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I am SO HAPPY you brought this up. I have been trying to figure out how to bring up the exact same thing.

I am a Christian woman. I am also a VERY PROUD AMERICAN! I have stated elsewhere here that I think we live in the greatest country in the world. For that, I was accused of being biased on the rest of my answer to a question. My response was something to the effect of, You bet I am!

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=AubWJ...

Now with that said we are FAR from perfect. As often as this site has made me feel proud to be a Christian and an American, it has made me equally ashamed to be. Being able to honestly say that, makes me sadder than I can express to you.

For all the brilliant and wonderful people we have in this country, we also have some of the absolute, MOST ignorant! This is the land of freedoms and opportuntites. Unfortunately some people take their rights to be ignorant and stupid to extremes.

Now granted, a portion of the problem, is the chronilogical age of some of the users. I think most people can recognize them and forgive them for their indiscretions here. There is good reason to believe that they will mature as they grow.

There are so many people here, who truly do not understand what an amazing thing we have here with Yahoo! Answers. I think there are just so many that do not realize that this really IS a direct link to the rest of the world. Instantly.

I on occasion, go to the Politics and or Religions catagories. The "discussions" that go on in some of these threads is amazing. We can actually ask people that we are at war with, What do they think about it. Me! You! Everyone here! CAN actually talk to not only your friends and neighbors here, but ALSO those that we are at war with! Right NOW! What greater tool for peace could there be. The potential is phenominal! The war is no longer somewhere, on the other side of the world. It is with the guy I was talking to about religion or politics or anything else, to last night before I went to bed. And you know what? He had to agree with some of my points, and I had to agree with some of his. Sometimes we have no clue who, we are agreeing with! Then you have people enter these threads, that just come out with the most assenine things. The worst of course was a man who claimed to be an Anerican Christian Doctor. He would enter religious threads and start swearing at people who had a different opinion than he. He answered some medical questions by prescribing self mutilation. He had made suggestions in both catagories that people should just go and kill themselves. How ignorant.

The rest of the world sees us as blind sheep that are led reasonlessly by our media. They think that we could not put two thought together if we were not told what they were first. They also think that we blindly follow our government, without questioning it. They think that we have no respect for ourselves, let alone anyone else. I think they also think that we greatly abuse our "freedoms", and flaunt them to the rest of the world. They think that we are arrogant, and that we have no vision of existence outside of our own boarders.

I am afraid that I agree, that many users on this site reinforce those beliefs. I stated in another answer, somewhere else, that I do not think that "many Americans" realize that this IS an international site, and that IF they did, I would hope that they would behave better.

I am not an American citizen, but if I'm allowed to give my opinion, I personally think that the United States is a corrupted, imperialistic country ruled by a tiny corporate elite that also happens to control most of the media, and that is willing to opress countries in the third world for the sake of profit for its political-economic lobbies.

I see the United States as a country with many, many ignorant people (it's not really their fault, but the fault of the entire system and the egocentrical, competitive world we live in), which is a pity, since I know that there are also many intelligent Americans that are against the actions of their government.

It really hurts me and offends me, when I talk with Americans and find out that they are totally unaware of, for example, the 1976-83 military dictatorship in my country (Argentina), which the United States backed and supported, with the CIA even helping the argentine military to supress dissidents and opposition. The indiference to what their country has done and still does is very enraging.

It really, really hurts me when some americans have no idea of what their country does in the world, when they know nothing about the coups against democratic regimes that the USA has organized and supported though its history (Pinochet in Chile, Arbenz in Guatemala, the Shah in Iran, just to name a few)

When you hear that the National Geographic made an investigation and discovered than less than 30% of adult americans could locate Afghanistan in a map during the US invasion to said country, one can only get pissed off.

I think the US is seen increasinly bad in the world, thanks to its terrible leadership, but also, sadly, due to the ignorance of a considerable part of the American populace, who, for some reason that escapes my mind, doesn't seem to fully grasp the great responsability associated with being the citizen of a democratic, or semi-democratic world power.

On the other side, I know that there are also many Americans who are not to blame for this, very intelligent people that don't have the fault of what their country does in the world.

The US has an increasingly bad image in the world, and I personally think that if Americans want to correct this, they need to show the world that they are responsable citizens, by educating themselves more and by voting better presidents and political parties into office.

Edit: I hope this answer doesn't sound to paternalistic or judgedammental (sp?), since, in all fairness, other countries also have their problems and flaws, and ignorance is sadly becoming widespread in most of the world, but well, this is the way I think.

I am glad this question has been put up and disagree with the first two answers that the "rest of the world" gathers its impression about US mainly from the policies of President Bush.

It is the citizens with whom a prospective immigrant or visitor to US would interact. You are right to say that the questions and answers posted here are creating a very different sort of image of Americans, since some questions are not only in bad taste but downright racist in tone.

One can easily say that such questions and the consenting answers they receive can be reported for abuse, but they cannot be erased from the minds of those abused that easily.

Still the "rest of the world " hopes that the few ignorant (i say few to acknowledge the sensible ones) American citizens would soon get over their prejudices and be a little more tolerant towards other nations.

