America's lifelong admirer
This from the British Prime Minister Gordon Brown in "It is no secret that I am a lifelong admirer of America. I have no truck with anti-Americanism in Britain or elsewhere in Europe."
So what is this anti-Americanism with which the PM will have no truck? I am never quite sure what people mean by the term and nobody ever seems to define it before using it, which is a pity because it makes it easier for the nastier brands of it to hide around, cloaked by respectability, as if it might be something with which some prime ministers might reasonably have some truck.
Visceral anti-Americanism, bordering on racism, portrays the United States and its citizens as worthy of contempt in almost all circumstances. This anti-Americanism exists, of that there is no doubt. It is often to be found on the left, particularly among those who see globalisation as a threat. But in its European guise it has cropped up historically on the right as well among those who fear and despise a society based on ties of free association rather than kinship and history.
But plenty of anti-Americans claim - I know this well having presented a on the subject - that their brand of anti-Americanism is simply a rational and reasoned opposition to the things America DOES. It's the policies, stupid. You can admire America they say, or admire individual Americans, but still hate the guts of the things America does.
Gordon Brown's Labour party contains a good many of that second category of anti-Americans. Assuming he has no truck with either form of anti-Americanism I wonder if he will bring this second group round to his way of thinking. I suspect he will wait until January 2009 to try...
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I 'have no truck' with most of the constituent parts of the 'anti-communist' imperialist American foreign policy that occupied the majority of the latter half of last century. This same way of thinking has turned from anti-communist into anti-Islamism, and while some responses to the 9/11 attacks were warranted, the invasion of Iraq is not one of them.
If opposing this brand of imperialism makes someone anti-American, then I suppose I am a self-hating citizen of the United States.
Defining opposition to American policies as anti-Americanism is like defining opposition to Israeli politics as anti-Semitism. It is something of a political trick.
Justin
The best ways for Brown to prove his pro-Americanism (for surely that is what anti-anti-Americanism is) is to do 2 main things.
1. Help the establishment of an Anglosphere of English-speaking countries, as opposed to the UK continuing blindly down the very expensive but treacherous & pointless pitfall-strewn culdesac of EU integration, &
2. Abandon the UK's Blair-inspired policy of buying EU-originated weaponry (frequently, though fortunately not quite always, complete but expensive rubbish, eg the new Panther & Vector army vehicles) & buy again mainly US equipment (eg more Chinook helicopters & Globemaster large jet transports etc), but also good kit where it is available elsewhere. This would greatly help our brave forces to win whenever they are engaged, rather than to lose lives &/or suffer terrible injuries just to please EU leaders - as they do their shameful deals in EU meetings to ensure EU majorities on this or that totally unnecessary EU proposed regulation. Fortunately, more US-supplied Mastiff armoured trucks (very poular with the troops) have been recently ordered by Brown & are on the way, & hopefully soon some lighter, but well armoured vehicles too (eg Cheetah vehicles etc) to replace the Snatch LandRovers in which so many of our courageous service people have lost their lives, or been severely wounded in.
This would certainly prove his anti-anti-Americanism is genuine!
..and Brown's next planned foreign policy speeches will be titled: "Why I don't despise Germans", "I don't hate the Belgians" and "I don't think being Swiss is an abomination".
The "anti-anti-American" speech is so utterly silly that it is almost not worthy commenting on. I can't help but wonder what his real opinions are if he feels the need to assure the public of something that should be a very obvious position.
I'm a long time resident of Florida although I was born and raised in Wales. Upon visits to the UK, I have witnessed this anti-American attitude in many parts of the country. I guess my accent gives me away, and I often find myself ostracized because I am 'American'. I agree with Justin that it is difficult to define why this attitude prevails. In my view, it has been more intense in recent years. Many have blamed America for the situation in Iraq but I refrain from arguing about this. I suspect that most of it is jealousy. My cost of living is significantly lower than what it would be in the UK. As an example, a new car is about half the price of the same car in the UK. But then again, healthcare is expensive over here, and most Brits don't realize this. A lot of Brits only know America from their two weeks in Orlando, and base their knowledge of the US on that. As I mentioned before, I live in Florida, on the beach, with 360 days of sunshine a year, so I guess that to many Brits this would be preferable to living in the UK. I do miss pork pies though.
I had assumed that there would be objective views...guess I was wrong as any nut can post his obsessive viewpoint. Good luck on the anti-American BS. -- An American --
My US Media is just spreading propaganda for the White House about PM Brown because he's not a yes man.
Now Mr. Brown is looking out for the people of his country not following the orders of a mad sick President Bush. Look at the mess the US is in now with this Bush Administration. Every Bush appointee lies under oath and breaks the US law. The US had plans to attack 7 Middle Eastern countries for their oil. The plan backfired. I'm an American and I don't believe a word that comes out of Bush/Cheney's mouth they have lied from day one. Hopefully when the US gets an honest President, PM Brown will be able to enjoy his next visit to the US. PM Brown is a wise man and is doing the right thing as he keeps the Bush Administration at a distance.
As for Americans not knowing PM Brown, well most Americans don't even know who the US Supreme Court Justices are and they apply the law.
Try asking a person in the US if they know who their Government representatives are you'll find out they don't them either.
You could usefully start your anti-anti-American campaign with some of your Ö÷²¥´óÐã colleagues.
For example reading the climate stuff on your website, it looks like the US is causing all the trouble and every single other country in the world is a blameless victim.
Another subject - the death penalty. Every time this comes up the beebers routinely look at the US and some unfortunate on death row. Never China, the USSR - or - heaven forbid - Saudi Arabia or Iran. Death by hanging from a crane anyone ?
Or the daily diet of "nutcase" stories from the USA. Today its a nutter shooting the wheels off his own truck. I know its a cheap filler for the less-intelligent, but the Ö÷²¥´óÐã like to think its above trashy stuff.
I find this anti-American sentiment to be quite interesting considering that in the United States I have never seen strong anti-Brit sentiment displayed before. In fact many Americans show great admiration and respect for the British and I never hear jokes or snide remarks directed towards the British people or government. Now if we were talking about the French, this would be a whole different story...
I'm often amused by a popular definition of what it means to be Canadian, which is: to be as un-American as possible under the circumstances.
One of the problems with the United States of America today is that the "White House" does not really want to have "free association" with anyone. I would also argue that as it has no equal in the world, however you measure that equality, there is no state with which it could "freely" associate anyway. But the USA also seems not to want any meaningful associations with anyone based on kinship or history either.
The political system in the USA is, in part, based on things that were set up during the revolutionary war, and the early years after independence was recognized by the "British". I suggest that that system is now clearly outdated and not working properly, in the same way that the "first past the post" election system in England is now clearly outdated and not working properly.
As long as Mr Brown does not define "it" - this anti-Americanism he is against - he can continue to say he is against it. But he clearly still thinks the UK has something to gain from "the special relationship" - a free association with the USA which I presume he still thinks is based in part on ties of kinship and history. Now that is the real problem.
The inhabitants of the 50 or so countries which were invaded by or had their governments overthrown by the US since WWII, and the relatives and compatriots of the millions of innocents slaughtered as a result of its policies, might be able to provide you and Mr Brown with some insights as to the source of anti-American feeling.
Anti-Americanism is affecting me so much.
I am British but moved to the Philippines with my wife, the majority of people here see a white face and think your American, and shout remarks at you, they have ago at me about Americas foreign policies and I have even been attacked, when I get the chance to tell them I am British they apologize.
But the fact that I am being victimised because of American foreign policy, is making me turn in to a Anti-American person, I have never agreed with what they have been doing round the world, but now it is affecting me it is making me feel hatred towards them.
I think that the term anti-American is a misnomer. What most people feel, some stronger than others, is anti-Americanism. That is they feel antipathy to that noisome mixture which consists of " American Exceptionalism", Manifest Destiny" now with the addition of the Manichean " You're either with us or against us" world view of the Faux Texan and current encumbrance in the White House.
This together with the USA's history of supporting "bastards, but our bastards" makes anyone with a knowledge of history more than a little annoyed when a US president of the calibre of Bush talks of freedom and terr'ists. For which is the only country found guilty of supporting terrorists, the Contras, in the case Nicaragua vs USA in the ICJ.
BTW many citizens in the other countries of the Americas object to the use of the term American being use solely on behalf of the citizens of the USA.
TO TRUCK OR NOT TO TRUCK
Gordon Brown said that he had "no truck with anti-Americanism in Britain or elsewhere in Europe."
But why did he limit his "no trucking" to Europe ?
What about anti-Americanism in the rest of the world?
I live in South Africa, a country that has, unfortunately,
adopted, for the most part, an anti-American foreign policy. It would therefore be logical if Gordon Brown had "no truck" with its anti-Americanism.
However, David Milliband has recently stated that he is supporting South Africa's bid to gain a permanent seat
on the UN security council. So presumably, Gordon Brown is quite prepared "to truck" with South Africa's anti-Americanism.
The 'solution' of a bad leader in Baghdad was 'operation Iraqi freedom' which amounted to collective punishment to all Iraqis for not having dispensed with a dictator themselves.
So why are Americans surprised when people employ the same logic and hold them collectively responsible for America's destructive foreign policies?
The term "anti-American" is in and of itself a misnomer as the United States does not represent the whole continent of America. In fact most of those labelled as anti-Americans will probably confess to a, perhaps grudging, fondness for the Canadians, Mexicans and South Americans. The United States' new pro-torture legislation will probably not be required in exacting this confession, nor will a trip to Guantanamo bay.
In conclusion, if "anti-American" is the title one must wear in order to speculate that perhaps the suspension of Miranda rights, pro-torture legislation, human rights abuses and rampant jingoism in the United States are a bad idea, then I wear it with pride.
To speak one's conscience, even if it is contrary to popular opinion, is not only a right, but also the duty of any democratic citizen.
Some of the best critics of America are American. I am only anti-American about certain things, aggressive American foreign policy, massive corporate dishonesty that has led yet again to a worldwide business crisis, its racism in the South and its bible bashing. Simple realy..ljealous? no way.
Will Brown jump as high as Blair when Dubya says jump?
