"Are these stereotypes correct, or it's all just bollocks?"

Stereotypes? Don't confuse this with facts... :)
Kommst du aus Oesterreich oder hältst du dich nur grade da auf? Du hast Russisch als erste Sprache angegeben = bist du russisch?

Are most houses in America made without bricks?

I'm Canadian so I can't answer this.

But, my girlfriend lives across the border and attends University for Architecture. So I can answer #4.

Just to run down a few numbers from the past year...
Tuition - in the $5,000 range.
Supplies - in the $8,000 range.
Parking - $650 per semester (And the parking still sucks, they have to cross the street, kinda hard when you carry a 25lb, 11.4kg, architecture model)
Books - $2,000 range.
Then there is gas. She lives 30 minutes from the school, and when they have to go on a field trip for various purposes, does the school take them there? Nah, they have to do that on their own. So god only knows how much gas is. If they have to travel out of the state, they have to pay for that as well. They usually are put into hostels during these trips. Very shitty ones, each time my gf has checked into an actual hotel because the hostels don't even have a locking door, and the surrounding neighbourhood has been ghetto-level at best. Just ASKING to get raped, shot, items stolen, etc.

Oh, and this is a 6 year program. And the absolute best part is, she's having a hard time getting a loan from a bank, since the economy is in such a god awful condition. There's barely any scholarshps she can apply to (4.0 GPA btw), because a lot have been stopped the past year. The school itself has atleast 5 other scholarships available to students in other programs, 1 for architecture students. Life is grand in America!

If Americans go on vacation, they visit their own country.

1) sometimes
2) only for the mentally retarded and illigal immigrants
3) half the time
4) most of the time for those not of the higher class
5) only people who dont even bother to think of other countries
6) only true americans and not immigrants
7) i dont really know what a kg is compared to a pound but im going to say yes, mostly
8) only if they come from a country that denies rights like freedom of speech
9) most americans slack off during school and dont bother to remember anything afterwards
10) yes and they also like to bitch about the expensive economy
11) true
a) buy the house
b) id assume 15 months if you spend only 1500 US dollers on it and everything isnt interrupted by a random thing such as robbery, lost transaction, bailing yourself out of jail after trying to wrestle a bear
c) id assume 1 additional year to the 15 months making it a total of 2 years 5 months
age) 15
amazingly most of those stereotypes are correct more or less so

1. No American flag, they aren't always in debt, apartments are usually in cities; 'condominiums' are the outer city equivalent

2. I would assume so

3. true for most

4. no, but if a family has a history if not going to a university (called 'college' here) then the student will most likely be content with a high school diploma. There are many colleges around the country that offer a ridiculous amount of scholarship opportunities that help. On the other hand, some students do get caught up in student loans and get themselves in trouble with debt

5. hell no

6. Not true at all. I'm guessing you're talking about the average white American. America is a place of mixed races/cultures with MANY languages. The U.S. has no official language, which may seem ridiculous in some places, but where I am people know how to speak Spanish, and some only know how to speak their native language (Arabic, Spanish, Indian language #378, German, etc.). The average American going to school has to take four years of a foreign language (in most places)

7. The number of obese people in this country is ridiculous

8. Leaving a country would definitely make a person more open minded and less conservative. HOWEVER, you're study assumes that Obama was the 'right' candidate and McCain was the 'wrong' one. Here in the U.S., candidates make complete lies to get your vote and never follow their promises. So far, Obama has said one thing and has done the complete opposite on many occasions. I'm not saying McCain would have done any better, though.

9. We can convert g to kg, but no one knows how to convert Fahrenheit to Celsius. If I was traveling to Europe and you told me it would be around 30 degrees Celsius, I would have no idea how to pack.

10. I'm not to sure about the majority on this one, but I'm going to assume the answer is yes

11. I feel like I've spent too much time on this and honestly don't feel like doing a math problem on my Spring break from school, but I have a 3.86 GPA in school and an A in math, so I think I could do this problem. The assumption that most Americans can't do simple math would be incorrect for the majority, but there ARE a large number of Americans that would be completely baffled by your problem.

The problem with answering your questions to fit the majority of the United States is that there are so many diverse people. I think your assumptions might fit the people who live in places like Arizona or Mississippi (the dumbest states), but if you go up a little ways to Connecticut (one of the smartest), you may not only find the geography's changed, but people may seem friendlier, smarter, or more successful.

If you go to places like Houston, Texas, you'll find a large number people willing to work on your lawn for a very cheap price. Or you'll find a man selling oranges on the side of the street.

If you go to Detroit, Michigan, you will find a large number of homeless black people wandering aimlessly in the streets, getting in the way of your fucking car like fucking assholes because they don't have the fucking brain capacity to look both ways before the cross the street. Or you'll find assholes who leave their broken down cars in the middle of the street like fucking jerkoffs WITH THE FUCKING DOOR OPEN because it's WAY too hard to close a door or even attempt to push the piece of shit to the open parking space on the side of the road two feet next to them fuck that guy

No that tuition cost was for the past year alone. It's only so high because she is forced to take so many pointless classes that have nothing to do with her actual chosen career. My favorite was $450 for English class.

By supplies I mean what she uses to do her homework.
She needs special materials to build models of proposed buildings. These models sometimes are big enough that they can't fit inside her car. I have a few pictures if I haven't explained it clearly. It's kind of a pain.
When she does computer designing, the students are required to have their work printed out at printing stores that tend to charge $25-40 per print. Because it needs to be glossy paper, high quality ink, all this crap the University professors demand. We've tried doing it at home but apparently the quality wasn't good enough.
Then of course there are the little things like pens, pencils (Especially pencils for manually drawing diagrams, she burns through a hell of alot of pencils). It all just adds up over the year.
Then at the end of each year, the students need to create portfolios of everything they've done (That includes previous years at the school) that can be presented to actual Architectural firms. So they need to spend even more money at the printing place to create a very detailed portfolio.

The public transportation sounds amazing though. Hell here in Canada the best we get is a bus that smells like urine every 30 minutes. Every hour after 9pm. And I know the bus route will take the college students to the front of their college, but they don't take the university students to the university. I've never really understood why.

Also about the books, she's done that a few times in previous years. She tried to do it this year but the books available from other students were kind of disturbing. One book had a few pages stuck together...Kinda creepy.

Upon reading your post here, I did the math real quick (and I agree, most of us here in America would not be able to solve this problem). With the simplicity of your equation, it would take 13 years to pay off. However, in the way of deciding which to go with (because with renting you'd still save 12000 a year, which would be 156000 over those 13 years), the end result really depends on when you want to retire, how much you want to retire with, how well the home will sustain its value, nearby property values, possibilities of refinancing your mortgage, and where you want to take your vacation. I don't really think its a matter that most Americans cannot solve this problem, its just that they'd rather hire someone else to do it. Most of us here in America would actually prefer to use the metric system, it just seems that with our Standard (or English) system is a remaining flaw. The army actually spent billions switching to the metric system, but nobody wanted to learn to properly read it so they ended up switching back to the Standard system.

21, male. Sorry if my math may be a bit wrong, it was done on the fly.

I am an American and I believe that you make some very valid points. Though there are well-educated and cultured people in the USA, the average American is overworked, underinsured, overcharged and ignorant to almost all cultures apart from grossly shallow generalizations (I'm looking at you France, you wine-sucking cheese-munching surrender monkeys.)

I cannot speak for #8 as I do not have the proper experience.

