"Ugly Americans are everywhere, and in greater numbers than before..."

[yllus]

You know I love you guys, but this is too funny to not post about. Sorry if it's a repost.


Rude Americans Seen Proliferating

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Ugly Americans are everywhere, and in greater numbers than before -- so say Americans themselves.

A survey released on Wednesday by Public Agenda, a non-profit organization dedicated to unbiased public opinion research, said three out of five people believed rude and selfish behavior had increased on highways and in stores in recent years.

"Lack of manners for Americans is not whether you confuse the salad fork for the dinner fork," said Deborah Wadsworth, president of Public Agenda.

"It's about the daily assault of selfish, inconsiderate behavior that gets under their skin on the highways, in the office, on TV, in stores and the myriad other settings where they encounter fellow-Americans."

The survey -- "Aggravating Circumstances -- A Status Report on Rudeness in America" -- said 73 percent of those polled thought Americans treated each other with greater respect in the past, although 21 percent called that idea false nostalgia.

A solid majority felt Americans had become more thoughtful and caring after the Sept. 11 attacks, but far fewer thought the good feeling would persist. And just over half of respondents said they believed the money donated to Sept. 11 victims would be misused or misdirected.

Full story: http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=573&ncid=757&e=1&u=/nm/20020403/od_nm/attitude_dc_1

 

[Zebo]

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[QTPie]

That's really sad. I watched that news on CBS earlier.

 

[cipher00]

Probably because there are more Americans. Like rats in a cage, if you put in too many, sociopathic stuff starts happening. More elbow room is the answer. Montana, anyone?

 

[DigDug]

You people are surprised? Do you not see the value system being put out by MTV and sitcom-land?

 

[Amused]

<< You people are surprised? Do you not see the value system being put out by MTV and sitcom-land? >>



No doubt this contributes, but I also blame bad parenting. If I'm ever rude to someone I feel a HUGE guilt trip. This is something I know my parents instilled in me at a very young age. These days, parents are failing to do this.

Not only that, but we've lost any respect for others. A fallacy has been formed that all respect must be earned. WRONG. Everyone deserves at least a basic level respect until they prove otherwise.

Finally, the golden rule is an essential rule for a civil society to survive: Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.

Even our most basic laws are based on this. We don't want to be murdered, so we pass laws against it and don't go around killing people. We don't want our stuff stolen, so we pass laws against it and don't go around stealing other people's stuff.

Well, this NEEDS to extend to basic courtesy too.

 

[QTPie]

I think we should need more "Mr. Rogers" show than MTV, Chris Rock, and stuff like that. Nowadays, in TV shows, kids don't say "yes, sir", "yes, ma'am" to their fathers, mothers, teachers anymore. "yes, man/dude/bro, etc" is cool, hip? Older people let their children/students behave that way; and now they complain? Please give me a break!

 

[Spagina]

The only thing I can't stand that the survey touched on is the cursing in public. I used to let some profanity fly in public myself, but after listening to other people do it, I quickly zipped up. It makes you look rude and uneducated to everyone else around you, but so many people do it and I literally cringe whenever I hear it.

 

[XZeroII]

"You sure have alot of ugly people in your neighborhood...OH! Look at that one...!" - Grandpa(Abe) Simpson