There’s a very interesting article by Kevin Allison at the Financial Times today (excuse the sloppy link)
http://news.ft.com/cms/s/77868922-0228-11da-9481-00000e2511c8.html
It says that “The US ranked 11th in the Brands Index, which asks people around the world to rate 25 countries according to their cultural, political and investment potential and other criteria. Australia received the highest overall score, with respondents expressing “an almost universal admiration of its people, landscapes and living and working environment”, according to the report.”
(well, Australia somewhat fricks with my argument, but anyway…)
All very predictable really, from a European viewpoint. But the kicker (and it is a very strong mule) comes here right after the fold:
“That the world takes a dim view of the US people will surprise most Americans themselves: the study’s American respondents consistently placed the US at the top of all six categories polled.”
Yep – no wonder you Yanks have no solution to this problem, because you haven’t acknowledged that it exists. I don’t mean you, of course, my dear FBC friends; I mean Joe Schmoe, Lindy-Ann, and another 120 million people in a diazapammed purple cult haze of denial in which their entire lives are validated only by possessions and insecure insularity.
“The US is increasingly viewed as a “culture-free zone” inhabited by arrogant and unfriendly people, according to study of 25 countries’ brand reputations. The US is still recognised as a leading place to do business, the home of desirable brands and popular culture,” said Simon Anholt, author of the survey. “But its governance, its cultural heritage and its people are no longer widely respected or admired by the world.”
If you don’t know history, you don’t know nuttin’. History takes you out of the very short slice of time called your life, and shows you how the Tellurian patterns that the slice or soundbite can never reveal… Your life is in a context.
“Although the US received high marks for its popular culture, it ranked last in cultural heritage, a measure of a country’s “wisdom, intelligence, and integrity”, according to Mr Anholt.”
I’d love to attach a poll but the only questions I can think of would offend many of you đŸ˜‰
BTW my last diary for a couple of weeks while I am travelling and maybe offline. Let’s see….
Now look here Sven, I’m dang proud to me a Murkin, and we don’t need furriners like you telling us we ain’t the greatest thing since bikinis and NASCAR.
D’oh! I’m thoroughly sick of being thought of as an ugly American. We do tend to be nationalistic and blind to the rest of the world. It’s gets drummed into our heads from kindergarten that this is the greatest country on earth and people are dying to live like we do.
BTW…am I correct to assume that we’ve taken a big hit since the inauguration of W five years ago? All over the world people must think we’re absolute idiots to have reelected him. It’s like giving the rest of the world the finger….”hey, fuck you, it’s my way or the highway!”
“People are dying so you can live as you do” would be perhaps more accurate.
Not much I can do from over here – you people over there have to change things. I just try to make things a little more entertaining as you get on with it.
It’s hard to know what the heck else to do besides scream at the top of my lungs and work locally to change things. I think much of the world’s perception of us stems from their perception of who we have elected to represent us. As long as they are in the white house our reputation will remain on the skids.
There you have it!
It all starts with neighbours.
Not helped by the perception there is no “loyal opposition”.
Funny thing, though… most of the immigrants that the wingnuts get up in arms about down here are NOT dying to live as we do.
They’re Latinos, Central and South Americans, and they don’t WANT to live here. They want to come here, stay long enough to build up enough capital to do something at home, start a business or build a decent house or whatever, and then they want to go home. They don’t much like it here, they see us as we are and would rather be elsewhere.
It’s one of the main reasons they don’t “assimilate” — they’re not planning on staying that long and many of them believe, with considerable accuracy, that even if they DID assimilate they’d still be second-rank citizens, or worse.
There was never a view of el Norte as a great shining city; it’s just where the jobs ard the money are.
The very Americans this type of study is designed to irritate are far too self absorbed to ever pay any attention to this type of study.
Australia is just like America except the people are different. They drink beer naturally. Americans drink beer because of advertising and peer pressure. Europeans drink beer to get drunk and forget the past. Americans drink beer to get drunk and avoid the future.
Any questions?
but do Finns drink beer ‘because it is there’ – like Mount Everest?
Noth Europeans drink beer to get drunk. South Europeans drink wine for the pleasure of it…
BTW Sven, since we’re on the subject of beer drinking – I’m curious, is there a Finnish Bikini Team?
I’m not sure I get your drift, but the Finnish acceptance of nakedness does not preclude an interest in scanty clothing.
As a US citizen living abroad who travels widely and talks to people from many countries I have to say that this is an important issue that nobody should ignore. America is not a popular country anymore. True lots of governments still pander to the US but so many people now are openly critiical of our country and yes us who reelected the monster. That this is especially noticeable amongst younger people does not bode well for us either as a people or a country in the future.
I hope this message does start to get across although sadly I feel so much damage has now been done that even a rapid and massive change in the direction of our country would take longer than my lifetime to have much effect.
Hooooo Laaawwwd Boy, now if’n you come down heah to da South and spout that stuff surh..I’ma gonna tell you what…
You can’t be talk’n bout Americuh that way, no sir indeed, …hmmm, but wait, here in the south, you can’t put down God, (southern Baptist will fight ya) you can’t put down Bush, (they’ll run you outta business for both the above) you can’t put down their politics (that would include all the above)
(blushing) scuze me…I’m gonna move..any room over there ?? (cheesey smile ; )
Great diary, and valid points all. The arrogance, and blatant disregaurd for the people of the world, are major contributing factors to the sharp decline of our image globally.
It seems as though the only ones still flocking in here are from area’s that are totally impoverished, or little to no freedom’s whatsoever.
Sadly, an immigrant to this country has more rights than the one’s generations old, that have struggled and died to afford those benefits to them.
Tis a quandry for sure. We know how to fix it, (actually most of us) but they won’t let us have the tool to do it with….not just yet ; )
This probably isn’t news to most of us here. But this:
I mean Joe Schmoe, Lindy-Ann, and another 120 million people in a diazapammed purple cult haze of denial in which their entire lives are validated only by possessions and insecure insularity..
I do believe that there is truth to this statement but, I’m not comfortable with the word only. We’ve all encountered those individuals preoccupied with things material, I’m just not sure that this represents a majority of our citizens. (At the very least, I hope not) Thanks for the diary.
“Waking Up Screaming From The American Dream”; Fintan O’Toole, Irish Times; June 11, 2005