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  • Why our enemies -- and friends -- hate us

    Why our enemies -- and friends -- hate us


    Provoking dislike throughout the world is part of being an empire.
    February 26, 2007

    BEING HATED IS NO FUN. And few people hate being hated more than Americans. I wish I had a dollar for every time I've been asked, "Why do they hate us?" — and another for each of the different answers I've heard. It's because of our foreign policy. It's because of their extremism. It's because of our arrogance. It's because of their inferiority complex. Americans really hate not knowing why they're hated.

    The best explanation is the simplest. Being hated is what happens to dominant empires. George Orwell knew the feeling. As a young man he served as an assistant police superintendent in British-run Burma, an experience he memorably described in his essay, "Shooting an Elephant." Called upon to kill a pachyderm that had run amok, Orwell was suddenly aware "of the watchful yellow faces behind" him: "The sole thought in my mind was that if anything went wrong those two thousand Burmans would see me pursued, caught, trampled on and reduced to a grinning corpse like that Indian up the hill. And if that happened it was quite probable that some of them would laugh."

    Eric Blair — as Orwell was known then — could scarcely have been better prepared for his role as a colonial official. Born in Bengal, the son of a colonial civil servant, he had been educated at Eton, where boys learn not to worry about being hated. Yet even he found the resentment of the natives hard to bear: "In the end the sneering … faces of young men that met me everywhere, the insults hooted after me when I was at a safe distance, got badly on my nerves….[It] was perplexing and upsetting."

    That's a feeling American soldiers in Baghdad must know pretty well.


    But who hates Americans the most? You might assume that it's people in countries that the United States has recently attacked or threatened to attack. Americans themselves are clear about who their principal enemies are. Asked by Gallup to name the "greatest enemy" of the U.S. today, 26% of those recently polled named Iran, 21% named Iraq and 18% named North Korea.

    Are those feelings reciprocated? Up to a point. The Gallup Center for Muslim Studies' latest poll found 52% of Iranians view the U.S. unfavorably. But that is down from 63% in 2001. And it's significantly lower than the antipathy felt in Jordan, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia. Two-thirds of Jordanians and Pakistanis have a negative view of the U.S., as do a staggering 79% of Saudis.


    These figures suggest a paradox in the Muslim world. It's not the United States' enemies that hate it most. It's people in countries that are supposed to be friendly, if not allies.


    The paradox of unfriendly allies is not confined to the Middle East. Last week was not a good week for Americanophiles in Europe. Tony Blair announced British troop withdrawals from Iraq, an unfortunate signal on the eve of the U.S. "surge." In Rome, his counterpart Romano Prodi had to resign because his coalition partners would not agree to keep Italian troops in Afghanistan or to enlarge a U.S. military base in Italy. Anti-Americanism is nothing new in European politics, but there is something new going on here, which extends to traditionally pro-American constituencies.

    Back in 1999, 83% of British people surveyed by the U.S. State Department's Office of Research said they had a favorable opinion of the U.S. But by 2006, according to the Pew Global Attitudes Project, only 56% did. British respondents to the Pew surveys now give higher ratings to Germany (75%) and Japan (69%) than to the U.S. — a remarkable transformation in attitudes, given the notorious British tendency to look back nostalgically and unforgivingly to World War II. Britons recently polled by Pew regard the U.S. presence in Iraq as a bigger threat to world peace than Iran or North Korea.

    Nor is Britain the only disillusioned ally. Only 38% of Germans and 19% of Canadians believe that U.S. foreign policy considers the interests of others. The poignant fact is that when Americans are asked to rate foreign countries, their most favorable views are of none other than Britain, Germany and Canada.

    In the 1990s, Madeleine Albright pompously called the United States "the indispensable nation." Today it seems to have become the indefensible nation, even in the eyes of its supposed friends.

    Orwell would have understood. Just as it was the educated beneficiaries of British rule in Asia who were the most strident anti-imperialists in Orwell's day, so the British empire's most natural allies — France and the United States — were anything but Anglophile. For it turns out that power not only corrupts. It also tends to isolate.

