Thread: Efforts to mend relations hit roadblock in France

Originally Posted by parihaka

It's just a list, I haven't once said 'see see see America bad', nor have I levied an indictment against America. The only diatribes I've seen have been by you against Chirac and France, and against anyone who disagrees with you. As for the "worlds problems on the United States and hate us" comment, I have read very few anti USofA comments on this site, the only worlds problems being discussed are ones that the USofA are directly involved in, and frankly the hate, as judged by this site seems to be mostly directed by Americans toward the rest of the world. Why do you hate us so much?????

Sorry, I initially missed your response.

Hating you? Having lived in Europe for several years, I can truthfully attest to the almost gleeful way in which many in the media there assert that "most of the world hates America." And it's usually phrased as a question--as in "What is America's reaction to the knowledge that most of the world hates it?"--when interviewing American politicians. It isn't a probing question designed to elicit a thoughtful response. It's mere rhetoric, put forth by angry European journalists whose only intention is to be hurtful and mean-spirited.

It's akin to anti-capital punishment advocates who participate in open forum political processes in America by standing up and asking the pro-death penalty candidate: "Do you really believe that your state is justified in murdering convicts." Again, the question isn't designed to evoke a thoughtful debate. Rather, it's nothing more than an immature expression of hatred from that particular person.

While I lived in Europe, many of its citizens had absolutely no qualms about walking up to me on the street (after hearing me speak English with an American accent or perhaps analyzing that I was an American because of my style of dress), or interrupting a quiet lunch in a cafe with my girlfriend, or a quiet drink at a pub and then proceeding to hurl at me the most vile statements and "opinions" of what they thought of me (as an American), my country, and my culture. And I'm not talking about some drunken yobs at a pub, either. I'm talking about what I perceived to be cordial, well-dressed, courteous people whose hate-filled persona only revealed itself after their discovery (or suspicion) as to my country of origin. To say that much of what they expressed to me was drenched in hatred would be a gross understatement. And forum rules would prohibit me from repeating most of what was said to me.

For all the discussion of hate crimes in America, the scale of the hatred directed at immigrants who have recently settled in European countries while I lived there defies description. My honest appraisal is that the problem of hatred was far more serious on the European continent than it is here in America. And from what I have heard, the problem, if anything, has gotten more serious since my return to my native land.

So, please, don't try to invite me to your pity party. Try cleaning your own houses before you castigate America for the skeletons it allegedly has in its closets. To be sure, we have them. But my perception is that we have been a lot more proactive in dealing with problem of hatred than many other nations.

As far as your comments regarding diatribes against Chirac and France. Well, my commentary has been directed at France, in general--my opinion on its underlying desire to be world player on the political stage. The fact is we Americans don't think about Europeans all that much. That, of course, will simply be chalked up by many as "American arrogance." But the fact is that we have a large and populous country--a land mass and population close to being equal of all of Western Europe. That may sound like some sort of irrelevancy, but we simply have a lot going on in this nation--politically, culturally, economically--on a scope and scale that drawfs many nations. As such, when we think and talk about issues, they tend to be American-centric. That isn't borne out of arrogance or self-importance. It's simply a consquence of our country's size and complexity. Whether or not you can appreciate that is solely at your discretion.

America's prominence militarily, economically, and culturally makes it subject of great curiosity throughout the world. As such, many people outside our borders make the effort to learn about us. Then we get the response, "I know so much about America. How come you know so little about my country?" The problem is that reaction comes from every country from Australia to Zambia. And responding to that question is a burden that no reasonable person should be expected to bear--nor should any reasonable person expect us to bear it. What is reasonable is the belief that most of the peoples of the world--NOT just Americans--have a lot of knowledge about their own countries, some knowledge of the countries that border them, and perhaps a great deal of knowledge of the countries that they are fond of studying because of their prominence. Unfortunately, America seems to make virtually everyone's list. We may be flattered by world interest in our affairs, but it's not something that we covet.

While I was serving in the military, I made a great effort to learn about Russia. I read volumes and volumes on the subject and took advantage of every opportunity to interact with Russian citizens (or, at least, former citizens). By the same token, I made no attempt to learn anything about Malaysia during that period. That's not the "Ugly American" in me talking (assuming such a thing does reside in me) or American self-absorption. I simply had my preferences as to what I wanted to learn about. But some people in Malaysia, undoubtedly, would take it as a personal slight against them, their culture, or their people.

Americans are a well-travelled people. We may not know the names of other countries' leaders, or the names of their capitals and provinces, but doesn't mean we function in some sort of world-wide culture vacuum. There's just a lot for us to take in.

This brings me back to the question, asked in a previous post of mine on this thread, of "Why is America's actions in Iraq so important to you?" The truth of the matter is that most of the people of the world knew little or nothing about Iraq and its people prior to America's actions there. Do they really care about the people of Iraq? Are our actions there all that reprehensible--considering not only our past history of self-sacrifice but, also, considering the more unsavory elements of your own countries' histories (and current affairs)? Or is it that we are simply an inviting target because we are so large and prominent?

The intellectuals here may attempt to answer that last question with some sort geo-political argument. But my personal experiences in those lands tells me that the answer for many of its citizenry is rooted in slightly less sophisticated thinking patterns. That's not to say that criticism of America should be squelched, or that there is nothing to criticize about it. What I am saying is that any assertions as to animosity relate to the old adage of hatred begets hatred. And since I have already admitted to America's focus on its own massive self-entity (at the expense of the sensitivities of many of world's community), then it doesn't take a rocket scientist to determine who probably got the ball rolling with regard to the "I hate them" club.

As I said before, familiarity breeds contempt--and, evidently, hatred.

...and a lot of people have chosen to become familiar with us.