> 1. Americans are too sensitive
This is a common misconception, which colors a few other items in the author's list, but the real reason they don't see many people speaking their mind is because for the most part nobody cares. Which brings me to:
> 2. Everything is "awesome"!
So the USA is the only country in the world that has mindless small talk? Really?
We don't ask "how are you?" and expect a literal answer, we just want to hear "fine" and have you acknowledge our existence just as we've acknowledged yours. It's a simple greeting, not an offer for your autobiography thus far.
> 3. Smiles mean NOTHING
I honestly find it difficult to imagine you ran into an overabundance of smiles. I live in a fairly "southern" region where smiles are quite common, but even then I don't see everyone just walking around with a big toothy grin all day.
Still, kind of a silly criticism, isn't it? Who are you to say a smile isn't genuine, after all?
> 4. Tipping
Yeah, it's pretty stupid when places tack on "mandatory gratuity", usually hidden in fine print on a restaurant menu. Fortunately you can usually argue your way out of that if you were caught off guard, otherwise you learn what places charge it and what places don't, and everywhere else you can just make up your own mind about whether or not you want to tip.
> 5. False prices on everything
Our sales tax system is complex and different, and I think a lot of Americans would agree it's in dire need of an overhaul of some sort. That said, I don't see any issues with not including it on a price tag, because that's the established convention and what you see on the tag is representative of what the business is charging, not what you will pay.
> 6. Cheesy in-your-face marketing
http://reddit.com/r/wheredidthesodago
We're aware of this. Get a DVR or cancel cable and use Netflix, like a normal American.
> 7. Wasteful consumerism
Feel free to keep your 15 year old Nokia flip phone, if you want. Some of us have the means and the desire to experience the latest in modern technology, and quite frankly that's our business.
> 8. Idiotic American stereotypes of other countries
Your experiences are just as anecdotal as anyone else's, and your points are just as stereotypical.
> 9. Heritage
Most of us can trace our lineage back to another country, if we tried hard enough. That doesn't invalidate your own.
> 10. ID checks & stupid drinking laws
Short of a government issued ID there is absolutely no way for you to make an accurate assessment of someone's age. That's actually highly circumspect, still, but at least you can say you tried, which is half the point. The other, of course, being not to serve underaged persons alcohol which is against the law.
As for the nature of the laws themselves, yeah there's a few silly points, but I find it hard to believe there aren't equally silly laws regarding other matters in any of the other countries you've visited. Hardly a reason to rule out a country entirely, especially when you're not a drinker and those particular laws don't apply to you.
> 11. Religious Americans
I'm not religious. I know lots of people that are, and I know lots of people that are not. For the most part, if a person's religious beliefs clash with mine or I'm uncomfortable with the manner in which they express their religion, I simply choose not to associate with that person.
As we so often like to say, it's a free country.
> 12. Corporations win all the time, not small businesses
Sorry, this is a pretty long list, and I've found that actually reading your reasoning for these inane headlines doesn't really do anything to persuade me to your opinion. Suffice it to say that anecdotal accounts will not do, and while there are a number of large corporations that need taken down a peg they certainly don't win "all the time".
> 13. A country designed for cars, not humans
3.794 million square miles (9.827 million km²)
I'm open to alternatives.
> 14. Always in a hurry
Anecdotalism. Stereotyping.
> 15. Obsession with money
I'm so glad that greed is purely an American issue. I'll sleep better tonight knowing no other country in the world (or at least none you've been to) suffer from this problem.
> 16. Unhealthy portions
Try an unhealthy diet overall. Yes, we're well aware of the "obesity epidemic". Come back in a few years, see if we make any progress on that.
> 17. Thinking America is the best
Everybody knows that North Korea is Best Korea.