Why do non-americans assume all americans are idiots?

[Ack]

When you've got a hillbilly President as your representation to the rest of the world, people begin to think of the rest of us accordingly.

Not to mention that most of his supporters were usually the overly-zealous patriotic types, waving their American flags and swearing on their Bibles while cursing people of other ethnic, religious, racial backgrounds in the same breath.

Since we're stereotyping myself and a few others on this forum, you left out "homophobic," "gun-wielding," "anti-abortion," "militant," and a few others as well.

[Hatta]

Most Americans are idiots. We elected Bush twice, do you need any more evidence? We're the only developed country where evolution is a controversial issue. We're the only developed country where stem cells are a controversial issue. Sure it's a stereotype and not everyone's a moron, but all stereotypes are based in reality.

[petey]

Most Americans are idiots. We elected Bush twice, do you need any more evidence? We're the only developed country where evolution is a controversial issue. We're the only developed country where stem cells are a controversial issue. Sure it's a stereotype and not everyone's a moron, but all stereotypes are based in reality.

So, the majority (a small majority) of Americans are moronic? I'd agree with that.
I'd also say that I believe the majority of my home city's residents (London) are morons. This is because we elected Boris Johnson as Mayor

[marurun]

There are times I think my fellow Americans are indeed some of the most capable and intelligent people in the world. There are other times I'm convinced I live in a land filled to the brim with idiots who are unwilling to learn anything that might contradict their own narrow view of the universe because heaven forbid they might have to adapt to change or something crazy like that.

People are people everywhere. I spent 10 months in Japan several years ago and nobody there I met knew much about classical Japanese cinema or had much interest in world affairs. I could think them closed minded or I could find them products of their culture, just as I am a product of my culture, though perhaps a damaged product.

[Ack]

I would argue that the entire world is full of idiots. We argue these questions here, though I assure you, we're not the only ones considering the authenticity of evolution. Sure, both arguments appear to stem from a religious background, in the case of evolution an unwillingness to give up on the creation belief, and in the case of stem cell research, the horror that what we're doing goes against "God's plan" because of the possible use of human embryos.

I would argue that stem cell research leads to a potential ethical hazard however. Even though these are human embryos, which have no chance of becoming human, is it possible that further forms of "human testing" may come later, eventually leading to experimentation with the real thing? If this idea were to spread to cloning, what about the possibility of cloning organs and harvesting, eventually evolving into cloning larger sections of people until eventually we're keeping warehouses of cloned cadavers for mutilation. It's a stretch, I know, and personally I support stem cell research, but as I can't predict the future perhaps the ethics of the situation forecasts future ethical considerations that we can't even begin to fathom.

Generally these things take time to accept. Look at how long it took for the theory of heliocentric orbit to become commonly accepted. Some don't accept that man walked on the moon, or that JFK was shot by a communist in a window in the upper floors of a book depository. Some people think both Elvis and Tupac are still alive. Looking at other nations, some think the Holocaust never happened, or that the Japanese never committed war crimes in Nanking, or took Korean and Chinese women as prostitutes during World War II. Some don't accept that the Turks brutalized the Armenians in World War I or that as of 1980 at least three million people were estimated to have died in the Soviet prison systems in Siberia.

People are people. Some will think that every other nation in the world hates us and wants us dead, others will think a Chicago politician can fix everything with the words "hope" and "change." Don't worry about all of them. Worry about yourself, but be kind to everyone you meet. You might just change their perspective on something, or you might not. It's a crap shoot either way.

[Jmenglan]

You might just change their perspective on something, or you might not. It's a crap shoot either way.

Amen.

[the7k]

Like some of the people here have said, I don't assume Americans are idiots; I just assume people are idiots. I've heard a lot of Americans say just downright idiotic things, but I hear just as stupid, if not more idiotic, things from the English, French, Germans, Brazilians, etc. And I have to assume the rest of the world says stupid things as well, I just can't understand their language.

And yeah, people around the world hate America because its powerful, just like a lot of people hate China, and a lot of people used to hate Soviet Russia and, even further back, England and France. It's always lonely at the top.

[Mod_Man_Extreme]

Tommy Lee Jones said it best in Men In Black:

"A person alone is smart, but people as a whole are stupid and afraid of the unknown."

That to me best explains human society.

[opticledilusi0n]

As an American living in America... i feel that those people trashing America are correct .

Most of the people in this country are ignorant hillbillies . I am astounded on a daily basis with the stupidity of others i have contact with .

But this is not to say that they are any smarter is other countries either .

Most people in general are stupid .

[The Apprentice]

First of all, people is stupid.

Anyone else catch that?

What sucks about the global situation is that the United States is going to have two rivals pretty soon, China and Russia, and when things get back to brinkmanship, (and I have no doubt they will) the rest of the world is going to be running back to us.

My dad was just talking about the disrespect at dinner. You see my grandfather is married to a woman named Systa (or something like that) who's from Iceland. About ten years ago in California one of the local millitary bases was getting new furniture for the first time since the 1940s. Systa was all mad that her tax money was paying for the "wasteful Americans" to get new desks, and my dad, who was an Air Force man, was about to blow a fuse. She's like, 450 pounds now and spends every day on the couch like a beached whale. My family doesn't like her very much.

And yeah, people around the world hate America because its powerful, just like a lot of people hate China, and a lot of people used to hate Soviet Russia and, even further back, England and France. It's always lonely at the top.

Exactly. But as soon as they need us then it's time for the Americans face off against the bullies. If only nukes had never been invented then maybe the world would be more balanced by now.