What People Say About US

As you know, the last few years have not exactly boosted the United States' reputation in the world. I've included (below) a photo of a not-very-nice graffiti covered storefront that Marty and I saw in Marseille that rather crudely illustrates this point. I have yet to find a European who likes or in any way respects President Bush. In fact, today a man I met while riding my bicycle expressed fear that Bush may have a son. He was visibly disturbed when I told him that Bush had a brother who is the Governor of Florida.

Despite the obvious political animosities, I have never encountered blatant anti-Americanism personally directed towards me. People are always polite. It probably helps that when the topic comes up, I quickly assure people that I didn’t vote for Bush. It would be interesting to learn how people would respond to a Bush supporter. A British man recently told me that he has never met an American who admitted to voting for Bush. I encourage some of you Bush supporters out there to come for a visit so we can see what happens. Consider it a cultural experiment. (I have a first aid kit in case any injuries are sustained.)

Knowing that some of you may be interested, I’ve been keeping notes of what people have said to me about Americans and the United States. All of these comments have come after people have spoken to me for a little while and feel comfortable. Keep in mind that most of these comments I translated using my not-so-perfect French, but I think they capture the flavor accurately enough. (Approximate ages and nationalities of the commentators are indicated in parentheses.)

---Americans don’t care about the rest of the world. (30+ Frenchwoman in a discussion about George Bush’s re-election)

---Americans are arrogant; they don’t want to learn other people’s languages. (20+ Spaniard)

---The reputation of the U.S. has gone down the tubes under Bush. (20+ German)

---Americans teach their children to be nationalistic. They make them sing the national anthem from a very young age. (40+ Swede) (Perhaps it’s best that he doesn’t know about the Pledge of Allegiance!)

---The United States did to Latin America what the Soviet Union did to Eastern Europe. (20+ Brazilian law student)

---What do Americans learn in school? I know a lot of Americans. They are really ignorant about the rest of the world. One American asked me if we have highways in Spain. (20+ Spaniard)

---I spent a year of high school in the United States and the level of education was much lower. (20-30+ German)

---The U.S. is scary. (40+ Canadian) (I overheard this comment.)

---Americans have simplistic, black and white views of the world and morality. They seem naive. The French see more grey. (30+ Frenchman a.k.a. Frenchman A – See previous post)

---Why do Americans get so fat? (20+ Spaniard)

In addition, I've seen or heard several news programs on obesity, a problem the French are just beginning to encounter, and in each program the Americans were presented as the gold standard of obesity.

In one of our conversations in class, a student said that he thought people in general were becoming more intelligent. The teacher, a 20+ Frenchwoman, disagreed with this, and, with apologies to me, used the United States as an example of how people are obviously not getting more intelligent.

In a discussion of France’s law prohibiting girls (Muslims) to wear veils in school, I mentioned that I thought such a law would not be acceptable in the U.S. because of freedom of religion. The 40+ Frenchwoman I was speaking to said she found that interesting because, as a result of the war in Irak and other things, they think of Americans as being intolerant of other people’s cultures.

I’ve also met a few Americans who have lived in France for a long time and who made the following comments:

---The United States has been working on world domination since the end of World War II. (30-40+- American woman who has lived in France for 6 years)

---The French used technology to gain more free time. The Americans used it to get more stuff. (40+ American woman who has lived in Toulouse for 6 years)

---When I go to the U.S., I’m amazed at how everyone seems so afraid. After my father dies, I don’t think I have any interest in going back there anymore. (50+ American woman who has lived in France since the 1970’s.)

It’s not all bad news, however. Here are the nice things people have said:

---When I went to Georgia as an exchange student, people were really welcoming...People there say hello to you when they pass you on the street. (20+ Frenchman / Another Frenchman present quickly agreed that he had a similar experience in New Hampshire.)

---The French welcome Americans because of Normandy and the liberation of France. We don’t like the British because they burned Joan of Arc. (40+ Frenchman)

---The Americans think of the cleverest things. (30+ Frenchwoman in a conversation where I mentioned the concept of Rent-a-Wreck)

---Americans aren’t afraid to take risks and encourage their kids to pursue their dreams. The French are always afraid and want security. (40+ Frenchman and 50+ Frenchwoman)

---I usually like Americans, they are more open. (50+ Frenchwoman)

Well though there are these few glimmers of hope, it appears that Americans aren’t likely to win the world’s popularity contest any time soon, despite our charming dispositions. Perhaps a good, old-fashioned American marketing campaign might do the trick (think Super Bowl commercials). In lieu of emergency intervention by Madison Avenue, we can all do our part by being nice to foreigners and taking a few foreign language classes. Let’s try not to say anything dumb, certainly don't mention our intentions for world domination, and, hey, watch those calories.