P.S.- I am not an American Citizen.

Americans are viewed by the rest of the world as ignorant and spoiled. Also people from other counties think that money grows on trees here. They have this crazy notion that anyone who comes to America will instantly get rich and live happy lives. It is of course is so far from the truth. What they are right about is that most Americans are ignorant and have no idea concerning how the rest of the world really is. Americans lack culture and fear what they have little knowledge of. Don’t get this twisted either – I am also an American. I am a proud one as well. Also some countries fear us. They see us as the lions. To the person who wrote before me - you seem pretty ignorent if you actually think that different types of food and fashion was and is created here.

As a Global Citizen living in the Middle East, I would say that the American Government's decision to support the Israeli occupation of Palestinian lands, and it's continuous military support to this illegal occupation (UN Resolution 242) realy ruins America's reputation that would have other-wise been a good one, after all, America is a developed country and has achieved many good things and advances in useful sciences, health, travel, communication, etc.

The real reason America has a bad reputation is only because it blatantly insists on supporting the country that stole away the rights of the palestinian people and stole away thier independence and livelihoods.

P.S. I'm not a Human Citizen of America, I am a Human Citizen of the world born into the as a Middle Eastern person and I believe that our only enemy is arrogance itself.

Actually, I do not think that what I have seen on Y!A is that unrepresentative of the US citizenry.

1. There are far fewer uneducated people on Y!A than I encounter in everyday life.

2. Most of the people on Y!A are quite polite, and do not use a lot of profanity, compared to most of the Americans I meet in everyday life.

3. There are very few spelling errors and grammatical mistakes on Y!A. I would expect far more if the people using it were more representative of America as a whole.

4. The number of people here who are reasonably intelligent and knowledgeable about some particular subject or other (like math or physics or chemistry) is much greater than I would expect from my own experiences with the general public.

5. Although there is some religious bigotry here, I think it is only a tiny sample of what is evident in the community at large.

Big Bullies, over proud who value patriotisme more than human life (that is non american under beings)

Take the example of the USA bombing Al Quaeda grouping about 1 month ago in Pakistan. Everybody in america though it was natural to chase terrorists wherever "they" are, and so bad for the"collateral" damages, the "terrorists" fault because they use children as protection.

This reflects american attitude. What would america say if for example palestine bombed a building in New york saying that there were jews they considered as terrorists? And that palestine has the right to protect its national interest in its own war against terror? And too bad if American civilians were killed, jews were using civilians as protection, so its the jews fault?

Do you imagine many americans saying: oh ok, all right then! I rather imagine public uproar and cry for arms. As did palestine population. But most americans didnt care, why? because you have the strongest military, and dont feel threatened, thus you can do whatever is right, your concience never hurts. Dont be surprised then when you get some of these people who have nothing to lose to get revenge for their lost families. They are seeking justice, and I cant blame them.

Im sick of america acting as victims, befor being proud of your country, try to grasp the misery that america is creating in the world to substain such riches. Want to be proud? deserve it. Dont complain the world is becoming anti american, Bush does have a role in it, but people are responsible for their government.

Isn't funny how we can really only judge things based on our own reality. I watched a show on TV yesterday that showed the slums in Delhi. It was terrible. And I thought about the reality of a young girl in that world for just a minute. I'll never ever really know her life. Not for one minute. And neither will my teenage son. How can I expect the majority of the kids using this tool to understand that desperation? I sit in my cozy house with my 2 car garage and think I can't make a difference, but I can. I can make a little one by how I interact with this tool. By how I represent America to the world. By how I answer questions. By being a responsible community member. I can by teaching my son to respect women, to celebrate ethnicity and other cultures and religions, to be tolerant of other sexual lifestyles, to give back to those less fortunate. It all starts in our own small back yards...! If every single person on Earth who could give something started small, there would be no want or need. I guess my point is, I find us to be a culture obsessed with the accumulation of wealth and status, (less with raising our kids) yes we are a big hearted people, but what is the message that our young people are getting from us? After seeing some of the Q and A going on in the community, it makes me wonder? I guess my point is this...If we all started to reprioritize what's important again, I think things would work themselves out.

In answering this question you also have to take into account how our economy is doing and foreign policy. These two factors predetermine are stability with other nations that we associate ourselves whenever we particpiate in any united nation conferences. I am sorry to say but with the democraziation in Iraq and raising oil prices the people of america are seen as nothing more than selfish beings who want more than what they can bargain with other nations. Americans have a hard time following whats going on around the world since their resoruces are insufficent and lack the real answers that many want but cannot reach because of "politcally correct" newspapers, and channels.

When was the last time you saw people breaking down the door to get into Russia or China or Peru. America is still the land of opportunity and always will be as long as there is a free market society. Only a fool would try to refute this.

It is true that americia is a great and rich nation, but in today's world it seem like the americia of yester years have been lock in a corner by the world out there and every one seem to have been taking a bite out of it some how or the other. weather it's the middle east, or some other country, Americia is taking hits that is leaving marks that might seem small but the are adding up and the wounds are opening up. Time to heal America! from the inside out!