....

Oh, without a doubt.

Internet is a place where you always get to read what you want to believe. Period.

Everyone - especially Americans - has a love-hate relationship with the USA.

Just personally speaking... I love America and Americans.

Love the culture, love the music, love the movies, love the diversity... awesome country.

Every time I have visited America I have met really nice people and had a really good time.

Can't wait to go again.

Simply lots of anecdote yet a reasonable mix of it.

America is big, REALLY big, because it includes the United States and a few other countries. And that is just North and Central America.

The United States I find mainly to be an ideal, perhaps summarised in things like their Constitution, Bill of Rights and Gettysburg address (which is really nice and succinct). And those ideas are all pretty attractive actually, and inspirational.

History and reality have been different though, most recently the phenomenon of T(yrannosaurus)-rump and all the dumb things coming out of his loud overbearing mouth, sniping at cops and cops in some places cops overdoing it with arrests and weapon discharge not to mention the regular mass-shootings in relation to some groups in local populations.

Many wonderful, interesting and balanced people from there, some really smart people and some really stupid people (like anywhere though). Hollywood and the internet come from there and ironically it is the place where they put the UN.

But I never wish to go there again. Why? Survival instinct or paranoia or whatever, but I feel simply that the only way to feel safe is to presume that every person there is carrying a concealed firearm and act accordingly.

LOUD

"It's called the American Dream. 'Cause you have to be asleep to believe it" --- George Carlin

Everyone - especially Americans - has a love-hate relationship with the USA.

Not me. I love the USA. Been in love with her for almost 80 years. Traveled extensively to and lived in other countries, liked many things about most of them, but always longed for and happy to return to the good ol' USA.

I call BS on the Beer comment..... sure our run of the mill mass market beer is crap, totally agree, but go to the Northwest, the number of amazing craft brewers will astound you. Oregon and Washington are both beer lover's states.

America is a country that produces a massive amount of cultural output such as Hollywood movies, music and many other (forms of) entertainment.

And sadly it's through Hollywood, advertising and other media that gives many in the world a predominantly Euro-centric view of the US despite its diversity.

I used to think Americans were arrogant, represented by their sailors making port-calls. In Japan however, they've helped me out on countless occasions. By and large they're OK.

It's hard to summarize a whole people especially one as diverse as Americans. But you won't hear a good thing about America from a Canadian or English lol.

Some might say that myth, but others would be happy that the butcher of Baghdad is no longer with us

As a result, we're stuck with ISIS.

Americans like to give their opinion and the opinion is based on critical thinking which is the objective analysis and evaluation of an issue in order to form a judgement. They ask tough questions, are asked tough questions, and will answer them.

This, of course, is what idealistically occurs, and doesn't always happen, but there is a transparency to information and communication in America that allows for discussion and debate on opinion. Many Americans are able to debate opinion with logic and open minds, and that brings about some very high quality new ideas, as well as being able to look at old ideas and judge them with intelligence and pragmatism.

At the very least, the nail that sticks out doesn't get hammered back in just for sticking out. Being able to express and defend opinion is a great thing, and the best of ideas can be presented without compromise. That this freedom actually exists isn't fully appreciated until one lives elsewhere, where there's more bigotry.

America is very good in A for Aero Space or Aero Dynamic, B for Bio Tech, C for Computer and D for Disco. It is the birth place of Iphone, baseball, Bill Gate, Bruce Lee, Peci Cola, KFC, McDonald, Muhammad Ali, Michael Jackson, Marilyn Monroe, MIT, Mississippi and Steve Jobs.

However American foods are very high in calories and sugar. . Eating street food in America will shorten 23 years life span of individuals.

It's one of the better countries to live and I'll be happy if I'm sent there to work again. I lived in Texas and despite the reputation, there are some normal, civilized people there. I met some fantastic there people who I love. It's a cliche about southern hospitality but there is some truth in it.

