International Bestseller - have you read it??

[kiwisongbird]

Why Do People Hate America? by Ziauddin Sardar and Merryl Wyn Davies - this book makes interesting reading - has anyone else read it?

It's not a nasty book, has actually helped me understand a bit more about the world's attitude to America...

Combined with living amonst many expat Americans here and knowing you all a little bit, this book is helping more in my understanding of American culture and it's affect on the world and how we think.

Page 58

...clearly, how America percieves others and how others perceive America is at the heart of the qustion we are exploring. America affects, directly and indirectly, the lives of every individual, community and nation on the plantet. Thus, all the possible and varied answers to the question 'Why do people hate America?' are relevant not just for Americans bur for everyone, everywhere. The poet Robert Burns once wrote: "I would that God the gift would give us/ To see ourselves as others see us.'

Good stuff. :) :)

What do you think?

[jwil59]

Why Do People Hate America? by Ziauddin Sardar and Merryl Wyn Davies - this book makes interesting reading - has anyone else read it?

It's not a nasty book, has actually helped me understand a bit more about the world's attitude to America...

Combined with living amonst many expat Americans here and knowing you all a little bit, this book is helping more in my understanding of American culture and it's affect on the world and how we think.

Page 58

...clearly, how America percieves others and how others perceive America is at the heart of the qustion we are exploring. America affects, directly and indirectly, the lives of every individual, community and nation on the plantet. Thus, all the possible and varied answers to the question 'Why do people hate America?' are relevant not just for Americans bur for everyone, everywhere. The poet Robert Burns once wrote: "I would that God the gift would give us/ To see ourselves as others see us.'

Good stuff. :) :)

What do you think?


I think Robert Burns makes good sense. I saw a sig line on someone's post somewhere that said," Be the person your dog thinks you are".

I think a huge portion of the world hates us for our selfishness.

[The Oddball]

I haven't read the book, but I think I have a really good idea why the wold hates us. Go spend some time in a third world country. Seriously get to know their culture and make a few friends. Visit the poorest of the poor. See how the rich in those countries live. Come home and just watch. I've been to Ecuador twice. They are pretty poor, but I know that places in Africa are way worse.

Both times I was in Ecuador I went with a group of people to the city dump. Why? People live there. We brought them food, played with the kids, washed and cut some of the kid's hair, and just spent time with these people. They were greatful. Even if you couldn't give them much it meant a lot for you just to spend time with them. They won't even complain about how bad they have it. I made a few friends in other parts of the country and saw how they lived. I was amazed. They had very little, but they were more content than anyone I had ever met.

The thing that sealed it though for me was when I returned home. Even in the airport in Quito I didn't want to fly home. I work in a wealthy part of town, so there was a huge contrast. After getting back from a third world country I had to return to people who file written complaints againg my company (In N Out Burger) if someone puts a tomato on a burger and they specifically requested no tomatoes. For crying out loud, just pick the dang thing off. I've met several hundred people in Ecuador who wouldn't even dream of complaining about an extra peice of food like a tomato. Shoot, they would be glad to have the food even if there was NOTHING on it. Ok, I'm done ranting. I suppose that seeing the stark contrast between our self-centered culture and the lives of people in other parts of the world has aroused some anti-American sentiment. I love this country and the freedom's I we have, but I am disgusted at what our culture has become.

Although many people hate Bush and our politics, the culture is the real reason why we are hated. The culture starts all the problems. The politics is just the tool our culture uses to get what it wants.

[Jason]

"America is great because she is good. If America ceases to be good, America will cease to be great."
-- Alexis de Tocqueville

Alexis de Tocqueville, a Frenchman, wrote this after he visited America in 1831. I think one reason America is hated is that we have ceased to be good.

[TheBus36(Retired)]

Why Do People Hate America? by Ziauddin Sardar and Merryl Wyn Davies - this book makes interesting reading - has anyone else read it?

It's not a nasty book, has actually helped me understand a bit more about the world's attitude to America...

Combined with living amonst many expat Americans here and knowing you all a little bit, this book is helping more in my understanding of American culture and it's affect on the world and how we think.

Page 58

...clearly, how America percieves others and how others perceive America is at the heart of the qustion we are exploring. America affects, directly and indirectly, the lives of every individual, community and nation on the plantet. Thus, all the possible and varied answers to the question 'Why do people hate America?' are relevant not just for Americans bur for everyone, everywhere. The poet Robert Burns once wrote: "I would that God the gift would give us/ To see ourselves as others see us.'

Good stuff. :) :)

What do you think?

I think I'm waiting for you to type the rest of the book so I can read it on here instead. I actually might buy this one.


"America is great because she is good. If America ceases to be good, America will cease to be great."
-- Alexis de Tocqueville

Alexis de Tocqueville, a Frenchman, wrote this after he visited America in 1831. I think one reason America is hated is that we have ceased to be good.

I think the world perceives us as an arrogant nation. Couldn't possibly understand why!:eek:

[Evanescence]

From my experience, I have found that people dislike our Govt, but not us....

Most people admire our lives and attitude, even if they have nothing....to be American is to be cool....

Looks like a good read...:cool:

[Jesuslove]

From my experience, I have found that people dislike our Govt, but not us....

Most people admire our lives and attitude, even if they have nothing....to be American is to be cool....

Looks like a good read...:cool:
I agree with your comment. Many hate our government and the impact OUR government has had on their lives. I find American news services to be very biased. That's why I get my news from several sources.

