Why do Americans not give a damn about the rest of the world?
822583
There's a whole nation to the north of you that has a higher standard of living, its economy is in better shape, the minimum wage is higher, has universal health care instead of a bloated military that spends trillions on weapons that are never used, is not obsessed with imposing one religion or another on its multicultural citizens, is present as peacekeepers in the world's hotspots, has soldiers coming home dead or injured due to American "friendly fire", has marriage for all, and is a parliamentary democracy. It's the second largest nation on the planet, shares the North American continent, and by and large, most of its population has no desire to be American.
1144041
Many don't like Americans but I don't think that it is fair to ask them that question.  In reality they have limited exposure and can only go by what they get in the media.  Many countries have state-controlled media and others are just very liberal and only present them with what the media bigwigs think is important.\n\nAlso, many people outside the country erroneously believe that Americans are like what they see on TV shows.  It's easy to see how that can happen but in reality 99.99% of the people are nothing like that.\n\nDon't forget that most of our media is based out of Los Angeles and New York.  Although those areas dominate the media that are absolutely not representative of the rest of the country.  That gives people from out of the country a skewed sense of our culture.\n\nAs for being rude I am really sick about hearing this.  I really don't understand why Americans are so quick to spew out this stereotype.  Rudeness is really a cultural thing.  What is rude in one culture isn't in another.  Living in Southern California we get more than our fair share of tourists.  I have seen so many European tourists that are "rude" simply because they don't understand our culture.  I'm sure that many of the things that they are doing are perfectly acceptable in theirs.  How about Asia?  Ever try riding public transit without being beaten?  Hell half the stuff they do there would land an American in jail but it is perfectly acceptable in their culture.
98418
Well, I think that the US people are mostly to blame. We always get fixated onto our own 'domestic' issues, and hardly ever look outside the box. Our media giants never feed us the true news, and we have to spend hours searching on the internet to find the true story, but I still think we are too naive. There ARE much more important things than Iraq, like the genocides in Africa, but we never really care. Sometimes, it just gets me so mad. Then again, i'm only 13... PS. Thanks for helping me on my WWII question. I think yours was the best answer, but I accidentally clicked on Start a Vote. It's my first time using Yahoo!Answers,
486101
cos there just silly americans who think america is the whole world
348200
I must preface what I have to say just a bit...I love America, and what I say here is not a reflection on ALL Americans, but how we have gotten the reputation that we have!           I have traveled extensively and it is true Americans are VERY disliked! It because of a few different reasons. One being entitlement. Most American think they are due the best and fastest service, that they are entitled to tell other people how to live and what to believe. We are a nation that is very spoiled and really has no grasp on other peoples lives. Americans...I hate to say are a complacent people also, which leads to mis-understanding from other cultural groups. Finally there is our President...I think from what you wrote above I need not expound on this issue. Yes Americans ARE very dis-liked, but this is not all together unfounded.
122068
I believe most Americans can not see past their own noses.\nWe seem to be under a silvered bell jar inward looking only and not able to see past into the rest of the world.\nMost Americans only speak one language and have a world view presented to them by corporate controlled media.  We are kind of like the people in Plato's Cave.
771895
they're basically jealous.  america is powerful, for some reason the rest of the world cannot separate the people from the govt.  and they don't like our govt.
1046371
Yes,  We as Americans should be very concerned about world opinion.  My girlfriend went on a vacation to Australia not long after we met.  She noticed a little hostility from some of the people from other countries that were in their group.  These ultra conservative "cowboy" extremest are giving us a very bad image around the world.  I stumbled across a website for a German band .........  I think it was Ram-stein but I'm not sure.  I was shocked and appalled at all the anti U.S. statements. \n      I once got into a discussion at a bar with a girl from Czechoslovakia she told me that Americans in general were uninformed and often deceived by our media.   We are the most powerful country in the world right now our problems are the worlds problems and visa verse.  We as Americans have a responsibility to know whats going on in the world (not just what FOX news tells us) and act accordingly.
