America’s #1 Problem: Updated
A while ago I informed you all that I was supposed to write an article about America’s biggest problem. Because I found the subject to be quite difficult, so many problems, I asked you all for advice. Firstly, let me thank all of you for your input: it was very valuable and informative.
Secondly, after doing some research and reading a lot, I decided to write the essay about the rapid growth of anti-Americanism in the world. Obviously, Western Europe has a long tradition of thinking less favorably of America, but it has increased dramatically in Europe, especially during the last couple of years, and it has spread to Arab countries, Muslim countries in general, South America, Asia, andsoforth.
Thirdly, I will ask the teacher whether I am allowed to publish the article here at The Moderate Voice (after receiving the grade of course and after changing certain things as to make it more ‘readable’ for a blog). If I’m allowed to do so, I will do it… if not, I will try to give a short summary or something.
Thanks again.
Some books on this subject:
America Against The World: How We Are Different And Why We Are Disliked by Kohut, Andrew and Bruce Stokes.
Friendly Fire: Losing Friends and Making Enemies in the Anti-American Century
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That is a very European way at looking at problems in the US. If you did a poll in this country, it would not even make the top 20 of concerns to Americans.
Superdestroyer:
“it would not even make the top 20 concerns to Americans.”
And that, would seem to be precisely the point.
Emelinda
Emelinda and Superdestroyer: both of you are completely right. The PEW poll also showed that Americans think very differently about themselves and think that the world thinks differently about America / Americans than it actually does. One of the new developments in today’s anti-Americanism, is that it is not ‘just’ aimed at American policies, it is also aimed at the American people. Very interesting.
As long as Americans are not aware of this problem, they will never solve it. I will include some links to books in the article, as to make it easier for Americans to get some reading material on this matter.
Anti-Americanism is a much more serious symptom than it is a problem.
Maybe I’m just nit-picking here, but this implies that anti-Americanism originated in Europe and that the Middle East adopted it from them. This is naturally absurd, Muslims became anti-American in a manner totally independent from Europeans. In fact its my impression that Muslims tend to put Europeans together with Americans, much the way we westerners put all Asians together, despite glaring differences in some cases.
Lynx, not as absurd as you think: anti-Americanism, indeed, originated in Europe. In fact, the anti-Americanism from Islamists is quite clearly taken over from European anti-Americanists.
Again, read some books about it. I also have articles, but I can only access them through the RUG website. This means that I cannot give the link to you all.
However, if that is your e-mail address, I can send you academical articles in PDF format if you’d like.
Yankee Go Home has a long history in Latin America. It’s a phrase I’ve known all my life (my family vacationed in pre-Castro Cuba and it was already there. Not disagreeing with you Michael, but I think that perhaps while the more current anti-Americanism might be European in origins, it isn’t the first.
My husband remembers “Yankee Go Home” and similar phrases on walls in Asia when he was stationed there over 30 years ago. And I can’t get the phrase “Die Yankee Dog” out of my head now..curse you!
Anti-Americanism developed in Europe in the 18th and 19th century….
And Capelza, I am afraid that the scholars who are experts on this field… disagree. I’m not making this up.
Disagree on what Michael? I’m not following you.
The scholars saying that anti-Americanism began in the earlier centuries or that it didn’t exist in Latin America or Asia?
I have no doubt that there has been anti-Americanism. Just as there has been anti any power flexing it’s muscle. The British, the French, the Spanish, and even the Dutch must have experienced the same thing in the period of their colonial empires.
I do see how anti-Americanism can be seen in a different light in that we haven’t actually had an empire. But we do tend to think we are exceptional and because of that we step on others toes (or invade their country). What I think, honestly, is that we do it without much real awareness of the other peoples we are dealing with. A country where only 20% of the people even have a passport and very little outside knowledge of the world and yet has so much power..yeah, I can see how it goes.
I am an American, I love my country but I do cringe sometimes about how little we really know about the outside world, and yet wish it to bend to our ways.
Wanted to add that I think the origial anti-Americanism was from the aboriginal inhabitants of this continent. My family has a history here from the beginning (both ways, part Pilgrim, part Native American). Some white ancestors died in the 17th century fighting the anti-American natives.
I remember now..”Manifest Destiny”. We haven’t gotten past that one yet, me thinks. We just don’t have any more continent to “manifest”.
They disagree with you on this:
Yes. It. Is. Especially when one would compare it to Cuba… Hello, we’re talking about 18th and 19th century here. It originated from there. Recent studies show that the anti-Americanism used by Islamists is based on the anti-Americanism of, especially, German philosophers. It is very interesting. One could say that the European elite has exported it. Then it developed in those countries, then the U.S. nourtured that, increased it, etc. by certain policies. Especially in the Mideast and South-America, which encouraged more and more hate.
