Why is the United States blamed for the troubles of the world?

Well, we have so much power, I guess everyone thinks we should go in and fix everything. If we don’t, then the troubles are our fault.

It depends on the specifics. To say the US is “at fault” for “all” the world’s ills is short-sighted and reactionary at best and completely insane at worst.

However, has the US played a big hand in many of the worlds problems? Sure, plenty.

Has the US also contributed many solutions to the world’s problems? Sure, plenty.

It’s a mistake to either villify or canonize the US completely. This seems obvious to me, but many people demand or expect a black and white world which simply isn’t reality.

People always want something or someone to blame when something goes wrong. Things never just happen, it’s always someone’s fault.

Some people blame America for everything that goes wrong, others just blame the West.
Some people blame black people for the crime in the U.S., others blame white people for the problems in the black community.
Some people blame religion for causing conflicts in the world. Others blame eating meat (seriously).

Issues are complicated, very little in this world is black and white. I try to avoid people who throw around blame like this. It makes me think of a scene in Germany in the 1930’s, Uncle Fritz saying “you know whose to blame for the problems in Germany? The goddamn Jews”.

It’s the same type of mentality. People never learn.

Certainly success breeds jealously.

But past that, we had a long history of isolationism and the Fortress America attitude. It was a real effort on President Wilson’s part to get us involved in WWI and thereafter, the desire to stay out of the messy affairs of Europe grew strong again. But the attack on Pearl Harbor shifted public opinion. It made it clear that foreign affairs won’t necessarily leave you alone just because you want to be left alone.

Since WWII, we have had a very different posture on the world stage. We have engaged in what has been called American Empire Building (or Imperialism by our harsher critics). We have propped up dictators and secretly intervened in the internal affairs of nations all over the world, overthrowing popular leaders to install a brutal dictator who would favor our interests in exploiting a nation’s natural resources. We have intervened militarily all around the globe as well. For some strange reason, this activity has made many in such countries hostile to America. I guess they just don’t understand who is important and who isn’t.

Because we have a habit of sticking our nose in to things that sometimes maybe we shouldn’t. On top of that, our precarious financial situation has caused instability in world markets.

US military and economic power has drawn it into world affairs, especially since WW II.
It is not uncommon for people to blame their troubles on somebody else. And often they blame someone more successful than themselves.
The US, because of it’s constant presence, and it’s success as a civilization, is a good target for blame.
If the US ever withdraws from the world stage (which would be a catastrophe for human advancement on Earth) then somebody else will be a target of blame by the world’s losers,

I don’t think we are blamed for all of the troubles in the world.

Why we carry a lot of hatred is that we are a big, rich target.

Same reason poor people blame the rich. We have the means, and we didnt fix it?

Fuck off world.

This entire question is a straw man.

(That’s OK, @incendiary_dan, as long as the straw man has clothes on.)

Now there’s a strange idea for a crossover: the straw emperor has no clothes?

starring Ray Bolger back from the dead.

@syzygy2600 Nice post. People blame blacks for crime, others blame whites for black problems. I never saw that angle when looking at these kinds of issues, but it seems very clear. Mainly I guess we just point the finger wherever. Haha maybe sometimes we should try to see passed it. XD

Because they stick their noses in other countries’ business, cause problems and kill civilians, then call it “rehabilitation”.

Let me illustrate….........
When I was in South America last year, I would often get into conversation with other tourists. The conversation would go like this: (American tourist to me) “Where are you from?” (My response) “Sydney, Australia. And you?” (American tourist) “I’m from Iowa/Missouri/Louisianna etc”. I got so sick of this type of response, when I was at Machu Picchu, I decided to try an experiment. Same conversation- (American tourist) “I’m from Miami”. (me) “Where’s that?” . (American tourist) “Florida”. (Me) “Where’s that?”. American tourist stares at me like I’ve got two heads.
Next illustration:
My brother (Who was living in New Zealand at the time) was touring northern US. Entered a gun shop to ask directions. Shopkeeper asks “Where are you from?” My brother says “I’m an Australian living in New Zealand”. Shopkeeper asks, “Isn’t that part of Australia?”
My point?? Most Americans I have met are ignorant of the world outside their borders, but expect everyone to know all about them, like USA is the centre of the universe. I’ve got news- it isn’t. Of course this does not apply to all US citizens. However, this widespread ignorance leads to people resenting the lack of cultural understanding displayed when the US army “assists” other nations, such as Iraq. My feeling is that the US needs to stop playing world policeman, stop believing that everyone else is going to appreciate their interference, and get back in their box.
This is not to say that no good has come of these interventions in the past. The US forces did a sterling job in the Pacific in WW2. They certainly helped to save our skin here in Australia. However, the lack of common sense in some of the other campaigns (Vietnam, etc) only makes other people resent all that the US does.