Only the ignorant call US brews crap after drinking Bud, Coors and the others. I tried an absolutely poleaxing creation called 'Blithering Idiot' in Pennsylvania. Superb stuff.

get rid of the guns bibles and racism and you'd have a nice place

My experience of Americans is that yes they are loud, yes they can be arrogant and when abroad seem to exhibit some sort of superiority complex... I've seen it first hand here in the UK and in Japan.

I would never go to America... I'd be in fear of my life being taken in some random shooting. I'd rather risk volcanoes, quakes and exploding power stations in Japan.

I have been to 23 countries and a lot of them are louder than Americans, sadly, we don't take first prize, not even second in that department, obesity perhaps, but loud and brutish, nope.

John MW your wrong on the beer front, quite a few English guys have gone out to the USA and they have started out making New world type ales, these micro breweries have taken off big style, i went to NY and there was a vast selection of ales, beers, and they are fantastic! yes years ago the beer was like dishwater. just thinking about it In Sainsburies hav on sale one called BLUE MOON and its really nice and thats brewed in NY.

But one thing for sure, they cannot make beer.”

I was in a pub in Ireland drinking Murphy's and Guinness, and yer man starts haranguing me about Budweiser, which was also on offer. I wasn't drinking it, and no-one was forcing the pub sell Bud. Back off.

The U.S. regularly takes tops spots in international beer competitions. If you want to drink great beer in the U.S., you have plenty of choices. If you want to drink swill, the U.S. is more than happy to help you out there too. As is true for many countries, not much of the best beer is exported.

The moral: Don't judge U.S. beer based on Budweiser.

I will try to shed some light on this beer issue.

Yes, we know bud, bud light, coors light, on and on and on...is not the best tasting beer. However, on the weekends, holidays, picnics, camping, fishing trips, etc, we start drinking at noon and don't stop until..well..everyones different. It doesn't fill you up and doesn't get you plastered. Of course, where there's a will, there's a way.

There are many very good American beers and no reason for anyone except masochists to drink Budweiser.

The chance of being shot is about the same as being run over, except most shootings happen in dodgy areas you would be unlikely to visit.

The food can be pretty grim though: lots of GM, fatty, salty, sugary rubbish.

My experience of Americans is that yes they are loud, yes they can be arrogant and when abroad seem to exhibit some sort of superiority complex... I've seen it first hand here in the UK and in Japan.

I would never go to America...

In my experience in Japan, its Brits like these that are far more common than the myth of the "Ugly American"; Angry, bitter and jealous.

About beer, there's Blue Moon, Samuel Adams, Anchor Steam and a slew of great craft beers especially from the Pacific Northwest.

It's not just Bud, Coors and Miller, y'know.

Very fine people and I actually think they are 'getting better'. The 'arrogant and ignorant' tag may have been valid in the 80s (was too young to judge but its what we heard then) but I think its no longer the case.

Dunno if it's the GFC, 9/11 etc which transformed the US but most Americans I have met in recent years are fine people who know the world isn't only about the US, another cliché that was prevalent till the 2000s. From what I have seen, they are also some of the hardest working ppl around.

Wow!!! Glad to hear so many more are chiming in about the beer!!!! Deschutes Brewery in Bend, Oregon...Full Sail in Hood River, Oregon, New Belgium in Colorado....etc. etc..

The U.S. - Americans are a mix of so many people from so many places.....results in a lot of good stuff and creates a lot of tension as well. As for me - was super patriotic in my past life and now have transformed to a place where nationalism is not such a big deal anymore - the world has changed in nearly 60 years...

Speaking of beer - it is about that time

Agree.... especially the Brits in Japan.... I think they hate that they've come to a country where it has much more American influence than British. Not all Brits of course but I've met quite a few here in Japan that look down on Americans when we're just trying to make a living over here.

"In my experience in Japan, its Brits like these that are far more common than the myth of the "Ugly American"; Angry, bitter and jealous."

I've met plenty of Americans who perfectly fit the 'myth' of ugly Americans. These types make decent Anericans wince in my experience. I've seen plenty of pissed-up Brits acting like neanderthals as well.

These people aren't mythical creatures. I've seen them.

Every single state has fantastic beer now.

