On Reddit today there was a post that made the front page with over 4000 comments entitled
Dear Americans, Do you know how much I envy you? (which is what I rephrased the title of this thread with)
I am from England, and yet I get all my news in the morning from Reddit; I walk to college everyday with the rough, Californian sounds of the 80's in my ears; I hear my friends bounce cross-Atlantic slang over the classes; I sit under your golden arches for lunch; I laugh incredulously along with you at that Pennsylvanian senator and last night, I had to choke back tears as I watched my electron beam taunt me with swooping scenes of those gargantuan lands within which I wish I could be.
Feel lucky to be part of America; it is not only your wealth that foreigners dream of.
So the reason why a lot of people hate us is because they actually envy us and are just expressing that jealousy in a negative way. It's refreshing when we see foreigners talk about how much and why they like our way of life.
It's considered winning the life lottery to be born an American. And it's true that no one nation has been as culturally influential as America in the history of humankind. But what do you think people envy the most about us?
Is it our entertainment? Our movies and music play on movie screens and radios across the world. Even our old tv shows are played on countless screens across the world. Music artists and actors know they've made it if they can break into our entertainment industry.
Our technology? The USA is home to almost all of the world's tech companies, including Apple, Microsoft, Google, Twitter, Facebook, etc.
Is it our food? Americans eat like kings. Some may say that we're "fat", but eating is a sign of wealth, and as the wealthiest people in the world, it's ok for us to partake in the best foods.
Our wealth?
Our democracy and capitalism? Anyone can put in the work and make it big. The land of opportunity.
Our diversity? America is so big that even as Americans people from one area can be so different than people from another. We have a diverse set of people, climates, landscapes, cultures, that it never gets boring. Many people dream of visiting California, someday.
Our lifestyle? Our country isn't held back by centuries of ingrained tradition and culture. It's constantly evolving. Yea, we have our hangups but we're a young country and work to change the bad things.
Here are some comments that I think summarize what it's like to be an American and why we're so envied:
I do, actually. I used to think anti-Americans were all just straight-up opposed to everything America, until I realized it was more complicated than that. I was sitting on a train (I think the Eurorail from London to Paris) next to a group of kids from some eastern European country (I forget if I figured out it was Bulgaria or just thought that was most likely).
The kid closest to me was wearing a faded, ratty New York Giants jacket (GO PATS!) and my first reaction was "oh, yeah, I bet you like trashing America, and you sit here wearing a jacket of a sport you probably barely even know." And then it hit me: he was wearing the jacket of a sport he barely even knew. Why on earth would anyone do that?
That's when I realized that, more likely, he didn't hate America. He probably loves America and desperately wants to be a part of it. And every time he sees America do shitty things, it probably hurts. Not from anger, but from disappointment. We have everything he wants. He loves us. Why do we treat the rest of the world -- and, by extension, him -- so badly?
Then I got to Paris and 2/3 of the songs on the radio were in English. I realized, in that case, they don't hate us because there's a culture war. They hate us because it's over.
Americans are still voted "coolest" by countries all over the world...So interesting considering it seems that most of the world seems to hate us.
I've been living in the United States for about 12 years now, I migrated here as a kid from South America and I can honestly tell you that this place is amazing. I went from living in a farm-like environment to living in an apartment in a nice quiet area, that apartment may be seen as a shitty thing by some, but to me its my haven. In this country I am able to buy whatever I want as long as I work hard to save for it, which in my opinion makes the reward even sweeter. Whenever I hear people complain about how "horrible" the US is I pity them because while there are some problems, they should not prevent you from overlooking at the amazing things this country has to offer.
