<story><title>Today you, tomorrow me </title><url>http://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/elal2/have_you_ever_picked_up_a_hitchhiker/c18z0z2</url></story><parent_chain><item><author>dazzawazza</author><text>If you live in the UK you will surely know Dave Gorman [1]. He did a TV show called American Unchained [2] where he attempted to get across America without using chain stores. In that series I saw an America that I recognise from the Americans I know and have worked with (I&apos;ve never visited America). Americans are some of the most friendly, optimistic and outgoing people in the known universe. In the show he experienced many Americans going out of their way to help him, many for little or no financial gain and many lamented the decline of offline, small time, service with a smile, mom and pop America.&lt;p&gt;If I may be so bold as to offer some advice to Americans: Be careful not to lose this side of your culture, sure you&apos;ve got the biggest army, the biggest economy and more burger stores than any country would ever need but what has been your real strength for the last 100 years has been your welcoming, trusting and honest nature.&lt;p&gt;good luck.&lt;p&gt;[1] - &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.davegorman.com/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;http://www.davegorman.com/&lt;/a&gt;
[2] - &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.davegorman.com/projects_america_unchained.html&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;http://www.davegorman.com/projects_america_unchained.html&lt;/a&gt;</text></item></parent_chain><comment><author>nodata</author><text>&lt;i&gt;Americans are some of the most friendly, optimistic and outgoing people in the known universe.&lt;/i&gt;&lt;p&gt;I&apos;m going to get downvoted to hell, but I have to say this: I agree completely.&lt;p&gt;The reason why Americans believe that they are hating elsewhere is people transferring their strong dislike of American politics (&quot;let&apos;s invade/interfere (with) countries and call it freedom&quot;) onto the American _people_. It&apos;s an emotional and intellectual shortcut.</text></comment>
<story><title>Today you, tomorrow me </title><url>http://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/elal2/have_you_ever_picked_up_a_hitchhiker/c18z0z2</url></story><parent_chain><item><author>dazzawazza</author><text>If you live in the UK you will surely know Dave Gorman [1]. He did a TV show called American Unchained [2] where he attempted to get across America without using chain stores. In that series I saw an America that I recognise from the Americans I know and have worked with (I&apos;ve never visited America). Americans are some of the most friendly, optimistic and outgoing people in the known universe. In the show he experienced many Americans going out of their way to help him, many for little or no financial gain and many lamented the decline of offline, small time, service with a smile, mom and pop America.&lt;p&gt;If I may be so bold as to offer some advice to Americans: Be careful not to lose this side of your culture, sure you&apos;ve got the biggest army, the biggest economy and more burger stores than any country would ever need but what has been your real strength for the last 100 years has been your welcoming, trusting and honest nature.&lt;p&gt;good luck.&lt;p&gt;[1] - &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.davegorman.com/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;http://www.davegorman.com/&lt;/a&gt;
[2] - &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.davegorman.com/projects_america_unchained.html&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;http://www.davegorman.com/projects_america_unchained.html&lt;/a&gt;</text></item></parent_chain><comment><author>maguay</author><text>Thank you, and may all fellow Americans take this advice to heart.  When it all comes down to it, the greatness of any nation is only the sum total of the greatness of its citizens.  If we lose that, we lose what&apos;s great about America.</text></comment>