It gets on my nerves when I see those talking about anti-americanism. But just like America and for what they are, I have to cool down and not to join issues with people but be firm and determined in what ever they are doing. It is a pity for whatever reason known to them, some europeans joined the islamists in their vain anti american propaganda. Now talk of policies which any continent in the world has a policy that sees the inclusion of human beings, recognising their potentials and giving people opportunities regardless of whom you are, religion, creed, colour or whatever? Is the USA.I admit in truth the USA is not perfect, but no other is better. There was a boot I read long time ago, how some people in europe out of fear where complaining how america brought some black people to cause war with Germany. It is the same thing in my present life that I am seeing. What we are reading now concerning the WW11 are written with the eyes of the victor, but only God knows what transpired during those period between the USA and Europe.
They changed the arguement that they like the American people but their President. But the same people claimed to be developed, civilised and have democracy. But they refused to accept the wishes of the American people for two consecutive times. Haba! are you the only wise people on earth? Tell it to the birds. Last week I said the Gordon Brown is not different from Sir Tony Blair. Today he has made the his ultimate speech. To these anti-american bashers, I tell you: iran is coming, Russia is coming, China is coming!! God bless America
I love the United States and most of its people. I have a problem with the USA government's arrogance in the manner with which it deals with other countries. Within the USA, I understand that 55% of people have never been outside their state and 35% of senators do not have passports - I would love these figures updated - so how can we expect the USA to understand the needs and welfare of foreign country? What the government fails to appreciate is that what works for the West, does not automaticaly work elswhere.
Like it or not, America is the predominate world power and so will be the focus for it's attention. When Britain was predominate, we did some good things and some bad things - generally it is the bad things that are remembered. I suppose it all comes down to the saying 'much is expected from whom much is given.'
A few years ago I visited Phnom Penn and saw museum of the tortures the Khmer Rouge carried out. Amongst the displays was an apparatus for water boarding. I was shocked to see it. I oppose the use of such "techniques" yet comments by Dick Cheney suggest that in this regard the US is no better than Pol Pot. Does opposing water boarding make me "anti-american"? I don't believe so. Most of my "entertainment products" originate there. Almost without exception every american I have met has been warm and friendly. I do reserve the right to complain about policy (many americans also oppose aspects of current policy) without comdeming an entire nation.
I find the term "anit-American" completely off the mark. I am an American. I am proud to call myself and American. I was born and raised in this country. I do not believe the actions of a few people who have been elected into office should automatically label me as a hateful, and selfish person.
Anti-Americanism IS racism. You have the right to disagree with what the United States does, but the American people don't deserve your abuse.
As for the term "American" offending the rest of the Americas, what would you rather call us? United Statesians?
Anti-Americanism is plain silly, if only for the simple fact that the USA are not "America".
Pro-Americanism is equally silly.
It is, however, perfectly reasonable to be against a nation which feels superior to all others, considers war a political option, plunders the planet and destroys lives whereever it goes.
Funny though that Mr Brown shows clear signs of an unfiltered anti-European attitude. But I guess this is ok in Britain.
What's up with the use of the perjorative 'yank'? B@#$% yanks, you yanks, yanks this, yanks that and worse is heard more often than hello or the f-bomb. The history of 'Yankee' is Dutch, in reference to the English over three hundred years ago. In America, when someone tells you to 'yank' something - it usually ain't a good thing. Please stop.
Ps. The Irish use the term more often than anybody. Between their Premiership kits and Coronation Street watching they are becoming more British than you!
As a citizen of the United States and one of the Americas, I'm not happy with being an object of disfavor because I was born here and I haven't personally stopped the current government regime.
What I can do, is vote for someone with whom I can agree...and that doesn't include unrealistic answers by candidates said to favor popularity.
US citizens are greatly divided regarding things we have learned our representative officials have done in international actions. We may be struggling but we will arrive at a suitable solution with the help of our friends.
Understanding British anti-Americanism is like understanding British anti-French attitudes found in the press, the media and in the mentality of a large number of people. It has nothing to do with rationality, it is part of British collective thought. It is amusing, since when those same people visit either of the two respective countries they are totally taken in by most of what they see. It is also curious to note how Germany is little affected by such kinds of attitudes apart from a few Monty Python type caricatures. Perhaps there is some kind of a deep down envy concerning France and America, the former because of its imagined douceur de vie and the latter because of its wealth and power.
Once and for all, America is a whole continent with many countries. Stop calling the U.S.A. America! This is embarrassing. Some 600 million people were born outside the borders of the USA, but are nevertheless americans.
I am an Anti-American;
I love Anti-American things;
I love Anti-Samuel Barber's
Adagio for Anti-Strings,
The Catcher in the Anti-Rye,
And what Philip Anti-Glass composes,
The Shaker Anti-furniture,
The Anti-paintings of Grandma Moses,
The Boston Anti-Philharmonic
And Martin Anti-Luther King,
The simple Amish anti-quilts:
THE WHOLE DAMNED ANTI-THING!
As an American living in London, I find it interesting that it's socially acceptable here in the UK to make remarks towards Americans that, were you speaking to an individual from any other country, would be considered extremely rude. I find that many people I meet here, regardless of where they are from, will often immediately follow their introduction with a remark like, "Oh, an American - so why do all you rednecks like killing people so much?" I usually respond that making an automatic assumption about my personal political beliefs demonstrates the same kind of narrow-minded thinking that they accuse Americans of applying towards the rest of the world.
I think that published "facts" about America tend to make people rather anti.
For example, the United States of America sold arms to both sides before they entered the world wars, then bragged about winning for their allies, who then had to pay the war debt for several decades. The losers got off Scott free, so one guesses they didn't get to be the allies as they didn't have any cash left.
More recently I read that 300 Million Americans consume 80% of the worlds resources. The other 5700 million or so, have to share their left overs.
I also read that they produce 75% of world pollution. Yet they say they won't stop burning fossil fuels because it may harm their precious economy. Duh!
Americans profess to believe in a Christian ethic, yet they retain capital punishment, want their revenge to be ten eyes for an eye, and carry lethal hand guns as a constitutional right.
America could use its wealth to fast track environment saving technologies like for example Nuclear Fusion, but instead it leaves that any other costly research to the relatively poor Europeans.
There are many more "facts" like these that could make a reasonable person with humanitarian ideals be pretty anti American.
Comment #26 is spot on. As a Frenchman with military figures in my family, I found the US (and UK tabloids) propaganda on "French surrender monkeys" quite offensive.
But then you realise that where there is irrational hatred, there is envy. The French can be proud of making the right choice on Irak, just as they can be proud of their unique culture and lifestyle. Americans will be hated because their society is the most vibrant and their economy the most dynamic. And the Brits have been a very successful and influential nation for centuries, thanks to individual enterprise and collective resilience.
There are good reasons to hate each of these nations (based on the darker parts of their history), but there is just as much to love and admire. And most of the hatred is in fact unintentional praise.
What strikes me about anti-Americanism, particularly British anti-Americanism, are the facile, lazy, contradictory soundbite arguments put forward by its proponents.
For instance: that the USA was late arriving in WW2. Yet, when the USA goes to war early (eg. Iraq), this is also apparently wrong.
A more recent example is Iran: they ask what right does the US have to tell Iran it cannot have nukes (ignoring the fact that Ahmedinijad has threatened another country's existence). Yet most of these people also claim to be against nuclear weapons; here they are arguing that a genocidal madman should be allowed to have them just because the US is arguing that he shouldn't!
It is these people, who claim they are "only against American policy!" - yet are clearly only against American policy when the policy is American - who Gordon Brown referred to. And I agree with him. I think those people would be "against American policy" no matter what the policy was, because they have an irrational hatred of the USA.
I have been waiting for a European leader to have the balls to make this speech for many years. I am very pleased that someone has finally done it. Well said Mr. Brown.
I have always assumed it is when you blame ALL the world's problems on the U.S. while ignoring the role of other nations, (such as the Soviet Union in the past). Many on the left in Britain do it as a matter of course. Chomsky is a good example of this and their are many mini-Chomskys in the media in Europe including Britain.
I'm British but love America and like the American people. But I don't like the way that if you criticise the US over a particular policy, your accused of anti-Americanism.
America is such a powerful and influential country, everyone is bound to have strong views on the decisions the US gvernment takes, especially in the global arena.
Criticising some of these decisions does not consititute anti-Americanism.
Its funny that the country that coined the term "Cheese eating surrender monkeys" when the French disagreed with them over Iraq should be so sensitive.
The majority of US originated posts/posters on the internet usually treat anyone who isn't from the USA as if they are backwards, and have nothing good to say about other countries at all. Don't believe me? Have a look on any messageboard, blog comment, youtube comment etc.
So, maybe if the US endeared itself to the rest of the world, the rest of the world might think of it a bit better.
It is sad but perhaps inevitable that media coverage of general policy speeches tends to pick up just one or two points.
Sometimes, it would be more useful - and not necessarily less interesting - to have a synthesis of the whole speech.
In this case, though there are equally important points in the speech, the spotlight is on Gordon Brown's statement that he will "have no truck with anti-Americanism in Britain or elsewhere in Europe" and that Britain's ties with America (i.e. the United States) constitute its "most important bilateral relationship".
By the way, has George Bush or any other US president ever stated that the US's ties with Britain constitute the US's most important bilateral relationship?
It is interesting that Gordon Brown does not say that he will also have no truck with anti-Europeanism in Britain, in the sense of, to borrow Justin Webb's words, portraying the EU and Continental European countries and their citizens "as worthy of contempt in almost all circumstances".
In Britain, such anti-Europeanism is much more widespread than anti-Americanism. In fact, it is so widespread that it is considered normal, not deserving any comment from the prime minister.
I also note that while Gordon Brown highlights the importance of Britain's bilateral relationship with the US, he places the EU alongside the Commonwealth, NATO and the UN.
This underlines the traditional British view that the EU is just another international organisation, and that Britain does not share the aspiration of ever greater European unity, and in fact feels that European integration has already gone too far (e.g. Euro zone) and should if possible be wound back through enlargement and closer EU-US ties in a broader North Atlantic community. The ideal composition is NATO rather than the EU.
Yet another reason why Brown will never win an Election
I have always thought that the generic anti-US sentiment of most Brits is remarkably similar to - if less vehement than - the generic anti-English sentiment of most Scots.
