Americanophobia is Based on Ignorance

Simply put, Americanophobia is a chronic syndrome of The Pot calling the Kettle Black!

As some of my readers are already aware, one of the many inane stereotypes pinned to Americans is “dumb”. Oh, I’m not denying it. We ARE dumb. But who isn’t guilty of such a crime? America compared to herself is dumb. However, when you compare the US to other countries, you come to find out that we’re not the ONLY ones with a few screws loose.

OK. Now here’s the irony of all this. Those that have aggressively given us the “ignorant” label… well, only one is to assume that the Americanophobes are exempt from the same label, right?

Wrong.

Let’s me just put it this way. If Americans = dumb. Then we’re all Americans. Let’s have a look-see at the research, shall we?

Here’s just a tiny peek into minds of the Americanophobes:

Large numbers of British citizens consistently and inaccurately think the worst of America

Subjects researched:

• ARMING IRAQ
• POLYGAMY
• WARS AND ISLAM
• RACE AND ETHNICITY
• THE ENVIRONMENT
• EMERGENCY MEDICAL CARE

And that’s not even the half of it. Sadly, there’s more. Download a PDF of the full twenty True Or False Statements they tested.

A poll of nearly 2,000 Britons by YouGov/PHI found that 70 per cent of respondents incorrectly said it was true that the US had done a worse job than the European Union in reducing carbon emissions since 2000. More than 50 per cent presumed that polygamy was legal in the US, when it is illegal in all 50 states.

The poll was commissioned by America In The World , an independent pressure group that launches on Monday and aims to improve understanding and appreciation of the US in Britain and around the world.

Tim Montgomerie, its director, said factual inaccuracies and mistaken assumptions have contributed to Britons and Europeans taking a hostile stance towards their most powerful ally, which often acted against national interests.

“We wanted to find out how British people understood America and found that there was an unbalanced view. Maybe there are good reasons but if we cleared a lot of that factual ignorance we would have a better understanding of what America really is,” said Mr Montgomerie, who also founded the influential Conservative Home website three years ago.

The survey showed that a majority agreed with the false statement that since the Second World War the US had more often sided with non-Muslims when they had come into conflict with Muslims. In fact in 11 out of 12 major conflicts between Muslims and non-Muslims, Muslims and secular forces, or Arabs and non-Arabs, the US has sided with the former group. Those conflicts included Turkey and Greece, Bosnia and Yugoslavia, and and Kosovo and Yugoslavia.

Read the rest from the British Telegraph here.

Interestingly enough, this person tends to think that the American media is responsible for creating Americanophobia abroad. Well, he just may have a point when you consider this. Some wonder if it’s the fault of the BBC. I personally think its both. America invented Anti-Americanism and we’ve perfected it. Well, in other words, the United States doesn’t hide her dirty laundry – rather she exposes it unashamedly to her people and those living abroad. Then the media establishments in other countries take the bait and over-sensationalize it on their turf. Ugly news sells.

To understand this dynamic, one must understand the purpose of journalism:

• reporting the facts
• sensationalizing and exaggerating them to keep you focused, hot, and bothered
• twisting the facts subtly to meet a particular agenda
• and leaving certain facts (good stuff!) out that could possibly give you a balanced perspective.

America in the World.com is a British site that has additionally discovered the many MYTHS that Americanophobic Europeans blindly believe in.

Here is a comprehensive list of all the MYTHS debunked:

• Myth: America is not a truly free and open society
• Myth: Black Americans are held back in a country plagued by racism
• Myth: America refused any involvement in World War II, when the freedom of Europe was at stake, until the December 1941 bombing of Pearl Harbour forced her to participate
• Myth: Americans allow tens of millions of their fellow citizens who cannot afford health insurance to go without it
• Myth: Americans Aren’t Interested in the Environment
• Myth: America is exceptionally ungenerous in its aid to developing nations
• Myth: America is a violent, high-crime society
• Myth: America is dominated by intolerant religious zealots, to the detriment of everyone else
• Myth: The terrorist attacks of 11 September 2001 were committed by the US government

Feel free to read how they are debunked here. (The only one they were incorrect about was in saying that the 2000 Election wasn’t stolen. It was. Al Gore won by the popular vote. The Electoral system screwed him over.)

