Comments on: My Fellow Americans http://www.llworldtour.com/2008/02/19/my-fellow-americans/ just a girl in the world... Tue, 07 Feb 2012 21:16:56 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: The Reasons Canadians and Britons Hate America and Americans So Much « Waging a War on the Radical Right and the Radical Left « ihavenewyork http://www.llworldtour.com/2008/02/19/my-fellow-americans/comment-page-1/#comment-62554 The Reasons Canadians and Britons Hate America and Americans So Much « Waging a War on the Radical Right and the Radical Left « ihavenewyork Fri, 16 Dec 2011 01:59:58 +0000 http://llworldtour.wordpress.com/?p=1092#comment-62554 [...] An American’s Experience Traveling throughout Europe [...] [...] An American’s Experience Traveling throughout Europe [...]

]]> By: makeup case http://www.llworldtour.com/2008/02/19/my-fellow-americans/comment-page-1/#comment-58683 makeup case Sun, 06 Nov 2011 18:15:23 +0000 http://llworldtour.wordpress.com/?p=1092#comment-58683 <strong>makeup case...</strong> [...]My Fellow Americans - Sterotypes, Anti-Americanism, and other fun stuff |[...]... makeup case…

[...]My Fellow Americans – Sterotypes, Anti-Americanism, and other fun stuff |[...]…

]]> By: Lisa Lubin http://www.llworldtour.com/2008/02/19/my-fellow-americans/comment-page-1/#comment-44585 Lisa Lubin Wed, 06 Jul 2011 06:39:30 +0000 http://llworldtour.wordpress.com/?p=1092#comment-44585 So true Don. Our pop culture is everywhere. And i met a few (ignorant) people who truly believed what they saw in movies was real. I guess since SO many movies are full of good looking, wealthy people, driving around wide streets in LA...it just becomes a subconscious "idea" of the USA. Compared to many poor nations, we are all totally rich. But yes, like you said, compared to a portion of the EU, we have more poor folks. I found many people who could not believe this. That is a sad reality about the US. So true Don. Our pop culture is everywhere. And i met a few (ignorant) people who truly believed what they saw in movies was real. I guess since SO many movies are full of good looking, wealthy people, driving around wide streets in LA…it just becomes a subconscious "idea" of the USA. Compared to many poor nations, we are all totally rich. But yes, like you said, compared to a portion of the EU, we have more poor folks. I found many people who could not believe this. That is a sad reality about the US.

]]> By: Lisa Lubin http://www.llworldtour.com/2008/02/19/my-fellow-americans/comment-page-1/#comment-44584 Lisa Lubin Wed, 06 Jul 2011 06:35:42 +0000 http://llworldtour.wordpress.com/?p=1092#comment-44584 I hear ya Steph. I have to admit, I felt like a very good ambassador, but I also went up and down - sometimes defending and sometimes panning...and then finally just getting tired of the whole discussion after so long traveling. I traveled through the last couple years of Bush and the start of Obama, so you can imagine the differing of reactions I got. In the end, I finally realized I am a good ambassador and proud of that, but I am not THE spokesperson for all of America. I hear ya Steph. I have to admit, I felt like a very good ambassador, but I also went up and down – sometimes defending and sometimes panning…and then finally just getting tired of the whole discussion after so long traveling. I traveled through the last couple years of Bush and the start of Obama, so you can imagine the differing of reactions I got. In the end, I finally realized I am a good ambassador and proud of that, but I am not THE spokesperson for all of America.

]]> By: Don Faust http://www.llworldtour.com/2008/02/19/my-fellow-americans/comment-page-1/#comment-44547 Don Faust Tue, 05 Jul 2011 19:16:45 +0000 http://llworldtour.wordpress.com/?p=1092#comment-44547 I can see how our media and pop culture can make people from other countries think Americans are all rich. Compared to Europe, which has more social systems, there are probably a higher percentage of Americans that are poor, and it keeps going in that direction. If you have ever seen the movie "Waiting for Superman", American kids score very low on several tests - we are now something like #50 in the world in math, but we rank #1 in confidence. I guess that does a lot of good when you can parlay that into a celebrity career - unfortunately though, many youth will have to settle for minimum wage jobs. I will say this for the confidence thing though - I believe this is what creates innovators in the US, regardless of their education - because of our diverse makeup, we are more individualistic than other more homogeneous countries. I can see how our media and pop culture can make people from other countries think Americans are all rich. Compared to Europe, which has more social systems, there are probably a higher percentage of Americans that are poor, and it keeps going in that direction. If you have ever seen the movie "Waiting for Superman", American kids score very low on several tests – we are now something like #50 in the world in math, but we rank #1 in confidence. I guess that does a lot of good when you can parlay that into a celebrity career – unfortunately though, many youth will have to settle for minimum wage jobs. I will say this for the confidence thing though – I believe this is what creates innovators in the US, regardless of their education – because of our diverse makeup, we are more individualistic than other more homogeneous countries.

]]> By: Stephanie http://www.llworldtour.com/2008/02/19/my-fellow-americans/comment-page-1/#comment-44541 Stephanie Tue, 05 Jul 2011 16:19:26 +0000 http://llworldtour.wordpress.com/?p=1092#comment-44541 I just wrote a post on my blog where I mention that people who dismiss all Americans or lump us together are one of y BIGGEST travel pet peeves. I mean there are 300 million of us- we can't ALL be fat lazy slobs right? Generalizing is so counter-productive and ignorant. That's why I always try to be a good ambassador to American when I travel and I patiently answer the same questions repeatedly: No we don't all own guns, yes we have a messed up healthy care system, no i don't get Sarah Palin either... Like you said, I'm not proud of everything my country does, but I love it just the same. I just wrote a post on my blog where I mention that people who dismiss all Americans or lump us together are one of y BIGGEST travel pet peeves. I mean there are 300 million of us- we can't ALL be fat lazy slobs right? Generalizing is so counter-productive and ignorant.

