Does the US hate Europe?

[senoritacharlene]

Originally Posted by blitzen001

Well im European (English) and i can tell you for a fact.
Most Englishmen like our affliatiation with the USA far more than the affliation with the French/Germans.

England doesnt really consider itslef to be in the 'European' fold.
We have a long history that tells all that Europe really isn't in our blood and we have got on with you guys far better than our 'neighbours' in Europe.

TBH...the ONLY country in Europe that is a good English friend is Holland.

Im English too, and whilst it sometimes bugs me that people speak of 'Europe' and 'England' as being seperate, I agree with blitzen001 in that most English dont really consider themselves to be European. Its similar to how Texans count themselves as being 'Texan' rather than 'American' - its a pride thing.

And yes, whilst there are some very strange Brits who look down on Americans, the majority of us feel closer to USA than the rest of Europe. The Dutch and the English always get on well in my experience. They seem to be the ones from Europe who dont look down on us Brits whilst some other European countries tend to look on us with pity because our streets aren't as clean, or because we 'drink too much' etc. We feel on a par with the US.

[blitzen001]

Originally Posted by fp1978

Oh please, that is a tired old argument. You are correct that this hostility from Europe was around before Iraq and GW Bush. I was stationed in Europe in the 90s and saw it first hand. I distinctly remember being there in the run up to, and during, the war in Kosovo. The European 'powers' so desperately wanted to intervene and get involved in the conflict in Kosovo but were completely unable to do so. Guess who they came to and asked to run the show, the US. So we went in and involved ourselves in a war in a part of the world that was, and is, of no consequence to us at the request of our European allies. Even then, when we were taking action at the request of Europe, I heard and saw hostility towards the US. The base in Germany where I was stationed at the time was surrounded by thousands of protesters on a regular basis. A few of them one time even jumped on the hood of a friend's car and started banging on the windshield while he was trying to drive on to the post with his family while a couple of members of the polizei, who standing right on the corner where this happened, did nothing.

With Europe we are damned if we do, and damned if we don't. Frankly I don't see the point in doing anything special to go out of our way to placate or assist them anymore if we are just going to be the object of their hostility anyway. Even when we come to their aid at their request we are denigrated so why even bother?

Recent history is littered with examples like this where the US has come to the aid of European nations only to criticized soon after as being "meddling". I don't hear often of any nation refusing our aid or assistance, nor of the US refusing a request for the same, yet very often, shortly after it is given, the shrieking hostility rears its head again.

You my friend, have a very low knowledge level of world affairs and an even poorer knowledge of 20th century history.

I can see your patriotism is clouding your thoughts, and i am in no way salting the USA as i am move to your country within the next 3 months, but you certainly arent the power you think you are or expect the world to think you are.

(I am ex Royal Marine UK) and believe me...i have seen first hand that you have you facts, certainly your recent ones, very wrong)

[Elyse Margardino]

I love Europe and have no problem with European people. I always thought it was the other way around...they hated us

[minibrings]

I love Europeans and from my time living with a bunch of Europeans in Australia did not feel there was any animosity towards the US. Animosity perhaps to the Bush regime, which I completely understand and support. But his time is up.

[texdav]

Persdoanlly I don't think that most americans really think much about europe except for a very few.It just doesn't really effect their daily lifes in anyway they noitice. I would say being in my 60's that the people that fought in WWI and WWII really wanted nothing to do with europe after they came back from the war, None of my parents friends really ever had anything good to say about europoe. It is strange to me that so many either love or hate europe with little reason as it has much less influenece on life in the this country or any other like in the past.The early 20th century was dominated by europe and its problems'so its understandable why those that fought in the world wars really wanted to forget europe as much as they could.

[Shizzles]

Americans by and large do not hate Europe, but find that they parade around like they know us (And everyone else) and think their way is the only way.

I don't deny that Europe is light years ahead of us in many areas concering the enviorment, transit, energy, embrace of culture, etc, but most Americans don't like being talked down to which many Europeans have a habit of doing. For example, it's kinda hard for us to take your anti-war protests seriously since it was Europe that perfected modern war. It's kinda hard for us to take your ideas of race/multiculturalism seriously when most EU countries are mostly 90% white and have serious issues with the minorites that are there(nevermind the history of colonialism and the holocaust). It's kinda hard for us to take your welfare state seriously since most European nations ride on the back of the US economy/military.


Europeans parade around the "Ignorant American" stereotype, yet most have great difficulty with knowledge of their own countries! I believe a poll of young Britons showed a majority didn't know who Winston Churchill was or what the Magna Carta deals with. I can't imagine the other ones are much better.

[Allemagne]

Originally Posted by Shizzles

For example, it's kinda hard for us to take your anti-war protests seriously since it was Europe that perfected modern war. It's kinda hard for us to take your ideas of race/multiculturalism seriously when most EU countries are mostly 90% white and have serious issues with the minorites that are there(nevermind the history of colonialism and the holocaust). It's kinda hard for us to take your welfare state seriously since most European nations ride on the back of the US economy/military.

.

U don't want a advice from a people who learned it's leason ? Thats ignorant and weak

[FCEddie]

I'm an American. Love Europe, love Europeans. Been to Europe 8 times, ready for trip #9.

Are there some Euros I don't like - yes. But there are some Americans I don't like as well.

[sailordave]

I don't hate Europe as a whole. I've been to Spain, Gibralter, France, Monaco, Italy, Malta, Greece, Albania, Slovania, Croatia, Romania, Bulgaria, Ukraine, Turkey, Israel, Egypt, Tunisia, and Morocco. Yes, I know some of the above is North Africa and middle east. Of the above European nations the only one I didn't like was France. Beautiful country except for the attitude of the people. I'm Cajun French so I was excited to go to the land of my ancestors. Now I'm glad my ancestors left.

[Happy Cells]

Good grief....are we on this kick again?

America does NOT "hate" Europe....Why would we?

To say that Americans or "America" hates Europe is just silly...

People, Europe is Europe....America is America....We are not the same....nor should we be. How boring would that be...have the world all the same! Globalization...making us all the same? Perhaps at the base level of some rave club...with the same cheesy music and erotic fashions...but aside from that we are different and that is what makes the other so interesting.
I've been "interrogated" any number of times while on business in Europe...by the locals that demanded some sort of explanation out of me (the American who just happened to be there)....why U.S. policy is what it is on obscure issue x,y,z....and I always had fun with it, these run-ins being few and far between anyhow....I'd sit there and smile....put on a Southern Twang-drawl...(since that is THE classic European stereotype for dumb Americans......people from the "south"....) drink myself into deep redwine happiness eating bread and cheese.......Then blow their minds with some on the mark off the wall answer.....it was all in fun!

Most of the time I got along well with people in every country I've been to....

People are people....

I even treat Europeans nice when I find them.....wandering...lost...aimless in some remote corner of America...all busily looking for strange furry animals or cowboys to photograph.....


...yea....I LOVE Europe!