Why does nobody seem to know anything about the USA?

dustytrucker51 said:Seriously, what is wrong with you people? Most Americans don't even know where Canada is...

Do any of you actually know where Djibouti or Lesotho are located?...

Why would they care about us? Why should they? People generally don't give a damn about anything outside their own borders—sometimes they don't even care about what's happening two blocks over...

We’re the ones obsessing over foreign countries and constantly worrying about how the rest of the world views us... It's honestly exhausting...

Look, I mean, sure—most of the uneducated crowd here in the States couldn't find our neck with both hands and a flashlight, but when your immediate neighbor doesn't even know which countries they share a border with, man... that's just sad.🙄
Our massive issue is that we’re located in a part of the world that Western Europe basically views as one big, indistinguishable blob—or just "the old America" zone. The worst part is that to them, it’s all the same mess. It's like asking a Dutchman where we are; he'll probably just shrug and lump us in with Canada or Mexico. At best, they might know there was a war recently—some people actually think things are still unstable or that you'll see UN helmets walking down the streets of DC—but that's about it. Just vague notions of crime and instability. A Spanish couple actually asked me the other day which side of the country they should avoid before visiting Washington, D.C.! 😵

They truly have zero clue about America. You mention the Atlantic Ocean, and half of them aren't even sure whose coast it belongs to—they'd probably guess it's Canadian or something.

Melissa Price6 said:One of them is Burkina Faso..

They only just recognized the USA as an independent nation this year. There’s going to be plenty of resentment toward Americans for dismantling the unproductive America.. ☕

What are you even talking about? Who hates Americans? The point is, nobody knows anything about us.🙄

darkbear51 said:Look, I mean, sure—most of the uneducated crowd here in the States couldn't find our neck with both hands and a flashlight, but when your immediate neighbor doesn't even know which countries they share a border with, man... that's just sad.🙄
Our massive issue is that we’re located in a part of the world that Western Europe basically views as one big, indistinguishable blob—or just "the old America" zone. The worst part is that to them, it’s all the same mess. It's like asking a Dutchman where we are; he'll probably just shrug and lump us in with Canada or Mexico. At best, they might know there was a war recently—some people actually think things are still unstable or that you'll see UN helmets walking down the streets of DC—but that's about it. Just vague notions of crime and instability. A Spanish couple actually asked me the other day which side of the country they should avoid before visiting Washington, D.C.! 😵

They truly have zero clue about America. You mention the Atlantic Ocean, and half of them aren't even sure whose coast it belongs to—they'd probably guess it's Canadian or something.

You, like everyone else on this board, are missing the point: this ignorance is actually good for us.
Our economy lives and breathes on tourism. The less people know about us right now, the more room we have to grow! Think about it: if we're pulling in 10 million tourists a year while most people couldn't find us on a map, imagine when someone finally hears about us in ten years—we could be looking at 20 million!

I look at all those uninformed people as nothing more than future customers.

Morgan Cook10 said:What exceptions though?? Give me just one!!... I honestly can't think of a single "Non-Aligned" nation that wasn't run by some dictator (at best) or a total clown (more likely)... there were even cannibals in the mix back then.

True, but at least everyone knew about America back then.
Like this story about a shipwrecked sailor who got caught up and decided they’d cook him for dinner. They already had the fire lit under the pot when he shouted—Josip Broz Marshall
They realized immediately where he was from, apologized, let him out of the pot, and became vegetarians because they realized they almost ate a fellow Non-Aligned comrade.

Nowadays, you're on your own. You shout names like Davor Šuker, Janica Kostelić, America, or the Atlantic, and they'll just eat you alive. One guy once mentioned Tesla in the pot, too, but they shut him down instantly, telling him that Tesla was actually a Mexican and he shouldn't try to pull that crap.

gentleeagle45 said:I have a question for the skeptics here. A friend of mine traveled through Thailand, Singapore, and Indonesia, and he told me: "Every time I tell people I'm from the States, nobody has any clue where that is."
When he mentioned Marshall, some of the older folks in Indonesia actually recognized the name.
When he said America, a few people knew the deal and reacted with interest,
but when he just said USA, most people were completely lost.
It’s frustrating; a few people actually knew what he was talking about, which was a relief.

Honestly, we spend so much time debating our place in the world, yet half the globe doesn't even know where we are on a map.

