Kate,

Excellent post.

Persuasion of the masses has become critically important.

Who gets to whisper into the ears of the media?

Tomm

"Who gets to whisper into the ears of the media?"

news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070209/ap_on_hi_te/media_ownership_2

According to the Dean of the American MSM, Walter (head as thick as) Concrete, just big moneyed interests. Capitalism is evil, in other words, and is the real engine behind the MSM.

Uh huh.

So if what he says is true, then why was he, and still is, a raving moonbat?

All moonbats are simply useful idiots. They don't even realize that they too have been duped.

Good article.

Free air waves (internet communication) is becoming necessary.

If we didn't have people liked Kate, I would be getting my news from CBC or CTV, or my local paper. These are being shown to be highly controlled disseminators of selected and massaged information.

Did you notice that Harper's little "mini-Throne Speech" wasn't even carried by CBC, at all. The political news that day on CBC was all Garth, all the time.

Blogging has become necessary to exchange news.

Tomm

hmph.

maybe the REAL final word on WW II is the GIs didnt 'let' europe choose its own 'path' via european devised naziism which would have indubitably led to a nazi dominated europe offering up its wealth and personnel to berlin, including all those well pampered nuke theorists and engineers leading to the kraut version of trinity 1st tested in the sahara and thence an actual 1000 year reich.......

who knows.

In Europe, as in Canada, anti-Amercanism is based on a mix of envy and a desparate need to feel superior.

Quite sad, as both Europe and Canada have every right to be proud and secure in their own identities, without having to resort to mindless Bush/America bashing.

If only people could think for themselves, in Europe, Canada, USA, and elsewhere, then the world would be a better, more diverse, more prosperous, more accepting, and safer place. At the moment, the masses are for the most part entirely in the control of the elites, and the elites are under control of their own power hunger.

Thanks Kate. I'm continually impressed at the span of your interests! I think you are leading the way with your Pan Americanism.

This astonishingly clear essay lays bare the conceits of the overwhelming majority of cynics surrounding us in the world. The sheer in-authentic attitude of anti-americanists belies a weak personal condition.

I am amazed at the perspectives of those outside America speaking with a contrived knowledge of America gained from either a short visit or stay here. I live in the United States but spent most of my life in Southern Ontario. While I don't think you need to live in the US to gain either a positive or negative point of view of it, I just think the anti-american attitude is a thinly disguised envy of America.

I can speak to all the business and academic people I know from living in Toronto for 15 years. They think they know American culture and business. But they have only a barely functional or topical command of life here.

And it is reflexively negative, as if the mere fact of being a Canadian is better. None of the people I know can articulate or substantiate any of their opinions. It is as if they are teenagers thinking their parents are idiots, even if these parents are successful, tolerant, caring stewards of an arrogant child.

Sooner or later the teenager figures out their parents are actually good, or possibly, great people.

But how will Europe ever grow up! All I can say, is who gives a damn.

In Canada, as we have seen in the past year, if you are really paying attention, a conservative politician has demonstrated what a grown up Canada can look like. It is Canada that prizes its past, knows who its friends are and realizes what its responsibilities are in the world. This is a mature world view which is political for the moment but can steadily be come the "norm" across the country.

Thanks Stephen Harper.

Pan Americanism is an enviable goal and needs to take its natural course in the integration of the americas and the pan american way way of live. It is a very useful antidote to the vexing prejudices of the old world in Europe. An old world increasingly warped by Islamic tribalism and low birth rates.

The USSR chose to fight a 40 year showdown with America, all the while feeding their people lies about the "evil American empire". Now the USSR is gone, but the people are still around. Many have immigrated to other nations. I'm sure many of them hold on to their anti-American beliefs. Likewise, muslim immigrants have spread throughout the western world, and they too hold on to their anti-American beliefs, having been taught that the "evil Jews" control America. The entire political left of Canada seem to be anti-American. Not sure why, but I see it as some sort of jealousy thing. Maybe they're pissed that capitalism defeated socialism. Anyway, my point is that the US literally has millions upon millions of former enemies around the world, still harbouring their prejudices.

