10 Things Most Americans Don’t Know About America

[underpants]

http://postmasculine.com/america

10. We Mistake Comfort For Happiness
9. We Are Very Unhealthy
8. We’re Status-Obsessed And Seek Attention
7. We’re Paranoid
6. The Rest Of The World Is Not A Slum-Ridden Shithole Compared To Us
5. The Quality of Life For The Average American Is Not That Great
4. We Are Poor At Expressing Gratitude And Affection
3. We Know Nothing About The Rest Of The World
2. Few People Hate Us
1. Few People Are Impressed By Us

[RC]

1. #3 is biggie

I've known people my age that have never been more than 100 miles from where they were born.
That's a shame.

[leveymg]

5. Yes. But, #1 probably hurts the most, once it sinks in.

[whathehell]

7. It doesn't hurt me in the slightest as it's not true of me or anyone I know.

Last edited Sat Jul 14, 2012, 08:56 PM - Edit history (1)

In addition, I would say that, though comfort is not the

equivalent of happiness, I know few people who are very uncomfortable

who would describe themselves as "happy".

[Spitfire of ATJ]

13. I can picture the pilot.

[img][/img]

[img][/img]

[Yeah Its Spin]

76. dats racist

[Spitfire of ATJ]

77. No, THIS is!

[img][/img]

[Quantess]

10. #3 is common all around the world, really.

Not limited to Americans.

[Johonny]

39. They're all kind of common around the world

[Spitfire of ATJ]

12. I've known people who've never left their town.

They're the types to run home because they don't want to use a strange toilet.

[HughBeaumont]

51. It's very possible that travel has been made unaffordable for many . . . thanks to #5.

[Skittles]

102. I have found the rest of the world knows very little about US

when I'm overseas I am astounded by the stereotypes and assumptions folk have about Americans

for example - when I say I live in Texas they think I am rich and have an oil well in my back yard

[Gregorian]

2. Wow, I've been saying #10 for decades.

[virgogal]

3. The opinion of one man.

[Enrique]

14. I agree

but I would word it the prejudices of one man. They say more about him than about Americans.

[pinto]

4. Simplistic BS from a guy who's goal is to flog his blog, imo.

And travel the world on your dime. While he belittles you.

[whathehell]

8. Heh heh.

I agree.

[whathehell]

43. " And travel the world on your dime while he belittles you",

That would seem to sum it up.

[whathehell]

6. I'd say most, if not all of those pertain more to "most conservatives"

rather than "most Americans", and no, I don't think "most" Americans are conservative.

I don't think we'd have, for one thing, we'd have an African-American Democrat

as our president, if we were and I think it is important to note that this

president now ranks HIGHER in the re-election polls than a rich white guy who

is outspending him about ten to one.

P. S. I get most of the rest as they pertain to Conservatives,

but I'm puzzled, even with respect to them about number 4.

"We are poor at Expressing Gratitude and Affection"....Sorry, I

don't relate to that one and would have to ask, for starters,

"In comparison to Who?

[muriel_volestrangler]

45. In comparison to "Latin and some European cultures" (nt)

[whathehell]

49. Yes, well, a lot of us would fall short by those standards, wouldn't we?

Switzerland, Germany and the UK, England especially, aren't known as bastions

of demonstrated warmth either.

I don't think "gratitude" should necessarily be paired with "affection" either

as one can be grateful without necessarily being "demonstrative".

Cultures differ.

[muriel_volestrangler]

53. Did you notice 'some'? And did you read the article?

He applies this to all 'English-speakers'.

[whathehell]

56. No, I read the headline and that doesn't mention "all English speakers".

[muriel_volestrangler]

58. So, after 10 posts, have you read it yet? (nt)

[whathehell]

61. Having read so many lame & insulting

"America sucks" pieces that bear this kind of headline,

I guess I just didn't find it as "appealing" as a Brit like yourself might,

and so no, I didn't read the article and neither, I imagine, did most

of the many others here who have posted similar negative responses.

I'm not sure about that, of course, so you're welcome to ask them yourself.

[Tsiyu]

85. Have to disagree with the assessment of Brits as 'cold'

They were more friendly, huggy and kind than most Americans to this stranger.

