Page 1 of 1 pages
In the early years of this Republic, Europe took a dim view of everything about the Western Hemisphere:
” ... due chiefly to atmospheric conditions, in particular excessive humidity, all living things in the Americas were not only inferior to those found in Europe but also in a condition of decline.” - James Ceaser, “A Genealogy of Anti-Americanism,” >Public Interest (Summer 2003). http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/951675/posts
The European attitude, similar to that expressed above, has a very long history, as documented by Ceaser and others.
So, taking a dim view of the Western Hemisphere in general and the United States in particular has a long and unsubstantiated pedigree, not to mention an opportunistic element: Europe was glad enough to suffer our presence in WWI, WWII, and the Cold War, even if we are inferior and in decline.
It would be correct to attribute the long-standing European attitude toward the United States to jealousy, regardless of any cultural or political context in which that jealousy is expressed. Europe is now faced with demographic collapse, Islamization, and impoverishment, so obviously the jealousy can only increase, and appears to be morphing toward Jihadism.
But the variable animosity toward the United States is not limited to Europe; it is worldwide, and is an exact function of real threat. During the Cold War, Europe was threatened by its bastard spawn, Communism, and willingly took protection from the United States, despite what some students said or did. At the same time, Japan was relatively unthreatened and developed a quite independent streak, and welcome to it. But the collapse of the Soviet Union corresponded quite closely with the rise of China, and Europe began to express more independence just as Japan became more interested in strengthening its defense ties with the United States, in a global geopolitical minuet.
So does the EU hate me? Probably not. Tweaking the United States is a safe pastime, unlike tweaking Kaiser Bill, or Hitler, or Stalin, or the Soviet bureaucracy. Tweak and be damned, it is a matter of supreme indifference to me.
If Europe ever gets engaged enough to confront the Jihadists in their midst we will ride to the rescue again, without a doubt.
Posted by scorp on Jun 7, 2008 at 8:00 AM
One basic instinctive reason for hatred is jealousy. Most of
Posted by Florida Counts on Jun 7, 2008 at 8:32 AM
Since you sympathize with 1960’s radicals and the current Green Party, there is little doubt that you would seek to portray their anti-Americanism in the best possible light.
However, the truth is brutal and unflattering. Europe only supports America when it suits her self-interests, and seeks to frustrate US foreign policy in all other aspects. Europeans support basing US troops in Europe during the Cold War? How touching.
The social capital between Europe and the US is depleting rapidly. Since the fall of the Berlin Wall, European actions cannot be characterized as allied. The younger generations of Americans feel no connection to Europe at all. Our popular culture has turned it’s attention to Asia.
Make no mistake, just as brothers grow apart, as European relatives turn from cousins to distant cousins, so has America grown apart from Europe. We do not have common views on individual freedom, religion, or culture. We have nothing in common but history, which grows more distant every day.
As an American citizen, I will fiercely oppose all proposals by the US government to aid Europe.
Posted by altoids on Jun 7, 2008 at 8:42 AM
The name “allies” is just a holdover from WW11. NATO is out of gas and everyone knows it. It is only the UK and the US who have put money into military readiness.
I know it is a popular passtime in the UK and Europe to mull over how the US could change to make us more popular on your side of the pond but honestly, few on this side care. It is not a popularity contest and Europe has to many lefty to ever tike the US who never really fell for the fashionable radical politics coming from the salons of Europe. Afterall, the names Euro-weenies and Euro trash were a Yank response to the leftist nonsense your side of the pond comes up with.
So do we really care what France, Germany, Spain, Italy thinks about anything. No. They are a impotent group. We do care about the UK but are very pessimistic about your future. The multicults are destroying “Briitishness”.
So you tell us. Why should we care what the UK and Britain think? WW11 has been over for some long while and so has the Wall.
Posted by britwit on Jun 7, 2008 at 9:09 AM
Europe wants to exert more international influence. Well isn’t that special. I takes alot more to exert pressure and influence others than harping and criticizing. Talk is cheap but very often leads to no where.
Europe won’t, or can’t spend the money on their militaries that would allow it to play a more important role in world politics. Talk means nothing without the might to back it up. It seems most Europeans would rather allow the U.S. to pay for deployment of their troops to protect the European Union. Remeber the U.S. had no real interest in the Balkans but went anyway at the behest of the Europeans. It’s easy to carp and criticize but when they need help they no who to call and it’s not Ghostbusters.
