is the world turning against america

[kai]

i have noticed a growing trend in the world to "bash" the USA , not just the great satan bit, but the europeans seem to be doing it too, is it because we dont have someone big to fear anymore(soviet union)? what do the americans here think?
i peronally think its unjust and although we in britain may critisize the US sometimes and dissagree, we still think we are basically on the same side,but elsewhere it seems to be taking a more sinister side.
any opinions would be appreciated

 

[Sunstone]

If the world is turning against America, then to some extent America deserves it. Cowboy diplomacy has much to be desired in winning friends and influencing people.

Having said that, I think there's at least one way we don't deserve it: I think some of the animosity towards America is simple irrational resentment of our military and economic power. But that goes with the territory of being top dog at the moment: whoever is top dog gets that sort of resentment and always has. You Brits used to get it in spades, now it's our turn.

As for myself, I'm damn glad for the UK! There's never been a better alliance in world history so far as I know, as between Britain and the States. Moreover, Tony Blair seems to be the only world leader who can actually speak truth to Bush. Not that Bush has the brains to listen, but that's another matter.

 

[kai]

thanks for your reply sunstone i do agree with what you said but it seems to be a bit deeper than the top dog thing ,though you may be right ,lets just hope the next top dog is not an ism or a schism

 

[Flappycat]

It's mostly the French, really. When they've worked out that setting cars on fire is not a right or proper way to show one's concerns with the direction that society is taking, I'll be far more inclined to take them and their language seriously. Otherwise, a country that is going in a different direction from the US and a country that is planning to attack the US are two different things. For that matter, a government and its citizens are two different things. A country having a sense of nationalism isn't the same as it having an intense desire to build nuclear warheads with which to threaten America's imagined world domination.

For that matter, a country that supports the US in something may be as decent as Britain or as overrun with skinhead trash as Poland.

In any event, people are people wherever you go.

 

[ChrisP]

Is that the present tense you're using? I don't think the world has ever been FOR America since the early 20th Century. Just because Govts side with you, doesn't mean their people LIKE you. Remember that.

 

[kai]

yes chrisP i am talking about a general sense of anti americanism in the news/newspapers etc, the quickness to condem,the hesitance to support to commit.or to give the benefit of the doubt.

 

[Ophiuchus]

Here in Canada I see some anti American sentiment from time to time. It is mostly to do with the USA's irrational foreign diplomacy, and the stereotypical American blinded by patriotic pipe dreams. Bush only adds fuel to the fire, especially when he says that we are either with the USA, or we are with the terrorists. This alienated Canadians when we decided not to join the coalition to invade Iraq, knowing that the mission was founded on faulty if not totally false evidence.

There is also the issue of the mass pollution Canada inherits from the States. Ontario, and Quebec suffer greatly from the pollution runoff coming from the USA in the form of massive smog clouds, and polluted water sources such as the Great Lakes.

I understand that some things cannot be undone, so instead of dwelling on the past I decide to see what the future holds, and I am in no way anti American when it comes to the average joe. Although I do not always agree with the American leadership.

I sure do hope they manage to elect somebody who can fix what Bush has torn apart.

 

[Sunstone]

I sure do hope they manage to elect somebody who can fix what Bush has torn apart.

I hope so too. But given the inanity of the current majority, and the inanity of the current loyal opposition, I wouldn't be too surprised if the next president wasn't elected primarily because he opposed homosexual marriage. You know, something important like that.

 

[d.]

what america does often affects others in a big way, but don't confuse 'america' with 'american foreign policy' or other specific areas where america is critiqued. i don't hate the italian people, or 'italia' because i disagree with berlusconi.

it's like answering 'why do you hate me?!' when someobody asks you to stop dumping crap on their lawn, to use a, admittedly silly, metaphor.

