Countries That Aren’t So Fond Of America
Here in America, we like to think pretty highly of ourselves, but it turns out that a lot of other countries don't see us the way we see ourselves. According to a Pew Research Center survey across 25 countries, 43% had an unfavorable view of the United States. More specifically, 72% of countries feel that the US does not take into consideration other nations' interests.
Each country has their own reason for their dislike, and some of those reasons are valid while others aren't as much. Keep reading to get a breakdown of what each country thinks about us.
Russia Has Mixed Feelings
According to a study conducted by the Pew Research Center in 2018, only 26% of Russians had a positive image of Americans. Russia seems to be on a downward trend because, in 2017, that number was at 41%. You might think that this is because of America's current political situation, however, the number was quite low in 2015 too at 15%.
It seems Russia's varying levels of distaste for America fluctuate quite frequently. This might have something to do with politics, but it also might not.
China And America Are In A Race To The Top
America and China seem to always be in some sort of competition with one another. In 2015, a study from the Pew Research Center concluded that only 44% of Chinese people see America as positive. Also, according to the same study, 67% of the Chinese people surveyed think China either has or will supersede America.
A majority of Chinese people also think that America is trying to hold China back so that America can surpass them economically.
Germany Doesn't Respect Us
Germany doesn't look at America all too favorably. They don't like that when Americans visit their country, they don't try to speak German at all and just assume that Germans will converse with them in English. A woman from Berlin told the Daily Mail that "Most people believe that Americans are dumb, mostly eat fast food and are very patriotic."
According to the Pew Research Center, Germany's favorable views of the US have dropped by nearly half since the end of the Obama administration.
Greece Is More Realistic
Greece would sound pretty hypocritical if they disrespected America for the way we handle money. Even so, America and Greece respond to international debt quite differently. Where Americans would rather maintain a hopeful outlook, much of Greece takes a more realistic (some would say pessimistic) approach.
According to a study at the Pew Research Center, 63% of Greeks have an unfavorable view of America. They think that the idea of the American Dream is far too dreamy.
Egypt Doesn't Appreciate American Support
Egypt is a rather complicated place. While America was on good terms with the Egyptian government, many Egyptians weren't. That left a bad taste in their mouths. When you aren't fond of your country's leader, anyone who supports them becomes your new enemy.
Egypt has rejected American support in the past for this reason. According to Pew Research, 85% of Egyptians don't see America as a positive country. That's why they are hesitant to accept our help even when they need it.
Denmark Doesn't Like America's Attitude
America and Denmark aren't at odds right now. In fact, relations between these two countries have been pretty good for the most part. Even so, Danes don't like interacting with Americans. The reason why comes down to our attitude.
Danes feel as though Americans see themselves as superior even though we live in a relatively new country that hasn't gone through as much development over time as many European countries. Denmark feels as though they should be seen as America's equal.
Brazil Doesn't Exist For American's Entertainment
Brazilians really don't like how Americans treat their country like a resort. Tourists pile in, take their pictures, benefit from the people living in the slums, and then go back to their cozy, air-conditioned, two-story houses.
The feel like some Americans come in with good intentions, but don't do much to contribute to the poor communities in Brazil. They come to appear as though they are helping when really they are keeping up appearances for social clout.
India Is Nobody's "Journey"
It's become quite popular in recent years for Americans to travel to India to "find themselves." India is more than a personal spiritual revolution for Americans. It is its own country with its own struggles, strengths, and nuances.
Americans who visit India tend to focus on themselves rather than what India has to offer. They ignore the local population or consult them only to serve their own needs. For these reasons, most Indians do not have very high opinions of Americans.
Chile Is Undecided
Even though America and Chile having strong ties, around 50% of Chileans see Americans in a negative light. Many Chilean citizens have posted about Americans online, and while they do see them as hardworking, they also have many negative things to say about us.
One Quora user wrote that "Americans seem paranoid, ignorant, fat, too armed for their own safety [...] and frankly nowadays their choices are unspeakably poor." Keep in mind that this is just one man's opinion.
Jordan Takes Top Prize
In its 2017 survey, the New Research Center found that Jordan topped the list in their negative attitude towards Americans, with 82% of the population having unfavorable views. However, many respondents on Quora claim that Jordanians are very kind towards Americans.
To help explain this dilemma, a director at the University of Chicago wrote that Jordanians hate American policy, particularly because of their support of Israel, and envy the American standard of living. People in Jordan also put huge emphasis on family, where Americans put a higher value on work.
