Philosophy Why does it seem like the rest of the world hates Americans so much?

[KilroywasNOTHere]

So, I've been following a British political Youtuber named Spoons. I like him and don't agree with everything he says (no surprise me being a yank and all) and I came across the video above. Now I'm fully aware that America and the British are always going to have a rivalry, we are essentially the estranged son that had a fight with Mother Britain, screamed "I hate you" and smashed a lot of Mum's things on the way out of the house. Whether the estranged son was in the right to do so or not depends on who you ask.

but one thing that struck me above all else about the video was when Spoon, to summarize said "The only reason why the world "Cares" so much about us Americans (IE hates our guts and curses our kind every chance it gets) is because of how our economic and military might is horribly handled on the world stage. I'm not sure if this needs to be said or if I'm just showing my dumb yank ignorance here, but I get the impression at times that the world thinks that the majority of Americans are "Team America: World Police" war hawks

I can tell you that memes aside, most of us at least on the "Conservative and Libertarian" front do not. Woodrow Wilson is probably the most cursed president behind Biden and FDR, and I've noticed that there is a growing number of people on my side that says we should have stayed out of WWI and allowed the chips in Europe to fall where they may regardless of who would ultimately win. Nothing would please people like me more than for America to ride off the global stage and into the sunset of a return to Isolationism, but it's an ongoing uphill battle and as we've seen with trump, all attempts at a populist America First movement is met with heavy resistance but it's a battle being fought none the less.

Am I right in my perceptions here or is this one of those forms of cultural humor that I just don't understand due to lack of experience? This is a question that I can really use non-American input or at least from people that understand the cultures outside the US better than I do,

And feel free to roast me for being a dumb American. I'm aware I'm showing vulnerability here.

 

[Simonbob]

but one thing that struck me about the video was when Spoon to summarize said "The only reason why the world "Cares" so much about us Americans (IE hates our guts and curses our kind every chance it gets is because of how our economic and military might is horribly handled on the world stage. I'm not sure if this needs to be said or if I'm just showing my dumb yank ignorance here, but I get the impression at times that the world thinks that the majority of Americans are "Team America: World Police" war hawks

I think he's overdoing it a bit. I'm going to use the two major colonial powers right now as examples. China and USA.

The simple fact is, when China does something seriously colonial, they're a bunch of manipulative bastards who are out to milk things for themselves, with as little as possible given back. When America does some "World Policing", it's generally more of a mixed bag. The national Narrative affects how and why they do things, with greed being something that should be covered by something else, when China, doesn't bother.

Note, neither side at the top, is more greedy. Or has better people running it. It's just, in the same way the Brits had the "White Man's Burden", being a genuine feeling amongst the basic folk who actualy do everything, that they were there to help spread what they saw as civilization, there was a number of positives as a result. Spreading medical tech, improved communications, better trade and some more nasty local leaders finding more restrictions on themselves, amongst other things. The US has that cry of Freedom and Democracy For All!

There's a quote I like for this sort of stuff.


“Be it so. This burning of widows is your custom; prepare the funeral pile. But my nation has also a custom. When men burn women alive we hang them, and confiscate all their property. My carpenters shall therefore erect gibbets on which to hang all concerned when the widow is consumed. Let us all act according to national customs.[To Hindu priests complaining to him about the prohibition of Sati religious funeral practice of burning widows alive on her husband’s funeral pyre.]”

― Charles James Napier



All of this is underlined by the sheer power the US has had. It hasn't been as bad as many think, but there are those who use hate for the US to manipulate people, and they have spread that hate far and wide, added to many, many horrible results from US interventions, some that seem to have been more attempts to make things better than mere greed.


Also, added to all this? The US now is worse than it was 20 years ago. As things get worse for the US, and those ordenary folk who do everything, the US's interventions get worse as well.




All up, I think he was exagerating, not fully wrong.

 

[KilroywasNOTHere]

I think he's overdoing it a bit. I'm going to use the two major colonial powers right now as examples. China and USA.

The simple fact is, when China does something seriously colonial, they're a bunch of manipulative bastards who are out to milk things for themselves, with as little as possible given back. When America does some "World Policing", it's generally more of a mixed bag. The national Narrative affects how and why they do things, with greed being something that should be covered by something else, when China, doesn't bother.

Note, neither side at the top, is more greedy. Or has better people running it. It's just, in the same way the Brits had the "White Man's Burden", being a genuine feeling amongst the basic folk who actualy do everything, that they were there to help spread what they saw as civilization, there was a number of positives as a result. Spreading medical tech, improved communications, better trade and some more nasty local leaders finding more restrictions on themselves, amongst other things. The US has that cry of Freedom and Democracy For All!

