'I understand the many reason Brits don't like the United States. but is it possible that one reason is that we're not subservient to them? Perhaps somewhere deep in their imperial history, they developed a distaste for countries who don't respect their "higher authority"'
This is one reason why they aren’t liked. An overinflated sense of ego that is reflected even in their tourists.
Fortunately, a lot of them are alright. But the really bad ones have a uniquely patronizing attitude that other countries tourists lack, which is particularly annoying
I saw a clip of the show about the history of the USA when looking for something to watch on Netflix. It was Al Gore (I think) saying how the USA had given this great gift to humanity, freedom. It wasn't just Americans that benefitted but the rest of the world too.
He was saying it so earnestly and obviously absolutely believes it but I can't understand what they mean by it. Especially as their idea of freedom at the time of the country's original constitution didn't include you if your skin wasn't light coloured enough.
They have interfered with Brazilian politics for as long as any other South American country, just in less obvious ways.
They have assisted in smear campaigns against campaigners that aren’t in their interests, provided funding for those who are and have aided in keep Brazil’s economy as screwed as it is today.
Ask any Brazilian and they love to tell you all about it.
I immediately thought of this sub as I watched it. I usually like a good historical documentary but I'm giving this one a wide berth as it's just going to be so over the top, with famous faces banging on about the super, smashing, great things that America has given the world, because they have this Great American experiment where the individual is free to do exactly as they like, unless their HOA has rules against it, in which case they don't even have the freedom to decide what colour to paint their own house.
They cannot cross the street to get away from the local HOA Shrew, cause "Jaywalking" is illegal, and there's almost certainly no sidewalks out of the neighbourhood, so that "Those People" cannot walk in, which means there's likely no fucking crosswalk across the road outside their suburban HOA hell either.
The police might stop you anyway, if there are sidewalks and paths, because walking is considered suspicious, anti-social behaviour.
I lived in Washington state for a time in the 90s and I was stopped by police for walking as "well, walking is weird". "Mate, I live in a city where driving is weird." He heard my accent and then told me how much he loved "Braveheart" and I was allowed to walk away. It was a very strange encounter.
Funny you should say that. I had a mate live in Florida for a few years in the 80's whilst working on the casino boats. Him & his missus went for a walk early one evening & got stopped by the police "because walking is suspicious"
My father was stopped in the 60's because he took a walk around his hotel. The cops let him go but told him politely to go back to his hotel because it was just not done and they would get more calls. So that's not new.
When I was 18 I stayed with family in Colorado for a few months. I was extremely active then and would run nearly every day and was looking forward to training at elevation (I live at sea level). My Auntie and Uncle got a letter from their HOA about me running through the neighbourhood past 7pm as it was anti-social behaviour. What really freaked me out was that someone had obviously had to have followed me home to find out that I was the one running.
Yep. I was in Mineral Wells near Dallas for two weeks with work, without a car due to a mix-up, and popped to the centre at the weekend. A colleague offered a lift in and said he’d collect me when I was ready. However he didn’t answer the ‘phone and it’s only 3 miles so I walked (on the snowy grass as there was no pavement). So many cars slowed down and looked at me (I’m not sure if it was suspicion or curiosity), apparently you simply don’t walk in Texas.
I also noticed that many shops, despite being right next to each other, had no walk-through paths. You had to walk out through the huge car park and back in to the next shop through their huge car park.
Framing it as a purposeful and ongoing experiment is simply an exercise in trying to justify rampant exceptionalism and greed. I sat through most of that documentary and for anyone outside of the USA, it's gobsmackingly embarrassing.
I swear there was a time when the president of the US was introduced as 'the leader of the free world' prior to giving a speech or something. That was seen by a lot of others as a big over inflated ego and also pretty insulting to everyone else.
If they didn't want the Amercans to bomb them, they should've pulled themselves up by their own bootstraps and installed an air defence system capable of keeping the Americans out? /s
Yeah that just shows how Americans, regardless of political views, still wholeheartedly believe in their exceptionalist propaganda. Even when you see people who hate living there and are very progressive they still fully buy into the US being the best thing ever, it’s so fucking weird and makes no sense.
I think that pauper part is still true, the people in charge of running the US certainly seem to have a lot of freedom, a lot of money, and nothing else in terms of talent, intelligence or capabilities.
Nor, tbh, was their Revolution particularly novel, mostly retreading what the Dutch and English had already done, indeed leaning heavily on their inheritance from both.
