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View Poll Results :When it comes to the way Americans view Europeans, which of the following statements do you feel rep | |||
US feels admiration for Europeans. |
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3 | 5.00% |
Europe is basically ungrateful. |
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11 | 18.33% |
Europeans are rich but weak. |
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1 | 1.67% |
Nice people but incapable. |
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3 | 5.00% |
Americans should learn from Europe. |
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6 | 10.00% |
Europe should learn from US. |
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5 | 8.33% |
Europe is some countries ok and some others no good. |
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16 | 26.67% |
Europe is totally incomprehensible to Americans. |
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2 | 3.33% |
There's a deep kinship: they're our brothers anyways. |
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5 | 8.33% |
There's a strong mutual and thought-upon trust between us. |
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8 | 13.33% |
Voters: 60. You may not vote on this poll |
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You ask what Americans think of Europe? I think you have to take into consideration who we are before you can appreciate our answers or lack of answers.
Many Americans are products (children/grandchildren etc.) of families that fled Europe for one reason or another whether it was political, financial, legal, religious, or otherwise. I'm sure if we could ask our ancestors what they thought of the particular country they had to leave, we'd be surprised at what they might have to say about "the old country". I'm sure it wouldn't be at all what we might expect. Many of them came here and tried their best to put aside the ties that bound them to the old country. They changed their names, they refused to have their children speak the language of their old country. They dressed like Americans and did everything they could to become Americans. Despite all this they were often not accepted even by the group of immigrants that immediately preceded them here. In spite of these things they still volunteered to fight for this country's interests even in the same countries that forced them to leave not so many years before. If they were too old to fight, many of their sons took up the cause without hesitation. We as their descendants have inherited some of their feelings. We couldn't help it. We feel some connection to the countries they came from. They rarely spoke, at least to us, of the reasons they had to leave. I think this is a big reason why many in this country feel surprised and resentful when we hear of lack of support from Europe. This can easily turn to antagonism as with the countries that opposed our actions most recently in Iraq. I believe we are somewhat naive in believing that Europe feels or should feel similar connections to us as we often do toward them. I don't think there any choices in the poll that truly reflect the wide range of feelings that Americans have toward Europe. Sorry if this doesn't explain much but it's my opinion. Maybe if you had a poll about how Americans feel toward a certain country about a particular event? |
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Well yes that's actually interesting DTop.
I had almost never happened to focus on that aspect ( parents of today americans as having left their european countries). But it's also true that America today is nothing like a new Europe anymore: Latinos, Asians, Afroamericans who make up such a large part of the country ( think of the West Coast, of Texas, or the south in general ) came from elsewhere. I thought there were more precise and dinstinctive takes by Americans towards Europe. But anyways your comment is helpful and hope more will come on the issue. |
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Yes 1217 you are right of course, we people all over the world should learn from each other because each has something positive to teach the other.
ItalianGuy4US, you are correct that there are many other people represented in the U.S.A. The famous saying is that America is "The Great Melting Pot" but I think it would be more precise to say that America is a great mosaic. Each group brings it's own special customs and beliefs into the mix. It has always been this way. All I have to do is to look at my own family. We have, in no particular order, Germans, Italians, Portuguese, Colombians, Spaniards, Irishmen, French and that's all I can think of off hand. So, how are we to feel about Europeans? If you ask a Native American, he would most likely refer to us as Europeans! I don;tthe many Americans really understand how things work in Europe today. I think we often picture Europe as a group of very distinct people going about their daily lives much as our grandparents described to us until the rare occasion when we hear something on the news. We don't get as much news about Europe as it sounds like you guys get about America. We very rarely hear anything at all to tell the truth. I think that's too bad because more European news might help many Americans to understand Europe better. It sounds like you have an opinion about how Americans feel toward Europe. How do you think we look at Europe? |
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