The pro-Americans I have in mind are those who tend to look for the best side of the US. e.g., consider this OP:
http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=177228&pagenumber=1
1980’s support for Saddam was wrong. But, they always say “Given the circumstances, that was the best option we had… and Iran was a greater threat”. The US has had dozens of foreign policy stances in the last 20 years. Some turned out to be wrong. The Cold War provides a geographically diverse sampling of such mistakes, the repercussions of which are being felt to this day. Why continue to ignore or even worse, censor the past? Cannot they learn from the past so as to not repeat them going forward in a tumultuous time?
Or, consider those who assumed that the war in Afghanistan was about the Taliban, and consequent liberation and re-construction of the Afghan people, and that America, the bestest country in the world will be committed to accomplishing these goals. Then, there are those who automatically believed that the war in Iraq was really “Operation Iraqi Freedom”. Look at the Iraqi people celebrate… who cares if the US didn’t find WoMD. Now, the Iraqis are free to build their destiny with a little help from American corporations like Haliburton and Bechtel.
To me, it is perfectly natural to disagree with the policies of one’s own country. Who else’s are you going to disagree with? Most of us expect French people to criticize the French government, and we expect Israelis to choose to disagree with some of Israel’s policies etc. Yet, there are a great many pro-American Americans. The pro-American position is respectable. These people flood the media which means the people cannot have enough of it. Fox News is the leading cable channel. MSNBC had a jump in ratings following Fox’s formula. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/2959833.stm
Even print media such as The Washington Times and Wall Street Journal often take pro-American positions.
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Why is pro-Americanism so popular here in America?
America certainly is a great country, but no more so than other countries. My impression is that many PAAs enjoy the feeling of moral superiority.
(“In America we have freedom of speech” as if it is the only country in the world!) -
Will pro-Americanism will remain popular. I think so. E.g., a number of universities have growing pro-war movements among the students. I think there will be a permanent enhancement in pro-Americanism, although I hope it never goes away. It’s healthy to support the nation IMHO.
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If pro-Americanism becomes less popular, how will that impact society? I think the Republican Party and especially Bush will be hurt, because they tend to be associated with the PAAs. That is understandable given they are the men in charge now. I think universities may change their political philosophies, but not quickly. The group in power selects new members, so it’s hard to change it. I think Hollywood is already becoming more open to a conservative POV and that this trend will continue.
Lastly, would you have supported the Government when Rosa Parks stood up? Would you have supported the Government-sponsored McCarthyism? Would you have supported the Nazi Government oppression of the Jewish people?
(I tried to bring in MLK somewhere but there was space only for Rosa Parks and sorry, there was just no way feminism could be squeezed in)
The moral: Oversimplification is easy. Name -calling is convenient. But, both make it that much harder to have healthy debate, and consequently healthy support and criticism, all of which are pivotal to keep a consensual governmental system running. And, more importantly, there must be a corollary to Godwin’s Law that can be used when someone (cough…cough) mentions Rosa Parks or MLK.