And at the Church of England service I attended, there were pink hair and nose rings and tats in the pews and a priest from Ghana and a jazz band playing some minimalist funk during Communion.

It's not 1890 in London, either.

[whathehell]

88. It always helps when you actually read the posts, as I never assessed Brits as "cold"

and if you disagree with the implications contained in the assessment

"not affectionate or grateful" I'd suggest you speak to the author

Muriel Volstrangler cites in the OP, because she claims he says this

of "all English speaking peoples". By the way, I've been in London recently,

and intend to be there next week, so I really don't need to be reminded

that it's not "1890 in London, either".

[Spitfire of ATJ]

9. You might like this

The BBC a while back did a special entitled "What The World Thinks of America".

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/shared/spl/hi/programmes/wtwta/poll/html/

This one cracked me up.

[img][/img]

Only the USA and Israel believes France is more dangerous than the USA.

Most every poll is the opposite of what Americans believe the world thinks of us. Keep in mind, this was done during the Bush years.

[underpants]

36. .

My only response on this thread - that is amazing. Thanks for posting it.

[Spitfire of ATJ]

40. I recorded on VHS.

It aired on BBC America as well as on BBC 2 in the UK.

[img][/img]

It might be over at their archive but you have to create an account just to search.

The Wayback Machine has the page as it was but the ram file to watch it is expired.

http://web.archive.org/web/20030801081409/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/programmes/wtwta/default.stm

[progressoid]

60. Oh, they are just jealous.

USA! USA! USA!

[whathehell]

62. Heh heh..Well, that would depend, wouldn't it?

On what sort of "jealousy" you mean...I think

many, all old colonial powers themselves,

just MIGHT be jealous of our military power, though

they would never, of course, admit to it.

If we were, in their eyes, such a TRULY pitiful lot,

I'm betting they'd be doing a LOT less ridicule.

[Spitfire of ATJ]

65. The point is Americans are wrong about how they're seen.

Mostly due to being told "America is the greatest country in the world" over and over.

[whathehell]

69. I know what the "point" is, I just disagree that

"Americans", as a majority, can be put into that insular,

ignorant little box the author is attempting to put them into.

The US is HUGE and DIVERSE. It covers four time zones and,

population wise, makes up most of the North American continent,

with 300 million plus and though broad brushing us as a nation of shallow, intellectual

lightweights may may be endlessly fashionable and "amusing" for a great many, for

their own personal reasons, it's really just a cheap and lazy stereotype.

As far as being told "America is the greatest country in the world" over, and over,

my Baby Boomer generation heard that all the time too. The irony,

of course, is that, with some exceptions, i.e., the Vietnam war, it was a lot

closer to the truth domestically at least, then than it is now. Nonetheless, we

questioned authority and the "consumer culture" and capitalism, fought, protested

and just generally "didn't buy it".

I now see the Labor movement reinvigorated and Progressives and Occupiers

of the younger generations doing much of the same thing....The fact is, every

society has it's conservatives and liberals, it's conformists and rebels...Things are

always in flux.

[Spitfire of ATJ]

70. I posted elsewhere that we are in a transformational time.

But a joke is a joke.

Besides, I want you to stop for a moment and think of the most rabid Right Wing asshole you can imagine, be it Hannity or some guy you know who is into God and Guns and Toby Keith. Someone who actually IS the uninformed Moran that you were afraid you might be accused of being.

Okay?

Got that guy in your mind?

Consider this: That guy is a local product. Uniquely American.

No other country in the world would tolerate any system that produces,....THAT,...much less have that type's opinion considered to be just as valid as actual reality or worse, be in fear of having that person's opinion insulted by telling him he is "wrong".

In any other country they would seek out the societal cause of that type of person and see to it that it couldn't cause any further damage to the harmony of society as a whole.

[GoneOffShore]

72. I've met that guy in the South of France

He's into Marine Le Pen, is a rabid fundamentalist Catholic, totally uninformed and listens only to French pop that props up his beliefs. Has never been to Paris because of homosexuals.

I've met him in London in numerous pubs and in Yorkshire and Kent - Believes that Maggie Thatcher was god. The unions deserved to be broken and that the "darkies are ruining and running the country".