"I am amazed at the perspectives of those outside America speaking with a contrived knowledge of America gained from either a short visit or stay here"

That's not where it's coming from. Most Canadians form opinions of America from watching American TV, and don't even realize it.

Imagine if what image we'd have of ourselves if the majority of our "Canadian experience" came by way of CBC.

Thanks, jrb. I'm one of the few people of my acquaintance--professional, big city types--who isn't anti-American. These otherwise intelligent people are just as you say. In relation to the USA, I call them adult toddlers: self-referential, easily frustrated, and more than willing to blame someone else for perceived or real problems. "It isn't me!" they whine. They hate Bush and have a real antipathy to Stephen Harper, who's every bit the good fortune for Canada and the rest of the world that you've noted: Harper's mature, focused, responsible, committed Conservative government has done more good with a minority government, in just over a year, than the cry-baby, attention deficit disordered, dishonest/criminal, committed-only-to-itself Liberal government did in 14.

Bit by bit, thanks to the Internet and bloggers like Kate, I believe, Canadians are beginning to wake up, though all our major institutions are still bogged down in left field. The propaganda in our public schools, universities, courts, and most other public institutions, as well as our mainline Protestant churches--dying, it seems--is reprehensible.

However, a great gift to those of us, who haven't been hypnotized by the green snake, is the election of Stephane Dion as head of the Liberal Party here. He's such an inadequate leader, which even the machinations of the MSM can't hide, he's not inspiring much confidence in the electorate. In pre-election debates, Harper will chew him up and spit him out. 'Can't wait!

If Harper and the Conservatives get a majority government next election--what a happy day that would be!--we'll be able to consolidate our relationship with the best friend we have. God bless America!

jrb “the anti-American attitude is a thinly disguised envy of America”

Agree, plus an ideological dose of anti-capitalism. Utopians are annoyed that America keeps proving that capitalism is the only way to succeed. Even China has figured that out.

Like you, I’ve lived in several US cities and we need to remember that there are many anti-Americans in America .. because America also has its own self-loathing Michael Moore cynics. Canadians and Europeans pick up on these distortions produced by Hollywood and the MSM and academia.

Kate makes the point that the US does a great job of selling its own negativity to the world. .and the Canadian utopians say to me “there see nomdenet . even the Americans are saying their system is awful”. To offset the powerful American MSM utopians, SDA needs to get a venture capital fund, maybe Gerry Schwartz, to fund the creation of a conservative TV outlet .. Moose News.

TV in the USA is changing. Even CNN, pushed into it by FOX, now has a conservative Glen Beck on talknews. I think we will soon see fully committed conservative networks representing values such as less government and more individual freedom with responsibility by “grown ups”.

If Sarkozy wins in France, we may even see Europe turn to sanity. Poor, duel Dijon, he’ll need to get a Cuban passport.

ABOUT TIRESOME EUROWEENIES: The European Union has been eagerly anticipating US collapse since 1973, but there are only a few countries in the world where real personal goals can be met so cheaply as the US. Forget GDP per capita as a measure of prosperity; visit Europe and you’ll quickly see how few families have big detached houses, several cars, cheap energy, excellent social mobility, low tax, and robust economic prospects. Europe is stricken with chronic geopolitical constipation, economic atherosclerosis, schizophrenic multi-culturalism, kleptomaniac tax structures, quadriplegic foreign policies, military dementia, and wobbly, obsessive-compulsive governments.

I think a lot of the animosity that comes out in the Euro MSM is more a matter of competition with the US...EU against NAU trade blocks...Euro against green back as trade curency...decadent statist socialism against capitalis imperialism as a world power. The competition brings out sanctimonious name calling and provocations.

Western Europe now has more in common with Russia than it does with America....sad really because the continents were so ideologically aligned when republicanism and citizen driven democracy was the rage in western culture.

I leave it to the historians to determine if Europe's slide from independent republican states to statist EU collectivism was a good one or a bad one....but the same historians will have to judge if the US slide from constitutional republic and laissez-faire capitalism to militant centralist corporatism was good or bad.