It's nothing to do with the individual citizens. It's just that, generally, smaller nations whose daily lives are heavily influenced by large and seemingly arrogant nations tend to resent them.
I don't really see what Gordon Brown is trying to do with this declaration beyond getting a few headlines; the majority of anti-US sentiment seems political to me, not racist. And I take it everyone is still entitled to their own political views in this country?
Best way to get a laugh is to remind a Frenchman from whence comes his liberty.
You cannot blame Europeans for having had a distorted view of the US in recent years and decades.
Never in history has a people exerted such economic, cultural and political influence with such little knowledge of and interest in their audience - the rest of the world.
Hollywood has only recently started to realise the content they produce has a direct impact on how the world sees the US. And it took the Bush administration some years and costly errors to take other countries' views into account (excluding Blair's half-hearted efforts at explaining that Afghanistan and Irak had a history way before the Mayflower).
But I'm sure Brown-Merkel-Sarkozy-Hillary/Obama/Giuliani will form a much better team than the wild outfit of Bush-Chirac-Schroeder-Putin...
I have had Americans among my close friends for over 30 years and have visited the country. I've also visited several countries across the channel. I don't understand an anti-American bias for some policies which originate from some government department. It's this (my) country's government which makes me anti-Brit government rather than anti a particular people across the world. You've got to have had a particularly awful experience of an American to tar them all with the same brush!
I am not 'anti-American' but I think it's important that Britain should have the option of following it's own best interest instead of automatically following the American lead. Sometimes being 'pro-British' or 'pro-French' will mean that you're 'anti-American', won't it?
Culturally too, I react against what I see as an overdose of American films, TV shows and music and while much of it is brilliant there is so much more 'world culture' that is ignored because it's not displayed in flashing lights.
The term "anti-American" is simply not helpful: like Justin Webb's rather fatuous Radio 4 programme (which I dutifully endured), it sweeps a wide range of responses to American politics and culture (since the French Revolution, according to Webb!) into one tidy pile, and labels it all irrational fear, contempt, and jealousy. All of these factors are certainly part of the mix, just as paranoia, insecurity, and envy no doubt influenced the recent tide of American Francophobia. But Webb, who ended his radio series with a truly nauseating encomium to America as the home of democracy, appears to rule out the possibility of legitimate criticism of the US, or of those thingsthat the US has, in certain regions of the world, come to represent. Both Webb and the commenters above like Jamie N are simply knocking down straw-men.
As for Gordon Brown, few have noted that his speech stated his commitment to internationalism beyond the UK-US alliance, his interest in reforming internatioanl institutions, and his strongly implied willingness to observe the rigours of international law. I wonder how that will go down in the White House?
Comment 32:
"For instance: that the USA was late arriving in WW2. Yet, when the USA goes to war early (eg. Iraq), this is also apparently wrong."
Erm...only one of those was in the middle of a WORLD WAR, had invaded a dozen countries, etc. etc.. And our main problem with the US over WWII is the fact that they made us pay for it for decades after. And they prance around like they saved the world at the end when it was the Russians who did most of the work. (Of course, getting into Hollywood's desecration of soldiers' memories by altering facts like in U-571 is another story.)
It is a shame that so much of the English language has been corrupted, and then someone like yourself, Mr Webb, can come along with new and even more spurious definitions.
Anti-Americanism is just one such example, and quite simply should be defined to be "against America", the country, it's people and all it stands for.
Many who profess to be such are actually more in fear of, rather than against, America and there is often good reason for them to be so.
Perhaps, we should coin the phrase "America-phobia" to describe this very rational condition.
How can we be anti American,we may not agree with them and dislike policy.We are all Humanbeings, for the American who complain about Anti Americans I say try to be an Arab or even worst a Muslim Arab!.It is evident how many Jewish Christian organisations in the states all call for Stronger Israel and more rights for the Jews,very few seem to have any understanding for Muslims because of their historic religouse old testemant faith,I am not complaining,but I point out to you it is this kind of action that makes you Anti American or Anti Arab as we have the Iranian leader who speaks out and cells him self as anti Zionist
I find it quite ironic that this news organisation is talking about anti-Americanism like butter wouldn't melt when for years they have been the no.1 exponents of the smug middle class 'looking down our noses' at the over rich KKK loving Iraqi-murdering redneck yeehaws over there.
Now you want to make some money out of the US market maybe your attitude is changing a little.
More shameful hypocricy from the Ö÷²¥´óÐã.
Brown is just trying to sweep his hate for the United States under the carpet so it is not hidden. The divide between the US and the UK is growing. The strong bond that was once cherished is now over.
Having just read your article i found the question of anti-Americanism most amusing. I would suggest the Ö÷²¥´óÐã is one of the most anti-American organisations i know.
Commentating on individual american policies is not anti-american anymore than openly challenging british ones is not patriotic.
To bundle all US polcies together though is wrong and as you say in your piece, to attack america as a country, as a people, is clearly wrong.
We seem to have a number of different people with different agendas attacking america.
Those who disagree with policies but who instead of engaging in debate get over-emotional, almost playground like and then get 'personal' with the country.
Then there are the high minded europeans who start from a point of intellectual one upmanship as they believe that their history and culture means they and only they have the right outlook on the world.
Lastly there are those who are enemies of freedom of expression, support for democracy and are essentially 'enemies' of the West (for which America is seen as its leader). They are generally not 'winning' their struggle so all is left is to continually attack the culture, people, policies and just about anything which comes from America, just for being american.
its similar to the way that with Israel there are those that quite rightly assess each policy on their own merits and where they feel its right, challenge them. But there are other people who attack Israel as a concept, as a reality and hence all the comes from that state is attacked. Its people, its ideas, its essence.
Imagine people suggesting that England was an 'evil'? How strange that would be. No one says, 'Iran is evil', just some of its policies/practises.
Europe and the UK do not want to pay for a real army etc, so we are always asking america to police the world for us, but then we complain when the US army doesn't do exactly as we want! Can't have it both ways people.
Brown, or McStalin as he is affectionately known in Leicestershire England, is so far in hock to the liberal left of his party that his words mean nothing.
After appointing some of the most vociferous anti Americans in Parliament within a week of taking over from Blairr, McStalin was either terribly naive about the impact stateside or just did not care.
He cares now that France & Germany have filled the friendship vacuum across the pond whilst he played to the liberal left in the UK.
Labour & the country & our great friends across the Atlantic will be much happier when Labour assumes it natural position - in opposition sniping from the sidelines.
The anti Americanism in McStalins party is barely disguised hatred & racism - & they will havre to answer for that in due course.
This insidious phrase was concocted by Blair and his cronies to infer a sense of shame on those who opposed America's (and his) foreign policies and, as we all know, derives its pejorative effect from the phrase 'anti-semetic'.
Of course, the poor, defenceless American govt. has no protection from the persecution and criticism it unjustly and wickedly receives from around the world unlike Jewish people throughout history who, as we all know, had no need of anybody else's help did they?
Blair and Bush have expressed hurt and anger when compared to fascists, well maybe they should feel shame subtly comparing criticism directed at the US govt. with persecution of a people who really suffered. Fat chance!
Incidentally, when the Blair cabinet and the right-wing UK press verbally abused the French on the eve of the Iraq invasion were they guilty of 'Anti-Frenchism'(or whatever phrase)? No problems there then?
Two points:
a) We're not all jealous. I have no desire to live in the US nor do I ahold a secret longing to be a US citizen, be a part of US culture or live in a country dominated by all US values
b) The reason the US often gets bad press (admittedly not always fairly) is that, since the end of the Second World War, they have had a habit of cropping up anywhere and everywhere its interested are remotely threatened using rhetoric about democratic principles etc. to justify its actions whilst ignoring such principles where its interested aren't really at stake. The US have sponsored some out and out atrocities in the last 60 years (Indonesia in the '60s being the worst and somehow least well documented example) and should take its fair share of responsiblity rather than insisting that it upholds values and is an exemplum to one and all.
Basically, stop insulting our intelligence, stop the lying and start genuinely delivering the generally admirable principles by which the US were originally constituted.
Hi
in my experience it has nearly always been 'anti-Bush administrationism' that manifests itself over here and not anti-Americanism. Most people I know find the Americans they meet really nice people almost without exception. But that doesn't stop us detesting what the US government does or how it behaves. When Bush is gone and a more moderate leader replaces him (but not Hillary please!) the US will find that people love them all over again.
Also, we must remember that just after 9/11 everyone was on America's side - including all those people who came onto the streets in Tehran.
So it's obvious where the feeling has come from since then isn't it?
I am not anti-American; I have fond memories of them in World War Two when I was a small boy.
But if it is anti American to be against Guantanamo Bay; against legalised torture (but only of foreign nationals); against one-sided laws on extradition; against agreeing to US courts being permitted to try British citizens for "offences" committed in the UK which are not illegal here; against requiring all air-passengers in-transit to go through US Immigration procedures and then confiscating the tickets of those passengers continuing on to Cuba; against requiring anyone needing a US visa to turn up in person at their embassy; against one-sided "news" coverage which for years presented the Arab-Israeli problem over settlements as "neighbourhood" disputes; and against allowing ourselves to be dragged into a military attack on Iran; OK, I'm anti-American.
All I can say is that, like many friends whom I would class as Liberal (in the British, not the American sense of the word) my own contribution towards Anglo-American understanding is not to visit the United States until the present neo-con Administration has finally been consigned to the dustbin of history.
Yes people do sometimes make lazy generalisations about groups of people, occasionally about Americans no doubt, sometimes about Brits abroad, occasionally even women, Black people, Jews ... I hope it hasn't taken anyone this long to notice.
I am not anti-American. I am anti-bullying, anti-war, anti-the-wielding-of-global-power-without-regard-for-others, anti World domination by ANYONE. If the US does these things I will criticise it, as I will criticise anyone else. If the only defence you have is to accuse me of being 'anti-American' then shame on you.
Joey Thompson's remark in the first post chimes for me, dismissing critics as anti-American is common and a political trick. Most negative debate in this area is about US impact on non-Americans through foreign policy errors. It isn't about America, but what America does.
I hardly hear Justin Webb talk about anything else than the wrongheadedness of America's critics and, how wonderful the place is. Has he gone native as we used to say of colonial officials that had lost the plot? I thought he worked for the Ö÷²¥´óÐã not Voice of America.
