Reasons for Anti-Americanism in Old Europe

[Sloth]

What I had in mind.....
From The Economist 17/05/2001:

"ONE reason for Silvio Berlusconi’s triumph was plain: he promised change, and Italians were fed up with, among other things, their version of democracy. The latest Eurobarometer, a pan-European poll conducted for the European Commission, shows how fed up: more so—though our chart shows only the larger countries—than people in any other of the 15 EU members.

In only two other countries, Greece and Portugal, do those unhappy with their local style of democracy outnumber those who are content. And lo, the Italians, Portuguese and Greeks, in that order, also head the list of those who want the EU to play a greater role in daily life. On average, 46% of EU citizens say they trust the European Commission. Yet 61% of Italians trust the commission—run, as it happens, by Romano Prodi, a founder of the centre-left coalition they have just cut down. More Italians also sit the commission’s exam for entry to its bureaucracy than do people of any other nationality.

A fine choice of saviours: Mr Berlusconi or Brussels. The more ordinary politicians in the EU’s other big countries, three of them due to go to the polls quite soon, must be grateful their voters take a more ordinary view of the Eurocracy."

[TheBirdMan]

Originally posted by MikeH
One problem I have observed is that as a terrible generalisation a fair proportion of Americans seem to associate themselves as part of America the concept and America the flag which we don't tend to do so much in Europe. In fact it's very uncool to be proud to be British or wave the flag in the UK. You'd probably be sneered at.

I didn't know, that the danish people and the american people had the same habbit.

We (most of us) are proud of our flag and we are using it both at national "flagdays" and personal days of celebrations (birthdays, weddingdays - and at days of less joy fx. funerals. We are even putting strings with small paperflags on our Xmastree .

As for the anti-americanism: It exists - but it is not widespread among the danes.

**

But - there is always a but or two:

The super-right-wing-conservatism the US government rules with is just "too much".

Add then some christian fundamentalism with some double standard (of morality) , then you have two good reasons.

[Dauphin]

Originally posted by Sloth
"ONE reason for Silvio Berlusconi’s triumph was plain: he promised change, and Italians were fed up with, among other things, their version of democracy. "

I'm not surprised, they have to elect a new government every 6 months to replace the one that just collapsed.

[Sloth]

Originally posted by Big Crunch


I'm not surprised, they have to elect a new government every 6 months to replace the one that just collapsed.

This is not true anymore. But probably it's not a good thing, But I think that we (I mostly) Have threadjaked this thread.


We should discuss here anti-americanism.
Is it possible that the very very strong national identity that is perceived like a caracteristic of the Americans is just a misperception from outside?

[gunkulator]

The way I see it, America is the Hollywood film industry while Europe is the film critic. Europe used to make big block buster films but nowadays can't put together much of a movie anymore. Still wishing to play a role in the industry, Europe criticises the only film maker left, the Americans. Since no movie is perfect, there will always be critics. OTOH, there are always those who perpertually choose to find fault in any film, focusing on the negative, which admitedly is always there.

It is of course always easier to criticise something
than put up an alternative. So while film makers can't ignore critics, they don't always have to listen either.

[HershOstropoler]

"The way I see it, America is the Hollywood film industry"

That's not so far off in a strange way...