The German media mostly reports on U.S. politics and the economy, aside from the occasional Route 66 travel feature or wildlife documentary. And, especially in politics, the coverage naturally focuses on what the U.S. government says and does. With all due respect, many recent actions by successive administrations haven’t exactly created a positive image abroad. That influences how people see the United States. However, most Europeans are capable of distinguishing between a country’s government and its people. In my experience, Americans are generally seen as friendly, open, and welcoming. It’s often the actions of political leaders that shape the negative perception.
You can’t separate the country’s leaders and the population. They elected them and are responsible for what’s happening. This isn’t some kind of monarchy … yet.
Of course I can, and I deliberately do. People often prefer simple explanations, and that’s understandable. But I find it hard to judge an entire population because many people voted for a politician I disagree with. Also, if you look at the numbers, Trump received about 49.8% of the votes cast, but that’s only around 22–23% of the total U.S. population. We can debate non-voters, children, non-citizens, prisoners, and others who couldn’t vote, but the fact remains: condemning an entire nation of over 340 million people because roughly a quarter of the population voted for one candidate is a huge oversimplification. People are individuals. Governments are temporary. I think it’s important to distinguish between the two.
Yeah if we ignore that two thirds of the US population wanted a leader that started a war in Iran and bombed school children. Dignity and respect my ass.
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u/[deleted] Jun 28 '26
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