    There is, after all, a reason why they say it's lonely at the top.
    Why our enemies -- and friends -- hate us - Los Angeles Times
    Since so many Americans on this board post wondering as to why people "hate" America, I thought this article should be posted so that one could know the views as to how far as this article is correct.

    Personally, I don't think America is hated. There are too many non Americans who have relatives and friends in America and so they understand to some extent as to what makes American tick and act the way they do. In fact some such relative or friend may even be Americans by citizenship!

    I presume that being a arbiter in all world events, everyone cannot be pleased. Therefore, the grouse remains. That grouse the Americans take as "hate"! FAr from it.

    I don't think anyone finds the individual American loathsome. Some maybe loath worthy, but then there are such people in every country in the world.

    I feel that Americans are too sensitive and imagine every criticism about their country as a sign of Hate.

    God too has been blamed many a time. But does it mean that one hates God?

    Of course, one could say America is no God. So take the other one, as the the writer of the article writes. It is lonely at the top!

    What do you feel, Americans and non Americans?


    "Some have learnt many Tricks of sly Evasion, Instead of Truth they use Equivocation, And eke it out with mental Reservation, Which is to good Men an Abomination."

    I don't have to attend every argument I'm invited to.

    HAKUNA MATATA

  • #2
    i have seen american turists in many coutries, the way they behave (most of them), can make anyone hate america, they act like everyone around them are idiots, american wars, play much smaller role, in america being hated, compare how americans act abroad,
    "Democracy is two wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch. Liberty is a well-armed lamb contesting the vote!" B. Franklin

    Comment


    • #3
      I too have seen US tourists before and now.

      There is a seachange.

      They are no longer the brash, big spending, America uber alles types.

      True, there are still some of those types, but on the whole they are much calmer and at times they are difficult to be spotted as Americans! They blend well into the the crowd of foreign tourists and one cannot really make out except for some stray chap!


      "Some have learnt many Tricks of sly Evasion, Instead of Truth they use Equivocation, And eke it out with mental Reservation, Which is to good Men an Abomination."

      I don't have to attend every argument I'm invited to.

      HAKUNA MATATA

      Comment


      • #4
        Originally posted by Ray View Post
        I feel that Americans are too sensitive and imagine every criticism about their country as a sign of Hate.
        I believe those are the ones who are too eager to please the world, the "internationalists" type, who wants UN to do everything. John Kerry comes to mind. Those naive hippie idealists who believe talking to evil and appease it is a perfectly valid strategy.

        Real Americans aren't too sensitive about being hated or being loved.
        "Only Nixon can go to China." -- Old Vulcan proverb.

        Comment


        • #5
          Cool, another "Why Do You Hate America" thread...
          "We will go through our federal budget – page by page, line by line – eliminating those programs we don’t need, and insisting that those we do operate in a sensible cost-effective way." -President Barack Obama 11/25/2008

          Comment


          • #6
            gunnut,

            Real Americans aren't too sensitive about being hated or being loved.
            then real americans constitute a fairly small minority in america, then ;)

            http://www.cfr.org/content/publicati...Place_2005.pdf

            page # 82 (Q 7a), 91 (Q 13), 97 (Q 25, F2), 98, (Q 29, F1), 105-106

            according to publication, not pdf number.
            There is a cult of ignorance in the United States, and there has always been. The strain of anti-intellectualism has been a constant thread winding its way through our political and cultural life, nurtured by the false notion that democracy means that "My ignorance is just as good as your knowledge."- Isaac Asimov

            Comment


            • #7
              Originally posted by highsea View Post
              Cool, another "Why Do You Hate America" thread...
              Write a "Why do You Love America" and I am sure that too would find a place here in WAB. ;)


              "Some have learnt many Tricks of sly Evasion, Instead of Truth they use Equivocation, And eke it out with mental Reservation, Which is to good Men an Abomination."

              I don't have to attend every argument I'm invited to.

