Article showing Americans "just don't get it"...

Hser is another sttempt to "explain" why anti-american feelings are on the rise.

www.foreignpolicy.com...

You can quite clearly see that the real reasons for the rise in ant-americanism are ignored.

Reason 1 acording to article:
In this post-ideological age, anti-Americanism fills the void left by defunct belief systems.
Reply : No we are just seeing though the lies and propaganda, and now know that the cold war was a purly american affair.

Reason 2:
The wave of anti-Americanism is, of course, partly a product of the current Bush administration�s policies and, as important, its style. Support for the United States has dropped dramatically since Bush rode into town.
Reply: The american imperial drive started as early as 1850. It has nothing to do with the current administration, it is a fundamental part of american policy and not a temporary thing.


Reason 3:
Anti-Americanism�s ascendance also owes something to the geometry of power. The United States is more powerful than any country in history, and concentrated power usually means trouble. Other countries have a habit of ganging up to balance the reigning superpower.
Reply: No we are not jealous of your power we hate the way you use your power to subjugate and exploit!.


And here the best one yet:

For over 50 years, the United States employed skillful diplomacy to fend off this apparently immutable law of history. U.S. administrations used power in generally benign ways, working through international organizations, fostering an open trading system that helped others grow economically, and providing foreign aid to countries in need.
Reply: I am not even going to bother with this one

This is why there is so much anti-americanism around, the US can't even see the REASONS why people dslike them. They just continue in their little propaganda bubble thinking we are OK everyone else must be wrong!


Edit: I just took some of my own advice, and read the article.. did you spot the title?
The World's Most Dangerous Ideas
This is killing me....

[edit on 13/9/2004 by Corinthas]

New to the scene.
Bottom line...It doesnt matter. In the end, the United States is the richest, and strongest country in the world. Our influence and power are felt all over the world and it will continue to be. People like you cant stand that.
Unfortunately, its keep up or get out of the way. It's narrow minded people that cant understand the concept of freedom. It scares them, they need government to tell them where to work, what to eat, what to buy, etc. The day will never come when you and your kind win. It's the very beliefs you have that keep you in the dark. Anti americanism has nothing to do with BUSH. It's the very fact that we have the freedom to go to work, live where we want, worship as we see fit, go to a ball game, relax by the pool, whatever. No one exploits you. YOU exploit yourselves. The unfortunate thing about our government is this, we should just leave 3rd world countries with their rapists, murderers, zealots, suicidal crazies and worthless human waste to wallow in their own cesspool of hate.

Have a great day...

Originally posted by azheat
New to the scene.
Bottom line...It doesnt matter. In the end, the United States is the richest, and strongest country in the world. Our influence and power are felt all over the world and it will continue to be. People like you cant stand that.
Unfortunately, its keep up or get out of the way. It's narrow minded people that cant understand the concept of freedom.

BTW I adressed the "you are jealous of our power" argument above.

That must be the freedom you brought to Brazil, Chile, Nicaragua, Vietnam, Laos and East Timor. Sorry I forgot about your philanthopist past!

What I can't stand is the abuse of power to feed the rich.

Now learn to read and find out the REAL HISTORY OF YOUR COUNTRY!


Edit: Spelling



[edit on 13/9/2004 by Corinthas]

This is why there is so much anti-americanism around, the US can't even see the REASONS why people dslike them. They just continue in their little propaganda bubble thinking we are OK everyone else must be wrong!

Here's a biography of the guy who wrote the article:

Fareed Zakaria is editor of Newsweek International, which has a global readership of 3.5 million and editions distributed in Europe, the Middle East, Asia, Latin America and Africa. He also writes a column that appears in the national edition of Newsweek, Newsweek International and, often, The Washington Post, making it one of the most widely circulated columns of its kind in the world.

He is the author of The Future of Freedom: Illiberal Democracy at Home and Abroad (April 2003), a new book on global political trends, and From Wealth to Power, a provocative examination of America�s role on the world stage, which has been translated into several languages. He is co-editor of The American Encounter: The United States and the Making of the Modern World.

Describing him as "the most influential foreign policy adviser of his generation," Esquire named him "one of the 21 most important people of the 21st Century."

Zakaria was born in India, has a B.A. from Yale (in history) and a Ph.D. from Harvard (in international relations). In 1992, at the age of 28, Zakaria became managing editor of Foreign Affairs, the leading journal of international politics and economics�a position he held through 2000.