Proud to be anti US.
As a superpower the US has extra responsibilities,to act responsibly, however:
Militarily, The US bullies, destroys and destabilizes: Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Nicaragua, Guatemala,Iraq,
the list goes on.
Economically, The US bullies and destabilizes, name any
South American country, not to mention the current sub prime disaster.
Environmentally the US is leading the planet over the abyss, It should be leading a green revolution rather than dragging it's heels. hooked on cheap Oil, cheap Chinese imports and junk food.
With that kind of record how can you not be anti ?
I believe there is a set of rules which every new British Prime Minister has to follow, irrespective of his own beliefs or the views of his party. They are probably written by a sinister cabal of top civil servants, intent on preserving the status quo - the ultimate conservatives. Some of them are mundane domestic matters, such as refraining from ever criticising the Queen or her family, never questioning the union with Scotland and always pretending to resist Europe, while always finally giving in to Europe.
But one of these relates to the "special relationship" with the USA. This is the cornerstone of all British foreign policy and must not be questioned, irrespective of the actions of the US President, irrespective of horrors he leads us to or what international laws are broken. There may be some logic to this, rooted in realpolitik: for example the Americans control the targeting, maintenance and replacement of our nuclear deterrent. They also control the flow of intelligence to our security services.
A pity our PMs cannot acknowledge these simple facts - instead they posture about morality and human rights, and make themselves look foolish and isolated by aligning themselves with George Bush. (At least Brown does it without Blair's messianic fervour, shame he can't muster any real integrity and independence).
It's not so much an "anti-American" thing, but anti-American politics and politicians. For whatever reason, once the Soviet Union was no longer a force the USA seems to have become more aggressive and less sensitive to another's point of view. As for Americans, apart from for their immigration staff, who are, and always have been, pretty well to a man the most pig-ignorant and unwelcoming bunch you could ever have the misfortune to encounter, Americans are great people, if a little naive as regards the rest of the world.
As for being Britain's closest friend in the world, why? We live in Europe, Europeans are our closest neighbours, and the EU our biggest trading partner. The USA has lead us by the nose in to more than the odd war since 1945, and those wars have accounted for more than a few British military casualties. We need to be friends and allies with the USA, but have a similar arms length relationship as we like to have with the other major European powers.
Given US power it's perhaps hardly surprising that the British government is content, even happy, to be subservient to the US.
What I don't understand is why the Ö÷²¥´óÐã has become a propaganda arm of the US. Whether it's the 'gone native' Justin Webb, Newsnight with its Neoconservative guests cloaked in the assumed respectability of 'think-tanks' or the Ö÷²¥´óÐã's continuous promotion of the likes of the ipod and iphone, despite better products from, for example, Creative Technology and Nokia, one can't help but notice that the Ö÷²¥´óÐã has given up on any pretence at providing objective information or critical analysis of what the US is really about.
Is the Ö÷²¥´óÐã getting a hefty chunk of the Pentagon's multi-billion US dollar propaganda budget? If not why not?
Was the Ö÷²¥´óÐã as fawning to Germany when it too was trying to subjugate the world?
Why is it that all the world hates America but still try to sneak across our borders to get here to live???
The 'anti-Americanism', if that is the correct phrase, among Brits is quite unique in that it is possibly based on a genetic resentment, the kind of resentment a poor country yokel feels towards the rich big-city cousin. The Brits cherish their 'special relationship' with America and yet know it will always be one-sided and top-down, never equal.
The anti-Americanism in India, my country, perhaps the most pro-American outside the American solar system is mostly resentment at the 800-lb gorilla in the living room which can't move without knocking the sofa over, even if it hadn't mean to.
Anti-Americanism provides the same kind of spectacle one would find in a police department insistent on hunting down a bike thief while letting a gang of serial murderers go unattended. Panties on the heads of men found on the field of battle in Iraq? HORROR, compared to the human shredding machines found in Saddam's prisons. Refusal to go along with Kyoto while at the same time setting basic environmental benchmarks and manufacturing limits in the US? HORROR, compared with countries who have no limits at all on pollution or toxic ingredients in food and toys.
But flail away, you do provide a spectacle.
Just as a side note. It really annoys me how US passport statistics are used to hold up an entire argument on how insular and non-traveled 'Americans' are. Do your homework. US citizens do not need passports to travel to Canada, Mexico and many countries in the Caribbean. (Although this rule is about to change, so the number of passports is likely to go up.)
So please do not use the passport statistic as proof that Americans do not leave the US.
And what does having a passport really prove anyway? I know plenty of Brits who have never been farther than Spain. And even then, it is just for a beach holiday (like Americans unfortunately do in Mexico.) Just because you need a passport to travel to the continent on a beach holiday does not mean you are more well-traveled or nuanced than the average 'American.' It's just a lazy argument.
And if you want to know what 'Anti-Americanism' its probably defined as a deep loathing for the political and media system that lies to Americans at every turn.
We in the free world, outside the stifling atmosphere of the US media and political system can see it clearly for what it is. Americans can't.
Every American in a debate on politics will get round to telling you that the US is the land of opportunity where anyone can make it.
Its an outright lie. The US has the most rigid class structure of any nation in the developed world.
The question is - why are Americans so convinced of something that is so completely untrue.
As with many American beliefs about the USA, its a belief that suits the oligarchy that runs the USA. It's the lie that keeps them in power.
When you realize that poverty isn't the result of your personal failure, but of a political system that makes sure you are going to state 'in place' you'll see the system as the enemy - not your fellow men.
When you realize the medical bills are the largest cause of business bankruptcy in the USA you'll realize that the system is structured so that those in the middle class with never make it to the ruling class.
Telling the truth is 'Anti-American' and its only a matter of time before Ron Paul is called 'Anti-American'
I've never lived outside the United States, but if Anti-Americanism is to be defined as a strong dislike of American foreign policy, then I think it's fair to say that a very large percentage of Americans are Anti-American.
Actually, I have friends here who are so disgusted by such policies that they will go out of their way to exclaim to European visitors that they hate the policies of the United States. I've never understood this. That whole "don't blame me, I didn't vote for Bush" mentality doesn't excuse anyone from the consequences of American foreign and domestic policy.
Even if you're consistently taking action to right the wrongs of your government (voting in elections is just one piece to this), you should still accept some responsibility for the way things are.
It's stupid to equate anti-Americanism with a disagreement with it's foreign policy. I'm not a fan of North Korean politics, but I am definitely in no way anti-North Korean.
If you want to truly hate America, find something in its people worth hating. That's what hatred should be all about, right ;)? But being such a diverse nation, this might prove difficult. You're more likely to be anti-Redneck, anti-Hippie or anti-Evangelical than anything else.
Also, #22 claims that Anti-Americanism is racism.
This is an absurd statement considering that American is not a race. America is also not a completely unified culture, and the only thing that really unifies it is a strong sense of libertarian political beliefs.
Of course, this is not nearly as annoying when someone labels homophobia as racism. This makes my skin crawl.
The sad fact is that any widespread feeling of anti-Americanism in the UK is a product of the Bush/Blair era.
The Blair/Brown Government has allowed itself to be seen as an uncritical instrument of US foreign policy which has been deeply unpopular on this side of the Atlantic, not only over Iraq but also over such matters as the Isreali invasion of Lebanon. How different this has all been from the reaction of Harold Wilson in the 1960s Labour government, who had the strength to keep the UK out of a similarly disastrous US led campaign in Vietnam. Both the Labour Government and the Conservative opposition have totally disregarded the deep opposition felt in this country to being seen as allowing the US to run the UK's foreign policy in general and the middle eastern wars in particular.
From the public’s perspective, this has left the country with no real political outlet to make that opposition known, and the consequent feeling of powerlessness among voters not only leads to alienation from the political process generally but also manifests itself in dislike and even bitterness towards the American establishment and (irrationally perhaps) also towards the people of that country.
It has also lead to the public distancing itself from the armed forces, who – through no fault of their own - are now widely seen as fighting wars that are of little or no concern to this country and sacrificing lives for no benefit to our country.
The only way this is likely to be reversed is for Gordon Brown, and David Cameron, for that matter, to adopt a critical distance from the US administration. This does not mean that we should not be allies to the US, nor does it mean that we should not back and support some of what they do, but it DOES mean that the UK should have the self-confidence to run its own foreign policy, rather than being seen to allow the US to run it for their benefit – and how strange that this should happen in a country that is obsessed with ruling out any more sharing of sovereignty with the other EU member states.
On another subject, though, it is a shame that Gordon Brown did not also take the opportunity to say that he will have no truck with anti-Europeanism.
Not all of us United States Americans are passionate about those in the White House. In fact, the majority are not. I feel very bad as to how our wonderful country is portrayed throughout the world. I have not ever wanted my government to destroy our reputation by destroying another country or its people.
History tells us that the US has been quite good to other countries, even those that treated us in awful ways and didn't deserve it. I can guarantee that even after all the blows given us by the Anti-American people of the UK, we will again reach out to help them if they ever need us. Because that is who the people of the United States really are. Like a faithful pup, we love you even though you beat us.
Please do not lump us all together because we are not all like the so-called 'leaders' of our country. I find it is such a shame that the people that run the countries can make the mess and it is the common folk that take the blame.
I feel that the use of the term anti-American is being used in a very underhand way.
A majority of those living in the USA are not in favor of the policies being pursued by George Bush. His response is to accuse us of being unpatriotic. Gordon Brown is trying to use the same tactic to label those who oppose his continuation of support for George Bush.
I hope the citizens of the United Kingdom can distinguish between expressing opinions that disagree with the policies of the Bush administration and expressing opinion which simply tries to rubbish the citizens of the United States.
It would be a little sad to have a political leader who was short-sighted and failed to see that the Bush administration lacks support in this country and will go in a little over a year. Whoever replaces George Bush is highly unlikely to try and extend military action in the middle east and more likely to seek a peaceful withdrawal.
What will happen then ? Will Gordon Brown turn round and accuse the next president of the USA of being anti-American ?
Europe/EU (feudal, renaissance, industrial revolution, communist, social-democrat) has always been a top-down, elitist, etatist, collectivist project: USA is a bottom-up project based on individual effort. That explains the resentment and anti-Americanism of the European elites who have always felt the threat and challenge to a self-serving top-down utopia.
