Combating anti-Americanism

Happy 4th July to our US readers!

This seems a good day to launch a new BritainAndAmerica.com initiative.

For reasons outlined today by Lord Saatchi and that are all too obvious from opinion polls, America is not as loved as this website would like it to be.  Maurice Saatchi has suggested his own solution to anti-Americanism.  In an occasional series we would like to do the same on this site.

We invite readers of this blog to help write short essays on ways of combating anti-Americanism.

Here a few random thoughts on the type of articles that could be written:

• When Americans defend America it can appear self-interested.  Non-Americans who respect the USA need to come together to run campaigns and build institutions that ensure a pro-American voice is heard within the media and in other opinion-forming circles.
• There needs to be more exploration of the alternatives to US leadership.  What would the world look like if China was the hegemonic power or if the United Nations made all major geopolitical decisions?
• America needs to be more generous to the developing world - opening its markets and increasing its development spending.
• American interventions need to be clearly humanitarian - as well as intervening for reasons of security there should also be action against the kind of slaughter we saw in Rwanda and now in Darfur.
• A new President will arrest anti-Americanism by presenting a new image to the world.
• Hollywood should choose to return to making Capra-esque films that portray a more positive image of America.
• America needs to invest in much better public diplomacy and improve the quality of its Ambassadors.  It also needs to engage more seriously with the BBC and other global media giants that sometimes, wittingly or unwittingly, feed anti-Americanism.

If you are interested in writing one of these pieces - or in suggesting a different way of addressing anti-Americanism - please email us.  We would also be interested in any ideas for more films like our own 'A world without America'.

Comments

[Umbrella man]

Excellent initiative. I will submit my own thoughts via email.

[Simon Newman]

America was hated ten years ago because America was powerful. America is still powerful, and will still be powerful ten years from now, so will still be hated. Nothing anyone can do about that, other than weaken America - I guess Jimmy Carter made efforts in that direction.

*However* there is no doubt that the current US administration have greatly increased hatred for America, to no good reason and for no good effect. Any new administration that rows back on Bush-Cheney policies, in particular preemptive warfare, will find anti-Americanism diminished, though not eliminated.

Secondly, mood music helps - in international diplomacy the US should go back to presenting itself as first among equals, not global hegemon. It may be a polite fiction, but it was a very successful one for more than fifty years. This means maintining the international order, not breaking it.

[JF]

Tim, just wanted to point out that the email address you have posted below "About this Blog" and above "Subscribe" in the right sidebar seems to be out of date.

[Paul]

You are right Simon, as long as America remains the hegemonic power, it will continue to be hated especially by the liberal elite in Europe. I would be interested to know how those who currently detest America would feel if China grew to become the sole economic and military superpower. Anti-Americanism needs to be resisted but I fear it will be a number of years before the US is once again the respected and admired country it was for previous generations.

[Laurie K]

Having trusted allies and being a trusted ally is important for the purposes of international cooperation on global types of issues. However, being liked is hugely overrated as an end in itself. When I look out at the entities that currently hate America, in many cases, it's actually quite a compliment. Sometimes you have to consider the source.

[Simon Newman]

Paul:
"You are right Simon, as long as America remains the hegemonic power, it will continue to be hated especially by the liberal elite in Europe"

I would add that Marxist and now cultural Marxist propaganda is important in making America more hated than would otherwise be the case. Only the ex-Comunist countries like Poland have much resistance to this virus.

[Editor]

Thank you very much JF. Silly me. The email address is now correct.

[David]

Can I just say what a great site this is! At least there are a few people out there that understand the need for America even today. We needed them in 1941-45 and we still need them today :)

[Ken Stevens]

You can't be doing that bad. My little 'un fell in love with USA even before he first visited and is now applying for a work/residency permit with a view to settling there longer term.
Wife & daughter now regard it as the only place to holiday (I can't travel any more)

None of 'em has been to hackneyed places like Disneyland. They travel independently and see the real America behind the glitzy stereotype.

Great place; great people.

A thousand curses on those who would do you down!

[Sam Tarran]

Today I went to a Taster Day at the local sixth form, and opted for a Politics and History class. This involved studying the two World Wars and the Iraq War and finding the common causes between them.

