Why do foreigners hate the US?

Our wealth

8 (12.1%)

Our poverty

0 (0%)

Our freedom

4 (6.1%)

Our lack of freedom

2 (3%)

Our religion

8 (12.1%)

Our lack of religion

3 (4.5%)

Our foreign meddling

40 (60.6%)

Our isolationism

1 (1.5%)

Total Members Voted: 15

[simplulo]

I was just listening to the 2007-01-20 show, and I heard Ian and a caller debating the eternal questions of "why they hate us" and "the causes of 9/11". As an American who has lived abroad for most of the last 15 years, I have heard this discussed a lot. My answer is that foreigners *resent* the US for its wealth and power, and are thus *prepared* to hate the US given an excuse. We then give them plenty of excuses.

On the other hand, it seems like everyone has a cousin in the US, and wants to visit, or work or go to college there.  People thus are also prepared to like the US. We just need to let them.

The causes of 9/11 are well known and can be found easily by googling the phrase. The 9/11 hijackers were mostly Saudis, and they were upset about the presence of thousands of US troops in the land of the Mecca, and general US support for the corrupt Saudi royal family.

[jckeyser]

Foreigners, as you so call them, don't hate the U.S., they hate our government. Its ridiculous to think that average Americans have a monopoly on the world's wealth. If I had to generalize as to why people hate our government, its because we don't keep our noses out of everyone's business.

[Lindsey]

The world has hated the United States since the beginning of time.  The sending of missionaries, the allies of war, wealth, power, difference in religion.  There are countless reasons. 

[ReverendRyan]

Foreigners, as you so call them, don't hate the U.S., they hate our government. Its ridiculous to think that average Americans have a monopoly on the world's wealth. If I had to generalize as to why people hate our government, its because we don't keep our noses out of everyone's business.

So worded more properly, they don't hate America, they hate the United States.

[Laetitia]

Being wealthy and/or free wouldn't be an issue if the US Government & officials weren't always sticking noses/guns/dollars where they have no business.

"We meddle... People don't like to be meddled with. We tell them what to do, what to think, don't run, don't walk. We're in their homes and in their heads, and we haven't the right. We're meddlesome."
- River Tam

[mikehz]

People hate the U.S. because they fear the U.S.--with some justification. No other nation has meddled in so many other counties. The U.S. government see it as it's duty to govern the world.

Perhaps we ought to take a cue from Costa Rica and get rid of the military. Our government hasn't shown that it can handle such power in a responsible manner. We can contract defense out to Canada or Mexico, or some other country. 

[Lindsey]

Being wealthy and/or free wouldn't be an issue if the US Government & officials weren't always sticking noses/guns/dollars where they have no business.

"We meddle... People don't like to be meddled with. We tell them what to do, what to think, don't run, don't walk. We're in their homes and in their heads, and we haven't the right. We're meddlesome."
- River Tam

I pretty much agree with Joy. 

One thousand years ago, we were meddling in their religion.  Missionaries were not sent solely to help those in poor countries, but to try to convert them as well. 
Now that we are in an advanced technological age, we can meddle without even really being there. 

Let's take World War II for instance.  There wasn't really a point in the United States having anything to do with World War II, other than the blatant fact that the Nazis would have won without the support of another huge country.  While the Nazis were bad, and everyone is glad we helped out so that evil could be defeated - we didn't really have a place there.  Our soldiers died fighting someone else's battle.  Look at all the problems the United States being involved in World War II caused for the future.  What will happen to our children and grandchildren in fifty years because of what our government is doing now?

If the United States government and the church would mind their own business, we wouldn't have a lot of the problems we do today. 

As for money and power, yes - the rest of the world fears the United States.  Our country is virtually the only world superpower left.  We've gone along time without a shift in paradigm, and other countries are getting upset.  In the last fifty years, we've managed to quell the Soviets,  start a war in Vietnam, and well...you all know the rest. 

If everyone would mind their own business and not fuck things up for other people, the world would be a lot better place. 

[lordmetroid]

Well, considering the nazi with big probability would try to conquer more land as their empire expanded. In that case it was probably sane to cooperate at one point in time rather than let them be defeated one after another until there was no freindly left to help when the nazi decided that there was too many jews fleeing to USA.

[Lindsey]

Well, considering the nazi with big probability would try to conquer more land as their empire expanded. In that case it was probably sane to cooperate at one point in time rather than let them be defeated one after another until there was no freindly left to help when the nazi decided that there was too many jews fleeing to USA.

I see your point, but I'm not a fan of encroaching on territory that isn't mine.  I think if Hitler and the Axis army were to start advancing this way, then that was the time to get in to the war. 

[mikehz]

The Nazis might well have tried to conquer more and more land, but to actually DO so would have required a strong and growing economy. Wars are won by the ability to pay for the toys that make them possible. Hitler payed for his Third Reich via credit, and by 1939 the bills were due. It was fight, or go broke. To the man, his generals wanted to wait a couple years before launching the war, knowing full well Germany wasn't ready. What they didn't know, but Hitler did, was that the coffers were empty.

Germany could barely push into Russia, let alone win it. It never could have held the country.

The US got involved in order to prevent most of Europe from falling to a totalitarian Germany. Instead, after the war, it fell to a totalitarian Soviet Union. The end result was pretty much the same. And, the long-term result of a nation under state-planning would have been the same, as well.

In any case, as with all WWII "what if" scenarios, all things fall apart under the fact that by 1945 the US had the atomic bomb--something Germany abandoned early on (and was barking up the wrong tree anyway).

[supperman15]

German history via Eddie Izzard “the Germans like to build empires, when they get them built they celebrate with a world war and loose the whole bloody thing!” (not exact quote… sorry)

This goes back to the civil war argument, should we have fought it.  Talk to civil war historians and they will say no.  The south would have suffered from trade embargos and would have eventually rejoined the union freeing the slaves.  Who knows… not me.  I guess it should have been put to a vote.  Europe was asking for help and we should have been able to decide if we wanted to help or not.

[lordmetroid]

The civil war wasn't about the slaves... Lincoln said so himself many times. And the south didn't just fight to keep the right to slavery they fought for the right to own property in general if I remember correct. Could someone explain the civil war? I lost it?

[supperman15]

it was about states rights.  And slavery was one of the issues, but taxes had a bit to do with it.  Actualy the south had an amancipation proclimation before the north did (i believe, i cant point to it but when i did reinactment i remember hearing that tons) thats as much as i can give you.

[mikehz]

The central issue was state's rights, but the precipitating cause--the issue that pushed the South to secede--was slavery. The South opposed the election of Lincoln and the Republicans, on the grounds that the party held that the federal government had the authority to restrict slavery in the south. The secessionists believed that only the states had the right to decide such matters.

Prior to the Civil War, most people considered the states as separate countries, loosely affiliated together for certain common purposes, such as defense. Sort of like the UN, NATO, or the EU today. After the war, states became merely political subdivisions, like counties.

[lordmetroid]

EU and UN is evilness themselves. Both very totalitarian statists and socialistic. Have no idea about NATO... Thank you for explaining the general details of the civil war. I did wonder when the states stopped regarding themselves as states.

Hm, I know that from my perspective Swedish people hate US Government and the big threat they are to everybody in the world as well as their means. No one hates another person's wealth... ... Except for the socialists I suppose. Sadly the whole world has gone socialist/communist totalitarian crazy today. I have no hopes that my economical nor personal future will be very bright with this world order and nowhere to immigrate thanks to the ruins of USA. I don't even think I can move due to your government and I expect it to become even worse after 2008 with Obama or Hillary sneaking totalitarianism through the back door.