There's a quote I like for this sort of stuff.


“Be it so. This burning of widows is your custom; prepare the funeral pile. But my nation has also a custom. When men burn women alive we hang them, and confiscate all their property. My carpenters shall therefore erect gibbets on which to hang all concerned when the widow is consumed. Let us all act according to national customs.[To Hindu priests complaining to him about the prohibition of Sati religious funeral practice of burning widows alive on her husband’s funeral pyre.]”

― Charles James Napier



All of this is underlined by the sheer power the US has had. It hasn't been as bad as many think, but there are those who use hate for the US to manipulate people, and they have spread that hate far and wide, added to many, many horrible results from US interventions, some that seem to have been more attempts to make things better than mere greed.


Also, added to all this? The US now is worse than it was 20 years ago. As things get worse for the US, and those ordenary folk who do everything, the US's interventions get worse as well.




All up, I think he was exagerating, not fully wrong.

So at the risk of sounding whiney, is there anything people like me can do to change that perception or is it best to simply stay in our own lane literally and metaphorically? to be perfectly honest, part of the reason why I'm not comfortable with the idea of traveling outside of the states is the amount of Racism (Or nation-based prejudice depending on how technical you want to get with the term race. People like Spoon seem to argue that most Americans are English in denial) towards Americans from the rest of the world.

 

[Simonbob]

So at the risk of sounding whiney, is there anything people like me can do to change that perception or is it best to simply stay in our own lane literally and metaphorically? to be perfectly honest, part of the reason why I'm not comfortable with the idea of traveling outside of the states is the amount of Racism (Or nationalist-based prejudice depending on how technical you want to get with the term race People like Spoon seem to argue that most Americans are English in denial) towards Americans from the rest of the world.

You can point out the facts, when it comes up, but over all?

There's not much you can do to affect that many peoples opinions. Unless you get some leverage, like a major podcaster or history Proff, all you can do is keep pushing a little bit.

It's one of the reasons I always challenge the Aboriginal History narritives here in Australia. It's full of shit and self hate, so even if I'm not perfect, I'm going to push it back a bit.


If you want to make a major change? You're going to need to reach a lot of people, and in ways that will get them to listen. You'll also have to weather the response, those who have built their world, and sometimes fortune, on that line.



At it's core, the facts are going to make it difficult to fight, too. There have been enough horrors in US interventions that proving them mixed, and others worse, is going to be very, very hard.




I can't speak for much of the world, but.... I wouldn't really worry about traveling, unless you're going somewhere risky. If you come to, say, Australia, I wouldn't expect any real issues. If you wander into, say, Syria, that might go much, much worse.

 

[Val the Moofia Boss]

After Lincoln began the empire, the US started butting in everywhere else. We've had countless of "interventions" in the Pacific and South America and Southeast Asia, to the point that there are numerous people who hate our guts. The only reason why those countries still do business with us despite hating us is because of the power of the dollar bill, which means it is in people's best interest to deal with us whether they like or not. American interventionism isn't widely publicized, let alone taught in schools, so a lot of Americans are dumbfounded by the animosity they receive from foreigners, which seems to come out of nowhere to them.

 

[S'task]

Whether the estranged son was in the right to do so or not depends on who you ask.

No, there was a side in the right. Any British who claim otherwise are historically ignorant of their own laws and traditions, as by all measures, especially by English Common Law at the time, the American Colonies were pretty firmly in the right on that conflict and the British Parliament basically gave a master class in "how to completely lose a colonial holding in ten years" by their actions in the leadup to the American Revolution.

I've written extensively on this topic. To make the claim Parliament was in the right concerning the American Revolution is to ignore all tradition and common law leading up to the period and buy into a definition of Parliamentary supremacy that even those opposing the American Revolution didn't actually buy into.

 

[Marduk]

but one thing that struck me above all else about the video was when Spoon, to summarize said "The only reason why the world "Cares" so much about us Americans (IE hates our guts and curses our kind every chance it gets) is because of how our economic and military might is horribly handled on the world stage. I'm not sure if this needs to be said or if I'm just showing my dumb yank ignorance here, but I get the impression at times that the world thinks that the majority of Americans are "Team America: World Police" war hawks

If by "the world" you mean "countries and international political movements that would wish to do this stuff and worse themselves but America doing it stands in their way", there you have the answer for why they hate America and will continue to do so.

 

[Captain X]

Why does it seem like the rest of the world hates Americans so much?