He recently joined the ABC television show �This Week�, where he offers political analysis and serves as a regular member of the roundtable. He also appears as an analyst on several other ABC News programs. In addition, he has been a guest on such programs as �Charlie Rose,� �Firing Line,� �The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer,� �The McLaughlin Group,� �BBC World News,� and �Meet the Press.�


Zakaria has written for The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal and The New Yorker, and was the wine columnist for Slate. He is the recipient of numerous awards, including the Overseas Press Club Award, the National Press Club�s Edwin Hood Award, the Deadline Club Award for Best Columnist, and a lifetime achievement award from the South Asian Journalists Association.

Not only is he an INDIAN, he's got a B.A. from Yale, a PH.D from Harvard, and is well respected on the world stage. I'll take his incites over yours.

Corinthas your the anti-thesis of the ignorant American. You believe as gospel truth any thing bad you hear about the US, and ignore anything that might prove yourself otherwise. You don't disclose your location, and your main goal it seems here is to spew radical anti-Americanism. I, and many other Americans respect peoples opinions about the US when they back it up by fact, not just radical statements that we must be too "naive" to see the truth in.


Edit: grammar



[edit on (9/13/0404 by PistolPete]

You never hear any thing bad about the US. As soon as anything bad comes up we have a million apologists like you and this Indian guy (he is obviously in harvard for his liberal ideas, not!).

The problem here is an Ideological one: nothing bad can be said about the US 'coz it "just ain't like that". This goes beyond propaganda, the thoughts just aren't "thinkable". Ands this was my point, the Americans just can't think out side of the box enough to understand what we (US haters/critics) are saying. Even the word critisism can't be applied to us it has to be hate.

The truth is another matter if you look at the US track record, human rights and democracy are an obstacle to profitable investment and exploitation. So ANY claim to be upholding these ideals is just ridiculous, and quite frankly an insult.

Btw what FACTS do you want, shall i bring a few dead south americans to show you your countrys "help" in bringing democracy to Latin America?!?

The body of Archbishop Romero maybe who was shot for asking Carter (the "human rights man" lol ) not to send military aid to El Savador.


Shall I come up with figures to show you exacly how many bombs were dropped on Cambodia and Laos in order to "generate refugees" and hoard them into camps?

No the burden of proof lies on YOU to show us how wonderfull and caring the US is, but that would be a bit difficult wouldn't it?


Edit: adding to post

[edit on 13/9/2004 by Corinthas]

[edit on 13/9/2004 by Corinthas]

or are they going straight for the "oh he just hates evertything american" defence?

And what a good defence it is I might add, you keep your little bubble intact and the accuser is just plain anti-american.

Just a small pointer anyone who dismisses ma as merely anti-american is just proving my point, that "you just don't get it", so just do yourseves a favour and try something else like actually admiting your country is dedicated to supporting global corporate control and exploitation and try changing your foreign and economic policy.

Fascinating view ..........

America is the richest nation ?? That is why the dollar is falling and will continue to fall against all other currencies. Have you looked at the US balance of trade lately, you are in debt over your heads, and it is getting worse. The US is now by far the biggest debtor nation in the world. If you are in debt at all, you are not rich. Rich is when you have so much money you have a surplus and do not need to borrow.

My neighbor Joe owes money on his house, owes money on his car, on his credit cards, has no money in the bank. He is extremely rich, he says he is the richest guy in the world, just like America.

The most powerful nation eh ? Well every war that America has started over the last fifty years you got your tails kicked. Tell me how you won in Korea, and in Vietnam. Tell me about the victories in Afghanistan and Iraq. Tell me about the bay of pigs and how you chased Castro right out of Cuba. Yeah, the greatest military power in the world that keeps losing.

Sure you have the guns and the planes and the technology, but what use are they if idiot politicians start wars for no reason and have no exit strategy or plan. That is not powerful, it is just dumb.

You think foreigners envy Americans, sheer fantasy my friend. We read about how 20,000 Americans kill each other with guns every year, about crime, corruption, poverty and injustice. We see your wonderful President the greatest leader in the world, yeah right.

America has some real problems right now. I am not making fun of you, but I certainly would not want to live in America, and neither would many foreigners.

Right now Americans are getting really upset because foreigners are bashing America and making fun of your President. Fair enough, but take a really good look at yourselves and how you fit in with the other seven billion people in the world.

Originally posted by PistolPete
Not only is he an INDIAN, he's got a B.A. from Yale, a PH.D from Harvard, and is well respected on the world stage. I'll take his incites over yours.

People still think it's worth anything? A few years ago the worst student in my class had a scholarship for Harvard.
Damn, she was so f**cking stupid - but in 3 years in the US she made it to the best student of her grade. You can draw the conclusion on your own

Anti americanism has nothing to do with BUSH. It's the very fact that we have the freedom to go to work, live where we want, worship as we see fit, go to a ball game, relax by the pool, whatever.

