US wants to learn why it is unpopular

The New York Times and agencies ^ | August 30 2002

[dead]

We're getting "how to be loved by Islam" tips from Salman Rushdie?

[Chad Fairbanks]

We want to learn why we are disliked? Most people I know don't really give a crap one way or the other... You can hate us all you want, but you mess with us, you die... pretty simple, IMHO... :0)

[The Toad]

I really don't care what a bunch of backwards, socialist or fascist countries think of us.

American is the truest, strongest republic on the planet. I don't care that so many of these countries fell threatened by our liberty and our freedom.

[Reeses]

It's envy, jealousy. Where do I send my invoice?

[AnAmericanMother]

"Me oderint dum metuant."

One of the few sensible things that nasty man Caligula ever said.

"Let them hate me . . . so long as they fear me."

[Wonder Warthog]

"We're getting "how to be loved by Islam" tips from Salman Rushdie?"

Rushdie was, is, and will likely always be a fool. One would think he would have learned from his own experiences with the "Jihadis" that "kinder, gentler Islam" is bull-bleep.

[DainBramage]

One thing we do know, that smothering them in money doesn't change things.

Perhaps a reversal of the policy would create an appreciation for things American.

[Snowy]

It's envy, jealousy. Where do I send my invoice?

Hey, that's what I think! I guess you wouldn't want to split it, would you? (Pssst! I'm not a scholar, are you?)

[tcostell]

They don't really hate us, they want to be us. The Europeans want to be relevant economically and politically, the Arabs want to be relevant culturally. Their degree of US hatred is directly proportional to their lack of relevance in these issues. Turkey hates us less than most Arab countries because they still make cultural contributions greater than the rest of the Arab world. The Brits hate us less than the French or Germans for the same reason. they are less irrelevant.

[hgro]

What true American cares what Europe thinks. Europe is one of the most bureaucratic mixture of nitwits ever gathered together. We save their butts in WW2 and they hate us?
So what. Let them have meetings on how they should love their savior, the United States.

[Chad Fairbanks]

Bingo... :0)

[TLI]

Kinda like the inverse/squared law? Got it.

[dead]

That's an interesting correlation. Explains why Japan hasn't had much animosity towards us these last 50 years. They've been too busy contributing.

[Bloody Sam Roberts]

...they are less irrelevant.

I like that. Has a nice imperious, sting to it.

[d14truth]

Why are we unpopular?

At our roots we have an 'unearthly' benevolent God. They have 'earthly' unbenevolent dictators.

They will not, of their own accord, pick up the sword of freedom, as our ancestors, under the cover of prayer and divine Providence, did.

Believe it or not - they would rather bring us down than do what is required to bring themselves up.

[hellinahandcart]

Okay. I am mortally embarassed now for my country.

[tabsternager]

We have been blessed to be the richest, most powerful nation in the world. So hatred by others just comes with the territory.

All that matters is what God thinks of us because "If God is for us, who can be against us?"

[MadIvan]

I'll save the State Department all the trouble - success breeds envy. It always has. It always will. You may as well forget trying to appease people who dislike you for that reason.

Regards, Ivan

[weikel]

Jealousy, envy.

[jjm2111]

uhh...maybe because we have so much and they don't?

When I lived in Holland only the rich (and I mean, really rich) could afford nicely-sized single family houses that are available to lower-middle class residents in the states.