Anti-Americanism

[naut]

A number of things really:

• The foreign policies of the administration, the way America acts as the global policeman sticking their noses in other countries business.
• The ignorance of the average American about the world outside of America.
• The sheer arrogance.

I think another, and probably the most important, is envy. America has one of the highest standards of living in the world, and even the poorest Americans live in conditions many people would consider luxurious. We have an incredibly high rate of consumption, and can throw our weight around worldwide both economically and politically, making us a natural target for those who wish they could live in similar conditions or take pride in their own nation's power.

That is laughable. You can keep your higher infant mortality rates, lower life expectancy, high public debt (64.7% of GDP), $10.04 trillion in debt and your wars.

[ajaxfetish]

That is laughable. You can keep your higher infant mortality rates, lower life expectancy, high public debt (64.7% of GDP), $10.04 trillion in debt and your wars.

Worse off than you perhaps, but Australia is not the world. Tell someone living in subsaharan Africa or Bangladesh to laugh our American standard of living to scorn. And that ignores America's greater ability to throw its weight around in world affairs compared to Australia.

Ajax

[Fragony]

Just fashionable to hate America, if you want to be salonfähig you have to at least mock it every now and then between schnapps.

[mightilyoats]

Just fashionable to hate America, if you want to be salonfähig you have to at least mock it every now and then between schnapps.

Why yes. Indeed. That is 100% true. But this trend caused us to look at the US through a microscope just to find faults... And we found many.

USA interferes with foreign governments, bullies foreign governments (even 1st world governments). They dethrone kings and rulers "because they are a danger to humanity". How would Americans feel about a foreign army sweeping into their country, destroying lives and infrastructure? It would be fair. America turned out to be more dangerous than Iraq.

I am ranting. I will stop for schnapps...

[BigTex]

Same roots as anti-semitism. People hate others success. So they look for the smallest flaw, the tiniest imperfection and find a reason to hate an entire group of people.

The ignorance of the average American about the world outside of America.

You'll find that with almost any average citizen of almost any country. Only difference in America is the fact of it's size and diversity makes for more information to digest and learn. This isnt the EU after all, countries are not 50-100 miles from each other, there are 50 states. I find the average Europeans knowledge of states to be dismal at best really.

Just fashionable to hate America, if you want to be salonfähig you have to at least mock it every now and then between schnapps.

That doesnt help either.

[Rodion Romanovich]

nvm, I'll to wait for Pindar's answer to Tribesman's question before commenting

[Fragony]

Same roots as anti-semitism. People hate others success.

That's the american *we rox your sox* version, doesn't help either.

[BigTex]

That's the american *we rox your sox* version, doesn't help either.

It's a very simplified version of BG's post, people hate the success we've had. We are the biggest fish in the sea and the easiest target for any problem.

You also have the propaganda people are fed in Iran, parts of south america and mid-east doesnt help.

Other countries using America as an excuse for their failings has also led to more anti-americanism.

But it all leads back to the USA currently being the biggest fish, and the easiest scapegoat for peoples problems.

[English assassin]

What do you (the collective) take as the roots/reason for anti-Americanism

On the part of governments, political movements, and other organised bodies: the fact that it is believed to be a useful tool to keep/obtain power. This is equally the reason for being nice to America. Which route you choose depends on history. Or, in a bid to sound more cleverer than wot I am "Cui bono?"

On the part of Abdul, the man in the cairo omnibus: because he's been told to think that way.

(There are aspects of US foreign policy which IMHO it's entirely right to dislike. Quite a lot, in fact. But outside the readers of the Guardian and its equivalents I doubt they are the reasons for any global prejudice against America that may exist.)

[Sasaki Kojiro]

Why yes. Indeed. That is 100% true. But this trend caused us to look at the US through a microscope just to find faults... And we found many.

USA interferes with foreign governments, bullies foreign governments (even 1st world governments). They dethrone kings and rulers "because they are a danger to humanity". How would Americans feel about a foreign army sweeping into their country, destroying lives and infrastructure? It would be fair. America turned out to be more dangerous than Iraq.

I am ranting. I will stop for schnapps...

Universal human rights come before sovereignty.

Indeed. the belief that America is somehow "good" or "special" is propagated by the school system here and entirely false. Just like any other imperialistic modern power, America has comitted numerous murders, thefts, and other atrocities on behalf of its national intrest. Do I blame her? No. But no one should be naive about their nation's greatness or lack thereof.

Where did you go to school? They don't teach the simplified version of history past gradeschool.

And I think you have a gross misunderstanding of what Imperialism means, or are just using it very improperly. To be sure the US has had more than a few problems in keeping itself out of other nation's problems, but Imperialism is not remotely the right term to use here.

We were imperialist during the imperialist era before WWI. We aren't anymore.

[Pindar]

What is anti Americanism ?

nvm, I'll to wait for Pindar's answer to Tribesman's question before commenting

Tribesman asked a good question - what do you mean by the term?

Anti-Americanism refers to a hostility toward the U.S. as a nation, people or distinct culture set.

