What you say is very true, Joerg.
But this is that sorta of passive benevolent indifference Americans tend to have towards the rest of the world (well…with the exception of France .

I would argue that the crucial factor in European anti-Americanism is the role of the so-called “chattering classes” in Euromedia who seem to continually beat the drum of anti-Americanism. There is nothing equivalent to this in American media, which largely ignores Europe.

I think, for example, of the good folks at the Beeb. I recall a year or so back . . . when Facebook suddenly became all the rage . . . and the BBC Network displayed the political views of about 10,000 BBC workers – almost entirely center or hard left. BBC management went ballistic. Of course, everyone knows the BBC is quite left-wing. But the BBC and the British Left like to dismiss such claims as Right wing paranoia, and claim there is a balance. Suddenly on Facebook everyone could see the entire staff of the BBC proudly defining their politics.

One can see anti-American stereotypes in even the BBC's comedy and drama programming. I recall the BBC flagship “Dr. Who” — yes, a favorite of mine — with its warmongering, belligerant US President at the end of the second series/season. A character straight out of Dr. Strangelove.

It is really quite extraordinary. I believe the effect is to create and foster malignant stereotypes among the population. Hence, while Americans stereotype the British are funny-speaking comics or wise butlers, invariably with bad teeth . . . Brits tend to believe Americans are almost all obese, stupid, racist, Bible-thumping, gun-loving cowboys.

In short: the stereotypes are much nastier. . . and deliberately fostered.

I am curious… What makes you think so?
I am sure there is more than this survey that formed your opinion

You know what Churchill said: “The best argument against democracy is a five-minute conversation with the average voter. “

Besides, US surveys reveal all kinds of US stereotypes about Europeans and yet I am not saying Anti-Europeanism is rampant in the US.

To answer more specifically…no, not for the foreseeable future. Russia's demographic crisis, and the general sorry state of its armed forces (despite injections of petrodollars) render it a threat only to small states like Georgia.

Without a US presence Russia could certainly browbeat the rest of the EU into appeasement – but so what? Russia can never be a global superpower again, and appeasing Russia would reduce Europe's power on the world stage.

Still…it would be wiser were the US to withdraw from NATO altogether. Anti-Americanism has been rife in Europe for my lifetime at least. In a cost-benefit analysis, what is to be gained from NATO for the US?

The UK media reported a survey today in which most Britons believed polygamy was rampant in the US, along with other crazy popular beliefs — invarably negative — promoted by a generally anti-American EuroMSM.

Why should American taxpayers spend billions on bases etc. in Western Europe, where Americans are widely despised (a commonplace long before Bush, or Reagan)?