INTERNATIONAL DUers: how ignorant do (U.S.) Americans appear to you?

[Zhade]

How many things do we "know" that the rest of the world laughs at, knowing better?

What do you think of the average (U.S.) American's lack of knowledge regarding even our own domestic affairs (e.g., say, the belief that Oswald acted alone, or that b*s* "isn't that bad", or whatever)?

I'm just curious how perceptions of our citizens as a whole are trending these days. It's always struck me as a significant societal flaw that people here don't want to talk about politics, often on the erroneous assumption that not paying attention to them means they won't be affected.

Is our political ignorance and apathy a source of worry for other countries? What would you suggest we do to improve dialogue between citizens? What would make us care enough to pay attention and not get irritated when it comes up in conversation?

[melody]

1. And this is meant to declare open season on the US' #1 Victims

The American people.

After the Iraqis, of course.

All, imho.

[Zhade]

2. Uh, no. It's intended to ask about perceptions.

If you don't want to know how liberal-minded people from other countries think, that's okay, but please don't assume motive on my part, thanks.

[hfojvt]

3. you slanted the question negatively

You expect Americans to be seen as ignorant, misinformed, apathetic, etc.

Where would they get that information? From their own M$M, or from meeting us on DU?

The M$M sees us as it wants to see us. In the simplest terms, the most convenient definitions ...



Then again, as I was reading "What Liberal Media" I asked a college educated co-worker if he could name 3 Supreme Court Justices. He could not even name one, even though two had recently been confirmed. But that's only one guy. I need to do more research.

[Zhade]

4. No, I've experienced that ignorance. Daily. I'm sure you have too?

I'm sure that international DUers have traveled here before, so there's one possibility.

Americans are, largely, less informed and more conservative than, say, Europeans. My question is, how bad is it?

[Reterr]

7. Actually the MSM does not portray us that way

At least that is not their favorite meme. Maybe they use it every now and then to make some Rethuglican who is proud of his ignorance go "Yeah-them wine eating Frenchies hates us and w done saved their sorry asses in WWII" or some similar inane dribble.
They prefer to stick to other stuff that distracts. They would prefer it if we remained ignorant and ill-informed.

However watching a lot of the MSM can make you a person closer to that stereotype.

[melody]

9. You're looking for liberal-minded people who dislike Americans

That's an assumption in your question. Most people who respond to such queries do so with negative reactions. The question itself predicts the answer.

[BlueJazz]

5. I can't say first hand... But..I do have several friends from the ...

.. Nordic Countries.

They don't feel that Americans are stupid just a large share of Americans are ignorant.
The reason I hear most often is "Your Media seems so childish...so uninformative ..
...and so conservative".

And comments like: "Why do so many Americans have trouble believing Scientific facts but
will literally believe a book written hundreds of years after the fact". (The Bible)

In short...they like us but just think we are extremely ill informed.

[Zhade]

6. Yeah, I'm not saying we're stupid - just ignorant, and maybe ignorant of the ignorance.

I've just experienced too many "why are you talking about politics, no one CARES" moments, and find myself bewildered.

Do people in other countries not talk about issues that affect them? Here, we see very little encouragement to be vigilant citizens (intended, of course).

[OffWithTheirHeads]

8. I posted about this earlier

I Wore a shirt to my construction job from the "Not in Our Name" project. It has a picture of the guy from Abu Grahib in the black hood with wires attached to him. Underneath the picture, it reads "GOT DEMOCRACY?" I was told to either remove the shirt, or remove myself from the job site. I assumed it was because there was some "Bushie" in the front office. Several days later, I learned that they thought the shirt glorified the Ku Klux Klan! These are educated Architects and Engineers! Buddha help us! The average American is too busy watching "Dancing with the electronic toilet" to stay informed.

[cqo_000]

12. I'm not laughing

You'll find the same ignorance and apathy everywhere you go in this world, but when it comes to fighting terrorism I believe Americans are extremely naive.

[elf]

11. That's exactly what I hear............

.....................all the time I travel abroad ( I do it quite often).............Education is another topic........it's not very good here compared to other western industrial countries.
Without a broad education, people don't understand the connection of politics all over the world.

Obama understands, how economy, culture and history belong together for the need of global understanding.

Aggressive behavior and bullying puts this country in separation from the rest of the world.

AND THERE IS A WORLD OUT THERE...........................................