I've met plenty of Americans who perfectly fit the 'myth' of ugly Americans. These types make decent Anericans wince in my experience. I've seen plenty of pissed-up Brits acting like neanderthals as well.

I agree that every nationality Ive met are equally capable of producing jackasses. Even us saintly Canadians.

But Britain has a disproportionate share of anything American-hating unfortunates like Thunderbird2.

"I've met plenty of Americans who perfectly fit the 'myth' of ugly Americans. These types make decent Anericans wince in my experience. I've seen plenty of pissed-up Brits acting like neanderthals as well."

"I agree that every nationality Ive met are equally capable of producing jackasses. Even us saintly Canadians.

But Britain has a disproportionate share of anything American-hating unfortunates like Thunderbird2."

Right, so the myth of ugly Americans is not a myth.

Also, what are you basing your claim that the UK has a disproportionate number of people who hate Americans on? According to a 2015 Pew survey, 26% of Canadians have a negative view of the US compared with 24% of Brits. Other interesting numbers include 14% of Italians, 27% of French, 45% of Germans, 29% of Japanese, 28% of Australians and 29% of Mexicans with an unfavorable view of the US.

The UK is somewhere around the middle on this score when I looked at all countries surveyed.

I'm a Brit. I don't see what you see. Neither does this poll. I looked at other polls and neither do they.

Sad to say I'm not a beer man. Even as a US citizen... About all I know about beer is the Coors brewery up in Golden makes the area smell like hops. And that there are so many craft beer pubs in my city that obviously there is enough variety for someone to find something they like.

Shootings aren't all that prevailant that one would have to worry about it. Depends on which neighborhood you're in and how much criminal activity goes on in certain areas. Mass shootings are much more random though, but do not occur often enough in a single state to make people concerned about every day they go out.... but I would be more worried about getting hit by a reckless/drunk driver.

Just me, but I think most American's are worried about our government and how the politicians choices have been affecting our lives. Especially those below a certain income level. Harder to find stable work, harder to earn enough money to keep up with rising rent costs, a ridiculous "affordable" healthcare system, and such.

Right, so the myth of ugly Americans is not a myth.

Its a myth in that Americans are any more annoying than Brits, Canadians, or any other nationality.

And I can't speak for the poll. I'm basing my claim on a number of years in Japan dealing and associating with Brits and Americans.

I see and experience a common theme. Americans, for the most part, are happy go lucky and feel no ill will towards Brits. Many Brits, on the other hand, definitely have an unexplained hatred of Americans.

Thats my experience.

@Clamenza

Sounds like irrational Brit-hating to me. It's not based on football being more popular than ice-hockey, is it? ;)

A few things come to mind:

But in North America, its called "soccer"...

Sorry, I just always have a little laugh when that tweaks a Brit. To tell the truth, some of my very good friends are Brits, but the fact remains there is a very unhealthy hatred with Brits of Americans at least in ex-pat Japan and right here on JT.

I see and experience a common theme. Americans, for the most part, are happy go lucky and feel no ill will towards Brits. Many Brits, on the other hand, definitely have an unexplained hatred of Americans.

It's complicated lol... American tourists are what I'm basing my views on, as well as the few I have actually met and talked to. Basically it's the sense of superiority and arrogance.

I'd love to know what the French think of Americans, tee hee

Basically it's the sense of superiority and arrogance.

Funny, I've not gotten that feeling from the many Americans I've known over the years. I think its pretty clear the problem lies with you and your own feelings of anger, jealousy and inferiority.

I'd love to know what the French think of Americans, tee hee

If its half as bad as what I hear they think of the British, I7d be shocked, tee hee!

MoonrakerAug. 05, 2016 - 07:15AM JST

The plural of anecdote is not data.

Exactly. Plus "The Associated Press sent reporters across the world" but curiously the same places repeat (Oslo, Manila, Toronto). I can't seem to find a comment/opinion from South America (may think different from somebody fro Havana), or from Africa or the Middle East. Yes. Go and ask in the Middle East what they think about America.

Go and ask in the Middle East what they think about America.

