Europe's Long-Standing Dislike of America

[Adam's Apple]

In Europe, Dislike of America Runs Deep
By Jonah Goldberg, The New Hampshire Union-Leader
September 15, 2005

HERE'S A GLOOMY thought for you: America is going to be lonely for a very long time. After reading the October issue of The American Enterprise, "Red America, Blue Europe," that's the only conclusion one can draw.

There is a grand myth that the world, particularly Europe, loved America before George W. Bush came into office. The reality is that it only dislikes us a bit more than it used to.

Anti-American books tore up the best-seller list in France throughout the Clinton Presidency. The staged anti-globalization riots during the 1990s were not love letters to America or the Democratic Party. In 1999, Bill Clinton needed 10,000 policemen to protect him from Greek activists who aimed to firebomb him. Protesters in Athens continually pulled down a statue of Harry Truman. Despite the relentless jackassery of people like Michael Moore and others who attributed 9/11 to Bush's policies — including our failure to sign the Kyoto Treaty (stop laughing) — al-Qaida got its operation up and running throughout the sunny days of Bill Clinton and the dotcom bubble.

In the 1980s, anti-Americanism was also a big problem, but fortunately the elites of Europe generally understood — with some lamentable exceptions — it was better to have America as a friend than the Soviet Union as a ruler.

http://www.theunionleader.com/articles_showfast.html?article=60435

 

[Nuc]

My experience in Europe is they like Americans but don't like the American government. They don't hassle you personally just because you are an American. Now Germans, they are pretty much universally disliked.

 

[sitarro]

My best friend is from France (The Basque Country). A friend who is a flight attendant and does a Paris layover each week brought him a French newspaper. The paper had an 8 page story on New Orleans. He told me that the article was such an incredible load of propaganda bullshit it surprised even him. They claim in the article that the U.S. is pretty much over. This Hurricane has destroyed our economy, gas is 6 dollars a gallon, farmers are not able to get the country food and it is just rotting at their home ports, there is fighting and civil unrest across the country. Oh and of course, IT'S ALL GEORGE BUSH'S FAULT.
My friend, who claims he doesn't want to ever go back to Europe and is working on his United States citizenship after spending a lot of money and 7 years of working here, is ashamed of the country he has left. He doesn't label himself politically but has a great deal of respect for President Bush. He is very excited at the thought of being able to be reborn as an American.

 

[Johnney]

as if that was any type of shocker. but if we lived our lives by what we thought people thought of us, we'd get no where.

 

[padisha emperor]

My best friend is from France (The Basque Country). A friend who is a flight attendant and does a Paris layover each week brought him a French newspaper. The paper had an 8 page story on New Orleans. He told me that the article was such an incredible load of propaganda bullshit it surprised even him. They claim in the article that the U.S. is pretty much over. This Hurricane has destroyed our economy, gas is 6 dollars a gallon, farmers are not able to get the country food and it is just rotting at their home ports, there is fighting and civil unrest across the country. Oh and of course, IT'S ALL GEORGE BUSH'S FAULT.
My friend, who claims he doesn't want to ever go back to Europe and is working on his United States citizenship after spending a lot of money and 7 years of working here, is ashamed of the country he has left. He doesn't label himself politically but has a great deal of respect for President Bush. He is very excited at the thought of being able to be reborn as an American.

I know what the french newspapper said, I read them, and same for TV.

They don't think that's GW Bush's fault.
they said : this hurricane was an awful disaster for New Orleans, Louisiana (and Mississippi), and USA in general. The USA had to take in their oil strategic stock.
It would cost several dozen billions of dollars.
Millions people are homeless.
That's only facts, not propaganda.

And after, the newspapper or TV said that the US federal administration wasn't able to take the good things to help, evacuate and preserve the inhabitants and the cities (ex : several experts said since some years that the dams would'nt be stronger enough to resist...)

Not GW Bush : the US administration, during the days before and the days after.

