Anti-Americanism in Europe

Anti Americanism in Europe

Introduction

European identity refers to the beliefs and feelings that one has for Europe. It has always been of crucial importance for the EU integration process, since, without a common European identity, EU is nothing but a union of common interests. Like other human group identities, the European identity heavily relies on the "existence" of non-European "Others" (out-groups), because if there are no "Others" (or "out-groups"), there will be no "Self" (or "in-groups)". The European identity, in its formation, involves many "Others", and one of them is notably, the US and this paper explores the role of the rising anti-Americanism since 2003 in the contemporary European identity building and contends that the swelling anti-Americanism has consolidated the European identity by accentuating the political, economic, social and cultural differences between the US and Europe.

Background of Anti-Americanism

Although anti-Americanism is a widely used term, it has no definite meaning. One of the key problems for precision and clarity is that one person's reasonable criticism of the United States is another person's anti-Americanism. At its broadest, it could be argued that someone who is anti-American is simply someone who is not pro-American. This understanding may suffice for bar room conversation or within certain parts of the media but is far too broad. As a result of this obvious problem, writers have tried to break the term down into separate components. The most conventional approach is to look at what people dislike about the United States and to distinguish between types of anti-Americanism. The principal division is between political and cultural anti-Americanism. Naim (2002), however, goes further and identifies five types: politico-economic, historical, religious, cultural, and psychological. Hollander (1994) examines irrational and rational anti-Americanism at home and abroad. Others have followed a comparative approach, arguing that anti-Americanism usefully understood in various historical and cultural contexts.One way of explaining anti-Americanism is to see it as a function of America's size, influence, and power. If we accept this argument, anti-Americanism would seem little different from anti-English, anti-French or anti-Japanese sentiment. While it needs to be recognized that anti-Americanism is not entirely different from Anglophobia (particularly during the reign of the British Empire), anti-Americanism is different in some crucial respects. Fairlie (1975) notes the United States' unique impact on other cultures, and the distinct nature of anti-Americanism. Like the French, Americans often see their values as universal; but unlike the French, the language Americans use is the lingua franca of our age and American popular culture consumed by a broader range of peoples than any culture has ever been. These factors make American values, culture, and businesses a major source of inspiration and fashion around the world, but also a great source of anxiety, exploitation, and disruption.

There are other characteristics of the United States that account for the distinctive nature of anti-Americanism. Lipset (1996) has suggested that America is more than a country - it is an ideology. Lipset suggests that liberty, egalitarianism, individualism, populism and laissez-faire beliefs are at the core of ...