jed - I too love Costa Rica. I must however disagree with the last paragraph of your recent "blog". The kids sure love these "blogs".

First, you posit that you don't think Europeans see us (the USA) as more than a fumbling president and embarassing policies but then you site an editorial that claims just the opposite; that European dislike of America can be analogized to anti-semitismn. Europeans are, in fact, very much against our policies right now and they have trouble looking past that and seeing much of value in our country. Anyone that has spent much time in Europe recently will undoubtedly agree that our policies have cost us a great deal in terms of prestige with the population of Europe. The article you site mentions a poll that shows the majoirty of Europeans think the US is the main threat to peace in the world. Obviously we're not well-respected right now in Europe and I would argue that is a significant consequence. But we'll save that debate for another day.

Second, I want to take issue with the editorial you site. Some interesting analogies are made in the article but I think the author's conclusion that current anti-american sentiment in Europe is comparable to the anti-semitism of yesteryear seems as ridiculous as the protestor that compares Bush to Hitler.

The anti-semetic feelings in Europe arose during decades of immigration and had roots dating back to the middle ages. Those feelings were ingrained in the culture and taught as doctrine in most homes, much like the inferiority of african americans was simply accepted as fact by white american in the early part of last century. Such feelings had resulted in numerous acts of violence against jews, including the infamous inquisition in Spain. Hitler was able to tap into the fears and stereotypes that Europe had harbored for centuries much like southern politicians capitalized on white's fears of blacks. It took the US decades to reverse the damage caused by such a bias (obviously we're not bias-free but we are doing much better than we were 100 years ago) and similarly has taken and will continue to take significant effort to reverse these feelings in Europe.

The current anti-american sentiment in Europe has a much shorter history. Although not unviersally true, most of it can be traced to the change in presidents in this country. (Obvious counter-examples exist in countries such as Greece that have disliked America for years). Europeans simply do not like Bush or his policies and that fact affects their view of America as a whole. This fact is evidenced in various other nations. Malaysia, as an example close to your heart, has expereinced a drop from virtually unanimous support for America to under 15% in about two years time. While it may appear superficially similar to anti-semitism, the roots of anti-american sentiment and it's potential destructiveness are much smaller than those of European anti-semitism.

Now, understand that I am in no way defending the current Euro attitude: to the contrary. I find the dislike of Americans due to policy and presidential factors biased, short-sighted and arrogant. The editorial author's description of Europe seeing themselves as a "moral super-power" is right on target. This is the problem that should be vigorously addressed in Europe, not the current anti-american sentiment that can be reversed just as fast as it was created.

By the way, Jed, do you get all your news from the Taipei Times? Solid paper.

Knees,

Thank you for your thoughtful comment. I guess I am just being naive...or I guess I didn't read the editorial carefully enough. Well, no...I guess the validity of my statement depends on what image a European conjures when thinking of America. Is it fat people? The Grand Canyon? Bush? Burnt Iraqi children? Freedom? It's hard to say. Yes, polls indicate that most Europeans see America as a threat (polls schmolls!), but that doesn't mean that they don't see more to us than that. I guess it doesn't really matter though. My experience, travelling in Europe at the height of anti-Americanism last summer, and meeting Europeans in Brazil and Costa Rica since, is that the Europeans I've met have been indifferent to my nationality and were more interested in getting to know me than telling me that I resembled an orc from Mordor (OMG, LOTR IS AWESOME!).

Regarding Ahlmark's editorial. I think he makes his point well and successfully highlights the parallels between anti-semitism and anti-americanism. You're right that the roots aren't the same, but the accusations are similar and the bigotry is just as demeaning and antithetical to diplomacy or peace.

I love the Taipei Times.

Never been to Costa Rica, but it's on my list. Were you being ironic by using McDonald's and a mall to compare Costa Rica to the U.S.? If so, hee-larious.

I had some issues with the Taipei Times piece as well. Ol' Per seems way out on an illogical limb with conclusions like these:

"This pattern of anti-Zionism and anti-Americanism returns again and again. "The ugly Israeli" and "the ugly American" seem to be of the same family. "The ugly Jew" becomes the instrumental part of this defamation when so-called neoconservatives are blamed both for American militarism and Israeli brutalities and then selectively named: Wolfowitz, Perle, Abrams, Kristol, etc. This is a new version of the old myth that Jews rule the US."

I really and sincerely doubt that the underlying animosity that many Europeans tend to harbor for Americans as of late is because Wolfowitz is a Jew.

To me, there's a fundamental difference between hating someone because of what they believe or where they are born, and being outraged at the negative side effects of policy implemented by the most dominant superpower in the world.

I was last in Europe in January, but only briefly (in the UK). I felt no anti-American bias anywhere. I spent two weeks working with a British crew, and never once was I accused of being an ugly American. My experience of Europeans is that they find much to love about America, but that doesn't mean we're perfect. I liked what Mr. Knees had to say, and I agree with much of it, but the Tapei Times piece fails to convince me that Europe's criticism of America is caused by (or even equatable to) anti-Semitism.