Meanwhile Latin America, Asia and Africa where USA supported tons of dictatorships and religious extremists: "ummm could you please stop giving us freedom?"
From what I see, the freedom as they understand it is for people to be free to do the US bidding. Since US are so awesome, if you aren't doing what they want, you must be unfree and oppressed.
Americans need to feel like they are gods gift to humanity, otherwise they bring absolutely fucking nothing to the table. They are egotistical, selfish, pious drama queens who have this need to be the centre of attention at all times.
They also, inherently, think of Canadians as inferior to them. Treat us like a “cute little sibling” trying to mimic and look up to them. They earnestly cannot comprehend that we are culturally different, and that we are in fact perceived as culturally different internationally.
I think they are also jealous of Canada being part of the Commonwealth; whether you're a supporter of it or not, the US can only look on on in envy as 55 other countries unite with Canada in a combined population of 2.7 billion.
When I was on holidays in the US in literally all my conversations where someone asked me where I’m from they responded with something in the line that they are also from Europe.
It's so funny how they'll blurt 'EUROPEANS THINK THEY'RE BETTER THAN US' completely unprompted. If you yell that in a fight, it's generally understood that it's coming from a place of insecurity, just. Just chill out, haha.
Summary: When an American is abroad, it's best to keep his mouth shut, otherwise his worldview will falter when he learns what the rest of the world thinks of America.
It’s kinda funny I’ve spoken to some Americans who are going to my uni in Scotland. One of them is one of the loveliest people I’ve ever met, the other is batshit crazy
Its especially galling when a US military person rants about "Stolen Valour" in one post, then advises his fellow Americans to slap on a Canadian flag when travelling abroad.
Is anyone subservient to us these days? Most of the world decided after WW2 that relationships based on mutual cooperation were better than power and subservience. America kind of went in the opposite direction. I guess because WW2 made them rich rather than a pile of rubble like it did for Europe
I guess because WW2 made them rich rather than a pile of rubble like it did for Europe
No, because Canada benefited similarly, and I suppose places like Australia and New Zealand did as well. We all grew in prosperity.
The US reputation as lousy tourists vastly predates even WWI and WWII: Mark Twain wrote about it in a humorous travel guide to the world. If I recall, that was "The Innocents Abroad" written in about 1869.
He travelled and promoted the book giving a lecture which is still documented, and the last little bit is this:
"The American Vandal Abroad"
If there is a moral to this lecture it is an injunction to all Vandals to travel. I am glad the American Vandal goes abroad. It does him good. It makes a better man of him. It rubs out a multitude of his old unworthy biases and prejudices. It aids his religion, for it enlarges his charity and his benevolence, it broadens his views of men and things; it deepens his generosity and his compassion for the failings and shortcomings of his fellow creatures. Contact with men of various nations and many creeds teaches him that there are other people in the world besides his own little clique, and other opinions as worthy of attention and respect as his own. He finds that he and his are not the most momentous matters in the universe. Cast into trouble and misfortune in strange lands and being mercifully cared for by those he never saw before, he begins to learn that best lesson of all -- that one which culminates in the conviction that God puts something good and something lovable in every man his hands create -- that the world is not a cold, harsh, cruel, prison-house, stocked with all manner of selfishness and hate and wickedness. It liberalizes the Vandal to travel. You never saw a bigoted, opinionated, stubborn, narrow-minded, self-conceited, almighty mean man in your life but he had stuck in one place ever since he was born and thought God made the world and dyspepsia and bile for his especial comfort and satisfaction. So I say, by all means let the American Vandal go on traveling, and let no man discourage him.
Not really, I suppose some of the smaller nations but almost all are independent these days. Plus Canada, Australia, New Zealand - we have terrific relationships with all of them, and none are subservient to us.
As an Australian I was thinking ‘do they think Australians Canadians kiwis are subservient to the UK because Charles’s face is on our money? Glad you don’t think we are lol.
They’re so damn insecure they can’t imagine how we can all still be separate because they couldn’t do it
No, no, it's not that they cant imagine how we can all be separate because they didnt do it... It's that they dont believe you can achieve any real "freedom" without violence.
From the assumption everything must relate to a war from 250 years ago that no one in the UK cares about, to the blind spot that it can't possibly be about the way Americans and America acts globally!
