Thread: World turning its back on Brand America

World turning its back on Brand America
By Kevin Allison in New York
Published: August 1 2005 03:00 | Last updated: August 1 2005 03:00

The US is increasingly viewed as a "culture-free zone" inhabited by arrogant and unfriendly people, according to study of 25 countries' brand reputations.

The findings, published online today, will add to concerns that anti-Americanism is hurting companies whose products are considered to be distinctly "American".

The Anholt-GMI Nation Brands Index found that although US foreign policy remained a key driver of hostility, dissatisfaction with the world's sole superpower might run deeper.

"The US is still recognised as a leading place to do business, the home of desirable brands and popular culture," said Simon Anholt, author of the survey. "But its governance, its cultural heritage and its people are no longer widely respected or admired by the world."

Keith Reinhard, president of Business for Diplomatic Action, a group of business leaders dedicated to improving the US's image overseas, said help from the private sector was needed to repair Brand America.

"Right now the US government is not a credible messenger," said Mr Reinhard, chairman of DDB Worldwide, the advertising group. "We must work to build bridges of understanding and co-operation and respect through business-to-business activities."

Such initiatives could include lobbying for less stringent visa requirements for foreign students entering the US, increased cultural exchanges between US businesses and their foreign counterparts, and courses in diplomacy and foreign languages at business schools.

The US ranked 11th in the Brands Index, which asks people around the world to rate 25 countries according to their cultural, political and investment potential and other criteria. Australia received the highest overall score, with respondents expressing "an almost universal admiration of its people, landscapes and living and working environment", according to the report.

Although the US received high marks for its popular culture, it ranked last in cultural heritage, a measure of a country's "wisdom, intelligence, and integrity", according to Mr Anholt.

That the world takes a dim view of the US people will surprise most Americans themselves: the study's American respondents consistently placed the US at the top of all six categories polled.

http://news.ft.com/cms/s/77868922-0228- ... 511c8.html

The US is increasingly viewed as a "culture-free zone" inhabited by arrogant and unfriendly people, according to study of 25 countries' brand reputations.

The findings, published online today, will add to concerns that anti-Americanism is hurting companies whose products are considered to be distinctly "American".

The Anholt-GMI Nation Brands Index found that although US foreign policy remained a key driver of hostility, dissatisfaction with the world's sole superpower might run deeper.

"The US is still recognised as a leading place to do business, the home of desirable brands and popular culture," said Simon Anholt, author of the survey. "But its governance, its cultural heritage and its people are no longer widely respected or admired by the world."

Governance = compliance with law. How can any nation respect the US knowing our Globalists are violating the very laws that maintain a nation, its cultural heritage and its people? These other nation's are not foolish, they read...and read....and read....and know that GMO products are contaminating the world, that Americans have foolishly allowed this by not knowing what our government was up to, that we've pushed CAFTA knowing full well the harm it will cause to the other nations and our own; that we have lost control of our government; that we have a Maniac in the White House and Fools Folly in the Cabinet and do nothing; that we opened oil drilling in a pristine area of Alaska; that we drive these silly SUVS to run up and down the road to the soccer game and grocery store; and that the so-called richest nation in the world has the greatest debt, the highest trade deficit; the highest personal credit and lowest personal savings in its history and WON'T EVEN SIGN THE KYOTO PROTOCOL to help our environment and theirs from collapse.

How could the people of other nation's still admire and respect the American People? They have lost respect for us because WE, the AMERICANS have lost control of our government to our own detriment and the detriment of other nations.

Keith Reinhard, president of Business for Diplomatic Action, a group of business leaders dedicated to improving the US's image overseas, said help from the private sector was needed to repair Brand America.

Brand America = robbing Peter to pay Paul. Brand America = kill the environment for profits. Brand America = weak people who have lost control of their government. Brand America = "made in China".

Who could respect and admire THAT? It makes me sick, so why wouldn't it make any other person sick?