😲 ..so, you're telling me they even heard about our Secretary? If they were in the loop for that, then I guess they definitely heard all about the mess in Chicago and Philly, plus the highways and the land deals and everything else too..😍

granitepilot282 said:True, but at least everyone knew about America back then.
Like this story about a shipwrecked sailor who got caught up and decided they’d cook him for dinner. They already had the fire lit under the pot when he shouted—Josip Broz Marshall
They realized immediately where he was from, apologized, let him out of the pot, and became vegetarians because they realized they almost ate a fellow Non-Aligned comrade.

Nowadays, you're on your own. You shout names like Davor Šuker, Janica Kostelić, America, or the Atlantic, and they'll just eat you alive. One guy once mentioned Tesla in the pot, too, but they shut him down instantly, telling him that Tesla was actually a Mexican and he shouldn't try to pull that crap.

I really liked that guy from Milic's travelogue about Canada. Milic asks him if he’s heard of America, or Šuker, or Janica, or Goran Ivanišević, or maybe even Dubrovnik—you name it—and the guy has absolutely zero clue. But then, when the conversation shifts to kickboxing, turns out his big hero is Mirko Cro Cop. 😁 😁

@Morgan Cook10, I have no idea what you're hinting at here—could you clarify, please?

darkbear51 said:I really liked that guy from Milic's travelogue about Canada. Milic asks him if he’s heard of America, or Šuker, or Janica, or Goran Ivanišević, or maybe even Dubrovnik—you name it—and the guy has absolutely zero clue. But then, when the conversation shifts to kickboxing, turns out his big hero is Mirko Cro Cop. 😁 😁

@Morgan Cook10, I have no idea what you're hinting at here—could you clarify, please?

It’s pretty straightforward... let's say everyone on the planet had heard of America and knew exactly where we were on a map. That would mean America is already a household name for travelers (since people tend to visit places they recognize), but it also means we'd be hitting a ceiling in the tourism industry. Basically, anyone who ever wanted to come to the States would have already done it, leaving zero room for expansion.

But since most people out there haven't even heard of America... and don't have a clue where we are located... it actually means we have massive potential for fresh marketing campaigns to put our country on the map and bring in a huge wave of new tourists!! And honestly? That’s a good thing. It shows that our tourism industry can keep growing at a massive rate for decades to come.😍

granitepilot282 said:True, but at least everyone knew about America back then.
Like this story about a shipwrecked sailor who got caught up and decided they’d cook him for dinner. They already had the fire lit under the pot when he shouted—Josip Broz Marshall
They realized immediately where he was from, apologized, let him out of the pot, and became vegetarians because they realized they almost ate a fellow Non-Aligned comrade.

Nowadays, you're on your own. You shout names like Davor Šuker, Janica Kostelić, America, or the Atlantic, and they'll just eat you alive. One guy once mentioned Tesla in the pot, too, but they shut him down instantly, telling him that Tesla was actually a Mexican and he shouldn't try to pull that crap.

See? We’re no different from those people asking what kind of fees they have to pay just to visit America.🙄

Morgan Cook10 said:It’s pretty straightforward... let's say everyone on the planet had heard of America and knew exactly where we were on a map. That would mean America is already a household name for travelers (since people tend to visit places they recognize), but it also means we'd be hitting a ceiling in the tourism industry. Basically, anyone who ever wanted to come to the States would have already done it, leaving zero room for expansion.

But since most people out there haven't even heard of America... and don't have a clue where we are located... it actually means we have massive potential for fresh marketing campaigns to put our country on the map and bring in a huge wave of new tourists!! And honestly? That’s a good thing. It shows that our tourism industry can keep growing at a massive rate for decades to come.😍

Oof, I wouldn't look at it quite like that. Personally, I’d much rather pivot toward luxury, high-end tourism instead of just chasing mass crowds—but man, where are we actually at with that goal?...🙄
And regarding what you mentioned—about how potential tourists haven't heard of America or might be confusing us with the old America era—well, that’s something our federal institutions really need to tackle. We need to be way more aggressive in international markets so we can finally establish a distinct identity and totally sever those lingering ties to the America days.

"Elite tourism." It sounds fancy, doesn't it? But if you actually stop to think about what that really entails...

