I recently stumbled upon an AOL-hosted web page from 1996 titled The Evil of Pippi Longstocking in which the author claims that Pippi is the Antichrist, the devil, an evil concoction dreamt up by Germans and Swedes to fill the power vacuum left by Hitler’s death. I have to assume that David Nagel’s purpose in publishing his rather idiotic theories were to drum up controversy and revenue from the traffic the angered hordes would bring.
I can’t argue against that motive because that’s precisely the idea behind Richard’s Ramblings — find something interesting or informative to write about, slightly twist it around if it’s fictional, gratuitously sex it up with a sprinkling of bøøbs, bosoms, and breasts (oh, my!), and dish out a few comments designed to heat up the conversation. The extra traffic should increase revenues from click-through ads. Millions of websites have the same revenue model, as do Fox News and Howard Stern.
None of that works without the other side of the equation — the visitors. And, boy, are David’s Swedish readers riled! The visiting Swedes (Sweden being the country of Pippi’s origin) let their opinions fly:
- “Another stupid American; the world is full of them!“
- “You’re probably a stupid American åsshølë!“
- “I wipe my åss with the American flag and spit in your face.“
Being a citizen of the United States myself, I was curious as to the sentiment of others. So I decided to find some additional opinions by searching the Internet with Google, spelling left intact:
- “The only thing Americans can teach is how to corrupt countries and take their money. All Americans are is greety båstårds.” — I think countries have been corrupting themselves for thousands of years without the help of the United States. Also, most people worldwide work hard to better themselves and provide as much as possible for their families. Americans included. Yes, there are some really bad, greedy Americans that can ruin things for everyone, even on a global scale — but not everyone fits that description. Personally, I have no idea how to teach someone to corrupt an entire country.
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Photo © iStockPhoto.com / Michael Ciranni
“[The] US is the laughing stock of the world. American cars suck, American people are stupid, fat and ignorant, your technology sucks.” — Yes, spoken out of prejudice and ignorance, Americans can be conceived as being the laughing stock of the world. So would whichever country happens to be in the economic and military lead at the time.
Some American cars do suck, but the Yugo hasn’t won too many awards that I’m aware of. Interestingly, when I lived in Germany as a child, the fantasy car of choice by most Germans was a Pontiac — not a Mercedes or Porsche. I never understood that.
This 1957 Chevrolet Bel Air — the big yellow thing under the half-naked, non-fat girl, who herself was created in the United States — was made possible by the first mass-produced automobile perfected by Henry Ford in 1896. As, too, were headlights (on the car, not the model) by Horatio Allen in 1831, polarizing sunglasses (sunglasses invented by Sam Foster (Foster Grants) in 1929, and polarization by Edwin Land (Polaroid) in 1932), and the digital camera used to take the picture by Kodak in 1975.
You’re probably viewing the picture on either a personal computer (thanks to IBM in 1981) or a cellular phone (Motorola in 1973) over the Internet (sometime between 1960 and 1995, depending on your definition).
American scientists at Dow Corning invented the first silicone breast implants in 1961. The bikini, however, is French, and the fingernail polish is of Chinese origin.
Sadly, according to the OECD, the United States does lead the developing world in obesity rates, followed by Mexico, New Zealand, Chile, Australia, Canada, United Kingdom, Ireland, Luxembourg, and Finland. The WHO also includes United Arab Emirates, Qatar, and Kuwait in their fattest countries list. And, yes, some Americans are a combination of stupid, fat, and ignorant. So are some members of any other country in the world.
If Microsoft products are used as the sole measurement of our technology, then, yes, it sucks. But I haven’t seen any other countries that provide the number of major innovations that have stemmed from America in the last hundred years. That the Swedes could read David’s diatribe on the Internet at all is thanks to the United States.
- “Americans are full of shìt. ignorant, yet stuppied people. they are bvery norrow minded and veyr materiolistic.” — I already agreed that sum Amurikanz ar bvery stuppied. But not all; the first spell checking software was invented at UC Berkeley in 1972 — by an American.
- “You have a handful of smart and educated people who drive the country, and then you have this humongous blob of utterly clueless people who are hardly able to make a living.” — Can’t really argue with that. But, again, the same can be said for every other country.
- “You are all non-sensical inbred morons.” — Actually I don’t personally know anyone who is the result of inbreeding in the United States, although it may be common in certain areas of the country such as Tennessee (pronounced “Ken-tuck-ee”, if you’re from Tennesee). You think inbreeding didn’t occur within the European and Asian royals of the past? The Spanish Habsburgs died out due to inbreeding. Consanguineous marriages were also common in Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Japan, and India, and 20-25% of marriages within many Muslim and Hindu societies are between first cousins.