              HAKUNA MATATA

              Comment


              • #8
                that would be a good thread, i think to really love america, one needs to see how different it's from other countries, any country has its pros and cons, but america, lets, anyone who works hard, has a goal, be succesfull, you are more likely to acheve you goal in us than anywhere else, they call it a land of opportunities, and it really is, i know it from my own experience, noway i would acheve what i have now, in any other country as an imigrant. god bless america.
                "Democracy is two wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch. Liberty is a well-armed lamb contesting the vote!" B. Franklin

                Comment


                • #9
                  The hate that exist for America, is out of too much love ...

                  but seriously we need to consider such a thread, sense they are the saviour of humanity against the evils world communism and they must be credited accordingly ... however, as traditions goes since the fall of Soviet Union they (Americans) just decided the replace their the Enemy-of-the-day with the Islamo-fascist and played right into their hands (radicals Islam), which otherwise was a very insignificant movement on world stage, untill a recent Crusade made it glorious and magnetic. I dont blame them for the revolving-definition-of-evil, too much media and too many hours spend watching West Wing and Top Gun can be destructive. God knows that is the case in every nation. In Iran we changed our enemies from Russian-British axis-of-Imperialism to Soviet-axis-of-Communism and to finally US-British-Israel axis-of-love.

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Too much.

                    What a left handed compliment!

                    In India, we rather have the politicians in their govt sponsored ivory towers, rather than have them open their damned mouths.

                    A bunch of lotus eaters!


                    "Some have learnt many Tricks of sly Evasion, Instead of Truth they use Equivocation, And eke it out with mental Reservation, Which is to good Men an Abomination."

                    I don't have to attend every argument I'm invited to.

                    HAKUNA MATATA

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Originally posted by astralis View Post
                      gunnut,

                      then real americans constitute a fairly small minority in america, then ;)

                      http://www.cfr.org/content/publicati...Place_2005.pdf

                      page # 82 (Q 7a), 91 (Q 13), 97 (Q 25, F2), 98, (Q 29, F1), 105-106

                      according to publication, not pdf number.
                      Q7a asks our view on the UN. The overall negative view of the UN in American as compared to the rest of the world is far higher.

                      Q13 asks if we think it's important for us to be closely partnered with Europe.

                      Q25F2 asks if we think a strong EU is good for us.

                      Q29F1 showed that more Americans today think we're less respected in the world.

                      Pg. 105-106 showed about the same numbers historically for the last 50 years.

                      None of these questions showed that we "cared" about being loved or hated.

                      I think there's less respect for us from the rest of the world. But I really don't care what they think.
                      "Only Nixon can go to China." -- Old Vulcan proverb.

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        In late May 1999 an USAF F-15 fired a missile that leveled house some 40 meters from a place where I was together with my company during the Kosovo campaign. One of my friends was killed than and other two were wounded. As for me,I couldn't hear anything in the next two days. Yet, I didn't hate United States and also I didn't hate KLA and Albanians. We fought both of them but as for me hate didn't existed. After the war I met wonderful American girl, we fell in love and after two years we got married.Next two years we lived in the United States till love died and we got divorced. Although I got my green card and was naturalized, I returned home. American citizenship wasn't important for me, pretty much nothing wasn't important for me cause I got hurt so badly when she told me that she doesn't love me anymore. But I didn't hate America or Americans. This was my personal problem not a US problem. I did found some things in the US to be pretty annoying and I didn't understand them (things like social care, medical care and racism) but also I found some things that are really beautiful. Things like people and nature. Americans are really nice people, common, ordinary people. Actually I find them a lot nicer and compassionate than my own folks here in Serbia. Nature it self is breathtaking, although I feel very sad cause I didn't saw all of it.
                        I don't tend to project my feelings on such global level and I don't have tendency to generalize things, except women. Regardless if they are American,Russian,Indian,Serbian,Iranian...We all know that they are all the same.:)

                        But seriously this is a serious issue so I'll get more serious now.