I'm Just glad I live in a country where the representative democracy and economic systems are not too far monopolized by insider cliques that they can not be returned to public accoutability.

I see most of western Europe lost to cultural and ideological homogenization and stagnant in renewing the advancement of individual freedom and security western culture...that will be left to us in the "new world" democracies.

From France …it seems that Royal is being coached by duel Dijon.

The Socialist candidate in France's presidential election, Segolene Royal, has launched her manifesto in Paris.
She announced a 100-point platform with a strong emphasis on social programmes, promising a higher minimum wage and the construction of more low-rent housing.

Got that? 100 priorites and Dijon said :

“do you think it’s easy to make priorities?”

Why is it these lefties cannot focus? Cannot get anything done? They’re all the same, the world over.

How come "multiculturalism" doesn't extend to American culture?

Fact: View from outside America; America bad.

Fact: Jihadist seek to destroy *bad* America.

Fact: Europe seeks to minimize *bad* America.

Fact: World view is generally that it's all *bad* America's fault.

Fact: World view is that *bad* America doesn't do enough.

Fact: World view is that *bad* America does too much.

Fact: The *bad* Americans donate more capital to world causes than any other nation. But others say it's not enough.

Fact: Millions, upon millions, of people seek to immigrate to, sneak into, or otherwise relocate to *bad* America.

Fact: A lot of companies of other nationalities seek to do their business in *bad* America, since things don't tend to get nationalized.

Fact: There seems to be some disconnect between fantasy and reality. I guess it depends on what one's definition of *bad* is(tongue firmly in cheek).

Those in Canada that exhibit anti Americanism and loathe the elephant to the south are truly mice. If you know anyone like that look at what they do for a living, whom they work for and whom they vote for. They are the weak amongst us and huddle together in their fear of everything.

Thirty years ago in the business arena I learned that we were more that they’re equal then and I feel that way even more so today. Most Canadian business people feel we can compete and win against anyone.

It is the irrelevant and insignificant that exhibit this hate/fear/inferiority, pity them, brush them off, don’t acknowledge them or their views.

Some of us will even be spending our March break in the *bad* U.S. of A., and having a H*ll of a good time there.

It's envy pure and simple. Most of the people I know who are knee-jerk anti-America enjoy all of the perks, privileges, and goodies provided by American capitalism: ingrates.

If they relied on Canada's anemic, heavily regulated capitalism, their quality of life would be well below what they've been accustomed to.

But how do you make people who are invincibly ignorant, who lionize Michael Moore and Al Gore and demonize George W. Bush and Stephen Harper, open their eyes and ears? Inside an MSM, elite, chattering-class echo chamber, it's very hard for reality and sanity to get attention, let alone compete.

To borrow a line from the new RC Archbishop of Toronto when asked if he was optimistic about the future of the Church, he answered, "No, I'm not optimistic. But I am hopeful."

Like the drip, drip, drip of a tap, those of us who can see the good--no, the heroism--of the U.S. of A. need to just keep speaking truth into lies, again, and again, and again. Asking for no praise, no recognition, no popularity.

Kate's comment about how Canadians forming their opinions of America and Americans is very revealing and reminds me of countless examples of Canadians patronizing Americans visiting as ourists or on business.

Canadians typically, like most europeans, know very little of the US laws, government and politics. Its as if their having watched 60 minutes or Frontline means they've majored in America. The fact that the MSM has spoon fed liberal crap, and the case of CNN, this is done 24 hours a day, means they've developed opinions based on the narrowest bias imaginable.