- “Americans are generally loud and stupid.” — Yeah, I hate American tourists, too. Again, I’d qualify that as “some”, rather than generalizing the population as a whole.
- “U.S.A is the biggest shìt hølë.” — According to Google, it seems that people all over the world are calling just about every country on the planet the “biggest shìt hølë”. And half of them claim that wherever they’re living now is the world’s biggest shìt hølë. I say we just all take a vote and decide once and for all. That’s the democratic way.
- “I thank God that I’m not a stupid åss-fûçkìng American.” — I thank God I’m not a stupid åss-fûçkìng American either. I can’t understand people’s obsession with anal sex. Sorry, I’m not into that. I’m just a regular American of above-average intelligence, eking out a living, trying to fulfill the dreams of my family.
I’d rather be considered a stupid American than have to resort to pointless name-calling in a vain attempt to gain national stature. I am hardly a Bible-toting, born-again Christian, but I find it difficult to disagree with these Proverbs:
“The proud and haughty man, ‘scoffer’ is his name; He works in the arrogance of pride… When pride comes, then comes shame, But with humility comes wisdom.”
Don’t lump every citizen of a country together under a single label; it just makes you look stupid.
Numerous different passports… but all EU passports now go through a single queue, headed with a sign that reads “EU Passports,” while the rest of us stand in the non-EU line. The pretty colors and type fonts on the front are different, but one line for all EU citizens sounds like a Union to me.
Aside from that… the point of my original post is that vitriolic ranting against a collective group of people, based on stereotype, is an ugly form of prejudice and racism, as destructive as hating a person of a particular race or religion.
Stephen, you don’t know ME. You’ve never met ME. I’m a person first, a magazine editor next, a fan of Jethro Tull third, an aspiring novelist next… then somewhere in that mix, yes… I’m an American and I’m not ashamed of it. Yet you spout such scorching menace based on… what…? Did an American girl dump you once? Do you hate McDonalds? So do I… I think it’s the second Evil Empire, after Microsoft. If it’s guns you hate… I’m with you there. I’ve never owned, fired, touched or even SEEN a handgun up close, except in a cop’s holster. I vote liberal, which is about as much as I can do to protest the lack of gun control in this country.
Though I dislike taking the offensive line because it’s counterproductive, if it comes down to education, Sweet Cheeks, anyone comparing your grammar and spelling and mine could probably draw a conclusion that reads right to my keyboard.
And don’t forget the accepted concept of the European Union passport! Plus, the Schengen Treaty allows travel across border with no passport check, and permits passengers traveling by air within those countries to use domestic terminals rather than international ones! And, like Tracey, I don’t own a gun, nor does any one else I know. – RDL
Meaningless statistics? Well, fair comment. However, in Switzerland, EVERY male aged between 20 and 42 is REQUIRED by law (with exceptions no doubt) to keep his assault rifle and 3000 rounds of ammo at home. There are more guns than people, so clearly INTELLIGENCE is a factor because they have extremely low gun crime. In addition I find it amusing that you are still trying to convince me that America isn’t a country but a group of disperate states, in that case I’ll invade one and see if the US armed forces think the same.
Interestingly you mention grammer and spelling, please enlighten me, would that be color for colour, thru for through or indeed any of the other remarkable ways Americans find to shorten words so that their puny little minds can remember them?
Our trains are poorly run, many people are below the poverty line, however we don’t stomp around the world shouting about how great it is to live here and why doesn’t everyone live the same way as us, unlike 95% of Americans that I have met.
America is a “young” country, an adolescent if you will (my house is older than your Constitution), so its hardly surprising that other nationalities regard you with some contempt, however grin and bear it and no doubt eventually everyone will adopt all of the many fabulous foibles that America has to offer.
One parting shot, just between friends, Cuba has a higher literacy rate than either the US or GB, perhaps we should all move there instead…
Aha! Something resembling civilized discussion and not spewing. I knew you had it in you, Stephen!
It was never my point to indicate that the U.S. are 50 different countries (well, maybe it’s two, since Texas likes to think of itself as the Federal Republic of Texas).