That's why I always try to be a good ambassador to American when I travel and I patiently answer the same questions repeatedly: No we don't all own guns, yes we have a messed up healthy care system, no i don't get Sarah Palin either… Like you said, I'm not proud of everything my country does, but I love it just the same.

]]> By: santafetraveler http://www.llworldtour.com/2008/02/19/my-fellow-americans/comment-page-1/#comment-36756 santafetraveler Fri, 04 Feb 2011 16:03:49 +0000 http://llworldtour.wordpress.com/?p=1092#comment-36756 Love the stereotypes of American Travelers. Unfortunately, some are true-lol. Love the stereotypes of American Travelers. Unfortunately, some are true-lol.

]]> By: The French are Nice...really! | LLWorldTour http://www.llworldtour.com/2008/02/19/my-fellow-americans/comment-page-1/#comment-2367 The French are Nice...really! | LLWorldTour Mon, 01 Dec 2008 22:53:23 +0000 http://llworldtour.wordpress.com/?p=1092#comment-2367 [...] I’ve written before, there are many stereotypes about Americans. Some people know us from living in or visiting the United States; others think they know us from [...] [...] I’ve written before, there are many stereotypes about Americans. Some people know us from living in or visiting the United States; others think they know us from [...]

]]> By: Ann http://www.llworldtour.com/2008/02/19/my-fellow-americans/comment-page-1/#comment-547 Ann Thu, 21 Aug 2008 14:51:05 +0000 http://llworldtour.wordpress.com/?p=1092#comment-547 I've been in Italy now for a little over six years and hold passports from both countries. Ever since the primaries, politics have been a common topic of conversation. If I were paid $1 for every time I've been asked who will win this election I would be rich and we still have a couple of months to go! Since I obtained the Italian passport I've been asked a couple of times if I am going to renew my U.S. passport or let it expire and just use my Italian passport. I have two citizenships therefore I have to have two passports. I am not going to renounce my American citizenship. If my Italian husband and I were to move to the States and he were to obtain American citizenship, I would not expect him to renounce his Italian citizenship. I've heard #6 a couple of times. Then again, have heard from an English student who went to New York City and a couple of other East Coast cities and he said he found people rather cool/indifferent. Had to explain that the USA is a HUGE country, and like anywhere else, there are friendly people then are also rude people. Have also met people here that they are so "excited" to meet an American, I being the first American they've met. Europeans who have not really travelled in the States or have never, it is hard for them to fathom how big the country is. When one can hop on a low-cost airline from say Milan to Glasgow for $60 round-trip and 2 hours later you're in a foreign country. Whereas in the States, in two hours you'd be lucky to fly from NYC to Chicago. I've been in Italy now for a little over six years and hold passports from both countries. Ever since the primaries, politics have been a common topic of conversation. If I were paid $1 for every time I've been asked who will win this election I would be rich and we still have a couple of months to go!

Since I obtained the Italian passport I've been asked a couple of times if I am going to renew my U.S. passport or let it expire and just use my Italian passport. I have two citizenships therefore I have to have two passports. I am not going to renounce my American citizenship. If my Italian husband and I were to move to the States and he were to obtain American citizenship, I would not expect him to renounce his Italian citizenship.

I've heard #6 a couple of times. Then again, have heard from an English student who went to New York City and a couple of other East Coast cities and he said he found people rather cool/indifferent. Had to explain that the USA is a HUGE country, and like anywhere else, there are friendly people then are also rude people.

Have also met people here that they are so "excited" to meet an American, I being the first American they've met.

Europeans who have not really travelled in the States or have never, it is hard for them to fathom how big the country is. When one can hop on a low-cost airline from say Milan to Glasgow for $60 round-trip and 2 hours later you're in a foreign country. Whereas in the States, in two hours you'd be lucky to fly from NYC to Chicago.

]]> By: How Anti-Americanism is Not Only Hypocritical, but Nonproductive and Nonconstructive (Part II) « Waging a War on Anti-Americanism http://www.llworldtour.com/2008/02/19/my-fellow-americans/comment-page-1/#comment-375 How Anti-Americanism is Not Only Hypocritical, but Nonproductive and Nonconstructive (Part II) « Waging a War on Anti-Americanism Thu, 08 May 2008 20:20:04 +0000 http://llworldtour.wordpress.com/?p=1092#comment-375 [...] Many Americans don’t have the money to spend thousands of dollars to travel across the pond. Sometimes, we really, really want to but just cannot handle the finances involved. It’s not just the plane ticket, but the lodging, the transportation, souvenirs, entertainment, meals and etc. And who wants to rush while they’re on vacation? If I were planning a trip to Europe, I would want to spend at the very least, 10 days there. [...] [...] Many Americans don’t have the money to spend thousands of dollars to travel across the pond. Sometimes, we really, really want to but just cannot handle the finances involved. It’s not just the plane ticket, but the lodging, the transportation, souvenirs, entertainment, meals and etc. And who wants to rush while they’re on vacation? If I were planning a trip to Europe, I would want to spend at the very least, 10 days there. [...]

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