Or their allies Britain. Or Russia. All 3 have been heavily involved in the M.E. right along with the US

Despite having some pretty serious reservations about US hegemony and foreign policy, I have rarely met an American I didn't like. Often very well-mannered, friendly, upbeat and positive, I know many who are also smart, sophisticated and worldly people.

I also really liked the places I visited there and look forward to going back.

America in one word. War. Ever since WWII they realised that there was huge amounts of money to be made by war and they just haven’t stopped since. You have oil? Better not try to sell in anything other than the Dollar or you will find yourself a target for Uncle Sam.

I'm not sure about the rest but....America makes great beer. If you don't know that you are just ignorant. Sorry.

inkjet,

I'm not sure about the rest but....America makes great beer. If you don't know that you are just ignorant. Sorry.

America does make great beer, you are quite right. But I wouldn't try to read anything into people who don't agree with you. Either they haven't tried some of the wonderful microbrews or they just don't like beer.

Certainly, American beer is great, so is a lot of the music it has produced, and the technology that has made this society what it is. There are many Americans I really, really respect.

Unfortunately, the politics of the country sucks.

Bass4funk makes the point that "the butcher of Baghdad is no longer with us." Sadly, the butchers of the Middle East, who with their wars based on lies and false information killed far more than Hussein ever did ARE still with us.

Walking around free.

America is no longer the land of the Free. It's a land where only a select few are.

Meanwhile people from all over the world flock to get here and improve their life. A lot has been accomplished in such a short time. Freedom without persecution.

"Freedom without persecution."

You must hate what Trump is trying to do.

The opinions in this article are all very subjective. You can't really argue with them. But stating America makes bad beer is a statement of fact which is patently false. I suggest people who hold this position should educate themselves.

Interesting to see how others view us. I do have a few things to comment on, however:

“Many things ... their arrogant ideology of a powerful country and above all they have a language that is practically universal and almost everyone depends on that language.

The "American" language actually came from Great Britain. I imagine the British form of the language is more widespread than the Americanized version and so I would think the language would be identified as a "British" identifier.

As for American servers expecting tips, that would be because our government caved-in to the food businesses and authorized an exception to the minimum wage law - allowing restaurant owners to slash the servers' hourly wage (it runs about 33% of the Federal minimum hourly wage) by claiming the difference will be made-up in customer tips. Conversely, that's also why Americans are typically good tippers. We've had it ingrained into our brains that servers need those tips to stay above the poverty level, so NOT tipping just seems wrong to us on all sorts of levels. Then we go to a country like Japan where we're told that tipping is not only discouraged, but is considered a bit of an insult - implying that the server won't do their best unless some sort of "bribe" is offered after the fact. Despite knowing that, the urge to tip could be called Pavlovian in our case.

America (North, Central & South and the Caribbean) is the name of the entire continent ... The United States of America (U.S./USA) is the name of the country/nation. Amerika ga tairiku desu ... Bekoku ga kuni desu!

That would be two continents, north and south. If you want to be a stickler.

That would be two continents, north and south. If you want to be a stickler.

I would agree with you because that's what we were taught in school, but apparently different countries teach that there's a different number of continents on the planet. Because the separation between North and South America is man-made (The Panama Canal), some countries treat both the North and the South landmasses as one continent:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Continent#Number_of_continents

I guess even facts are subjective!

This seems agood illustration on how useless these 'surveys' are. People have limited perspectives. I know my view of Japan changed dramatically after living there. After many years it's still baffling. I would suggest American is just as complex and baffling.

This seems agood illustration on how useless these 'surveys' are. People have limited perspectives.

But it's these limited perspectives that form their opinions. This article essentially was just asking for opinions and you can't really call an opinion "wrong". Their opinions on America and Americans in general are entirely valid as far as they are concerned and no amount of us saying "you're wrong" will change their opinion. It's much better to accept their opinions for what they are, and vow to do things to reinforce the good opinions while striving to not support the bad opinions through your actions.

