[vannrox]

The unlimited bashing of America continues unabated...

[theophilusscribe]

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[Argus]

This is less America-bashing by Buruma, who's an intelligent observer, than simply rueful acknowledgment of reality.

[kickme]

The US is the Home of the Free, and the Land of the Brave. There is a core of us that know right from wrong, and who fear God. That's why.

[mdittmar]

I always liked this Canadians' opionion.

[marktwain]

Heck, WE don't want to be the world's policeman either. But like a reluctant sodbuster who is good with a gun, we have become the sheriff because no one else had the guts or responsibility to do it. The rest of the world should just be glad that it wasn't a Stalin, Hitler, or Mao who is at the reins.

I don't like the U.S. being the worlds policeman, but the alternatives, unfortunately, are worse.

[Billthedrill]

It isn't the Americans he's bashing here. This was printed in the Guardian? Wonders never cease...

It is the military that is getting the attention at the moment for obvious reasons, but American domination isn't so much military domination as it economic and (sacre bleu!) cultural. You can always address the military side by spending a comparable amount on it - that was the Soviet approach, and it failed largely because the military spending evidenced itself more in terms of potential employment than actual use. So too here - the Afghan deployment is spectacular but tiny compared to the overall defense budget. It simply isn't all about military spending.

What is is about is the economic ability on the part of individuals and small groups to turn a small enterpreneurial effort into a financial empire, and the social mobility which constitutes part of the incentive for doing so. That is what Europe has to match if it hopes to match U.S. world power, and it may take some readjustment of social and governmental structure to do it.

[rightofrush]

We moan about the Americans running the show but no one else wants to be the world's policeman.

I nominate the Swiss.

[knews_hound]

I disagree, I think that he ruefully admits that in fact, the Euros have dropped the ball and in reality, find themselves marginalized.

I have a news flash for them. The balance of power has changed. They risk becoming nothing more than American protectorates if they continue along the path they currently follow.

Euro Disney may in fact be their future rather than an imported theme park. Destination spots for the ruling country to vacation in.

[Free the USA]

Check the Bump List folders for articles related to the above topic(s) or for other topics of interest.

[ATOMIC_PUNK]

WE EITHER DO IT NOW OR PERISH AT THE HANDS OF MADMEN its not something we want to do nor do we like it but NOW our upmost survival depends on us policing those who would find us in their crosshairs

LETS ROLL!!!

[TheMole]

There is no 'America-bashing' in this article whatsoever. This guy is telling the Europeans and Japanese to quit whining if they can't walk the walk. He even mentions that American-style entrpreneurial capitalism is something that has to be emulated by Europe if they want to keep up at all. He throws in an interesting little WW2 tidbit to indicate why the Japanese might not be as popular on Okinawa as you might expect. This is somebody who is both very knowledgeable about Europe and Japan and who is pro-American.

[GuillermoX]

Do you read the articles you yourself post? Sounds like he's bashing the Euros and Japanese, if he's bashing anyone at all.

Not to mention he's raised some excellent points.

[MissAmericanPie]

This is just a prelude to their banding together to form a world army under the control of the power hungry United Nations. The U.N. want's it's on tax system on the total world population, it's own standing army, it's own court system, and it craves freedom from the influence and power of the USofA.

[foreshadowed at waco]

it has an infantilising effect on our politics. Japanese and Europeans often resemble rich and rebellious teenagers, whining about their overwheening father, while remaining utterly dependent on his protection.

I think that this is the true crux of the matter...the whiners are dependent upon America for protection from the Big Bad Wolf but they like to posture and pretend that America is too arrogant and that they resent being taken care of...they are infantilizing themselves by not spending some serious money on defense and staying weak.

[VietVet]

Actually, I read this not so much as bashing America, although it is clear the writer does not like the US, as an admission that it is the US and only the US which has both the will and the means to even try and keep the peace in the world. I think, from his tone, that he would be even more horrified by an America which said, "A plague on both (all) your houses. Kill yourselves all day long, if you want to. But touch one hair on one American's head and you'll answer to US!"

[FreedominJesusChrist]

Well...I agree with the title. Europeans often complain that America acts way too unilaterally, but when bad things happen, or when a complete psycopath tries to take over the world, we are always the first ones to defend ourselves and everyone else. It is easy to complain, less easy to do.

[McGavin999]

Actually, this is quite a good article. This guy seem to have found the core of the problems. It's time the EU and Japan stopped naval gazing and pull their weight. Everyone complains about us then they blithely spend their money on other things while tut-tutting over Americas overwhelming military power.

Well hey, if nobody else is going to bother about defense, the one with sense has to do it.

[Michael2001]

How exactly has our being a superpower hurt these people. It seems to me that we spend our dollars and give our lives to protect these people. We don't get anything out of it, certainly not a thank you.