Business leaders can't improve the US image overseas until they clean up their act at home, get their stinky behinds out of our government, focus their attention on their products and customers, show loyalty to their nation and its people, stand up for the labor that enriches it, stand up for the environment without which we will all perish, stand up and be Real Men and Women of the United States.

"Right now the US government is not a credible messenger," said Mr Reinhard, chairman of DDB Worldwide, the advertising group. "We must work to build bridges of understanding and co-operation and respect through business-to-business activities."

Well....hallelujah...you can purchase all the "advertising" you want but trust me, it only works with Americans. Europeans and Asians read and read and read. They know more about the United States than 90% of America's citizenry. Cute ads won't cut it; DuPont tried that with the seals...these groups on on your butts and they won't let up until everyone cleans up their act and starts behaving like Real Men and Women of the United States.

Such initiatives could include lobbying for less stringent visa requirements for foreign students entering the US, increased cultural exchanges between US businesses and their foreign counterparts, and courses in diplomacy and foreign languages at business schools.

See....this is why America is going down the tubes. IDIOTS. The world has just told you what is wrong...but you want to have "cultural exchanges" when they've just told you, you have no culture? You want courses in "diplomacy and foreign languages" to say what? "We're destroying Alaska" in 20 languages instead of 1?


America has losts its culture. We have no culture any more. We are a bunch of phoney hicks with 20% of the population speaking Spanish in 30 dialects. We have Chinese slave labor in New York, Los Angeles and Chicago pumping out "garments". We've got more Meth Labs than any other nation on the planet. Most of our executives snort cocaine between "business exhanges". We have an obesity problem due to outrageous dietary habits that is causing old age diseases in our children. We can't control our borders letting gangs, drugs, and smugglers into the country to take over our neighborhoods, kill and terrorize our children, snuff their parents jobs and incomes and our Government says it WANTS MORE!! Culture? What kinda of "culture" is THAT!! Certainly not one that foreign buyers would admire or respect.

Although the US received high marks for its popular culture, it ranked last in cultural heritage, a measure of a country's "wisdom, intelligence, and integrity", according to Mr Anholt.

Wisdom? Right. There is no American Wisdom. What have we done to show that we are a Wise People? We are self-destructing by every economic indicator on the books. We've done NOTHING to stop Global Warming. We've done NOTHING to enforce our Immigration or Labor Laws or to correct trade deficits or the enormous credit problem and we forced our way into Iraq on a lie and our people are being killed in scores by the day as a result.

Intelligence? Right. There is no American Intelligence. Intelligent people do not allow their jobs to be snuffed out from under them by a bunch of Traitors in Washington. Intelligent people do not live on credit. Intelligent people do not stuff their kids full of sugar and cheetos until they are all diabetic with osteoporosis by the time they're 13 with arteries full of cholesterol. Intelligent people don't allow lab seeds to infest natural crops here or abroad. Intelligent people don't open up precious wildlife reserves, irreplacable lands of beauty, to "explore" for oil to fill SUV's running up and down the road at 90 miles an hour. Intelligent people living on credit that could lose their job at any moment don't buy homes with 38 windows, no shade trees, no curtains, and 25 foot cathedral ceilings. Intelligent people don't let schools spend half their day on "crafts" when the students can't read or multiply or divide. Intelligent people don't feed their cattle and milk cows "chicken shit" for "protein".

Integrity. Right. There is no integrity in the White House and the world knows this administration has sold us out on the biggest covey of lies on every topic of government imaginable. Congress has just sold us out, telling constituents they are voting NO and turn right about and vote YES 15 minutes later or tell their constituents they are going to vote NO and then just forget or their "card" mysteriously doesn't work or they were "late" waiting for a ONE ON ONE with the BIGGEST LIAR ON THE FACE OF THE PLANET. The US Supreme Court has no integrity when it votes 5 to 4 to sell out our citizens and their PROPERTY RIGHTS to feed the pockets of GLOBALISTS!! Enron, WorldCom, Tyco, CitiGroup....all thieves, liars, pondscum, pig slop!! Integrity? This is laughable. I'm sure the respondents had a really fun time filling out the questionaire. What a Hoot.

