Why Do They Hate Us?

The Ugly American is a phrase heard around the world. Americans wonder -- why do they hate us so? George Bush suggested that the world hates us because we believe in freedom and democracy, but the reality is -- things are a bit more complicated.

Walter Russell Mead in his book God and Gold uses the term "Waspophobe" to describe an overarching feeling that has been around for a very long time. Before the Americans became the focus, it was the Brits. We're seen by many as vulgar, brutish, uncouth, arrogant . . . . And the list goes on. What is interesting is that the world's people seem to be talking at rather than to, and no one seems to understand the other.

So, for the past 400 years, Mead says, two discourse have emerged.

The Anglophones [English speaking countries] have seen themselves as defending and sometimes advancing liberty, protecting the weak, providing opportunity to the poor, introducing the principles of morality and democracy into international life, and creating more egalitarian and more just societies at home and abroad. Their enemies have looked at the same set of facts and seen a ruthless assault on every kind of social and moral decency.

As you can see these two perspectives have nothing in common with each other. These clashing perspectives may also be a cause of the frequent conflicts between these two different societies. Mead says, that in a very real way this is a religious conflict. Quoting Cromwell:

Our enemies are all the wicked me of the world, whether abroad or at home, that are the enemies to the very being of this nation. . . from that very enmity that is in them against whatsoever should serve the glory of God and the interest of his people; which they see to be more eminently, yea most eminently patronized and professed in this nation -- we will speak it not with vanity -- above all nations in this world.

The enemies see it differently -- they "worship God by loathing America" -- the Great Satan.

As Mead suggests both perspectives can't be right (Mead, God and Gold, p. 78-79).

What do you think?