#6 is more of a consequence of the geography than an inability to learn another language. The only non-English speaking people near us are the French Canadians and the Mexicans. The French Canadians don't associate too much with us. The Mexicans have a negative reputation here and most Americans don't want to associate with them. But that's a whole other issue.

#5 (Stream of consciousness, not going in order.) This is a result of a lifetime of patriotic propaganda. Especially after the terrorist attacks, criticism of America brands you as traitorous by some people. Though it has calmed a bit since, there is still a "Love it or get out" attitude. I think that a lack of "real" international experience is a big factor. By "real", I mean actually seeing another country for what it is, not going on prepackaged tours and visiting postcard destinations.

#7 Yeah, there's a lot of fatasses here. In America, you can blame every problem in your life on someone else. You never have to take responsibility for anything. You can blame McDonalds for selling unhealthy food. You can claim that you have an eating disorder due to being bullied as a child.... the list goes on.

I must say, I enjoyed reading your post. I do get very tired of the "America sucks" posts that normally flood the Internet. I think there is a mutual ignorance between the United States and the rest of the world. This is a great country with great opportunities. There are beautiful places and beautiful people. America certainly has it's flaws, but the country with the longest standing Constitution in the world can't be doing too bad.... right?

Fuck, I'm in my senior year in high school (as far as public education goes), and I've never learned a thing about interest, banking, or any of that stuff. They never taught it to us in our history classes, they never taught it to us in math (we spent 7 years going over the basics over and over again, then jumped right into algebra and never looked back), and they never taught it to us in any other class. They teach that stuff in Europe?

Yes, many suburban and rural Americans live in houses rather than apartments. Yes, most of us only speak English, because we're a big country that speaks entirely English and most of us have little reason to leave the country, unlike say Germans or French which might have to leave Germany or France to get a job in their field, elsewhere in the European Union (though with the recent influx of Spanish-speaking immigrants and Congress' refusal to make English the official language, we might end up having to learn Spanish, which currently isn't taught until high school, far too late to actually learn a language). It's true that we aren't familiar with metric/American conversions, and the young (other than myself) tend to be a lot more liberal than the older ones (which is why all the exchange students you met supported Obama, mostly out of white guilt).

Yes, the idiots among us like to spend money they don't have (I blame a media which sets financial and sexual restraint at nothing). Yes, we work longer and harder than Europeans, which means of course increased productivity, and yes the company can fire us without paying extra, because it would be an unnecessary expense on the company. Yes there are Americans without health insurance, but those of us who have it (probably about 5/6 of the nation) get most of our doctor's visits and necessary procedures covered. Yes university study is expensive, but... OK, I've got no excuse for that, but the government doesn't pay for it, an action I fully support.

And yes, we think our nation is the world's best. Why shouldn't we? We're apparently the last guardians of the Christian faith, the last protectors of the capitalist tradition in an increasingly Marxist world, we're working (or at least trying to get jobs, if we're unemployed, which due to a lack of restraint in borrowing and the economic downturn it caused is becoming more and more common by the day) while you Europeans are swinging in the government hammock. We can still keep and bear arms, we still have God and a larger degree of His favor than the Europeans who abandoned Him for science, and if we crumple... Guess whose welfare state loses its defenders? You'll have to start putting up a lot more money for your own defense (is it spelled "defence" in Euro-English?), and you'll lose a lot of those precious "welfare state" benefits.

1. mostly yes
2. it depends on how high up you are in the company
3. i don't care enough to think about that
4. same as 3
5. definitely (as in many think that, not this country is definitely the best)
6. Some Americans can speak English fluently-fixed
7. this mainly depends on where in the US this is taking place
8. Conservatives don't leave the US too often
9. I can't read minds
10. From experiences with my friends, yes
11. *shrugs*

Glad I could help.

- Someone who supports Mc Cain cannot have friends. It sounds harsh but that's life.

Yeah McCain is a crazy old lunatic, but the weird thing about that is that if he hadn't elected Sarah Palin as his running mate, the election would've been MUCH closer than you would think.

- I don't think you can afford a normal life with kids if your only job is to do other people's lawns.

I was talking about illegal immigrants that sneak over from the Mexican border.

And they don't live normal lives.

But for some reason they all have 17 kids.

And thanks for the crash course.

Well, the professors demand the models be built out of special materials for 2 reasons:
1) So the model can survive being moved and being looked over/graded. The funny thing is, the professors are so full of themselves, they will rip, break, and fuck up these $200+ models at will. They don't care, and they don't pay for anything they do to it. I've also noticed this one professor she has this year sees nothing wrong with leaving permanent marker marks all over it. Instead of pointing out areas that he finds problems with, he uses his marker to draw on it freely. Personally that'd piss me off, the things I make, I prefer to keep in flawless condition.
2) Apparently when the students are out in the field, architectural firms won't accept a model not built by the proper materials. So this is to help "prepare" students for that, get them used to using the material. But the bullshit is that you are exactly right. The material they use looks and feels EXACTLY like cardboard. The first time I ever saw it, that's what I assumed it was. I cannot tell the difference between the 2 to be honest.

As another poster said, Arizona is one of the dumbest states. And guess what university it is? Arizona State University, ASU.

God, I think we need to head over to where you live.

First of all let me tell you that I am American, have never been to Foreignland and all I know about it is what I see in the TV and read on the internet. Please tell me if it is true, or if it's just Foreign stereotype.

1. If you live in a foriegn land, you lack self awareness when you're made fun of.

2. you shampoo with horse manure and your hair lacks any bounce or sheen.

3. You smell and fart alot

I've met all of her professors and honestly, they all seem to have a god complex. You try to tell them anything and they'll kick you out.

The firms don't pay for the projects or anything, all they really do is review the projects and give feedback. Then in later years they also look for students to give internships to, as that is required for the students to graduate.

The impression that school has given me since day 1 is they really don't care. They don't care if students need to work and go to school, they'll still give out homework, especially on weekends and holidays. They don't care if you have a limited amount of money/resources. And they especially don't care if you have an opinion. I have SO many examples to help prove all of those statements.

As for Canada, I really think it's a toned down version of USA. The two countries have more similarities than differences.

lol i agree with 5,6,7, and 10

even know im an american as well :3

"Why do you think capitalism is so good, when it only ends up in forcing people work long hours for almost no wage and letting you get exploited by corporations?"
The only alternatives to capitalism are the systems that take hard-earned money from the rich and especially the middle-class and give it to the poor, which in America means taking it from hard-working people with jobs and giving it to the lazy (the only people without jobs, at least before this crisis started, and the moment the crisis ends the unemployment rate will shrink back to just include the lazy). As long as there's a minority that makes up 13% of the country's population, does 53% of the crime, sells life-destroying drugs for a living and uses that money to buy more drugs, refuses to "play into the Man's hands" and get educations and real jobs, and STILL blames the majority for its problems, a socialist system won't work in America. Fuck, even your Arab/Muslim immigrants are more productive than our blacks... When they're not rioting.

At JohnnyUtah:

Wow man, I can't belive you are so closed minded, he's just asking dude... I am from a foreign country, And you probably don't know where Venezuela is (h ttp://lmgtfy.com/?q=Venezuela) I've never been to USA, I'm going this summer, but if all this stereotyping is true, than i'm happy in mi little country here in South America, I mean, USA denigrates other countries calling them "3rd world", and most of the Americans don't know how to speak another language? Look at me!, I'm 15 years old and I speak English almost perfectly (Idk if it is, you be the judge) That is PRETTY LAME to me....

