Us and other countries

[Petergee]

Ani Ibi:

Petergee: this post of yours if flamebait from beginning to end. I request that you focus any further responses on the topic of the thread rather than making personal attacks.

Dear Ani, I am sorry that you feel that way and I assure you again that you are very mistaken. In no way am I attacking you. I will pray for you.

 

[Ani_Ibi]

This article has some very thoughtful insights into the origins of anti-Americanism in Eastern Canada and also some insights into why Western Cananda did not end up holding such grievances.

Early on in our history, it was not anti-Americanism per se but anti-populism which drove Canadian suspicion of the US. In Quebec, it was fear of the disorder which followed the French Revolution and in Ontario it was fear of the disorder which followed the American Revolution. By the time the West was settled, the US had proven herself as an orderly, productive neighbour and so the West did not harbour grievances or suspicion toward the US.

Canada Rejects Populism—Again

 

[Lance]

I think we Americans worry too much about whether the rest of the world likes us or not. I don’t think the French, Italians, Danes, et al give a farthing whether Americans like them or not. They do what they perceive to be in their own best interest and if we like it all well and good and if we don’t like it that is our problem. China is a world power and they don’t seem to care what the rest of Asia, much less the world thinks of them. When Russia was a world power they couldn’t have cared less what the rest of Europe thought of them.

If Europe, Asia, Africa or South America doesn’t like our war in Iraq/Afghanastan, our war on terrorism, our immigration policies or anything else that is their problem. It would be nice to have them as friends but just as it is my Christian Fundmentalist neighbor’s problem that he dislikes me because I am Catholic, it is their problem if they dislike us because we do or did what we believe(d) to be the right thing. They have a right to their opinion and we have a right to ours.

Lets not waste time worrying about what others think of us if we are doing what we believe to be the right thing.

 

[Lance]

A little (name removed by moderator)ut on the Yank controversy. I am from Georgia and until I went into the Army no one ever called me a Yank(ee). In the army most of the guys from the northern states called me a ‘Johnny Reb’ only the Panamanians and Phillapinos(sp) called me Yank but they called all US servicemen Yank. My wife’s relatives in Italy call me a Yank and they like me so I don’t think it is a derogatory term. I think most countries call US citizens Yank(ee) and don’t mean anything by it just as I don’t mean to insult anyone when I say Brit, Aussie, Kiwi, et al.

 

[stellina]

Ever since we invaded Iraq when I travel around the world I get treated considerably worse by the local public. It doesn’t seem to be getting any better. The worst seem to be the Italians. About a month ago I was in Cancun and I had several situations where the Italians were expressing their dislike.

Good news though is that last trip to Japan they could care less.

Very odd. Since the Iraq War started, I’ve been in Italy (twice), Austria, Slovenia & the Czech Republic and never once ran into any problems. Quite the opposite - people were quite polite and in Italy they were decidedly friendly. In fact, I was in Italy on July 4 once and when I went into a shop with my American friend, obviously speaking English to her but Italian to him, the fellow behind the counter said, “Isn’t this your feast? You should be speaking English!”

I come from an Italian family so I can say that they are not shy about expressing an opinion, but that is different from hating you as an individual just because you’re an American. I think that Americans who oppose the war and are quick to denounce their own country while abroad see what they want to see. Of course anti-American sentiment exists, but when you help it along it’s a lot more obvious. Most well-mannered people, Americans included, wouldn’t engage in open criticism of a foreigner’s homeland unless given the opportunity & perhaps not even then.