Anti-Americanism from native americans: you should not forget that they were not anti-american… as much as they were anti-kolonialism, or white-man, or west-european culture, etc.
“Anti-Americanism” implies that there is something wrong with opposing America (the government). Not everything that America does at home and abroad is good for the world. The American government mostly serves the interests of the wealthy and powerful in the United States.
A more important problem for America is addressing the valid grievances of “Anti-American” crowd.
I suppose that one could say the Europeans exported it to Latin America (though wouldn’t they also, by default have exported their own anti-Europeanism by their own colonial behaviour?
You are sayin that the anti-Americanism of Latin America and Asia is on the Europeans and our behaviour has been just a side effect? Our support for “Banana Republics” causing anti-Americanism is only an afterthought because European elite philosophers began the trend?
I somehow think that the citizens of underdelveloped countries might derive their attitudes froma more hands on experience rather than what an elite from Europe said in some book, journal, or paper that said third world folks couldn’t read even if they chose to.
True, the Native Americans were not anti-American, but they certainly were the first to experience “Manifest Destiny”.
That seems to be the ruling opinion on this yes (although it is a brutal over-simplification).
European anti-Americanism started it, American policies made it far, far worse, increased it, made it easier to spread, and made many people feel that the anti-American sentiment was correct. Besides that, it was not just a ‘philosophical question’ anymore… it became fed by hatred due to one’s personal experiences…
Seems to me that the trend from Europe, itself very imperialist during the 18th and 19th century could have stopped, if it did indeed exist as such and influencing force if the Americans had not later proved otherwise.
To lay the blame on centuries old European elites and not something more current, like our interference with governemnts throughout Latin America and SE Asia just seems odd.
Plus it does deny a certain discernment to peoples who though perhaps not well read in Germanic philosphers of the past might know an overbearing nation when they see one..from personal experience.
But don’t forget that it has never gone away, and that those who felt like that were confirmed in their ideas… constantly.
Never forget, that most ‘ideas’ come from the elite. The elite have a tendency of passing on ideas to each other…
Anyway, I understand your criticism but… many scholars have dealt with these issues and have reached scientific conclusions on it. This does not mean that they are ‘right’, but I do take the words of experts very serious.
No comments per se on America’s #1 problem, just on “anti-Americanism”. Could it be that one of our problems is that we’re so addicted to our nationalistic narcissism that we can’t even self-assess.
OK, my two top problems for the USA are the corrupting influence of money in politics and money in media. Or more precisely, corporatism.
But, how about this for a vexing problem? America is BANKRUPT.
Yes I thought about that subject as well.
Based on the two books you posted, you may have a bit of a selection bias in your reading skewed towards those that accept anti-Americanism as legitimate and non-problematic in its own right.
You might want to add “Anti-Americanism” by the French writer Revel for a critical look AT anti-Americanism written by a European, no less.
Jason, don’t worry, for my essay I used pro and ‘cons’ so to speak. And that is not my view, I oppose anti-Americanism very strongly actually.
“OK, my two top problems for the USA are the corrupting influence of money in politics and money in media. Or more precisely, corporatism.”
Actually, this is not the definition of corporatism although many lefties make the same mistake you do, especially in identifying fascist corporatism as a form of hyper-capitalism. Corporatism actually refers to the tripartite systems prevalent in some European countries where capital, labor and the state share in decision making.
Merriam Webster:
Corporatism
“the organization of a society into industrial and professional corporations serving as organs of political representation and exercising control over persons and activities within their jurisdiction “
Re: anti-Americanism, have a look at this from “Foreign Affairs”:
The Real Roots of Arab Anti-Americanism
Barry Rubin
Foreign Affairs, November/December 2002
Summary: Despite what many argue, Arab and Muslim rage at the United States has had very little to do with actual U.S. policies–policies that have been remarkably pro-Arab over the past 50 years. Promoting anti-Americanism is simply the best way Muslim leaders have found to distract their publics from the real problem: internal mismanagement. New U.S. policies or a PR campaign will not change matters.
There are also a few articles on anti-Americanism in the current “American Historical Review”
AHR Forum:
Historical Perspectives on Anti-Americanism
Introduction
Your Americanism and Mine: Americanism and Anti-Americanism in the Americas
By Greg Grandin
Always Blame the Americans: Anti-Americanism in Europe in the Twentieth Century
By Jessica C. E. Gienow-Hecht
America in Asian Eyes
By Warren I. Cohen and Nancy Bernkopf Tucker
Anti-Americanism: It’s the Policies
By Juan Cole