Recent Polls in Europe about Americans.
 

Just read a rather disturbing article in the Sun-Sentinal about Europe's attitude towards Americans. The article stated that more than half the people of France, Germany, and Spain, for the first time since being polled, have negative feelings towards Americans, not just the government. This could put a cabash on our some of our trips to Europe according to my DH. Anyone else have similar feelings?

I'm English and on the whole the French can't stand us. Doesn't stop millions of us going there every year though - or them accepting our money along the way.

To be blunt, don't be so ridiculous.

Just hang around the 1/2 that likes us and ignore those who don't.

I didn't feel any negative attitudes on my recent trip to Italy. ((b))

We were in MAdrid right after the Atocha bombings. The people could not have been nicer.

Judy, Tallulah was a little blunt (Tallulah, you DO seem to be in a bad mood today, Xmas festivities taking their toll - they sure are for me), BUT she does have a point.

It probably freaks you out because as an American, you're not used to the rivalries and animosities that we have historically had between nations in Europe. It's true, apparently, the French have hated us for 1000 years (at least), and we hate them, apparently, but we British constitute France's biggest population of tourists, and we survive unscathed. Also, the Scots, Irish and welsh hate us English, but it doesn't top us all living, working and holidaying quite happily in each other's countries.

I'm often rather sceptical of these kinds of surveys - the results are always skewed by how the questions are posed. For instance, if the survey asked " has the recent election result in the US damaged your opinion of Americans", then a lot of Europeans may say yes, but it doesn't mean they personally hate you. If the survey asked "are Americans bad people", the result would probably be very different.

"Negative feelings" is a very vague term, and it certainly doesn't mean Americans are universally and personally hated.

It would be very sad, and misplaced I feel, if you let this one article affect your holiday plans.

If your DH really feels that way then that's the way it is.

Are you hoping to change his mind if you find the majority of folks who respond to your post disagree?

Personally, this sort of information won't stop me from going to Europe both next February and next August.

Jeez, their polling techniques must be far superior to ours, to be able to poll <i>every</i> citizen of all those countries, to know that &quot;more than half the people&quot; had this opinion.
I sure got lucky in France this past October, must have walked on the 'safe' side of the street. Oh, that's right that was <i>before</i> the election. But we've been there 10 times, maybe we met the <i>other</i> half when Clinton was in office. It's so confusing.

I'd much rather take my trip and see what 'treatment' I get for myself, than to decide according to some newspaper article (especially since their editorial board supported Kerry).
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/sfl-editkgkerryoct17.story

I have found where Europeans use to not care about US citizens position's on the world, they certainly kept it to themselves 98% of the time that they did not like a lot of the US government positions. The feeling has changed as when you are talking to them now, they either try to feel you out on if you support certain government initiatives or try to get a feel from your actions/thoughts on what is happening in the US and certain changes. I have never had a problem in France (in fact, the two biggest jerks I have seen in France were both Americans in 2 seperate incidents). After 9-11, I did have a somewhat scary moment in Poland in a bar as there were 2 guys who made me feel very uncomfortable talking about Osama and our president. Of course, one of them was a member of the Yugoslavian army and I had been talking to his girlfriend in English for 2 hours, (and we really did hit it off) which he did not understand or appreciate.......

Kate, yes you're right and you did elaborate on my point in a somewhat more pleasant way than I managed!

(Tuesday hangovers are never a good thing. And have another party tonight so watch out for my posts tomorrow!!)

Does absolutely everyone in your city like your husband? He must really be a likeable guy. Imagine, no one in the entire town thinks he's not the most wonderful, amazing person possible. Even those whom he hasn't met.

Statistically speaking, 50% of any population will feel less favorable about anything, and 50% will feel more favorable. And any one of those people has an average feeling about any specific thing, and 50% of the time they will more favorable than average about it, and 50% of the time they'll feel less average about it.

For anyone interested in reading the article Judyrem is taking about

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/nat...,7425613.story

Here's another article which lists (some of) the questions posed to US citizens by The Associated Press-Ipsos pollsters:

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/articl...132EST0404.DTL

I'd be interested in seeing the entire poll contents and its results by country without the inevitable political bickering.

