joe

Thanks for the link Lola. I think the "Ugly American" stereotype exists because, well, we have a bunch of ugly americans representing our country poorly while away. We, on the whole, do seem to be somewhat disrespectful of other cultures because of the bubble we've provided ourselves here in the states. That doesn't mean we all walk around spitting on other country's flags (well, most of us don't), but we do what some consider innocuous things like not learning about cultures we're about to visit, and then appearing ignorant when we're there. But hey, ignorance is bliss, right? And ignorance is sure easier than picking up a book or learning another language.