What is it that causes anti-Americanism? This is obviously a political question, but equally a sociological, cultural and psychological one.
The very obvious answer is that the top-dog is naturally resented. I’m pretty sure this is only part of it though.
There is clearly a lot of it about and has been for a long time. I have to admit to being prejudiced concerning America myself and have been from an early age. Whether it be feelings about American politics being excessively right-wing, militarism and saluting the flag, American overuse of energy and resources, American capitalism, big cars, big mouths, big Macs, American religiosity and fundamentalism or American isolationism and knowledge of the world beyond their borders, I have force myself to be more objective. None of this stops me having very good American friends or liking American things, but I sometimes feel all the great American things I love have to climb over a bigger hurdle. I don’t think this is true when meeting people, though.
I think a large part of it is the idea of American exceptionalism and the belief sometimes expressed without a hint of irony, that America is the greatest nation ever. If America really is exceptional, that would go some way to explaining why negative feelings about that country would also be exceptional. And if America is just another hegemonic power with a superiority complex, the belief in its exceptionalism would obviously stir up some strong feelings.
An interesting indication of American patriotism is the way the adjective American is put in front of all kinds of things. You’re doing a documentary about hardworking farmers hit by the recession - it’s hardworking American farmers. You’re a politician talking about helping hardworking families - they’re hardworking American families. American jobs. etc. Gordon Brown used to bang on about hard working families - I’m sure an American politician would have inserted American. We already know a British or American politician on the campaign is not talking about hardworking German families. A very good friend of mine did a project about finding “positive American stories” post 2008, and I still find it hard to understand the need for the word American there, the location was perfectly clear without being stated.
Is this a kind of self obsession? Searching for the meaning of saying “I am an American”. The need to define the country as distinct from the places from which immigrants settled.
Perhaps if you over-emphasise being American, over use the adjective, others will too. An evil corporation becomes an evil American corporation. A fat person becomes a fat American. A loud mouth becomes a loud mouthed American.
American optimism, the can-do attitude that put a man on the moon, is inspiring, as is the liberal vision of the constitution, whatever American politics may be in practice. America is a fascinating place, full of contradictions (liberal/conservative, modern/religious & body beautiful obsession vs. obesity being the most obvious). And anti-Americanism is an interesting phenomenon.