That the world takes a dim view of the US people will surprise most Americans themselves: the study's American respondents consistently placed the US at the top of all six categories polled.

The world takes a dim view of the US people for one reason...the policies of the the United States Government that are dragging the American People into a third world sewer existence and the entire world knows it. BUT, "most Americans place the US at the top of all six categories polled". Why? Because WE love our country, because WE think we still are who we once were. Because man to man, woman to woman, child to child...WE are a hard-working, honest, decent, caring people the same as we have always been and support our companies and their work forces and each other. THIS is admirable. THIS is worthy of respect. It's time to CLEAN THE SCUM OFF OUR POND so the WORLD can see, WE are still the AMERICANS.

AND, it's no wonder Brand America sucks. How much of "Brand America" is made in America by Americans? When Brand America meant Made in America by AMERICANS....that's when we were TOP OF THE LIST and deserved the spot. Now Brand America is just a name, without meaning, without quality, without ingenuity, without the most important thing the Brand needs to be a winner....AMERICANS!! Take your sleazy Brand America and relocate it to China and glue your butts to it...GET OUT, so WE can start over and do it right the AMERICAN WAY.

A bunch of phoney ad campaigns, telling a bunch of lies in 20 languages, dumbing down our colleges and universities more than you already have by increasing foreign student enrollment is the ABSOLUTE COMPLETE OPPOSITE of what American businesses need to do to improve their Brand identity.

The US ranked 11th in the Brands Index, which asks people around the world to rate 25 countries according to their cultural, political and investment potential and other criteria. Australia received the highest overall score, with respondents expressing "an almost universal admiration of its people, landscapes and living and working environment", according to the report.

Of course Australia would rank high. They have maintained their culture, they have maintained their native people, they have maintained their population, their evironment, their economy, and standards. I respect Australia; I admire the Australian people; and I salute their ability to control their government and corporations and through that maintain control of their living and working environment. WHO WOULD NOT RESPECT AND ADMIRE SUCH A PEOPLE?

Did you know, and this fact is taught in our public schools, a fact I learned from helping my niece with her homework, that the AMERICAN PEOPLE work harder and more hours than any of our civilized counterparts? Right. On average, Americans have 6 days of vacation compared to weeks in the other countries, some of which have months of vacation time...paid for by their employers. I was shocked and embarrassed to learn this. WE are schmucks!! Who in a civilized country would admire the AMERICANS working harder than they are and living on fast food raised on toxic arsenic and copper laced chicken litter, because no one has the time to shop, cook, feed or nurture their family or children or even take the time to learn what the food industry, government and every other Institution they ever believed in is doing to them?

AMERICA...the home of the FREE PRESS...for what purpose today? The dissemination of lies, spins, the Opinions of the Idiots, Views From the Morons, and Facades for the Traitors.

Who could respect Brand America after what we've allowed these Phoney Elites to do to our companies, our country, and our lives?

The US is increasingly viewed as a [quote:1nfy4idf]"culture-free zone" inhabited by arrogant and unfriendly people

, according to study of 25 countries' brand reputations.[/quote:1nfy4idf]

"culture free zone" = melting pot.

"arrogant and unfriendly people" = globalists sales people and executives

The findings, published online today, will add to concerns that anti-Americanism is hurting companies whose products are considered to be distinctly "American".

What American companies would be considered anything other than "distinctly American"? The PROBLEM is that their products are NOT DISTINCTLY American. The PROBLEM is that no one knows who they are, what they are, or what they are "up to". The PROBLEM is that ALL anyone knows for sure is that they are based in America; are "up to" no good when they expand into other countries; and are cold-hearted self-centered PIGS ELITE with no culture, no manners, no depth, no conviction, no loyalty, no character, no integrity, no heart, no soul, and will do anything for money.

