WORTHLESS FACTS: Misconceptions About The United States That Simply Aren’t True
The United States often draws a lot of flak from the rest of the world for everything from its foreign policy to the way it runs its domestic affairs. In fact, it seems like there are few things that can divide the world more evenly and more strongly than asking people what their opinion is of the United States. It seems like there is no middle ground. Everyone has an opinion. Even in the same city, you’ll meet people who fall on extreme sides of the spectrum.
Typically, it goes something like this – either they will respond with, “America is messed up. I would never go there, not even to visit.” Or, they will respond with something along the lines of, “I love America. Its government can do some whack things, but the people are great, and it’s a beautiful country!”
Take your pick. It’s one or the other. But, what exactly is it that causes America to be so “messed up?” Even America’s own politicians can’t seem to stop talking about how messed up things are. Well, today we’re going to take a deeper look. Are things really as bad as everyone seems to think they are? These are 25 common misconceptions about the United States that simply aren’t true!
Americans are held to an unrealistic standard. Since the rest of us watch their movies and listen to their music, we know a lot about their country. But let’s be honest, we never studied it. We complain that Americans don’t even know that Czechoslovakia doesn’t exist anymore. But neither does half of the United Kingdom…and they’re on the same continent! It turns out that all of us are pretty bad at geography.
Americans are ignorant about the world
Americans are held to an unrealistic standard. Since the rest of us watch their movies and listen to their music, we know a lot about their country. But let’s be honest, we never studied it. We complain that Americans don’t even know that Czechoslovakia doesn’t exist anymore. But neither does half of the United Kingdom…and they’re on the same continent! It turns out that all of us are pretty bad at geography.
Americans are held to an unrealistic standard. Since the rest of us watch their movies and listen to their music, we know a lot about their country. But let’s be honest, we never studied it. We complain that Americans don’t even know that Czechoslovakia doesn’t exist anymore. But neither does half of the United Kingdom…and they’re on the same continent! It turns out that all of us are pretty bad at geography.
America spies on everybody.
America is racist
Racism definitely exists, and it makes the news. But you know what else? America also has a vicious media, and all of us watch it (sometimes more than our own media). When cops shoot black people in most of our own countries, it won’t even make the back page. Once you’ve traveled around Europe, Asia, Africa, Australia, and South America, then we can decide who is the most racist.
Americans don’t use public transport
While it’s true that they use cars a lot, many regions in America have great public transport, or at least just as good as Europe. Besides, what good is a train if nobody can afford it? We’re looking at you UK.
Americans all walk around with guns
Not true. Except for a few places, the only people you will ever see carrying guns in America are the police. In fact, you’ll see more people walking around with guns in Switzerland than you ever would in America.
Americans are fat
Have you been to the UK lately? There are even scandals because obese patients are getting turned down for surgery. Go NHS.
America isn’t safe
This is usually what we say until we actually go there. By this same logic Paris, Brussels, London, Madrid, and almost every other city in Europe is unsafe as well. Yes there are guns, but most of your American friends have never seen or heard a gun being fired. In fact, most of your Swiss friends are much more familiar with gunfire than the Amis.
Americans are fake
Here’s the thing – In Europe we’re almost proud of the fact that we’re really standoffish, but once you get to know us, we’re your friend for life. Well here’s a newsflash, once you get to know an American, they’ll also be your friend for life. The thing is though, they don’t use that as an excuse to be a
Americans are ruining English
Actually, both British English and American English have diverged from a common 16th century ancestral standard, and in some ways, American English is closer to the original than British English. For example, American English has for the most part retained the language’s rhoticity (pronunciation of the “r” in words like “hard”) while British English has for the most part dropped it. Furthermore, this shift in British English happened around the time of the American Revolution when wealthier Londoners wanted to distinguish themselves from the lower classes. This is only one example, but it goes to show that British English is not an unchanging standard anymore than American English.
Americans are dumb rednecks
While there are certainly Americans who fit this stereotype, the vast majority don’t. Most Americans live in cities near the coasts. Most of them are educated, and most of them are not very different from Europeans in any significant way. Every country has a less-educated populace that they themselves make fun of, even “sophisticated” nations like Sweden and Switzerland.
Americans are all in debt
Actually, European citizens carry more debt than Americans. The average household debt in the US (OECD) is 113% of the household’s income. In the UK, it is 156%. In Sweden, it’s 173%, and in Denmark, it’s a whopping 305%. In fact, as Europeans, both individually and collectively, we are in a much bigger financial hole than the United States.
Are you a movie-buff? Have you ever noticed how movies change our perception of the world? Check out 25 Misconceptions Hollywood Has Taught Us.
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