Europe has talked with the Iranians for nearly a decade now about their development of nuclear power (can we say weapons) and not a single thing has been accomplished. Discussions are good and should be encouraged but talk alone will not bring an end to all problems. Iran will not desist from their nuclear ambitions and neither will North Korea because we talk. There must be consequences for actions. The Europeans aren’t even willing to impose economic restrictions much less boycotts. Europe is weak.
It is easy to lambaste the U.S. while it defends the world and provides Europe with security. The U.S. does not ask for Europes gratefulness for winning the cold war, world war II and world war I. We merely ask for a little respect. Europe criticized us for deploying nuclear weapons to fight the cold war but is there any doubt that it helped? Europe criticized Churchill and praised Chamberlain but who was right?
An an American I would welcome Europe playing a central role in the world but only when they are willing to back up their belicosity. Their pontificating and bloviating is weak and hollow. It seems that Europe’s policy is whatever is in opposition to the United States.
The United States is often wrong but when it matters who will come to the aid of the Europeans? I can guarantee it won’t be the Iranians, North Koreans, and Muslim extremists. When Europe acquires a backbone then their help on the world stage will be welcome. Until then shut up and get out of the way.
Posted by garthid on Jun 7, 2008 at 9:12 AM
All these articles about how Europe dislikes America ... and of course the left would have us believe it’s all about Bush. The truth is, most Americans have a negative view of European types, i.e., “continentals,” and NOT just their governments. We have our stereotypes of the French, Germans, Italians…. French are slimy narcissists, Germans are robotic sheep, and Italians are overindulged, lazy fuckers. Spain’s best time was almost 500 years ago, and they’ll never outlive the inquisition, just like the Germans will never outlive the holocaust and two world wars. The sad truth for Europe is that most Americans couldn’t name more than 3-4 european countries on the continent and only care for Europe’s cars and hardly bother with it otherwise. We cannot understand Europe’s anti-speech laws, continuing fascination with royalty, its socialist anti-individualist orientation, and horrible cheesy pop music festivals. Most of all, we don’t think Europeans are cool. [None of this, of course, applies to our English, Irish and other cousins in the UK.]
Posted by chatsworth on Jun 7, 2008 at 9:35 AM
The basis of anti-Americanism is envy. The upstart has surpassed its more history-steeped elders. I lived in Europe for five years; I don’t rely on stereotypes to envision European attitudes. No one is preventing Europe from taking a leadership role, but leadership is more than talk and criticism; it takes vision and commitment. When Yugoslavia was breaking up and becoming an open conflict, European friends asked, “What is the US going to do about this?” Even though this was a problem located purely in Europe, there was no thought of actual commitment to action and involvement by the “leadership” there. I understand the deep effects WWI and WWII may have had on the European psyche, but a “head in the sand” attitude approach is an invitation for future problems. The US has its own problems and cannot be relied on to bear the burden of world policeman. I look forward to Europe regaining enough self confidence that they can lose the envy (anti-Americanism) and exert true leadership.
Posted by waygray on Jun 7, 2008 at 10:44 AM
It would appear that Hokenos actually cares about what Europeans think of the US and all Americans. Does he not get that only the left (and probably the far left) in this country care about the feeeelings of Europeans? WW2 is well and truly over and the Berlin wall is down so we say to Europe…just get on with your lives, compete, trade, do what ever you want but as far as America is concerned…get over yourselves.
We are indeed growing more distant from our European cousins daily as the EU wallows in unsustainable debt with their entrenched social programs. Not only are they unable to compete, they are unwilling to do so. Gets in the way of their extensive summer holidays. (Just ask Americans who work for companies with European offices and staff.)
So if the last resort is to dislike Americans, Well, no problem. The only problem I will have is if the American foreign policy attempts to align itself with the dangerously weak and apathetic foreign policy promoted by the EU. Other than endless conferences, their only solution to world problems is to dis Americans, indulge in their own virulent brand of anti-semitism while at the same time demand, mind you , demand that America, fix everything.
They should get the message that their culture no longer interests us the way it used to. Their monuments are time worn and comercialized. Their history now pales in significence and interest compared to the rise of societies in Asia, India and so many other places.. We look forward not backwards and we are no longer enthralled with the European cashe. There is no longer “An American in Paris”.
Posted by Mckate on Jun 7, 2008 at 12:44 PM
Since Rhamses’ times people’ve been of left or right inclinations, inclinations exacerbated by political circumstances. Europe is pretty normal from this point of view, and while there the anti-americanism was/is rather a intelligentia’s sport, the left copiously piggy-backed that. The crowds marching in the past few years against the war in Iraq are not different a iota of those cummunist/Soviet-run “Yankees go home!” demonstrations in th 50-s, 60-s and 70-s - the same excitable, ‘useful idiots” . However, in our days we must factor in those situations an ingredient which negatively amplifies some American cultural flaws like narcissism, emotionalism, absurd yearning of being liked, culture of self-blaming - the ingredient being our days’ instant and universal communication which makes historically fleeting facts or incidents gather undue weight which fuel existing animosities.