"The US is still recognised as a leading place to do business, the home of desirable brands and popular culture," said Simon Anholt, author of the survey. "But its governance, its cultural heritage and its people are no longer widely respected or admired by the world."

Governance = compliance with law. How can any nation respect the US knowing our Globalists are violating the very laws that maintain a nation, its cultural heritage and its people? These other nation's are not foolish, they read...and read....and read....and know that GMO products are contaminating the world, that Americans have foolishly allowed this by not knowing what our government was up to, that we've pushed CAFTA knowing full well the harm it will cause to the other nations and our own; that we have lost control of our government; that we have a Maniac in the White House and Fools Folly in the Cabinet and do nothing; that we opened oil drilling in a pristine area of Alaska; that we drive these silly SUVS to run up and down the road to the soccer game and grocery store; and that the so-called richest nation in the world has the greatest debt, the highest trade deficit; the highest personal credit and lowest personal savings in its history and WON'T EVEN SIGN THE KYOTO PROTOCOL to help our environment and theirs from collapse.

How could the people of other nation's still admire and respect the American People? They have lost respect for us because WE, the AMERICANS have lost control of our government to our own detriment and the detriment of other nations.

Keith Reinhard, president of Business for Diplomatic Action, a group of business leaders dedicated to improving the US's image overseas, said help from the private sector was needed to repair Brand America.

Brand America = robbing Peter to pay Paul. Brand America = kill the environment for profits. Brand America = weak people who have lost control of their government. Brand America = "made in China".

Who could respect and admire THAT? It makes me sick, so why wouldn't it make any other person sick?

Business leaders can't improve the US image overseas until they clean up their act at home, get their stinky behinds out of our government, focus their attention on their products and customers, show loyalty to their nation and its people, stand up for the labor that enriches it, stand up for the environment without which we will all perish, stand up and be Real Men and Women of the United States.

"Right now the US government is not a credible messenger," said Mr Reinhard, chairman of DDB Worldwide, the advertising group. "We must work to build bridges of understanding and co-operation and respect through business-to-business activities."

Well....hallelujah...you can purchase all the "advertising" you want but trust me, it only works with Americans. Europeans and Asians read and read and read. They know more about the United States than 90% of America's citizenry. Cute ads won't cut it; DuPont tried that with the seals...these groups are on your butts and they won't let up until everyone cleans up their act and starts behaving like Real Men and Women of the United States.

Such initiatives could include lobbying for less stringent visa requirements for foreign students entering the US, increased cultural exchanges between US businesses and their foreign counterparts, and courses in diplomacy and foreign languages at business schools.

See....this is why America is going down the tubes. IDIOTS. The world has just told you what is wrong...but you want to have "cultural exchanges" when they've just told you, you have no culture? You want courses in "diplomacy and foreign languages" to say what? "We're destroying Alaska" in 20 languages instead of 1?

America has lost its culture. We have no culture any more. We are a bunch of phoney hicks with 20% of the population speaking Spanish in 30 dialects. We have Chinese slave labor in New York, Los Angeles and Chicago pumping out "garments". We've got more Meth Labs than any other nation on the planet. Most of our executives snort cocaine between "business exhanges". We have an obesity problem due to outrageous dietary habits that is causing old age diseases in our children. We can't control our borders letting gangs, drugs, and smugglers into the country to take over our neighborhoods, kill and terrorize our children, snuff their parents jobs and incomes and our Government says it WANTS MORE!! Culture? What kind of "culture" is THAT!! Certainly not one that foreign buyers would admire or respect.

Although the US received high marks for its popular culture, it ranked last in cultural heritage, a measure of a country's "wisdom, intelligence, and integrity", according to Mr Anholt.