Since the 60s, after de Gaul and the take over of media, academia and politics by the 68ers, a deliberate move was made to expand anti-Americanism to the mass market. Ö÷²¥´óÐã palys a pivotal role as a leftist bastion. I am ready to sit any day with a Ö÷²¥´óÐã editor and analyse the news contents (headlines, wording of headlines, "reporting" that so biased it should be classified as editorials, selection of negative topics, etc). Even today, an unsubstantiated, unaudited Democrat report on the Iraq war financing is considered by Ö÷²¥´óÐã a top news, while the failure of auditors to sign the EU books for a consequtive 13th year (!?) is relegated to "other news".
Brainwashing the masses? Definitely. Thanks to the EU media, the ordinary Europeans have these days very twisted ideas of how US functions as a society, economy, and political system. They perceive the past-the-sale-date etatist EU as the perfect civic, economic, and political environment, and few question the EU elites' self-serving endeavor.
I think that the word Anti-American is more often used for political reasons. There is nothing anti-american about not supporting the govenment, many americans would be anti american if that is the case. Having an opinion on Bush, Clinton that is not a good one does not mean people dislike america, it means they are anti american govenment, not the country or the people. Having lived in Chicago for 5 years I think most people are great, like all countries they have the good and bad. But I think we need to stop talking about thinking Iraq is a mistake etc as anti american. Anti American would be those that bomb, or want the US people to be killed or hurt, not those that disagree with aspects of policy.
1) Has anyone watched the TV Show Frasier? The English are always made fun off.
2) People here make fun of English soccer violence ie its hooliganist fans
3) Where is the typical crowd to see an English movie? To name one "The history boys".
England and France are class based societies but North America is NOT.
Americans have a lot to be proud about. But in the same breath one is saddened by the way some key American leaders behave running rough shod over other leaders in other parts of the world. There seems to be a superiority complex which is extremely distasteful. Rather American leaders should show more humility and in that way bridge the widening gap between America and the rest of the world. The current Administration has not created the right atmosphere and there seems to be unnecessary anti-Americanism as a result. America was respected but seems to have lost its way. George Bush should have tried to grapple with this problem but his two terms have been a blot negating the positive terms of other Presidents before him. Whoever is elected at the next elections will need to have President Kennedy's vision of a strong America in every sense of the word.
Malc wrote:
Some of the best critics of America are American. I am only anti-American about certain things, aggressive American foreign policy, massive corporate dishonesty that has led yet again to a worldwide business crisis, its racism in the South and its bible bashing. Simple realy..ljealous? no way.
But only in the US that corporate frauders(?) have been brought to justice unlike herein Canada.
European anti-Americanism goes back to at least 1776 and maybe before. This has been well documented in at least one recent book by Markovits "Why Europe Dislikes America." Why has it become so intense lately? The fact that it doesn't have large numbers of Jews living there anymore to scapegoat for its own failure and shortcomings would be a gross oversimplification although it is clearly very angry at America's unshakable support for Israel. Or that it is largely due to the policies of President Bush's administration would also be grossly incorrect.
Before you can understand why Europe hates America, you have to understand what America is. 20 generations ago, an intrepid band of fortune hunters set sail for a vast unknown, unexplored, dangerous and far away wilderness and created Jamestown, a settlement which disappeared with hardly a trace. 11 generations ago, 13 colonies fought and threw out the most powerful military force in the world which ruled them and then rejected EVERYTHING about not only Britain but all of Europe, EVERYTHING. America is not defined by a place or a people but by an idea, one which has proved far more powerful than any other by its meteoric rise to unprecedented success.
"Andrei S. Markovits sensibly distinguishes between disapproval of the United States for what it does and dislike of the United States for what it is.." ."--Jeffrey Kopstein, The Globe and Mail"
Europe hates America because of the sharp contrast between America's success and its own failure. It does not know very much about America and has virtually no understanding of it at all. Europe is a civilization (if you can call it that) in rapid decline while America continues apparently unstoppable in its ascendancy. To those in Europe who look for any sign of America's decline, they should read history and will see that America has faced far greater challenges and threats, overcome far worse adversity than anything it faces today. In fact the history of America is one of perpetually overcoming what seemed to be overwhelming odds against it, whether the baggage of Europe's legacy such as slavery, racism, class discrimination, regionalism, or the adversity of its harsh climate and vast distances, or against those who would attack and destroy it from the outside. To those who rail against what appears to be a losing effort in Iraq, they should study World War II and realize that the US began by losing in both theaters of operation, facing initial defeat in North Africa and the Pacific whose outcome was uncertain until the Battle of Midway. Even as late as the Battle of the Coral Sea, or the Battle of the Bulge the US could have suffered major setbacks.
Europe blames every evidence, every aspect of its failure on the US. (were it only true.) From its loss of viability to its markets (even its domestic markets) by the ascent of China and the weak US dollar, to the change in the climate, from the loss of access to resources from competition for them by far more dynamic economies to the influx of unskilled migrants from its former colonies, especially from the Islamic world. Europe is being torn apart by forces over which it has no control. It doesn't even understand its own history. What is that history? A thousand years ago, Europe was ruled by a theocracy not much different from say Iran or Taleban Afghanistan a few years ago. That was replaced by nation state despotisms which looted militarily weaker people around the world through imperial empires and exploited their own people by setting them at war against each other to steal as much of the booty as they could get. This culminated in two world wars, the second being the greatest single bloodbath the world has ever seen. And it was all set for a third except for American intervention which prevented it and helped it build genuine domestic economies through incentives for large American corporations to invest there and favorable one way trade arrangements which allowed them nearly free access to markets in the US while protecting their own domestic markets. Only Margaret Thatcher saw that would not go on forever and took steps to deal with the change when the time came, painful steps for which she was despised. But that is why Britain has the only viable economy in Europe today now that the time has arrived.
It is human nature to want to be liked but it is not very smart policy to make sacrifices for that goal. The more they hate America, the more we can be certain that what we are doing is right for our own country, even if it's not right for theirs. Who cares, three boot licking sycophants came crawling to President Bush, a lame duck President who has barely a year left in office and their populations detest, like three starving stray dogs begging for crumbs. They licked his hand and those of members of Congress but they left empty handed. It's much too little, much too late. They will face their grim future apart from the US, together in their laughable pathetic effort to emulate America in what I call the EUSSR, the European Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. Who cares if Europe is anti-American, America never needed Europe from the day it became independent. What’s far more significant is that America is now anti-European and is likely to stay that way for a very long time.
Mike #10
That leaves only about 150 to go...unless we have to go back and do some of the others over again.
Paul #11
The Phillipinos don't know their own history either. Were it not for the US they would still be a colony of Spain...or Japan. Now instead of being exploited by foreign imperial powers they are free to exploit each other.
To Scott who asked what would we rather call people from the United States: I would suggest the term common in German, "U.S. American" - short, sweet and to the point.
I for one am so sick of hearing about "anti-Americanism". To compare it to racism is nonsense. A person´s ethnicity is something immutable - a person´s nationality certainly is not. Granted, noone chooses the country they are born into, nor can change nationality at will (if so, I suspect a great many citizens of the developing world would be Americans today), but nor is it an unalterable part of who we are. It is perhaps useful to remember that our current, state-based concepts of identity are extremely recent, and far more fragile than we like to believe. (Ask my Serbian friends, who, at the ripe old age of 25, can accurately claim to have lived in 5 different countries without ever having left home!)
I am an American, because my non-American parents happened to be living there at the time of my birth. The fact that I spent most of my childhood and adolescence in America should have cemented my "American" identity. It did to the extent that I am as active in US politics as I am able to be, and that I do indeed accept that the US government´s policies are carried out in my name, however much I disagree with them. So, why on earth should I be offended if someone else accepts this premise? Its called democracy stupid! I, for one, will continue to criticize my own governments policies. And will continue to happily "truck" with those non-Americans who do so as well. And I can do quite fine without the British P.M´s misguided solidarity, thank you very much!
I keep reading from people here that the majority of American citizens don't like Bush, and that a majority of Brits and Americans disagreed with the Iraq war. Well, let's put that to bed; Bush and Blair both won their general elections AFTER Operation Iraqi Freedom. Don't like it? Tough. That's the way it happened, the people spoke, the majority voted them back in. Live with it.
Comment 44 David C: "Erm...only one of those was in the middle of a WORLD WAR, had invaded a dozen countries, etc. etc"
Precisely, and you seem to have missed my point entirely. This all happened before the US arrived into the war, thus they were late. If they weren't, it is likely none of those things would've happened, and my guess is that those who argue that the US arrived late would instead be arguing that they are warmongering trigger-happy rednecks. My point is that to some people, the US can never be in the right. If they're late, they're wrong. If they pre-empt, they're still wrong.
Sure the US does bad things, but there are countries on this planet that do far worse. China has occupied and suppressed Tibetans for over 50 years. Stalin murdered millions. Chavez and Putin are in the process of winding back democracy and free speech in Russia and Venezuela. Iran is threatening Israel's very existence, and carries out hideous stonings and public executions. Saudi women are forced to cover themselves from head to foot and have virtually no civil rights whatsoever.
Yet the US (and Israel) are held up for constant derision and abuse. They are blood-libelled and called "evil". THAT is anti-Americanism. So-called "liberal" and high-minded "enlightened" individuals should get their "liberal" priorities straight, instead of marching down the streets claiming "we are all Hezbollah now!".
Refer to this as United States... not america please.
What, you mean anti-Americanism like this:
"America is often portrayed as an ignorant, unsophisticated sort of place, full of bible bashers and ruled to a dangerous extent by trashy television, superstition and religious bigotry, a place lacking in respect for evidence based knowledge. I know that is how it is portrayed because I have done my bit to paint that picture..."
As a Canadian, I can say we know Americans better than anyone. In fact, I can pass for an American anywhere in the world, including the U.S. Americans often sport maple leafs or Candian flags when they travel in order to avoid much of the U.S. bashing they might otherwise receive. Why are Canadians treated so much better? After all, Canadians are the only ones who can tell themselves apart from Americans. Well, we stayed out of Vietnam and Iraq, we control guns instead of gays and we provide healthcare for everyone. Add a touch of politeness, a bit of French culture and voila...generally admired versus disliked. The recipe is simple and the border is undefended....is America ready for a kinder gentler version of itself?
