Why hate America?

[Jyanice]

Okay the question is out, why do people hate American's? What did we EVER do? Please anyone from anywhere (preferably a foreign country, or not American) tell me why?

[sdhonda]

Now, let me make this clear before I start. I don't hate the US, or its people. I just usually hate the federal government.

The reason alot of people abroad hate the US is because of its foreign policy. The US, during the cold war, launched military coups all over the world to fight communism. They invaded countries, and set up dictators who were as oppressive as communist ones.

Thats not to say the US doesent give aid and stuff, but you can't possibly say they have never done anything bad.

[Lambtaco]

Well for one thing the US refers to itself as America even though there are many other countries occupying North and South America.

[Triple-Merc]

I am a Canadian, and although I don't hate America all that much... or at all, really, I could see why people could.

1: Their foreign policy is confusingly... hostile from what I've heard.
2: Stereotypes.

[sdhonda]

There is both legitimate hate, and just unlegitmate hate out there.

Like said, the US has conducted many coups during the cold war, engaged in secret miniwars, and so forth.

But of course, alot of it is just scapegoating and bandwagon.

[LegendaryLukus]

I don't hate America, but I bet one reason for any hating America is that you keep blunderingly starting wars, and then ask people on the internet why no one likes you

[N-Antichrist]

I'm in Paris at the moment, and the amount of Americans here is phenominal. They are SO loud and irritating. We have our reasons for disliking them.

[SouthAsian]

Israel.

[TonioMiguel]

I will say one thing since I am an American I am only taking this from an insider view. Americans are known for traveling and expecting everybody to speak English any country they go. I know this because if you play a native speaker you can upset Americans easily.

I once played a prank of a youth group volunteer program in Mexico by choosing only to speak Spanish. They actually assumed an American was a Mexican just because I spoke only Spanish. The truth is when you are in Mexico you are truly respect for speaking Spanish. I have no problem with Americans who expect people to learn English in order to survive in the US. Yet, it irks me to see so many of my fellow Americans expecting foreign countries to comply to English speaking policies for tourists. You go to Mexico. Duh, learn to speak Spanish! In France, speak French. To all those folks who learn English to visit the US, please forgive my ignorant American brothers.

I urge anyone considering learning a langue to take full advantage of it and visit the countries that speak your second language. It is so awesome the response one gets when we speak their language and appreciate their culture. You get so much when you give into learning a second language and it makes America look so much better when they travel to nations and don't ask DOES SOMEBODY SPEAK ENGLISH!

[lapis]

I don't hate America or dislike the country for that matter but I'll try to answer your question. The common answer is that most Canadians, Europeans and South Americans who claim to "hate" America do so because when you ask a stereotypical American why he thinks people hate his country he'll reply with: "they're all just jealous", "they hate our freedom" or "I don't care because we're number one". Americans are being perceived as self-important, loud, gun-happy chauvinists which isn't exactly an image that will make you popular abroad, even though I know a lot of Americans don't fit this description and that those who do are proud of their reputation. Most Westerners who claim to hate America are just as ignorant as the stereotype they hate anyway.

A substantial number of Muslims hate America because of American involvement in the Middle East. Things like supporting the unpopular Shah prior to the 1979 Iranian revolution, their overwhelming support for Israel after they lost France as their patron, stationing troops on Muslim holy land before and during the first Gulf War, the second Gulf War in its entirety, their alliance with hated sovereigns like the Saudi royal family, etc. As a sidenote, claiming that Muslims hate the US for their wealth or liberty like some do is ludicrous. Japan is about as prosperous and free as the States and yet you don't see any Japanese flags being burned in Middle Eastern countries or angry mobs showing their full support for wiping Japan off the map.

Far-Leftists may hate America not only because of their economic system but also because of the Truman Doctrine and all following actions taken by the US to frustrate Socialist initiatives around the world, their support for Pinochet against Allende in particular.

[Dragon-Smaug]

At 8/29/06 08:19 AM, EcKo_WR wrote: Israel.

That's certainly why the anti-Semites hate the U.S.

[lapis]

At 8/29/06 10:48 AM, Dragon_Smaug wrote: That's certainly why the anti-Semites hate the U.S.

Sigh, anti-Semitism is completely irrelevant in this discussion. A decent amount of anti-Americanism, especially in the Middle East, comes from hate for Israel and the American support for that nation in the past few decades, that's what he said and that point stands. But hate for Israel rarely stems from anti-Semitism per se, one could in fact say that a lot of the anti-Semitism we see today among Muslim minorities in European countries reversely stems from hate for Israel. Why would one rarely hear an Arab scream for the Jews of Tzfat or Tiberias to be "driven into the sea" before the Aliyahs? Those Jews were Dhimmis, sure, but why weren't they hated? Anti-Semitism in the Middle East is despicable but it's an effect, not a cause.

[BeFell]

I hate America because it's the popular thing to do and I am so totally a trend whore.

[Camarohusky]

I hate America because your national food, hotdogs, are shaped like penises. Any country that glorifies eating penis is an enemy of mine!

[sdhonda]

TonioMiguel, I agree. When you go abroad, be sure to bone up on the language of the place your going to. You don't have to speak it like its your own language, but it help to know maybe 50 or so words and phrases. Although youll find lots of people who can speak english in tourist areas and accomedations, outside those places, few speak english (unless its like, an english speaking country).

[UndeadTemplar88]

Americans have done A LOT to be hated by the Middle East and other countries. Interfering with other countries' affairs is not a good thing. In South America, Socialism (Communism's fairer, but still communist sister) was a growing influence and some governments nationalized some US companies. Infuriated, the US led a coup in Chile as a result and instead put in its place a militant dictator. Sure it made everything fairer for the Chilean citizens, since the communists did not offer as many sevices to non-communists...but that doesnt account foir the deaths of hundreds of people during the dictatorship...only for a few stupid factories that were given away to the Chilean governmtnet shortly thereafter.