Parts of what I just said can be found bellow, in a copy of a today’s (unedited) post in HuffingtonPost:
===================== *** ===================
HuffPost/Simon Jenkins /The Second Vote/ 06/06/08
Nothing in recent American politics has been followed in Europe as obsessively as the Democratic primary. Barack Obama’s victory has been universally greeted with the same gesture. Two hands are pointed together in prayer. Please, please let it be true, let him be president. Polls have yet to appear, but I imagine Obama beats John McCain by a factor of ninety-nine to one in the global electorate.
It is hard for Americans to appreciate the sheer, bruising weariness of being a pro-American abroad this past decade, for reasons that need no enumerating. As a result it is impossible to exaggerate the impact that an Obama presidency would have. To every cry of hatred against America, to every antagonism, every complaint, every sneer, Barack Obama is an instant, one-man rebuttal.
He has acquired the status of total image salve. His mere smile flashes round the world a promise of a new America. There is no point is protesting the implausibility of much of this, the danger of unrealistic hopes and unfulfillable dreams. It is plain fact. At this stage, image is all.
Say this to many Americans and they reply, what has it to do with you? Our president is our business. The answer is that Americans have not one vote but two. One is for the USA, the other is held in proxy for the rest of the world. It is a vote for Iraqis, Israelis, Afghans, Somalis, for European merchants, African farmers, Chinese industrialists, Latin American drug lords, bankers, lawyers and internet users.
Every country on Earth is ruled in some sense by America. Almost all are disenfranchised. Some aspect of their lives - perhaps whether they live at all - depends on a franchise enjoyed by a select minority, Americans. When a president claims to speak “for the west” or “for the free world”, that world replies, by whose consent? Who asked us? We are expected just to wait on tenterhooks to see whether “our” candidate wins.
That is why I plead with American friends to think not just who is best for America but who is best for the wider cosmopolis to which American presidents, for better or worse, claim to lead. This week there has been no doubt. It really does not matter what Obama says or does. It matters only what his candidature has come to represent. He would transform the standing and moral authority of a nation that seems to revel in being disliked by others and, I sense lately, even by itself. He is already a global phenomenon.
Posted by Misanthropicus on Jun 7, 2008 at 1:59 PM
The article may be correct on Western Europe. On Eastern Europe, however, the attitude toward America is mostly favorable, probably because we brought about the collapse of communism.
Posted by Florida Counts on Jun 9, 2008 at 6:02 AM
Page 1 of 1 pages
SAVE 53% OFFTHE NEWSSTAND PRICE!
Reader Comments
In the early years of this Republic, Europe took a dim view of everything about the Western Hemisphere:
The European attitude, similar to that expressed above, has a very long history, as documented by Ceaser and others.
So, taking a dim view of the Western Hemisphere in general and the United States in particular has a long and unsubstantiated pedigree, not to mention an opportunistic element: Europe was glad enough to suffer our presence in WWI, WWII, and the Cold War, even if we are inferior and in decline.
It would be correct to attribute the long-standing European attitude toward the United States to jealousy, regardless of any cultural or political context in which that jealousy is expressed. Europe is now faced with demographic collapse, Islamization, and impoverishment, so obviously the jealousy can only increase, and appears to be morphing toward Jihadism.
But the variable animosity toward the United States is not limited to Europe; it is worldwide, and is an exact function of real threat. During the Cold War, Europe was threatened by its bastard spawn, Communism, and willingly took protection from the United States, despite what some students said or did. At the same time, Japan was relatively unthreatened and developed a quite independent streak, and welcome to it. But the collapse of the Soviet Union corresponded quite closely with the rise of China, and Europe began to express more independence just as Japan became more interested in strengthening its defense ties with the United States, in a global geopolitical minuet.
So does the EU hate me? Probably not. Tweaking the United States is a safe pastime, unlike tweaking Kaiser Bill, or Hitler, or Stalin, or the Soviet bureaucracy. Tweak and be damned, it is a matter of supreme indifference to me.
If Europe ever gets engaged enough to confront the Jihadists in their midst we will ride to the rescue again, without a doubt.
One basic instinctive reason for hatred is jealousy. Most of
Since you sympathize with 1960’s radicals and the current Green Party, there is little doubt that you would seek to portray their anti-Americanism in the best possible light.