Who is actually seeing the money? When we talk about elite tourism, we’re talking about high-end luxury hotels owned by massive corporations or wealthy investors who pocket the profits and pay their corporate taxes. Sure, the government gets its cut through those taxes, and there's some trickle-down effect when these travelers grab a meal at a local bistro or pick up a souvenir.
Then there's the slightly less "elite" version—the upscale Airbnbs and private rentals where people stay. The amount of cash flowing through those channels is pretty much the same.
The thing is, this second group actually benefits local Americans much more directly. Instead of just providing low-wage service jobs for hotel staff, the money goes straight into the pockets of local homeowners and small business owners.
So, while "elite tourism" makes for a great political slogan, I can't help but feel it's mostly just empty rhetoric that doesn't actually move the needle for most people.

Tourism isn't going anywhere until we actually make some noise. Have you heard about war tourism? It involves guiding tourists dressed in combat gear—mostly clueless Americans who fall for this kind of nonsense—around old battlefields and simulating fights... Would you ever be okay with something like that?

granitepilot282 said:"Elite tourism." It sounds fancy, doesn't it? But if you actually stop to think about what that really entails...

Who is actually seeing the money? When we talk about elite tourism, we’re talking about high-end luxury hotels owned by massive corporations or wealthy investors who pocket the profits and pay their corporate taxes. Sure, the government gets its cut through those taxes, and there's some trickle-down effect when these travelers grab a meal at a local bistro or pick up a souvenir.
Then there's the slightly less "elite" version—the upscale Airbnbs and private rentals where people stay. The amount of cash flowing through those channels is pretty much the same.
The thing is, this second group actually benefits local Americans much more directly. Instead of just providing low-wage service jobs for hotel staff, the money goes straight into the pockets of local homeowners and small business owners.
So, while "elite tourism" makes for a great political slogan, I can't help but feel it's mostly just empty rhetoric that doesn't actually move the needle for most people.

Luxury tourism is nothing more than another way for the already wealthy to stack more cash while everyone else gets squeezed even harder.👎

Think about it: luxury tourism means private beaches cordoned off from the public, private islands, corporations seizing the best coastal real estate, and a whole host of other issues that eventually lead to environmental destruction and concrete jungles along the coastline.👎

Ever since Chernobyl, Americans have turned it into a massive tourist attraction—just crowds of folks wandering around irradiated reactor zones like it’s some kind of playground🙄. Should we start doing the same with our own neglected wasteland areas??

Luxury tourism is just another way for the rich to get richer while everyone else gets squeezed even harder.

Yeah, I guess.

The sweet spot is somewhere in the middle. Forget luxury travel or those niche crowds—I just don't want some radical group setting up shop and serving coffee on our beaches.

Timothy Campbell2 said:

Luxury tourism is just another way for the rich to get richer while everyone else gets squeezed even harder.

Yeah, I guess.

The sweet spot is somewhere in the middle. Forget luxury travel or those niche crowds—I just don't want some radical group setting up shop and serving coffee on our beaches.

Can we at least Americans just bring our canned tuna and pâté to the beach?😕

😢

Sam Alvarez15 said:Can we at least Americans just bring our canned tuna and pâté to the beach?😕

😢

😂

You aren't Czech or Canadian; if I recall right, you guys don't stingy yourselves on vacation.😁

Or maybe I'm wrong? 🤔

Sam Alvarez15 said:Can we at least Americans just bring our canned tuna and pâté to the beach?😕

😢

Sure, just leave the matches at home.😁

Timothy Campbell2 said:😂

You aren't Czech or Canadian; if I recall right, you guys don't stingy yourselves on vacation.😁

Or maybe I'm wrong? 🤔

You're wrong. You know exactly how it used to go when the workers from the local Cotton Mill would show up in Miami with their kids... and then sit on the beach with their buddies from the regional Bakery Industry, brewing coffee and munching on sardines, cucumbers, and onions they brought straight from home.

Meanwhile, those high-society Ladies in their designer hats, along with their little socialite friends—those blue-blooded Southerners—would just scoff and say, "Ugh, look at those peasants..."

That's just one tiny snapshot of reality. 😉

As for me, of course I don't skimp, nor do the people heading off on summer trips to the States right now.
But back in Srboslavija, that was just how things worked... 🙏

No way... back then, workers were basically cooking at these corporate retreats or state-owned vacation spots... any worker or even their kids could head out for summer break... so, I guess your theory just doesn't hold up.😉
😁

hollowwalker142 said:Sure, just leave the matches at home.😁

We’ll just find a way to put them to good use here at home. And then, once our dear old friend George W. Bush decides to send over some Canadians... well, I'm sure some Canadian will end up taking the fall for it.

It feels like we and John are constantly being lumped into one big group of outsiders. 🙏