I hear you all...very clearly. And Kate as usual. is spot on ;-). It is not me...I could give a petunski, but the falling dollar(of course the falling dollar affects almost ALL of Europe ;-)) and &quot;some&quot; negative feelings have made him a tad reluctant to go to those countries. He loves the UK and Italy and wants to do Eastern Europe, Netherlands Switzerland, Austria. What can I say, he was red and I was blue and never the twain shall meet :-(. But I want to go to France...big time!

Bonjour Judyrem,

If their definition of &quot;negative feelings&quot; is &quot;what in the world did American voters think when they voted for Bush again?&quot;, they are right, this is what more than 50% of Europeans are asking themselves. *

However, it looks like they won't welcome American tourists, even those who didn't vote according to their preference, with pitchforks and torches, and you and your husband can rest assured you still have a fair chance of having a good time here and even return alive ;-)


* From what I've read and heard,it also seems to be what about 1/2 of the American voters think of the other half ;-)

Thanks obxgirl for bringing up that story :-).

Judyrem, from the last two elections it's become obvious that the country is divided just about 50-50 in very strong ways. So if we all are feeling so alienated from each other then it's not surprising that others will be picking sides as well. And when you throw in a global war, there's another bit of something to divide us from each other and from other countries.

As for feelings one way or the other of being accepted and welcomed in Europe, I guess it would depend on how you feel about the current administration and its policies, which seems to be what we're being criticized for, according to the article. I, for one, would feel very much among friends, it sounds like.

I don't know about anyone else, but I have grown so BORED with this kind of thread, week in and week out.

Sorry Judy, didn't mean to be so blunt...

It is unfortunate that the recent political &quot;hype&quot; perpetrated by the fear mongers (&quot;those Europeans really hate us, particular the French) has apparently affected your DH.

Well, tell him you'll be glad to go on your own (and mean it for a change) and I somehow suspect his political &quot;misgivings&quot; will suddenly evaporate. Let hims stay home and cowerina corner if he wants to..his loss, not yours. Go, Girl!!!

Even if some Europeans dislike America's political actions, any European with half a brain can figure out that most tourists, travellers, and expats are the ones with a broader view of the world. Thus, they have a better chance of getting along with those of us who actually DO venture over there, than with some dude who only watches pictures of the rest of the world on his TV. A well-rounded, intelligent human being approaches something foreign with an open mind. It is natural to feel a bit apprehensive,at first, but taking the risk to get to know someone/something different is how a society progresses &amp; grows.

This negative view of Americans must be interpreted with the proper perspective. Europeans are some of the most nationalistic and conformist creatures on the planet and are generally intolerant of anyone that is different. The French, in particular, don't like anyone - the English, the Germans, not even the obscure and irrelevant Belgians. A mild contempt for foreigners is required by French law. The French don't even like one another that much, but this is not legally mandated.

smueller: :-)

Well I've now read the article, and it seems the Brits still love you, so come to London instead! ;-)

For anyone interested in reading a portion of the actual poll questions with the reponses reported by country:

http://www.ipsos-na.com/news/pressrelease.cfm?id=2498

Click on &quot;Topline Results&quot; for a pdf file with the data.

50% of the people I meet don't like me anyway, so I might as well enjoy myself traveling while annoying people.

ANN, LOL :-D! That's the ticket! Wish he would feel that way. He takes things sooooo seriously IMO.

Isn't it &quot;kibosh&quot;? :P

Let me ask you a question. It's no secret that more than half the population of the US hate the French and claim they are rude and obnoxious. So does that mean you will be rude to a French tourist if he comes here to visit? Do you think the average French tourist will meet with hatred and rude behavior everywhere he visits in the US? I don't think so. So why should it be any different for a US citizen visiting France?

Michelle, I always wondered about the spelling;-). And Patrick you are preaching to the choir with me...it is a stubborn middle aged man I have to convince. He just needs to mellow out...he WILL go if I have to do some underhanded blackmailing.