An excellent revelation of a self-evident fact. From my perspective (ww11vet)the current reaction is not unlike that of canadians to Britain when I was young. Then the "home country" loomed large, our navy was built on straight RN lines and we claimed Nelson's victories as ours too. But the latent simultaneous envy and dislike were shown in our disdainful dismissal of junior officers some of whom adopted a mid-atlantic accent. We said "we can show them we'll do whatever they do and better" except at the most demanding we referred to them for their training and expertise. Just so we now attach our sevicemen to US formations for training and experience. All quite understandible but surely what is needed is a return to the unifying identity we found in Empire updated to a firm commitment to a British Commonwealth including all former British countries still retaining the base of British common law and parliamentary democracy, the most important of course being Britain and America. With shared goals of peace and economic progress no other political entity would prevail. Perhaps commencing with North Atlantic Union?

jrb, DemocracyRules, Johan i Kanada, et al.
Thank you for your revelatory determination that our criticism of U.S. policies is merely anti-Americanism motivated by envy/jealousy and our own national deficiencies.
Signed,
The 68% of AMERICANS that disagree with the current direction of U.S. policy

Those who foster anti-Americanism among our erstwhile friends should realize that hate breeds hate. An increasing number of Americans are responding to the incessant preening and prejudice of a crumbling Europe with a return to the time-honored American tendancy to say, "To hell with those bastards. Let them kill each other." This sentiment is also a large portion of the American public's current antipathy towards the Iraq War. The spending of American lives and treasure to pay the costs of other's problems is becoming too much to bear, with the resulting desire to pull up the bridges and reinforce the walls only steadily building within us.

Anti-Americanism is not cost free. When Europe burns again we'll stay over here to admire the blaze.

The truth is that most of us down here in the US don't spend 24 hours a day in identification of being "American."

It's not exactly a part of our culture to constantly try to remind ourselves that we are "American."

It is odd to us to hear about Canadians who proudly wear the Canadian flag on their backpacks when they travel about Europe.

Of course we get a kick out of seeing the flags at the Olympics and all, and during a military crisis as we presently have, naturally a lot of American flags come out to demonstrate that ultimately our loyalties are very much to America.

However, frankly all this anti-Americanism from Europe with the implicit snobbery that somehow "Europe" is "superior" in some inexplicable manner falls on puzzled ears.

It's a foreign phenomenon for us to think that a bunch of Europeans are going about their day resoundingly reinforcing mentally that they are "European" and therefore somehow unique.

In the US I know people who identify pretty heavily with being a Texan.

Part of this is because in the US we do not identify with our government to the exent people do in a lot of countries. We have our political positions, but government is less of an identification than the American land, people and animals, etc.

In America we want to be free to be who and what we are, not some phony identification with a government or an abstract conception like an idealized version of "country". We want to have the freedom to fully be ourselves and have that be our identity.

joebaloni,

That's easy for you to say! The US Senators voted 84 to 0 to send General Petraues to Iraq and carry out the mission of the Commander in Chief, who's job it is to prosecute the war. Even Durbin from illinois; Levin from Michigan endorsed the military tactics the President approached.

So what's your point?

Now THAT, Joe, is a wide, credible, representative sample of the American people, if ever there was one. Thanks.(Sarcasm off.) Source?

...besides; the joe baloni's of this world simply prove the Professor's point. That there exists no basis for the anti-americanism and that whatever the US foreign policy might be, its bound to be criticized.

Anti-Americanism is proof positive that neuroses can become insanity, and can become pandemic.

News broadcasts in Canada have at times been nothing more than a fifteen minute celebration of hatred toward the US, the worst I've seen being Kevin Newman on Global, during the Hurricane Katrina crisis.

The author tries to maintain a neutral mindset, but his own feeling s show through in his mention of the CIA, Abu Ghraib, Guantanamo. The most obvious statement had to be this one, I almost burst out laughing when I read it:
" To be sure, no serious observer of the United States would dispute the considerable defectiveness of its political system."

Yes, and only an idiot would argue that there is a perfect system of government extant anywhere in the world.

Good article. Thanks Kate.

As one who has American family and close personal friends I have always respected what they have given the world. I am sure those formerly under the USSR's boot praise them to the heavens. Their protection and commerce has given us the standard of living we seem to take for granted.

I was just in New Zealand and the hotel receptionist asked what part of the US I was from and I told her I was Canadian and she apologized as if she had slighted me and I responded there is nothing wrong with being American. This attitude is repeated everywhere and must be so disheartening to American tourists.