However, the truth is brutal and unflattering. Europe only supports America when it suits her self-interests, and seeks to frustrate US foreign policy in all other aspects. Europeans support basing US troops in Europe during the Cold War? How touching.
The social capital between Europe and the US is depleting rapidly. Since the fall of the Berlin Wall, European actions cannot be characterized as allied. The younger generations of Americans feel no connection to Europe at all. Our popular culture has turned it’s attention to Asia.
Make no mistake, just as brothers grow apart, as European relatives turn from cousins to distant cousins, so has America grown apart from Europe. We do not have common views on individual freedom, religion, or culture. We have nothing in common but history, which grows more distant every day.
As an American citizen, I will fiercely oppose all proposals by the US government to aid Europe.
The name “allies” is just a holdover from WW11. NATO is out of gas and everyone knows it. It is only the UK and the US who have put money into military readiness.
I know it is a popular passtime in the UK and Europe to mull over how the US could change to make us more popular on your side of the pond but honestly, few on this side care. It is not a popularity contest and Europe has to many lefty to ever tike the US who never really fell for the fashionable radical politics coming from the salons of Europe. Afterall, the names Euro-weenies and Euro trash were a Yank response to the leftist nonsense your side of the pond comes up with.
So do we really care what France, Germany, Spain, Italy thinks about anything. No. They are a impotent group. We do care about the UK but are very pessimistic about your future. The multicults are destroying “Briitishness”.
So you tell us. Why should we care what the UK and Britain think? WW11 has been over for some long while and so has the Wall.
Europe wants to exert more international influence. Well isn’t that special. I takes alot more to exert pressure and influence others than harping and criticizing. Talk is cheap but very often leads to no where.
Europe won’t, or can’t spend the money on their militaries that would allow it to play a more important role in world politics. Talk means nothing without the might to back it up. It seems most Europeans would rather allow the U.S. to pay for deployment of their troops to protect the European Union. Remeber the U.S. had no real interest in the Balkans but went anyway at the behest of the Europeans. It’s easy to carp and criticize but when they need help they no who to call and it’s not Ghostbusters.
Europe has talked with the Iranians for nearly a decade now about their development of nuclear power (can we say weapons) and not a single thing has been accomplished. Discussions are good and should be encouraged but talk alone will not bring an end to all problems. Iran will not desist from their nuclear ambitions and neither will North Korea because we talk. There must be consequences for actions. The Europeans aren’t even willing to impose economic restrictions much less boycotts. Europe is weak.
It is easy to lambaste the U.S. while it defends the world and provides Europe with security. The U.S. does not ask for Europes gratefulness for winning the cold war, world war II and world war I. We merely ask for a little respect. Europe criticized us for deploying nuclear weapons to fight the cold war but is there any doubt that it helped? Europe criticized Churchill and praised Chamberlain but who was right?
An an American I would welcome Europe playing a central role in the world but only when they are willing to back up their belicosity. Their pontificating and bloviating is weak and hollow. It seems that Europe’s policy is whatever is in opposition to the United States.
The United States is often wrong but when it matters who will come to the aid of the Europeans? I can guarantee it won’t be the Iranians, North Koreans, and Muslim extremists. When Europe acquires a backbone then their help on the world stage will be welcome. Until then shut up and get out of the way.
All these articles about how Europe dislikes America ... and of course the left would have us believe it’s all about Bush. The truth is, most Americans have a negative view of European types, i.e., “continentals,” and NOT just their governments. We have our stereotypes of the French, Germans, Italians…. French are slimy narcissists, Germans are robotic sheep, and Italians are overindulged, lazy fuckers. Spain’s best time was almost 500 years ago, and they’ll never outlive the inquisition, just like the Germans will never outlive the holocaust and two world wars. The sad truth for Europe is that most Americans couldn’t name more than 3-4 european countries on the continent and only care for Europe’s cars and hardly bother with it otherwise. We cannot understand Europe’s anti-speech laws, continuing fascination with royalty, its socialist anti-individualist orientation, and horrible cheesy pop music festivals. Most of all, we don’t think Europeans are cool. [None of this, of course, applies to our English, Irish and other cousins in the UK.]
The basis of anti-Americanism is envy. The upstart has surpassed its more history-steeped elders. I lived in Europe for five years; I don’t rely on stereotypes to envision European attitudes. No one is preventing Europe from taking a leadership role, but leadership is more than talk and criticism; it takes vision and commitment. When Yugoslavia was breaking up and becoming an open conflict, European friends asked, “What is the US going to do about this?” Even though this was a problem located purely in Europe, there was no thought of actual commitment to action and involvement by the “leadership” there. I understand the deep effects WWI and WWII may have had on the European psyche, but a “head in the sand” attitude approach is an invitation for future problems. The US has its own problems and cannot be relied on to bear the burden of world policeman. I look forward to Europe regaining enough self confidence that they can lose the envy (anti-Americanism) and exert true leadership.