We don't have a monopoly on right wing fuckwits.

[Spitfire of ATJ]

73. I've met a version of that type in Austria too.

But my point is they don't proudly flaunt it all over the place. They only spout their crap in front of people they believe are like minded because they aren't being told their views are held by a majority of the population (which they aren't here either, more like way less than 25%) nor are their views considered to be something that is VALID in any way and they certainly don't get an equal say in actual decision making. Not after what Europe went through before. The notion of them actually winning an election for much more than a local council is absurd. They had someone from the far right in England get a local office a while back and he was a total embarrassment. He didn't even have basic meeting skills much less know parliamentary procedure and he acted like it was all a plot to stop him.

Meanwhile our Right Wing is actively inspiring a Kristallnacht here. No other country would put up with FOX "News" which is why they can only do their bit here, nor would any other country tolerate the likes of Michael Savage.

We have people out there like the guy in Maine who was so pissed Obama won the election that he built a dirty bomb in his basement. His wife found out that he was planning on blowing up innocent people hoping Obama would be blamed for allowing a terrorist attack. She tried to talk him down but couldn't. There was a major confrontation that ended when she shot him dead.

[whathehell]

79. That's good to hear

but, sorry, I don't think a "joke" is always just "a joke"..Some are offensive.

People once thought racist jokes were "just a joke" as well.

Okay?

I'm sure you get my point.

By the way, If you think that guy is "uniquely American" because he's Right Wing, I'd have to guess that you don't know history

very well and that you've been just as remiss on keeping up with current trends there.

As you must know, Fascism STARTED in Europe...What you may not know, is that the Right has

experienced a substantial resurgence in recent years.

http://www.google.com/#q=right+wing+europe&hl=en&prmd=imvnsu&source=univ&tbm=nws&tbo=u&sa=X&ei=IjwEUInVK8bsqAHE4r2zDA&sqi=2&ved=0CBEQqAI&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_qf.,cf.osb&fp=7fc7f8f7ce4a4f4e&biw=1309&bih=731

Most of the links I saw there were current, but if you really want to make sure,

I urge you to google "Right Wing Europe 2012"....You'll be inundated with sites.

And, oh yeah...Evangelicals?...They're not just for Americans anymore, it seems.

Ever heard of televangelist Benny Hinn?....He's built up quite a fan base in the UK, and has been doing

"engagements" there there for years....Here are a few you tubes of Benny revving up enraptured Brits

&feature=related

He actually has an entire schedule for Europe this year, which includes the Netherlands, Sweden and Ukraine,

among others, I believe.

&feature=related

In addition to Benny, you might want to check out this very recent "meeting" in Hungary featuring Billy Graham Jr.

http://www.bosnewslife.com/22393-thousands-embracing-christ-in-hungary-at-graham-festival

Enjoy!

[Spitfire of ATJ]

83. I'm sure the evangelical crap is seen as a side show over there

as far as the rise of the Right in Europe it's not unusual for reactionary elements to flourish in tough times especially when the focus is on preserving capitalism by the "left" at the expense of the people. A good example would be the ironically dubbed "Labour" party in the UK under Tony Blair.

We have to wake up and realize that Capitalism is a Cold War relic as much as Communism.

[whathehell]

90. It's seen as a "sideshow" here by most as well

but if you're trying to say that the the enraptured faces of the

Euros there are all the product of an "act" rather than the

same true believing as those in America,

I've got a bridge in Brooklyn to sell you.

Yeah, I know all about the reactionary elements rising

in tough times, my whole point was to illustrate that these

are not "uniquely American", as you seemed to be

saying originally....Not in the least.

[Spitfire of ATJ]

91. I guess what's actually uniquely American is that we are just now laughing at it.

They've been doing that in Europe for,...what,....11 or 12 generations of teenagers now? That's a lot of material.

It's marginalized them to the point of dismissal.

We're just starting to do that here.

Check out what Mike did to Bill Bennett.

http://server4.whiterosesociety.org/content/malloy/MalloyMemories/Billy_Boy_Bennett.mp3

We have put people used to bumper cars on a Roller-coaster.

