> It just sounded like you were making a statement in your question, like the old joke > I quoted. I don't think this is the world view anymore, a lot of people don't like > us, we're in debt indefinitely and people I'm sure lump govt and people. It's what we > wish was still the world view I think. That isn't to say nobody looks at us this way.
Having spoken to a number of my coworkers and other people here in Sweden, it really depends. Some people lump Americans in with the bullshit that gets exported from the country, but there's also a lot of "grass is greener" thinking where people are absolutely shocked when I tell them that I much prefer it here in Sweden.
For anyone who's actually been to America here, the general feeling depending on where they went is usually one of two things: That the country is fairly unremarkable (if they didn't go to any major cities), or that the people are actually rather hospitable, or sometimes both.
In a way, visiting America usually helps erase any hasty generalizations that they've made about the country. The stereotype of course is that everyone's a stupid, xenophobic, gun-toting, racist shitheel, but when they encounter people who are kind and welcoming, they're usually forced to re-evaluate those views. It makes sense in a way, because most of the people terrified about "furriners" are more likely to be holed up at home watching whatever shitty news network they prefer rather than being out and about interacting with people.