And about the math question... yeah.. Rent the house, Its better :D

In a totally unrelated subject, I'm british. I speak a little bit of german (not enough to answer any questions in german, maybe some easy ones) and I could work out that math question if I could be bothered to.

Most of what you've said is more of a caractiture of the basic US citizen than it is a truthful observation, some are true, but others are way off base for the average person.

1) Most Americans do indeed live in their own homes. While there are some who spend entirely too much money on their homes, most are pretty responsible with their home purchase and end up making a very good amount of money selling their home when the time comes. So yeah, they originally take out more money than may seem prudent, but the payoff in the end is worth it for the vast majority of people.

2) This really depends on the individual. Some people work really long and hard hours, others don't. We have such a complex economy with so many types of jobs it's kind of hard to say. However, I'd probably say that the average American does not work much more than 40 hours, though there are some who work way more it's usually more of a choice for them than a necessity.

The paid vacation thing sounds about right. We don't have as long of vacations as most Europeans.

The firing thing isn't exactly true. It really depends on the job. If you are working an unskilled labor job, you can pretty much be fired whenever as long as there's a reason, and you don't get much compensation from the employer. But if you work a decent office job there's a good chance you'd get compensation for being fired. And there are unemployment benefits provided by the government for those who apply, and if you worked full-time it shouldn't be too hard to get them.

3) Not true. Most Americans have decent health insurance, typically provided by the employer. The biggest problem people face is when they have long term, expensive illnesses such as certain types of cancer that will cost millions of dollars without insurance. With an illness such as that, coverage can run out for some.

4) True, kinda. College tuition can range anywhere from $5,000-50,000 a year, plus another $1,800 a year for supplies and food. So some need to take out a loan, others don't. A total of about 6k a year isn't that bad if you live at home, with a part-time job. The thing is, most Americans are able to pay off their student loans within a few years, so it's typically not -that- big of a deal. Or at least it isn't to us. Of course, a lot of Ivy League colleges are actually free if you get into them, and there are a ton of scholarship opportunities and such you can earn to lesson the cost. For example, one school's baseline tuition cost is about 43K a year. But the average student only pays 23K with aid. So it's definitely not as cheap as Europe, where you oftentimes get free or near free tuition, but it is more than survivable.

5) I'd say the majority do, but that's just nationalism. I'd say that is the truth with most people in most countries. If not, I'm sorry for those countries.

6) True. Others have provided decent explanation for that.

7) 100 kg is apparently 220 lb, which seems overweight. But I don't know about American tourists and their average waistlines, so I couldn't tell you specifically. I can tell you that America is one of the more obese nations in the world.

8) Neither. Most exchange students are younger, and Obama really swept most of the younger voting populace. Not to mention that 8 people is a pretty small survey.

9) It depends what you mean by familiar. It isn't used as often as the English system in the US, but most could tell you that there are 100 centimeters in a meter and so on. As far as telling you it is 90 degrees in the summer in the US, well using the Fahrenheit system it -is-.. We don't use centigrade for temperature measurements outside of science, so it only makes sense that an American would tell you that.

10) That's a terrible stereotype. Everyone likes to save money. And though some are dumb about purchases, I'm sure it's the same in Europe.

11) I'm not quite sure I'd call this simple math, since there are so many variables involved, but I know that I could solve it pretty easily given a desire to do so. Unfortunately for you, I just got on Spring Break and do not wish to waste my time on the maths.

I'd say most people would be able to do this when they get out of college, if not, they aren't going to be able to afford a 300k house, anyways. :P

@ Leole11

jesus christ you handsome little bastard it's called a joke

what do you know, all of these "stereotypes are true. Even #6 is true with a gratuitous amount of mexicans living in their country...

At JohnnyUtah:

OMFG!! He thinks I actually give a crap what he says to me, How cute is that :D?

I'm not angry at him, I'm just expressing my opinion Jesus Christ²

Let me be, Capice?

Alot of those stereo types are true.

here are a few more American stereo types..

1) America is known as the land of Inventors.. First country to Drive, to fly, to go to the moon, and soon to mars

2) Americans are the most generous people on the planet.. first to give in times of crisis and usually the most to give....

http://www.nowpublic.com/world/americ ans-are-most-generous-people-planet

Americans invent more, grow more, discover more, share more and give more than any other people on Earth.

Whats the point of learning twenty languages, and going to 30 years worth of schooling if you are of no use or benefit to the ones around you.

BTW I have a question

is it true that Austria supplies the worlds pedophiles , with its highest case of Child Sex slavey in the country?

Is this stereotype correct?

a lot of this is pretty true in my experience (except for the whole flag thing)..
1 - the majority of houses (at least in the midwest) have two floors and a basement.
3 - most insurance policies cover most things, but it's really expensive unless you have a job with benefits, so a lot of people (who don't) go without it.
4 - very true, i could buy a house for less than my 4-year education at uni.
5 - mostly the ones who've never been to another country.
8 - i think it's a little of both..

1. No, most houses have more than 1 floor. Anyways, a lot of people do live in apartments.

2. Damn immigrants do

3. Depends on how much you feel like spending or is provided by your work

4. Not really, often you get a loan and then pay it back later once you get a job.

5. Yeah well that's defiantly hyped up by American TV but really it's just about as good as the UK.

6. This one is really not true as many of our citizens once lived in another country. And why would this matter anyway? You can talk with one language just as good as you can with knowing 2.

7. Well of course the good looking people are on TV, who would want to watch fat people? Not everyone is like that either. Anyway 100kgs is about 220 pounds and
That's not all that heavy.

8. We use representative democracy, which means we vote for people to vote for us. This is actually a fairly wise decision because the reps are very educated about each candidate.

9. Another generalization because I am very aware that 90 degrees Fahrenheit is about 40 degrees Celsius

10. Not at all, most Americans try to save money

11. No way, Americans know just as much as any other country basic math.

i don't feel like doing math right now and your lucky I got this done as i have ADD

Lots of questions :P

I'll say this much though. The majority of Americans, and people in general, do not excel in long-term planning. It's the reason most get in trouble with finances and what not.

The system here in America is focused more on "reaping what you sow" (if you are familiar with the expression where you live). The system can work here, but in the end, it is never Capitalism fault. Socialism puts more responsibility on the governments shoulders. Capitalism does the opposite.

For example, if a child doesn't take the time to study for an exam, then returns home with a 'D+' to show his parents, is the system at fault? Or is it more to do with personal responsibility?

MATHS not math. ;)

"Most of "American" inventors haven't been born in America. They were immigrants who acquired citizenship after they arrived in USA."

Obviously, America is a new country and its built on immigrants and their ingenuity.

The real question is why do they feel they can do better in America, and not invent in their own countries?

as for soviets going to the moon first, thats just heresay, You can't Prove the Russians went to the moon first any more than I can prove the Americans went first.

Our history books say we went first. Either case its all bullshit, and so is stereotyping.

1) This is largely true, though many middle-class Americans buy houses with more than one floor (houses that many of them can't afford).

2) This is true.

4) Studying at a good university is expensive.

5) Having lived abroad for several years I can't answer this question.

6) Mostly true, though Spanish and French are taught in most public schools and some extend this to other languages. My school has a total of five languages taught.

7) There is a large amount of obese people in America (large, obese, funny), yes. It depends where you're from, though, and how wealthy your family is. Less wealthy people tend to weigh more.

