Why do Europeans hate Americans? Be honest... - Page 11 - Politics Forum.org | PoFo

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#14133940
ComSec wrote:I'm not saying that there aren't valid reasons to criticize the US but I believe that half the criticism comes from the fact that many people overseas are tired of American dominance in the world, whether it be economically, militarily, politically..etc.
Hu ? Sorry, but thats not much of a reason.

If the USA would just be dominant in this respects, I dont think many people would object. Somebody is always the best. Thats just life.

The issue why the USA is in criticism is more (a) they try to dominate other countries, dictate what happends in them, including installing dictators like Pinochet and Hussein or supporting terrorists like Osama Bin Laden (b) they themselves are in a really horrible state - very poor state of education, low on worker rights such as very little vacation times, bad wages and bad social state including missing essentials demanded by human rights, such as universal health care, democracy laughable since for example only millionaires stand a chance to be politician, a really funny justice system, and so on.
#14133956
Negotiator wrote:The issue why the USA is in criticism is more (a) they try to dominate other countries, dictate what happends in them, including installing dictators like Pinochet and Hussein or supporting terrorists like Osama Bin Laden (b) they themselves are in a really horrible state - very poor state of education, low on worker rights such as very little vacation times, bad wages and bad social state including missing essentials demanded by human rights, such as universal health care, democracy laughable since for example only millionaires stand a chance to be politician, a really funny justice system, and so on.


But those are reasons (some valid, some lame) to "hate" the American government, not individual Americans.

I spent two years in Germany (in fact I was in country when the Wall fell in '89, although not in Berlin). It seemed that near our Army base there were quite a few people who didn't like Americans at all, but I think that was due to the frequency of drunken bar fights more than anything else. Of course many of the business owners (and German girls looking for green cards) loved Americans, so I don't think either attitude was dominant.
#14134599
Andalublue wrote:Now, none of this is to say that there isn't a current of resentment between the average European and the US, as a nation, super-power and cultural behemoth. I dare say that if US citizens were to be inundated by the political and cultural values of a foreign nation in the way most Europeans are deluged with Americana, they too might feel resentful. Resentful is a long way away from hatred, however. In using that word, the OP is grossly exaggerating.


Most of our TV shows and half the musicians we listen to are British, or Canadian.... :eh:
#14134661
Joe Liberty wrote: But those are reasons (some valid, some lame) to "hate" the American government, not individual Americans.
The whole establishment, not just administration.

The government alone can do very little of what is wrong about the USA. It needs a lot of people to vote for them first, and it needs an establishment to support it. Especially the privately owned press.

Individual US americans are hated for their individual faults, just like people of any other country.
#14134876
Some Europeans hate Americans because they don't hold hands with them when they ignore history and try to nationalize everything.
As a matter of fact, the Florange workers and trade-union leaders saw nationalization as a means of preserving all the posts at stake irrespective of profitability considerations. In that case, and contrary to what happened at General Motors, nationalization would not serve to enhance the firm's competitiveness but, rather, would perpetuate redundancies at the expense of the taxpayer. At a time when France struggles to reduce her public deficit and sovereign debt so as to avoid a nasty reaction of financial markets, the cost for the state to nationalize Florange (one billion euros according to government's estimations) would be too high to bear.

The "anti-rich" socialist prime minister of France was forced to axe a nationalization plan even as expatriation from France is up 15-20%, following a significant rise in taxes upon the rich. Calling them traitors when you come for their wealth on behalf of a laborer's pension instead of a young person's education doesn't encourage them to stick around :roll:
#14147473
*takes deep breathe*

Who, isn't Neil Young from the South, who, American version is only loosely related to it, no-one cares, and point taken.

Did you really expect that list to make up for reality shows and Celion Dion, though?
#14147517
(1) Most Europeans do not hate Americans.

(2) Europeans criticize Americans because
(a) it is natural to criticize people that are different from you but are privileged enough to merit criticism. We are white and from a similar background as them and have economic prosperity -- we are some of the only 'equals' out there that they have the right to criticize withotu feeling white guilt over.
(b) Americans do have some obvious flaws that deserve to be criticized.
(c) Europe is comprised exclusively of smaller, weaker nations that used to be far more influential but now pale in comparison and so a natural jealousy is there (with the exception of Russia). There is an inherent element of jealousy that gives everyone a dismissive and 'f*** those guys!' attitude.
(d) and also just because Europeans can be ignorant dumb asses in general just like anyone else.

There is this bizarre phenomena where American "intellectuals" think they are worst off than Europe because in some senses Europe is objectively a lot better -- it really is the cultural center of the world when we are talking about cities like London, Paris, Rome, Vienna, etc. Objectively, it probably was far better being born into a middle class French, British, West German, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian etc. family in the 1970s or 1980s than it was beign born into an American family. This fact should be recognized -- and it is.

But this is without understanding the idea that Europeans are often huge dumb asses just as Americans can be huge dumb asses. Europeans simply have the benefit of being able to go to another country in a 3-4 hours train ride in many cases -- something which Americans cannot fathom. It makes htem seem more 'worldly' that the Germans have knowledge of Poland, Czech Republic, Denmark, France, etc. in deeper ways while Americans have more intmate knowledge of far more similar states that are scarcely 120-130 years old.
#14159452
The vast majority of the world resents the US in a similar way a repressed citzeny resents an authoritarian dictator. When you throw your power around like bully and act like a complete a-hole sometimes (even though you may do good much of the time too) you are bound to be disliked.

Europe doesn't have much of a reason to resent the US as much as almost all of the developing world does though.
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