I was repelled by the amount of anti-Americanism that came spouting of the mouths of some of the pupils. The Iraq War was characterised by the sources avaliable, and by the teachers, as a simple oil-grab. There wasn't so much as a hint to an alterior view. I found myself having to defend America and Britain's involvement in Iraq on my own. They didn't seem to find it ironic that they were slagging off the country that had come to Britain's aid in both of the other wars they were supposed to be looking at.

Anyway, good luck with the endeavour. Desperately needed nowadays.

[JF]

Ken and Sam, many thanks for your solidarity. Sam, out of curiosity, did you manage to find out how they justify the view that Iraq was an oil grab? Oil prices have only gone up since the Iraq invasion, and the US hasn't awarded any oil contracts to its own companies, so I wonder how these people can keep deluding themselves.

[Donal Blaney]

An essential initiative, Tim, well done. The forces of anti-Americanism in the Tory Party, and particularly among young activists, astonishes me. I am glad to be taking 25 students with the Young Britons' Foundation to Washington this summer to give them exposure to the US conservative movement. Hopefully they will be as inspired by the successes of the conservative movement as I was.

[IRJMilne]

I'm a young Tory, and I am loathe to forgive America for it's anti-Britishness in the early 20th century, it's attitude over Suez and related matters. I also dislike swathes of American culture, and the Republican government has helped foster a bad image of the right in Britain. Having said this, I consider myself to be broadly pro-American, if for no better reason than the results of asking oneself the "what would the world be like without America?" question. I believe in sticking with Churchill's "English speaking peoples" doctrine, even if it means the US has primacy, not a Commonwealth state. The US provides a force that helps prevent us from becoming absorbed into the EU, which I toy with going UKIP-ish over.

I don't believe anything you can do will change attitudes towards America. People have always thought lazily and picked on easy targets. As the Mail consistently proves, people like a good hate, and high and wonderful guardianistas are no more immune to this than anyone else. America will be brash and disliked for that as long as it is succesful, just like Rome; big aid figures won't change this one jot.

[JF]

IRJMilne, while I'm happy you're pro-American, can you please elaborate on your statement, "I also dislike swathes of American culture, and the Republican government has helped foster a bad image of the right in Britain"?

I suspect your dislike of American culture is related to our First and Second Amendments to the Constitution, so I'll skip that, but why would you hold the Republicans in the United States responsible for the downfall of the Conservatives in Britain, especially considering that the Conservatives in Britain more closely resemble our Democrats?

[Da Coyote]

Like Thomas Sowell's pieces on slavery and modern African-Americans, I agree that someone other than an American putting forth a positive case for America is a good tactic.

I disagree, however, with the tactic of "engaging the BBC and the global media" to get more positive coverage from the Main Stream Media (be it domestic or overseas).

We are now witnessing the end of the "fourth estate" as a major political player. Gone are the days when the only source of information outside of your hometown came from a major network. Today I communicate with people 8 time zones away more often than I speak to my own family a mere 100 miles away. I don't watch televised news, nor do I generally read newspapers and yet I am better informed of international news than even those who worked in intelligence and news media just 60 years ago.

To implore the CNN/BBC/MSNBC's of the world for their attention only empowers them. Let them dimmish in importance until their false and/or biased reporting is regarded as seriously as the promises of political candidates.

That day is not long in coming.

[IvyLeaguer]

I'm an American and I dislike swaths of American culture too...

- hip-hop/gangsta rap is terrible
- rednecks who watch jerry springer-type shows are equally terrible

Has nothing to do with the Constitution, just taste ;)

[Simon Newman]

IvyLeageuer:
"rednecks who watch jerry springer-type shows are equally terrible"

Hey, that's my wife you're talking about!! *grrr* >:)

[Patric Ratnaraja]

Can I just say what a great site this is! At least there are a few people out there that understand the need for America even today. We needed them in 1941-45 and we still need them today :)

Thanks David

I agree with you that we need Ameica . There is no doubt about that. We don't have to follow them without asking them certain questions . Remember this is Britain and not Amrica.

[Trevor]

Da Coyote - where are you getting your news from? Are you totally sure about its provenance? I think the mainstream media still provide a lot of value. I'd be very wary of attaching too much credibility to a few blogs (if that's what you're talking about).

