Ridicule and pity of Americans abroad ...

[Jingthing]

I've noticed a number of Americans mention that because of the current election, particularly the first Clinton-Trump debate that was watched globally, that they feel EMBARRASSED being an American abroad these days.

 

This item from famous chef INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL food adventurer Anthony Bourdain sparked this thread:

 

Quote

'There is a sense of utter disbelief, everywhere I go, at Mr. Trump' the CNN host tells TheWrap

 

 

Have you noticed a change in how people view Americans?

 

I mean, there is a sense of utter disbelief, everywhere I go, at Mr. Trump. That is for sure. I mean, I’m talking among our allies, England, France Germany, Italy. It’s the worst thing you can find. It’s one thing to be despised or held in contempt or feared, but to be ridiculed or pitied is a terrible thing.

 

 

 

 

I happen to agree this is a thing.

Do y'all also think this is a thing? Obviously open to Americans and all others.

If you agree it is a thing, how do you deal with it as Americans or non-Americans.

For example, for Americans, do you make a point to distance yourself from the hot mess back home or do you just shut your apple pie hole about it?

 

Very important comment -- This is NOT a political debate thread about Clinton vs. Trump.

It is about perception of Americans abroad in the wake of such a historically BIZARRE election cycle. 

 

Edited October 2, 2016 by Jingthing

[swissie]

Relax. Hillary will win by 51%.

 

The remaining 49% that voted for TRUMP WILL WORRY THE REST OF THE WORLD !

Cheers.

[JHolmesJr]

Bourdain is a tool who is simply toeing the company line. 

No surprises...finish your exotic asian dessert made from ducks bills and move on. 

[Jingthing]

1 hour ago, JHolmesJr said:

Bourdain is a tool who is simply toeing the company line. 

No surprises...finish your exotic asian dessert made from ducks bills and move on. 

You clearly misunderstood the topic.

It's not about whether you like Bourdain or not. I see you don't.

It's about the question of how Americans are viewed now by foreigners that are following the election (and clearly many are) and whether it has CHANGED significantly because of it.

I think it has. 

[giddyup]

I have to admit that out a population of over 300 million, the best candidates that America can produce is a buffoon like Trump, and a dishonest and morally bankrupt Hilary Clinton. Things don't bode well for America.

[tifino]

 

it's all about a continent, divided into: Lemmings, blind sheep, and the wolves waiting to feed 

[pgrahmm]

Garbage.....

 

I'm surrounded by European's married to Thai women.......Most with Doctorates & higher degrees....

 

While they see Trump as a bit of a "cowboy" not one of them wants Hillary to win the election....They want a stronger US....They don't want to see the US to turn out to be a mess the way most of their home countries already have....

 

This thread is nothing more than a pathetic way to sling mud at/slander  all Americans using the elective process as an excuse......

[lannarebirth]

I think most people are informed enough to have seen that rank and file Americans had very little to do with these two horrendous candidates appearing on the final ballot and in fact they made it through despite most Americans wishing they wouldn't. I think their loathing and ridicule is rightly reserved only for those Americans who may actually support either of these two horrendous candidates.

[anotheruser]

Many times those that harp on about the USA do so because they have nothing to talk about in regards to what great things there countries are doing. Just about any country in the world that wants to sit their and crap on the USa I can fire back against pretty well. I don't mind the banter and am not too concerned about their opinions of my country.

 

We are the ones running the show so are open to criticism and they are from Luxembourg... or some other irrelevant place so for the most part can be largely ignored. Europeans are fun to mess with because they take things so seriously. They worry more about our elections than we do. Nothing is funner than telling them they thankfully don't get to vote and their opinions are irrelevant. 

 

So I just toy with them because I really don't give a rat's ass about what they think of it but it is fun to see them fume. GO TRUMP!!!! lol I don't really support Trump but am not above pretending to just for the comedic value of being confronted by a self righteous European or Ozzie. 

 

They get frustrated when it becomes abundantly clear that there is no way to impose their high standards of social awareness on an animal like me.

