Anti-americanism - why is it so prevalent in the west?

[Astaroth]

Anti-americanism - why is it so prevalent in the west?

Especially in Germany but also in many other European countries lots of people seem to be extremely critical of the US to the point of despising the country as a whole. I am honestly wondering why that's the case.

First of all, a disclaimer: I am obviously aware of recent events and of what happened in the last 10 years. I know that many people seriously disagree with the NSA spying on most of the world, that the Iraq War is generally condemned (heck, by me too) and that there are other aspects of American culture that might cause concern among other Westerners (the Tea Party, gun culture etc.). Sure. But that certainly doesn't explain the amount and degree of hate that the USA often get here.

Let me give a few recent examples:

1. War in Syria/Obama's announcement that he would be supporting the rebels more strongly due to the use of C-weapons by Assad

The reactions by most people here in Germany essentially went along this line:

- "The Americans just made up the whole story of chemical weapons as an excuse for war, they did the same in Iraq!" --- This view seems pretty silly to me and speaks of a general distrust of anything American whereas Assad's story of not using any c-weapons is taken at face value. But at least it's not downright irrational hatred of the US.
- "The US caused the whole problem in the first place. They are responsible for the many deaths because they give the rebels weapon, thereby prolonging the war". ---- This just had me baffled. So if you support an uprising against a dictator (not to mention that US support at that point wasn't particularly large and can hardly be blamed for much), you are to blame for the deaths that mainly the dictator's army inflicts on rebels and civilians alike? Wtf?
- "Hopefully Russia will now send much more weapons and troops to support Assad" --- Even worse. I mean seriously, what the hell? Openly supporting a dictator who is killing his own people?

2. It's compareable in the Snowden case. Many people call him a hero (while silly, it's a legitimate view), condemn the US for their surveillance and consider Russia and China as positive influences, completely disregarding the obvious intentions the latter two countries have.

The problem I have with these views is not that they are critical of the US. Criticism is legitimate and necessary. But what I find very worrying are the following aspects:

- The US is considered as "just as bad" or even worse than open dictatorships such as Russia and China. Heck, some even call the US a dictatorship. That is downright irrational. The US has many faults, sure. But

- This leads me to the second point: since America is supposedly "just as bad", many of those people have no problem with wishing that dictatorships "succeed" in one way or another. This really worries me. Wanting Assad to win because you are afraid of islamist terrorists taking over Syria is one thing (might be silly, but legitimate). Wanting Iran to get a nuclear weapon or Russia to dominate world politics for no particular reason (aside from the fact that it hurts America) is a whole different matter.

But what I find the saddest aspect of the whole matter, is that this open hatred comes from people who enjoy all the benefits of living in a free western democracy with a close alliance with the US.

You sit in a warm, comfortable home, eat food that is often either an American product or came to your country protected by the US Navy, watching American TV series on American electronical products. In the meantime, your country is part of a global military defense alliance which ensures that no other country will dare to attack yours in the next 50 years at least. It also means that your own country's military does not have to be as strong, saving you tax money to pay for more weapons and soldiers. You also live in a country where you can freely elect your own representatives, where you can freely choose which news from which medium you want to read at what time.
Maybe there are a few restrictions on gore (see video games) or nudity, but aside from that, you can essentially read or watch or play what and where and whenever you want. You can also protest against your government. While the police might not always be extremely kind, you can be sure that you won't be treated like Turkish people are right now. You will especially also not suddenly disappear in secret prisons and be tortured or simply locked up.
Unlike in China or Russia, you can freely surf the internet. And if you get treated extremely unfairly by the state, chances are that some newspaper will pick up your story, publish it and perhaps even help you that way. In comparison, if you're a Chinese dissident, tough luck.

The point is -- yes, surveillance is a big problem in the US. Anti-terror has gone too far. The Iraq War was a big mistake. Same goes for Guantanamo. Sometimes the US might be too hawkish. And all of these points require criticism. Criticism in that manner is a good thing and very much legitimate.

But what baffles me is the hatred that goes far beyond that. What we should imo keep in mind is that America and the west are free countries with a free press, free people and lots of human rights. We have so many rights and such a comfortable life that the vast majority of the globe couldn't even dream of. We are actually (and not faux, see Russia) democratic. Why do we not appreciate that? Why do we not appreciate that while the US might be flawed, it's still a free and democratic country with a lot of good sides and in many regards still infinitely preferable to China or other dictatorships?

