Europe's Anti-American Obsession

[JoeSF]

Jean-Francois Revel exlpores european anti americanism in this well written article...

http://www.taemag.com/issues/articleid.17764/article_detail.asp

What picture of American society is likely to be imprinted on the consciousness of average Europeans? Given what they read or hear every day from intellectuals and politicians, they can hardly have any choice in the unpleasant particulars, especially if they happen to be French. The picture repeatedly sketched for them is as follows:

American society is entirely ruled by money. No other value, whether familial, moral, religious, civic, cultural, professional, or ethical has any potency in itself. Everything in America is a commodity, regarded and used exclusively for its material value. A person is judged solely by the worth of his bank account. Every U.S. President has been in the pockets of the oil companies, the military-industrial complex, the agricultural lobby, or the financial manipulators of Wall Street. America is the "jungle" par excellence of out-of-control, "savage" capitalism, where the rich are always becoming richer and fewer, while the poor are becoming poorer and more numerous.
Poverty is the dominant social reality in America. Hordes of famished indigents are everywhere, while luxurious chauffeured limousines with darkened windows glide through the urban wilderness.....read in its entirety at


http://www.taemag.com/issues/articleid.17764/article_detail.asp


"Americans might ask themselves what interest the United States could have in plunging into the bloody quagmire of the Balkans, that centuries-old masterpiece of Europe's matchless ingenuity. But Europe found herself incapable of bringing order by herself to this murderous chaos of her own making. So it devolved upon the United States to take charge of operations in Bosnia, Kosovo, and Macedonia. The Europeans thanked the Americans afterwards by calling them imperialists--although they quake with fright and accuse the Americans of being cowardly isolationists the moment they make the slightest mention of bringing their soldiers home."


http://www.taemag.com/issues/articleid.17764/article_detail.asp

 

[tc300mag1]

Thats all fine and dandy but when there in deep crap liek they will get into sometime as they have done b4 who are they gonna call us the good ole USA .. so i think this time when they run into problems we should give um the ole middle finger and tell um deal with it

 

[Standing Wolf]

Europe clearly doesn't want my consumer and vacation dollars.

 

[JohnBT]

"Hordes of famished indigents are everywhere..."

The man's got a mote in his eye. What about the ten or twenty thousand poor folks who perished in Europe last summer from a heat wave of all things? How could the French let this happen? Why didn't they act? Oh, the horror.

Sorry, getting carried away again.

John

 

[JoeSF]

Actually he supports the US strongly...you have to read the whole thing.

 

[Adam]

Poland is lonely island on European, Anti-American ocean...you have a lot of real friends here!

 

[geekWithA.45]

I nearly fell out of my chair when I read this!

The picture repeatedly sketched for them is as follows: American society is entirely ruled by money. No other value, whether familial, moral, religious, civic, cultural, professional, or ethical has any potency in itself. Everything in America is a commodity, regarded and used exclusively for its material value. A person is judged solely by the worth of his bank account. Every U.S. President has been in the pockets of the oil companies, the military-industrial complex, the agricultural lobby, or the financial manipulators of Wall Street. America is the "jungle" par excellence of out-of-control, "savage" capitalism, where the rich are always becoming richer and fewer, while the poor are becoming poorer and more numerous. Poverty is the dominant social reality in America. Hordes of famished indigents are everywhere, while luxurious chauffeured limousines with darkened windows glide through the urban wilderness

I have a good friend who was a captain in the Russian army. He escaped shortly after the wall fell in the early 90's.

He chose the army, because his high school grades qualified him for the military academy, and his only other option in life was to become a shepherd.

I MEAN THAT LITERALLY. HIS CHOICE WAS LITERALLY ARMY COLLEGE, OR SHEEP.

He spent the entirety of his education in the hardest of core Communist indoctrination system, and I asked him once what they taught about America and Americans.

His reply was so nearly word for word close to this quote that it's really, really frightening.


What the Communist schools couldn't do, the Euros are all too happy to willingly embrace.

 

[DigitalWarrior]

What the Hell?

Seriously, are we getting pissed off that someone is claiming this mythical "average" european has a stereotype of America and Americans that is unflattering?

You have got to be (sometimes an explenative is warranted but still not used in polite company) kidding me! Are we really that stupid?

This is an empty article attempting to state:
1. That there is an "average" European (a stereotype itself) holds a stereotype of Americans. How do they know, what was the statistical sample. Pure Excrement.
2. Goes on at great length describing this non-existant person's views. I would like to get the transcript of the interview.
3. Uses the most inflammitory terms to explain certain views some people hold. Uses absolute terms that are easily refutable. It uses the straw man like nobody's paying attention, and I guess we are not.

I come closer to leaving THR every day.

 

[LAR-15]

Europeans generally hate America.

My sister studied in Spain and yes they don't like Americans, unless you come out and trash Bush.

 

[Unlucky]

I come closer to leaving THR every day.

Somebody forcing you to read this or post here?

By Jean-Francois Revel

Notice author's name. Perhaps, dontcha think, he could be a Euro and have an inherent understanding of that mindset?

