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Still Growing · 06-14-2008, 03:25 PM

I love to travel and I've been to dozens of countries and have lived 25% of my adult life out of the country. My wife is not a US citizen, I do business with various other countries on a daily basis and I truly love the uniqueness of each country and culture.

I've been adventurous in the various foods of each country and have eaten many meals on banana leaves, have eaten so many unique foods and have tried my best to learn other languages. I find other cultures to be so special.

I have however, myself, faced discrimination based upon race, religion or origin in other countries just like is in the US. I've seen both the good and the bad that every nation has to offer.

I find it so interesting to listen to someone in a waring nation condemn the US for being a war nation. I've listened to European nations tell me how backward American's are and how we have no taste. I call these people my friends and I see and agree with many of their viewpoints politely. I don't criticize their nations, their policies and I simply realize that they don't know the US.

Some people living in NY and LA call the rest of the US fly over states. They're quick to embrace the simplistic thinking of a backward nation but don't have love for their own nation's simple ways.

From my experience, the US is very diverse, has many religions, viewpoints, many travelled people, many curious people and many kind people that will stop and help you in a time of need.

I think that every nation has its problems, its backward thinking and its own gov't problems.

The problem that the US faces is that it is being JUDGED by the world. Movies, music and our gov't self titled "World Police" policy has made the US the most unpopular nation in the world. Now as I travel around people speak to me like a child. They talk down to me as if an American can't possibly know about the world. They'll make comments about conflicts in Africa that the US doesn't help with yet their own nation does nothing as well.

The US is now being held to a higher standard and more is expected of us. Are we rising to the occasion? I say no.

Its a shame that we aren't but its also a shame that our global friends have lost all respect for us. They think they know what American is but do they? Or do they just know us from our movies as being materialistic, shallow and so forth. We are now judged by our movies people. From my experience, people are very different than the Hollywood experience.

06-14-2008, 03:25 PM	#32 (permalink)
Still Growing Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Posts: 944	View of Americans in the world I love to travel and I've been to dozens of countries and have lived 25% of my adult life out of the country. My wife is not a US citizen, I do business with various other countries on a daily basis and I truly love the uniqueness of each country and culture. I've been adventurous in the various foods of each country and have eaten many meals on banana leaves, have eaten so many unique foods and have tried my best to learn other languages. I find other cultures to be so special. I have however, myself, faced discrimination based upon race, religion or origin in other countries just like is in the US. I've seen both the good and the bad that every nation has to offer. I find it so interesting to listen to someone in a waring nation condemn the US for being a war nation. I've listened to European nations tell me how backward American's are and how we have no taste. I call these people my friends and I see and agree with many of their viewpoints politely. I don't criticize their nations, their policies and I simply realize that they don't know the US. Some people living in NY and LA call the rest of the US fly over states. They're quick to embrace the simplistic thinking of a backward nation but don't have love for their own nation's simple ways. From my experience, the US is very diverse, has many religions, viewpoints, many travelled people, many curious people and many kind people that will stop and help you in a time of need. I think that every nation has its problems, its backward thinking and its own gov't problems. The problem that the US faces is that it is being JUDGED by the world. Movies, music and our gov't self titled "World Police" policy has made the US the most unpopular nation in the world. Now as I travel around people speak to me like a child. They talk down to me as if an American can't possibly know about the world. They'll make comments about conflicts in Africa that the US doesn't help with yet their own nation does nothing as well. The US is now being held to a higher standard and more is expected of us. Are we rising to the occasion? I say no. Its a shame that we aren't but its also a shame that our global friends have lost all respect for us. They think they know what American is but do they? Or do they just know us from our movies as being materialistic, shallow and so forth. We are now judged by our movies people. From my experience, people are very different than the Hollywood experience.