Is America REALLY So Hated Around The World?(long)

There's been a lot of talk recently about how "America needs to think about why she is so hated everywhere", most of said talk coming from the 'alternative' press and long time liberal commentators.


But, other than radical anti-globalization & environmentalists(a good portion of whom are spoiled American & European kids from upper class backgrounds) & Islamic extremists(who want nothing less than the complete destruction of Israel & the overthrow of secular Middle Eastern countries like Egypt, Saudi Arabia & Jordan, for starters), how hated are we? Obviously, we have offended many with our arrogance and many traditionalists in other countries deplore the (seemingly overwhelming at times)infusion of American culture everywhere, but just as a small example take the French 'protests' against EuroDisney & McDonald's.


My understanding is that both Disney and McD's have done very well there, despite all the noise and vandalism from a loud splinter minority who get all the TV time. Remember how "Dallas" was the top-rated TV show in the UK in the early '80's? I believe there are a lot of similarities w/the way the US media portrays Black Americans, i.e. as bunch of rappin', packin', athletically gifted unwed mothers who blindly worship Jesse Jackson.


I know some Palestinians, Pakistanis and Iranians very well. They all either suffered greatly in refugee camps or fled the Ayatollah. They're mostly married to American women and have been successful here. They hate the Taliban, Hamas & Arafat, along with many hardline Israeli politicians and military leaders. They have been angered and offended by much of American foreign policy over the last 30 years, but they(and from what they tell me most 'mainstream' people and media in the Middle East) were abhorred by the attacks.


Many Middle Eastern people may be, in the words of one of my friends, "glad on some deep dark level that America now more fully understands how they live in the Middle East", but they don't blindly hate America or support terrorism.

"Many Middle Eastern people may be, in the words of one of my friends, "glad on some deep dark level that America now more fully understands how they live in the Middle East", but they don't blindly hate America or support terrorism."


I see the havoc in the Middle East on a daily basis. It's about religon, sand, and oil. Not necessarily in that order. I guess it's all our fault because we are a successful Nation?? The rest of the world needs to copy our business plan, and then we will live in peace.


that is all,


dannyboy :o)

I agree with much of what you say, but...


You write, There's been a lot of talk recently about how "America needs to think about why she is so hated everywhere", most of said talk coming from the 'alternative' press and long time liberal commentators.


Regardless of what percentage of the world hates the U.S., no matter how you think we should respond to these events, it can only be to our advantage to understand the thoughts and feelings of the people on whom we are focused.


As an aside, I only rarely used to read anything in the alternative press. But since 9/11 the mainstream press has given so little attention to alternatives to war, that perhaps we should thank the alternative press for at least keeping such options faintly in our awareness.

An example of why

Believe me, I am up to snuff on how these people feel about America. When I dig down deeper, it actually comes down to religon. I guess our multi cultural nation really upsets them. I can walk down my block and name 4 different religons. For some reason this upsets them. Maybe we should send them some e-greetings to placate them? I understand your point of view, but we are beyond that right now. We have to stick together as a nation. I know we will.


that is all,


dannyboy :o)

You are so witty clinteroo. You get my vote for post of the year. You are the man. I guess being a staunch Patriot is not excepted by a vast number of 2+2 posters. You bleeding heart liberals can kiss my a**. Why dont you join the Peace Corps, at least then, I would respect you.


that is all,


dannyboy :o)

travis/danny,


I take it from some of your posts you are in the service and may be going to the Middle East? Just to be clear, those in the military have my full support and respect in whatever they may be called upon to do. I am just grappling with these very difficult policy questions.


that is all ;-),


JF

Understanding is always desirable.


Yes, it is important to remember that such alternative options may present themselves as real opprtunities; sometimes, when we least expect it.

Also, I think we (the administration, everyone really) should be thinking hard and creatively to come up with possible options. I saw one guy's idea on a newsgroup (talk.politics.mideast). It looked a bit naive, but I'd give him an "A" for creativity. If I get around to it I'll find it on Google and post a link.

I haven't seen anything from liberal commentators or the alternative press discussing a general hatred of the U.S.


In fact, the idea of foreigners "hating" the U.S. is a recurring theme in the mainstream press, although there's very little discussion of specific objections. The day-to-day news on this topic consists of negative images and one-line complaints swamped by official dismissals of their validity; the "think pieces" discuss the fundamental irrationality of our hypocritical, frivolous, brainwashed and religiously fanatic critics. After all, where did you learn of the stereotypes you mention -- WTO protestors as spoiled rich kids -- and the silly debates about how Euro-Disney and MacDonald's undermines Gallic culture? If you want to discover serious, articulate objections to U.S. foreign policy and the facts on which they're based, you have to dig for it.

There is a distinction between American people and how they are perceived and American foreign policy as it is perceived, around the world. The two are different. I'm sure we could easily dig up polls which show that Americans are "widely admired" for the usual stereotype traits ("initiative", "independent thinking", "casual attitudes", etc). The culture of Americans is widely admired, copied and imitated. It is a fact of life that American foreign policy has many more opponents than supporters around the world. This should be understandable, since America is a superpower and is getting the bully's "fair" share of the neighborhood's booty, in the form of nat'l and other resources. Like every neighborhood bully throughout history, the bully's opponents are more numerous than the admirers, no matter how sweet the bully's talk is.


Now, the hate towards American policies overflows sometimes onto the American citizens because the fact that America is indeed a democracy constitutes, for many people around the world, proof that all the actions of the U.S. abroad have the clear and specific mandate of the American public. The sad fact is that most Americans could not point out Afghanistan on the map to save their lives. (They know now, of course, after blanket TV "education". Americans get to know the world as they bomb along.)


Believe me, I'm only being cynical.


...You have it wrong about Saudi Arabia being "secular". Even Jordan and Egypt cannot be considered as strictly "secular" either. A secular country is one where there is a clear distinction between religion & state. Where a Christian priest is free to preach his brand of monotheism with a bull horn. Try that in Jeddah, see where it gets you.

Here's an interesting article from a link John Feeney provided that considers this question from the other side.


http://www.merip.org/miscellaneous/globe.html

Yes, I'm in the service, and so is my brother. We are both in the NJ Air Guard. He's also a pilot for American and just got furloughed. So now I'M REALLY PISSED!!!! NJ is still in a state of emergency, so I won't be going over to the middle east anytime soon. I'm needed at home station. But I'm sure that will change once things get settled at home.


that is all,


dannyboy :o)

you convinced me... I change my mind you are correct