Posted on 02/10/2005 2:17:21 PM PST by quidnunc
With the impending inauguration of President George W. Bush many pro-American Frenchmen and Englishmen are bracing themselves for yet another round of anti-American sentiments expressed by their countries’ left-wing elites. Out of all the nations that make up the European Union it is Britain and France that harbor the most virulent of critics who believe the United States is, once more, steering a unilateralist path to Armageddon.
Although Tony Blair remains a popular Prime Minister there is a substantial minority in his party, mainly grassroots activists, who distrust and dislike him for his pro-American positions and his moderate Labour policies. Many resent the way in which his political life is heavily influenced by his Christian faith.
This small, but effective group of opinion-makers from the worlds of politics, entertainment, academia, the arts and the media (aided by their counterparts within the United States, eager to show the world Americans are not the xenophobic hyper-patriots they are portrayed in Europe) have reduced America to a nineteenth-century cartoon-like status - a monolith grasping at world dominance and empire. Few give a balanced opinion. Nearly all of the critics excuse the 9/11 attacks by implying the United States brought about the situation by its failure to give the Arab world its due respect.
During anti-war demonstrations in Britain left-wing marchers have unashamedly waved banners defending known terrorists, shouted abuse at American tourists and British pro-American supporters and described George Bush in terms usually reserved for serial killers. Banners decrying the attacks of 9/11 were nowhere to be seen. When Daniel Pearl was murdered there was no outcry from the left in Britain. Instead, leftist and liberal commentators concentrated their critical faculties on the treatment of Al Qaeda and Taliban prisoners at Gauntanamo.
Anti-Americanism in Europe is not a new phenomenon, although the present strain is more venomous in character and is embraced by the far left and far right equally. And it is a myth that the new resurgence of anti-Americanism began when George Bush invaded Iraq. It originated shortly after America was attacked by Al Qaeda terrorists. Following a "honeymoon period" when the world grieved with every American, opinion-makers in Britain and France decided that America should accept some blame for the tragedy.
Many Britons in the 1960s blamed the United States for risking a nuclear holocaust. During the Vietnam War many students used the anti-war marches to propagate Mao-style communism whose vocabulary was not far removed from that of present-day Iran in calling the United States the greatest evil in the world. Anti-Americanism has always been vicious and irrational but today it is masquerading as legitimate political discourse, quickly becoming the global ideology of the age.
-snip-
Yawn.
If they answer that they do not, say, "You're welcome."
And ask an American who your greatest ally in Iraq and the world is and they will say Britain.
You are most welcome.
Now imagine a world without (any other country) in it.
Bigotry in any form discredits the one who practices it.
The United States of America elected Bill Clinton to be its president. Twice.
Does that mean that people who dislike Chinese imperialism should denounce the United States?
America's allies in Europe are besieged by a combination of coordinated disinformation and willful ignorance.
But there are many good people in Europe.
Should we abandon them because some of their neighbors are idiots?
If so, then we should abandon America as well.
Pithy sayings not withstanding, it is best to keep one's friends close.
We have a lot of friends in Europe -- people who aren't fooled by cheesy propaganda.
I say to them: thanks for standing by us, and I pray we will never do anything but the same.
I we were to imagine a world without Britain, there would be no need to imagine a world without the US.
If there was no Britain everyone would be French or Spanish.
If there were no Jews then the Bible would be a bit of a mystery.
We're talking when the US existed, as in NOW, not ancient history--kinda misses the point of imagining a world without a US if the US isn't around yet. The old "if WE never existed" cliche is fine, but it's not the issue, which is the US as lead by Bush, as in today.
True but that's beside the point brought up on this thread--I'm talking NOW.
Well if France did not exist now things would have been easier.
If Britain did not exist you would have one less ally.
All countries hold relative importance.
Every time the US exercises its supreme military, political or economic might the loser socialist countries of Europe will go nuts because it shows how weak and irrelevant they are and that they absolutely cannot do anything about it but to talk and hate.
I meant nothing personal by my prior comment. It's just that in my day-to-day life, I run into an awful lot of -- how would you say it? -- ignorant bolshie gits from the U.K. It's gotten to the point where it's a surprise to meet a Brit who isn't one.
Good luck in your uphill struggle against socialism, sir!
"...substantial minority...small group" EU propaganda against the USA! Friends, don't let friends sell that lie to you. Don't let the EU rats play "good Euro, bad Euro" with your minds! There's a better piece than the following, BTW, that tells us that about as many Brits hate us all for re-electing our President. ...will see if I can find that one.
Most Indians say 'thumbs up' to second Bush term
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1325992/posts
"Among those nations with the most negative views were some of America's closest allies: Germany (77 percent), Britain (64 percent), and France (75 percent)." . . . "India was one of only two countries where a majority of participants (65 percent) said they felt better about Americans after the reelection of Bush. The other country was the Philippines, at 78 percent."
God Bless America from this Briton
"Most Indians say 'thumbs up' to second Bush term"
Oh yes indeed we are giving Mr Bushy the very very big thumbs up.
Thank you very muchly.
If Britain did not exist, we'd have one less ally. We still could have done the job in Iraq, though with higher casualties, and perhaps a greater alliance with Australia, which has contributed greatly. In the absence of a Britain, US would have no ally close to Olde Europe, and might be in a greater conflict. Perhaps the US would then have to look elsewhere for a closest ally.
You have a Freepmail.
{{Many resent the way in which his political life is heavily influenced by his Christian faith.}}
That's OK many of us Americans resent the way that radical Islam and European hatred is influenced by their faith (Islam).
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