[Visna]

Short answer: because when Iran, Saudi Arabia, Russia, China etc etc do it, it's expected. But when the US (or any other open liberal democracy for that matter) uses for example torture, sorry, enhanced interrogation techniques, it undermines the legitimate criticism against states with a far more questionable human rights record. It's not that the US is "just as bad" as Syria, it's that the US and Syria end up being measured by different yardsticks.

[Himster]

America is big, bigger in many ways than it thinks. It used to be that is America sneezed the world would catch a cold, now if America sneezes the mucus washes away entire economies in a slime-green tidal wave.
The fact America is so powerful is terrifying to most people, the easiest way to cope with that is hatred.

[Menelik_I]

You sit in a warm, comfortable home, eat food that is often either an American product or came to your country protected by the US Navy, watching American TV series on American electronical products. In the meantime, your country is part of a global military defense alliance which ensures that no other country will dare to attack yours in the next 50 years at least. It also means that your own country's military does not have to be as strong, saving you tax money to pay for more weapons and soldiers. You also live in a country where you can freely elect your own representatives, where you can freely choose which news from which medium you want to read at what time.

That is the beauty of it, they hate America despite all the great things that America has been doing for them.

Why does this Anti-Americanism exists ? Maybe because the USSR have spent upwards 500 Billions $ in anti-American propaganda and subversive activities since the 1950's, and since the overconfidence that came from the fall of the Soviet Union nobody bothered to investigate said activities, because "MURICA WON!".

The KGB archives were briefly opened for a few years before being closed permanently in the Putin era, however close to no effort was done in to investigate this except some stolen archives and interested individuals. So in a sense the US is simply being a victim of its own arrogance, dismissing 50 years of activities that greatly undermine its allies confidence in her under the pretext that it doesn't influence them.

We might never know the answer of how many journalists, trade union bosses, party leaders, editors, or artists were on Commie payroll, maybe in a hundred years when the US is a Third World Country.

[removeduser_487563287433]

I reject that there's any more anti-Americanism than there is anti-anything. If you go listen to stupid people you get stupid opinions, on anything.

[Himster]

I reject that there's any more anti-Americanism than there is anti-anything. If you go listen to stupid people you get stupid opinions, on anything.

Undeniably true. But i think what separates anti-Americanism is the loudness/commonality and the socially acceptable nature of it.

[Ak1980]

In part of muslim world, the answer is simple : Israel.

Very rare to hear protest about America because of America itself. Usually it's in tandem with protest against Israel.

[Astaroth]

Short answer: because when Iran, Saudi Arabia, Russia, China etc etc do it, it's expected. But when the US (or any other open liberal democracy for that matter) uses for example torture, sorry, enhanced interrogation techniques, it undermines the legitimate criticism against states with a far more questionable human rights record. It's not that the US is "just as bad" as Syria, it's that the US and Syria end up being measured by different yardsticks.

You have a point, but I think it's much more than that.

If it was just this I could understand it in part. But it really often goes to the point where a sizeable amount of people openly (and not just for trolling purposes or because they are from said countries) support dictatorships over the US.

@Ferrets: Well, from my observation, anti-americanism is probably the strongest "anti" feeling towards another country there is in Germany.

Just look at the comments on any major German Newspaper or TV channel website when it comes to Syria, America, Russia or China. Condemnation of Assad, China or Russia barely ever happens, whereas topics about the US and their involvement in Syria have comments that are overwhelmingly irrational and anti-American (as in, "I hope Russia/Assad succeeds, the US are mostly to blame for the whole conflict" etc.).

[SLN445]

For me its the general Arrogance that comes with being the top dog.

[Visna]

You have a point, but I think it's much more than that.

If it was just this I could understand it in part. But it really often goes to the point where a sizeable amount of people openly (and not just for trolling purposes or because they are from said countries) support dictatorships over the US.

Heh, I was outlining the primary reason for my own "anti-Americanism".
And what do you mean by support? Not wanting to get involved in yet another civil war in yet another godforsaken corner of the globe unless absolutely necessary isn't the same as supporting imo.

[Astaroth]

No, but saying that they want Russia to send more weapons to Syria is.

[Teutonic]

I'm very surprised to hear that many Germans have such opinions given what the Russians did in Germany in the Spring of 1945 and their influence in making and maintaining the East Germany "paradise"...
Wishing that a mafia state and a dictatorship have bigger influence in world affairs (and so your own life too) just to spite the US is like cutting your nose to spite your face.