Just ask the Libyans who are yearning for freedom. They love the Americans for what they are doing. They admire the Americans. They want a democracy, something the Americans have enjoyed for more than 200 years. Or ask all the Germans who felt being liberated from Nazism in 1945. They also are most grateful.

The media likes to focus on bad news. On hatred. Al-Qaeda terrorists hate Americans. But they also hate all Christian Europeans. They hate democracies. They hate freedom of thought. Hell, they hate everybody who doesn’t agree with them. But they are a minority.

The US should refrain from taking unilateral decisions. That’s the way to go. That’s how you befriend other nations.

Because America is so powerful economically, politically and militarily and doesn’t always take into account the feelings of others.

@Harold I’ve run into a couple of Australians who weren’t that impressive either. Should they share the blame for all troubles in the world?

@mattbrowne Thanks Matt. I certainly didn’t fight in the big one, but my dad did.

@josie – I never claimed we were all perfect. However, there is a real pattern of ignorance among US citizens. Ignorance of the rest of the world. That is rare here, and that was my point in my answer to the question. Ignorance of the rest of the world leads to the problems mentioned in the question. I would suggest that you read my previous response in more detail (including the bit where I praised US forces) and with an open mind before you fire off a response like you did.

@ETpro – I was born in 1962. My father was too young to be drafted.

@Harold I would say that you are making a blanket judgment based on a few incidents. Don’t get me wrong, there are plenty of self absorbed Americans. You can’t judge us all by the ones you have met on vacation or when they were on vacation in your country. We are not all like the Americans you have met.

@Harold Actually, I would agree to Harold`s post. Sure it sucks to hear a remark that Americans are ignorant of the outside world, but you guys really don`t know what it means not to be. When I came down to Brazil, I finally got to compare Americans in the USA to another people in their home country. Brazilians, and from experience, many European countries, know the cultures of each other country.

Knowing that a tsunami happened in Japan, or that an earthquake happened in Haiti just makes you ‘conscious’ of the world. Knowing their culture, a bit of their history, or at least their native language demonstrates the opposite of ‘being ignorant of other countries’.

Its natural though, see it this way – when everything is fine all around you, living in a wealthy country with lots of opportunities, we are busy living our comfortable lives, therefore not really caring about other less important things. Any other country would be the same if they were such a world power too.

@Russell_D_SpacePoet – I am not saying all Americans are like that. As I said, I know a few who are great people. I also don’t blame individuals for the insular attitude- without actually having been to the US myself, it seems to me that the education/social systems breed that attitude. If you are brought up in a society and with an education that leads you to think that the rest of the world is not important enough to learn about, it is inevitable that you will follow suit. It is also inevitable that you won’t see it as abnormal. There may be some things about Australians that I don’t notice, and I might get my back up if someone else pointed it out. However, that would not make it untrue.
My criticism is not of individuals, but of a culture that cannot see itself for what it is. That is what makes other cultures angry with it. @robdamel has hit the nail on the head with his comments. Perhaps the US government should listen to some of the criticism and act on it, rather than just pretending these opinions will go away.

@Harold Well, I went to school in the states and in all my years of schooling I never had anyone tell me the rest of the world wasn’t important. I think that the opinion on American people is influenced by the actions of our gov. Yes I know there are plenty of ignorant, flag waving Americans that fit in to the type you have had interactions with. I would hope there are more of the rest of us who have more of a world view. I have a tendency to try to look at people, all people as earthlings. Not American or Australian or whatever. I do wish more of my countrymen shared my views. The ignorant ones really try my patience.

@Russell_D_SpacePoet – well yes, I don’t think we disagree. We have our share of boofheads as well. You are to be applauded on your “tendency”- let’s hope it’s contagious!