Redwood Shores  Calif October 21  2004 — Americans typically view themselves in the colors of their beloved flag  “Old Glory” — patriotic red  white and blue But a new international study of nearly 13 000 consumers in 17 countries—the largest geographically balanced study on color to date—revealed that 20 percent of the global population outside the United States associates America with the color black  a shade that means death  hate  sadness and danger