I was in France in April and didn't experience anti-American attitudes or even generally rude attitudes, although the fact that I could speak some French may have helped. I think reasonable people will judge individuals on their own merits, and as long as you are polite (and I'm sure you are), you should be OK. We've all heard horror stories about some nameless person(s) being harassed, but some of these stories may have become larger with each telling. Besides, we have our own rude people here who may not like Northerners, black people, men with long hair, people with big noses, whatever.

Tallulah is right, I go to France every year - only when I say 'Je suis irlandaise' do they lighten up. Rome is different - local traders happy to speak english (maybe because half the tourists are American). Prague is best, locals smile at you when you mutter your Hello or Thank You - imagine a guide book telling you (truthfully)that there are no unsafe areas in a city even for us dumb tourists. Glad no mention of Ireland in the poll - we still love the U.S. even if no Democrat in White House and do'nt hate our nearest neighbour.

We've always been treated very well in France and Germany. The only place where we've consistently encountered generic anti-American attitudes has been the UK. However, they often treat each other like crap, too, so it's not all that notable.

You know, I read that in the Herald Trib this morning and personally dismissed it as Bullsh**. If you are nice, tactful, smiling and I might add a good traveler there is no way people will have animosity towards you. In Portugal during the days of Communism I was with a couple of locals who advised me to be careful. Typically I wasn't...just was myself. All...of us had a good time and wound up around their Sardine boat roasting Sardines, drinking wine, breaking bread and singing Deep in the Heart of Texas!

Portugal was COMMUNIST? When was that? Did I blink and miss it?

I've been to France twice a year for several years now, (the latest trip in October), and have never experienced rudeness - actually people have gone out their way to be helpful. I will certainly keep going back. And I'm a Republican!! I like the scenery, food, history, museums, wine - and could really care less whether they &quot;like&quot; Americans or not. I suppose if I found people being overtly rude to me I might stop going - but as I said, I have found exactly the opposite.

Do Good:

In the mid-1970s, anyone involved in running multinational businesses knew that Portugal had gone, by our standards, quite insane. The passing of the years and too much vinho verde have erased the details (did they actually try to leave NATO?).

But within a few months of Salazar's death, the country was practically a subsidiary of the dinglebats in Moscow. That's why their accession to the EU was accelerated.

My understanding is that, for many Portuguese who'll never see 50 again, those years have the frisson that les evenements have for the French or Haight Ashbury has for Americans.

Well, as I make this comment I will duck as sure someone will blast me, but sometimes reading post here I think that some US travelers are more negative about fellow US travelers than any European I have encountered.

Now note: I said some US travelers. Certainly not all. And certainly not the majority. But some US travelers seem to come across so beligerent about their fellow travelers it makes me feel bad. And for sure a few travelers deserve it. But if we don't all like each other why do we expect Europeans to be a 100% percent thrilled with us.

Watching the dinner news here in Canada a couple of nights ago I got a good laugh at an entrepreneur somewhere in the States selling &quot;kits&quot; to help Americans travel in disguise as pretend Canadians. I think it was a tee shirt and a couple of Canadian flags, plus a little booklet on how to talk like a Canadian. The report suggested they were selling like hotcakes.

Like many Canadians I feel sympathy for the almost 50 % of American voters who voted against Bush, but like a large number of Europeans I'm absolutely appalled at the re-election of George W. Bush. ( a pre-election survey here in Canada suggested 75 % favoured Kerry over Bush ) I have long opposed many US government foreign policies but always separated the government from the people. Now though, the world knows that more than half of the American public voted for a continuation of your governments foreign policy which continues to kill thousands of innocents in Iraq not to mention already more than a thousand of your finest young people.

I for one will travel to Europe or almost anywhere else in the world but like many Canadians I know, I won't travel to the US until your government changes its' ways.

Gosh galiano, we will sure miss you I am sure.

Galiano, have you considered just going to visit the &quot;blue&quot; states? On the west coast, that gives you Washington, Oregon and California, and on the East Coast, you've got New England...and a few others scattered around the rest of the U.S.

When we were leaving the Former Soviet Union in 1989 my mother-in-law said SERIOSLY: why are you going to America, they want to start a war with us. After this statement no public opinion can come as a surprise :)