It would appear that Hokenos actually cares about what Europeans think of the US and all Americans. Does he not get that only the left (and probably the far left) in this country care about the feeeelings of Europeans? WW2 is well and truly over and the Berlin wall is down so we say to Europe…just get on with your lives, compete, trade, do what ever you want but as far as America is concerned…get over yourselves.
We are indeed growing more distant from our European cousins daily as the EU wallows in unsustainable debt with their entrenched social programs. Not only are they unable to compete, they are unwilling to do so. Gets in the way of their extensive summer holidays. (Just ask Americans who work for companies with European offices and staff.)
So if the last resort is to dislike Americans, Well, no problem. The only problem I will have is if the American foreign policy attempts to align itself with the dangerously weak and apathetic foreign policy promoted by the EU. Other than endless conferences, their only solution to world problems is to dis Americans, indulge in their own virulent brand of anti-semitism while at the same time demand, mind you , demand that America, fix everything.
They should get the message that their culture no longer interests us the way it used to. Their monuments are time worn and comercialized. Their history now pales in significence and interest compared to the rise of societies in Asia, India and so many other places.. We look forward not backwards and we are no longer enthralled with the European cashe. There is no longer “An American in Paris”.
Since Rhamses’ times people’ve been of left or right inclinations, inclinations exacerbated by political circumstances. Europe is pretty normal from this point of view, and while there the anti-americanism was/is rather a intelligentia’s sport, the left copiously piggy-backed that. The crowds marching in the past few years against the war in Iraq are not different a iota of those cummunist/Soviet-run “Yankees go home!” demonstrations in th 50-s, 60-s and 70-s - the same excitable, ‘useful idiots” . However, in our days we must factor in those situations an ingredient which negatively amplifies some American cultural flaws like narcissism, emotionalism, absurd yearning of being liked, culture of self-blaming - the ingredient being our days’ instant and universal communication which makes historically fleeting facts or incidents gather undue weight which fuel existing animosities.
Parts of what I just said can be found bellow, in a copy of a today’s (unedited) post in HuffingtonPost:
===================== *** ===================
HuffPost/Simon Jenkins /The Second Vote/ 06/06/08
Nothing in recent American politics has been followed in Europe as obsessively as the Democratic primary. Barack Obama’s victory has been universally greeted with the same gesture. Two hands are pointed together in prayer. Please, please let it be true, let him be president. Polls have yet to appear, but I imagine Obama beats John McCain by a factor of ninety-nine to one in the global electorate.
It is hard for Americans to appreciate the sheer, bruising weariness of being a pro-American abroad this past decade, for reasons that need no enumerating. As a result it is impossible to exaggerate the impact that an Obama presidency would have. To every cry of hatred against America, to every antagonism, every complaint, every sneer, Barack Obama is an instant, one-man rebuttal.
He has acquired the status of total image salve. His mere smile flashes round the world a promise of a new America. There is no point is protesting the implausibility of much of this, the danger of unrealistic hopes and unfulfillable dreams. It is plain fact. At this stage, image is all.
Say this to many Americans and they reply, what has it to do with you? Our president is our business. The answer is that Americans have not one vote but two. One is for the USA, the other is held in proxy for the rest of the world. It is a vote for Iraqis, Israelis, Afghans, Somalis, for European merchants, African farmers, Chinese industrialists, Latin American drug lords, bankers, lawyers and internet users.
Every country on Earth is ruled in some sense by America. Almost all are disenfranchised. Some aspect of their lives - perhaps whether they live at all - depends on a franchise enjoyed by a select minority, Americans. When a president claims to speak “for the west” or “for the free world”, that world replies, by whose consent? Who asked us? We are expected just to wait on tenterhooks to see whether “our” candidate wins.
That is why I plead with American friends to think not just who is best for America but who is best for the wider cosmopolis to which American presidents, for better or worse, claim to lead. This week there has been no doubt. It really does not matter what Obama says or does. It matters only what his candidature has come to represent. He would transform the standing and moral authority of a nation that seems to revel in being disliked by others and, I sense lately, even by itself. He is already a global phenomenon.
The article may be correct on Western Europe. On Eastern Europe, however, the attitude toward America is mostly favorable, probably because we brought about the collapse of communism.
register a new account »Posting Security