A great deal of U.S. gun violence is inner-city gang related. Los Angeles has the highest gang activities in the country; as a result, its gun violence is appalling. Unfortunately, it’s an ill that’s beginning to spread to other countries… when I read about the “for kicks” bombing of a shopping center several months ago in Finland, I was appalled. FINLAND, for God’s sake! Yet violent crime in the U.S. has been slipping dramatically lately (by some estimates, New York has a lower crime rate that London at this point… when Rudolph Giuliani accepted his OBE last year, London’s mayor (Livingstone?) asked him for tips on how to stamp out street crime. Yet private citizens STILL feel the need to keep guns… doesn’t make sense to me.
Cuba’s literacy rate is admirable… and I believe some poor Caribbean nations also have higher literacy rates than either the U.S. or Britain. Soviet Russia had a great literacy rate, too, and with the introduction of more personal liberties, it dropped. May have something to do with the fact that children have no choice but to attend school, instead of leaving at 16 to pursue a career as a rock guitarist, for example, like we can if we wish.
It doesn’t surprise me that I get regarded with contempt occasionally, my countrymen abroad can be excruciatingly embarassing and stupid. I do, however, think part of American’s ignorance of the rest of the world is a function of geography, at least a bit. When leaving the country is a major trip rather than a short jaunt, people are less inclined to do it. Geography insulates us. Canadians are no better travelled than the average American, either, for a lot of the same reasons.
I still can’t leap from Switzerland’s societal norms and extensive gun training to an increase in intelligence, but even they are reconsidering their laws regarding the private ownership of guns after a recent massacre in Zug. And I am not trying to convince you that America is not a country; more that the 3.6-million-square-mile United States is so vast economically, socially, and geographically, that it is SIMILAR in its diversity to the 4.0-million-square-mile continent of Europe. New York is to North Carolina as France is to Finland, passports and currency aside. Maybe we should all move to Japan: http://www.fadetoblack.com/bestcountry/ Thanks for sparring! – RDL
“I was reminded the other day of how hated we Americans are.” Hated is a strong word. Personally, I’d say disliked.
I think Stephen was trying to point out that Europe is a formal alliance of very old countries, each with their own cultures. France and Finland have been developing from independant ancestral tribes for a very long time. The culture and depth of a society increase over time, by the addition of events, national triumphs and failures, and relations with other countries. The states were formed at the creation of the USA right? Before which there was a bit of fighting, mainly between groups of Europeans? You’ve got, maybe 400 years to draw on? Ok, so Europe is moving together, and willingly growing. We have a common currency, some shared laws and minimal borders, but languages, working hours, and military commitment are varied. The America/Europe comparison works on many levels, especially global politics (you are more influential), business, currency, and ideals.
I think your culture is shallow, and as such the output of your society is shallow. I am not sure if Americans are generally shallow individuals, but you certainly present yourselves as that way. Your domestic and foreign presentations (news, film, tv) are formulaic, glitz and tinsel affairs. You invented marketing and then used it to remove any discerning nature from your audience i.e. you. America has clearly produced some pretty cool and revolutionary stuff. While we have a lot to thank you for (and that’s why I won’t ‘hate’ you), you’ve also given the world some pretty trashy entries in many countries’ guestbooks. You revise history in public media, use conflict to feel the way other countries do in football tournaments. Your foreign policy is self-interested, backed by a disproportionately prevalent insular attitude to the world. Your performance at Kyoto was disgusting. So I guess my perception is not that an American is stupid, but America is, and probably not stupid, just ignorant.
I’ve been to the states twice (San Jose and NYC) and enjoyed myself both times, and found every one to be really friendly. I’m sure it’s a pretty nice place to live. But, as a foreigner, feeling your influence on my life, I gotta say, booo. So, I don’t know how I found this site or why I decided to comment, but, well, “Hey, Richard – peace”.
— European, English, resident in Amsterdam, luckily not BornInTheUSA.
I don’t disagree with your points, but as I restate what I’ve said all along, I don’t think that it’s fair to generalize an entire people based on the actions or inactions of a few. Yes, the country is young and immature. Yes, the media and programmes are formulaic (although borrowed from other countries, The Weakest Link, Whose Line is it Anyway, Three’s Company, Big Brother, and American Idol included) and I am embarassed by popular exports such as Jerry Springer and David Hasselhoff! Yes, investigative journalism in the US is often biased which is why I often listen in to BBC Radio for a worldly perspective. Yes, I am shocked that coverage of actress Winona Ryder’s guilty verdict for theft and vandalism is more prevalent than the results of the recent elections. Yes, US international policy is self-centered. Yes, I, and millions of other Americans, were appalled by the behavior of some of the American competitors at Kyoto, including the hockey players (nothing compared to the ice skating debacle at Salt Lake City, though). Yes, I am shamed by the behavior of the occasional loud-mouthed, obnoxious, and uncultured American tourist. Just don’t judge me or the average American (whoever that is!) based on the actions of others, and I will not judge you based on my vision of Tony Blair, Eastenders, Melinda Messenger, Camela Bowles, or The Sun. Peace to you, too! – RDL
…and don’t underestimate how bemused we are by our perceptions of the British news media. I read most of the major UK papers daily, both trashy and respectable, and from where I sit, some days it seems all a large chunk of the British population cares about is Kylie Minogue’s cleavage and obsessions over what goes on in David and Victoria Beckham’s nursery/bedroom/car/garden/rubbish bin/trousers. I’m sure this is not the case… but if you judge a population by what its news “professionals” deem important, you’d never get a flattering picture of a people. And yes… GWB’s outright rejection of Kyoto was despicable. When exactly he thinks the problem will just “go away” is a mystery to me.
