There is a myth perpetuated in neocon publications such as the Weekly Standard and on right-wing blogs that Europe is pathologically anti-American and that Europeans have always been virulently opposed to anything that America might do in the world. And certainly there has always been an undercurrent of anti-Americanism among the cultural elite in Germany, as Professor Andrei Markovits pointed out in his book Amerika,dich haßt sich's besser. But it is the presidency of George W. Bush and his reckless invasion of Iraq that has destroyed America's reputation in the World. The New York Times today charts the growth of anti-American sentiment in 11 countries since 2000. In Germany, about 35% of people polled in 2000 had a negative opinion of the United States in 2000. In 2006 the percentage had increased to 60% of Germans polled.
But contrary to what one might read on right-wing Bush-blogs such as Medienkritik, Germans are far more pro-American in their views than their counterparts in France, Spain, Great Britain, not to mention countries in the Middle East, such as Jordan - only 15% of Jordanians have a positive opinion of America.
Yes 35% to 60% sounds about right. I was in Germany in 2000, and then again in 2004, and the difference was night and day. Consequently I grow frustrated when Markovits and other liberal academics try to explain away Anti-Americanism as a kind of ressentiment, or an irrational feeling of helplessness mixed with envy. This simply provides fodder for the propagandists at the Weekly Standard and the National Review, who would wish away any foriegn critique of US policy as irrationalism or demogaugery.
There are indeed perfectly rational reasons to dislike America--especially since Bush replaced Clinton. These reasons should be at the forefront of any sane analysis of growing Anti-Americanism, particuarly when analyzing a nation like Germany that has a passion for American culture.
Posted by: scott | January 04, 2007 at 06:35 PM