8) Both. I didn't have a political opinion when I left the US, then when I moved to Europe I was extremely liberal, and now that I have returned to the U.S I am more moderately liberal (though certainly still liberal). There is a lot more conservative bias in the media in America (though a conservative would argue the opposite is true as well). I think I received a fairly balanced source of American-related news when I lived in the UK.

9) The first part is mostly untrue (though I'm sure there are some exceptions, and the imperial system is mostly used), though the second is likely true (though only because they don't know how to convert Fahrenheit to Celsius).

I would say that a large portion of this is just "bollocks". Where I am from in the United States we learn business planing (9th grade), the metric system (in grades 5+), alg II and up (9th grade). Most houses are now made with steel support in in the framing of the exterior, most houses are not made cheap it is just a buyers market right now.
Many speculations are made about only tourists that many people from USA think make us look bad because they are mostly fat and ignorant.

Holy Shit. Everything you just said is true.

I can't even count my fingers without getting a headache. :C

well, livin in the good ol' usa for my whole life, i can ancer a few of your questions.. 1) it depends on the person, but yes.. most people prefer to live in houses than apartmens, because of more room, more privacy, & above all, payments lead to full ownership of property, rather than paying rent endlessly.. & as long as you have a steady job, & no 'bad spending habits", all should be fine. carelessness leads to debt.
2) 40 hours a week is full time, anything over is overtime, were you get payed alittle more.. 25 days vacation is around it, depending on the job you work at.. & by regulations, if you dont work for the company, you get no pay. unless, you get retirment leave.
3) you can 'coustomize' your health insurance to meet your needs, or the injouries your likely to get, depending on what you do. & hospitals charge like crazy! so ANY insurance is better than nothing.. they'll still save you, but they'll get their money..
4) universities are KILLER on the piggy bank.. but there are many schollerships available.. you just gotta look 4 them.
5) about 99% of everyone i know thinks so..
6) thats a 50/50.. many speak other languages, but others don't care to, or want to..
7) to be on tv, you gotta look good. fat people dont look good, so too bad. almost all tv programers think this..
8) sorry.. not too sure..
9)true.. over here, we only use farenhieght, cause we forget things from school..
10) thats why the stock market's crashing..
11)many know math, but.. prefer that someone else does it.. i hate math, & dont wanna do it, but thats me.. almost everyone else here can do it... & im 17!

"I'd say the police was able to uncover more of such cases now that the first case came out. As far as I know there was also one case in Poland, one in Italy and one in USA. All cases of child sex slavery.
=> Since there were more cases in Austria recently, somehow Austria might appear to be more dangerous. It is a stereotype, a wrong stereotype. 2 pedophiles aren't a representative proportion of Austrians. I guess this mental deviation is same everywhere, maybe 1 our of 1.000.000 has it, no matter in which country."

As far as the pedophilia comments go, if the mental deviation was the same everywhere, the US would have a hell of a lot more cases brought up, due to its much larger population.

Also, pedophilia is probably largely due to both genes and environmental factors. With the US' larger population and smaller amount of cases to rival Austria, obviously you guys got the child-rape gene. So sorry, you will not be baby sitting my children.

My business makes more money than any in the UK, suck it Europe. Texas > Europe.

thats a negative i live in an aparment and cant seem to get to college recomdation

Most Americans, like me, who live near the border go to Mexico or Canada frequently for vacations if they can afford it. I live just 3 hours north of Mexico, and many people go for spring break every year.
Also, 5&6 are completely true.
For middle-income families, it is usually hard to send more than one student to a university without taking out a loan.

1. This is largely true, but I believe this makes Americans seem too fiscally irresponsible. People who can't pay off debt and are in credit crises make the news because no one wants to hear about people who are getting along just fine. Most Americans do have mortgages on their homes, but they are not overwhelmed by debt if they borrow within their means. Those who are in debt to credit card companies are simply irresponsible people.

Having an American flag displayed outside the home might be a bit stereotypical, but some people do it. It is more common on special occasions like Veteran's Day or July 4th. There are also many homes made of brick in addition to those made out of wood. It really just depends on the preference. I live in a brick house with one floor and an attic. Most homes in my part of the country (the South/Southeast) do not have basements because of the environment. There are plenty of houses with more than one floor. Apartments are also not as uncommon as you might think.

2. This is hard to pinpoint since different jobs have so many different policies. Teachers, for example, have about three months of paid vacation in the summer. Different areas of employment have different benefits and work schedules. I'm sure this is true for most developed nations.

3. Most, if not all jobs for college-educated people provide health insurance. There are many lower-working class individuals who don't have health insurance with their jobs, but no one is just going to roll over and die because he doesn't have good health coverage. There are many government and non-profit organizations that provide health care for the needy.

4. This is not true either. There are many state-funded universities in America that are not very expensive or difficult to get into. Private colleges can be extremely expensive, but they're private institutions looking for profit. I'm sure all universities in America offer financial aid to outstanding and needy students as well.

5. It is a bit unfair to cast this in a negative light. Who doesn't love living in his home country more than anywhere else? Almost everyone in the world has pride in his native country.

6. Most native-born Americans, including myself, only speak English fluently, but we have a large immigrant population, many of which are multilingual. There is also a rising effort to make the general population at least bilingual. I am studying foreign languages in my university. I've been learning Chinese for two semesters, and I've also studied Latin for years.

7. As someone said earlier, most people on television are going to be attractive. Not everyone in the country is obese or fat, although many people might be bigger than the average person of their height, gender, and age in other countries. I find this to be true among women more than men. I am male, 19 years old, six feet tall (so about 1.8 meters), and weigh 135 pounds (so about 61 kilograms), and am told by many people that I am thin.

8. I think someone else gave a good explanation earlier that most foreign exchange students are going to be younger people, who are usually more progressive. I suppose Obama would almost have to be more popular than McCain, or else he wouldn't be president.

As for Americans often vacationing within their own country, that is true, although many people who can afford to travel abroad do so. Leaving the country is usually much more expensive for Americans than it is for people in Europe and Asia since the only nations that America borders are Canada and Mexico. It's a lot cheaper for someone from Austria to travel to Germany than it is for an American to do so! America is also several times larger than any European nation, so there are a lot of different places to go with different subcultures, environments, landmarks, etc. Why leave the country when there's so much you haven't seen in your own?

9. This is also true. However, how many Europeans are familiar with the measurement systems Americans use? I really don't know the answer to that. Europeans might be more informed on that system than I thought. However, the metric system is taught in American schools. It's just not used very much in every day life because our culture has just always used these other measurements. I don't really think there's anything wrong with that, it's just different from what Europeans are used to using. To be honest, I could not tell you off the top of my head that 90 degrees Fahrenheit is equal to about 40 degrees Celsius.

10. Many people may not save money wisely, but I'm sure this is true for almost everywhere in the world. We would not have so many affluent people in America if we didn't know how to save money.