Oh, THAT Kyoto! Seems we’ve embarassed ourselves more than once around that particular namesake… Living in the past, I am… *spoken like Yoda* – RDL
Why are Americans so full of pride for their country? Goerge Bush has a need to kill people with any little excuse. You’re fat and you think you can sue the fast food chain for getting you that way. What the hëll do you expect from a burger dripping with fat? You’re thick in more ways than one. You’re accent is drowl and annoying. Your goverment thinks that your citizens should be excempt from the laws that everyone else in the world lives by. The only good thing you have going for you is Viggo Mortasen, Sean Astin and Elijah Wood when speaking in an English accent in Lord of the Rings.
Only one guy out of 287 million is suing the fast-food industry, Emma, sweetie. And yes, that man is indeed an ignorant, brainless twit. Fortunately for us, however, ignorant, brainless twits are not unique to the United States.
Well, Tracey, sweetie, Americans have the nack of flashing their ignorance, without realising that they’re doing it. Americans come 1st place in stupidity becaus you do it so well. Unfortunatly for us, your mistakes effects the rest of the world. You voted for a homisidal leader rather than Al Gore. Wuh?
Cor blimey guvnor, this as turned into a right old slanging match hasn’t it ? Ok, quick points. Bush 2 was not elected. The democrats aren’t much better. The diversity between American states in terms of politics is a bit of a joke. You cannot say Washington and Colorado’s populations are as different as the populations of Italy and Scandinavia. The idea that the EU is anything approaching the ‘United States’ concept is way way of the mark. And yes America, your president, along with our PM, is trying to kill everyone. I recommend everyone read ‘Stupid White Men’ by Michael Moore. Its not abusive of the American people, and so it shouldn’t be, but it does lay it on the line about how the most powerful country in the world is really a cancer on the world. I will add more when I think of more. No to war in Iraq !! Bush is rich enough and this is only about oil just like Afghanistan. I certainly dont want British soliers to lay down their lives for a bunch of multi millionaires to add to their wealth. We won’t benefit. Richard, you’re in no way stupid, but you do like to try and blame some things on others. The uk maybe respnosible fo some crap TV, but we also have 11 newspapers just in London alone, and news programmes that are informative.
hmmm…..have just realised half of what i wrote was already said by people and responded to and have consequently made a bit of an årsë of myself.
Really should read everything through. Maybe I belong in America :o) I AM KIDDING before everyone goes mad and sends a navy seal to eat fish at the London zoo. I will keep quiet now until I have read everything.
Emma, sounds like the pot calling the kettle black… Oh, and I voted for Al, myself. – RDL
I have no personal beef with any Americans (though I don’t think much of Dubyah), but this really got me laughing – 70% of Americans can’t find New Jersey on a map? 49% can’t find New York? And the real winner, 11% of Americans can’t find America on a world map… That’s not even funny – it’s scary.
I voted for Al Gore, Emma. I believe if you read back over my and Richard’s posts, our POINT is that addressing a single American individual in a collective, judgmental “you” is a method of generalized stereotyping that is akin to racism. More than 50 percent of Americans voted for Al Gore; it was our highly flawed electoral college process that allowed our current “leader” to take office. Take heart, his term is nearly half over.
And “knack” is spelled with a “k”. “Homicidal” is spelled with a “c”, and that should be “affect” not “effects”.
The fact that anyone can accuse an ENTIRE NATION of people of stupidity and ignorance whilst making three spelling errors and a grammatical goof in a single paragraph is worthy of a smile.
I saw that report, Mike, about geography, and it terrified me (though it was a survey of young people ages 18-24, not a general survey of the American populace). But this from a UK newspaper terrified me just as much: 2 in 3 pupils fail to name one classical composer [according to an article] by Nigel Reynolds, arts correspondent for the Telegraph.