Thanks Lex,

It seems that you and I have had similar experiences in Europe. I was last in Spain and France, two hotbeds of Anti-Americanism and I encountered no discomfort at all.

Our experience, however, doesn't make Ahlmark's less valid. As a seasoned European politician who has likely worked within many different political climes throughout his career, his perspective is priceless. I see nothing illogical in his arguments.

His point, as I read it, is to highlight some dangerous trends in current European discourse and remind us that we have seen this kind of behavior before. A political discourse based on myths, regardless of their origin, is a dangerous discourse, and it needs to be addressed.

You're right to doubt that Europeans resent America because Wolfowitz is a Jew, but I think that the passage that you quote is right on. It's no secret that the principal neo-conservative theorists in Washington are Jewish, and it's a fact likely exploited by anti-American conspiracy theorists everywhere. He doesn't claim that anti-Americanism stems from anti-Semitism, but that the two schools of thought are merging, and that they are strikingly similar in appearance.

The issue that I have with the editorial is that he indicates that Europe should simmer down because America has allowed Europe "the luxuries of diplomacy and peace." I'm always baffled by this argument. It's a lazy diplomat who plays the Normandy card every time Europe tries to check the United States. While Per's remarks are confined to attacking the ideology behind anti-American sentiment, I believe --as you likely do-- that his piece would benefit from an acknowledgement that American policies should certainly be subject to as much thoughtful criticism as Europe can offer.

Jed and Lex,

Thanks for your comments. I wish I didn't have to work and could just post on here all day. However, today is a slow day so I will address a few points we've attempted to cover.

I agree with Lex that the connection between neo-conservatives and Judaism as mentioned in the article is extremely tenuous. I don't think that Cheney or Rumsfeld (who, as far as I know are not Jewish) receive any less criticism because of their religous affiliation. I think playing the Jewish card on this one is much like the point Jed makes about playing the Normandy card: it's a lazy way to deflect criticism. If the decision makers in the defense department are mainly Jewish they should expect criticism of their policies not because they are Jewish but because they are making the policies that affect hundreds of thousands of lives.

To add my personal anecdote to both of yours, I lived in Spain for three months last summer, just as the war was beginning. I was in a college town with students from all over Europe. I was treated with respect and I befriended many of my classmates. My nationality did not preclude me from their company. It did, however, negatively color the way in which they viewed me (at least initially) and the value that they placed in my opinions. Anti-war demonstrations in the city inevitably turned to anti-american rallies; all policies in step with America were viewed with contempt on the news and at the pub; large throngs of american tourists and students were routinely degraded behind their backs. My more outspoken friends would also explain to me the moral failings of modern america (an extremely arrogant exercise in my opinion).

I think that if one thinks anti-american sentiment is not prevalent in Europe today, one is fooling oneself. While most Americans can travel to Europe and have no incidents of anti-americanism the general feeling is one of disdain and moral superiority from our cross-atlantic brethren. A great demonstration of this fact is the way in which anti-american policies from politicians can resurrect struggling campaigns.

In short, I agree with Jed about the importance of defining anti-americanism: open hostility, hate and violence to random americans is rare but disdain and contempt for the american political, social and cultural fabric is widespread and growing. As I said in my first post, however, I feel that this trend is entirely reversible.

I'm more partial to the malaysian sun, personally, Jed.

Jed,

I think you're a downy.

Breathtaking photo!

Jed (et al.)

alright me old china plate? i'm afraid i haven't visited your site for a while (since around homage to brasilia) and logged on with the goal of listening to a few good songs while at work. are they going to make a comeback? oh, and i haven't been able to turn off the Wrens' 'Meadowlands' LP. 'blinding' as some say.

with regard to the anti/pro/indifferent america debate, i'd just like to say thankyou for introducing me to the flip flop. before my time in utah i found the whole concept of wearing them out a bit dubious, but now i regularily flop around in my flips.

thanks guys.

are there any good sites/radio stations you could recommend? i need something to listen to online.
cheers.

Tim,

I'm happy if you're happy. I'm honored to have a REAL ENGLISHMAN throw his two pence into this discussion. Who knew it would only take flip-flops and The Wrens to appease our friends across the pond? Well done, America!

Then again, you're in Baghdad because of us...so, I'll let you decide if you want to thank us or not.

Anyway, music. It's really important. I don't know if you can download iTunes at work, but it'd help you on your quest to rock the office. Other than that, I download legal mp3s from Pitchfork and Epitonic. When I want internet radio, I go to KEXP. Oh, and there's a band you'd like called The Secret Machines. Go to their site and listen to their entire album for free. It's excellent.

As far as my downloads go. You can find them at http://jedsundwall.com/j004/bonus. I'm not posting a link because I don't want the search engines to find it. I try to put up a new song every week, but you'll need iTunes to listen to some of them. I hope this helps.