1020583
Lots of countries have the image of America as being all about consumption.  The french especially are often amazed by how much Americans eat, they can't believe portion sizes in restaurants for example.  They also feel that Americans in general do not have a strong sense of culture/history/art and takes a narrow view of world issues and events, based on our national self interest and wish for instant gratification.\n\nPoorer or developing countries often look at the general prosperity of America and its power and wonder why this country doesn't do more to help the rest of the world with problems like poverty, disease, etc.  It is true America does some, but very little in fact in proportion to its wealth.  In many other cultures there is a strong expectation that those who have a lot must support those who are in need, so America is often perceived as a selfish country.\n\nHope this helps but make sure you use your own words to do your report.
693897
The U.S. is only 200 years old. A relatively "young" country. While other cultures have been around for centuries. Sadly, the other nations of the world see Americans as rude, spoiled brats! \nDo you even care enough to make us feel differently? Probably not. But\nAmerica will soon see, it is just a small country, in very Big world.\nWise up!
609804
No, the rest of the world hates America.
1106785
Americans from the USA tend to think that they are to be served by everyone else in the world. They have been taught from birth they are the best and only country in the world that is worth living in. Most of them, not all, talk down to others from other countries. They are very ignorant when it comes to knowledge of other countries because they do not want to learn about them.\n\nHow do I know this? I am an American and have lived in and visited in and have seen first hand what most of them do. I currently live in Canada, a great country and in many ways better than the USA especially when it comes to being friendly.\n\nDoes the answer above give you a clue? That shows you how ignorant many of them are...the answers below show you the same...I am sorry that Americans think they are the only ones who do anything for others around the world they aren't and those from other countries soon learn that Americans are giving up their freedoms more and more every day...I am sorry all of you but it is the truth...travel outside of the USA sometimes and observe!
555296
What I know is that the USA are thought to be the center of the world.It seems to me that only Americans have the right to live.
462655
Beacause Americans are too lazy to learn something interesting in a classroom and are always playing video games all day long and watching too much garbage on TV!!!! I for one was born here in the U.S. know what part of the world a country is located and I'm bilingual so that makes me smarter than the one-dimensional, one language American that wants to be ignorant and dumb. Most Americans don't even know how to read a gas gauge on a car when it runs out empty on them.
545629
I hate to admit it, and I might have the CIA knocking on my door in a few hours for saying it, but I dont like Americans. I have lived here my whole life and I think that as a whole, Americans are arrogant, greedy, simpleminded, intolerant, ignorant, and superficial. (Case in point: work2twerk who posted your first answer.) We have a horrible system of not taking care of our children and elderly and those who are sick. We can not see a doctor when we need to because we are uninsured and we can not go to college because we can not afford to. Something isnt right when the richest country on the Earth can not care for it's citizens.
424686
i've been to america, met some nice people.\n\nbut looking at the country from a distance, it seems to me that lots of americans have an extreme arrogant view on the world. like they own this world, like they do good to this world.\n\nthey bring democracy to countries with bombs, they always brag about their big financial aids to the world, when the truth is that they contribute almost the lowest percentage of their national income to aid. european countries donate about 0.7 to 0.8 % , the usa only 0.25% of their national income. just bcs they have a lot of people, it sounds much money, but the european union in total donated lots and lots more.\n\nand abt bush..let me not even answer u on that. he's the devil in cowboyclothes.
919456
Hi, Triumph.  Every big brother has a tendency to poke his ugly nose into the affairs of the younger ones.  US is no exception.  Till the commencement of Second World War, the US was a non-interfering country and it was busy in the development of its own people.  When it became a super power, it started to think that it has got a right to inerfere in the affairs of other countries as if it is the protector of the entire globe.  This attitude of superiority complex has become the major hindrance for the international peace because some other countries also want to follow the same principle.