One of the US's biggest problems is their almost total lack of teaching world history, geography and other countries cultures in their schools. My sister-inlaw and her teacher brothers echo this concern. Witness Bush's disastrous advisors on Iraq and muslim culture. With even a basic understanding of how the removal of a strong dictator brutally controlling his country would lead to religious internecine killing and destruction unless it was quickly replaced with tight Iraq military control he would not have invaded the country or stayed if he did.

America has proved over time to be Canada's friend whereas Europe with its snobbery and elitism, remember DeGaul after all we had done for France, hasn't.

ask any Pole what USA means to her/him...
they wil say thanks God for Reagan/USA

Sounds like you might be talking about U.C. BERKELEY or SAN FRANCISCO

Several of the posts here have said that the hatred of the US is envy. I'm not sure about that. I think it is more an issue of pride. Starting from the end of WWII, time and time again the US, has stood up for what they believe - liberty - the rest of the world hasn't and are almost ashamed. The US liberated the world in WWII and then re-built it. Japan, Germany, Britain, France, South Korea, China and now Veitnam are successful because of the the US.
Most of these countries are/were imperialist empires with rich histories and sophisticated cultures (big palaces, big cathedrals, holdings in Africa and Latin America, Asia, etc.) and they see that they no longer have a real say in the way the world is moving and I think that they want to - and they should.
I think that the leadership in the US actually realizes this big time and I think that is why the US continues to support the UN and improve upon it.
(The other day I met 2 Canadian Soldiers in a bar who were grabbing a few beers - they had signed up to go to Afghanistan. They were in uniform and they were smart. They new exactly what they were doing and why they were going there. I suddenly felt a huge sense of pride to be a Canadian Citizen.)

I think that Americans need to continue to be sensitive to other nations, especially the Europeans, and try to involve them in decision making and maybe this will restore their pride in themselves.

Anti-americanism exists in America itself as well.

One of the key aspects of those who spout hate against America is their raging hypocrisy. Limosine liberal movie stars speaking out against guns and violence and war starring in movies that glory in all of these things (plus sex).

Euros who hate the US but watch Jerry Lewis clips on their microsoft os dell laptops.

Canadians who are anti-american who watch baseball and American Idol and eat at Macdonalds, Etc. Etc.

joebaloni

What exactly is your point?
Anyone can disagree with US policy but the discussion here is the outright biggotry expressed towards the American people and their country. Are you suggesting 68% of Americans hate themselves and their country?

If you have nohing to say, why speak and divulge your ignorance?, that's not the lefty way, c'mon mantow the cult line.

Unelected monarchies, socialism, naziism, communiism, fascism, cowardice, whining, arrogance, laziness, stupidity.

No wonder people left Europe for America.

Harper recently redefined Trudeau's, "mouse beside the elephant," saying that it's more like a "wolverine beside a grizzly bear."

I like Harper's vision of Canada much better.

Kate said (9.52) - "That's not where it's coming from. Most Canadians form opinions of America from watching American TV, and don't even realize it.

Imagine if what image we'd have of ourselves if the majority of our "Canadian experience" came by way of CBC."

Two short sentences that quantify problem and suggest solution - one the dispassionate assessment, the other the emotional gut punch.

In a comment, off the cuff...Aargh! Write my grant proposals, PLEASE!!

My suggestion would be that we all stop imagining that government defines who we are or what we are as individuals.

In the US, our Declaration of Independence states, "That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among men..."

Our view is that government is merely the creature and tool or instrument of a sovereign people. Its only purpose is to "secure" the rights enumerated and beyond that government has no legitimate power.

The Declaration of Independence says, "...all men are created... endowed by their Creator..." This is the source from which those rights mentioned above flow. They are not secured because of the manufacture by government, bureaucracies, parliaments or even Houses of Representatives or Senates. The rights flow from the "Creator" and government is simply a tool that secures those rights.

Traditional Americans view government as an instrument that we use and nothing more. And, in fact, Thomas Jefferson said, "... True barriers (bulwarks) of our liberty ... are our state governments."

We do not want a massive, centralized government that requires our identification. We want our power to be diffused to states and the local level to try to avoid the massive abuse of power we see going on in the United Nations.