11. I don't think this is true, and I'll attempt to solve your math problem to prove it. Please bear with me, as I have not taken a math course for three semesters, so I might just wind up proving you right.

a) It's always better to buy your home if you can. This is a well-known fact that doesn't necessarily relate to this particular math problem. Owning your home gives you capital and property, builds your credit, provides you with a reliable place to live and raise your family, gives you more freedom and decision-making powers than renting, etc. I've never owned a home, so I can't really go on.

b) I'm assuming that all the money you don't spend on necessities would go into the bank, so that would be $1,800 a month. I also assumed that interest is collected at the end of the year, so after one year you would have $124,032 in the bank. After one year, the interest on the loan would have increased the money owed to $214,000. If you paid off your mortgage with all the money you had in the bank after one year, you would be left with $89,968 left to pay off. One more year of saving with interest would leave you with $22,032 in savings. By the end of the year, the interest on the loan would have raised it to $96,265.76, which I will round up to the nearest dollar for simplicity's sake. If you paid off the loan with all of your savings again, the remaining debt would be $74,234. After the third year, the debt would be paid off to equal $57,398. As this pattern continues, I'll count out each year with the remaining debt.

Year four: $39,384

Year five: $20,109

Year six: -$515

So, according to my calculations, it would take six years to pay off your debt to the bank.

c) Since the interest change doesn't happen until one year after you receive the loan, I'll assume that at the end of year two, the mortgage would be $98,965 with interest. If you subtract what you earn in that year, you're left with $76,933 left to pay at the end of year two.

Year three: $62,954

Year four: $46,821

Year five: $29,471

Year six: $10,386

Year seven: -$10607

So, it would take at least seven years to pay off your debt to the bank in this scenario.

As I said earlier, I am 19 years old. I hope this has shed a little light on your perspective of Americans, Kenzu. :)

I've had these types of arguments with two other European friends of mine, first off remember there are over 300 million people in the U.S. Two major cities have a higher population than most European countries. To answer the language question, geographically there is no reason to speak more than one fluent language, however Spanish is rapidly growing and is being taught in most elementary schools. The huge difference really does derive from the population number, when you say "most" Americans this and "most" that, it's really vague and doesn't relate to any particular region. Not all universities are crazy expensive, aside from ivy league schools state universities are generally affordable, and student loans are available. I won't say that the middle class isn't shrinking, however there are many internal issues concerning jobs, money/loans/savings/credit, infrastructure that are currently being dealt with the current administration.

I can't apologize for George W. Bush...he's the worst thing to ever happen to America, you can blame all the conservative religious nuts that live in the southern states.

But the first Man on the moon was American, unless my history books are as wrong as yours. We got to see the moon with our very own eyes while you had to settle for rock samples......

I guess the point Im trying to make is, we will never know the truth. Your history books were written by your country as was mine, As human beings we must decide for ourselves what we believe is true or not.

and Its pretty obvious you aren't asking us about our stereotypes because you are curious, but because already believe them to be true.

you arrogance in your responses are more than apparent., and your narrow mindedness about us are just the same as ours to yours.

1)Your typical upper middle class family yes. And the lower lower class families since congress kept pushing people to be able to afford houses, and then You get such a situation.

2)Yes. Well, most places. Government jobs are quite cushy.

3)Not really. Health insurance isn't THAT expensive, but if you do have an accident, or shoddy credit, or have a crappy credit market like now, they will jack up the rates.

4) Yep. Of course a lot of people get aid, or some kind of scholarships.

5) Certainly better than Europe. No offense. Although I did enjoy Germany for the few months I was there. France, not so much.

6) I can't speak for others, but I think its mostly accurate. I have a few years of German, and I'm learning Japanese. For instance, Ich heisse Karl. Not the best example, but lets keep moving.

7) You haven't seen the Jim Carrey show have you? But yes, It's pretty accurate. I myself weigh in at about 75-76 kg.

8) More like the fact that university, and school teachers are WAY on the left side of the spectrum. Being a conservative school teacher is a bit of a stigma, and the teachers see fit to ostracize anyone who is, and force their opinions upon the students. this is especially true of the colleges, or universities. I guess that's why we are collectively so dumb. they spend SO much time forcing their politics instead of actually teaching well. It's a bit of an epidemic.

9) I had to learn it all back in 7th grade, and I'm one of all of 2 people in my class who still uses it, and still knows how to convert in my head. It's about 10-12 C here. Of course I've got my computer displaying F C and K. Pretty much just for shits and giggles.

10) I HATE credit cards. I only deal in cash or checks. I'm also one of the few people I know who use checks, for something other than bills.

110 Dood, I just took my PSSAs today. I'll answer tomorrow

So i would say that there is some truth to them, but also some BS. I'm sure I can drudge up a bunch of stereotypes about Europeans. For instance, English food sucks. Not true, because I know a place in England when you can get some of the best pork dishes in the world. Out in the boondocks too.

DUDE I HAVE LIVED THE AMERICAN DREAM AND I CAN TELL YOU THAT BEING AMERICAN IS PRETTY FUCKING COOL I'D RATHER BE AMERICAN THAN BE A CHINESE THE CHINESES ARE KINDA UNCOOL THEY ALL LOO KTHE SAME

And people like flashfirer are why the stereotypes exist. There's something about all caps, that just screams stupid.

Is it true that some European douche bags assume stupid stuff about Americans?

1.True
2.Varies
3.Often
4.Varies
5.Many
6.Many Americans learn Spanish, or French, if not by themselves, than in high school
7.Stereotype, varies
8.In truth, Obama was definitely the top choice for students, and even bullies took an interest, and would often ask: Mc Cain, or Obama. The safest answer was Obama. When the outnumbered Mc Cain supporters would say they supported Obama, It was often to please.
9.Many
10.Not really, varies
11.Completely varies, many are good at math, many aren't, but most Americans can do simple math up to basic algebra, From there many forget the following in adulthood.

I tried to keep this bias free, and I am pretty sure to it's accuracy. I'll be sure to ask you of the many European Stereotypes, but where exactly are you in Europe?

Here's another stereotype (That's correct and proven)

They think Canadians like them. (we don't)

They are never too optimistic about visiting Canada, or talking about Canada...unless it's about water to hydrate their fat asses.

Remember, these are proven.

Regarding #8, the Democratic party is kappeals to a younger demographic, so it would make sense that students prefer Obama. Besides, you can't base any assumptions on people you've met. That second figure is totally irrelevant.

Here's my answers. Keep in mind these are my observations:

1. Americans tend to live in houses, yes, but the size varies. I experienced culture shock when a Japanese friend I made in college visited my house (back when I was living there) and asked how many families lived in it, since it was way bigger than his parents' house.

2. I can't say for sure for anyone else, but I typically work over 40 hours a week. Not by too much though (three or four hours normally), so I have time to myself. I get 10 days paid vacation currently, but that'll increase the longer I stay with my company. Unlike Europe, there aren't laws here mandating paid vacation time, and I've witnessed horror stories of people being denied time off.

3. My job gives me health insurance, and it covers most of my costs.

4. Yes, university (college here) is expensive. A typical semester costs $12,000 a year for Pennsylvania state schools, and that's if you're a resident of the state. If not, you pay far more.

5. I currently like where I live, though I would not mind moving to another country if it would mean better opportunities. I've travelled abroad and I like to think of living elsewhere. I definitely don't think living in the US is best, because I don't know for sure.

6. Very true. As mentioned, most kids begin learning foreign languages in high school, and by then it's tough to learn. I can speak some French, but not enough to be able to live in say Paris or Montreal.

7. Obesity IS a problem here, due to a lack of emphasis on regular exercise, and also the fact that it's viewed as a chore rather than a fun activity. Even our professional athletes tend to fall into horrible shape once they retire from sports.

8. Those kids that tend to study overseas do tend to be more liberal. Colleges also tend to be bastions of liberalism. Though for me, college helped temper some of my views. I did vote for Obama, but because I felt he was the better choice, not due to "white guilt" or other bullshit some people have mentioned.

