There are none.
Hate to say it guys, but you’re only hurting yourselves.
The above picture was contributed by Pamela Sutton who is a Canadian living in the US from the Facebook group, “Canadians against Anti-Americanism”.
I often hear the Americanophobics stating that their mission is to reform and inform Americans that they are disliked all over the world. The reasons being that they (the yanks) don’t know that they are hated and secondly, they don’t know why they are hated. Apparently, by the Americanophobics spreading their word from American to American, this is supposed to somehow or another get Americans to impeach Bush (trust me, we’ve tried – more than you can even imagine!), humble the inflated ego Americans have, get out of Iraq, learn different languages (I think you guys have some work to do yourselves on that), go to other countries, and basically become as smug and as inflated as they are. 
Hmm…. Will the Americanophobes succeed in their mission? Have they gotten anywhere yet after over 2 centuries?
The answer is ….
NO.
Here are a collection of comments that I have found on the internet as a result of mindless and petty Americanophobia. As you can see, it is doing nothing but what I had predicted. It is making Americans more patriotic, more bonded, making liberals —>moderates, making moderates —>conservatives, making conservatives —>neoconservatives, and turning the culturally curious Americans into defensive people who are losing interest in the rest of the world. (And before you say it, you Americanophobes have no more interest in other cultures and the rest of the world than Americans.) And Americanophobia kinda causes us to complain about you too. And justifiably so. Hate begets more hate. Intolerance begets more intolerance.
Good job.
If there are any benefits of Americanophobia at all, it does bring Americans together. That is for sure.
From T_R
With all the slander going around here about this supposedly uniquely American trait of insularity, I’m surprised that nobody has mentioned the fact that, despite their claims of worldliness and sophistication, less than half of all EU citizens are able to communicate in a language other than their own. Exactly how provincial does that make them?
I’ve been living in Germany for almost five years now (where, by the way, I am a translator, one of many Americans responsible for converting your old world backwater tongues into something we can all understand), and I find it HIGHLY unlikely, for instance, that your average Klaus and Claudia Schmidt from Oberscheißedorf in lower Bavaria are going to be capable of understanding ANYTHING about ANYBODY outside of their small cultural circle who can’t speak German to them, which is pretty much the entire world minus a minority of Western Europeans. What most Americans don’t realize is that Germany (much like the rest of Western Europe) has a snob contingent made up of about 1/3 of the population who’ve visited the higher university-prep schools and have any real education worth mentioning. The rest form the vast European proletariat and end up in what are virtually educational landfills. Most of these people don’t speak foreign languages at all, or they speak them poorly. They live in dinky little apartments, watch a lot of TV, drink a lot and are often unemployed. If they do decide to travel at all, it usually involves some kind of package hotel+flight deal (they never drive, they can’t afford cars) to somewhere like Ibiza, where they drink, get in fistfights and try to screw anything that moves. If they do any reading at all, it’s usually a translation of a popular American best-seller author.
In light of this reality, it is safe to say that your average English person without his A-levels only has the US cultural dominance in Europe (funny how GOOD we are at it, considering we know so little about foreigners) to thank for the fact that he is not totally isolated linguistically from the rest of the world. As for your average Greek, Italian, Spaniard etc – you kind of have to pity these folks. They go on vacation and they can’t even hold a basic conversation about the freaking weather with anyone but their own tour group! So much for greater cultural understanding when you’re fumbling around with your Berlitz phrasebook while gesticulating wildly at your intended interlocutor.
Take the French, for instance. Their cultural/linguistic isolation is what led them to give a big fat NON to the EU last year, and it is also why they continuously shoot down all sound-minded attempts at structural reform. They know no better, since they know nothing but France, France, France and everything they read or hear about the outside world, such as evil Anglo-Saxon neoliberal warmongering hypercapitalism, has been conveniently filtered and pre-packaged for them in warm, familiar leftist colors by their social betters who rule them.
P.s. If this sounds a bit over the top, please console yourself that I’ve been putting up with polemic crap like this on a daily basis for almost half a decade. I came here as a John Kerry-supporting democrat who was opposed to the war, but now, after five years, I now feel perversely obligated to post these types of things all over the net in order to defend my country’s honor. In six weeks I’ll be leaving Old Europe, though, and I am confident that with a little hard work, I’ll will once again be able to care as little about this place as my fellow countrymen.
Someone getting sick of running into Canadian tourists:
Does anyone know what the percentage is for how many Canadians hold passports. Just wondering since I heard a Canadian shooting off his mouth tonight saying that only 8% (Which is obviously wrong) of Americans hold passports in a very condescending manner. Strange that he would say it to me and my other friend who is also American as we were sitting in a bar in Berlin. I’m just sick of the Canadian attitude and their stupid maple leaf patches they insist on wearing on their backpacks when they travel.
Well, to be fair, Americans are also wearing the maple leaf abroad. All the people are cowards! This is yet another reason why people say that they only see Canadian tourists. Please direct the coversation about passport holders to this post. Thank you.