“The cellist Julian Lloyd Webber called classical music education in Britain ‘a national embarrassment’ yesterday after 65 percent of children interviewed in a poll failed to name a classical composer. Panicked by the question, a small minority of the 611 children questioned by the radio station Classic FM grabbed at names such as Elvis Presley, Michael Jackson and even William Shakespeare. The children, aged six to 14, fared no better when they were shown pictures of common instruments and asked to name them. Only 31 percent recognised a cello and 23 percent a French horn; 21 percent could not identify a trumpet, while 23 percent failed to name a violin. Seven percent thought the violin was a guitar.”
We can sling statistics back and forth between the abysmal education systems in both our countries (as one poster remarked, literacy in Cuba is better than BOTH the U.S. and the U.K.) all we want. The only point I’m attempting to get across is generalizing individuals based on sound bites, stereotypes and a personal experience or two reflects an ignorant mind-set. I was in Edinburgh a few weeks ago, and I walked through the club district on a Saturday night on my way to the Greyfriars Kirkyard. I saw more messy drunks vomiting and rolling in the gutters than I’ve EVER seen in a clubbing district anywhere in the world. I would be wrong to draw the conclusion, “All Brits are messy drunks,” because you might say (a) But wait… I personally never drink like that; or (b) But those were Scots! (And if you allow cultural differentiation between Scots, Welsh, N. Irish and English, then you must allow for cultural differences between, say… Texans and New Yorkers). Hopefully I’m getting my point across, albeit in a roundabout way.
Actually Tracey, I think you raise a very good point, with an obvious conclusion – the planet is generally overrun with stupid people. And young brits drink too much, but I’m no longer all that young, and I’ve never been British. 😉
What’s that wonderful saying? “The gene pool needs chlorine?” It applies to the entire planet.
After living in Europe and coming back to Charlotte, NC (I can’t wait to leave again), I was thoroughly shocked at just how horribly stupid Americans really are. I had forgotten what truly murderous ignorants they are. What’s worse is they really enjoy being stupid, because as long as they are stupid… they are right in doing things the way they do. Most Americans don’t feel the need to understand American foreign policy, and that is why everyone hates them. America is truly f*cking the rest of the world in order to turn a buck and the only time it “defends” a helpless country is to overthrow the government there and replace it with a puppet that is in line with USA economic needs. The people that will be killed as a result of the war on Iraq, and the people that have already been killed in Afghanistan have not made the world safer, nor did they pose a threat to the USA except by holding up economic interests. You will notice that Bush is tied to the oil companies that will now be putting a pipeline through Afghanistan in order to profit from natural resources such as oil and natural gas that could not previously be trafficked through Afghanistan because of the Taliban. The CIA put the Taliban in power to fight Russia, when they were done with Russia, they tried to get them to agree to a pipeline as payback and they refused. So then this whole stupid thing of 911 was fabricated and the Amercian public bought it all, hook line and sinker. Why? Because very few people know about the history of Afghanistan and the real reason the US is interested in it. Not many people know the history of Iraq and the real reason we are interested in it. Most people think Bush is here to save us from evil empires… unfortunately, the evil empire is America, it just has really good PR to the uneducated masses of civilians that finance its war machine. For anyone pìssëd øff by what I say.. here is my suggestion: READ A BOOK. It will help you understand what the hëll is really going on here.
Yes, but many people graduate to read at a level beyond Harry Potter and have exited the fantasy world in which you are still stuck… It takes a true coward to hide behind a fake name, a fake email address, and boorish comments. I’m sure the line is long to provide LeavingTheUSA with a ride to the airport, or to just dump him/her somewhere in Canada… – RDL
I’m sure Charlotte, North Carolina is holding the door open for you. Bon Voyage!!
Well, Tracey, there is a great difference between being ignorant and dyslexic. Americans chose to be ignorant where as I have to work hard to be able to write as well as I do. I understand compassion is hard for you to come to terms with. It is only right that you can spell homicidal as it’s Americas favourite pastime.
Emma…and you think accusing me personally of being homicidal (I can’t even kill spiders in my flat) does not betray ignorance? That judging people you’ve never met based on a stereotype and the actions of their government does not betray ignorance? I’m sorry you’re dyslexic… that’s unfortunate. If you’d like to prove that you yourself are not ignorant, understand that I’m not responsible for the actions of a presidential administration with whom I don’t agree. Save your name-calling and your spleen-venting for GWB… not me.