It’s already bad enough that we domestics are expected to have infinite reverance for the piece of dirt we just happened to be spat out upon, but when you start “accusing” foreigners of anti-American as if that’s supposed to dismiss their opinions, you sound like idiots. Get over yourselves. No one is obligated to like this country, especially if they don’t even live here.
Foreigner: “The U.S. is a giant plague on the Earth. Its negatives outweigh its positives.”
I’m afraid the phrase “anti-American” or “unAmerican” is a running joke amongst my friends here.
I recall this one Republican politician (?) saying on the news the other week that some Italian politician who was in favour of the war was “more American” than some other Democrat politician.
How I giggled and rolled my eyes, and if I remembered any details, that last paragraph would have been worth writing.
In my experience, most people who use the label “anti-American” are implying that the people who are criticizing the U.S. are doing so not on the basis of any legitimate disagreement with U.S. actions or policy, but rather solely due to the groundless irrational prejudice they have against us. Considering the xenophobic statements that tend to follow such proclamations, it’s clear these people don’t fully understand the concept of irony.
It’s just a tool to attempt to recast the debate into a direction that doesn’t require facts, much like characterizing anti-war protestors as anti-troops. Stupid.
I’d noticed an increase in the use of this put-down. From context, it appears to be worst possible thing you can say to a US citizen, something like being called a “Commie” in the 50s or something. Of course, like that it also seems to be used mostly by people losing arguments, looking for a parting shot.
Anyone who is American like to tell us about being Un-American?
Gee, pizzabrat; if someone calls this land “a plague,” that would tend to indicate that person’s anti-american sentiment. Or perhaps you’re unfamiliar with the freaking term “plague.”
Yes, Monty, **Pizzabrat didn’t say it wasn’t an anti-American statement. It certainly is. I think the point is that anyone saying such a thing will not take “anti-american” as an insult and it’s ridiculous to use it as such.
Look, there are all kinds of good arguments against the war in Iraq. Some of them are inspired by moral concerns, some by legitimate doubts about the effectiveness of American tactics.
I’m GENERALLY supportive of President Bush’s efforts, but even I share some of the anti-war crowd’s concerns.
Unfortunately, non-Americans rarely even TRY to make those good arguments. More often than not, their anti-war arguments are hackneyed, cliched, and laced with puerile insults. And when an American hears such rhetoric from foreigners, he’s NOT inclined to take them seriously. He’s more likely to conclude that those foreigners are ignorant loudmouths driven more by irrational hostility toward America than by logic or morality.
When Frenchmen vandalizing Starbucks franchises, as if that’s some kind of profound, anti-war “statement,” they shouldn’t act surprised when Americans respond with disdain. When Europeans tell pollsters that the U.S. is more dangerous than Osama Bin laden or Saddam Hussein, they shouldn’t be surprised when Americans sneer.
If anti-war foreigners DON’T want to be dismissed as unthinking, reflexively anti-American ignoramuses, they should stop ACTING like unthinking, reflexively anti-American ignoramuses.
I think a lot of people are anti Bush-administration, which is what I am. It is wrong and naive, and stupid, too, to tar a whole nation with the same brush.
oh, and astorian, I think that the US is potentially more dangerous than OBL or Saddam Hussein. They are more evil for want of a better word, but I do think that the military might that Bush has at his command, is potantially far more dangerous.
Hey,. I’m no great supporter of Bertie, either, but that doesn’t make me anti Irish, far from it.
If that was the case, I’d have left this place a long time.
I do agree though, that if you are going to argue a point, you need to have good arguments. An argument isn’t about insults.
astorian: Thank you for your admission that (though you qualify it as rarely), some people who are not from the States (I’m presuming that, though Canada is in North America, you weren’t including us), can have a logical argument.
Since you seem to think this is all the world is able work up as a rebuttal, I think it says more about you that it takes such Jackass™ style protests to attract your attention.
I’m not just talking about the war. There are other issues such as globalization and environtment that inspire anti-American sentiment. Or even past those, there are countless reasons why somebody might have a valid negative opinion on the U.S… You can’t just toss it off as blind hatred, or else you’re elevating yourself to infallibility.