A viewer of all this blatant ignorance responded:

Edward Micheal George responds:

What a very pathetic lesson! That in clinging so unnaturally to an absence of value for our defining trait (that is: delighting in what we aren’t, rather than–what is more obvious–what we are), we have somehow come to embody that most boring of stereotypes about American folly: a crass and uncivilized propensity to dismiss, out of hand, a given group based on an untested and entirely superficial understanding of it.

Bravo, my non-American brothers and sisters! You’ve done yourselves unproud!

I have done independent research myself to myth-bust the Americanophobes. The proof that they are unlearned is endless, really. Let me just give you all a few examples:

Myth: Americans are the fattest in the world. —>Busted here. (Courtesy of news.com.au)

Myth: Americans get fat purely out of greed. —>Busted here. (Multiple sources)

Myth: Everyone likes Bush in the US. —>Busted here. (LA Times)

Myth: All/most Americans are jingoists. —>Busted here. (Multiple sources)

Myth: America has done no good. —> Busted here. (Multiple sources)

Myth: There is no “American Dream”. —>Busted here.

Myth: Only in America is the news, insular. —>Busted here.

Myth: Americans have no curiosity about the rest of the world. —>Busted here. (Multiple sources)

Myth: America has no culture: Busted here (toward the bottom).

Myth: America is the most violent (and inherently violent) in the world. —>Busted here and here. (Multiple sources)

Myth: Americans all think the same and every state is pretty much the same as the next. —>Busted here.

Myth: Americans against Americanophobia are all neocon right-wingnuts. —>Busted here, here, here and my blog is also proof of that as well.

Myth: All Americans are spoiled and rich. —>Busted here. (Multiple sources)

Myth: The America media is right-wing biased. –>Busted here and here. (Multiple sources)

Myth: Americans are the worst tourists. —>Busted here. (Courtesy of the BBC)

Myth: Americans are the laziest. —>Busted here, here, and here. (Multinational sources)

Myth: Americans are the dumbest. —>Busted here. (Courtesy of a multitude of sources)

Myth: Biased news only exists in America. —>Busted here. (The American media interviews Europeans)

Myth: American Jews are all right-wingnuts. —>Busted here. (By Jewish people, themselves)

Myth: American Democratic presidents are anti-war. —>Busted here.

Myth: America is a melting-pot, only country to commit slavery, and doesn’t allow dual passports: —>Busted here. (Multiple sources)

Myth: Only American whites are capable of racism and intolerance. —>Busted here. (Multiple sources)

Myth: Americans hate immigrants and are trying to stop them from entering the country. —>Busted here. (Courtesy of AITW based in London)

Myth: The whole world hates America and Americans. —>Busted here and here.

Myth: TV in America is shallow, superficial, and boring. —>Busted here (scroll to the middle).

Myth: Americanophobia will humble Americans, and then they will be like us someday. —>Busted here.

ANTI-AMERICANISM IN EUROPE IS FUELED BY IGNORANCE

Additionally, the British continue to bust more myths here.

Learn more here about what the rest of the world, including Americans, are saying about the aforementioned conducted research. More and more Americans everyday and learning that those who they once looked up to with high regard and admiration aren’t… all that.

Yes, we yanks are finally starting to wake up!

The only country left that we can look up to with some confidence would be Japan, in my opinion. They’re naturally not immune to criticism, however, they don’t stoop to the sanctimonious-holier-than-thou “us versus them” childish mob mentality like those I mention above.

Need more proof that Americanophobia is based on Ignorance? Aby the so called “Internationalist Liberal” shall be the poster child hall of shame in this category.

Moral of the story: So, before you Americanophobic zealots talk about ignorance, you might want to pick up a book and clean up your own act first (and as a country as well) before you start pointing fingers. You may become over-confident thinking that Americans aren’t watching. But we are. The Ugly Europeans.