9. Americans that work in technical fields or scientific jobs are VERY familiar with the Metric system. Both of my parents are engineers, so I know it well. I can't say for others. Blame the English, since they founded this place and we use their system of measures.

10. Many Americans do actually save money and plan their finances. Many don't. American society tends to make people feel that the house they live in or the car they drive isn't good enough. Material possessions are seen as the key to happiness here. I know for you guys time is the most precious commodity.

11. Most Americans do know simple math, but some don't bother to think things through. The housing crash happened here because people took bullshit exotic loans and now many end up owing more money than their house is worth. I currently rent an apartment, and when the opportunity arises, I will buy a house, but one withing my means.

Those are my answers.

To answer a seperate question you had, yes, we do have trade unions. These unions strive for better wages, better customer and protection, and for better vacations. Many times, these requests are granted.

The statment was also made that the rich don't deserve the benefits they are getting. However, on must keep in mind that most of the rich have started at the bottom of corporate ladder. Ray Kroc, one of the main creators of McDonalds, would be at his restaraunts days at a time, sometimes even cleaning the mop buckets with his own toothbrush. But his ambition and hardwork led him into making his restaurant one of the most famous in the world. Out of all the perspiration he placed into his business, he could finally rest when he made his restaurant into a culinary empire. Yes, it is true that sometimes the rich do not have to work as hard as the lower classes. But that's because they placed much of their effort very early in their careers, sparing them a lot of effort later. Oh, and by the way, if you ever meet a CEO on vacation, most of the time they're busy talking on their cell phones to the their company.

I understand that you advocate socialism and I advocate capitalism. In socialism, there is a lot of political extraction to meet a lot of political distribution from the government. In capitalism, there is less political extraction for less political distribution. So while it is true that we pay more for college, we pay less taxes. In Austria, the government pays for your education, but only through the taxes they have collected from you. Therefore, both of us are paying the same price, but in completely different means.

However, America has adapted some of the policies of redistribution of wealth throught the income tax, where the rich pay exceptionally higher taxes than the lower classes do. We just haven't taken it length Europe has.

I hope that answered your questions. If there any arguments or questions let me know. I enjoy examining and comparing our systems of government.

US > Europe

1. Because I have never lived in the city, where apartments are very common, I'm pretty biased in saying that most of the people I know live in houses like this. Unfortunately, yes, most Americans don't actually 'own' their house, they are still paying for it, and credit card use is very common. However, I know no one who has an American flag in their house on display.

2. Again, this is biased for me because my dad works more than 40 hours a week. Because he is a self-employed sub-contractor, he can be fired at any moment. However, America has many labor Unions that prevent unjust firing and wage cuts.

3. Health insurance here is pretty bad, I have to admit.

4. I would expect only upper-class families to be able to pay for their university education without having student debts, but I honestly expect that the case is the same in most European nations as well.

5. For the most part, no. While there is a sense of national pride among many republicans and conservatives, many Americans envy the cultures of European nations, and want to at least visit.

6. Sadly, this is true. American education is severely lacking, and languages are not covered until high school, and even then it is not very extensive.

7. This one's pretty much true.

8. I would say that it is the latter, that conservatives do not want to leave the U.S. Generally, people with more liberal views will take interest in foreign cultures.

9. I personally have experience with the metric system, but the average American won't.

10. While personally I'd argree, studies show that European nations like Italy and France spend more money on unneeded items than America.

11. I just got done with my math homework, so I'll pass for now. Maybe later, though. But to answer the stereotype, ye4s, Americans are reputedly bad at math.

Lets simplify:
Americans don't look for debt, the goverment finds a way to give it to you.

All of these are gross exaggerations.

Americans are heavier but that's due to the fact of a good life. I myself have gained a bit of weight since starting school and being discharged from the Army due to a knee injury. I'm not grossly overweight but enough to where my fit self mocks me from my driver's license and motivates me to lose more pounds. I'm down from 225 to 195 after putting in a lot of effort and buying cheaper healthier food.

Yes, you can eat extremely healthy for a fraction of the price of fattening foods. A can of peas costs roughly 49-69 cents (if you go with generic which is the same shit as the crap Del Monte cans, it's fucking peas!!!!) and have a side full of vitamins, minerals, almost no fat, and protein. Not to mention some good old fiber to keep you regular and promotes good digestive health.

The problem with the mortgages you have spoken of deal with the fact many people are impatient and a little too ambitious at times. Do you really need a 5 bedroom house when it's just you, your spouse, and a kid? Hell no!

I myself live in Austin in an apartment. The rent's not so bad considering Austin is expensive to live in (I pay $550 plus utilities for a 512 sq. ft. 1 bedroom apartment in a nice neighborhood) but it's not impossible. Bear in mind I make $11 an hour at my job and get plenty of overtime. I am in a bit of debt but it's manageable and I have excellent credit (only 1 negative item on my report and it will be flushed by the year 2011) .

I have it better than most folks. As for the second language thing, not all Americans are ignorant. I am majoring in Spanish and will move on to other languages (German, French, and Russian with either Arabic or Mandarin or both at some point in my life).

I haven't had the chance to travel abroad but plan to do so when I get my career going. I'd love to tour Europe and Asia.

Let's flip the script on you.

Is it true most Europeans:

1.) Are closet racists?

2.) Don't know how to fight?

3.) Don't bathe regularly?

4.) Are gay or at least bi-sexual?

5.) Are snobby?

6.) Are all metrosexual men and the women are lesbians?

7.) Can't beat us at basketball or swimming (Michael Phelps! LULZ!!!)

See how stereotypes can go both ways?

You forgot to ask about our guns! I'm a bit amazed considering most Europeans I've met are shocked when I tell them about my collection. I took our foreign exchange student shooting and he had a blast. Told me he never held a gun in his life. You Europeans are slipping. Why so serious?

Here's my response to the stereotypes you've presented.

1a. There is no standard on this. It varies greatly by area. In some cities, like NYC, it's impossible to find anything other than an apartment to live in. Elsewhere, divisions typically vary by class. Wealthy gated communities, for example. Suburban communities usually run in the way of 3 bedroom, 2 bathroom, 2 car garage family homes. Many of the industrial areas emphasize apartmental housing, or low-cost housing. The diversity makes it hard to gauge.
1b. The mortgage crisis is widespread, but it is not the average situation.
1c. Flags are commonplace here, and always have been as a cheap show of patriotism.
2. Jobs and benefits of said jobs are as varied as housing. Working-class jobs typically suffer for lack of them, however.
3. This tends to vary by job class, as most insurance is either earned through the employer or paid for privately. It can be expensive, but there are less taxing programs, such as Blue Cross/Blue Shield.
4. This is correct, to an extent. Those who understand and utilize scholarship programs, and similar funding don't generally have a problem. It's generally expected, at least in families that can afford to, that saving for college begins before the student goes to university. This does mean that the parent takes on some of the burden.
5. Patriotic zealotry is nothing new and you won't find an accurate representation of this online. However, actual lack of understanding of the living situation in other countries is commonplace as our media is becoming substandard.
6. No. Bilingualism is commonplace, and usually consists of any combination of English and Spanish, French, Chinese, or Japanese. Spanish is dominant.
7. Yes, though I think it is more properly categorized as many, rather than most. You really only need to take a look at world statistics to see a growing and nasty trend to obesity in certain developed countries, particularly the US, the UK, and Germany.
8. You've got your cause and effect reversed, I believe. I think that you're more likely to find that those who would become foreign exchange students already have those political leanings, not that they got those leanings from going to other countries. Like many places, political views are shaped from childhood.
9. This is correct. It's going to take a few generations to wipe this attitude out. When I was still in high school, people were very adamant about not having to learn a new system. Useless thinking, and I don't think I came out ahead by not learning the same measurement system most developed countries use.
10. ... no. Credit cards are unnecessarily overused, but the idea that "Americans don't like to save money" is a political soundbite.
11. Incorrect, but there is an over-reliance on technology as an aid. That's gradeschool mathematics. Were I awake enough, I might put some thought into it. Not interested. Age: Old and cranky.