[whathehell]

92. No and I don't know where you get the idea that the majority of Americans have NOT been laughing

at them since time immemorial.

We baby boomers in the blue states have been, with our parents,

I might add, laughing at them for our entire lives, BEFORE

they became widespread....Generally speaking, these

people were more likely to be on the snake handling circuit

in the southern back woods, rather than television.

You may be too young or live in too red of an area to know these people

were always jeered and laughed at by non-rural people belonging

to older, more "established" religious traditions in the

heavily populated, industrialized North.

The people you see running for major offices now (like Michelle Bachman

and Santorum) would not have been able to even get NEAR them

as late as the Eighties.

[Spitfire of ATJ]

93. I'm in Southern California

But I've travelled a lot.

Including to a few places in Europe for weeks at a time. We've got family in Austria and Scotland.

Some Welsh too.

[whathehell]

94. I'm in Chicago, grew up in Philadelphia, PA, and lived In

the San Francisco Bay area for over a year.

In addition, I've traveled a lot myself, to about

28 states, and six countries in Europe, some in which I also

stayed "weeks at a time". I've got some family in Croatia,

formerly, Yugoslavia, Italy and the Austro-Hungarian empire.

[Spitfire of ATJ]

95. It's funny to travel like this

and then meet someone who makes sure they stay in range of their home toilet.

[whathehell]

96. Have you met a lot of people like that?

[Spitfire of ATJ]

97. Yes. In Battle Creek, Michigan.

Seems prevalent in places that get lots of snow.

They considered a 25 mile trip to Kalamazoo to be an epic journey.

[whathehell]

98. Is that where you grew up?

Not sure about it being particularly prevalent in "places that get lots of snow"

Probably more the "small town" thing.

Massachusetts get lots of snow, and I doubt that most of the residents

are like those in Battle Creek in that regard.

[Spitfire of ATJ]

99. "Is that where you grew up?"

Okay, who accused me of doing that?

http://server4.whiterosesociety.org/content/malloy/MalloyMemories/I%27m_NOT_an_8_year_old!.mp3



Air Force Brat. Born on Guam, grew up in Lompoc watching rockets take off from Vandenberg.

[progressoid]

66. This is what they are jealous of...

[whathehell]

68. Nah, they have Reality Shows, McDonald's

and a "chav" culture all their own.

[FarCenter]

11. American smile too much

Which impresses others as insincere and generally goofy.

[whathehell]

33. Of course..

and if we didn't, they'd say we didn't smile enough.

It's just a thought, but maybe "others" are just

looking for something to bitch about

[bbinacan]

15. Bullshit n/t

[Melissa G]

16. I liked the Steinbeck quote part

The problem with the US is that everyone thinks they are of talent and advantage. As John Steinbeck famously said, the problem with poor Americans is that “they don’t believe they’re poor, but rather temporarily embarrassed millionaires.” It’s this culture of self-delusion that allows America to continue to innovate and churn out new industry more than anyone else in the world. But this shared delusion also unfortunately keeps perpetuating large social inequalities and the quality of life for the average citizen lower than most other developed countries. It’s the price we pay to maintain our growth and economic dominance.

[JDPriestly]

17. Great list, especially 5 and 6.

Most Americans have a way overblown idea about how rich they are. They aren't.

You aren't rich if you spend half your paychecks paying debts on your car, your house, your student loans. You aren't rich if you have to pay a lot of money for transportation to and from work in the oversized car that you ride in all alone. You'd be much better off riding public transportation and (shock!) walking a little to let off stress even if your paycheck were a little smaller.

You aren't rich if you have a big house and no health insurance. You aren't rich if your public schools are lousy. You aren't rich if you only get a week paid vacation a year. (And you are poor if you don't even get that. Time, remember, is money, but your time is probably worth a lot more to you than it is to your boss.)

America really is beautiful. And Americans are, for the most part (or at least used to be) very kind and generous. But we are not that rich. We aren't as poor as some countries, but we aren't by any means the richest, and we don't do a good job managing our resources.

We waste too much. We aren't rich enough to waste the way we do.

[Curmudgeoness]

23. Those were the two that I appreciated the most too.

I think that #5 and #6 are the biggest problems that we, individually and as a nation, have.