Japan Doesn't Respect America's Work Ethic
Japan was the only country in a survey by Pew Research Center that believed America plays a less important role on the world stage than it did ten years ago. Japan Today found that a group of college students interviewed in Japan mentioned weight and gun violence as negative aspects of America.
Additionally, USA Today writes that only 25% of surveyed Japanese residents believe that Americans are hard-working. Another 47% of the same group feel that Americans are selfish.
Tunisians Don't Get Americans
64% of those surveyed in Tunisia by Pew Research Center said they think China would be better than the United States as the world's leading power. This may have something to do with the film Innocence of Muslims, which was posted online by a US resident.
The film carried an anti-Islamic message that was not well received by many Tunisians, being that their official state religion is Islam. Vanity Fair described the film as "something that was clearly designed to offend Muslims."
Danes Aren't Into America's Aggressive Attitude
A retired bank employee from Denmark told CBS news that what comes to mind when he hears "America" is: "Capitalism. Money rules everything. Overweight people, Donald Trump, elections, shootings."
And Sarah Madoff posted on the Berkley Center's website about her experience studying abroad in Denmark. She writes that Denmark has far more cyclists and far less sexism. In fact, they have one of the highest rates of female employment in the world. On top of that, few people work overtime, and it's normal to leave on holiday for weeks at a time. Sarah's experience certainly explains the Danes' notion that Americans are overweight and money-obsessed.
Norwegians Like Where They Are
According to the Migration Policy Institue, the number of Norwegians who immigrate to the United States has declined for the past 50 years. The Atlantic notes that at the turn of the 20th century, nearly a million Norwegians came to the US to settle down. So what changed?
The Atlantic points out that Norway is ranked the happiest country with the most political freedom, the most freedom of the press, and most prosperity. Meanwhile, the US ranks anywhere from 14th to 45th in these areas. When you break down the numbers, there's plenty of reason for Norwegians to think Americans have a few things to learn.
Mexico Has Several Concerns
An article published in 2017 by the Pew Research Center states that 65% of Mexicans express a negative opinion of the United States, which is more than double what it was in 2015. Not only do 94% oppose the wall, but only 5% believe that Trump is actually doing the right thing for world affairs.
Despite 85% of Mexicans saying that they are dissatisfied with how things are going, the country that took a huge chunk of Mexico's territory doesn't seem like the most ideal place to seek refuge.
Spain Sees America As A Threat
Spain's 60% disapproval rating of Americans probably has something to do with another survey conducted by the Pew Research Center regarding US power and influence. The survey found that citizens of Spain, more than any other country surveyed, are increasingly concerned that America's power is a major threat to their country.
Between 2013 and 2017, Spain increased 42 percentage points regarding how much the public felt America was a threat. Disagreements stemming from the Bush-era war on drugs likely made Spain more suspicious of Americans when Trump was elected.
Turkey Has Other Countries To Be Concerned About
The Pew Research center states, "U.S. power and influence ranks as the top threat in only one country-- Turkey (72%)." That means that of all the things on Turkey's list on concerns, the United States tops the list for 3/4ths of the population in Turkey.
Researchers also state that Turkey has maintained a negative view of America for decades, but it spiked to 83% in 2003 with the Iraq War. Today, only 19% of the Turkish population like America, possibly because they feel Americans enjoy abusing their power.
Austria Has Different Interests
According to Market Watch, Americans have been leery about Austria for trading with Iraq and North Korea. Disapproval of the United States' relations with Russia dropped to 55% (nine percentage points) in just one year, from 2013 to 2014.
This may have something to do with the fact that Americans look down on Austria for allowing the leader of the Kurdistan Worker's Party (a terrorist organization) to leave their country while he was wanted.
Iran And America Go Way Back
Market Watch states that 61% of Iranians disapprove of Americans. Why? Back in 1979 Iranians took 66 Americans hostage for 444 days amid the Iranian Revolution. The revolution opposed the westernization of their government, which the United States was helping to accomplish.
Recently, the United States has also taken part in sanctioning Iran's nuclear capabilities. Essentially, Americans are like the annoying parent trying to guide Iran in a direction they simply don't want to go.
Pakistan Doesn't Trust Us
Pakistan ranks fourth on the anti-America list with a disapproval rating of 65% according to Market Watch. Considering the billions of dollars in US aid that have gone to Pakistan, these numbers seem counterintuitive. Efforts began in the early 2000s as a means to combat terrorism.
However, America's mission into Pakistan where they captured Osama Bin Laden may have left a bad taste in the mouth of Pakistanis. Huff Post adds that the Pakistan media often portrays the United States negatively.