Anyway, there is truth to the stereotypes, but as with all stereotypes, they're oversimplified.

100% true in every way shape and form.

you forgot one, most americans think all canadians live in igloos. I'm not shiting you, I heard that a little below or above 50% of americans think canadians live in igloos.

really is it that hard to convert celsius to farenheight and vice versa?
its fairly easy to me
and some i'll say it again SOME americans think they can speak chinese
also some americans think they are the most superior people in the world so they are racist to almost everyone(okay im exaggerating about the most superior in the world part)

I am not going to reply to anythings because i cannot speak for the whole country i can only speak for myself, and i find how you said

"Don't be angry at him, it's not his fault that he is offended so easily. It's because he is American, so he is "special"

I like Venezuela! I would like to visit one day!
You can do your math well! Congratulations!"

is kind of ingorant just because of the "it's not his fault that he is offended so easily. It's because he is American" part, but he was also ignorant for what he said, any way thsi was the best blog i have read on here, and i hope people can help you figure out the htings you are wondering. However you must not rely on thier answers, better to experience things on your own to really know or get the general idea.

"To be honest I'd like to know more about USA without going there. Criminal records say it's not safe and that's not a prejudice but a proven fact. I don't want to risk having someone stab me with a knife for 100$."

You didnt do your research, You say you would like to go to Venezuela , but not america because they would stab you for a 100 dollars.

well the truth is, Venezuela has the highest murder rate in the world. and they would stab you there just because of your rediculous ponytail. please research before you speak, you are embarrasing the rest of the austrians sex traders.

1)

As one person mentioned, most apartments are in cities. If not, then within more urban areas. I guess it's also a stereotype that if you go to America, odds are you'll get shot. Well, people aren't going to live in an apartment if it means endangering their lives. Of course, the whole gun thing is somewhat of a stereotype, but it depends on which state you go in. Different states have different gun laws. Texas is more lenient with theirs, while California is a little more strict (and there's still gun crimes). Safety takes precedence over affordability, in other words.

2)

I'm still a "kid" (not really, but whatever), but this seems to apply on the job you're going for. I've personally never fancied the thought of an office-type job. If I remember what my dad's told me, he doesn't get paid as much because he was born outside the country. That being said, he works 8 hours a day. His work days, however, are weird to explain. He gets one day off between Monday through Saturday, and it moves up within the days. When the day off rolls around to Sunday, he basically works six days instead. I'm not going to reveal his profession here, just so you know, but he loves his job, and he gets a good work out from it. I, personally, wouldn't mind doing his job, and most other people probably wouldn't either. It's just not that high paying, and your initial (documented) degree of education doesn't need to be as high. Mentioning this, I still want it to be known my dad IS an intelligent person, who just had the circumstance of moving to this country.

3)

To be honest, I don't know what my health insurance covers. It's a strange one that covers certain perks, but we rarely have check-ups. I'm brave enough to admit that I need to see a dentist, but at least I'm not scared of them.

4)

I don't know about other countries in regards to this, but Americans also have the options of community college, vocational college, etc. I, personally, am attending a community college. The classes are $20 a unit. I don't want to convert that to Euros since a) I don't want to check current prices and convert them b) I'm too lazy to check current prices and convert them. The best option is community college for a cheap education, with other options. You can basically take general education classes through this, then transfer to an actual university. It's actually one reason why I'd rather not say "I go to university" when I talk to other people outside the country.

5)

This depends on where you live and how you were raised. I think people in Hawaii will think that, just because Hawaii is like a paradise (my opinion). I know they're not doing that well, economically, though. I don't think America's the best, but it's certainly not the worst. Of course, you are making a blanket statement, and you are not saying in comparison to what. In terms of a corrupt government . . . well, depending on the branch, and depending on specific people, it's not that bad. Of course, I'm looking at the smaller picture and disregarding current foreign affairs (I still need to see what else Obama is doing).

6)

I am a retard . . . I get it >.> My family didn't try to teach me at all, but my excuse is that within my ethnicity, I am mixed, and my people speak different dialects (I, personally think some of them are languages more than dialects). I'm currently learning Japanese, so unlike those of you who speak Latin-based languages, I have no root words to connect. In general, second languages are offered mostly in high schools. You can be taught another language by your family, but if not, there's a low chance of you picking up a language, but this is something you know. Past a certain age, it's hard to learn a language, not to mention that during the high school and college/university age, your brain is rewiring itself. California's second most spoken language is Spanish, just so you know.

7)

This really depends on what you're watching. Some shows are secretly Canadian. Some shows are like "House", and have foreign people. About %60 of Americans are overweight. I don't know how much of that is due to muscle (for there are some, like Schwarzenegger, who are ripped . . . wanted to mention him since he's Austrian ^.^). I used to be overweight, but I lost a lot of weight and I'm considered "normal". Unfortunately, I'm Asian and have the weight-inferiority complex (that I probably just made up) and I think I'm still big. Of course, you have to take into account the height of a person. I've actually only met a few people who were 220+ pounds, but only due to muscle. Of course, this is because of sports, where you actually take the time to weigh yourself. Most of us are overweight, but this is relative to our height. Can't help it if we have short people who you thought were 100kg+. One final note: there are a few overweight/obese actors on tv, but the entertainment world gets mostly "beautiful" people and "talented" people. If you have talent, weight isn't an issue. For the rest of them . . . they can get skills later in life.

8)

I'm assuming you only met 8 people. This probably depends on the state. I really didn't care who'd win. I voted for Obama, but the votes already tallied up for him by the time it even reached my state.

9) Most Americans aren't familiar with the metric system. Even if they are in Europe they will tell you(with a straight face) that at home it is 90 degrees in the summer (especially if they are tourists).

That almost sounds like you're not used to our system. If you're visiting, you're visiting. You grow accustomed to your customs. I'm sure you've probably picked up the conversion rate, but if you don't practice it often, it won't really come back fast enough. I, personally, just think about the freezing and boiling point of water. From there, I can guess how my body would react (because half the temperature of boiling water is still terribly hot).

10)

The former is false; We have urges, however, and impulses take over. As for credit, a) people hate carrying around more items ) you can replace a credit card, and even track its spendings, should your wallet get stolen c) like our banks, we don't physically have the money (haha).

11) Most Americans CANNOT do simple MATH, which they need for everyday life. Example:

You and your spouse earn 3000$ after tax and you need to spend 1000$ per month for daily items (food clothes etc.)

You can rent a house at 1000$ per month, or instead buy a house for 300.000$. No matter if you buy or rent a house, you will have to pay another 200$ for upkeep, water and gas.

