Easy criticism

In my social environment it has always been popular to criticise the United States. It does not go as far as a boycott on McDonalds and Hollywood movies, but certainly beyond the US foreign policy. It is totally acceptable to call Americans retarded farmers, brainless consumers, fat fanatics and to imitate their way of speech. Even though I have never been on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean and despite the fact that I have met many intelligent and healthy Americans, I have to admit that I consider this way of thinking as normal.

The reality struck me when I read a review of the book Uncouth Nation: why Europe dislikes America by Andrei S Markovits. Markovits argues that “anti-Americanism is the only face of xenophobia still broadly accepted in Europe.”[1] Even though the reviewer concludes that Markovits’ argument lacks nuance, this is an interesting point. For example, how can the entire United Kingdom be in shock when Jane Goody makes fun of her Indian housemate’s accent, while clearly no one would care a least bit had an American been the target of Jane’s bullying?

A further interesting point Markovits makes is that anti-Americanism is the only thing Europeans have in common and is therefore the main building block of European identity. Anti-Americanism indeed seems to be a premise rather than a conclusion in European debates. Although European anti-Americanism is not always unfounded, it is an easy game to play. With failing attempts to advance the unity reached so far with a constitution, it is about time for Europe to focus its criticism on itself.
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References
[1] Mary Fitzgerald, ‘Love to hate you’, in New Statesman, 12 February 2007, p.59.