                        Generally why people hate America?
                        First of all there is fear. Fear of things that you don't know. Thanks to its immigration policy people can't go to America easily and see how it is really like there. So there is thing number one.Lack of perception. Since they cant see how it is really like only thing left for them is to imagine. The point where imagination steps in is always a tricky thing. If people have some sort of problem and don't know how to solve it or don't understand the nature of the problem, they tend to blame someone else for their misfortune.It could be God or Devil, fate, stars and planets in their horoscope, parents, lovers and sure, why not, they can blame America. America is handy to hate cause, although it is far away, it is present globally. Turn a TV and there is some Hollywood blockbuster, oops America is here, turn a radio there is some music that is from America, ooops again here they are, go to a city and there is McDonald's
                        or KFC, buy jeans,oh no, that is what people wear in Texas and so on and so on...Sometimes American presence is far more obvious and not so trivial. American bases, military might is widely spread around globe. Sometimes they are nice but sometimes they are not.
                        America is an very very large country. Since it is so wast it has gigantic needs of all kind. Also there is some 300 million Americans that absolutely have to fight to survive each day. Yes, you heard me well. America is actually very cruel towards its people. They don't have social safety nets, if you fall you fall all the way to the rock bottom. You have to be constantly on the edge constantly give your best to live trough the day. That is what makes America beautiful and ugly at the same time.

                        They are very dynamic society and tend to deal with problems on the practical level. There is no long term planning for anything, there is no conspiracy, there is no Great American Plan for the world. Funnest thing is to say that Americans have planned something that will happen in next 50 years. Believe me they don't know what will happened next week. They can't know that because it is this week that they are living in and they don't have illusions that they can see in the future like some other countries have.

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          Very well said, sir.

                          Originally posted by Versus View Post
                          Thanks to its immigration policy people can't go to America easily and see how it is really like there.
                          Unless you're a Mexican. Then you can just hop a fence and come over for whatever you want. Bank of America now provides credit cards for illegals. Most of our banks allow people to open accounts using Mexican ID.

                          Originally posted by Versus View Post
                          Also there is some 300 million Americans that absolutely have to fight to survive each day.
                          And that's a bad thing?

                          Originally posted by Versus View Post
                          America is actually very cruel towards its people. They don't have social safety nets, if you fall you fall all the way to the rock bottom. You have to be constantly on the edge constantly give your best to live trough the day. That is what makes America beautiful and ugly at the same time.
                          That's not cruel. That's rewarding the hard working people while not punishing the lazy. The lazy punish themselves. There are safety nets besides government handouts. We are the most charitable people on this earth. We give to and help the needy. But we want to do that on our terms. Not on some government bureaucrat's terms.

                          Originally posted by Versus View Post
                          Funnest thing is to say that Americans have planned something that will happen in next 50 years. Believe me they don't know what will happened next week. They can't know that because it is this week that they are living in and they don't have illusions that they can see in the future like some other countries have.
                          Yes and no. Individually we don't have plans beyond the next week or the next year. As a nation, you bet we plan ahead. Far ahead. It may not be obvious. But we do have a plan.
                          "Only Nixon can go to China." -- Old Vulcan proverb.

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            Originally posted by gunnut View Post
                            Very well said, sir.



                            Unless you're a Mexican. Then you can just hop a fence and come over for whatever you want. Bank of America now provides credit cards for illegals. Most of our banks allow people to open accounts using Mexican ID.



                            And that's a bad thing?



                            That's not cruel. That's rewarding the hard working people while not punishing the lazy. The lazy punish themselves. There are safety nets besides government handouts. We are the most charitable people on this earth. We give to and help the needy. But we want to do that on our terms. Not on some government bureaucrat's terms.



                            Yes and no. Individually we don't have plans beyond the next week or the next year. As a nation, you bet we plan ahead. Far ahead. It may not be obvious. But we do have a plan.
                            Pray tell Gunnut, what's the plan ?
                            Although it is not true that all conservatives are stupid people, it is true that most stupid people are conservative.
                            - John Stuart Mill.

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              Good post Versus.
                              "We will go through our federal budget – page by page, line by line – eliminating those programs we don’t need, and insisting that those we do operate in a sensible cost-effective way." -President Barack Obama 11/25/2008

                              Comment

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