My own anti-Americanism

Ian C

I wonder if this will change if Obama gets elected in November? Somehow I doubt it. Quite amazing how fast stupidity and ignorance can spread on the wings of prejudice. And all because the western world has dishonest media.

szeni

Try and wear a pair of cufflinks with Mogen Dovid; spitting would be the mildest of responses

Snorri Godhi

Stephen: presumably you travel to Brussels quite often, and I would like to ask if you noticed a difference with London in the reactions to your cufflinks.

Stephen Pollard

I do wear an IDF baseball cap sometimes, but I think the morons who would be inclined to spit aren't even aware what the IDF stands for.

Water

There seems to be a strong spell of anti-everythingism of late.

Joshua

"There seems to be a strong spell of anti-everythingism of late."

There's surely a lot of anger around. An elderly lady, well-dressed (Jaeger and pearls) and very alert, informed me recently that Tony Blair should be "hanged, drawn and quartered." I'm not exactly his greatest fan, but her attitude ticked me off, so I told her that in my opinion Blair was the greatest prime minister of the last 100 years. Almost spitting the words at me, she told me I was evil and then proceeded to hobble off as fast as her sticks would carry her.

Tiberius

I dare not write the reactions I get to my Mark Steyn cufflinks. But we should pity these self-righteous juveniles.

THX1138

That's terrible. I argue with friends about their Anti Americanism all the time & I can get really heated about this & into some terrible arguments.

I love the country except the heavy handed immigration & go all the time mostly to the Left coast although my brother lives in the middle of the bible belt which can be a bit of an eye opener.

Great song about European anti Americanism from the fantastic NYC band LCD Soundsystem called North American Scum really gets to the point.

Come November it's going to get even better

THX1138

Stephen P - I once witnessed a real fight by the organic yoghurts in the Beverley Hills Wholefoods during the Israeli invasion of Lebanon between two women one wearing an IDF baseball cap & the other of Middle Eastern origin probably Lebanese. I didn't see who started it but I have to say I watched in fascinated horror while the tensions of the Middle East played out in front of me in the Store. The Lebanese women won hands down and was dragged off the IDF women by the staff & they both left screaming insults at each other.

It was an interesting time to be In LA in the evening cars with young guys driving and music blaring would drive up & down Sunset & Santa Monica with Israeli & IDF flags flying like the war was some kind of football match I admit I found the whole thing slightly unnerving.

Niall

Where did you get your Stars and Stripes cufflinks? I want some!

Joshua

"Where did you get your Stars and Stripes cufflinks? I want some!"

They were on special offer at the Independent last year. If you bought a pair of cufflinks and an "I Love Melanie Phillips" t-shirt, you were automatically entered in their "win a date with Yasmin Alibhai-Brown" competition.

Verity

Joshua - That was funny! Thanks for the giggle.

Joshua

Can't you just imagine Stephen Pollard winning that competition and then turning up for the date in his IDF baseball cap?

"You look scrumptious, darling. Where can I get one of those wonderful hats?"

Water

Tiberius you're right about the self-righteous juveniles. This said there are just as many self-righteous alleged adults who behave along the same lines if not worse. What’s more they hold positions of considerable influence.

Jag

"But in my experience, there is one prejudice which is now entirely acceptabl: anti-Americanism."

+++++

Well, I'm Sikh and I get abused as a "raghead", "Paki", "Muslim terrorist" all the time. If you aren't away of that you should be. Most people don't even bother reporting these incidents these days.

Mark L

Steve:

I admire the fact that you have a fifteen-star/fifteen stripe flag illistrating the piece. That was the American flag flying the last time the United States and Great Britain fought each other. I guess that *really* says "no hard feelings."

Dan

I just don't get why people can't leave each other alone. My mother taught me when I was about 5 that if I didn't have something nice to say to someone that it was better to just say nothing.

Seems like there are lot of people around who never graduated from kindergarten.

Jason A

I was at a bar in Bruge a few months back. I over heard a group of about 5 to 7 young adults talking about American politics. They had everything backwards and were not very informed. As my wife and I were leaving I walked up to them and told them "not to believe everything they hear about America and Americans. I 've done 3 tours in Iraq as a US Marine, have a college education and am proud of my country". As I walked away they were speechless and furious.

tom swift

You know the old saying - "You're either part of the solution, or you're part of Europe."