Scotsman speaks with fork tongue. The statement was a bit of a left handed complement of which I have no truck. As an expat I don't get the hate that some in the UK seem to have for Americans. I would just as soon see America pull out of all its 700 bases overseas and let you boys go at it.
Let's face it, Americans build really huge trucks.
British people are clear on what they don't like but that's about it. The great carcasic humor and put downs [which I enjoy sometimes]Is based on a gloom and doom aspect about life and how it should be tolerated no matter how bad. What exactly do you like???
Do you think that Gordon Brown was actually thinking of a big American truck when he made that remark?
It's very well known that, when he was younger, he was a huge fan of the film 'Convoy'. So much so in fact, that his nickname amongst other backbenchers was "Rubber Ducky".
Roughly half of us distrust and dislike the other half for religious and cultural reasons. So when I hear about anti-American sentiments from abroad (yes, 80, I know it's really the USA that's being discussed and not "America" as a whole), I figure that it's the Other Half - the Conservative half - who've caused the problems.
That said, when in Scotland some time ago watching a race, as runners came across the finish line I noticed ALL the folks from the states joined the crowd in applauding the finishers. But ONLY the tourists applauded the American runners. Poor sports, I thought. Love you anyway...if for no other reason than your holding off the Nazis till we (belatedly) joined the battle. What a tough, valiant bunch you were.
To Jamie N (79)
The majority in the UK almost certainly never have supported the Iraq war. Blair might have been re-elected but, under the UK's antiquated electoral system, his Party won an absolute majority in Parliament with well under 40% of the vote. Many of those who voted for him disagreed with his foreign policy but preferred him to the alternatives because of other unrelated factors - or voted for local Labour MPs who opposed the war themselves.
Also, the opposition Conservative Party's support for the war made it difficult for us to exercise a true democratic choice in the matter - one of the reasons for the frustration felt by many over this issue.
As for the US, nearly as many Americans opposed Bush as voted for him especially in the North East and in California. My American friends tell me those are the outward looking states, with better educated people and less religious bigotry than other parts of the US - perhaps some of the Americans who post to this site might confirm or deny this?
79 (Jamie N): 'This all happened before the US arrived into the war, thus they were late.'
The US was late because it had no interest in helping Europe defend Western civilisation against the Nazi threat. Britain had to go it alone for two years, while the US let it twist in the wind, happily allowing the Empire to exhaust itself (despite Roosevelt's desperate back-door efforts to help) while the likes of Prescott Bush, Joseph Kennedy, Charles Lindburgh, and Henry Ford gave aid and comfort to their natural allies, the Germans. Had it not been for the deaths of a couple of thousand sailors at Pearl Harbor, and Hitler's subsequent mistake of declaring war on the US, Europe would have been Nazified and the vast majority of US voters would not have cared.
79 (Jamie N): 'Sure the US does bad things, but there are countries on this planet that do far worse.'
That's a hell of a recommendation: The US of A: Number One because we're not as bad as the Soviet Union or Nazi Germany!
77 (Mark): 'That leaves only about 150 to go...unless we have to go back and do some of the others over again.'
A statement that says everything that needs to be said and neither requires nor merits a response, other than to point out how utterly despicable the individual must be who made it.
I guess that what I would define as anti Americanism is based largely on America’s compulsive need to preach and inflict their values and capitalism onto other nations. As a global nomad, I have lived in many different countries from birth, averaging around 3-4 years in each. I have seen the rise of American clout in Africa, Asia, the Middle East and Europe, and it isn’t subtle.
What started as a philanthropic mission to rid the world of human-rights abuses, bring about democracy, champion anti-colonialism etc, has turned into absolute rule. America’s paranoia over communism gave them the belief that they had a God given mission to rid the world (no matter how violently) of any other ideology that challenged theirs.
In Afghanistan, the issue of the poppy seed farmers is causing a rift between the US and European forces. Europe (and the Afghan government) are sympathetic to the farmers and believe there should be a peaceful, negotiated settlement (winning hearts and minds). However, because the US dominates the world with its arsenal and money, it is pressurizing the Afghan government to do its bidding, and spray all the poppy fields, without considering the consequences. This bidding, takes no account of Afghan history, culture, or economics, but imposes the doctrine of the superpower. The Afghan government has little choice but to comply.
The US has over 750 military bases world-wide (and growing). The US military is not trained in peace-keeping, but only in combat operations. Therefore, those bases are strategically placed to ensure US control over resources and its beliefs. These bases have not been democratically decided upon. Many ordinary Africans are opposed to them, but are denied a voice, and many African governments do not have the daring to counter the all powerful US. (You only have to read any CIA history book to know what happens to people who do).
Furthermore, what astounds me while living in the US is how the Americans nearly impeached a president for having an affair, but don’t do anything to a president that lies, murders and spends billions of tax-payers money lining the pockets of shady, war-profiteering corporations. Americans censor films that have peace-loving sex, but show violence to their children. Americans support the death-penalty (the only western country in the world to do so), and Americans believe in the right to bare arms (which they don’t apply to all humanity of course). For me, anti-Americanism is about being anti all of the above.
I love hearing all this Anti-American nonsense it makes me laugh till my side hurts. Because here in the US the majority of the people believe its our world and the rest of your are just visitors. Anti-Americanism ??? Dont you have to accomplish something before you think we would care about your complaints. You either with us or against pick a side and stay on it.
If you go around and invade other countries and have your military bases in oil-rich areas where you are not wanted, I think you satisfy the criteria for being attacked and hated. The US treats the Middle East as a colonial area and it's enforcing this relationship with a colonial state called Israel.
So what's the big surprise here? America has got what it wanted. A war, and years of anti-American hatred. That's not racism. It's completely natural.
As the Ö÷²¥´óÐã pointed out a few months ago, Arab immigrants to America are adapted, satisfied, and productive members of American society. They invest in their communities and open up their own shops. And when the first shop is up and running, they open another. They do what our immigrants have been doing for well over a century now.
Arab immigrants to Europe are isolated, outcast, and by all accounts, militant. Do I hold this up as evidence that Americans are friendlier, warmer, and in general, better people than Europeans? No, that would be an ignorant generalization.
By the way, in this context, "American" or "America" is shorthand for the United States of America. Besides, when someone says "America" I doubt they're talking about Canada.
Come on British and Europeans lets disregard all the American humanitarian aid, the life-saving medical breakthroughs, and technological advances which personally improve and better the lives of the entire world's population....and instead we will whine and cry that what really matters in a world of billions of people is that 20 maybe 30 people were waterboarded. Horray!!!
Hi all. I admit that the name "America" has troubled me a great deal, as well as the domestic concept of the "city on a hill" and all that. It sickens me to see how some of the individuals on here think of the US; not because of them, but because so much of it is true.
Those of us who are against the Bush White House are called "anti-American" by those on the right. We aren't patriots. We want to give "aid and comfort to the enemy." You see how it goes. I admit I haven't been able to travel much within my own country, let alone any other country, but I would point out that this is due to lack of funds, as opposed to the desire to stay in the US and only the US.
It's a horrible, trapped feeling when you can't stand those in power, yet can't do anything about it. Yes, I voted for Kerry. I wasn't old enough to vote in 2000. But what else can those of us outside government do? I'm opposed to war as a concept, so you won't see Iraq War support out of me. You won't see me saying "America is the greatest country in the world, and thus every other nation in the world wants to be us, and get upset when they can't be," because it's not true. It's hard living without health insurance, as my family does. It's hard knowing that your tax dollars go to fight wars and administrative costs of a disastrous regime. But that doesn't mean some of us aren't trying. Even if there are a great many bad apples, the whole lot isn't rotted to the core.
I'm an American. I keep reading comments from people who don't like people from the United States of America calling themselves Americans. Why not? America is actually the main part of our country's name. Yes America is not only a part of our country's name, but we are also part of the North American continent. Its sort of like New York City in New York state. So yes I am also a North American. People from The United Mexican States call themselves Mexicans or North Americans. People from Canada are Canadians or North Americans. It seems so simple to us over here. Ease up a bit.
Isn't Gordon Brown just trying to
get past Monsieur Sarkozy, to get
back in favor with George Bush, now
that Tony Blair has left the scene?
As an American, let me express my
gratitude for your sucking up to
our ignoble president. Someone has
to do it. Better your leaders than us.
Look, there is no getting around the
fact that sharing a language (sort of)
& a lot of history ties the US to the
UK for as long as one can imagine.
Whether we all like it or not.
I am an American and will continue to call myself an American regardless of what anybody, especially foreignors, think we should be called. It does not matter what you think America should be called or if you even like it. We refer to ourselves as Americans so you can all get over yourselves because that is not changing just because some condescending foreignor doesn't like it.
I've been following the posts, and there has been a great deal of posturing, but I think that we can all agree that the United States is currently walking down a very troubling path in terms of both its foreign and domestic policy.
Some individuals have pointed out that the U.S. is a world power, but failed to realise the corollary, that as a nation exerting power on other nations it is therefore responsible for, and liable to criticism from, those nations with which it interferes.
Should the U.S. desire not to be criticised, then it should mind its own business and attend to domestic matters. Since this is an unrealistic expectation the U.S. should at least get used to vocal criticism every time it does something that the international community considers as irresponsible or self-serving.
My only question is, if the U.S. wished to be considered as the premier world government with the right to interfere in the sovereignty of other nations, when will I be allowed to vote in the U.S. elections to determine the government that will influence my future? Doesn't the constitution of the U.S. guarantee self-determination, or is this another bit of hypocracy that only applied to U.S. citizens, despite the U.S. constitution declaring it to be a universal truth?
I'm 17 years old, and I'm a Texan. I have lived in Houston since I was 2. I profoundly disagree with the right-wing policies of George Bush as well American imperialism. I would describe myself as very liberal/leftist. I would say that the majority of friends I have in Texas, both students and adults, are deeply troubled by current American foreign policy. I have paintings by Degas and Picasso in my room at home. I have friends that could talk for an hour about the current policies of the Ayatolloh Khamenei, or give someone a lecture on the role of the Politburo in deciding Chinese policy. Furthermore, of all the people I know, I wouldn't call any of them "openly racist." Please stop stereotyping all Americans for being "ignorant." Indeed, there are some.