America is sweet. I've spent a lot of time traveling the last couple years because I'm a college debater and we travel to tournaments around the country, and it let me get the fuck out of my small town (which I now appreciate and recognize for its beauty, but I digress). There is just so much to "America" that it's hard to grasp it. In the past five months, I've felt the rain in Seattle and seen a sunrise on the Cascades; I've spent a weekend in Austin, Texas (not nearly enough time to appreciate it); I've had Oklahoma barbecue, the genuine article; I've seen the shores of Lake Michigan and the (somewhat) bleak landscape of winter in Lansing, Michigan; I've seen snow on the Rockies in Salt Lake City; I've driven up Highway One from Santa Cruz, California to see the sun set on the Golden Gate from the top of Hoyt Tower in San Francisco, California; and so much more. I've met people from around the country with their different dialects and upbringings and weird little quirks that make someone from Wichita different from someone from Kansas City.
And what gets me is that there's so much I don't even have a clue about. I've spent almost no time on the east coast, whether it's New England, or the Atlantic corridor, or Dixie; and I've hardly been to the midwest. Then there's Alaska and Hawaii, which are worlds apart. It's just so amazing to me that people who live here can get so locked into one image of America that they inevitably miss most of it, whether it's geographical or cultural. We really are a land of fucking everything, which is probably the root of most of our problems. Might as well revel in it.
I'm a Food Network addict and I'm mostly just jealous of America's food trucks.
I went in to the store the other day to grab some beer before Memorial Day. As soon as I walked in, I was shocked. Why? Someone breaking the law? An awesome sale? A hot naked chick? No.
I was shocked because I saw a few empty rows in the grocery store. As little as they may be, it reminded me how damned lucky we are to live in this country. For millions (if not billions) in the world, they would be shocked to walk into a full super market, but we're shocked when something is out of stock.
I know people are going to make some fat-American jokes, but really think about how lucky we are. When we buy a car, we're pissed if they don't have the color we want. When we fill up, we're mad because it's too expensive per gallon. When we want to just get out of town, we get upset because the traffic is heavier than we wanted. And this is all in a post-recession/somewhat shaky economy.
Dammit, we're lucky to live in this county.
I'm french and I feel you bro (US style), I'm almost more aware of what happens in the US than what happens in France.
I love the American life style, the way they build their culture from scratch and not based on some old ass tradition, the prom, the college, the frat house, the food...
Damn, I know my country is great too, but I feel like i would only be able to completely be myself if I lived in the US.
To be honest, Britain, when I went to London I felt a little uncomfortable at all the coverage given to America. It was like having a stalker really. I mean, why in God's name is it necessary for you people to have extensive knowledge of a candidate for one political party's PRIMARY that has no chance at getting elected.
It's all of the above. We are so lucky to be Americans and should remind ourselves of this everyday as to not take what we have for granted, and be proud that millions of people all over the world wish they lived these lives.
-----
Please share any stories like the ones above and I'll share them here.
There are a lot of amazing things in the US.
I don't talk only about landscapes, urban architecture or beautiful housing. Most movies I watched as kids were American ones and they all tend to show that all great stuff happens in the US (alien invasion, secret military bases developing awesome weaponry, birth of great soldiers with tender hearts, etc.).
What's more, in real life, amazing cultural events are held there, people are lively, free to fuck with and marry whoever they want, they still have a genuine sense of humanity with the rest of mankind and have the ability to always dream further on.
The US will always be this glam country with amazing looking women, rags to riches stories, personal dramas and huge lovely houses for the common man.
I guess I'm kinda envious of;
. your countless natural wonders, breathtaking vistas, imposing backdrops, iconic skylines, and untamed corners of nature.
. your wild abandon in the pursuit of ever-more artery clogging fast food.
. your politicians, whose grandiose, inflammatory and unbelievable characters butt heads as they desperately vie for power upon the stage of the 24hr rolling news game-show.
. your romantic ideal of America, voiced in book and film and song, an America of open roads and rolling skies, of opportunity amid sparkling metropolises and picture-perfect suburbia.
. your film and television industry, for the sole reason that it has the means to produce the sort of high-budget entertainment that is largely unmatched by the rest of the world.
Oh man, the things I'd do for an American citizenship
