This is an amazing thread. It reminds me of something TainanCowboy wrote a few years back:
No offense, but man, oh, man, do I ever disagree with the sentiments expressed by GaoBohan and Stray Dog.
I don’t care whether we’re “top dog” or not. My country doesn’t have to be the greatest country on earth in order for me to love it, any more than my family has to be the greatest family on earth in order for me to love it.
Anti-Americanism goes 'way back. Earlier, I quoted a source that cites a 1769 statement by an eminent Briton. And back then, we were pretty close to being bottom dog.
By and large, I think people–most people, in one way or another–are jerks. I include myself in that assessment. Of course, people have other qualities, but their jerkish qualities are important, sometimes very important. They can, to paraphrase Hamlet, smile, smile, and be a jerk. They can couch their jerkishness in reasonable-seeming words, using soft tones. But by some time in their adolescent phase, most people (or a large proportion of them) start seeing through the various forms of camouflage and concealment (at least when it involves others’ behavior) and adjusting their thoughts, feelings, and behavior accordingly. World without end, Amen.
America just happens to be one of the main targets of choice for people’s jerkishness. Why? I could come up with some reasons, I suppose, but I really don’t fully understand it. I could analyze it till the cows come home, but I think it highly unlikely that it would do any good. And as the years roll by, I care less and less.
I’m not a “Love me, love my dog” type, but if someone indicates over a long period of time that they pretty much despise my dog, and especially if they can’t seem to get enough of despising my dog, why, I’ll probably decide to limit my dealings with that person. I’m just not that far along spiritually.
But I don’t think it’s a real issue to most Americans. That provincialism we’ve been accused of has an upside: I’m pretty sure that most Americans don’t care very much what the rest of the world thinks about them.
Now, y’all all have a nice day.