This is op-ed stuff. Same as a column by E.J. Dionne in my local rag that repeats the BS GWB stole the election with the help from the likes of Antonin Scalia and SCOTUS, which then goes on to skewer Scalia for not recusing himself from hearing the Cheney Energy Policy records "scandal." I guess leftist slants are A-OK, huh?

 

[Abenaki]

I could care less what the euro-trash thinks of us!

After all the cheeze eating surrender monkeys are nothing but a
bunch of carp eating idiots that don't bath on a regular basis!!!!
I am not impressed!

It works both ways!
Abenaki

 

[Yowza]

DigitalWarrior

Perhaps if you had actually read the article you would have noticed these lines in the opening paragraph...

Given what they read or hear every day from intellectuals and politicians

The picture repeatedly sketched for them is as follows:

You may not be paying attention, but some of us are.

Rick

 

[hops]

Very good piece. The author is proof that all French are not anti-american. And not all French are Cheese Eating Surrender Monkeys. It's one thing to say it in jest - it's another thing when one is deadly serious. Plenty of Americans have also surrendered in the past.

And the generality that all europeans hate America is a fallacy. If that were true I would not have stayed after I turned 18. And I'm sure a few other boardmembers would not be here either.

I've witnessed America(ns) being defended by other europeans (German Gunnies) on a german gun board recently in response to some other German Gunny's ignorant Anti- American statements.

See, I'm plagued in that I get crap from all sides. If it is not Anti-German, then it is Anti-American, since I'm sort of both; the former by birth, the latter by choice and both by fate. Life is tough when you have the best of both worlds.

 

[Hedger]

I only have one comment.... we may have all of these problems to some extent, but Europe has France.

 

[DTLoken]

Jesus, give it a rest with the Europe BS, you people need to stop making sweeping over-generalizations.

I know many European people and very few of them harbor anti-American feelings. And if they do, it's not hating American people, but rather the policies of our government (As many of YOU do towards France's government).

Lets stop the hypocracy.

 

[7.62FullMetalJacket]

I am flattered by their perceptions. Now, where did "James" park the limo

 

[Unlucky]

I know many European people and very few of them harbor anti-American feelings.

It may not be sweeping, but that itself is a generalization.

To be honest, the only thing that matters is what those who hold the levers of power and public opinion believe. If the media and intellectuals of Europe are anti-american, you can damn well believe that public opinion of the masses will tend that direction to some extent.

 

[longeyes]

You can substitute U.S. liberal for European and it applies equally well.

Dennis Prager put it well: there are now two parties in this country, the American Party and the European Party.

 

[Sungun09]

Europe ? so what ....

The bottom line is this -

They have their society and beliefs and we have ours, and never the twain shall meet. I couldn't care less about Europe and their opinions. In a similar fashion, I hope they return the favor. I'm not saying this to be rude but point out we are simply different cultures.

I'll keep my guns thank you and they can do whatever it is that Europeans do..

 

[feedthehogs]

A favorite quote of many business aquaintences" All I ask for is an unfair advantage in life."

Those who have never traveled to europe or the far east where family and social gatherings are more important than work can't begin to realize the difference between us.

Anyone who has conducted business overseas will understand.

Are they wrong and we right or are we wrong and they are right?
Neither. Just different societys.

Our society is money driven just ask 20 people whats important to them.

It is mostly though a percieved opinion of us without any facts to back them up.

Just as over here, they have people who hear the media and believe every word that is said.

 

[TimRB]

"They have their society and beliefs and we have ours, and never the twain shall meet."

There it is. In large measure, Europe is the reason America exists. As soon as people over there found out there was somewhere they could go to get the Hell out of Europe, they started coming here in droves.

Tim

 

[Airedale1]

by LAR-15........Europeans generally hate America.

..............and in particular, the French have never quite forgiven us for liberating them.

 

[Chuck Jennings]

As soon as people over there found out there was somewhere they could go to get the Hell out of Europe, they started coming here in droves.

So, when this country becomes too unbearable, it will be time to head to Mars!

 

[abaddon]

I've been studying in England since January and I think that there's truth to both arguments here. True, the Blackwells Bookstore in Oxford has a Michael Moore section bigger than a Volkswagen but the average Joe over here doesn't define themselves as Anti-anything. They're just living their lives the same as us. The fact is they generally see America as an imperfect nation with a lot of power. Face it guys, that's what we are. Maybe the imperfections they see in us are really our strengths but the fact is we are not perfect and it is a natural human reaction to fear those more powerful than and different from you. We'd feel the same if Canada was the superpower.

All cultures have false perceptions of other cultures. In my experience Europeans see us as misguided on some things but generally a force for good in the world. That's as good as you can expect from anyone really. Yes there's some nuts out there but keep in mind that they make more noise and thus get more attention than their status in society deserves.

Jeff

 

[longeyes]

"The fact is they generally see America as an imperfect nation with a lot of power."

Maybe they should employ some of that vaunted European "deep thinking" and ask themselves how we got all that power. It's no accident that we're powerful; it didn't come out of nowhere, much as they might like to believe we just hit a lucky streak, a bunch of yahoos who struck oil by accident.