Sad, but true…
Oh so “guys” is a word for “right-wing crazies”? Sorry about that, I’m not a native English speaker so I wouldn’t know. I thought it worked to summarize any group of people with a specific characteristic in common (in this case nationality).
And seeing as this is the first question I ask in this thread, I don’t see where you got the whole “stop prefacing each question” thing from, but I’ll try to stop it I guess :3.
Anyways, look at it this way: the media doesn’t exactly do news on “WHAT DO AMERICANS THINK ABOUT X SUBJECT? FIND OUT TODAY!”. Basically, you see in the news that Bush hasn’t signed the Kyoto protocol, or that he doesn’t give a crap for environmental regulations, and stuff like that. Then you find out he got elected with like 60% of votes, and then RE-ELECTED.
Wouldn’t you agree that this will obviously lead people to think that the majority of US’s population share the same view on these subjects as the leader they’ve elected? (I’m not saying I do btw, I just ask questions to see the general reaction 
)
You’ll also find several stupid Americans on the interwebs who keep arguing that Global Warming is fake and Al Gore is retarded and blablabla. And I’m sorry to tell you this and I know you don’t like it, but it doesn’t help the general opinion from foreigners on what do American people think, and unless they know someone from the US personally, that’s the reference they’ll have to judge from.
That’s the problem, I think. The people that are ignorant of issues are generally speaking the most loudspoken about it. In my more cynical moments, I don’t think that Bush won either election (I know he didn’t win the first; he got in on a technicality and in the second, he didn’t win – Kerry lost).
The majority of Americans do NOT share the view of the right-wing crazies who are extremely loud and pompous. They also don’t share the views of the center-right crazies known as modern-day Democrats either, but I’ll leave that for another day. 
I guess that’s the main problem: the average ignorant American is also the loudest.
If a reasonable American comes to your country, he’ll probably go by without you even noticing he’s from the US, unless you ask him specifically, so he won’t really leave an impression. The loud retarded rednecks, however, usually carry little flags around, expect people to celebrate the 4th of July (or even know what it means for that matter), leave trash everywhere they pass by and usually have absolutely no respect for local culture/people/history.
So, when people from these countries think of Americans, the image that comes to mind is that of the fat sunburned guy on sandals screaming around, expecting people to know their language (and calling those who don’t stupid).
I wish more reasonable tourists would come by really. I once talked to this old Canadian lady when I was traveling on a plane, and she was one of the nicest people I’ve ever met. Most Americans I’ve talked to irl, however, didn’t give me the same impression; I guess it’s just bad luck 
.
Most of us who AREN’T like Mr. Garrison I posted above and they travel on a plane, they keep to themselves. They don’t talk unless spoken to first. In foreign countries, they generally keep to their own cliques. They don’t actively set out to try to change the area they’re in by demanding others do X, Y, and Z. They, in fact, try to do what the region expects.
I plan on visiting Japan soon. I won’t go over there expecting everyone with either samurai swords or Hello Kitty backpacks and complaining when I don’t see that.
Basically, what happens when you see or talk to these regular Americans abroad or in other non-American countries? Well, you probably won’t see them or talk to them, tbh. Unless you’re living in an area that is predominantly of a different race (like a Caucasian in Japan, though that’s not too out there), you probably pass Americans all the time and not even realize they’re there.
It doesn’t help that they don’t advertise themselves, but if they did advertise themselves, I believe that they’d come across as annoying. Imagine someone coming to America and saying, “Hi! I’m from Japan! Want to talk with me about the Kyoto Prefecture?”
I think the general opinion on Global Warming is that it exists, but it’s being blown a bit out of proportion, so while many people don’t mind recycling or buying a more fuel efficient car, they don’t feel like the government needs to go around spending large amounts of government funds to try and fix the issue and forcing the opinion onto them.
I find it interesting that Global Warming doesn’t exist is the opinion seen on Americans, because to me it’s always come across as the Global Warming advocates who yell the loudest.
The average person probably does think Al Gore is an idiot, though. I know I’ve seen plenty to that regard.
I’m not sure what you consider “average.”
now here is a funny story that happened with me while encountering Americans,
few months Ago me and my friends were Playing in this huge soccer field here in Jordan, on the other half of the field there were Americans playing too, we Ignored each other of course until this one guy hit the Ball and it flew straight to one of my friend’s head we didn’t say anything cause it was an accident, now while we were playing one of my friends hit the Ball and it flew straight into of their Heads , I remember he was a 12 years old boy and he started crying, we were trying to apologize but they didn’t listen and one of them said : oh, I hate Jordan now you are all the same, you don’t respect your guests and bla bla bla, and I said to him : is this a typical American behavior ?, we didn’t intend to hit the kid’s head on purpose and now you started all this Drama. he didn’t say anything and we continued playing afterwards.
It had to be said.
I seriously expected that 
:lol:
That image is really funny.
But, about the story, I found it very interesting But it looks like more the behavior of a 12 year old stupid brat, not an American’s behavior.
I believe the Guy who said that is in his Mid-30s
Then it is a 30 year old stupid brat’s behavior then
In this case, you have a point.
Pretty much this. I subscribe to this view as well, since any issue that is presented to us by politicians, social advocates, or the media is exaggerated, if not made up, and as such people have right to be sceptic.
Well, where I live I can think of 2 people off the top of my head who would most definitley think Al Gore was right. One is a British woman who never shuts up about how much greater Britain is and how they’ve “always known about global warming and it’s time America caught up”. Not really sure she counts as “average”. The other is someone I view as an environmentalist extremist. They are the kind of person who will find a way to throw the environment into any conversation. Example: I was doing a large school project with him where we had to make a play, and what started out as a comedy ended up turning into this Global Warming advocacy thing which wasn’t funny or interesting to watch.
Maybe this doesn’t apply to the entire nation, but in the general area where I live I would think the “average” person thinks Al Gore is an idiot, or at least doesn’t agree with what he says.
I dont agree with a lot of his standings, but I dont think he is an idiot, and at least he is trying harder than many of us.
Although a lot do think he is an idiot.
Yeah, I think he may exaggerate a lot of stuff to get a point across, but he’s definitely trying to do something good, and I while I don’t think that I’m in immediate danger of waking up and discovering that Boston is 20 feet underwater, I do think that we need to be much more environmentally responsible than we are right now. bscly I don’t think Al Gore is an idiot.
Of course, because South Park characters are exactly the same as their real life counterparts. :rolleyes:
I’m not sure why people think Gore is an idiot, to be honest. I know the claims that are consistently made about him, all almost 100% false. The caricature they create (like South Park’s Al Gore) IS an idiot, though.
south parks russel crowe is eerily realistic though :3