[giddyup]

8 minutes ago, pgrahmm said:

Garbage.....

 

I'm surrounded by European's married to Thai women.......Most with Doctorates & higher degrees....

 

While they see Trump as a bit of a "cowboy" not one of them wants Hillary to win the election....They want a stronger US....They don't want to see the US to turn out to be a mess the way most of their home countries already have....

 

This thread is nothing more than a pathetic way to sling mud at/slander  all Americans using the elective process as an excuse......

So you have a choice between the lesser of two evils? Brilliant!

[KarenBravo]

I sympathize with most Americans I know. They are equally in disbelief over the two candidates on offer to become POTUS.

 

The rise of Donald Trump has been mirrored by the rise of other complete fruit-cakes around the world. Some in power (Duterte) and some within spitting distance (Corbyn).

This seems to be the result of a new cynicism about politics and politicians and the "feelgood factor" of knowingly throwing a spanner in the machine.

[Strange]

Another @Jingthing thread trying to use any means necessary to scrape the bottom of the barrel in the hopes to find sympathizers. 

 

"Ridicule and Pity"

 

"Anthony Bourdain"

 

 

Honestly do not care what any holier-than-thou European or Aussie thinks about our country. IF they don't want to take the time to actually learn about us or our country, watch BBC news like its the gospel, then form insane opinions about us, go ahead. Their opinion does not matter at all. 

 

The majority are upset for whatever reason and it does not matter one bit what the subject is. If it wasn't the election, it would be something else. 

[giddyup]

Just now, Strange said:

Another @Jingthing thread trying to use any means necessary to scrape the bottom of the barrel in the hopes to find sympathizers. 

 

"Ridicule and Pity"

 

"Anthony Bourdain"

 

 

Honestly do not care what any holier-than-thou European or Aussie thinks about our country. IF they don't want to take the time to actually learn about us or our country, watch BBC news like its the gospel, then form insane opinions about us, go ahead. Their opinion does not matter at all. 

 

The majority are upset for whatever reason and it does not matter one bit what the subject is. If it wasn't the election, it would be something else. 

I don't see anyone "forming insane opinions", but I do see a couple of presidential candidates that I wouldn't have running a chook raffle.

[transam]

I would imagine that out there somewhere in the USA there is a guy or gal with NO cash that would make a brilliant President but the way things are done now that will never happen...

[Strange]

1 hour ago, giddyup said:

I don't see anyone "forming insane opinions", but I do see a couple of presidential candidates that I wouldn't have running a chook raffle.

 

If it wasn't the presidency, it would be something else, usually fed by whatever click-bait BS that was popular that day. 

 

As for the OP - I face no ridicule, nor accept any pity. Anyone that believes that they are in a position of superiority and can ridicule or pity me is in for a rude awakening. Besides, most people won't try that crap on outside of TVF anyway. 

[Andrew C]

It doesn't matter. Why people who aren't from the US are concerned with the election is something I never understood. People who oppose Trump are not the majority, they are just the loudest. Trump will probably win the election by surprise (I assume there is a "shy trump supporter" in effect). The world may freak out for a few weeks and then everything will go back to normal.

In Chiang Mai I really don't talk about it. Locals usually just say "crazy election eh?" and that is pretty much as far as the conversation goes. Not a serious issue.

[Jingthing]

I wasn't really referring to Thais. Considering where Thailand is politically, they aren't a good example. See the O.P.

Of course more informed people understand that U.S. elections have a global impact. 

[Strange]

10 minutes ago, Jingthing said:

I wasn't really referring to Thais. Considering where Thailand is politically, they aren't a good example. See the O.P.

Of course more informed people understand that U.S. elections have a global impact. 

 

Of course it has a global impact, but I'm not going to change my political view or what I truly believe in, because of what some English dude says walking through the airport or whatever. 

 

Yeah sure its retarded whats going on with the presidential debates, but there is ALOT more going on, on the ground, that makes this a thing, and if someone is going to ridicule and patronize over it, without taking the time to learn and understand the reason, they can take that noise somewhere else. 