I already conceded these are subjective opinions. The only point I am arguing is about the beer. By no credible standard can you say America does not produce good beer. It's like saying you can't get good sushi in Japan. It's just plain wrong.

No one mentioned popular music - almost every genre of music that has been developed since the the start 20th century has come from the USA, from jazz to punk. The Brits are great imitators and improvers, but it all came out of the States.

Beer - wow, the craft beer movement in the States has really transformed the beer across world. Yes, for years it only produced the rubbish like Bud, but the ale coming out of the US has really transformed things. It has even allowed Britain to get back into its own beer after a generation of drinking identical European-style pilsners.

And I think that Brits do begrudge how the USA has a cultural dominance in Japan. At its heart, Japan is probably culturally more similar to Britain, so it probably jars Brits to see the Japanese looking to the East not the West.

To be fair, I don't like America and I'm American and I'm liberal and I hate guns. Guess I've been in Japan too long.

But I've travelled all throughout Asia and I've felt a lot less safe in the Philipenes or Indonesia than I ever felt in America. The only country I truly feel safe in is Japan.

But to not travel somewhere because of what could happen is stupid. We could all die if a giant earthquake hits Tokyo and Tokyo is overdue for one.

You have a better chance of being killed in a car crash in the US than being killed in mass shooting... It's calculated risk.

The world is a big place and there are good and bad points about every country.

America (North, Central & South and the Caribbean) is the name of the entire continent

That would be the Americas, if you want to stickle. And people from the United States would still be Americans.

Because the separation between North and South America is man-made (The Panama Canal), some countries treat both the North and the South landmasses as one continent:

By that rationale, Europe, Asia and Africa would be a single continent. Do you think they're a single continent?

By that rationale, Europe, Asia and Africa would be a single continent. Do you think they're a single continent?

Rationally the answer would be yes. Based only on geographical separations it has been argued there are only 4 continents, though I was taught at school the 7 continent version.

They forgot obscene ignorance.

im with Knut Braaten.

For the record, I love you you Brits! Jethro Tull, Black Sabbath, Led Zeppelin, and of course...the Beatles. Sorry, we really don't care what you think of us.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5WSulenOUb0

My view is that the vast majority of Brits don't hate America/Americans at all. The feeling towards America is like that of an annoying younger brother, who gives us a lot to laugh about, occasionally mock but actually deep down we love him and don't want any bad things to happen to him.

Hate us but love us!! You can laugh at us and cheer for us but in the end we defend your rear ends!!!

inglorious, blood drinkers, terrorist makers ------ Webber Depor, Berlin

I'd like to see poster's here post their response to the questions:

I'll start:

WHAT IS THE FIRST THOUGHT THAT COMES TO MIND WHEN YOU HEAR THE WORD “AMERICA”? DESCRIBE THE COUNTRY AS YOU SEE IT

First thought: "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal and are endowed..." Describe: The country is really, really big.

TALK ABOUT ONE EXPERIENCE YOU’VE HAD WITH AMERICA OR AN AMERICAN

I'm American. n/a

WHAT MAKES AMERICANS AMERICAN? OR WHAT IDENTIFIES AS AMERICAN TO YOU?

We are a country built on an idea. Not a piece of dirt.

WHAT IS THE FIRST THOUGHT THAT COMES TO MIND WHEN YOU HEAR THE WORD “AMERICA”? DESCRIBE THE COUNTRY AS YOU SEE IT

Big. Modern tech. Old-fashioned ideas. Bad spelling.

TALK ABOUT ONE EXPERIENCE YOU’VE HAD WITH AMERICA OR AN AMERICAN

Individuals I've met (in Japan); most of them have been quite nice, open, friendly. A few not so, but there are bad apples in any barrel.

Individuals on JT seem to be much more stereotypical, a few (not all) of them quite arrogant (going on about how they won the war and saved the world) and a bit fanatic about politics, with even the so-called lefties tending to be right-leaning.

WHAT MAKES AMERICANS AMERICAN? OR WHAT IDENTIFIES AS AMERICAN TO YOU?

The passport.

Guns & God.

I have none. Of either.

I think you better think it out again.