- the old "you are just jealous"-approach. At what time will Americans realise that they live in their little bubble when it comes to this? You won't find much countries that are really jealous of yours.
Ah well, if you just know Canada, Mexico, Iraq and Iran. Yea, then you can't join the discussion, what a pitty

[edit on 13-9-2004 by shoo]

I find it too easy for people to comment on the Cold War after they are safe from Soviet domination.

I find it ludicrous that anyone would claim we are empirical after the thousands of lives we have lost helping other nations maintain or gain their freedom, taking nothing with us as we left and always helping to make the battleground a better place afterward.

I could care less if the rest of the world is jealous of us or not, it matters none. Take a look at myself? Why? I know what I look like, and I have seen such attitude I am seeing in the rest of the world before. I am not a stranger to seeing people blame their woes on others that appear to be better of. I am not unfamiliar with the true meaning behind the old saying "Why are you mad at me? What have I ever done for you?", understanding that the fastest way to make an enemy is to loan someone money or to allow him to get the feeling that he might be in some way obliged to you.

The world turned against us when we elected a president that did not see fir to kiss the arse of the U.N., and did not feel the need for us to be loved regardless of the cost. I have never seen such actions shown toward us, and I am tired of it being demanded of us.

Now, for the first time, we are using our forces, not to defend the lives of you in other nations, but to defend our own sons and daughters, and many of you don't like it. Some of you are mad because your nations aren't getting the under-the-table money from Hussein, others are actually afraid we are taking over the world using some devious plan. To both groups, I say, "YOU'RE A MORON!" and suggest that the best way to ensure that we do not take over the world and yet have the stability we helped Europe obtain is to now help us. Even if you do no more than shut the Hell up and quit giving comfort to the blodd-thirsty enemy we now face.

The US is currently a proto-facist state. The population has accepted this quite readily as it has brought no real change to their daily lives. Simply look at the attitudes of people and how eagerly they accept state-sponsored propaganda.

The US geopolitical goal is global hegemony based out of central Asia. This requires the subjugation of the Persian Gulf countries, Afghanistan, and the Caucuses. The US is pursuing this goal with unequivocal international ease and political support from its own population. At the present rate of success, completion of this goal should be reached by about 2025.

The reason this is being pursued is because geostrategists believe it's the only acceptable future for the world. Voting for John Kerry will not change the progress of the creation of a benign hegemony.

If you oppose US global policies you should first consider whether or not the world will be better off with one global superpower for the next few hundred years, or a different one. Sometimes it's better the devil you know than the one you don't.

Originally posted by Thomas Crowne

1 .I find it too easy for people to comment on the Cold War after they are safe from Soviet domination.

2.I find it ludicrous that anyone would claim we are empirical after the thousands of lives we have lost helping other nations maintain or gain their freedom, taking nothing with us as we left and always helping to make the battleground a better place afterward.

3.The world turned against us when we elected a president that did not see fir to kiss the arse of the U.N., and did not feel the need for us to be loved regardless of the cost. I have never seen such actions shown toward us, and I am tired of it being demanded of us.

4.Now, for the first time, we are using our forces, not to defend the lives of you in other nations, but to defend our own sons and daughters, and many of you don't like it.

1. I was reading a something that mentioned that the US itself had estimated Soviet power peaking in the late 1950s and at best controlled 5% of global GDP (apart of its own). OOOOHHH very scary, they nearly invaded. No this was quite clearly THE excuse to "do what we want".

2.Please don't make yourself look silly by quoting the pary line: the US has ALWAYS had empirical incentives!
Oh so the left europe now have they? No still here after 50 years!
The US started its empirical drive with the invasion of the philippines, in 1890 something. See the designs they drew up of the "grand area" before WW2 had EVEN FINISHED!

3. Oh and what about Reagan reaction to the World Court telling him his actions in Nicaragua were illeagal, he actaully stepped up the campaing and declared the day after "law day" as if to rub salt into the wounds!

4.Defend your sons and daughters from what exacly?!? Is an iraqi going to swim all the way into newyork harbour and kidnap you? Again all I can do here is appeal to reality, YOU ARE NOT DEFENDING YOURSELVES you are the AGRESSOR! Untill the US Army is actually engaged in fending off invarders ON THEIR OWN TURF this point is just discrediting you and the US.

Yeah right Vietnam was "self-defence" only in one respect: the US was defending its right to Invest and Exploit the region of Indochina without interferance from pesky locals.


This is again proving my point, the US has been pumping their population full of this stuff for so long it has become "truth" to them. The intellectuals of the US parrot the "party line" so consitantly, that there is not shred of history left to draw on. It all never happened and it was all in self defence.

