Anti-Americanism in seven easy steps

America in the World | January 19, 2010 | Paul Goodman

[Tolik]

The humanitarian catastrophe in Haiti is turning out to be a classic illustration of anti-Americanism in seven easy steps.

1. Calamitous events take place in a chaotic place (think Bosnia, think Somalia, think Iraq in 1991).
2. The U.N and the U.S intervene.
3. The civil government proves to be useless or malign, or both.  The U.N isn’t up to the job.  The only effective force in sight is the U.S.  According to today’s Guardian, John O’Shea, the head of Goal, a medical charity, has called on the U.S to take charge of the whole operation.  So has a major U.S aid agency (“which declined to be named for political reasons”).
4. There are only two possible outcomes.
5. The U.S takes over.  If this happens, it will be accused of “creating a military occupation under the guise of humanitarian aid” and “occupying” the country outright.  (Apologies, my memory’s failing me.  These criticisms have been aired already.  The first quote’s from President Chavez of Venezuela.  The second’s from Alain Joyandet, France’s “Co-operation Minister”.)
6. The U.S doesn’t take over.  If this happens, it will be criticised for “not doing enough” - and isolationism.
7. So either way, the U.S loses.

I’m not a fully signed-up member of the Stars-and-Stripes fan club.  But there are times when I think: who’d be an American?

[Tolik]

AmericaInTheWorld.com is the website of the London Centre for the Study of Anti-Americanism. Via our briefings, we aim to provide the number one factual resource for those who wish to hear the case against anti-Americanism. Our goal is to increase understanding of America, to debunk some of the leading myths about the United States, and to make a positive case for a continuing leading role for America in the world.

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[12Gauge687]

Thanks for your efforts and those of your group. However, despite the positive response by much of the world’s Left, as well as quite a few on the Right, to the new US president, you will continue to hear garbage about our nation and its people, particularly the folks in uniform. British Labourites and Tories alike are a perfect example of this.

We in Ameica long for the likes of Lady Margaret Thatcher.

[Tolik]

Those briefings without active links are yet to be published.

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Alternatives to America
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[Tolik]

Not me, and not my group. But I can sign up under your thank you note to them as well.

[Dick Bachert]

BUT – BUT AMERICA AND AMERICANS ARE SO “UNREMARKABLE!”

The hearts and prayers of Americans always go out to those who suffer catastrophic events. Haiti is but the most recent example. American people and treasure are already flowing into that sad place, made sadder still by this earthquake.

Of course, as Barack Obama spent his first year in office reminding the entire world, America is just like all the other nations out there and we are a most “unremarkable” people.

I’d remind him that the wealth which we are now about to pour into Haiti is the result of the superior and productive political and economic system left us by some wise and far-sighted men over 240 years ago. How sad that Obama is well on the way to destroying it. Obama and his not so merry band of Chicago thugs need to ask themselves from where that wealth now flowing into Haiti will come when they complete their sought after destruction of the unique American system?

The persistent poverty in places like Haiti is a product of the inferior systems the people of far too many of those nations continue to tolerate. I don’t know much about the human beings at the top of the current Haitian food chain but situations of this sort have, in the past, caused a huge surge in the quantity of numbered accounts in Swiss banks. I hope that doesn’t happen in this situation. If it should, I hope the decent members of the Haitian population conduct public hangings of those involved.

As one commentator recently remarked, Haiti could easily join the other wealthy tourist spots in the Caribbean were it not for their unfortunate inability to move out of the 18th century.

If any good can come from this disaster, perhaps it will be that they will reexamine their social and economic “model” and rebuild their homeland in ways that will permit ALL of their citizens to participate and prosper.

[Tolik]

“If any good can come from this disaster, perhaps it will be that they will reexamine their social and economic “model” and rebuild their homeland in ways that will permit ALL of their citizens to participate and prosper.”

To support what you said:
To Help Haiti, End Foreign Aid
For Haitians, just about every conceivable aid scheme beyond immediate humanitarian relief will lead to more poverty, more corruption and less institutional capacity.

By BRET STEPHENS:

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704541004575010860014031260.html

[Elsie]

We in Ameica long for the likes of Lady Margaret Thatcher.

It takes a Carter;
to get a Reagan.

[Daveinyork]

According to Drudge, the French and the Venezuelans are already accusing the US of occupying Haiti. It didn’t take long. The question is will we turn tail as we did in Somolia?