Even your president admit it. So, no propaganda, even Bush said it was his administration's fault.

And a last thing about this : the main thing coming out from this articles and TV news is the pain of the victims and the drama and tragedy of the USA.
(of course if you gave to your french friend an engaged newspapper, obviously anti Bush....but it is not a real information source. Imagine : i read only The Sun...a piece of shit. well, every countries have such newspappers.)

About the "hate of Europe" against USA : not at all, people don't like Bush, but not the US population.
maybe in Europe we find you to much arrogant and self confident, and with a willing of world domination, but the US citizen is not hated, personly I don't like Bush but I like the Americans.

And be sure that in Europe the most patr of the people, if you feel they don't like you, do only a reflexion feeling : they do with you as you would be GW Bush. but nobody hjave something against you in particular.

(I don't like Chirac. Do I hate French ? No ! i am french and i love French and France. same thing for Bush and USA )

 

[sitarro]

I know what the french newspapper said, I read them, and same for TV.

They don't think that's GW Bush's fault.
they said : this hurricane was an awful disaster for New Orleans, Louisiana (and Mississippi), and USA in general. The USA had to take in their oil strategic stock.
It would cost several dozen billions of dollars.
Millions people are homeless.
That's only facts, not propaganda.

And after, the newspapper or TV said that the US federal administration wasn't able to take the good things to help, evacuate and preserve the inhabitants and the cities (ex : several experts said since some years that the dams would'nt be stronger enough to resist...)

Not GW Bush : the US administration, during the days before and the days after.

Even your president admit it. So, no propaganda, even Bush said it was his administration's fault.

And a last thing about this : the main thing coming out from this articles and TV news is the pain of the victims and the drama and tragedy of the USA.
(of course if you gave to your french friend an engaged newspapper, obviously anti Bush....but it is not a real information source. Imagine : i read only The Sun...a piece of shit. well, every countries have such newspappers.)

About the "hate of Europe" against USA : not at all, people don't like Bush, but not the US population.
maybe in Europe we find you to much arrogant and self confident, and with a willing of world domination, but the US citizen is not hated, personly I don't like Bush but I like the Americans.

And be sure that in Europe the most patr of the people, if you feel they don't like you, do only a reflexion feeling : they do with you as you would be GW Bush. but nobody hjave something against you in particular.

(I don't like Chirac. Do I hate French ? No ! i am french and i love French and France. same thing for Bush and USA )

Padisha,
I didn't give Philippe the Figaro newspaper, a flight attendant did. He is the one that read the article and called it propaganda, he has lived here for the last 6 years and really likes President Bush because he isn't depending on biased socialist newspapers to get his information. He has listened to his speeches and agrees with him.
I really don't care what Euros think of me, I won't go there as long as they continue to kiss muslim ass. I don't need to see Europe, I would rather spend my vacation money here in the U.S. I have traveled and lived all over the U.S. and still have a great deal to see, I will always choose to go to Yosemite over Paris anyday, that is just me.
I can understand why the French hate the Bush Administration, it is the same reason the feminist women hate them here. . . .they have a big set of testicals, they aren't afraid to do the right thing, and they don't care what anyone thinks, they are going to do what is best for the United States.
That is what I like about them especially my President.
Oh and the suffering that you saw was the direct result of a Democrat(socialist) government that didn't do anything right, they stole the money and let their constituancy suffer because they know thatif they were stupid enough to vote Dmocrat , they will believe anything and will vote for them again.

 

[padisha emperor]

he has lived here for the last 6 years and really likes President Bush because he isn't depending on biased socialist newspapers to get his information

come on !

What do you know about France, our newspapper, about Europe and Europeans ? only the things you saw on Fox News ? Wow ! for a biased media; Fow News win the prize.

So, stop to critisize always us when you can make critics to USA too.

 

[sitarro]

come on !