[FSogol]

48. +1 n/t

[truedelphi]

18. But there are some good things about us:

For one thing, if you move to a different part of the country, you'll probably be greeted by your neighbors. And if you stay put two or three years, you will be considered "one of the group."

Try doing that in Belgium or Scandinavia. It can take decades to be considered anything but some upstart.

[wickerwoman]

26. I think that's very regional though.

I just squeaked in under the cut-off for assimilation for non-native born Seattleites by moving there in 1979. Anybody moving there after 1980 will always, to some extent, be Californian and therefore somewhat suspect (even if they're from Maine).

[grasswire]

29. mainers are pretty suspicious of "outsiders" too ya know n/t

[GreenPartyVoter]

37. Ayuh. Folks from "away," and all that.

[whathehell]

38. I just hosted a French woman from Paris in my Chicago apartment

She worked for the Sorbonne and could not say enough good things

about Chicago and how friendly we are...Apparently she did not think

we "smiled too much"....She said Chicago was the friendliest city

she had ever been in, much friendlier, she said, than Paris.

She said she thought Paris was "The most unfriendly city in the world".

[truedelphi]

41. That's what I mean. We may be

Very strange and appear conformist to the world. (None other than Carl Jung himself said that the USA was the most conformist society in the world.)

But we are basically very friendly. I am Chicago born and raised, and it's a very friendly town. You can go anywhere and do anything, as long as you can pay for whatever you are trying to do. Perhaps that has to do with Chi Town originating as a port city. And now it is a convention town.

I lived in Toronto in early seventies. And although everyone was very lovely, people didn't talk much. I mean, forty words was a lot from people that live there. Stiff upper lip. Except for the Nova Scotian crowd, which is one friendly group of people. I talked my pants off when I got back home.

[Egalitarian Thug]

57. That's what I thought over the course of many years of working there, and that impression

Last edited Mon Jul 16, 2012, 01:36 AM - Edit history (1)

is what convinced me to move there and go into business with two friends. We all learned the hard way that that is a facade for visitors, living there is a whole different story. Chicago is a conglomeration of cliques that are not at all accepting of outsiders. That and the institutionalized corruption killed a very good business and the 40 or so jobs we brought in.

[whathehell]

59. If you worked there for many years

How could you still be a "visitor".?

I've lived here for fifteen and find it as friendly as when I arrived.

[Egalitarian Thug]

74. Consultant. A few weeks here couple of months there. Always a joy. n/t

[whathehell]

80. Okay, then....You werent' there full time.

Glad it was a "joy".

[Egalitarian Thug]

84. No, that;s the point, As long as you're in and out in a few weeks everything is gravy.

It's when you move there and try to become a part of the community that you learn all about "The Chicago Way".

[whathehell]

89. I'm sorry that was your experience, EG, but it hasn't been mine in the 15 years I've lived

here, and of course I don't know the details of your experience,

so I can't really comment.

[Va Lefty]

19. I would change #1 to We are more impressed with ourselves than others

All excellent points

[xchrom]

20. ...

[xtraxritical]

21. I could come up with some subjective opinions and a link to my blog too, I think I will...

I did this along time ago but I still like it. http://dumprepublicans.blogspot.com/

[former9thward]

22. Generalize much?

[pink-o]

24. The "Ugly American" stereotype is old and tiresome.

Back in the 70s when I lived in London, yeah--my countrymen embarrassed me. I remember one Yankee lady throwing all her pound notes on a restaurant table, Loudly declaring she didn't get why the Brits used this play money. "why can't they have real money like we do?"

But 30 some years and a generation and 1/2 later, the travelers I meet are savvy, sophisticated and no more obnoxious than many Brits, Spaniards or Germans. And even though I'm not a fan of rural America, or the deep south, in both places Americans have been delightful to me. (course, they don't know my politics, and even though my family is Jewish I look like a generic white Euro.). Point I'm making is that there are plenty of ignoramuses in this country but to paint us all with the same broad brush is just as stupid and uneducated as what the writer is accusing us of!

[GETPLANING]

28. American people are wonderful.

They are good people who help one another. "America" however, is becoming a thing of the past.

