Anti-Americanism

[tommyedison]

How serious is the problem of anti-Americanism especially in Europe?

[BurgessLau]

How serious is the problem of anti-Americanism especially in Europe?

What is your reason for asking? Knowing your purpose will help your readers set the context of your question and perhaps provide better answers. Besides, offering something is part of the trade in this forum.

Also, what do you mean by "anti-Americanism"? Do you mean hatred of individual U. S. citizens or do you mean opposition to U. S. foreign and domestic political policies? Or do you mean philosophical opposition to the best elements of Western Civilization as exemplified partly in the culture of the United States?

Are you considering moving to Western Europe or perhaps traveling there? If so, the people I know, including my son, who have recently traveled to Italy, say there is widespread opposition to U. S. foreign policies but almost no animosity to individual Americans (or Britons or Australians, for that matter).

Or are you concerned that world opinion, as its called today, will hurt the U. S. War on Terrorism (such as it is)?

[tommyedison]

What is your reason for asking? Knowing your purpose will help your readers set the context of your question and perhaps provide better answers. Besides, offering something is part of the trade in this forum.

Or are you concerned that world opinion, as its called today, will hurt the U. S. War on Terrorism (such as it is)?

This exactly what I am concerned about considering that U.S. currently is not immune to international opinion.

In addition, this article says that anti-Americanism abroad may not prove to be too comfortable for US businesses.

Anti-Americanism and US Business

Though what they have written does seem an exaggeration, as the old saying goes "there is no smoke without fire".

Also, what do you mean by "anti-Americanism"? Do you mean hatred of individual U. S. citizens or do you mean opposition to U. S. foreign and domestic political policies? Or do you mean philosophical opposition to the best elements of Western Civilization as exemplified partly in the culture of the United States?

I mean the philosophical opposition to US. For e.g., often I have read on forums online, people calling the Americans arrogant, too self-centered, etc. Hatred of American culture in general and calls for appeasement or kind behavior to terrorists and Islamists.

[Bruno]

I don't know about the problem of anti-americanism in Europe, but I do know about it here in Latin America (I'm from Brazil).

There is a widespread, subtle feeling of anti-americanism in the mainstream media, and among most part of the population. I can't say for sure what are the main reasons for it, but I have some thoughts on the issue: envy of the american progress and a wrong understanding on the causes of such progress, mainly undermined by a REALLY spread marxist indoctrination, especially in universities (as a student of Economics, I witness this everyday; further more, our president is from leftist Worker's Party). Also, there is a sense of nationalism, irrational fears ("USA wants to invade the Amazon forest!").

There is also the problem in Venezuela, ruled by leftist populist dictator Hugo Chavez. Watch out too for a growing alliance between Brazil, Venezuela and China.

There are two good books on the issue of anti-americanism: first, Anti-Americanism, by Jean-François Revel; and second, Guide to the Perfect Latin-American Idiot, whose authors I don't remember right now.

(Yes, I'm looking forward to get the hell out of here).

[Capitalism Forever]

It is pretty bad. Germans, in particular, have been absolutely obsessed with "die Amerikaner." I have worked with Germans in the south (Munich), the north (East Frisia), and the center (Frankfurt) of the country, and my experience in all three places has been that Germans love to talk about how "funny," "weird," "uncultured," etc. Americans are.

Some of the more remarkable things I've heard them say:

"Have you been to the States?"

"No, I haven't."

"Never mind, you didn't miss much."

Like a plague, it's everywhere!

The alarming thing is how fast they [the Americans] are progressing with the invasion.

I don't like Bush. He is trying to play the sheriff. I liked Clinton better; he was more human. For example, consider his affairs with women...

(I'm not kidding; a German guy actually said that! Enforcing the law is a bad thing, but cheating on your wife makes you human.)

Then, there was a conversation during company breakfast where most of the people agreed that the war was "for oil." Only two of the Germans disagreed: one gentleman who supported the Americans, and another who opined that the purpose of the war was "to protect Israel." He went on to explain how "Jews had a lot of influence in the States" etc. He was careful never to raise his voice or say anything explicitly anti-Semitic, though. After all, Germans are not supposed to be loud or angry anymore--you have to sound polite while you tell your lies about Jews...

[Capitalism Forever]

Anti-Americanism and US Business

lewrockwell.com? It figures they would say that. If they can make businessmen think that "imperialism" is bad for business, then businessmen will push for less "imperialism."

Maybe some of the businessmen will actually buy it. But they are not the Howard Roarks of this nation.

[Tom Rexton]

[...]

Also, what do you mean by "anti-Americanism"? Do you mean hatred of individual U. S. citizens or do you mean opposition to U. S. foreign and domestic political policies? Or do you mean philosophical opposition to the best elements of Western Civilization as exemplified partly in the culture of the United States?

If you go to both American and European universities, there is no distinction among the three anti-Americanisms you pointed out. They decry American foreign policy as "imperialistic", "arrogant" and "aggressive"; they disparage Americans as "selfish", "naive" and "boorish"; and they denounce Enlightenment values as...you should know already.

I believe tommyedison must have meant the last: opposition to the Enlightenment values. He could not have meant opposition to foreign and domestic policies for he too, and most of us here in this forum, oppose the overwhelming majority of Bush's domestic and foreign policies! And we're certainly not "anti-American"!

Are you considering moving to Western Europe or perhaps traveling there? If so, the people I know, including my son, who have recently traveled to Italy, say there is widespread opposition to U. S. foreign policies but almost no animosity to individual Americans (or Britons or Australians, for that matter).

[...]

That's rather odd--for, as the recent presidential election demonstrated, a majority of individual Americans implicitly support Bush's foreign policy.

[BurgessLau]

That's rather odd--for, as the recent presidential election demonstrated, a majority of individual Americans implicitly support Bush's foreign policy.

An election itself, so far as I can see, only says the majority (or mere plurality) of voters (not all individuals) preferred a particular person relative to the other candidates running.

An election outcome says nothing about support for particular foreign or other policies. Likewise, voting for a person is voting for a package deal of policies, personality, moral standards, experience, ideology, strategy, and underlying philosophy.

On the ballot I use there is no line next to a candidate's name that says, "I vote for this candidate because: __________."

[Capitalism Forever]

An election itself, so far as I can see, only says the majority (or mere plurality) of voters (not all individuals) preferred a particular person relative to the other candidates running.

You are right about that, of course. But you need to recognize that the average Europeans do not see things this clearly.

(In other words, you need to beware of the fallacy of projection ... in this case, projecting your own rationality onto others!)

[BurgessLau]

You are right about that, of course. But you need to recognize that the average Europeans do not see things this clearly.

(In other words, you need to beware of the fallacy of projection ... in this case, projecting your own rationality onto others!)

What is your evidence for concluding that I do not "recognize that the average Europeans do not see things" as clearly as I do?

Further, are you saying I have committed a fallacy in my argument in the post you quoted? If you are saying that, then please show me the evidence. Specifically show me that in that post I have "projected" my own rationality onto others.