Stacy

I'm an American and have traveled in the UK twice in the past 3 years. I've encountered very little anti-americanism. Most Brits have been down right nice. I know, who woulda thunk it? I sometimes carry a Weekly Standard book bag. Got it free with the subscription. I have gotten an occational "evil neo-con" reference. I usually try to have fun with those comments. I Mention how I ADORE George Bush, wish that I could vote for him a third time, and that I love, love, love to take target practice on my Osama bin Laden paper target and then pray for his soul.

Basically, as an American, reinforce all their worst stereotypes and enjoy myself why I do it.

If that doesn't send them scurrying, then add a comment about how the Queen and the Rothchild family controls the international banking system and that they were the ones who had JFK killed.

Blah, blah, blah, The Revolution, blah, blah, blah, imperialism, blah, blah, blah, Lord Haw-Haw, blah, blah, blah Neville Chamberlain, blah, blah, blah Cecil Rhodes. You get the idea. Throw in something about William Wallace, the IRA and the English stealing New Amsterdam from the Dutch West India Company.

It's a strategy; confuse them with historical stupidity, while never abandoning your Idiot American fascade.

cathy

My husband and I were planning a trip to the UK this fall and had been looking forward to it. I now have second thoughts. If this keeps up, there will be an economic price to pay in the tourism industry.

John

When I lived in Germany and my European friends went on Anti-American tirades I would respond as follows. I would say "you know nothing lasts forever. Some day Ameirca won't be the most powerful nation on earth anymore. Someone else will be. That someone will probably be Russia or China will be the most powerful country. And when that happens my guess is everyone will look back pretty fondly on the days when America was the most powerful country in the world". Not a one of them ever had an answer to that. They always went a little bit pale and muttered something as they walked off.

Michael Kennedy

I'm an American doctor who is in the UK fairly often over the past 30 years. Sat with the RAMC in Westminster Abbey on Remembrance Day in 2004. I haven't noticed any of this but what I have noticed is how friendly the French have become. It's amazing, even in Paris. That is really a change. Maybe the drop in American tourism had something to do with it or maybe it's something to do with the Muslims. Anyway, it's new.

Sam

It's called a "Culture of treason," and yes, it is widespread after decades of cultural Marxism indoctrination and reaches all the way up to the congress and even a Presidential election candidate.

I noticed Obama was spotted carrying a copy of "The Post-American World." How charming. And how telling that there hasn't been a massive outcry for him to immediately withdraw from the race.

If it gets any attention whatsoever it will be because a literal handfull of conservative pundits will scream about it for weeks.

Bruce

I've read Stephen with pleasure for several years, so this is not, needless to say, directed at him. But:

Everyone knows that Europe despises America. What is less generally known is that, in the last few years, quite a few of us have begun to return the sentiment, most heartily. And at the end of the day, you need us considerably more than we need you. I dearly hope that the U.S. never expends another dime or drop of blood for Western Europe's benefit.

toad

After 9/11 here in Texas one our local morons shot a Sikh who worked in a convenience store.
The anti-Americanism from Europe doesn't bother me anymore. I'm saving my rocks for our home grown self haters.

Scottsmanscove

I'm really very glad my family left your pathetic foggy stinking islands 360 years ago for America.

--- you've had a pack of losers in government, education, healthcare, and apparently running your military from the looks of Basra,

Glad I'm not there to enjoy it with you.

In my country we don't worry about muggings, stabbings or break ins. The law abiding can own a personal firearm.

Thomass

Jag
May 21st, 2008 12:41am
“Well, I'm Sikh and I get abused as a "raghead", "Paki", "Muslim terrorist" all the time.”
That sucks but the point is, the people doing it are not accepted in polite society. I’m guessing they were probably punks / yobs right? Where as anti Americans can be well to do professionals. People pay no price for it / are not ostracized…
Also, another point… In the US (I’m in the US) it seems like pretty common knowledge that Sikhs are not part of the terrorism problem and/or part of any social problems at all. But to get to that point, you have to have free and open speech / discussion about who the groups are that are the problem. Something you can’t do in PC Britain… without getting accused of hate speech.

Gman Set

This sort of Bizarre anti-American behaviour is far too common where I live: Canada. "We" seem to derive some sort of masturbatory pleasure in having ourselves remind ourselves, and anyone nearby, the "we are not American!".

Mike Anderson

My wife truncates this sort of behavior by loudly asking "How do you know I'm not carrying a gun?"

Matt Ridsdale

As an American, I must admit that I appreciate your sentiment and solidarity, but I have found that I just don't care what others think of my country. Let's face it, we're (the US) not perfect by any means but we are trying to become better. At least we're working on our problems.