Because haters gonna hate.

 

[AnimalNoodles]

You are a superpower that meddles in everything. it comes with the territory.

 

[Cherico]

How do I put this nicely.


we were an isolationist country that got dragged into both of europes collective sucide attempts and then got stuck in a global contest against the single most murderous ideology in human history. Led by a country that was a fucking master of inteligence warfare and essentally had to fight the kind of scummy conflict they specialized in since they were mongol vassals.

We were completely and utterly out of our fucking depth and yeah of course we made mistakes, we didn't have a fucking clue what we were doing. But during that time period we helped rebuild europe did our best to keep latin america from murdering themselves with socialism.

During this time period and the 30 year long pax americana that followed the cold war US created the greatist period of peace and prosperity in human history. That's all coming to an end, america is going to deal with its own internal problems for a bit so Id like to ask the euroes not to commit collective sucide again while we deal with that.

 

[bintananth]

How do I put this nicely.


we were an isolationist country that got dragged into both of europes collective sucide attempts and then got stuck in a global contest against the single most murderous ideology in human history. Led by a country that was a fucking master of inteligence warfare and essentally had to fight the kind of scummy conflict they specialized in since they were mongol vassals.

We were completely and utterly out of our fucking depth and yeah of course we made mistakes, we didn't have a fucking clue what we were doing. But during that time period we helped rebuild europe did our best to keep latin america from murdering themselves with socialism.

During this time period and the 30 year long pax americana that followed the cold war US created the greatist period of peace and prosperity in human history. That's all coming to an end, america is going to deal with its own internal problems for a bit so Id like to ask the euroes not to commit collective sucide again while we deal with that.

The US has never been as isolationist as the history books like to claim.

We generally and historically don't give a shit about what others are up to when it's none of our business. Make it our business and, welp, "You just roused the sleeping dragon from his slumber". The dragon is also grumpy and thinks you are crunchy and taste good with ketchup.

 

[KilroywasNOTHere]

How do I put this nicely.


we were an isolationist country that got dragged into both of europes collective sucide attempts and then got stuck in a global contest against the single most murderous ideology in human history. Led by a country that was a fucking master of inteligence warfare and essentally had to fight the kind of scummy conflict they specialized in since they were mongol vassals.

We were completely and utterly out of our fucking depth and yeah of course we made mistakes, we didn't have a fucking clue what we were doing. But during that time period we helped rebuild europe did our best to keep latin america from murdering themselves with socialism.

During this time period and the 30 year long pax americana that followed the cold war US created the greatist period of peace and prosperity in human history. That's all coming to an end, america is going to deal with its own internal problems for a bit so Id like to ask the euroes not to commit collective sucide again while we deal with that.

Honestly I mean it when I say I do wonder if everyone would have been better off if we had just let Europe commit collective suicide and force itself to rebuild from the ground up ala japan. instead of trying to play "World Police" A lot of the peace and prosperity we had was at best in spite of all the stuff going on not because of it and at worst it was astroturfed. Meanwhile, cancer that was developing as a result of the decisions made in WWI gave birth to things like Nazism and communism to whatever abdominal chimera of Global-corporate-fascism we are struggling with now.

I'm not saying we'd be living in a post-scarcity world or anything, but I can't help but think that we'd have a lot more prosperity in the long run.

 

[Lord Sovereign]

No, there was a side in the right. Any British who claim otherwise are historically ignorant of their own laws and traditions, as by all measures, especially by English Common Law at the time, the American Colonies were pretty firmly in the right on that conflict and the British Parliament basically gave a master class in "how to completely lose a colonial holding in ten years" by their actions in the leadup to the American Revolution.

I've written extensively on this topic. To make the claim Parliament was in the right concerning the American Revolution is to ignore all tradition and common law leading up to the period and buy into a definition of Parliamentary supremacy that even those opposing the American Revolution didn't actually buy into.

Lord Chatham, the man who effectively built Britain's Empire in the New World, was all but shaking his head in despair at how Parliament was handling the situation. And one of his sons essentially began his parliamentary career by roasting the ever loving shit out of Lord North's government.

Edit: My stance on the matter is simply that, "regardless of wrong or right, the British are not the puppy kicking, devil horned monsters of this story."

 

[Cherico]

Honestly I mean it when I say I do wonder if everyone would have been better off if we had just let Europe commit collective suicide and force itself to rebuild from the ground up ala japan. instead of trying to play "World Police" A lot of the peace and prosperity we had was at best in spite of all the stuff going on not because of it and at worst it was astroturfed. Meanwhile, cancer that was developing as a result of the decisions made in WWI gave birth to things like Nazism and communism to whatever abdominal chimera of Global-corporate-fascism we are struggling with now.

