Yep, Europeans Will Hate Obama Too

Filed under: General News — Michael van der Galien, Editor-in-Chief on July 23, 2008 @ 11:53 am CEST

I agree with this column; many Europeans who hate George W. Bush, and oppose America in general, may talk positively about Barack Obama now, but they’ll change their tune shortly after he becomes America’s president. Obama has his own weaknesses and, it has to be pointed out, even if he did not, many Europeans would hang on to their anti-Americanism. It’s an important part of the progressive culture and ideology of Europe. The US represents capitalism and a free market and is, therefore, wrong. That’s the simplistic view these people adhere to.

Then again, there are also a lot of people who are not anti-American as such. Their views are influenced by the US president, and his actions. In this regard, Bush was disastrous and it’s difficult to imagine that the new president will be as bad, let alone worse.

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1 utsu

July 23, 2008 @ 12:52 pm CEST

"It’s an important part of the progressive culture and ideology of Europe."

Culture is a pretty big word, but yeah I’ll bite.

The reason we go against the US is because it is a bastion of pragmatism. The US is not only unpleasently devoted to christianity, with predictable effects, it is also addicted to realpolitik, to the logic of a hearty, proud "must" rather than the sensible, unselfish logic of should. Yes should cannot be in quotation marks.

The US is in many ways slow, faithful, hegemonic, selfish and its electorate will not understand that it is letting its politicians do this and that all over the world, and that they need to take responsibility. The US is a ship and faith is water to it - it does not follow empiricism if it can avoid it, but pure faith. But water lifts a ship even while it may doom it and flood it. This would not be a problem if it weren’t for the fact that the US influences other countries, affects them and involves itself in other economies to a serious degree. The US can do whatever but its little tics and fix ideas have big consequences. Like the psychotic embargo on Iraq, or Operation Ajax, or the refusal to prevent small arms companies from ceasing their exports to countries where everybody knows they will be used against human rights. While we are at it, its economy is heavily interlinked with the global yet they allow Randroids like Gramm to destabilize their economy with overwhelming bank regulations.

"We" don’t have a problem with the US - we have a problem with the actions of US powerholders and governmental units and if we are antagonistic to anything else American it is because it enables such actions.

Our contempt for christianists and people who are scared of boys with long hair (or women with short hair) is one thing, our disapproval of unquestioning patriots and those that unleash their government at the drop of a hat is another.

"In this regard, Bush was disastrous and it’s difficult to imagine that the new president will be as bad, let alone worse."

Oh yeah, McCain would never use the culture wars or try the old with me or against the US spiel.

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/07/22/eveningnews/main4283813.shtml

Oops.

2 Chris

July 24, 2008 @ 2:03 am CEST

"unpleasently devoted to christianity"

Another bite:
-Yes, those nasty Christians fought against slavery, how dare they!
-And all their involvement in the Civil rights movement, despicable.

I would suggest your contempt is toward conservative christians. That would be a political statement. I would agree that Christians have at times lost a sense of their Christian/political boundaries (i.e. Jim Dobson and Jeremiah Wright)

Dare I even suggest that Senator Obama might disagree with your characterization.

3 Interested

July 24, 2008 @ 11:06 am CEST

The US is in many ways slow, faithful, hegemonic, selfish and its electorate will not understand that it is letting its politicians do this and that all over the world, and that they need to take responsibility

And thank God you are not a part of it. Oooops, did I say God? oh my God! - there I go again! God stop me! Curses!

The US can do whatever but its little tics and fix ideas have big consequences.

You’re right of course, little tic here, fix there. Wasn’t much, well unless of course you were Germany, Japan, well make that most of Europe, for one or two world wars, few famines tons of natural disasters. Course that whole African hot potato - you know - the one Europe created and dropped is still being cleaned up. But don’t worry we’ll do what we can with it.