Anyone out there LIKE us'Yanks'?

[sethjnr]

Boy,feels chilly in here today. So why the US baiting? Play nice please, quite a few 'Yanks' around AB!

[rekstout]

See my answer posted under Damn Yanks and you should feel a bit warmer and fuzzier

[Cetti]

It doesn't seem to make a lot of sense to say that you 'dislike' (hate is a horrible word!) or 'love' a whole nation - it's individuals that count, wherever they hail from, whether it be Birmingham, Boston or Bombay!! Having been to the States we found the Americans to be warm, friendly and extremely interested in every ( and I mean every.. !! ) area and detail of our lives in England. No deed to feel chilly sethjnr - you're more than welcome!! Are you thawing out yet??

[Quizmonster]

Of course, in any matter involving relations between members of different nations, it's individuals that count. For example, I have never, as it happens, met a French person that I didn't like. (Maybe I've just been lucky?) However, as a 'race' or 'nation', they are utterly intolerable! I refer, for example, to their unions' invariable habit of blockading Channel ports every time they have a grievance against their Government. Why pick on us?

Americans I always look upon in much the same way as I viewed my teenage daughters in years past. Living under the same roof was purgatory for years, but I truly loved them to distraction throughout! Americans, too, are infuriating beyond belief...eg see their views on Green issues or their protectionism to the detriment of the world's poverty-stricken. For all that, they are - as individuals - big-hearted, friendly and delightful people. Though I despair of them...I love 'em! So, forget the chill-factor, Seth.

[sethjnr]

Cheers Guys, you're all worth more than the 3 stars! I know just how annoying us US citizens can be,particularly as tourists, I suppose I'm 'quieter' than some folks but I do love my Country. We are as diverse as you Brits. ..and ned flanders (great name man), get yourself over to West Virginia if you can, it's my favo(u)rite state. After Montana of course.

[andy hughes]

I adore America, and all the Americans I have ever met. I have always found American people generous and courteous way beyond anything that would be experienced by Americans here! I think it's a lingering perception from maybe thirty years ago when air travel was relatively far more expensive, so the only Americans we saw here were rich ones, not always the best ambassadors from any nation. Now of course the 'ordinary' people (like me!) can travel there, and their 'ordinary' people can come here, and these old predjudices are being dismantled, thank goodness! OK, we have a media-influenced perception about Iraq and the situation there, but Dubbya doesn't echo all American viewpoints, any more than Tony Blair does here - you have to take people as you find them.

[jjf2003]

I don't dislike you as people but your nation stinks. Your people are kept ignorant of world affairs (not your fault, perhaps) and are led to believe that the rest of the world wish they were American and if they don't then they are commie fanatics and enemies of democracy. American big business wants to keep and extend its hold on the world, backed up by US militarism, and most Americans are led to believe through the media that this is right. Having said that, there are PLENTY of radical and liberal Americans who dare to think differently, but America remains a bulwark of global domination and multinational capitalism.

[blackfive]

A very pertinent point that all of the biased people posting on this site (conveniently) forget is that if the Yanks hadn't come into WW2 then those same people probably wouldn't have been around to make their comments!

[snotmonkey]

i forgot the americans won the war single handedly for us, jolly nice of them. it's just a pity they cant win there own wars against vastly outgunned out outtrainned opponants. as the yanks say "find me a small guy, i want to pick a fight"

[xyzzyplugh]

Totally agree with jjf's answer. Also It's not 'your common man' who irks but The Establishment 'agenda' she's been force fed since infancy; (20 years of schooling then they put you on the dayshift. Lookout kid.. etc - Bob Dylan) resulting in distorted ideals. Uk no better really; (When they tortured and scared you for 20 odd years Then they expect you to pick a career When you can't really function you're so full of fear - John Lennon) Now we (UK) know we're nothing special but USA think they are omnipotent. [All references to 'man' is figurative and includes women]. Still, at least UsA younger generation aren't all bland, disillusioned, sponges of marketing and media pressure, like ours - are they? Anyway America as a country fascinates me with your giant ball of string eccentricites and your Grand Canyon etc etc - Brilliant. Heck, I even married an American :-]

[sethjnr]

So I'm not gonna get into WW2 (or potentially 3 for that matter). Seems there's still alot of debate about the whys and wherefores that preceed my existence for sure. We are a diverse Nation and I take my cues from a wide range of sources. One of the reasons I've landed in AB uk is to listen and talk to guys like you. That's the beauty of the www, I can spend an hour every day looking out over the farm and mountains and converse with folks all over the world. I'm riding out to Whitefish later, wish you could come along!

[darth vader]

-ve USA
Poor environmental policy
Poor diet (which now seems to be flooding the UK - McDonalds, BK etc...)
"Sue the nation" mentality
considering the diversity of cultures, still a racist country (KKK)
obsessed with oil
obsessed with trying to tell other countries what to do
arms/armaments
inbred hatred of communism
Budweiser
btw the USA only got into the war after Japan bombed Pearl Harbour, prior to that they didn't want to know, so there

+ve USA
capitalism
huge expanses of natural land still unspoilt (Nevada, grand canyon, Yellowstone etc)
the Ford car
American Football
muffins

[WendyW]

Oh come on you lot .. lighten up. All he did was say it felt chilly on this site

sethjnr you are welcome here and please don't think that some of the comments reflect the views of all of us :)

[sethjnr]

Jeez, really put up a bug up some of you. I tend not to speak about what I don't really know but respect you have some pretty strong and interesting opinions. And I ain't here to defend all citizens of the US. Think you'll find a**holes wherever you are. Thanks for the supportive postings guys and especially the welcome WendyW;) sure is appreciated.