Cambodia Wants More Respect
Cambodia has more than enough good reasons to dislike America. Remember the Vietnam War? While America said that the war was tough in an effort to help the Cambodians, many innocent civilians got caught in the crossfire. This is something that many Cambodians have understandably found very hard to get over.
Conversely, the efforts to aid Cambodia over the years have generally earned Americans a pleasant image from Cambodia. Today, the biggest concern is disrespect from tourists towards the cultural norms of Cambodia.
Belarus Still Hasn't Gotten Over The Cold War
A former Soviet Union country, Belarus has a nearly 70% disapproval rate of America and a 62% approval rate of Russia's leadership. Given the poor opinion of Russia toward Americans, it makes sense that Belarus, who seems still devoted in some ways to Russia, would follow suit.
To top it off, Belarus has an inflation rate of 18% according to Market Watch. Researchers note that countries in weak economic standing often resent Americans, probably because we think anyone can be prosperous.
Palestinian Territories Don't Feel The Love
A whopping 72% disapproval rating is actually an improvement from 2013, when 80% of Palestinians topped the chart of countries who don't approve the leadership of America. There's been a travel advisory in place, warning Americans that it's unsafe to travel to The West Bank and Gaza as of December 29, 2018.
The U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Consular Affairs warns that terrorism, civil unrest, and armed conflict are a few reasons Americans should stay away from Palestinian Territories. Especially as tourist destinations have increasingly become a target.
Argentines Don't Want To Talk About America
While Germany dropped to 30% favorable views of the United States, Argentina was right there with them at 32% according to The Pew Research Center. A major cause of this could be a small, but significant, slip of the tongue.
An American woman solicited advice on Trip Advisor about traveling to Argentina. Many of the respondents said the same thing: do NOT refer to yourself as American. If you're confused as to why, you may be a part of the problem. You see, everyone from Argentina is American. They live in South America. By using this generalization rather than specifically stating your country of origin as the United States, Americans dig themselves into the ignorance ditch.
North Korea Has A US Hatred Museum
Given the fact that jeans are banned from North Korea for being symbolic of Americans, it should come as no surprise that North Korea is not okay with Americans by any stretch of the imagination. The Korean War may have ended to Americans, but to North Koreans it's everlasting.
A North Korean child's closest encounter with Americans is at the Sinchon Museum of American War Atrocities. The name says it all. At this shrine of anti-American propaganda, schoolchildren visit to remember their hatred for the United States.
Turkey Wanted Help
According to The Conversation, nearly 4 million Syrian refugees live in Turkey. One hot topic in America is how to go about handling refugees in general. However, Turkey has no choice but to embrace the millions that arrived out of desperation.
Since the U.S. hasn't been the most apt to lend a helping hand, there may be a bit of a grudge lingering from Turkish people. At least, that would explain their 73% disapporoval rating of Americans.
Lebanon Wants American Money
There are multiple ways that the United States have offered assistance to different countries. One of the most popular ways is by offering financial assistance. However, Americans have to look out for themselves, too.
Congress decided to limit their annual aid to Lebanon shortly after the turn of the 21st century. This may have something to do with why about half of Lebanese individuals are not the biggest fans of Americans. In the end, you can only ever help so much.
Austria Is Still A Little Tainted
WWII forced many countries to choose sides as they scrambled to keep their people safe while standing up for what they believe in. Unfortunately, this lead to several conflicts that still are in the process of being resolved.
Some Austrians have held on to the attacks made against them by the United States. Additionally, some feel that the United States has yet to embrace Germany in recent times. These remaining tensions may explain the 55% disapproval rating of the U.S. by Austrians.
Slovenia Isn't A Fan Of The President
Some countries have entirely different views in terms of leadership and some simply do not approve of the leaders in America's past and/or present. This is thought to be the reason behind the 54% negative feedback from Slovenians regarding Americans.
However, now that America has had a first lady who was from the country, things may change. Viewpoints are always evolving since times are changing, especially in America where the commander-in-chief is re-evaluated every four years.
Scots Are Sick Of The American Accents
There are several American stereotypes that have gained so much attention they're hardly a surprise. A few examples of such assumptions are that Americans are fat and lazy. While Scots may or may not buy these beliefs, there is one thing they can't stand.
That thing is American's incessant need to do a terrible accent. While some Americans claim to be obsessed with a British accent, few know the difference between a British accent and a Scottish one. In the end, just stick to what you know.