As far as the Middle East goes, supporting terrorist groups just to show the Soviet Union that the US is no pushover, the Gulf War, invading Iraq under false pretences...and of course the alliance that exists between Israel and the US.

Plus its not like Israel has been a victim of the wars...it has also been a punisher and even a terrorist against Lebanon and other Muslim countries that fight with Israel...all because of a stupid dispute that started since the beginnings of ancient religion

[darksytze]

People get bad opinions of America, its the fault of the media only showcasing the Christians doing hunts on homosexuals, Americans being the fattest humans on the planet and that Americans are cocky people saying 'Hey I'm American! You suck!'.

Ironic is, that America has like 4 billion dollars to pay off, less then third world countrys. Yet they never pay something back and keep their money from all the mass-fucking-production.

[GnarKill10201]

well, i see it as ppl hating AN american...
if ur talking about the U.S of A then i would say ppl do not like george w bush...

i know lots of canadians that dont really appreciate him, or like him... so since they dont like bush, they dont like americans.. cuz as they say.. "U.S.A is run by (a) Moron(s) therefore, contains morons.
i as a canadian dont stand by that..... but... i know... my dad aint too fond of em...
the only american i dunt like.. s bush... but thats just bush, not a nation..
am i wrong?

[UndeadTemplar88]

Why would you appreciate GWB? The only thing he's doing is destroying everything good America stood for

[fahrenheit]

At 8/29/06 03:40 AM, The_Green_M wrote: Well for one thing the US refers to itself as America even though there are many other countries occupying North and South America.

Even though were the only country with America in our name?

[TwO-FaCeD-PaRaNoID]

America ate my baby!

[Neoptolemus]

I'm English and i don't necessarily hate Americans. I dislike the government especially how it'll only ever be the rich that have the power whilst the working class will never. Your entire political system is based upon wealth when it should be based upon the people.

The only American people i dislike are those that are ignorant enough to believe that they are living in "the land of the free" (freedom... yeah right!). I also dislike how you go against your own constitution where the state and religion shouldn't be mixed while it's obvious the vast majority of Americans would'nt vote for someone who doesn't believe in God.

And that's not even getting to your foreign policies.

Although the American people in general are just like people from most nations.. You have those that should be shot in the face and those that should be put on a pedestal.

[SouthAsian]

At 8/29/06 10:48 AM, Dragon_Smaug wrote:

At 8/29/06 08:19 AM, EcKo_WR wrote: Israel.

That's certainly why the anti-Semites hate the U.S.

What's there to argue about what is presented in the article that I link too?

The truth hurts.

[JMHX]

At 8/29/06 03:08 AM, Jyanice wrote: Okay the question is out, why do people hate American's? What did we EVER do? Please anyone from anywhere (preferably a foreign country, or not American) tell me why?

hahaha

[SouthAsian]

At 8/29/06 05:56 PM, JMHX wrote:

At 8/29/06 03:08 AM, Jyanice wrote: Okay the question is out, why do people hate American's? What did we EVER do? Please anyone from anywhere (preferably a foreign country, or not American) tell me why?

hahaha

hohoho

[Lambtaco]

At 8/29/06 02:16 PM, fahrenheit- wrote:

At 8/29/06 03:40 AM, The_Green_M wrote: Well for one thing the US refers to itself as America even though there are many other countries occupying North and South America.

Even though were the only country with America in our name?

So your country has an uncreative name, BFD. If I were to found a town and call it Frenchtown, would that mean people from France aren't French? Calling the people of the USA Americans kind of sticks because there's no other name for them, but calling your country by the name of the continent it's on is something only Australia can do.

[Athlas]

Well, actually, it's all the religous freaks in America that drive me crazy. Fundementalism for instance. Most of their opinions are SO narrowminded and hypocritic it makes me want to puke my guts out. You claim to be the land of the free, while in the mean time, you are forcing your culture and opinion on everyone else (i.e. Iraq) and yourselves (Catholics vs. Atheists). There's a lot of zero-tolerance in the US (neo-nazi's, KKK, public opinion towards, ooh, let's see, France and the Middle East, for instance). And the part I hate most, is that there are a lot of you that are proud of it !!!! I can't remember how many people have said the US is the only superpower left in the world ever since the USSR collapsed, well then tell me, why would that make you the world's police? Where did that egocentric idea of self-importance come from? 'Cause if you really view yourselves that way, then why is a part of the Iraqi population blowing themselves to pieces? Could it be that they actually don't like being conquered and having their homes blown to bits by 200 pound bombs? Gee, I wonder...

[troubles1]

At 8/29/06 08:19 AM, EcKo_WR wrote: Israel.

STFU!!!!
IDIOT

[Snakemaster-13]

At 8/29/06 11:42 AM, Camarohusky wrote: I hate America because your national food, hotdogs, are shaped like penises. Any country that glorifies eating penis is an enemy of mine!

Well, it is against my philosophy (which I made up myself) to eat parts of the genitals, but tecnically, the frankfurter was invented in Frankfurt, Germany. So, the US really has no "American-style food".

[poop]

Well, I think the reason the Middle East hates U.S. is because we interfered over there, and they didn't want us to. It's like we're having a problem, and some other country comes in and starts to interfere, do you think we'll like it?

Not really, and some people hate us because they perceive us as arrogant, loud, and obnoxious people. Also a bunch of steretypes that they ignorantly beleive. Although some people just don't like America, because they think it sucks, and stuff like that.