 

[kai]

i see what you mean divine but people tend to personify a country, i dont hear american foreign policy so much as just plain america, i wasnt particularly meaning this point but they dont chant "death to american foreign policy" but you are right in that foriegn policy is the face most people see

 

[Freedomelf]

Chris, you are right. People haven't really been "for" America in quite awhile. But I do see them as being a lot more "against" us now. And I agree with Sun that cowboy diplomacy is destroying our image. I have a friend that just came back from her native Switzerland, and the Swiss, who have traditionally stayed out of politics, really can't stand us now. They miss the Clinton years. And I was surprised by a CNN poll that said that most Americans miss Clinton and think he was better than Bush, as well.

Clinton may be a lousy scum-bag husband, but he was a better president.

 

[Comet]

I see two problems:

1. Our forgein policy (as this is what the average person in other countries see when watching the news)

2. American jerks on vacation


I think the forgein policy has already been covered and how that makes people view the United States as a "whole". Yet, I have also been to a few countries and seen how some other American tourists act! With these two things taken into consideration, I'm surprised everybody doesn't hate us!!!!

I can only hope that people everywhere understand that just because you live in a country doesn't mean you agree with it's government 100% of the time..... and that no matter where you live or where you go, you are bound to run into a jerk of any nationality!!!!

 

[kai]

imust say i went on holiday to isael once and on more than one occasion i was greeted with a bellowing voice "welcome to Israel , we are from the states" but i have always found americans in or out of america very friendly

 

[Comet]

imust say i went on holiday to isael once and on more than one occasion i was greeted with a bellowing voice "welcome to Israel , we are from the states" but i have always found americans in or out of america very friendly

Overseas I tend to meet nicer Americans as well, but go to Mexico durring spring break week!!!!!!

 

[Abram]

All world powers come to a end. (Rome comes to mind) I think we're caving in from the inside out. I love this country and its all I know but I have a feeling with in my life time I will see war on American soil. Then a new power will emerge (I think China) and we'll become a 3rd world country.

America is falling apart but like I said no country stays in power for ever. We figure out how to vote our selfs money, constantly insult our leader, act like a little brat that doesn't get his way.

Long ago I read something about a democracy only lasting around 200 years, well if its true that was back in 1976. Now we're over the apex and on the back slope and falling apart we are. It would look as if were doing great, home values up, stock market strong, every person has a cell phone attached to their ear. Mean while divorce is way on the uprise, parents put more enfaces on careers then their kids, more kids our having babies at real young ages, schooling has fallen apart, and now everything is okay (just a matter of opinions) we lost the idea of right, and many others.

So yes I think major changes are on the way here in America. I so hope I'm wrong though.

 

[sparc872]

I think the foreign policy of our current leaders is what is holding us back. That and a lot of Americans seem to have it in their mind that it is us against them a lot of the time. I myself have a growing animosity towards the United States, our population is full of ignoramuses, our leaders are dead in the thinking category, we pollute, we overconsume, we start wars for no well founded reasons, we insult others, we tell ourselves lies about how good we are, we ignore the important things and look at gay marriage and 'TomKats' new baby; 'we' amaze me.

I only hope we can can counsel ourselves out of this bad behavior before we end up destroying ourselves.

 

[Booko]

Overseas I tend to meet nicer Americans as well, but go to Mexico durring spring break week!!!!!!

Yes, well, anywhere near a beach in the States during spring break isn't much better.

 

[Smoke]

I'll say one thing for the Bush regime: It's been good for the rep of the American people abroad. People used to talk about how fat, loud and rude we were, but that's all faded into the background compared to how much they hate our government.

 

[Yerda]

They miss the Clinton years.

He lacked the talent for turning a disaster into an absolute disgrace perhaps. The Balkans was a pile of manure though.

 

[zombieharlot]

According to a French guy at my brother's work, "We don't hate Americans. We just think you're stupid."

Anyway, I just wanted to say that I hate all of this mild and verbal hostility between America and some countries. It's enough to make me want to leave, honestly. As I have never been outside of this country, I can't really say if and why they bash us, but it would worry me as I make travels. I feel I may be treated differently from other tourists.