I'm not saying we'd be living in a post-scarcity world or anything, but I can't help but think that we'd have a lot more prosperity in the long run.

The world wars fucked everything.

I'm kind of the opinon that no matter what we did the minute the soviet union was born we were more or less stuck propping europe up sooner or later. Communists don't do live and let live.

 

[KilroywasNOTHere]

Lord Chatham, the man who effectively built Britain's Empire in the New World, was all but shaking his head in despair at how Parliament was handling the situation. And one of his sons essentially began his parliamentary career by roasting the ever loving shit out of Lord North's government.

Edit: My stance on the matter is simply that, "regardless of wrong or right, the British are not the puppy kicking, devil horned monsters of this story."

True but neither were the colonist.

 

[Lord Sovereign]

True but neither were the colonist.

My point exactly. It was a complicated affair and no one was really "the villain" of it. Indeed, it was tragic that Englishmen ended up killing Englishmen.

 

[KilroywasNOTHere]

My point exactly. It was a complicated affair and no one was really "the villain" of it. Indeed, it was tragic that Englishmen ended up killing Englishmen.

from what i've see I think part of the problem is that it's much easier to point fingers at others or live in past accomplishments than to actually clean one's own house. To be blunt both The US and Europe are in a rut to say the least but it feels better to look at the splinter in your rivals eye and go "Ha ha"

 

[bintananth]

Lord Chatham, the man who effectively built Britain's Empire in the New World, was all but shaking his head in despair at how Parliament was handling the situation. And one of his sons essentially began his parliamentary career by roasting the ever loving shit out of Lord North's government.

Edit: My stance on the matter is simply that, "regardless of wrong or right, the British are not the puppy kicking, devil horned monsters of this story."

If you sit down and actually read the US Declaration of Independence it's formally addressed to King George III. Practically every complaint in it is directed squarely at Parliament.

 

[WolfBear]

I can tell you that memes aside, most of us at least on the "Conservative and Libertarian" front do not. Woodrow Wilson is probably the most cursed president behind Biden and FDR, and I've noticed that there is a growing number of people on my side that says we should have stayed out of WWI and allowed the chips in Europe to fall where they may regardless of who would ultimately win. Nothing would please people like me more than for America to ride off the global stage and into the sunset of a return to Isolationism, but it's an ongoing uphill battle and as we've seen with trump, all attempts at a populist America First movement is met with heavy resistance but it's a battle being fought none the less.

Having the US enter WWI was not a bad thing in and of itself. Having the US not follow up on that by overthrowing the Bolsheviks in Russia, however, was a very, very bad thing that subsequently caused a lot of headaches and problems for the US.

Having the US retreat back into isolationism is unrealistic when Russia is aggressively invading another country and when South Korea is still threatened by North Korea. The post-WWII political order in Europe and the Far East was a huge success for the US, lasting for almost 80 years so far and still going strong. Why ruin a good thing? Europeans should pay more for their own defense, though!

As a side note, though, I suspect that a lot of people in the developing world have what's called Western Derangement Syndrome. Some or maybe even many Russians and/or Chinese also appear to have this, unfortunately. It might be an inferiority complex or something along these lines. Anatoly Karlin, a Russian nationalist blogger, for instance, always complains about Western Supremacism while also eagerly supporting the forcible conquest and annexation of Ukraine into Russia. Who's the real Fascist?

 

[edgeworthy]

After Lincoln began the empire, the US started butting in everywhere else. We've had countless of "interventions" in the Pacific and South America and Southeast Asia, to the point that there are numerous people who hate our guts. The only reason why those countries still do business with us despite hating us is because of the power of the dollar bill, which means it is in people's best interest to deal with us whether they like or not. American interventionism isn't widely publicized, let alone taught in schools, so a lot of Americans are dumbfounded by the animosity they receive from foreigners, which seems to come out of nowhere to them.

This does seem to cover it. However, if you want a strictly philosophical answer, it would probably be this.

In any social circle, there is always that one person, isn’t there? The one who boasts a lot. The one who paints a veneer over all the cracks in his life. The one who gloats, telling you how much he spent on his new Hi-Fi system or how many pounds he bench-pressed at the gym. His job is the best, his house is the biggest, his kids are the most sporty. He is all show and finds it nearly impossible to admit fault.

If you consider all countries as individuals in a social circle, America comes off like that guy. The one that makes you roll your eyes, frequently.