What do you know about France, our newspapper, about Europe and Europeans ? only the things you saw on Fox News ? Wow ! for a biased media; Fow News win the prize.

So, stop to critisize always us when you can make critics to USA too.

Hey Padimwit,
My French friend is the one that said that, I don't read french so I don't have a clue how much your newspapers suck. I do read english and have seen how bad the newspapers are in Ireland, England and Scotland.
Have you ever watched Fox News? I didn't think so. :blah2:

 

[manu1959]

come on !

What do you know about France, our newspapper, about Europe and Europeans ? only the things you saw on Fox News ? Wow ! for a biased media; Fow News win the prize.

So, stop to critisize always us when you can make critics to USA too.

and you accuse americans of and i quote "......find you to much arrogant and self confident,...."

you also said...., and i quote "....and with a willing of world domination..."

please list the american colonies? french colonies? how many do you all still rule?

 

[Trigg]

My experience in Europe is they like Americans but don't like the American government. They don't hassle you personally just because you are an American. Now Germans, they are pretty much universally disliked.

I definitally got this idea when I was over there. Many just don't like Americas politics and feel the US tries to be the worlds big brother.

Most I talked to were under the impression that all Americans are rich, since those are the only people they see, middle aged with no children especially.

They also don't understand why Americans don't travel more. I tried explaining that traveling between states here is like them traveling between countries there (distance wise anyway), and the cost is very high.

My mother was overseas during Katrina and most of the comments to her were "how did this happen in rich America". She tried to explain that New Orleans was a high crime city before the hurricane, but she got the idea that people still didn't get it.

 

[Hagbard Celine]

I guess you have to assume that foreigner's views of Americans are the same as our views of them. i.e. a vague, stereotypical view built up around images seen in the media and/or first impressions gained from brief visits to each other's countries.

When I think of French, I think of Eiffel Tower, a guy with a beret and a striped shirt smoking a cigarette and eating bread and sipping wine.

I guess the typical American would be a wierd mix of P Diddy and John Wayne.

I know that about wraps me up.

 

[sitarro]

I guess you have to assume that foreigner's views of Americans are the same as our views of them. i.e. a vague, stereotypical view built up around images seen in the media and/or first impressions gained from brief visits to each other's countries.

When I think of French, I think of Eiffel Tower, a guy with a beret and a striped shirt smoking a cigarette and eating bread and sipping wine.

I guess the typical American would be a wierd mix of P Diddy and John Wayne.

I know that about wraps me up.

When you mention P Dipshit are you saying that the world thinks we are a bunch of classless, overated, no-talent, unintelligent, ugly, losers?

 

[Said1]

Padisha, at the following link, what papers would you recommend?

http://www.world-newspapers.com/france.html

 

[Hagbard Celine]

When you mention P Dipshit are you saying that the world thinks we are a bunch of classless, overated, no-talent, unintelligent, ugly, losers?

Haha, no. "P Diddy" just sounds funny to me. And if you say it in an Indian accent, like Apoo from the Simpsons, it sounds even funnier.

What other celebrity would you prefer? How about carrot top? How's that?

 

[sitarro]

Haha, no. "P Diddy" just sounds funny to me. And if you say it in an Indian accent, like Apoo from the Simpsons, it sounds even funnier.

What other celebrity would you prefer? How about carrot top? How's that?

I understand that the world judges us on the most visible but what kind of taste do they have collectively? Kenny Rogers is adored, Jerry Lewis, David Hasselhoff? P. Diddy said with that accent is hillarious.

 

[Hagbard Celine]

Hey, from what I understand, David Hasselhoff is quite a talented man.

For any lack of taste the Germans may have, they have to be forgiven if for nothing other than their uncanny ability to build the best cars on the planet. And their beer, bratwurst and sauerkraut combo can't be beat either.

 

[sitarro]

Hey, from what I understand, David Hasselhoff is quite a talented man.

