WHY DO OTHER COUNTRIES HATE US?

THE SATURDAY EVENING POST | 1914 | Cadillac Motor Car Co.

[Uncle Burt]

Found this while pondering the question,why do other countries dislike us? Part of an ad in the Saturday Enening Post in 1914.

In every field of human endeavour, he that is first must perpetually live in the white light of publicity. Whether the leadership be vested in a man or a manufactured product,emulation and envy are ever at work. In art, in literature, in music, in industry the reward and the punishment are always the same. The reward is widespread recognition;the punishment, fierce denial and detraction. When a man's work becomes a standard for the whole world, it also becomes a target for the shafts of the envious few. If his work be merely mediocre, he will be left severely alone- if he acheive a masterpiece, it will set a million tongues a-wagging. Jealousy does not protrude it's forked tongue at the artist who produces a commomplace painting. Whatsoever you write,or paint, or sing, or build no one will strive to surpass, or to slander you unless your work be stamped with the seal of genius. Long, long after a great work or a good work has been done, those who are disappointed or envious continue to cry out that it can not be done. Spiteful little voices in the domain of art were raised against our own Whistler as a mountebank, long after the big world had acclaimed him it's greatest artistic genius. Multitudes flocked to Bayreuth to worship at the musical shrine of Wagner, while the little group of those whom he had dethroned and displaced argued angrily that he was no musician at all. The little world continued to protest that Fulton could never build a steamboat, while the big world flocked to the river banks to see his boat steam by. The leader is assailed because he is a leader and the effort to equal him is merely added proof of that leadership. Failing to equal or excel, the follower seeks to depricate and to destroy - but only confirms once more the superiority of that which he strives to supplant.

There is nothing new in this. It is as old as the world and as old as the human passions - envy, fear, greed, ambition, and the desire to surpass. And it all avails nothing. If the leader truly leads, he remains - the leader. Master poet, masterpainter, master workman each in his turn is assailed, and each holds his laurels through the ages. That which is good or great makes itself known, no matter how loud the clamor of denial That which deserves to live - lives.

[FreeTally]

I'm quite sure it never has anything to do with interfering in the business of other lands. That could never possibly be the case, could it?

How dare you say that you America-hating, terrorist-sympathizing hippie scum. Your attitude killed brave firemen and police officers. /sarcasm

[Michael81Dus]

"Because, with few exceptions, they SUCK!"

Great answer!! You just explained why most nations hate the US!! It´s your arrogance - and the way you think about different opinions...

You´re not tolerant anyway.

[FreeTally]

I guess you really would need to throw out some examples of what you mean by "interfering".

You do realize that we have troops stationed in over 100 different countries?

[Nachum]

You are absolutely right we should remove all our military from those foreign lands. Just like we did in Europe right before 1920 and 1938.

[ShadowDancer]

I knew before I typed it that would set people off. Don't misunderstand me, I have no love for any of those persons you mentioned and aggression against some is definitely necessary. However, I am not at all sold on this Iraq deal. Period. That doesn't make me a traitor or anti-American. It means I had better see some damn solid proof before boys start dying, or just as likely, people here do.

[ShadowDancer]

or "interfering" like giving them billions of dollars in aid which will never be repaid, or "interfering" like protecting/rescuing them from tyrrany repeatedly over the past century?

More specifically, those two examples. I am not a solid isolationist but I would like to see us lean more that way than we have in the past 35 or so years.

[ShadowDancer]

you America-hating, terrorist-sympathizing hippie scum.

Just part of my many charms.

[Michael81Dus]

Well, as a foreigner, I feel competent to answer the question why most nations hate the US.

It´s not only the media but I´ve to admit that in the Third World the censored propaganda has the greatest influence on the peoples minds. But even in the free West, the media is dominated by Leftists/Liberals. They have influence, but the most applying factor from my view is,
that the US have problems to present their policy.

Most nations on this planets had horrible wars which affected many people - the US never had such a great war on their territory. The people can´t imagine how terrible bombs can be - and when I hear some of you saying "let´s nuke ´em" I feel that I´m right.

Peoples want more dialogue, more peace. They believe that the US start wars even if it´s not really necessary. The US care about situations they shouldn´t care about, some say. Keep that in mind when asking why you´re hated.

No reasons are jealousy or envy, at least not in Europe. Although economies struggle, our living conditions are fine (to prove that look at the CIA worldbook).

