Is It Anti-Americanism or Just Anti-Bushism?

[babylonsister]

http://www.commondreams.org/archive/2007/06/07/1706/

Is It Anti-Americanism or Just Anti-Bushism?
by Robert S. McElvaine

snip//



During the three months in which we visited most parts of the country, we never found a single New Zealander who was not baffled as to how the American people could have re-elected Mr. Bush. And I am not talking only about the usual suspects in the academic world. People running bed-and-breakfasts in small towns and rural areas, small-business owners, farmers, service station owners - they might not agree on much else, but they all agreed that Mr. Bush has been a disaster for the United States and the world.

We did not ask everyone we met, and there surely are a few Kiwis who like President Bush. But Americans who fancy that what others think of us doesn’t matter would do well to consider what it means for the future when the people of a nation in many ways similar to the United States have so overwhelmingly turned against our president and his policies.

The fact is, Mr. Bush took, in the wake of the terrorist attacks of 2001, the greatest worldwide outpouring of good will the United States has enjoyed at least since World War II and squandered it by pursuing a foolish invasion of Iraq, ignoring international organizations and world opinion, and declaring that it is the right of the United States to engage in pre-emptive war and invade any country it wishes to.

The Ugly American was interred in 2001. In 2003, George W. Bush resurrected him.

How can we know whether the hostility the woman from Colorado experienced in Australia was anti-Americanism or anti-Bushism? Beyond our own radically different experience when we made it clear that we oppose the Bush approach to the world, there is this:

Here in Port Douglas, we found several restaurants displaying photographs of Bill Clinton in their front windows. Business is booming. Mr. Clinton had visited the town as president in 1996 and happened to be in Port Douglas again on Sept. 11, 2001, when there was no anti-Americanism here. Can anyone doubt what would happen to business if these establishments replaced the Clinton portrait with one of his successor?

At its core, the widespread anti-Americanism one sees in so much of the world today is actually extreme animosity toward a single leader. A new administration with clearly different policies could quickly turn things around.

[ixion]

1. "clearly different policies"

that is the million-dollar phrase.

[Brigid]

2. I think . . .

that for the most part, foreigners like us fairly well as long as we behave ourselves while visiting them, and are pretty well aware that there are plenty of Americans who didn't vote for Bush either time, and who oppose his policies -- especially the war in Iraq. Our foreign policy mess is one of the biggest headaches the next (Democratic) president will have to deal with.

[melody]

3. It's both

The people who would tend to hate us just have greater reasons, the people who would be on
the fence tend to be more negative, and the people who are rational and greet people individually
are still rational and greet people individually.

Just as there are anti-Semites, there are anti-Americans. We have plenty of morons in the US who hate all French people (and tons of other people), too, for no reason other than their national identity. It's bigotry, plain and simple, no matter who the target is -- black people, gay people, Americans, the French, etc.

I hate John Howard and Tony Blair, due to their enabling Bush to do what he has done (and
he has attacked no one, other than the Iraqi people, more than he has Americans), but I'd never blame that on Australians and Brits. Therefore those who genuinely dislike Americans as people, are targeting us for other reasons than Bush.

[DURHAM D]

4. From my experience -

American citizens are always forgiven when they make a mistake the first time. From 2000-2004 they were anti-Bush. When we failed to fix our mistake in 2004 many became anti-American.

[Brigid]

6. I don't blame foreigners . . .

for being baffled at bush's re-election. We haven't figured that one out ourselves -- though figged elections might be the answer.

[Briar]

5. Shouldn't that be anti Americans?

What is meant by Americanism? Nationalism? I'm anti that as manifested by any country. Americans who argue for their country's full spectrum dominance of the rest of us do not earn my respect or liking! That is, sadly, not the policy of a single US politician by the name of George W. Bush. On the other hand, I am also anti bigotry towards individuals based on accidents of birth. And (I hate to resort to this cliche, but it's true) some of my best friends are Aemricans - who are variously progressive, internationalist, atheist, anti neocon, anti war (any war, on the grounds of the slaughter of civilians), anti militarist and so on. And some of whom vote Bush and go to church and don't want homosexuals to administer the sacrament or marry etc. Still lovely people and good friends, despite their toxic beliefs. Humans are so complicated.