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Why Brazilians often ask or say....?

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When I am talking to Brazilians, or reading what Brazilians ask in Yahoo Answers, 2 things often come up.

First, I am often asked what I (or others) think about Brazil. I also see this question asked in Yahoo Answers quite often. Why is this question asked so much?

Second, it seems like Brazilians love to criticize US Presidents and policies. This was true with Clinton and it is also (very) true with Bush. Obviously, there have been MANY, MANY problems in the US and with US Presidents. This is true. But, every time I visit Brazil people I meet often feel it is NECESSARY to tell me how much they hate something about US policies, the US President, etc. Why is this? There seem to be enough problems in Brazil that Brazilians don't have to be criticizing the US so much.

I'm sorry if my questions sound negative. This is not my intent!! These are just 2 very real questions I have as a non-Brazilian. I'm sorry if it comes across as offensive! Desculpe

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I am a Brazilian, and I agree with what everybody else said. nationalism, imperialism, stereotype, sex, carnival, prostitution, women without clothes, all of those are very good answers that is why we usually ask. People forgot to mention the crimes, everybody thinks Brazil is dangerous and you will be attacked on the streets.

About the US policies, I got lucky to live in the USA and I can have a different view of the USA which a lot of the Brazilians do not have. The press in Brazil is very negative about USA and the news there are not very fair and balance. It is sad but it is true. Often the news are not very impartial. The reporters often give their opinion on the subject that might look like that is what the entire population thinks. The TV will influence the population minds. I would also say that the education is a problem. A lot of Brazilians do not develop serious analytical skills. The government do not encourage education, they probably do not want the population too smart criticizing the government, so with that in mind they can keep committing their crimes. Finally, Brazil is controlled by the bourgeoisie which would not like any American policies that would not benefit their pockets.
Finally, I personaly like Bush. I know he is heavily criticized because the war on Iraq, but I do like him. His fiscal and monetary policies are doing good things for the country, but the press only reports him very negative all becausse the Iraq war and also because they want a democrat in the presidency.
If you are good they hate you, if you are bad they hate you. You can not please everybody. I think there is nothing wrong in a country try to protect its interest. Whatever Bush is doing, he is looking out for the American people, which unfortunately in Brazil Lula is not looking out for the Brazilians but himself and his pocket. That is the reason they blame on the USA, so the brazilians do not look to themselves but blame on the USA for its economic problems. I can keep going on and on. Very good question.

One thought.............If the entire world hate the USA, why everybody wants to move to USA. Have you thought about that? I guess the USA is not so bad after all.
Others

I think your question is interesting.
I think there麓s a lot of resentment towards the US, specialy by people older than 35/40, due to the support the US gov gave to the military dictators in Brazil, and in south america generaly, in the 60麓s and 70麓s.
I don麓t like Bush but to be honest he is a lot worse for Americans than he is for Brazilians (Republicans are usualy a lot better to US, less protectionism in the economy etc...)
I admire Clinton and think he is a great man.
But I think Reagan was a criminal, not to us, to Americans.
Those are personal opinions based on facts.
As far as the fact that we have problems, and believe me, we have plenty, that doent not stop someone from having opinions.
Americans have problems, Europeans of all nations have problems, everybody has problems, it would be very boring if people had no opinions at all.
But in many ways I think you are right, Brazilians tend to criticize too much and in my opinion a lot of it comes from sheer ignorance, or lack of knowledge.
I was born in Brazil, with european parents, have lived both in Europe and the US and now live in Brazil. Have an EU passport that allows me to live and work in Europe, but I chose to move back here.
We do have less problems with racism, polution, on the other hand the violence in our big cities has reached unberable levels. Who to blame? Politicians of course!
Washington post had a report this weekend that there are more teenage victims of violent crimes in Rio than in Bagdad!
At this point I would not move, but I love Europe and certanly love the US.
If it麓s any consolation, Bush maybe an asshole, but our president, Lula, is 10 times worse, he just doesnt have the same power to make such a mess, so his mess is mostly internal. Worse for us I guess.
It麓s not negative at all, your questions I mean.
My appologies if I ofend your presidents and you if I ofended you.
Because America is the most re known and influential country in the world, so people (not specifically Brazilians) tend to criticize the government or the policy that they would find not pleasing enough. There is actually a lot of nation leader's that are far more worse than Bush, but it's just that most of US policies almost effected the a lot of nations so they only way they could show some kind of disagreement without causing so much trouble is to voice their criticism. In my country there are also a lot of people doing demonstration, and sometimes riots because of Bush or America's government policies or actions. I hope this helps.
Brasilians are the most "nationalist" of the Latin American countries.

They are always curious of what others thinmk of them. It is concern between them knowing they are a power-house, for sure in America and in the world. But still with a lot to do!

The anti-northamerican sentiment, is commom in Latin-America, due to the excessive imperialistic attitude.

Plus it is very "easy" to blame someone else for your problems.
Brazilians feel that their country is very stereotyped and people abroad have unrealistic views of Brazil, that's 100% true. That's why we're so insecure and make all those questions. Quite a waste of time cause probably you will receive the same answers we were expecting: "gorgeous women", "tanned people", "soccer", "samba", etc.

Brazilians are not the only ones that criticize US presidents in the world. They tell probably because they feel that you need a "neutral" foreign opinion so that you realize that your president is bad. That definitly does not mean that Brazilians like their presidents. There are 2 presidents in Brazilian history that are popular untill today: Get煤lio Vargas and Juscelino Kubitschek, the others are very unpopular. The bad presidents of Brazil only affect Brazilians, while the bad presidents of the US... By the way, the government of the US have this very big tendency in meddling into other countries business, specially Latin American countries, so why can't we meddle into the US a bit?
Our goverment(Brasil) is f***ed up.
Damn Lula
As Gustavo has said, Brazil is the most stereotyped country in the world. Too many bullshit about: snakes walking on the Rio's streets, canibals Yanomanis in Copacabana, no whites but naked brown people on the beaches, carnival all time twelve months a year, poor black soccer players from slums, poor country, latin people (this is the worst!), etc, etc.

When you see a brazilian reporter in a foreign country asking "Do you like Brazil? did you visited Brazil?, the answers are the same, always: "Oh! Brazil? Samba, carnival, Amazonia...Hello, Brazil!". We hate, this.