Most Americans have no idea what our government's policies are related to foreign governments. Our government has supported dictators over the years. We've supported repressive regimes and kept leaders in power in third world countries who have been responsible for killing thousands. That's why, in my opinion, foreigners hate us. And most Americans don't care... if it doesn't affect them, there is no need to worry about it. I have been to third world countries and seen some things that no one should see. It is horrible. Television documentaries don't do justice to the plight of the poor in third world countries. I think when electing public officials, we really need to understand their positions on foreign policy issues as these issues most impact our relationships with the rest of the world.

[kiwisongbird]

I gotta go to bed right now, but I'll find some more interesting quotes from the book and post tomorrow...

Bless you guys - have a great day :)

[wbthornton]

From my experience, I have found that people dislike our Govt, but not us....
In a limited sense, I've found that to be very true. I have traveled multiple times to one North African country. I have found nothing but warm hospitality from the people there. They know that we are American's and welcome us. However, we never talk politics, so I can't say whether they like our government or not.

[Aussie3rddayfan]

From my experience, I have found that people dislike our Govt, but not us....

Most people admire our lives and attitude, even if they have nothing....to be American is to be cool....

Looks like a good read...:cool:

Hmmm. It would be an interesting read.

There IS a certian degree of anti-american sentiment out there. I think it exists because - as others have noted - America is selfish, arrogant etc. Because the US is in the limelight of pretty much everything these days the sentiment only grows stronger. I think this view is of both the government (no surprise) and the people as well. That said, every nation on earth is selfish, so we really are no differrent. God loves us all just the same. :D

[Pouye]

As an American, there are many things that my governement has done or participated in that I am not proud of. But as Aussie3rddayfan said, I know of not one country that is altruistic. Every nation has alliances and agendas, and internationally, there is little true neutrality.

The fact is, leaders of countries that are based on Islam (both in religion and politics) have an agenda that is not hidden, nor implicit. Their agenda, according to their own laws and practice, is for the whole world to become subject to Islamic rule and to become Muslim, by force if necessary.

There were leaders in countries in the past (and still many today...) that believed in an ideology called Communism. They believe that the whole world should be ruled by a certain "enlightened" class of people who should control and distribute wealth, property, work, produce and goods "fairly", with absolute power invested in them to do so. To make this successful internationally, all other nations should be subject to Communistic rule -- again by force if necessary.

It is true that there is no such things as an "unselfish" nation. For a nation to exist and compete, it has to have "self-interests". Nations are called "sovereign", just to emphasize this fact. Being both autonomous (in one sense) and yet internationally interconnected, there will always be shared interests between nations who will combine their powers to achieve their agendas.

Australia, like the USA, believes that all people are inherently (created) equal, that freedom also means freedom of religion (or even "from" religion, in the case of atheists or agnotics), and that human beings have inherent rights that afford them the opportunity to purse "life" in whatever way they so choose.

The above ideology clashes with the two ideologies above (and there are many more that it clashes with), and are incompatible. To say that the USA and Australia (or others who would subcribe to the ideologies of the "Free World") are the same as the rest of the world in terms of selfishness is basically true. They are not the same, however, in their goals or agendas.

One agenda for the USA (and Australia, for that matter), is for our ideologies to be upheld internationally. This inevitably causes much conflict. The world is not so much in conflict simply because of the differences in the many civlizations, but because of conflicting ideologies which are corporately held by many groups of countries.

Some people accuse the USA of forcing its ideologies on others. This accusation is not quite true, however. Ideologies will inevitably clash when they come into contact with each other, and both sides will always accuse the other of forcing their ideologies.

Some people criticize the USA for being a "world police officer", but this is also not a valid accusation in most cases, simply because the fact is, we have allies, and those allies have asked us for help in protecting themselves. Also, many nations look to the USA (and Australia in the Pacific) to help keep peace in politically unstable regions of the world. It is not like the USA or Australia just woke up one day and said, "I think I will send troops to the Solomon Islands." Rather, international committees discussed the issues at length and helped to make that decision.

The fact is, there is no such thing as international sovereignty. There is national sovereignty, but there is no international ruling body that is sovereign over the nations. There are coalitions and alliances that try to enforce international standards (like the U.N., etc.), and they have power (by virtue of their own collective military or economic powers) to impose sanctions, regulations, or other measures, but they are not sovereign over the nations.

The USA is hated primarily because as their powers grow and expand(cultural, economical, militaristic, etc.), their ideologies do as well -- and those ideologies are in sharp contrast to many countries. The world is becoming smaller every day by the speed of communications and travel. The "you do your thing over there, and we will do our thing over here" mentality does not work any longer internationally. In our dealings in the world, the USA will run into problems. That is the nature of an internationally interconnected world.

One reason the USA has been criticized is because it's own standards have been changing. The "double standard" criticism is a valid one, because the critics are right: The USA is changing. Some for the better, but I believe mostly for the worse. Ironically, as the USA becomes more like the world around us, the USA is hated because we do not uphold the higher standards we used to uphold. That is because before, the USA could be counted on as a bastion of freedom, and a beacon of hope to the nations. Now, as it continually moves away from ideas about God (including the idea that humans are created by God), as a nation we have began to trust in nationalism and our own powers and "good" ideologies. "In God We Trust" is being replaced with "In Us We Trust".

As the USA clashes with world ideologies on an international level, our allies will be severely tested. With Communism and Islam (the two largest ideological forces besides that of the "Free World") still growing, our allies will have to decide what to do.

Rock

[Aussie3rddayfan]

An excellent argument Rock. Well put. :D