Do Europeans judge America based on George Bush?

Question

I think I speak for most Americans when I say that Bush has hurt our reputation. Most of us are friendly and intelligent people who don't believe our president is a good representation of our country. Just curious about your thoughts on this.

Answer 1

ok your not gonna like my answer, But WHY do you care what Europe thinks of us.  and about being friendly, what? we should have sent chocolates to radical muslims after being attacked.

Answer 2

We think you are slow. It took you this long to find out what we knew at vote rigging time.

Answer 3

Not necessarily. However what are we meant to think, you did vote Bush in TWICE. What does that say about a lot of American people?

Answer 4

If that was true then surely he wouldn't be in power.

You voted for him.... twice.   Therefore he seems the actual representation of your country.

However...  I think the F22 Raptor that was filmed on BBCNews at a UK airshow the other day is a better representation of America.  

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/7510...

Answer 5

Well Im British so Im genetically more enlightened than a Euro but the generally negative view that Euros have of Americans has more to do with the worldview of Republicans in general rather than with George Bush specifically. No question they have a good deal of hatred for GB but I think they hated Reagan more, by comparison. When a Republican is elected to the Presidency Euros tend to view all Americans with the same degree of disdain that is typically only reserved for “conservatives.” This intolerance of an opposing worldview is the reason they tend to have more respect and admiration for Democrats. Hence their anti-American invectives taper off when a Democrat is in power. But Republicans shouldn’t feel too bad, they feel the same way about all “conservatives” not just the American variety. In all fairness, American socialists are exactly the same.

You have to remember that most (and I do mean “most”) Euros are socialists so they take extreme exception to those who oppose the progressive or socialist worldview. “Conservatism” is viewed as an evil. And good people should never back down in the face of evil.

Socialism is like any other religion in that it can blind one to reality. It is a curious thing that they feel that terrorism is not really a threat. And in fact believe that it is mostly just propaganda by GB intended to keep people living in fear and justify US “imperialism.”That the people who have both articulated and demonstrated their hatred for and desire to destroy western civilization utterly are not really a threat. But a man (and those like him) who has a view of the world contrary their own is the greatest threat to the survival of humanity.

Answer 6

No!Most British tend to judge Americans how we find them!

Answer 7

Sophie:  people using the term 'bigot' are by using that term bigots themselves.

It suggests that they believe that there opinion is the only one that is correct.

Who decides that?

Answer 8

he does represent america, the uneducated, country bigotted, redneck shoot everything jesus belongs in government, thats only reason he got relected is because of those fools.

Answer 9

only the ignorant ones

ive met some ace american people.  one thing that sticks in the mind is their upbeat "can do" attitude.  us british should be more like that

as with all people, take them as you find them

Answer 10

Rational people, on both sides of the aisle, look at results, not talk, and make judgments based on those results.

By any yardstick, even this Republican, Bush is a disaster.  4,000+ dead in a war based on lies, a complete repudiation  of the main tenets of Republicanism, balanced budgets and reductions in national debt, loss of the first war in Afghanistan due to incompetence and a social policy that tries to take away all power from the people and give it to the government are just a few of his failures, from a Republican point of view.

The Europeans see the same things.  Our reputation has been hurt, not because of Democratic ranting, but because he turned his back on what it means to be a Republican and in doing so failed.  He had an opportunity and he blew it.  Everyone noticed.

Answer 11

I think the George Bush has a certain Charm about him but he is too bloody Rash to be the President of a great and powerful Nation. No i don't judge America based on George Bush,nor would I judge any other nation in this world based on their stupid Leaders. We have a couple of dafties too .

Answer 12

I say Sofie that's a little strong because somebodies opinion differs from yours it doesn't make them a bigot!

Or does that only apply to Americans who do not like any body else to dare to have an opinion?

Truth of the matter i have met good and bad Americans the same as any race.

Sofie.xxxxx

Answer 13

Nah they have been giving us c**p even before Bush took office. Especially the French. Brits I'm cool with they get annoying sometimes cuz but we find common ground not liking the French.

Answer 14

Um, a lot of people didn't like the US before Bush became President.

Answer 15

I have not seen George Bush do anything positive nor helpful for the current status and reputation of America.

Answer 16

s***w Europe.

Answer 17

Who cares what they think???? You wake up every morning, and care what people think of you???  Sad.

Answer 18

Who cares what Europeans think?

Worry about what is best for the US instead of wanting to win a world popularity contest.

Sophie: Well said! . B rob takes exception to your speaking the truth. Do we care if thre truth makes him unhappy?

Answer 19

Strange you say that, and don't even think about speaking for me, because I lived in the UK before Bush took office and they were already anti-American and spouting the same bigoted talking points.

::It was bigotry, B rob.  How in the world do you know anything about my experiences?  Sheesh.

Answer 20

unlike you, I am realistic enough to know that I do not speak for anyone but myself....as do the people I meet abroad...

...during the Clinton years I had several friends from Eastern Europe ask me why Americans were so content to watch MTV and play video games while the spectre of genocide returned to Europe..

...I had to defend my country against accusations of cowardice following our withdrawal from Somalia (again, these were Europeans.....not "neo-cons" or whatever you call them)...

....Most recently, I've dealt with the usual "Mad Cowboy" jokes in regards to Bush....but there are some pretty good jokes about Hillary and Obama as well....

...in short, people are people....I'm sure some told me that they have a lot of respect for the U.S. just to be nice to me while others were completely sincere....c'est normal.

Answer 21

If most of us are intelligent, then why did he get a majority of votes?