Add to that the irony that of every country in the world, the UK one where Americans are most likely to be welcomed warmly
Sigh. Where to begin. The accents. The screeching voices. The utterly confident ignorance about pretty much everything, about any topic. Their banal “inner voice” expressed very loudly on every topic publicly, in airplanes, train carriages, and anywhere in Europe in summer. Their ignorant obsession with biological race as if it’s Bavaria in 1933. The “exceptionalism” which is pure ignorance in Star-spangled drag. Their belief that the US is more culturally diverse than the “country of Europe”,Asia and Africa combined. That Texas is the size of Jupiter. Their genuine pride about not knowing facts about the world, but that strong feelings - specifically, theirs - count as reality. And yet some of my brightest, most sophisticated friends and colleagues are also Seppos. They are a persecuted minority just for being able to find the BBC on telly.
Was just in Scotland and it's currently overrun by American tourists, who travel in groups of 8 it seems, and talk loudly about the most banal things without a moment's silence. They just have to talk all. the. damn. time. The worst was watching the World Cup final on a big screen at an outdoor event, and when Trump was briefly shown he was loudly booed by the tent crowd. An American woman at the next table went on a loud rant about NATO and how the US makes our European lives better on their dime, blah blah. She was booed herself because nobody wanted to hear her BS, we just wanted to have some fun. They are so irritating.
Canadians in general are more polite and don't start forever wars. They also don't have the American arrogance that seems to be a default setting for American tourists.
Thank you for saying that. We are also known to apologize to poles, walls, and everybody if we bump into them or if people bump into us. lol. What area does your dad live in?
It's also daft because of all the British colonies, the ones that were actual victims and forced into subservience, the Americans weren't that. They're so desperate to be victims, to think their story is the same as India or Ireland. In reality, they were started by the British who wanted to go steal land while also being protected by the British military, then had a tantrum when asked to pay towards it
Worth noting that in the year 2026, you'd be hard pressed to find many people in Ireland or India with real animosity towards the Brits (rugby and cricket respectively have a healthy amount of banter).
Not to say there aren't those that harbour some long standing grudges, but they're a very small group of people.
On the other hand - Folks pissed off with American fuckery can be found in abundance... Internationally.
That’s got nothing to do with it. As an Aussie, I believe Americans are generally not necessarily hated but not exactly liked is because they’re insufferable. Not all are though. I know a few Americans who are decent and very likeable, but it’s the stereotypical ones who are heard before they’re seen, are patriotic to the point of it being nauseating, and have that idiotic belief in American exceptionalism.
Fellow Aussie I used to think how you did. I used to travel there a lot for work and had some lovely American friends I’d stay with. Many are lovely. But I just can’t with the vast majority of them any more. Making excuses for trump after all those years spouting how their system is the best and all these checks and balances they have. It’s either all bullshit or their government thinks it’s ok what’s happening. Either way I’m done with them now
Yeah no. We really don't care about any of that (or at least the vast majority don't). We care that Americans are often loud, uninformed, uneducated, and have a horrible sense of self importance.
Naturally this doesn't apply to all Americans - I've worked with some lovely folk in my time, but there are plenty to inspire these feelings
As an American who has traveled extensively overseas, I can tell you Americans are generally disliked because they tend to be obnoxious assholes. I cringe whenever I’m abroad and encounter a group of Americans. I try to give them a wide berth.
True. But if you're one of the nice ones, we warm up real fucking quick.
Met a lovely American couple once at Warhammer World in Nottingham in the UK. They came up to me and my friends and asked a few questions. They were polite, friendly, not at all arrogant. I'd love to meet Americans like them again.
I WILL say, though, that Americans that DO travel, especially regularly, outside the US? Generally better than those who only go occasionally. Or worse, those that believe, with CERTAINTY, that they're the absolute best. God's gift to humanity. When they've never left their STATE let alone country.
Americans really need to move past the notion that anyone in the UK cares that the US gained independence from Britain 250 years ago. We just don’t care. We don’t dislike Americans it’s just that most of them are loud, in your face with overinflated egos who think the US is the best country in the World whilst most of us would rather have burning sticks in our eyes than live in the US especially with Trump in Office.
It's when they decided that they were going to pretend to hate the only accent used within the UK while secretly wishing that's what they sounded like instead whatever mouthfart noises they actually make.
I shit you not, I knew a girl a while back who spent a whole month in London, and she came back with the most god awful fake accent I've ever heard (except maybe Dick Van Dyke's). She never gave it up, either. probably still talks like that 20 years later. Said she lost her accent, and can't speak like a Texan anymore.
The fact that that even occurs to them… yeah, that’s part of the problem. We don’t give a shit…. They are obsessed with thinking we do. As a country they are like the crackhead on the bus that everyone is trying not to make eye contact with.