For any lack of taste the Germans may have, they have to be forgiven if for nothing other than their uncanny ability to build the best cars on the planet. And their beer, bratwurst and sauerkraut combo can't be beat either.

I'll buy that when it comes to BMW, Porsche, and Mercedes, but Volkswagons have been dogs for years, their design is OK but the upkeep and reliability is awful. You also pay dearly for any of these vehicles and when it comes to American highways it is usually money not well spent. I drove my brothers Porsche 911 across the country and found it to be loud, uncomfortable and a radar attracter. My 4 wheel drive extended cab Toyota truck felt like a Cadillac after that and I have always loved sports cars. I have also read that BMW has gone down in quality ratings the last few years.

 

[Harmageddon]

To reply to the post that started this topic, I would say it represents the truth fairly well (although I didn't check the link, so no comment there). As for the gloom and loneliness that Adam's Apple is afraid of; rememer there's always light at the end of the tunnel.

I do agree with the notion that European countries have not always loved the USA in the past, although they were never secret about it. And neither has the USA always felt friendly towards European countries. It's called global politics, and it's not a nice game.

This has been going on since the beginning of the United States some 230 years ago. Plato once said: "only the dead have seen the end of war." And sadly this holds true to this day. So there's nothing new there. European countries battled one another long before they came into existence, and the American birth was quite a bloody one as well.

However, the situation has grown harsh quite recently, and your nation's response to the atrocities of 9/11 didn't really improve things, to say the least. Petty tradewars, like the boeing vs airbus deathmatch are one thing, agressively invading one of the world's largest reserves of oil is quite another.

Sure, there's enough hypocrisy in all of the European countries as well, they didn't ring a bell when the USA overtrew the democratically elect government of Chili, killing over thirty thousand people, including the elected president, Salvador Allende. This by the way, happed on september the 11th, 1973. However, that particular date does not ring a bell with many Americans, nor Europeans for that matter. But then European countries did not really mind. I mean, what was Chili to us other than coffee? No, Europe and America have such an intimate relationship that it will take quite a lot of insanity by either side to effectively shred this bond.

You see, after the violent birth of America, which was founded of course, by Europeans, fighting other Europeans for independence, the relationship between the European nations and the United States gradually descended in more quiet waters, and trade started blossoming. From then on many things happened, for instance two world wars.

Whereas the first was fought mainly in Europe in trenches, both grew into worldwide conflicts. The second one dragged the United States in far further than the first, and eventually the USA and Russia met in the middle of the smouldering remains of the Third Reich and victory was claimed. This then evolved in the Cold War conflict of two victors now fighting over the remains of their now deceased shared enemies.

I'm merely trying to point out that no nation on the planet can claim it's a force of good or evil. That's just ridiculous. ANY nation has a history, and it will show that the nation in question will have done some good things, as well as some nigh unspeakable evil ones.

Yours I'm afraid is going through an evil period right now.
And that is the reason for the current European view of the USA.

 

[CSM]

Yours I'm afraid is going through an evil period right now.
And that is the reason for the current European view of the USA.

That is pure BS....I submit that Europe is going through the evil period right now, especially given the sneaky, underhanded way they tried to support Saddam, appease the terrorists, and now even cozy up to China. I guess "evil" is a matter of perception, eh?

 

[Adam's Apple]

As for the gloom and loneliness that Adam's Apple is afraid of; rememer there's always light at the end of the tunnel.

Just a correction to your post: I am not afraid of the "gloom and Loneliness".
That is the liberals' manufactured war cry, and Goldberg based his article on it to make a point. My intention in posting Goldberg's article was to share his counterpoint to one of the liberals' main accusations against President Bush. The European countries' dislike for America and its form of government had been there for many years before Bush ever became president; and as the article so rightly pointed out, most European countries are America's ally only when it suits their particular needs to be so. In all fairness to the European countries, the reverse is true as well. America goes it alone when she has to.

The libs' propaganda that Bush is responsible for alienating Europe from America is just that--propaganda.