In Search of Pro-Americanism

Anne Applebaum writes an interesting article in Foreign Policy Magazine. Some excerpts:

There has never been a more popular time to be anti–American. From Beijing to Berlin, from Sydney to São Paulo, America’s detractors have become legion. But not everyone has chosen to get on the anti–American bandwagon. Where—and among whom—is America still admired, and why? Meet the pro–Americans.

In January 2005, a poll published by the BBC showed that 54 percent of French, 64 percent of Germans, and 50 percent of Britons consider the United States a “negative influence” in the world.

Some 38 percent of the French, 27 percent of Germans, 40 percent of Chinese, and 42 percent of Brazilians remain convinced that the United States exerts a “positive influence on the world.” Who are they?

In the Philippines, for example, the BBC poll shows that 88 percent of the population has a “mainly positive” view of the United States, an unusually high number anywhere. In India, that number is 54 percent, and in South Africa, it’s 56 percent, particularly high numbers for the developing world.

Here is a page on the phenonmenon of anti-Americanism.

It is an interesting analysis. I'd like to think that this phenomenon will fade with the election of a President who is not divisive and who does not snub the world when it comes to international law and cooperation. Gops will say, for example, "Oh, well, no one is complying with Kyoto, anyway." Whatever- that is not the point. The point is to cooperate and to develop solutions to problems in a way that will correct as much of the problem as possible. So most of Europe is failing to comply with Kyoto- It's not like they are out there saying, "Ha, HA! I am going to purposely not comply with Kyoto because I think it is a waste of money."

COOPERATION- n 1: joint operation or action; "their cooperation with us was essential for the success of our mission" [ant: competition] 2: the practice of cooperating; "economic cooperation"; "they agreed on a policy of cooperation"

I know the right doesn't understand the meaning of the word, most likely because they can only see "competition." What's more, they'll rub it in your face. Ideological capitalists are blind to the fact that PEOPLE make up the world, and without PEOPLE, there can be no competition. It's kind of like those species of insects who eat their young.

Regardless, it is a sad state of affairs when a country whose founding fathers have inspired leaders and freedom fighters throughout the world can be viewed as a negative influence on the world, when writers have to pen articles in search of pro-Americans, and when its own citizens question the security of liberty and democracy within its borders. I often think of the story of the Russians imprisoned in the Soviet gulags who would pass around battered copies of the US Constitution to read at the risk of punishment or death. That, my friends and enemies, is what this country is about, not flag burning, not gay marriage, and definitely not Paris Hilton.