The simple fact that Barack Obama, an African-American with a Kenyan father, is one of the leading front-runners to become President of the U.S. displays a lot about us. While Europeans accuse us of virulent racism(indeed it did exist 30 years ago), they continue to hurl racist chants at football matches across Europe at players like Thierry Henry and Samuel Eto'o. Find me a country in Europe where a man like Barack Obama would even have a chance of leading the nation.
I'm not trying to say the U.S. is better than Europe, because it's not, by no means. What I'm trying to show is that the U.S. is a country with many redeeming characteristics. It has grave problems, but we are well on our way to fixing some of them. Wait for Georgie to leave office, the Republicans to get wrecked in 2008, and watch the changes come.
It's not disagreeing with a goverment thats wrong. It's taking it out on the people who are just trying to have a nice vacation that's wrong.
First, I am an American. I have also had the opportunity to travel widely in Europe and Asia. I have to admit that the most mean-spirited insulting behavior toward Americans is found in Great Britain (Canada is a close second but that is another issue). It is one thing to be in passionate disagreement with a country's policy's, it is quite another to let a conversation degenerate into invective and stereotyping. I have never encountered the hostility in countries like Turkey, China, France or Germany that I encounter in the UK. I suspect this speaks volumes not of Americans but of the British.
It seems to me that the virulent anti-Americanism currently rife in Europe is a combination of two factors. One is the huge number of mulims now resident in the EU, who being muslim first last and always, are automatically anti-american, and who would tend to skew any sort of opinion in their favour. The other factor is decades of seething, bitter resentment against Americans, born of envy of the good life that Americans have enjoyed intermittently (and I use that word advisedly, because the USA has experienced periods of deep depression and hardship which is a matter of historical fact). The EU has now caught up to the US in living standards. etc., but this has only seemed to make the European attitude more vicious, and many seem to be gleefully anticipating the impoverishment of the American people. Word to the wise, don't hold your breath, will you, the US of A is by no means done for yet, and IMHO, the EU will take a nosedive before Uncle Sam feels a draught up his tail coat..
#23 Ronald said "It is, however, perfectly reasonable to be against a nation which feels superior to all others, considers war a political option, plunders the planet and destroys lives whereever it goes."
Is Ronald talking about the US or Europe of yesterday? Funny, but I get the feeling he's one of those Euros who doesn't learn much European history other than great painters and playwrights.
#66 Andrew Stone: You wouldn't happen to be Albanaich, now would you?
I think the reason I have a hard time with Anti-Americanism coming from our European chums is that so much of it is nothing more than hypocrisy and scapegoating. Blame America instead of taking the responsibility yourself seems to be the European motto.
Africa is in a mess? Blame America instead of European colonialism.
Indigenous peoples have suffered centuries of abuse? Blame America for mistreating its natives instead of European colonialism.
China is executing its own people again? Blame America for having the death penalty.
It seems Euros would do well to look in a mirror instead of out a window.
Firstly, for the people having an issue with the term "anti-American" because of the term "American"...America is not a continent! North America is a continent and South America is a continent; there are North Americans and there are South Americans. We are the United States of America-accordingly, we are Americans. Officially, Mexico is the "United States of Mexico"-accordingly, they are Mexicans.
As far as the amount of Americans owning passport goes, I think it's a decent amount considering, unlike Europeans, most of us have to travel quite a distance to get to another country, and to get to the countries closest to us, we haven't needed passports until recently. The average US state is larger than the average European country, so it's not a fair comparison. Factor in the fact that Americans have much less vacation time than Europeans, and it shouldn't be a surprise that most of us don't own passports.
Finally, anti-Americanism. Personally, I don't think Americans/America should pay it much mind. People who are anti- any country, race, nationality, etc often view things in a very one-sided manner anyway, and besides that, people will always find a reason to be anti-American. People complain that we invaded Iraq and are too involved in other countries' internal affairs, yet complain that we haven't done anything in Darfur; they talk about racism being rampant here, yet where are European countries’ mainstream minority politicians and frontrunners in elections for president or PM?; they talk about religion being too intertwined with American politics, yet say that we aren't being a good Christian nation because of the death penalty, torturing, etc., completely forgetting their support for a more secular government. We can't make everyone happy. It's a battle we can't win and shouldn't try to.
I have encountered virulent anti-Americanism, as well as the Ö÷²¥´óÐã's passive aggressive form, but I sense neither in Gordon Brown's words. As long as he is content to sit in coach and does not pretend to be a pilot, the flight will go smoothly.
Oh well--in time, the Americo-phile world will have the Chinese to kick around and it will be one big happy pond again.
At 11:25 AM on 13 Nov 2007, Ian Okeden wrote:
Best way to get a laugh is to remind a Frenchman from whence comes his liberty.
An even better way to get a laugh is to remind an American that his/her country owes it's existence (not just it's liberty) to the French. Also one of their greatest symbols (the Statue of Liberty) is also French in origin.
"I am only anti-American about certain things, aggressive American foreign policy, massive corporate dishonesty that has led yet again to a worldwide business crisis, its racism in the South and its bible bashing. Simple realy..ljealous? no way."
I found that comment very interesting. As an American (yes from the USA) studying European Politics in Europe at the moment I am privy to the nastiness of everyday European anti-americanism...and its hypocrisy. In terms of aggressive foreign policy, were we the ones who scrambled for Africa and because of this created the problems Africa has now? And of course we are the only ones with corrupt big business, honest European companies would never ever be guilty of the kind of capitalist corruption that takes place in that glorified hole of America. Certainly not. And in my stay in Europe I have never, ever seen outright racial attacks and threats being delivered to minorities and immigrints (like Turks and Yugoslavians) in broad daylight in the middle of a busy shopping street. In case you don't get the sarcasm: yes America is guilty of many bad decisions, and if you ask one like me, we will admit it. However, we were not the first ones and we certainly won't be the last. Before people from Europe attack my country why don't they think about their daily lives and more importatnly their past. America and Europe should work together, we are afterall cultural kin.
I'd just like to remind everyone that the US population is made of people from EVERY country on the planet, predominantly European. Thanks for bringing most of the ideas, ideals, culture, etc. that came here. Some of the "things" you could have left at home.
The current wave of anti-Americanism in Europe started BEFORE the invasion of Iraq. It actually seems to have begun with Gerhard Schroeder's re-election campaign. He was behind in the polls and played the "anti-American card" and it worked. It found fertile ground in much of Germany. Jacques Chirac finding himself in the same situation and seeing Schroeder's success tried it too and it also worked in France. There were a whole plethora of issues from Kyoto to trade disputes but these men found fertile ground so there must have been a seething resentment all along. The two coalesced into an "axis of weasel" and used their positions as leaders of two of the most important members of the EU to turn the US into a straw man, an enemy for the purpose of consolidating and expanding their power within the EU and of expanding the EU and its power as a whole. Chirac was quite explicit, he saw the EU as counterbalance, virtually an adversary of the US. You never heard the word cooperation then. The British government was unwilling to go along with this agenda although there were many in Parliament and among the general population who were in full sympathy with it. The EU effectively made itself America's enemy for no rational reason.
The French and German governments opposed the war for one main reason and that was that powerful people with close ties to top government leadership were making huge personal profits from circumventing the trade restrictions the UN had imposed on Iraq. To this day I cannot understand why George Galloway has not been indicted by an American special prosecutor.
It is important to understand the difference between why most Europeans opposed the war in Iraq and why many American oppose it today. Americans believed that the US was under real threat of attack by Iraq and this had occurred not long after 9-11. That was the message George Tenet, Director of the CIA appointed by Clinton told President Bush, "a slam dunk" and what President Putin told him from his own independent intelligence sources within Iraq as well. What if they had been right and President Bush had not attacked? Both the Congress and the American population supported the invasion by a wide margin. Americans who oppose it now are very disappointed at the outcome (the result of unreasonable expectations, mismanagement, and lack of support from much of the rest of the world.) Europeans opposed the invasion because they wanted Iraq to attack America. What was most galling to the American people I think were the French. America had made many sacrifices in two world wars to win back and secure France's freedom and independence. France was not being asked to send its own troops or money, it was not even asked to vote yes at the Security Council, it could just have abstained. Instead it worked actively to erode support and exercised its veto. This was a veto of a resolution the US government didn't even think was needed given all the prior resolutions and was only asked for to cover Tony Blair's domestic political position. In the six months the invasion was delayed, the Iraqis had plenty of time to hide their chemical and biological weapons, probably in Syria. Americans viewed the UN inspectors as a joke and "Happy Hans Blix" as the buffoon leader of a gang of Keystone Kops. Let's not forget the UN failed to find Iraq's very real nuclear program between the end of fighting in 1991 and 1995 when it was revealed by Saddam Hussein's brother-in-law who ran it.
So today Europe at least, Western Europe is America's enemy. Then why did the three blind mice Sarkozy, Merkel, and Brown come to Washington DC in the last few weeks to lick the boots of a man their populations despise, who is a lame duck, and who has a mere 14 months left in office? What do they know that we don't, what do they want? I suspect they know there is an economic Mount Vesuvius about to explode in Europe and they want help. Without going into the inevitable and what should be obvious reasons that led to it, Sarkozy quietly said a few weeks ago that the French Government is broke. What will happen when that reality is manifested in his government's checks starting to bounce? Will the EU's economies which are so inseparably interlinked through both trade agreements and a common currency collapse like a house of cards? I think nobody knows but I think for this and many other reasons they are scared. Too bad, I don't think there is much interest or willingness in the American government right now to lend a helping hand. Maybe to throw it an anchor or two. The sub prime mortgage lending fiasco could hardly have come at a better time. The fall in the dollar making European goods increasingly unmarketable in the US and other dollar linked economies is another. When the bough breaks the cradle will fall and down will come Europe, Euro and all.
Wow. This certainly generated a lot of comments. I feel the need to point out that the term "cheese eating surrender monkeys" was actually coined by a Scotsman, none other than Groundskeeper Willie.
Time for a Duff.
Woo-hoo!