If you have already 100.000$ on your bank account and we assume that you receive 2% interest on all the money in the bank, but the bank can lend you 200.000$ at the interest of 7% to buy a house (and you will place a mortgage on the house)

a) Is it better to rent the house or buy the house? (Assume you pay the bank only at the end of each year.) Which one would you choose?

b) Assuming that interest rates won't change and you decided to buy the house, how many years will you have to repay your debt until you have paid all back including interest?

c) How many years will you have to pay back, if a financial crisis comes and the interest rates for your loan have risen to 10% one year after you have borrowed 200.000$ from the bank.

CAN YOU ANSWER THIS SIMPLE MATH QUESTION?
Type the answers and your age.
(You should be able to calculate this if you are at least 16 years old, maybe even earlier.)

First of all, math can be classified into various categories. Simple is relative. Simple implies something that is easy to do, but it also implies something not complex or to be done with ease. To be honest, this isn't a "hard" math question, but it involves thinking and multiple steps. I'm a lazy person who saw someone who commented an answer (I was reading all the replies first), and I felt too lazy to double check. When it comes to "simple" math, when it comes at you in tax form, it's too depressing to look at and too lengthy to bother with.

Are these stereotypes correct, or it's all just bollocks?

"As I said, 2 cases aren't enough to make statistics. I'm sure there are at least 100 other pedophiles raping their daughters somewhere in the world. We simply don't know about what's going on."

Judging by your ponytail, that's probably something you think of often.

Yay stereotypes!

I obviously copy/pasted the thing, so I forgot to delete the last part. To some extent, these are stereotypes. To another, they're generalizations.

After reading the last comment (before mine)

If you think you're going to get stabbed in this country, then you're mistaken. Statistics are a great thing when they show you how many people do this and that. The terrible part are the stereotypes. Yes, there's more crime, but the chances of you getting stabbed are low. Be smart about what you do when you go around anywhere. Don't offend anyone (to the best of your abilities). You getting singled out for an attack is still shocking, and people would help, if you're in the right environment.

To be honest, other people being scared to visit our country due to crime seems laughable to many. The great part about being a physically big country is that crime rate varies from state to state. It may be relatively high to your standards, but these states are still larger than some countries (depending on the state). If you're really worried, see if you can get your own stab-proof vest or bullet-proof vest. I've been doing fine for years now without either. I have family from Asia and the UK, and they visit every so often. There's really little to worry about . . . but considering they're family, you should probably contact someone you know and trust as well. Be careful when you're walking too, because some rules apply differently.

From what my cousin has told me, you can't turn left on a red light. In America, you can turn right on a red light if it's safe. Cars in general suck at looking out for pedestrians, but they'll notice you, and you'll have enough time to react, if they're in a stationary position. Please don't ride a bike here unless you feel comfortable. Traffic treats bicyclists here differently (but it depends on the city/state/etc.). It's really interesting to get yelled at a guy when I have the right of way.

Don't carry around a purse. You're a guy, so you don't really have to worry anyway. Also, don't use a fanny pack unless you can pull off the style . . . few people can. It'll mark you as a tourist, and backpackers are more common anyway. The reason why I say to not look like a tourist is to really get the feel of how we treat each other. Also, a tourist may only seem more like an easier target, being in a territory they're not used to.

Research the places you'd like to visit, first, before travelling.
Los Angeles isn't a great city, but it's not the city as a whole that's terrifying. You'd also get to see Hollywood, if it's something you're interested in.
New York City is usually full of traffic. It probably has more cars on the streets than other cities. Walking may seem like a good way to go over there. If you feel safer in a car, take a taxi; You'll see stranger oddities in the subway.
Florida is very warm and humid. I can't remember much with my trip over there, but it's a good place.
San Francisco is an interesting city. It's much safer than Los Angeles, and there's many tourist destinations. It's okay to look like a tourist there. Just know that it's the Castro District, and not all of San Francisco, that is known for homosexuality.
Again, Hawaii seems like a great place. The only problem is that it would expensive for most people. Still, they have warm waters, nice sand, and beautiful scenery.
I don't know what you'd be interested in, but being a big country, there's a lot to see and experience, and one trip wouldn't be enough to see it all . . . but of course you really DON'T want to see it all @.@ And trust me on this one: you won't get stabbed, lol. If you do, I'll personally pay for your medical bills and ticket home. (don't hold me to that)

"Kenzu says
Your country is famous for drug trade and school masacres!"

Now I've come to realize you are nothing more than a pony-tail sporting, 22 year old childish troll, that draws like a 10 year old, who hates a country they never been too,

WHAT THE HELL YOU INSULTED E IT'S TIME FOR A SERIOUS ARGUMENT ABOUT WHETHER OR NOT AMERICA IS A SHITTY COUNTRY.
IT IS
BUT IS AUSTRIA ANY BETTER? I'VE NEVER FUCKING HEARD OF AUSTRIA

To answer your question about trade unions, it depends. If such a scenario occurs, it depends on the justification legally for such an act. However, the firing of 10% of ia company's workers is rare, unless the economy or the business itself starts to do poorly as it is currently. Companies don't like to fire people unless they have absolutely have to do so. If they do it for any other reason, the business is probably a low paying job, like working as a courtesy clerk at a grocery store, or the job is seasonal, like being a farm hand, which are also usually low-paying jobs. Most people don't do this kind of work. Those that do such work usually lack an education in college that would make them more acceptable at jobs requiring a higher skill. The people that work at these lower level jobs understand that their services may not be required at the end of a season. I even acknowledge that as a worker at my local grocery store (I'm 17, and usually work during just the summer). However, such circumstances are few compared to the majority, who don't get fired unless the company or organization absolutely has to do so. Many times when mass firings occur from absolute necessity, there is a likely chance that the business may collapse within a few months, sometimes weeks. If that occurs, then the business may start up again and may hire back its old employees. Sometimes it happens, sometimes it doesn't.

To answer your income tax question, the answer is yes, the income tax is a form of progressive tax.

Finally, I would like to address your prejudice towards the people of the United States of America, myself included. I wish you that you would trust us a little more. I've lived here for all my life and not a single person I know has gotten murdered. I wish that you would drop any preconceived notions of us being madmen with weapons and pay us a visit. I also formally request an apology for the statements that have been made concerning the US drug trade, the school shootings, and the highly unlikely stabbing that would occur if you arrived here. Doing so will probably make amends with Mindchamber, The Savant, and me. Hopefully, this request will be granted when I read your post later.

Sincerely,
Bushido589

1.) The first part is mostly right. You put owned in quotes. Wow, Kenzu. Wow.

2.) Uh, I think

3.) not quite...

4.) Absolutely. Yet, everyone's so conserned that free education will place an unfair burdon on tax payers. Boo hoo.

5.) Absolutely correct, also. Somehow a lot of us seem to think that because our living conditons are better... or seem to be... that it makes us better, somehow.

6.)Yes. Sadly, I fit into this category myself.

7.) 100kg? That may be an exaggeration but otherwise this statement is generally true.

8.) Conservatives are usually the MUCH more patriotic Americans and would rarely, if ever, leave the USA.

9.) Yes.

10.) To some extent. That's mostly just teenagers.

11.) By "300.000$" did you mean "300,000$" or "300$", etc.?

Please ignore those three spelling errors, if you notice them. It really bothers me when I make spelling or grammatical errors.

Yes, every bit of it.

Most of it, is indeed, sad but true. Number five is true, and false at the same time. Actually, more of us are thin or muscular, rather than fat. A lot of us aren't great at math.