Western Europe's America Problem

In this article, the author discusses Europe's anti-Americanism stance. He observes that Europe's aversion to America has become greater, louder, and more determined, and that it has unified Western Europeans more than any other political emotion (with the exception of a common hostility toward Israel). The author contends that the many disastrous and irresponsible policies by members of the Bush administration has contributed greatly to Europe's animosity towards America. Negative sentiments and views have been driven not only by what the United States does, but rather by an animus against what Europeans have believed that America is. While the politics, style, and discourse of the Bush presidential terms--and of President Bush as a person--have undoubtedly exacerbated anti-American sentiment among Europeans and fostered a heretofore unmatched degree of unity between elite and mass opinion in Europe, they are not anti-Americanism's cause. Indeed, according to this author, a change to a center-left administration in Washington, led by a Democratic president, would not bring about its abatement, let alone its disappearance. The author examines the reasons behind this animosity, and explains how anti-Americanism has helped Europe gain respect and political clout in the rest of the world.