From Jana Palumbo (scroll down to comment section)
I can’t tell you how sad this story made me. I have been an Anglophile all my life. My fondest dream is to spend time in the UK. I respect your people and culture so much. I am descended not only from England, but Scotland, Ireland and Wales as well! But I am to suffer abuse for it, because I was born in the US? I guess I have to go on loving the dream of England and not make the trip. By the way, I didn’t vote for Bush. As a veteran, I would find it very hard to say I was from Canada. Chin up all you Americans in the UK.
From Carl Hungus:
My family fought for europe in both world wars, a couple of relatives are buried there. None of my boys will go next time. They despise us, I reciprocate that feeling now. This comes from someone who lived there and has traveled all over it btw.
Read the european press, or even go on a european website, you’ll hear nothing but contempt for us. We can’t pretend that this is a recent occurrence either, it goes back a long way. I have to say that I will enjoy watching them under some strongman’s heel. Dang few will even have the heart to fight. Good riddance.
From Vexen Crabtree
“There is a belief and hope that if enough nations oppose America, the American people will realize what their government has been doing and will overthrow them. This hope is misguided, as anti-American actions are causing the opposite…” — Vexen Crabtree
From an American who’d fed up with rampant Americanophobia:
Anyone, anywhere, that is a brain-delusioned leftist is now my enemy. That goes for my fellow americans, or the majority of canucks, since that’s what most of you appear to be up there.
By the way, stay out of our country, and stop watching our tv if that’s the way you feel. Stop selling us your oil. Don’t want it. We’ll work out our own solution. Better yet, cut off all contact with us. Seriously, we no longer GIVE a flying f*ck! Or haven’t you noticed the dwindling tourists who are no longer coming to visit? I hear all the usual BS, oh, it’s just the economy, or higher fuel prices. NO, dipshits, it’s your bashing of the past few years that has finally caught up with you. See ya…
More Americans being alienated by Americanophobic Euro-elitist-pseudo-intellectuals: (Comment from the nickname Bill Clinton) in response to a sloppy researched post on American violence:
So much information about the United States, and yet so much garbage based on second hand knowledge and news sources that feed your fire.
Please don’t tell me that I’m not guilty of pointing out a prejudiced mind. Anyone with a brain and a thought who’s plowed through your inner thoughts and blogs can make you out as the cultural, intellectual and historical snob that you are. Your blogs, and your words speak volumes to whomever has lived and experienced both the U.S. and the European Continent. You are as ignorant as you are bold.
It doesn’t matter how many Americans you’ve encountered overseas, as you’ve encountered on their home turf. You’re a snob and and intellectual elitist in opposition to what you perceive as the inferior American mind, as guilty as the next.
No worries though. I’ve traveled through Europe as the knuckle dragging, Neanderthal minded American that you’ve so painfully pointed out in your blog. Yet still careful to be appreciative of their cultures, speak their languages, and live the life that they live. From the three trips overseas to the European continent I’ve encountered no such hostility, or smugness, that you would no doubt greet me with.
There are Americans like me who wish to see the world. It is your kind that give us the belief that perhaps we should stay home. We are of a different country, and amazingly, perhaps of different beliefs and tastes. Much better to meet a European who is actually curious of Americans, and of no pre conceived notion that we are all evil and fat. I want to travel the world in order to see how cool other countries are, not to be told how awful my country is. Perhaps you believe you’re doing us a favor by educating us on how awful we really are, when all we really want to do, is learn to say in your language “thank you.”
“I like you and your country” How do you translate that in your own tongue. And please. Tell me how awful I am because I’m American. And give examples of stuff that happened before I was born, as though I don’t know about them, but you do.
A Canadian defending against the Ugly Side of Canada (because let’s face it, when you guys jump on the bigotry-band-wagon and start with your slurs and inanely judging us by our extremists, you are truly showing your UGLY side and proving to Americans that we’re not the only ones who can get UGLY.
It always makes me nervous when someone starts arguing about how ignorant Americans are. You do make a somewhat valid point but why? We don’t need to bash the Americans, after eight years of Bush and Co. many are doing that job themselves. We’d be better off looking at our own problems. For instance, did you check out some of the resolutions that passed at the recent Conservative convention in Winnipeg? They’d make the American religious right proud.
I grew up six miles from the US border, have spent considerable time traveling there and have met many Americans both here and in their own country. And the vast majority of Americans struck me as damned nice people. By constantly bashing Americans, I believe Canadians are revealing something ugly about themselves. Perhaps it’s time to knock it the hell off. Or at least buffer it down a bit.
From “Average American” who doesn’t want to spend her who life savings just to be told off…..