[Mary Fernandez]

While I think this is lovely initive from our friends in Britain, I have to say that after the barage of hate toward us since September 11th, I've become inured to world opinion. I simply don't care. (Let us not forget that Europe hated GWB before 9/11)

If Europeans have better friends, let them find them. If I have to beg to persuade people of the bleeding obvious, why would I want THEM as friends? (By 'they' I'm referring to Europeans in general; the British I value, but a large percentage them seem to be celebrating their 'EU-ishness.)

The reality is Europe is in demographic decline and its anti-Americanism is growing with its Islamification (what a coincidence?!). For America, the 21st century will be about China, India, Japan and Australia.

[webstar]

I'm with Mary F. Since 9/11 Ive learned to not give a damn what the rest of the world has to say about us. Your either with us or against us. And to hell with those against us. Believe it or not we have a strong opinion of other countries as well.

[Steevo]

I can't say I'm concerned about those intent on a no WMD mantra years after, and who love to bring up the horrendous 'torture' by a fraction of a fraction of a fraction of our soldiers having fun with the enemy in the nude. All the while those doing the beheading and brutally murdering in the most horrendous ways imagined to mankind, repressing woman as pure subjugates and desiring to enslave all to mid-evil fanaticism.. can get a pass in comparison, or even sympathy. But... for those who are not anti-American in their gut, like many who've voiced in this thread, its still a joy to befriend. Regardless of some notable differences, it is truly good to know you are there.

[Frogg, USA]

There may be some hope for the MSM (although it hanging by a thread). Both the German media and the BBC have recently come out and admitted they push an anti-American bias (and even require it of their journalists). That makes it "prpoganda" not news. What they do with that confession will be the real test.

As far as American culture and Jerry Springer and Gansta Rap. I hate both. But, we do have free speech. The thing is....Americans have a huge tolerance unless it gets to an 'enough is enough' threshold. We are turning against Gansta Rap (and their sales over the past months have declined drastically). There are even rappers leading the way to change their industry.

You have to remember.....we don't have a 'nanny state' here. Only when the people have lost their tolerance do we change the most drastic things.

Jerry Springer is faked and simple 'entertainment'. Harmless. Very few care about watching his show.

But, as a culture, aren't we allowed to have a mix of good and bad anyway.....just like you? Don't you have a terrible youth drinking problem right now? All cultures are a mix. Why do you expect us to be perfect? We aren't. Take in what you admire; disgard what you don't. But, mostly....we should bond together to bring out the best in each other; not tear each other down.

We still have a great bond of shared values. The world is a better place for that union. And, you Brits should also realize that America does respect you and looks to you often for guidance in global affairs.

However, if Europe morphs into the EU-SSR instead of the EU, then America's future bonds will probably move closer to Asia (Japan, India, etc), Australia (still true to its freedom heritage), and Canada (who is poised to play a major part in world affairs under their new political landscape).

EU-SSR? I refer to this:

Europe's Existential Mourning
http://www.americanthinker.com/printpage/?url=http://www.americanthinker.com/2007/07/europes_existential_mourning.html

[Peregrine]

Donal may be surprised about the amount of anti-Americanism in young Conservatives, however, I am equally shocked by its prevalence in the older generation.

The hatred that neo-cons receive on CH by some commentators leaves me breathless. They may not have been born with blue blood running through their veins and they may also excessively believe in state solutions to local problems but they are a much closer to core Conservative beliefs than the mass of socialists, liberals, environmentalists etc., who have some strange utopia in mind for all of us.

I also share IRJMilne's suspicion of the US, with Correlli Barnett's The Collapse of British Power probably being the most influential book in confirming me as a Conservative.

Why a nation that has 5% of the world's GDP should consider itself a minor player, as so many defeatists think we should, is an odd concept. The continuance of the theory of gradual decline is something that all Conservatives should fight against and it starts with a self-belief that we have a strong negotiating stance with the US as well as the EU, but as friends not enemies.

[Simon Newman]

Mary F:
"The reality is Europe is in demographic decline and its anti-Americanism is growing with its Islamification (what a coincidence?!). For America, the 21st century will be about China, India, Japan and Australia."

You don't think that an Islamised Europe might be of some concern to America?