Kind regards,

Michael

[lavaroise]

Give em cake, and they eat it, but they still want to orgy on American power, while we only seek truth, not power. They are power hungry little fascists made ready for revolution and death and mayhem...

[conservativecorner]

Lets see? How about because we are prosperous and free.

[Michael81Dus]

"They love killing people and blowing stuff up."

Yeah, that´s the case - and one reason why the US are so unpopular. Peoples are sick of deads and "civilian casualties".

Another reason could be, that the US behaved ambiguous in the last years: on the one hand you´re engaged when you´re business is affected (Iraqi oil), but when only human rights are in danger, you do nothing or just little (Eritrea, Ethipia, Congo, N Korea).

[elmer fudd]

Most of the world hates us for being moral degenerates as portrayed by Hollywood and the media, (that's why they hate Europe too, despite Europe's pacifism). They don't want their kids to grow up to be drug addicts, sluts, materialists and everything else that MTV and Hollywood present as American. If your oppinion of America were formed by films like American Beauty and American Pie, you'd probably think we were a bunch of dirtbags too and I bet you'd resent some foreign country glamorizing such a lifestyle for your children.

[DoctorMichael]

........level of education that it presumes in the reader; truly, we have become a dumbed-down nation over the last century...........

I'll Bump that! Can you imagine asking someone on the street, ala Jay Leno, what the Bayreuth Festival is.

[Nachum]

I happen to agree with you on Iraq (anyway). I don't like the idea of our boys going back into to the Iraqi desert to get another dose of chemicals, biologicals, and radiation sickness. The DOD is still screwing over the vets who came back from the gulf with deadly sickness from before. Some of that sickness, they have given to civilians too.

Having said that, I have no doubt that Iraq has every weapon we think they have and few others we know nothing about. The "proof" argument just doesn't wash with me. What to do about this evil is the real issue.

Do you let it fester and grow, or do you deal with it now while you can? A nasty business. Saddam has had many years to change and has remained a lying, beligerent, mass murderer who is preparing for more war. Negotiation will accomplish nothing. The inspectors are a joke.

We must either deal with this or wait till he attacks another of his neighbors again and destabilizes all the western economies again.

[Uncle Burt]

You mean this terrible military?

In Flanders Fields the poppies blow between the crosses row on row.................

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields

You mean THAT military?

[pickyourpoison]

Your right. If I turned on the news and saw armed soldiers from some other country on American soil, I'd be highly upset. This is just another thing we can thank the U.N. for. Their so-called peace keeping missions.
There will be no peace in these countries as long as the leaders are greedy and love their own well being more than their fellow countrymen.

[ShadowDancer]

The "proof" argument just doesn't wash with me.

Unfortunately with me, it does. I need something other than postulating and preening to put my approval on a measure of this magnitude. In WWII it wasn't necessary. We were directly attacked by the Japanese. I need some solid proof of Iraq's direct involvement in September 11 and so far I haven't seen it. I'm not saying I'm naive and think he is an innocent. What I am saying is that we are spread too far and wide globally as it is. Enough is enough of, "Well, they might do......" There are an immense amount of countries that could be and likely are developing WOMD. We can't contain and eradicate them all.

[AbsoluteJustice]

I do not believe that you are anti-American or a traitor; ignorant yes, but not a traitor. I do not understand individuals in your mind-set. No matter how many times it is told over and over again there are those that “Just don’t get it” or ever will. By terms of the peace treaty to end the Gulf War the nation of Iraq was to abide by all terms of that cease fire. Otherwise, the Gulf War would not have ended. Argument ended. There is no counter-argument to this. The smoking gun is already there. This war should not have ended. I blame Bush 1 for this. Furthermore I blame traitorous Clinton for not keeping him to his signature on the dotted line. Remember WW2 and the agreement Japan signed into? They to this day still do not have a military. Before asking for that proof that you desire take a step back and look at the agreement he signed into. Is it worth fighting over?? HELL YES IT IS. Otherwise it isn’t worth the piece of paper it is written on.

[Axenolith]

Dude, don't take it personally. Whether or not you think I'm tolerant really hurts me {sniff}, NOT! Notice how I said "with few exceptions", (I guess not), though I'm not currently counting Germany in the ole' non sucking category (ridiculously high taxes\socialist mindset, personal attacks on our President).

The way one thinks about different opinions!? Come on! That sounds like the line of BS we get over here from libs when saying that Arafats goons are bloodthisty thugs.