As an American I’d like to throw my hat in the ring. As a 19 year old student who lives off of $16,000 yearly, I barely have enough to live off of while providing for myself and my child. I hope to one day travel across EurAsia, Africa, South America, and Australia to see what the world has to offer. However, I will take more than helf my life saving when I could spend $300 and travel somewhere within a few hours drive. I have been told since 9/11 that the rest of the world hates me for no fact other than my being born an American citizen, and the thought of having my son and I murdered to send a political message scares me. That doesn’t make me stupid, it makes me weary. I do not want to visit ANY arrogant country that’s going to look down on me just to end up feeling like I wasted years worth of hard-earned money just to visit that country for it’s “culture.” For people in EurAsia to visit another country is easier than for an American to visit that same country. We just call ours states. If every state spoke a different language we might be required to learn 4 or 5 languages but the closest we come is Spanish for Mexico or possibly French for parts of Canada. So Excuse me for being too poor to be ‘cultured’ and for living on a continent where most people speak the same language, or atleast having enough knowledge to communicate and I’m sorry that the American government has lied to us and spoonfed us hatred through the guise of freedom but not everyone believes this BS.
Now for my defense… To call ALL Americans ignorant would in fact prove your own ignorance and lack of culture. I’m pretty sure there are as many ignorant people across the world and I’m sure the ratio is about the same. I don’t believe America is the greatest country, i don’t believe the perfect country exists. I don’t agree with the wars but I support the troops, I vote pro-choice because I’m pro-life, I believe everyone has the right to marry, I support immigration since my family is full of 1st and 2nd generation immigrants, and I believe that everyone deserves and equal start and an equal right to pursue their dreams. I’m neither ignorant nor biased, and I don’t have a hateful bone in my body. I do however have a hope in my heart that the America I live in will someday soon become the America I believe in. My country will become a beacon of change and we have a unity not seen since 9/11 but this unity is different because I know that, for me atleast, that sense of community is never going away.
Sorry for the rant but I feel like there are people posting here that reinforce the mindset of Anti-Americanism, and I understan the non-American doesn’t mean anti-American but as a citizen of this tattered divided country I’ve had FOX news shoving fear and hatred down my throat. I don’t believe a word of it but some people do, and for that I apologize on behalf of my country.
From Ellie
I am an American medical student currently studying in Ireland. I have lived a fifith of my life abroad both in Ireland and in UK. I have also travelled extensively in Europe and have been to the Middle East and South America.
I had not heard this passport statistic until last night when a Canadian used this “fact” as an argument of ignorance of the American people. I really don’t think that that is a fair indictor of the mindset of a people.
I do think that travelling, but especially living outside the US has greatly expanded my horizons. I also worked in a bookstore where five staff members saved for months just to have enough money to visit family in the midwest and the prospect of a foreign vacation is just a longterm dream that often remains unfufilled though its not unwanted.
That being said, I also get frustrated by numerous anti-American slurs. I also been actually yelled at three times on the streets by people i don’t know because of American foreign policy (despite the fact that i protested the war and didn’t vote for Bush). People who don’t know me make frequent insults and slurs without even recognizing that they are doing it, something I find very rude. I don’t insult their countries or way of life though there is often much to criticize.
I think that there are ignorant people everywhere. I knew more European history then many of the people I met in the UK. I had to explain who the Duke of Edinburgh was and why he would be in a picture with the queen to a group of Scottish friends. I know that is not an important fact for people to know but it just indicates not all Americans are completely oblivious and not all Europeans are well educated about their own let alone other cultures.
I really get frustrated at Canadians who call Americans ignorant when three Canadians I know repeatedly have referred to Africa as a country. One girl we know in medical school (so not stupid) constantly asks my friend what the national dialect of her country of Africa is despite the fact my friend is from Trinidad and Tobago. She also refuses to believe her when my friend says that people speak English in Trinidad. There is ignorance in very society and Canadians and Americans are alike in many ways so I find it unnecessary to insult your neighbors.
I also realize that there is an overwhelming amount of crap American movies. I also think however that the better local American media doesn’t make it outside the US. i think it is often easier to look at and pigeon hole the US and Americans by what is protrayed in the bad (but always well attended) American movies then to recognize that many Americans are just people trying to work and support their families and that the country has its own problems with a problem ridden health care system and poverty of its own.
I also get really annoyed by people who consistently insult the American media, movies and tv mainly but are religious watchers of shows like smallville, desperate housewives or here in Ireland stargate (go figure). If you think the shows are terrible heres an idea, read a book or donate money to support growing a local media service.
I also have to say that i sometimes find the constant backhand comments and outright insults are enough for me to want to leave, so i can only imagine how soul shattering it might be for someone who saves up for months or years to go abroad (and used a year’s worth of vacation for a two week holiday) and then is constantly subjected to this treatment. I would not be surprised if those people journey to other parts of the world where they feel more welcome.
So in summary, ignorance is everywhere. There is definely ignorance in the US but equally i have encountered it in every country of my journeys. Just remember also that the Americans who are travelling abroad are often open to new experiences and engrossing themselves in new cultures but by making comments about these visitors to your countries that open-mindedness quickly turns to defensiveness.