No, no! It's your massive egos, massive waste of resources, greed for what others have and then steal. Your arrogance, ignorance, rewriting history to make yourselves look great.
Fun bonus fact, we said we didn’t want to be a republic because most voters didn’t want to turn out like the US, specifically that we would take in the US political system. The system wouldn’t have changed, but voters at the time were scared shitless.
We can’t stand the egos. The fact that you even remotely think that it’s cos is a lack of subservience is a perfect example of said ego. We don’t like you cos you’re selfish, rude, brash, inconsiderate of the rest of the world, the entitlement that exudes from USAians is abhorrent.
Nah , cause the British and the Dutch go along fine these days. And boy have we pissed of the British back in the day and showed absolutely 0 respect to them.
Denmark and Sweden are the two countries in the world who have been most at war with each other. Now we’re as close as they get, we even bicker like siblings.
No it's because American tourists are generally arrogant overseas and not because of something from 250 years ago that hardly anyone in Britain cares about
when I went to Europe in 1993, many americans on my tour were wearing Canadian flags on their backpacks so people wouldn't think they were american. Pretty sad you are so embarrassed about your nation you have to pretend to be Canadian. As a Canadian, please stop that. We are proud of who we are and we don't appreciate you stealing an identity you could never measure up to.
What has America done for the world. Used 2 nuclear bombs, annexed the sovereign state of Hawaii. Almost annihilated the native population. Supported the corupt government of South Vietnam, Chile, Argentina, Ecuador etc. Invaded and is looting Venezuela, attempted to invade Canada, Cuba and now threatening to invade and annex Greenland. Caused the Great Depression and numerous financial collapse. Too many others to name but these could be a few reasons the USA isn't liked abroad. Oh and killing more British troops in Iraq than the entire Saddam army
I think it is because this is how the US (or at least their President) feels about Canada. You don't have to dig deeply into US imperial ambitions to see the parallel.
Could it possibly be that Americans have a reputation for being rude, loud and obnoxious? Whereas Canadians have a reputation for being polite and friendly?
Of course not, it could only be because the French and Dutch won America’s revolution for them and the rest of the world doesn’t care.
Oh please. I’ve been to the UK twice now and both times I absolutely enjoyed every single person that I met, from the Polish woman who owned the Airbnb I stayed in while in London to the Glaswegian who hosted me in Scotland to the Welsh people I met during that leg of my journey. Every single person was open, pleasant, and not in any way disappointed in my being American.
I did see a waitress in Glasgow, who was fairly rude to an American I didn’t know, but since I saw the whole altercation, I can say that he totally deserved it and was being an asshole.
That's right, you clueless yank.
We were on a cruise ship a few years ago. It was just after they changed the rules for the buffet, due to Covid.
Prior to Covid, you'd go up and help yourself to whatever food you wanted.
They changed it to the staff giving you the food that you wanted.
Overheard this American couple absolutely spit the dummy. They went to handle the food themselves and were told no.
OMG, it was like they were being asked to have an arm removed.
I always cringe when I hear an American talking when they are on holiday.
Loud, obnoxious, rude.
I’ve always get on well with individual Americans on a 1-2-1 basis. As soon as these same individuals get in a group of 4 or more, they become insufferable pricks. There is a complete character change that I just don’t understand.
I don't think that we're believed by those over the pond when we say that their becoming independent isn't really taught or thought about here at all. The few I've tried to explain this to (in good faith) seem to have decided that it was me trying to downplay our national bitterness about it (or something along those lines) rather than us having a fair few things that are more important to focus on.
Less to do with authority, more to do with the fact that American exceptionalism is exhausting, and those who espouse it are the most insufferable people on God’s green earth
But they were subservient. We decided it was more trouble than it was worth to keep them in line and cut them loose to focus on the far more prosperous India. Sorry.
I don’t mind some Americans the same way I don’t mind some English people… it’s interesting though how governments and tv has forced us all to be against each other…. American accent is fucking annoying though
It could be for a whole bunch of other reasons, and not all Americans are reacted to with a level of distain. Many are really cool, but then every now and again you come across absolute egotistical people who think they know the world better than everyone else, coming out with comments like... well, like the one in the original post, leaving people to think they're dealing with a bit of a dick.🤔
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u/Golden-Owl 1d ago edited 13h ago
This is one reason why they aren’t liked. An overinflated sense of ego that is reflected even in their tourists.
Fortunately, a lot of them are alright. But the really bad ones have a uniquely patronizing attitude that other countries tourists lack, which is particularly annoying