Opaque Lucidity

Hate Of The States

Interesting column from Christopher Hitchens today. In it, he questions the accuracy of polls which proclaim that America is pretty much universally hated. His logic seems sound.

I believe that much of the hatred aimed toward the US from overseas is not new; it's simply that our media plays it up more now to make it appear as if all would be well if only George W. Bush had never been born. Western Europe is a good example of how the cult of America hatred gets started. First, a socialist element is introduced into the society, meaning universal health care, huge welfare programs, stifling business regulations, etc. This results in economic stagnation, but the powers that be will not admit that socialism does not work---something external must be causing these problems.

Enter the United States, a nation based on a capitalist model that, while not perfect, has grown explosively during the last 230 years. To European elitists, Americans are a crude lot. Yet, they are by any standards wealthy. To the socialist mind, this is unfair. What's more, the United States has the world's strongest military, something that liberal socialism finds abhorrent.

With all this mind, it becomes easy to point to the ugly Americans as the world's robber barons. Nevermind that Europe and Asia would both be ruled by iron-fisted totalitarian dictators if not for the US. Forget that both World Wars were started by European powers but were finished in victory ONLY because of American intervention. Forget that our farms feed the world and that we still lead the world in technological innovation.

Ultimately, I believe this hate has very little to do with foreign policy and very much to do with simple jealousy of this nation's success. The truth, as painful as it is for some, is that a world without the United States would be a dark, dark place.