[Myrina]

25. LOL that's an exact description of my boss

Guess that makes her a typical American ..

[GETPLANING]

27. Most Americans confuse standard of living with quality of life.

In many countries, they drive smaller cars and live in smaller houses and apartments, but they take more time off, do more things with their time off, and then or course, there's that healthcare thing. And that education thing. And that unemployment benefits thing. And that union thing. And that diet thing. And that... well, you get it.

[whathehell]

35. I think what most people think of "most Americans"

says more about them then their expertise on "most Americans".

[MrScorpio]

30. You know what's funny?

I know all of that stuff and I've even found it difficult to convince other liberals about any of it.

[cherokeeprogressive]

31. Should be retitled...

The Ten Opinions of Mark Manson.

He forgot one:

11. No nation on earth ever looks to America in its time of need (such as after natural disasters) and America never volunteers its assistance.

[whathehell]

34. Thanks, but I think number 11. may have needed a sarcasm thingy

for some of the readers here.

[cherokeeprogressive]

42. You'd think I've been here long enough to know that. n/t

[whathehell]

50. LOL...That's okay.

The hyper self-critical attitude of some Americans always surprisers me too.

[Tsiyu]

87. Just because I like to help other people

doesn't mean I get a free pass exempting me from examining myself from time to time and figuring out ways to fix what needs fixing.

The hyper-defensive mode of some Americans is a block to changing what we absolutely do need to change in a constantly evolving world.

[Botany]

32. But we do have some of the world's best doggies

[DBoon]

103. I think Labradors are from Canada

maybe the American Pit Bull Terrier is a better example?

[B Calm]

44. The rest of the world gets more paid time off

from work than we do.

[Scuba]

46. Much of the rest of the world sees us as a drunken bully.

[polichick]

47. No need to wonder why.

[Inkfreak]

52. Complete bullshit

[NYC Liberal]

54. Nice broad brush. You could say that about quite a lot of people in many countries.

[whathehell]

63. Thank you. n/t

[tjwash]

55. Sounds like that viral blog article that talked about how superior the Eurozone is to America

Remember that one? Right before the euro-bubble burst and every country on the Euro starting needing bailouts?

I wonder what happened to the people crowing about that article.

[OneTenthofOnePercent]

64. Sounds like a $5 "Psychic Palm Reader" authored this extraordinarily-ordinary list... LOL

[loyalsister]

67. I would add...

There is no right to vote according to the US constitution. The fact that it is defended suggests it exists, but it is not explicitly stated that it does. I know my state constitution says it does, but I don't know about others.

The federal election is a political exercise that determines which party will send the most electors. I don't know how it works in other states. It is entirely legal for electors to change their minds.

[Art_from_Ark]

75. There are several amendments that deal specifically with voting rights

like the most recent one, Amendment 26:

SECTION 1.

The right of citizens of the United States, who are 18 years of age or older, to vote, shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or any state on account of age.

SECTION 2.

The Congress shall have the power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation.

[loyalsister]

78. That's what I said

It is defended but not asserted.

[whathehell]

81. Thom Hartmann brought that up the other day...

It is not expressly stated, no, but that can be changed via an

amendment to the constitution.

[reformist2]

71. I think #9 is the one that actually might bother Repugs.

It's the one downside to reckless individualism that they can't spin as a positive.

[DBoon]

104. No, they'd just say we give people who make unhealthy individual choices their due

While other countries have a "nanny state" that tries to save people from getting the poor health they deserve.

[LanternWaste]

82. 11. We believe that Top 10 Lists are inviolate and substantive.

11. We believe that Top 10 Lists are inviolate and substantive.

(from our home offices in Wahoo, NE)

[SammyWinstonJack]

86. Few People are Impressed by Us.

So when politicians including Obama says that we are the envy of the World, they are lying?

[whathehell]

100. Who cares if they're not?

although I must say the Euros, at least, did seem

rather "impressed" with Barack Obama back in '08.

[RKP5637]

101. Excellent list. I also might add that few Americans seem to

know that about 50% of this country lives in or on the edge of poverty, and also that about 25% of the nations' children go to bed hungry at night. This, is a very deluded nation.