Having said all that there are many aspects of American politics and culture which are absolutely scary- e.g. the spread of Creationism plus we (US+EU, etc) should hold ourselves to higher standards, relatively speaking.

[removeduser_487563287433]

Undeniably true. But i think what separates anti-Americanism is the loudness/commonality and the socially acceptable nature of it.

It's no more socially acceptable than being critical of any other nation. Perhaps people get confused because people have higher expectations of the USA than they do Saudi Arabia - that is a good thing.

[The Great Montrose]

I wasnt happy that they accused us of releasing the lockerby bomber to gain oil deals, Kenny Macaskill made the right decision and was attacked by US senators because of that. It was our choice and we made the right one.

[Exarch]

perhaps because american bases are occupying proud european countries, which is of course humiliating.

[Teutonic]

perhaps because american bases are occupying proud european countries, which is of course humiliating.

There are American bases there but they aren't occupying anything, to say so is just silly or you're brainwashed or something. What's more, there are a number of Eastern European nations which have desperately pleaded with the Americans to place military assets, such as the missile defense shield, to protect their independance from Russia. These countries include Poland and the Baltic states. The Obama administration pulled back from this.

[Condottiere 40K]

Fear and envy.

I'd say recent manifestations can be traced to the occupation and mishandling of Iraq, though there was some reminiscent from the Vietnam War era. There's the fear that American mega-corporations are starting to dominate our governmental policies and standards of living, certainly not helped by the fact that Lehman Bros, AIA and a bunch of greedy American financial institutions damn near brought the West to economic collapse and knowingly hawked us worthless financial instruments. A little hindsight shows that the Great Depression was triggered in New York, whereas regulated Canada never suffered any banking crashes compared to the seventeen from the US.

Then there seems to be the attempt by American companies like Monsanto to muscle their way into the local agricultural industries and force their created geneseed into the market, with the ultimate aim of having a monopoly and controlling major foodstuffs.

So there does seem to be some material there that could be the source for that hate.

[Claudius Gothicus]

In regards to International Policy I would dare say it comes from America's current position as a dominant and undisputed world power and the responsibilities that come with said position. To put it bluntly: International Relationships, the relations States establish between each other and their citizens, are not easy to understand and they imply a series of actions, decisions and operations that for the audience might seem as contradictory, ambiguous or "wrong";the events in Syria, the pressure put on some players or Military Interventions in their various forms are complex and anarchic matters that confuse the average news reader, the easiest way to resolve such a confusion? rationalize things on a moral framework like "America and Americans are the source of evil in the world".

[Denny Crane!]

They are held to higher standards than Russia or china but don't always act to a higher standard.

[King_Porus]

Just as a disclaimer: I am not anti-American (although some of their policies are disturbing), this is just a general list of reasons why I think people are hate (or just generally dislike America) in the West.

Hypocrisy: When another country is accused of something like torture, America is the first in line to condemn them and threaten sanctions. It seems like American politicians conveniently forget that they are doing the exact same thing. Is it justified? Who's to say, but it certainly leaves a sour taste in many people's mouths. It's the same story for nuclear weapons.

Fear: The fact that America is the sole superpower in the world right now gives people an uneasy feeling. If the American economy gets screwed over, most of the world gets screwed over and not many people trust America's weak politicians to do much about it. In the Great Depression, Canada did not have a marketing crash on the scale of the one that happened in America, but our economy was still brought to its knees because our biggest trade partner was struggling to keep jobs in America, much less Canada or anywhere else.
Also the fact that America could nuke the world back to the stone age is terrifying. No country should have that much power IMO.

Political meddling: America is constantly meddling with the politics of foreign countries. Lots of people see them as the police of the world, moderating arguments and fights that they have no business with. Also the fact that they arm rebel groups that turn around and become a world threat is kind of annoying. For example, they armed the Mujahideen to fight the Soviets, they became the Al-Qaeda and now Nato members have to go in and stop them.

Stereotypes: The general stereotype for Americans is that they're all obese, ignorant, and just plain stupid. It isn't true at all, but it seems like these stereotypes are actually taken seriously sometimes. Videos like these don't help:


If you skip to 3:33, it gets pretty funny, but they obviously just broadcast the dumbest answers they got.

And yes, envy: Some people hate the country that they wish they lived in, or at least they wish their country had the same amount of freedom and rights.