[nadinbrzezinski]

10. Rather ignorant, but that perception did not, I REPEAT

did not start with the Bush Administration. It has been around since I remember as a young kid growing in Mexico City and in fact precedes me by a couple generations

If anything it has gotten worst, asking my family in Mexico City... and if anything it does match the dumbing down of the population and our current xenophobic state

As an EMS worker in the border region I could regale you with stories of snobery from American Tourists, (Spring break is particularly bad), or I could tell yuu stories on how at times American counterparts were shocked we knew something, anything in fact, or that some of us spoke English, as well as they did... ok with an accent but you get the point.

[razzleberry]

13. does European trailer-trash travel the world? ..n/t

[avrdream]

14. I'm an American, working Down Under.

Because I have lived all over the States, my accent is a bit unusual and most people I meet down here assume I'm from Canada. Trust me, there have been times when I didn't deny it.

The MSM down here tend to be anti-Bush administration rather than anti-American. Sometimes it all gets mixed up and the sentiment is against all Yanks but, for the most part, Australians really like Americans.

In addition, I have found many Aussies who are VERY interested in American politics. I'm in medicine and this field is quite conservative in the States. Down here, it appears to be the opposite. Bush and company don't have a great reputation.

[Eurobabe]

15. I am a citizen ambassador for the US everyday

Telling people where I live, and those that I interact with at school (people from Russia, Ukraine, Bosnia, Kosovo, Poland, South Africa, Iran) -- look, Bush is the worst pResident that we've ever had, but don't judge the entire US by a paltry handful of his supporters (28% if that). Most of them are smart enough to realize that alot of this is just because of the Chimp.

First thing they ask is then WHY DON'T THEY (Americans) DO SOMETHING ABOUT BUSH? Or why don't we hear more protesting?

Quite frankly, most of them are appalled at what they see as a general malaise and apathy in the USA. And yes, other countries are worried about the direction of the United States. Many expats are worried about this too. 2008 can't come quick enough for us.

edit: since learning a second language my spelling has gone to shit!

[muriel_volestrangler]

16. Mostly, not significantly worse than anyone else is

Being a large and powerful country, the USA doesn't 'need' so much knowledge of other countries and cultures, and it's a universal human trait to concentrate more on things you need to know and do.

The period from 9/11 to Katrina was very disappointing - a convergence of profit-making media unwilling to rock the boat, cunning Republican propaganda about 'patriotism', and the reaction from a country that hadn't seen a significant attack on its mainland for over a century, produced a frightened American populace, on the whole, unwilling to look for answers elsewhere, but convinced it knew what it had to do - strike out blindly. This was enough to get Bush back in the presidency, and that really did get a lot of the world thinking "how can so many Americans want more of Bush? Can't they see he's a liar AND incompetent?" Katrina finally snapped the media out of its cringing subservience to Bush, and the 2006 votes seem to show the American public is looking for answers again - so this "temporary ignorance" seems to be ending.

Two areas where there does seem to be a large bit of American ignorance, though: creationism and global warming.

The belief of nearly half of the American public that humans were created by God in the last 10,000 years can be a good basis for comedy and stereotyping of Americans - it doesn't in itself matter too much, as long as the doctors and teachers have a better grip on reality. But it does show a tendency towards gullibility in about half of Americans that is worrying. That wouldn't matter so much if the USA wasn't such a powerful country.

The ignorance about global warming, and what seems, among many Americans, a pig-headed refusal to look at it objectively (by, for instance, actually entertaining the thought that unlimited growth will cause problems eventually), is more worrying, because that affects American public policy, and thus the whole world. Thank goodness that Al Gore seems to be waking many up - I'm not quite sure why he's succeeded where others have failed (could be that profit-making media, unwilling to bit the hand that feeds it), but it looks as though the average American is finally starting to think about it. The real proof of that will be when electable presidential candidates are talking about serious plans to cut back CO2 emissions, though. Will any of the Democrats get serious about it?

[Dutch]

17. Not particularly. Roughly the same as citizens of any other country.

I don't make a habit of laughing at people because I 'know better', but whilst many Americans do seem to believe some pretty fruity things from many of us furriners POVs (on eg guns), in my experience they're no worse in this respect than the people of any other country and are certainly no more ignorant of their own domestic affairs. Political ignorance and apathy is a phenomenon familiar to most countries.

[JCMach1]

18. You can drive a truck through what America doesn't know about Muslims or the Middle East

So called 'Middle East' experts are the worst. There only qualifcation seems that they have spent x years in think tank y.

I learned more about the Middle East than those idiots in my first few days here.

[JCMach1]

19. Oh, and the average Dubai cabbie knows more about world affairs

than George W. Bush.