Wisdom? Right. There is no American Wisdom. What have we done to show that we are a Wise People? We are self-destructing by every economic indicator on the books. We've done NOTHING to stop Global Warming. We've done NOTHING to enforce our Immigration or Labor Laws or to correct trade deficits or the enormous credit problem and we forced our way into Iraq on a lie and our people are being killed in scores by the day as a result.

Intelligence? Right. There is no American Intelligence. Intelligent people do not allow their jobs to be snuffed out from under them by a bunch of Traitors in Washington. Intelligent people do not live on credit. Intelligent people do not stuff their kids full of sugar and cheetos until they are all diabetic with osteoporosis by the time they're 13 with arteries full of cholesterol. Intelligent people don't allow lab seeds to infest natural crops here or abroad. Intelligent people don't open up precious wildlife reserves, irreplacable lands of beauty, to "explore" for oil to fill SUV's running up and down the road at 90 miles an hour. Intelligent people living on credit that could lose their job at any moment don't buy homes with 38 windows, no shade trees, no curtains, and 25 foot cathedral ceilings. Intelligent people don't let schools spend half their day on "crafts" when the students can't read or multiply or divide. Intelligent people don't feed their cattle and milk cows "chicken shit" for "protein".

Integrity. Right. There is no integrity in the White House and the world knows this administration has sold us out on the biggest covey of lies on every topic of government imaginable. Congress has just sold us out, telling constituents they are voting NO and turn right about and vote YES 15 minutes later or tell their constituents they are going to vote NO and then just forget or their "card" mysteriously doesn't work or they were "late" waiting for a ONE ON ONE with the BIGGEST LIAR ON THE FACE OF THE PLANET. The US Supreme Court has no integrity when it votes 5 to 4 to sell out our citizens and their PROPERTY RIGHTS to feed the pockets of GLOBALISTS!! Enron, WorldCom, Tyco, CitiGroup....all thieves, liars, pondscum, pig slop!! Integrity? This is laughable. I'm sure the respondents had a really fun time filling out the questionaire. What a Hoot.

That the world takes a dim view of the US people will surprise most Americans themselves: the study's American respondents consistently placed the US at the top of all six categories polled.

The world takes a dim view of the US people for one reason...the policies of the the United States Government that are dragging the American People into a third world sewer existence and the entire world knows it. BUT, "most Americans place the US at the top of all six categories polled". Why? Because WE love our country, because WE think we still are who we once were. Because man to man, woman to woman, child to child...WE are a hard-working, honest, decent, caring people the same as we have always been and support our companies and their work forces and each other. THIS is admirable. THIS is worthy of respect. It's time to CLEAN THE SCUM OFF OUR POND so the WORLD can see, WE are still the AMERICANS.

AND, it's no wonder Brand America sucks. How much of "Brand America" is made in America by Americans? When Brand America meant Made in America by AMERICANS....that's when we were TOP OF THE LIST and deserved the spot. Now Brand America is just a name, without meaning, without quality, without ingenuity, without the most important thing the Brand needs to be a winner....AMERICANS!! Take your sleazy Brand America and relocate it to China and glue your butts to it...GET OUT, so WE can start over and do it right the AMERICAN WAY.

A bunch of phoney ad campaigns, telling a bunch of lies in 20 languages, dumbing down our colleges and universities more than you already have by increasing foreign student enrollment is the ABSOLUTE COMPLETE OPPOSITE of what American businesses need to do to improve their Brand identity.

The US ranked 11th in the Brands Index, which asks people around the world to rate 25 countries according to their cultural, political and investment potential and other criteria. Australia received the highest overall score, with respondents expressing "an almost universal admiration of its people, landscapes and living and working environment", according to the report.

Of course Australia would rank high. They have maintained their culture, they have maintained their native people, they have maintained their population, their evironment, their economy, and standards. I respect Australia; I admire the Australian people; and I salute their ability to control their government and corporations and through that maintain control of their living and working environment. WHO WOULD NOT RESPECT AND ADMIRE SUCH A PEOPLE?

