European attitudes to the US

Submitted by Ian Black (United Kingdom), Jul 18, 2002 at 07:16

Being a European, many years ago, during the Cold War, I had been sucked into the European state of mind which believes that we are superior to everyone in the world, especially the Americans. Although I loved many aspects of American culture, and any American people I met, the overriding attitude which trickled down to me as a young person was that of 'the Americans are bullies, they only pursue the dollar, we are a far more enlightened continent. We are older and wiser.'

This attitude never truly sunk in for me as it clearly became apparent that the collapse of communism in Europe was a great piece of history for the world and now I am truly thankful for America's success in promoting and protecting freedom throughout the world, then and especially now with the more immediately violent threat of militant Islam. I am overjoyed to have America as an ally and a friend with which the UK anyway can share many principles and goals.

However I am disgusted by the anti-American attitude in Europe - its as if they cannot see that what you have been doing is making the world a clearly better and free-er world. Many of my closest friends are still caught up in this feeling of America being the enemy which is incomprehensible to me, as we are living in a free democratic capitalist country, like America. They cannot see that things which benefit your nation have a knock on effect of benefitting us in Western Europe. They would rather justify terrorists, and dictators than support the US! I've come to the conclusion that these pepole are unsavable lefties, commies and anarchists!

It is the single most disagreeable aspect of many European's politics that they automatically assume that the US is up to no good when it is clear that they are one of the only coutries in the world attempting to make the world a better place.

I am a staunch supporter of the war on terrorism and also a strong supporter of Israel.
I believe that Hussein should be overthrown by any means necessary.

There is a tendency to talk up the differences too. Although I cant deny that the feeling is there, there is also strong support, and if it comes down to it the UK will continue to stand shoulder to shoulder with the US.

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