Edit:Spelling ][



[edit on 13/9/2004 by Corinthas]

The world would be a better place if we all just got along

Spot On, madhatter! Americans "Don't get" why the rest of the world feels the way they do, and the rest of the world "Doesn't get" what Americans are all about. Why don't we all just stop the stupid bickering and start trying to get along more?

Won't happen, I know, but it's nice to think about........

Originally posted by RR98
Spot On, madhatter! Americans "Don't get" why the rest of the world feels the way they do, and the rest of the world "Doesn't get" what Americans are all about. Why don't we all just stop the stupid bickering and start trying to get along more?

Getting along as you put has nothing to do with this topic.

What it does deal with is our inability to see beyond the veil of propaganda and denounce our (yes its not just the US at fault) western governtments for what they really are: genocidal corporate whores!

Originally posted by azheat
Bottom line...It doesnt matter. In the end, the United States is the richest, and strongest country in the world.

and in the end, that will be their undoing...

Originally posted by azheat
In the end, the United States is the richest, and strongest country in the world. Our influence and power are felt all over the world and it will continue to be. People like you cant stand that.
Unfortunately, its keep up or get out of the way. It's narrow minded people that cant understand the concept of freedom. It scares them, they need government to tell them where to work, what to eat, what to buy, etc. The day will never come when you and your kind win. It's the very beliefs you have that keep you in the dark. Anti americanism has nothing to do with BUSH. It's the very fact that we have the freedom to go to work, live where we want, worship as we see fit, go to a ball game, relax by the pool, whatever. No one exploits you. YOU exploit yourselves.

Good ol proof that the government propaganda machine still works. Bush fixed some old part�s called �Defending� and �Freedom�, looks like he added a new one to the bunch and named it �Terrorists� . Just add oil and bam! The gears start a turning.

NOTE: I�m not anti-American, I AM a American.

Originally posted by azheat
The unfortunate thing about our government is this, we should just leave 3rd world countries with their rapists, murderers, zealots, suicidal crazies and worthless human waste to wallow in their own cesspool of hate.

Now only if we could stop that in our OWN country first, I MIGHT go along with this B/S idea Bush has�

How come everytime someone says something negative about america they inevitably end up being flamed from here to kingdom come by STRONG pro-americans? And no doubt I will now get flamed for asking this question.

It's not nice to know people think badly of you, but the reality of it is there is ALOT of anti-american sentiment and it's only growing, even in countries which are supporting america. I'm even starting to see a growing number of AMERICANS bashing their own country.

There was a quiet dislike for america before iraq, and yes, this was in some cases because of jealousy. But more commonly it was because people did not like the way america seemed to control every aspect of world industry. In cases like Australia, it's our own fault because of the silly teenagers growing up trying to be big tough i-hate-the-world home boys / fly girls (or whatever the new 'hip' term is) instead of just enjoying life. It saddens me to see this happening.

However, post 9/11 & iraq america has increasingly been throwing its weight around, and naturally, people are not going to like that (did you like the school bully? or respect him for picking on everyone?). A war against terrorists is a war that will never be won. The more "terrorists" you kill, the more anti-american sentiment will grow, thus the more terrorists.

Anyway, I could ramble on about this till the cows come home so I"ll stop here...*dons the fireman suit* bring on the flaming baby!

"...I have the greatest admiration for your propaganda. Propaganda in the West is carried out by experts who have had the best training in the world � in the field of advertizing and public relations � and have mastered the techniques with exceptional proficiency ... Yours are subtle and persuasive; ours are crude and obvious ... I think that the fundamental difference between our worlds, with respect to propaganda, is quite simple. You tend to believe yours ... and we tend to disbelieve ours."

: a russian speaking of an american

Anti americanism has nothing to do with BUSH. It's the very fact that we have the freedom to go to work, live where we want, worship as we see fit, go to a ball game, relax by the pool, whatever

freedom. dick, you 've lost that - while u were asleep the country has become a fascist state. read here
www.abovetopsecret.com...

[edit on 13-9-2004 by iceTman]

Nice one iceTman where did you get that quote from?

Who said that about western propaganda?



[edit on 13/9/2004 by Corinthas]

Corinthas...
hehehe.....*then to straight face*
Help me out here, k?
Your point to posting this topic waaaasssss what exactly? Bash American's? Create a flame war? To somehow show that 'others' are more superior than American's? What exactly Corinthas?
Cause' for some unknown reason, I just don't get it...




seekerof
Heathen Against Hate


[edit on 13-9-2004 by Seekerof]