Did you know, and this fact is taught in our public schools, a fact I learned from helping my niece with her homework, that the AMERICAN PEOPLE work harder and more hours than any of our civilized counterparts? Right. On average, Americans have 6 days of vacation compared to weeks in the other countries, some of which have months of vacation time...paid for by their employers. I was shocked and embarrassed to learn this. WE are schmucks!! Who in a civilized country would admire the AMERICANS working harder than they are and living on fast food raised on toxic arsenic and copper laced chicken litter, because no one has the time to shop, cook, feed or nurture their family or children or even take the time to learn what the food industry, government and every other Institution they ever believed in is doing to them?

AMERICA...the home of the FREE PRESS...for what purpose today? The dissemination of lies, spins, the Opinions of the Idiots, Views From the Morons, and Facades for the Traitors.

Who could respect Brand America after what we've allowed these Phoney Elites to do to our companies, our country, our environment, and our lives?

THEY ARE OVER THE TOP; OFF THE MAP; IN A WORLD ONLY THEY UNDERSTAND AND THAT WILL NOT FLY HERE OR ABROAD.

They are over-rated, over-paid, and have tried to buy their profits by cheating the American People through a US Government that doesn't have enough sense or integrity or wisdom to come in out of the RainStorm it alone caused.

WAKE UP AMERICA - DON'T SPEND, SAVE!!

See? WITHOUT US, they are........nothing.

Judy,

I am 100 percent behind our Reps. for not signing the KYOTO PROTOCOL.

It would do nothing but shut down more of our factories and be a huge job loss for the American people.

If our factories have these stringent environmental restrictions on them they will shut down and move to a third world country that is free from these restrictions.

Mexico, China, India are just some of the countries that can still keep their polluting factories running under Kyoto.

Doesn't their pollution go up into the same atmosphere as ours. There was nothing in this accord that would benefit the American people.

It was basically a "catch up" for the third world nations. There were a few more things that were in the Kyoto Protocol that penalized the USA and worked against us but I can't remember them now.

It lost by a vote of 99 to 1. It was the first time our Reps. did something right.

Personally I don't give a rats behind what the rest of the World think of us, or Kevin Allison's BS article about what we should do to make them like us. Phooey!

As for the rest of your post I agree with you. We have lost control of our Government.

Darlene, I agree with the reason why we didn't sign the protocol, but as a nation it would not take much to have helped our companies comply. We should use the money $$$$ that we are wasting on illegal aliens to help our companies reduce air emissions and install the scrubbers, then we could prohibit entry into the United States of any PRODUCT made in a country that did not comply as well.

That way we:

1) clean up our own air without major cost to our companies,

2) set the world standard on controlling air polluton,

3) use the Kyoto Protocol to CLOSE THE DOOR to products from third world countries and China,

4) saved our manufacturing companies from running out to find cheap labor and lighter environmental regulations in other countries

5) required our companies to expand in the United States in order to serve the American Market.

Judy,
Your 3752nd post was another good one. I'm glad we have the Energizer Bunny on our side. Boom, Boom, Boom, Boom.

Originally Posted by Judy

The world takes a dim view of the US people for one reason...the policies of the the United States Government that are dragging the American People into a third world sewer existence and the entire world knows it. BUT, "most Americans place the US at the top of all six categories polled". Why? Because WE love our country, because WE think we still are who we once were. Because man to man, woman to woman, child to child...WE are a hard-working, honest, decent, caring people the same as we have always been and support our companies and their work forces and each other. THIS is admirable. THIS is worthy of respect. It's time to CLEAN THE SCUM OFF OUR POND so the WORLD can see, WE are still the AMERICANS.

http://www.karlschwarz.com/plan2005.html

I love this nation, but I have nothing but contempt for the government and the wealthy elite that think they own us all. I know from firsthand experience here and abroad that the ugly face of America is not us, it is them.

