Guardian UK: Once the most beloved country in the world, the US is now the most hated

Once the most beloved country in the world, the US is now the most hated


The American swagger has become bombast, the cocky GI a bully. But with luck the pendulum may be ready to swing back

Jan Morris
Wednesday February 14, 2007
The Guardian

'Whisper of how I'm yearning", sang George M Cohan in one of the great American songs of nostalgia, "to mingle with the old time throng". Well, I'm yearning too, not for the gang at 42nd Street exactly, but for the America that Cohan was indirectly hymning - for the Idea of America, with a capital I, which once made the United States not just the most potent of all the nations but genuinely the most liked.

Perhaps, with a future new president already champing at the bit, we are about to witness its rebirth. As a foreigner I am immune to the rivalries or seductions of American party politics, but I have loved the old place for 60 years, and I simply pray for an American leader to give us back its baraka, as the Arabs say - nothing to do with religion or economics or power or even ideology, but the gift of being at once blessed and blessing.

Of course nobody can claim that the old dreams of America were ever perfectly fulfilled. They often let us down. They were betrayed by the national reputations for crime, corruption, racism and rampant materialism. Not all the presidents, God knows, were icons of virtue or even of glamour, and the benevolent Uncle Sam of the old cartoonists was more often interpreted, around the world, as a fat moron in horn-rimmed spectacles, chewing a cigar. Nobody's perfect, still less any republic.

But I think it is true that only in our time has the American Idea lost its baraka. A generation or two ago, most of us, wherever we lived, loved the generous self-satisfaction of it, if not in the general, at least in the particular. The GI was not then a sort of goggled monster in padded armour, but a cheerful fellow chatting up the girls and distributing candy not as a matter of policy, but out of plain goodwill - everyone's friendly guy next door. To millions of radio listeners around the world, the Voice of America was a voice of decency, and one could watch the lachrymose patriotic rituals of America - the hand on heart, the misty-eyed salute to the flag - with more affection than irony. .....(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/story/0,,2012492,00.html

The swaggering, brain-dead symbol of absolute might versus intelligent, thoughtful cooperation and true leadership that USED to be the United States of America.

That died along with JFK, IMHO.

And I've seen no effort to bring it back.

Marshall has been squandered by bushco.

We are our own worst enemy. But at least if/when we find ourselves again we will not carry many of the illusions that gave rise to a narcissistic, false altruism and a self serving, condescending parental relationship with the rest of the world.

Maybe many countries have had a festering anger for a longer time than we (or our buddies in the UK) can acknowledge. Maybe they are only just now feeling empowered enough to find their collective voice. Kind of like an abused spouse or child might.

The U.S. needs to rediscover who we are within the global family rather than purely based on self referential information. The nationalistic and protectivist, controlled media could help by allowing this country to have an honest exchange with the world, to really hear from other countries, know more about what's happening and how they respond to us and our actions instead of spinning everything in a way that would seem favorable to us. Anyone who has ever lived abroad knows the difference in press coverage. Relationships are mirrors and necessary for growth and self knowledge. If our faux mirror always tells us how beautiful we are, how can hope to respond in any way but narcissistically and therefore exclusionary? ]

In the same way, how can a government who circles the wagons and only listens to those who regurgitate the meme ever hope to move forward or become part of a global community?
They sit in their circle of fear, paralyzed.
They can't even tolerate debate and/or dissent at home. And like overprotective parents, terrified that their children will leave the nest and form their own opinions, they continue to isolate the U.S. population (for our own good, of course..."big bad world out there"). Very fundamentalist mindset and doomed to failure via rebellion or a numbed and dumbed down ineffective populace.

as the most hated man in the world (Pew International), the US absolutely is in deep "shit".

Bushco has taught us that our shit stinks too, so maybe now we can join the human family.
Everybody, every country has a 'dark side', and we have met our shadow in deuces.

Of course the smell will linger for some time....even when our media whips out the room freshener.
Hopefully our lesson is learned and we will mature into responsible global citizens. Are we there yet? Are we prepared and willing to stand on our hard-earned truth?

;)

We're destroying the morale of our brave men and women in uniform. :sarcasm:

Impeach, indict, imprison.

wonder if that's a hint...