How the USA is regarded from the rest of the world

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People in Kuwait are probably grateful to the USA (and George Bush I) for saving them from Sadam Hussein. For Iraqis, it seems to be quite mixed.

Absolutely everyone needs to watch Borat and Bruno.

Here is Sacha Baron Cohen, in his Bruno character, presenting little OJ to an American audience:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cuXn7PDF38g[/youtube]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cuXn7PDF38g

In America, audiences and victims of his pranks often seem ready to lynch him. If he had done something similar in front of a UK audience, I think that most of the audience would have got the joke and laughed at him.

For example, here is Sacha Baron Cohen, in his Ali G character, interviewing the Beckhams:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P842Tmi6lrc&feature=related[/youtube]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P842Tmi6 ... re=related

This would have been far too racy and inappropriate for American audiences. The Beckhams, on the other hand, just laugh at his jokes. I think that Americans, by and large, take themselves and everything far too seriously, and are easy fodder for jokes from people in other countries.

Which is why so many people want to come here. Right?

The real popularity contest is who emigrates (or attempts emigrate) and where they want to get to.

ruveyn

That's usually a result of economics. Poor people like to come to America because they think they can make easy money and find jobs.
That's not going to be case for much longer if things keep up.

I won't say America sucks, but America certainly isn't perfect. We have many great things, but also many great problems. The aggravating thing is that many of the problems can and should be obviously corrected, but for whatever reason we just can't get our s**t together and fix these problems. If the rest of world thinks ill of us for that, I don't blame them.
We just can't get our priorities straight here.

No nation is perfect. Nations and institutions constructed by human beings are bound to have flaws.

ruveyn

I think in this day and age I'd rather live in Sweden, Canada or the UK than the U.S.

We're pretty much in the hot seat right now and I don't blame most of the critics.

Not Norway and Sweden, you must be pretty bored if you think those nations sucks.

The impression I've got from Europeans concerning America is that it's a place filled with gun-toting, jingoistic, religious fanatics.

Personally, I feel that while America is a good place, it could always use some amount of improvement.

I hear it gets pretty cold up there.

That's one thing I think would keep me from moving there. Not a big fan of cold weather as it is.....

Here in Helsinki the weather is approximately the same as New York City except in summertime it's a lot pleasanter.

The only thing that even hints at not being awesome about Norway and Sweden.

...So Norway invented the Biathlon.

Many things are proven that Norway and Sweden are better than than the US, than almost all other, IF not all countries in the world.

Sweden is an awesome country. Hell, any Scandinavian country trumps the US.

What is not to love. Small and homogeneous. And no boom boxes or sideways turned baseball caps.

ruveyn

Last time I read the stats, it stood that Finland was the worst scandinavian country to live in, no offense, but there so many shootings going on in schools there, it happened in a mall not so long ago too, so maybe that's the only scandinavian country that's worse than living in than the US, MAYBE, and Finland is a SMALL country, and many people tend to be killed in the shootings.

I think the United States are also good because they are at least doing a decent job...

In protecting Singapore's waters.

They are stationed in our naval base and are doing a good job in helping us. Hmm, they are one of the few countries which are able to do so.