[starky]

No it's not just recently I have always felt a lot of pity towards 'Mericans. 

[anotheruser]

5 minutes ago, starky said:

No it's not just recently I have always felt a lot of pity towards 'Mericans. 

 

Where might you hail from good Sir?

[1FinickyOne]

I am pretty removed and have not seen it much... I do remember the same type of thing especially toward the end of the Reagan years in particular... foreigners who assumed all Americans loved Reagan and who did not mind trying to take a shot... 

[giddyup]

1 hour ago, Andrew C said:

It doesn't matter. Why people who aren't from the US are concerned with the election is something I never understood. People who oppose Trump are not the majority, they are just the loudest. Trump will probably win the election by surprise (I assume there is a "shy trump supporter" in effect). The world may freak out for a few weeks and then everything will go back to normal.

In Chiang Mai I really don't talk about it. Locals usually just say "crazy election eh?" and that is pretty much as far as the conversation goes. Not a serious issue.

Aren't you supposed to be rulers of the free world and the leading superpower? Well, we should be concerned what loony has their finger on the red button shouldn't we?

[anotheruser]

Bush years were especially bad that way. One thing I noticed online as that many of the guys who take shots at other countries won't say where they are from. If you criticize another country and can't even say where you are from it speaks volumes. 

[vogie]

I shouldn't worry too much, after the Ryder Cup result the Americans will be revered again!

[giddyup]

9 minutes ago, anotheruser said:

Bush years were especially bad that way. One thing I noticed online as that many of the guys who take shots at other countries won't say where they are from. If you criticize another country and can't even say where you are from it speaks volumes. 

I don't know if criticising the two presidential candidates is "taking a shot", I think it would be ridiculous to claim that either candidate is the best that the US has to offer. I'm from Australia BTW, if that makes any difference.

[Strange]

14 minutes ago, giddyup said:

Aren't you supposed to be rulers of the free world and the leading superpower? Well, we should be concerned what loony has their finger on the red button shouldn't we?

 

You realize that this is a huge blatant fear mongering post right? 

[Strange]

2 minutes ago, giddyup said:

I don't know if criticising the two presidential candidates is "taking a shot", I think it would be ridiculous to claim that either candidate is the best that the US has to offer. I'm from Australia BTW, if that makes any difference.

 

Criticize all you want, just be informed and knowledgable if you want to be taken seriously. 

[anotheruser]

16 minutes ago, giddyup said:

I don't know if criticising the two presidential candidates is "taking a shot", I think it would be ridiculous to claim that either candidate is the best that the US has to offer. I'm from Australia BTW, if that makes any difference.

 

The topic is about ridicule and pity of Americans. If you don't think Americans have to endure a lot of drivel they don't have any intention of starting you must live on an isolated island in the middle of nowhere. As soon as people hear you are American you can see their eyes light up. Finally they can shamelessly spew on about how much better they are and their system is and Trump and guns and health care.  Ad nauseam. 

 

Not everybody does this but the amount of people that don't understand it isn't normal to talk about religion, politics or money with strangers seems to be a bit high. Especially over here. Do you guys sit there and constantly discuss the state of elections back home when you are on your own?

Edited October 3, 2016 by anotheruser

[sirmud63]

5 hours ago, KarenBravo said:

I sympathize with most Americans I know. They are equally in disbelief over the two candidates on offer to become POTUS.

 

The rise of Donald Trump has been mirrored by the rise of other complete fruit-cakes around the world. Some in power (Duterte) and some within spitting distance (Corbyn).

This seems to be the result of a new cynicism about politics and politicians and the "feelgood factor" of knowingly throwing a spanner in the machine.

yes , the begining of a revolution ,maybe . alot of people are slowly waking up . 

[giddyup]

28 minutes ago, Strange said:

 

You realize that this is a huge blatant fear mongering post right? 

Read my comment in context. I was responding to the poster who asked why the rest of the world should be concerned about who is running for president.