People have to realize that a large percentage of the American people do not have any interaction with people from other countries, and thus might be indifferent to their concerns. Where I live (Wisconsin) I can travel north until I hit Lake Superior. I can go south 1000 miles and it is all USA until I hit the Gulf. Same going 1000 miles east or 2000 miles west. I seldom get to interact with people from other countries and that is why I enjoy a forum such as this. Americans are generally not arrogant about world affairs, most often we just are so insulated that we do not know. I would venture to say that only 1 in 20 Americans can name Ottawa as capital of Canada, and I doubt a majority could find Britain on a map. We are so into ourselves that many of us do not look elsewhere. In Europe you can travel much shorter distances and pass through different countries and meet their citizens.
There are many legitimate criticisms of the US, but so much anti-Americanism is just a social disease that says much more about the sufferers than it does about the US or Americans. Many people simply can't comprehend the complexities of a country like the US, so they indulge in perverse stereotypes to make every thing neat, tidy and simple.
I did not vote for Bush (nor did my state). I actively oppose the war. I oppose the death penalty (and my state abolished it 120 years ago). I do not like religion. I do not own a car. I have traveled and all over the world and lived in several different countries. I can be highly critical of US domestic and foreign policies. I get plenty of relevant and balanced information via the US and international news media's hundreds of thousands of diverse outlets, blogs, books, films and essays. I have friends, colleagues and neighbors from all over the globe and of many religious and cultural backgrounds. And guess what - I consider myself a mainstream American citizen and I'm proud to be so. Here's an idea - try asking an American what he or she believes before jumping into some ugly tirade that just exposes your ignorance and bigotry. It's not cute or appropriate.
There will always be people like Andrew Stone (66) who imagine they just know sooooo much more about the realities of living in the USA than people who, you know...actually live there. This is both radically arrogant and laugh-out-loud funny. ALL American travelers have stories of being harangued by hyper-critical, USA-obsessed characters like that. It's a right of passage for any American!
Mark: Number 77 and 110 posts.
I hope that people read your comments with an open mind. Your views are deadly accurate, particularly so in defining what the US is, US thought processes, and the often polar differences between the US and Europe. While your views will perhaps not be read favorably by Europeans, your insight into where the US came from, how its people think and dissilusionment with current "allies" is uncannily accurate.
Sadly, your last post sums up the truth. For whatever reasons the three leaders of UK, Germany and France came to Washington DC, it is true that isolationism in the US is far more tolerable today than at any point in US history.
Another post stated a fact that Europe turns away from rather than acknowledging. Europe views the US military as its own personal toy/possession, to be used at Europe's whim in the absence of Europe's own viable military. The US military is loathed by Europeans when it is not deployed for European causes. The US military is grudgingly called upon by Europeans when Europe feels necessity, however Europeans then criticize when the US does not do as its told.
Finally, anti-Americanism did not find its origin with GW Bush, despite the limited-view rhetoric being preached to the European masses by the media. Europeans hated Ronald Reagan, could barely tolerate FDR. Quite honestly, I don't think the US was ever forgiven by Europeans for doing the unthinkable---shrugging off European power and founding the USA in the first place. For that, the US will always be viewed with disdain and disregard.
I am delighted to be a member of the nation that inspires such scholarly devotion in British and Australian academics, a nation that apparently occupies the attention of an entire army of Ö÷²¥´óÐã commentators and fellow Americo-philes interested in understanding our ways.
Sometimes, however, I worry that such obsessive attention to our culture might lead to neglect of equally worthy British institutions. Perhaps Mr. Webb could help support British culture by taking up such topics as the influence of Stonehenge on modern America or the success of British actors in Hollywood. Or maybe he could help spearhead a movement to repatriate the mortal remains of all British soldiers who gave their lives in the American war of independence. Not all roads lead to Washington and some day, when they lead (say) to Beijing, we will be one happy pond again.
To Paul: How dare you be so closed minded. I am an American citizen and PROUD of it! You say that the Phillipino people assume that you are American and shout snide remarks at you. Do you honestly think I myself or my 16 year old sister have anything to do with the choices our government has made? You obviously are nothing but envious of this country and the freedoms, rights, money and privelidges that we have. So be it. This is not an American website - I'm interested to see the differences between your posts if this were an American website.
Would you prefer Iraq to be the world power? Didn't think so. -A proud American
Lisa #114
Consider that the majority of Europeans, those who opposed the American invasion of Iraq would deny the Iraqis the same chance to escape the inhuman barbarity of a psychopathic tyrant that gave them the chance for the life of freedom and comfort they now enjoy themselves. They were not asked to contribute in any way either with soldiers or money, they were not even asked to approve it but merely to stand out of the way. Instead they tried everything they could do to stop it and condemned it from the day it happened. Whether the Iraqi people made the best use of the opportunity given them or whether the US mismanaged the aftermath misjudging the determination of those who would deny Iraqis a free peaceful democratic nation themselves is besides the point. Europeans just wouldn't accept the idea of America liberating Iraqis from Saddam Hussein in the same way Americans liberated them from Hitler and prevented them from being subjected to Soviet tyranny. They really really are stinkers, no good, rotten to the core. They are not people we should befriend or trust, they are not worthy of us. We are better than they are. They know it and that is the real reason why they hate us.
Firs and foremost, American does not limit you to being a citizen of the USA, it means being a citizen in any of the almost 60 territories, so I would assume the term anti-American mostly (but not only) means anti-USA.
I do not consider my self to be anti-USA, for that would mean being anti-everything the Us represents. What I mostly disagree with is their foreign policy (I’m from Mexico), how it meddles with a lot of internal affairs from my country and around the world.
Something I also strongly dislike is that when I travel to the US I have to constantly answer some outdated views about my country, and how most people from the US think of a Mexican as being culturally inferior, in some cases dumb-witted (having mostly only contact with the immigrants who are uneducated as far as School wise and books is concern), I would compare this last point as if everyone in Europe or anywhere in the world thought people from the US as being rednecks, evangelicals., etc.
Again I want like to point out that, that’s not true to all of it’s population, I do not even pretend to know what percentage, all I can say is that, that’s the majority of people that I’ve encountered in the U.S.
Now most of the us citizens that I’ve met either here in México or elsewhere seem to know more about our culture, our politics and our people, they seem to be more aware of international issues than people that have never been outside the U.S (but I guess this is something inherent to every country, since it also happens here in Mexico, where people who have never been outside it’s territorial borders tend to have more narrow and one-sided views), so again I do not pretend to generalize but that’s what I’ve dealt with.
Not agreeing with policy is not anti-American as many have said. American citizens respect differeing views. Our culture is made strong from differing views from a very diverce populace and we think its good to question government. But unfortunatly there has been a lot of very blatent hatered of the US recently which has led some people to make some crazy, unfounded accusations that go way beyond any criticizm of government policy. Examples are "The US wants to take over the world" "Americans don't care about other people", "Americans just care about money and will distroy the Earth just to make a little more" and others I dont won't to repeat.This is anti-americanism to me and should be addressed. Such statements make Americans sad and angry because they are so far from the truth. When anyone gets angry a very human response is to say something in retaliation or defence. This is often an equally crazy statement either about other nationalities or by claiming that the US is better than they actually believe it to be. Examples, "America is the best country in the world" "Your all just jelouse of us". These statements in turn are used as examples of how Americans are ignorant....Its a vicious cycle that i've seen happen many, many times on internet boards such as this one. People are almost aways more reasonable and civil in a face to face chat. I've lived in Asia and now South America for the last 6 years and have never faced anything like what I read on internet boards.
As for calling people from the US Americans. This has to do with how the English language works. You take the last word in a places name and conjugate it. And right now there are no other natural alturnatives. Its not Arrogance.
America stands for freedom, liberty, success. That is in design anyway, not necessarily in effect.
Many people around the world admire certain American achievements and American people. People often hate the US government and its actions. Also the persona projected by American corporations and their strategies.
Basically clever charismatic people will always be admired. Greedy, selfish, self-admiring, loudmouth, brutal people won't.
GW Bush has taken the US to new lows. Thankfully he won't define what America is seen as for too much longer.
The US is no different than many of the countries people are complaining from. There is a small class of elites who control most of the wealth, they control say so in Govt policy, and no one pays much attention to the will of the people ... it is these people who go around the world and cause chaos giving everyone a bad name.
We have crime, we have unemployment, we have poverty, some bad roads, and we have some poor schools too. We have different political groups and everyone does not agree on topics; we may agree 50% of the time. We take issue with what goes on around us, maybe not on the other side of the earth, just like you. We also fuss at our government about taxes and our working class of people. Its in reality no different than anywhere else.
Still, we are a country of variety and we have made a country consisting of the citizens from just about everywhere on this earth, and yes, we are proud of that fact.
Has the US engaged in wrongdoing? Yes. Sometimes we think we are right but we are not. Even so Europeans have a lot of nerve chastising the US about its actions of "imperialism" and "capitalism". Who is it that initially ran the circumference of the globe grabbing land, subjugating, and slaughtering native peoples for their gold, diamonds, and other resources? Who started all the World Wars?
Its time for Europe to end its snobbery and for both sides to discuss political stability in a civil fashion; not one where either thinks it is better than the other and definitely not in an environment of hate.
Response to #45
I agree with you about Hollywood being a little off the mark in certain movies but your assumption about the US not being the major one to help win the war is just wrong. 1. we had to fight a two front war ACROSS the two largest oceans in the world and we still beat Italy and Japan pretty much on our own. 2. without our supplies to the allies, England would have fallen. 3. The Russian winter and Hitlers meth addiction had more to do with Germany being stopped on that front 4. Not paying for Germany and Japan to be reconstructed would have been a grave error. 5. it was 60 years ago...lets drop it.
To be honest with you I wish America would go back into an semi-Isolationist stance. I would be happy with never giving any money to Africa/South America/Isreal... never being involved in another war... never taking part in the annoying UN... closing our southern borders... granting amnesty to the ones that are already here... strengthen our ties to the people who want to be our friends and share in mutual benefiting research (not fair weather ones). I wish the US would go back to the thinking of the founding fathers who knew that we needed to stand apart from other peoples problems and wars. We are a young country and we will stumble and fall but we will get back up. One bad President in a country with influnce can cause a ton of problems... We will have to see what direction this country decides to take in the next leg of this new exciting era!