Originally Posted by Judy

Did you know, and this fact is taught in our public schools, a fact I learned from helping my niece with her homework, that the AMERICAN PEOPLE work harder and more hours than any of our civilized counterparts? Right. On average, Americans have 6 days of vacation compared to weeks in the other countries, some of which have months of vacation time...paid for by their employers. I was shocked and embarrassed to learn this. WE are schmucks!! Who in a civilized country would admire the AMERICANS working harder than they are and living on fast food raised on toxic arsenic and copper laced chicken litter, because no one has the time to shop, cook, feed or nurture their family or children or even take the time to learn what the food industry, government and every other Institution they ever believed in is doing to them?

Work Hours
The daily hours spent in paid and unpaid work (e.g. job, household, community service)
Calculated by averaging the following two tables :
http://www.nationmaster.com/graph-T/lab_tot_wor_tim_fem
http://www.nationmaster.com/graph-T/lab_tot_wor_tim_mal
United States ..... 7.3
Germany ........... 7.3
Australia ............ 7.1
Canada ............. 7.1
United Kingdom .. 6.9
Italy .................. 6.9
Japan ................ 6.3
France ............... 6.3
Netherlands ........ 5.2

Also, I read somewhere that we're 2nd in hours spent in Community Service.

This site has a nice table comparing vacation days of various countries.
http://www.worktolive.info/poen_worl.cfm
Here are the averages :
Australia.. 25
Austria.... 30
Belgium...24
Brazil......24-30
Canada .... doesn't list the average
China ..... 15
Denmark...30
Finland.....25
France......five to six wks
Germany .... 30
Greece ..... 23
Ireland ... 28
Italy ....... 30
Japan ..... 17.5
Netherlands ... 25
Norway .... 30
Portugal ... 25
Spain ..... 30
Sweden .... five to seven wks
Switzerland ....five to six wks
United Kingdom ... 25
U.S. ........... 10.2

Also, Americans score highly on average years of education :
Average years of formal education of people over the age of 15
www.nationmaster.com/graph-T/edu_ave_yea_of_sch_of_adu
United States ... 12.0
Canada ............ 11.6
Australia .......... 10.9
Germany ......... 10.2
Japan ............... 9.5
Netherlands ....... 9.4
United Kingdom ... 9.4
France ................ 7.9
Spain ................. 7.3
Italy .................. 7.2

On the other hand, it may be true that our education is more job-focussed than other countries. So, we may be a little lacking in history and some other subjects. But the point is that we are an educated, hard-working people. We deserve better from our government and corporate leaders.

Also, you often hear that our kids are not doing well in school. Yet, I've read that kids in Iowa score well on international exams, because they don't have the underclass of non-English speaking, illegal immigrants that various Southern states have.

http://www.reclaimdemocracy.org/article ... _week.html

...the U.S. has the highest child-poverty rate in the industrialized world. 'Our low-income mothers work twice as hard as those in any other industrial country -- but their kids are the worst off'

The ugly face of America is them (the elites), not us.

Lost_Mummy!! I can not THANK YOU ENOUGH for providing this outstanding documentation!! The vacation days for US of 10.2 is higher than what was in my nieces information from school but this was a few years ago.

SO...AMERICANS....we are the:

1) better educated

2) work more hours

3) have less vacation

than all these many countries and nations judging us.

Perhaps they will see these facts Lost_Mummy has posted and remember that WE are the AMERICANS who saved them TWICE in the 20th century and without a doubt will the the ones to same them in the 21st century as well.

WE are STILL the AMERICANS they long admired and respected. DO NOT JUDGE the American People by the actions or words of our Government or "think tanks" or "Globalists" or "Vincente Fox", or "Main Stream Media" or "talk heads", etc.

Thanks again Lost_Mummy!!