I have generally found that most people who display truly anti-American sentiment live in places with huge social problems and rather than face the problems at home they blame it on the US. For example, I am sure that Muslims in the UK aren't isolated and unhappy because of multiculturalistic bunk, but rather because our foreign policy in the Mideast (it was so nice before we invaded Iraq). I am postive that Russia wouldn't be sliding back into a dictatorship is Western Europe and the US would just stop thinking of them as the corrupt third world country that they are! It is just easier to blame others...

Besides, has anyone else noticed that most of these hateful, hurtful things are espoused by the people most likely to call themselves enlightened and liberal? I will start to respect them when they start to realize the irony inherent to their own intolerance.

Articles like this always make me happy, if only because they serve to remind me that some people in the world take responsibility for their actions and lives instead of choosing to take the easy way out of everything.

Thank you.

MaggieW

When hasn't there been anti americanism in europe? The americans were bloody hated by
the brits during WWII. I should
know, my mum married an american
soldier right after the war. The
family never got over it.

melk

You will never encounter this sort of xenophobic prejudice in the USA. My remedy is quite simple. I refuse to set foot in Britain.I require standards of acceptable behavior.

ahem

One reason, it seems to me, is that other countries are bombarded daily with the anti-Americanism of the leftist news media. Try watching TV outside the US; it's a constant litany of anti-Americanism. There is no countervailing opinion expressed.

O

Well, we like you for it. Perhaps you should come over here and live with your cousins. I'll buy you your first gun when you get citizenship.

-O

Frank Crebbin

My goodness! I am US but I've never had that happen in London. Its one place US travellers can feel almost totally fine, suprassed only maybe by Canada, where they always ask us about guns. Even as my daughter travelled thru England, Spain, Germany and France last summer "it" (all US travellers know what "it" is) was mild (but she's cute, blonde and speaks French so...). And its no worse than the reaction to a BUSH pin in a NY opera house. Or in some places in West Los Angeles. Those places are out of touch with most of the US and very intolerant, to the point of hostile reactions like that described. Then again I don't wear those cufflinks either. But I bet you could wear some old Hammer & Sickle links or "Che" links and pass unmolested in all these places. I just find it hard to believe that the "entire car" did that. It would be completely out of character.

farouk a. jones

I spent 2 weeks in London about a decade ago (makes me a real expert, right).

I was not subjected to ANY anti-Americanism. In fact, just the opposite. Whenever I was out somewhere and spoke, strangers would just come up to me and start conversations. They were all polite and asked me questions about the USA. It was wierd I almost felt like a celebrity.

I had a wonderful visit. I don't know if Bush and the war have made things different or what.

Why do Britons criticize the US so harshly for the Iraq war when the UK was in on it too?

Mike F in Oregon

Unfortunately, I guess, this isn't something new.

I was harrassed for being an American while having a nice lunch in a pub near Windsor Castle in 1990, and I was jeered at for having the audacity to wear cowboy boots on Oxford Street in 1996 (having lived in the Great American West all my 62 years I figure that's something I'm entitled to do!!).

So, should I be looking forward to my next trip to the Sceptered Isles in 2009 to attend the Rotary convention in Birmingham?

Rich

I wish something like this would happen to me. They wouldn't find any apologetic American here, just some old school North Philly ass kickin.

Fish and chips my ass.

Terry

I'm an American, and if I was travelling outside of the US, it is not something I would "advertise". I have a relative with dual US/Irish citizenship who frequently travels overseas. He does not travel with the US passport. This country's "selfish, holier-than-thou, we are better than you" attitude is coming back to bite us in the ass. I don't blame people for hating the U.S. In many cases, the hatred is well-deserved.

TeacherLady

As a brand new Arab American I am extremely proud and honored to be welcomed into the States. I love that I can voice my opinion even if it opposes the views of the government. Of course it's not perfect, but I'd defy you to point out one country that is. And what country doesn't prioritize its own well-being? People who accuse the States of being self-serving are naive... Every country's priority should be to protect its citizens as best they can. Every country has its skeletons in the closet, but it's far more entertaining to slam America, it seems. If only the leaders of countries that carry out genocide within their own borders were pointed at as accusingly...

Gerald Leonard

I lived in Aldeburgh in '58 for a few months. Due to clothing, etc., I stuck out easily as a Yank. There was none of that stuff then, nor when I visited later.

Come to think of it, I do not recall any American badmouthing Brits since then. We seem to like the blokes, though dislike the French and some others, usually for weak or ignorant reasons.

All in all it may just be about American power and influence. The King of the Hill attracts fear and loathing, which may be a natural, if regretable, human process.