So in summary, our view is that government has a legitimate and justifiable role, but has no importance beyond the discharge of those responsibilities. Traditional Americans do not wander around thinking that we are better than others, because we have been schooled in the idea that all men are created equal and endowed with unalienable rights by their Creator.

On the other hand, since we just started to do our income taxes, tonight I'm rather inclined to agree with Europeans and Canadians and would like to line up a bunch of politicians against the wall.

That's not where it's coming from. Most Canadians form opinions of America from watching American TV, and don't even realize it.

Amen to that, Kate. And, so does, regrettably, most of the world. It sickens me that Hollywood movies and CNN are the sole windows into my country for vast majority of humanity.

That we are a raucous democracy, always a work in progress, I'm sure scares many. We have never been an imperial power, we've go home unlike our European counterparts. It's not in our nature. Because we cherish individualism, are suspicious of big government and utopian schemes, socialism is a bad fit here.

Europeans are been ruled by elites in Brussels in exchange for cradle to grave security.
They have very little input into the candidate choices in any given election. Democracy is constricting in Europe. Russia is re-Stalinizing after their failed attempt at capitalism. Putin has a 70% approval rate. Cultures seek the level that they are most comfortable with. Europe has only liked America(add Canada before the Liberals) when we've been summoned to save their sorry asses from their own bad choices.

Staring down the barrel of jihadis at home on their soil, Iran's potential mischief with a nuclear bomb, Putin's mischief with oil and gas to the EU, I'd be willing to bet Europe's animosity toward America will be suspended as history carries us forward.

Greg in Dallas :

Good post. Its exactly why Provinces like Alberta see themselves first as Albertans. We are fanatics about Provincial rights. In them we find our bulwark against Federal dominance. Much to Ottawa's vexation.

For proof just read over the Alberta Firewall letter, signed by the present PMSH.

Our die is cast with America no matter what anyone thinks or wishes otherwise. It always has been as Kate avered to in her excellent her organic comment. its not only about resouces, liked mindedness, simular cultures.

We both believe in individual liberty, law & order, we mistrust politicians & believe the populace is best able to judge their way of life.At least in Alberta to keep out of other folks buisness.

In other words where all of us refugee's from Europes elites. The EAst has retrograded back & needs to come back into the birth right of every North American. Freedom from presecution & government, by use of soical concensus to govern.

Each of our States & Provinces are petree dishes of different forms of liberal democracy. All experiments. I like it that way. Who needs an monopolistic federal system of control? It destroys real progress.

Some day's I think we should just build a bigger wall than China around us & to hell with em all.

In the end we ( Canada, New Zealand, Australia) are Latins to America's Rome. England was the Etruscans. Mother of us all.

Why isn't anything about America taught in schools? It is our closest neighbour and biggest trading partner and the place where most go to visit when leaving Canada. I couldn't believe it the other day when my sister who is a straight A honour student didn't know that Califonia was a state of the US and not a country. She is going to university in a year to become a teacher and she didn't even know that. Oh and guess where their school trip is going this year. France. Makes me think the rumors are true about the liberals using the school system to brainwash kids.

The author has missed out one deciding factor: pesonal experience of people who've met American tourists.

"The author has missed out one deciding factor: pesonal experience of people who've met American tourists.
Posted by: Jose at February 12, 2007 7:12 AM "

Ah, yes... the "ugly American" as tourist.

Funny how it goes. Go home, ugly American tourist. But please leave all of your dollars behind as you exit.

The ad budgets of many countries is nearly all spent trying to entice American tourists to visit. Yet the sentiment is please just leave and go home. The ads really should present the REAL intent:"Please put your vacation money in an envelope and mail it to us. Your physical presence is not required, nor is it actually welcomed."

Does that about cover it, Jose?

Revnant dream, I had never read the firewall speech before, so I googled it. I thought it was a damned fine speech, and I agree with it entirely.

Jose, whatever else you may be, you are a very ugly ambassador for Canada.

Oops. I said speech -- naturally, I meant letter. It's way too early for my brain to be engaged.