[Banquo's Ghost]

Anti-Americanism refers to a hostility toward the U.S. as a nation, people or distinct culture set.

Thank you, but what grade of hostility? And does it have to be towards all elements of your diverse nation, or any level of hostility to any one aspect makes one anti-American?

[Banquo's Ghost]

Tribesman asked a good question - what do you mean by the term?

"Anti-Americanism" seems to range from a dismissal aimed at anyone who criticises administration policy (ie on other forums I've seen the accusation levelled at someone who felt Wolfowitz might be a tad corrupt - the tired "why do you hate freedom" gambit) to nut-jobs measuring themselves for suicide vests.

I suspect Pindar may be setting his sights at the European contributors. Still a broad church, but I would advance one explanation not so far offered:

Disappointment.

The USA has a system of government, a record of acceptance and a history of generosity unparalleled in human history. It is a country that aspires to greatness of spirit, and has many times achieved examples of that aspiration. It is a country, and a people, that many of us look up to and dream of as an inspiration.

Inevitably, paragons fail. Those failures can sometimes be looked on with sympathy, even understanding and friendship. That such a powerful country has not become a deliberately imperial state is a source of wonderment, but toes inevitably get trodden on.

Unfortunately, the current administration has adopted an entirely un-American policy of bullying, intimidation and corrupted the normally gentle, patriotic belief in American superiority into an exclusive, rather than inclusive, credo. The country that pioneered human rights as a universal concept now promulgates the idea that only its citizens deserve such rights.

I have no doubt that this will pass, once the American people free themselves from the fear imposed on them by this administration and realise once again that liberty is their greatest defence, and that liberty for all from political and economic subjugation is the best guarantor for their liberty at home.

In short, apart from the aforementioned nut-jobs I saw little anti-Americanism of the kind now prevalent before the current administration - even during the Reagan years. There's a reason why the world laps up American "culture". Fragony is however, right - there has always been a fashion to sneer at the US, which is deeply regrettable.

Nonetheless, once President Bush and his coterie goes away, I would hope and trust much of the antagonism may as well. Remember, we loved you when you had Clinton...

[Yun Dog]

Remember, we loved you when you had Clinton...

*sighs* aahhh Clinton - those were the days *wipes a tear from his eye, and something from his sleave*

[AntiochusIII]

*sighs* aahhh Clinton - those were the days *wipes a tear from his eye, and something from his sleave*

Foreign people thinks having promiscuous Presidents are cool.

And it is cool. I mean, if he had better taste in women...

That and I'm wondering what in the world is Anti-Americanism. Is it what Louis said in the French Presidential Contest thread ("I hate zee Americains") or is it a blanket statement conveniently interchangeable with liberals, commies, terrorists, Europeans, and the Rest of the World tm ?

[Husar]

You helped the russians in WW2, of course we hate you for that.

Apart from that, Anti USAism would be more appropriate as a term, except if you want to imply that the USA ARE America(which consists of Mexico, Canada, Brazil, Argentina, Peru, Panama etc.), yeah, there you have a reason for hate, you just think you're the most important center of the earth, and that is simply not true for many people outside the US. For me, Germany is the center of the world and someone who wants to feed me another view can only hope that I'll forgive him.

Ok, seriously, everyone is his own center of the world and if someone else starts glorifying himself as the center of the world, many don't like that, the same applies to nations, few nations like to show a waving flag behind their news and broadcast that worldwide etc.
Also America is one of few democracies left which call themselves a warrior society, that sounds pretty aggressive in other "peace above everything else"-democracies.

I think you're just exporting your nationalism a bit too much, you can love your nation as much as you want, but don't tell me all the time.

And no, I don't hate the US, I just hate a few aspects of it, just like I hate a few aspects of other nations, including my own.

[Incongruous]

Tribesman asked a good question - what do you mean by the term?

"Anti-Americanism" seems to range from a dismissal aimed at anyone who criticises administration policy (ie on other forums I've seen the accusation levelled at someone who felt Wolfowitz might be a tad corrupt - the tired "why do you hate freedom" gambit) to nut-jobs measuring themselves for suicide vests.

I suspect Pindar may be setting his sights at the European contributors. Still a broad church, but I would advance one explanation not so far offered:

Disappointment.

The USA has a system of government, a record of acceptance and a history of generosity unparalleled in human history. It is a country that aspires to greatness of spirit, and has many times achieved examples of that aspiration. It is a country, and a people, that many of us look up to and dream of as an inspiration.

Inevitably, paragons fail. Those failures can sometimes be looked on with sympathy, even understanding and friendship. That such a powerful country has not become a deliberately imperial state is a source of wonderment, but toes inevitably get trodden on.

Unfortunately, the current administration has adopted an entirely un-American policy of bullying, intimidation and corrupted the normally gentle, patriotic belief in American superiority into an exclusive, rather than inclusive, credo. The country that pioneered human rights as a universal concept now promulgates the idea that only its citizens deserve such rights.

