Really? US politicians state something, uh, derogatory (in any way) in public or anything? Care to give some examples?

We Germans take everything so seriously. Seriously, no sense of humour.

And as a result of that, we tend to be rather ideological and dogmatic and confrontational, more so than other countries maybe.

And I feel that we tend to be inhibited towards people we don't know or don't know extremely well, but this might be different according to the region.

It's nothing close to what happens in Russia or several African/Middle-East countries. At least, not the stuff said in public.

Hm. Now I'm curious. What is the common Asian stance on gender issues? I don't think I've ever really seen reports on that.

Agree on that. I'm talking exclusively about transgender folks (and folk-ladies, maybe? :P) since all over the entire planet politicians from every country, from Chile to Mongolia, bash on gay people.
Haven't heard a nasty thing coming out of politicians mouths about dudes who happen to dress themselves as mamasitas*, though :)

*well they are mamasitas, after all :P

You are right, everything you mentioned plagues our country. Yet, I'm quite sure that if the illiteracy percentage was lower, many of those problems would be significantly less important, as they are -imo- a direct consequence of ignorance.

From Donald Trump:
http://antifascistnews.net/2015/07/29/28-racist-sexist-homophobic-and-transphobic-quotes-from-gop-frontrunner-donald-trump/

Fron Ted Cruz:
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2015/10/13/ted-cruz-claims-that-trans-people-are-a-social-experiment/

From Mike Huckabee (autoplaying video alert)
http://www.cnn.com/2015/06/02/politics/mike-huckabee-transgender-caitlyn-jenner/

From Ben Carson:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/ben-carson-transgender-bathrooms_563baba5e4b0b24aee4958cb

This is just the results of simple google searching, and these are people who are running for *President*, not some low level position. I find this to be quite terrifying.

Hmm, I think my fellows here could be more open, smart, selfless, humorous, optimistic and friendly. Uh, and they could value high quality food more. But apart from that... it could be much worse.

R-R-R-R-R-R-REAALLY?!?
HIM!? :P

Thanks dtgreene, I'll check these. Sad to see this happens on a such basis, it seems. What a joke.
Ted Cruz: social experiment. Gosh! 21st century, where are ya?

It depends. In India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and -correct me if I'm wrong- in Iran there are the [url=https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hijra_(South_Asia)]Hijras[/url]. Westeners such as myself know a little more about transgender in Thailand than hijras, I guess.

Partly true, but i assure you that i know a fair share of people that are pretty well cultured and yet are the spitting image of "the middle italian". Racist, opportunistic, presumptuous people, blaming others for everything and ready to take advantage of anybody and everything without any regards for rules, laws or even just the basic respect for their neighbor.

Memorable post. If I could, I'd lick the "+" until the end of times :)
But why the hourly need to be so "exceptional"? I mean, care to say a little more? It's like shoving on other's peoples faces like "notice me senpai" :D

Hate to say it but outside of US some GOP candidates for the upcoming presidency elections are depicted in press either as a disgrace of their nation, a laughing stock (if you chose not to take them very seriously) or as Nazis and danger for the worlds largest democracy.

Donald Trump should have got zero media attention since the day he mocked John McCain dishonoring his valor in the VIetnam war. This first of many no-gos which followed should have been the end for his candidacy. Because it didn't happen the opinion is now that the US society as a whole must have gone crazy to allow and even partly indulge in such.

Unfortunately that means that the distance to the really crazy nations like China, Turkey, Russia, Japan, Iran, ... gets smaller.

I'm always getting a bit pessimistic about the future whenever I think about this.

Religious Bigotry and outright refusal to take policy from countries with 1000s of years of history.

I'm of the school of 'The USA isn't leftist ENOUGH', thank you.

I'm keeping my head up because it looks like the Don finally went even too far for the lunatic fringe here. :P When the KKK starts to distance itself from your platform because you are too extreme, the campaign is doomed. XD

Personally, that's the clear representation of the "huge-est" step back in many years; he's the exact lackluster, and I'm stating that in the whole sense of human reason.
I know that the political world in the US is somehow unispired these days, but throwing popcorns at this corn haired bizarro is as safe as playing russian roulette blind (and naked or whatever).

If this folk gets elected, it's not for the fact that he's ascending, no: it's you guys (US nationals) who are descending, so said the poet.