Re: Why do people hate the USA
[QUOTE=SyntaxTerror]
I'd like to hear from your point of view though what America has that those nations don't have.[/QUOTE]
FREEDOM!! :lol:
Seriously, in most westernized countries, the standard of living isn't really all that different from that in America. You still have easy access to food, lodging, and all of the modern conveniences of life. Compare the US (and much Europe, Australia, Japan, etc.) with a lot of the less-developed countries, though, and there is really no comparison. I was in the Dominican Republic a couple of years ago for vacation and was shocked at the poverty in which people lived. Homes were constructed out of old street signs welded together, banks were tiny shacks with the word "Banca" spray painted on them, and people were harvesting sugar cane -- the country's number one crop -- with oxen, carts, and scythes. Pretty crazy shit.
The one thing the US does have that I could see other developed countries having a bit of a beef with is our ability to project our culture. When I was traveling Europe a few years ago, I was shocked at how much American television, movies, music, etc. was available. In contrast, with the exception of the occasional British sitcom (which will eventually be redone in an Americanized version), a handful of European or Austrailian music artists, and the random film that circulates the art house circuit, we don't really integrate near as much foreign culture into our own. We're like the friend down the street who never wants to play with your toys because we like ours better -- and you begrudgingly agree.
I don't know if this is, in fact, part of the reason for any of the animosity, but that might get to me after a while if I didn't live here -- not in a vindictive, "let's blow the hell out of them" way, but in a "well, this kinda sucks" sort of way. Especially in Europe, you have all of these countries with incredible history and culture, and yet much of your pop culture seems to be comprised of American hand-me-downs. Maybe it just seemed that way because I was not expecting to see as much US stuff as I did.
I will say this, lest I come off sounding like a jingoistic snob -- most Americans unfortunately never bother to travel to Europe and other parts of the world. For those of us that do, though, it's a life changing experience. I did some backpacking across Europe a few years ago that took me through Ireland, England, Scotland, France, Italy, Greece, The Netherlands, Czech Republic, Austria, Germany and Hungary. More than anything I've done here in the states, that trip had the most positive experience on my life and gave me a broader worldview.