I have no doubt that this will pass, once the American people free themselves from the fear imposed on them by this administration and realise once again that liberty is their greatest defence, and that liberty for all from political and economic subjugation is the best guarantor for their liberty at home.

In short, apart from the aforementioned nut-jobs I saw little anti-Americanism of the kind now prevalent before the current administration - even during the Reagan years. There's a reason why the world laps up American "culture". Fragony is however, right - there has always been a fashion to sneer at the US, which is deeply regrettable.

Nonetheless, once President Bush and his coterie goes away, I would hope and trust much of the antagonism may as well. Remember, we loved you when you had Clinton...

Uhuh...
Hmm, I believe it's this belief in Americas special place among lesser being which annoys some. Also the adherence to such by others.
America has just like all other great powers been increadibly immoral, unsavoury, un-trustworthy, warmongering, heavy handed, ignorent, self-obsessed and self-righteous. It's like the phsycopath of the international stadium.
Note also, that I pointed out that it was just like every other great power in history. No difference, at all. Same old story, it's only after it's alll over that they'll achieve the post-greatness sense of humour which Britain enjoys.

[Zaknafien]

Indeed. the belief that America is somehow "good" or "special" is propagated by the school system here and entirely false. Just like any other imperialistic modern power, America has comitted numerous murders, thefts, and other atrocities on behalf of its national intrest. Do I blame her? No. But no one should be naive about their nation's greatness or lack thereof.

it has something to do with a loss of history, has something to do with, well, whats called “national amnesia,” either the forgetting of history or the learning of bad history, the learning of the kind of history that you do get, of Columbus was a hero, and Teddy Roosevelt is a hero, and Andrew Jackson is a hero, and all these guys who were presidents and generals and industrialists, and so on. They are the great -- they are the people who made America great, and America has always done good things in the world. And we have had our little problems, of course -- like slavery, for instance, you know -- but we overcome them, you know, and, you know. No, not that kind of history.

If the American people really knew history, if they learned history, if the educational institutions did their job, if the press did its job in giving people historical perspective, then a people would understand. When the President gets up before the microphone, says we must go to war for this or for that, for liberty or for democracy, or because we’re in danger, and so on, if people had some history behind them, they would know how many times presidents have announced to the nation, we must go to war for this reason or that reason. They would know that President Polk said, “Oh, we must go to war against Mexico, because, well, there was an incident that took place on the border there, and our honor demands that we go to war.”

They would know, if they knew some history, how President McKinley took the nation into war against Spain and Cuba, saying, “Oh, we’re going in to liberate the Cubans from Spanish control.” And in fact, there was a little bit of truth to that: we did go in, we fought against Spain, we got Spain out of Cuba, we liberated them from Spain, but not from ourselves. And so, Spain was out, and United Fruit was in, and then the American banks and the American corporations were in.

And if people knew their history, they would know, you know, that President McKinley said, when -- as the American army was already in the Philippines and the American navy was already in the Philippines, and Theodore Roosevelt, one of our great presidential heroes, was lusting for war, then people would know that McKinley, who did not know where the Philippines were, but very often now presidents need to be briefed and told where something is. You know, George Bush, “This is Iraq is,” you know. Lyndon Johnson, “This is where the Gulf of Tonkin is.” You know, they need it.

And president -- they would know, if they knew history, that President McKinley said, “We’re going into the Philippines to civilize and Christianize the Filipinos.” And if they knew their history, if the history books spent some time on the war in the Philippines in the early part of the 20th century, instead of, as history books do -- they spend a lot of time on the Spanish-American War, which just lasted three months -- they spend virtually no time on the war on the Philippines, a bloody war which lasted, oh, seven years, and which involved massacres and the extermination of populations. That history doesn’t appear. You know, we had civilized and Christianized the Filipinos and established our control.

They would know, if they heard the President say, “We are going to bring democracy to the Middle East,” they would know how many times we brought democracy to other countries that we invaded. They would know if we brought democracy to Chile, when we overthrew a democratically elected government in Chile in 1973. They would know how we brought democracy to Guatemala when we overthrew, again, a democratically elected -- oh, we love democratic elections, we love free elections, except when they go the wrong way. And then we send either our army in or the CIA in or secret agents in to overthrow the government.

[caravel]

@Zaknafien: Yes.

Anti-American is just that, American - an american invention and a piece of rhetoric put out into popular use by the US administration. Someone opposes America's invasion of country x, "they're anti-american" (or in the case of France "yes" they will be punished), someone else doubts the "american claims that country y has wmds "they're anti-american". Of course there are people that dislike america, just as there are people that dislike Iraq or the UK or China, but why do americans have to have their own label: "anti-american" it's almost as if disagreeing with US in any way is some kind of a crime.

So the term "anti-americanism" is an american creation of the administration there, not a foreign term. A group didn't magically form up one morning and declare themselves the "anti-americans".

If you're looking for reasons as to why people may hate the US, there are numerous reasons which cannot be detailed here as different people hate different countries for totally different reasons. For example: Iraqis may hate the US for totally screwing up their country.