Opinion: A Theory of Everything

[Tony]

http://www.cnn.com/2003/US/06/01/nyt.friedman/index.html ..full article


As President Bush meets other world leaders this weekend, and tries to patch things up between America and the rest of the planet, I find myself looking back and asking: What's been going on here? After 9/11 people wondered, "Why do they hate us?" speaking of the Muslim world. After the Iraq war debate, the question has grown into, "Why does everybody else hate us?"

I've sketched out my own answer, which I modestly call "A Brief Theory of Everything." I offer it here, even more briefly, in hopes that people will write in with comments or catcalls so I can continue to refine it, turn it into a quick book and pay my daughter's college tuition. Here goes:




To all the non-americans here: How accurate is this? What are your thoughts?

[Gem]

I'm Canadian, and it's very interesting.

It makes sense, America touches just about everybody with their actions. Of course it's not just the US, but just about every world power there is in the world, like France, China and Russia, but to a lesser degree.

We live in amazing times.

Gem

[Malachi151]

Originally posted by Tony
http://www.cnn.com/2003/US/06/01/nyt.friedman/index.html ..full article





To all the non-americans here: How accurate is this? What are your thoughts?

His little theory fails to take many larger issues into consideration. My theory of everything is much more complete and does a better job at explaining the situation.

[Cleopatra]

I live in a very old country. To be exact I live in the country where "everything" started. It's a poor Balkan country that has produced more History that can actually consume ( as Churcill has said)

The country fought with all its strength , to the side of Great Britain against the Nazis in the WWII ... The country resisted to the Nazi occupation and paid the largest cost of all the European countries ( In relation to our population we experienced the biggest loses)...

Years passed and the allies ( USA) not only have rewarded us the way we expected but instead USA started favouring the neighboring "hostile" to us country that was the last to join the allies in the War and not only this... in 1967 the Hawks of the Pentagon had the bright idea to establish a Junda in the country that ended tragically with the loss of half of the island of Cyprus...

So, no, I don't think that people here are very fond of Americans. The reason is that they seem to forget that their country was established yesterday and the lack any kind of respect towards counties that are old and have suffered a lot.

We consider the American Policy as arrogant , ignorant when it comes to History and very agressive.We also can't really understand how the majority of the Americans lacks the basic knowledge when it comes to foreign countries. I have met people in the States that they couldn't point on the map Cuba...

But we definetely don't hate the American people.:)

So, I partly agree with Friedmann .

[Frostbite]

I think this is the usual "America is better" pretentious crap. The reason why there is so much animosity against the US in the world is because the US always thinks it's better than everyone else and wants to apply its way of living to lesser countries. It's arrogant, pretentious ways are irritating and its economic and cultural dominance are bound to create strong couteracting agents. There is good in the US culture, but there is also some very bad aspects. As a canadian, I take from the US culture what I like, but I also reject many aspects of it, such as materialism. More planes, more money, more food, more everything doesn't necessarily mean more happiness or more influence. There is a lot to learn and to inspire ourselves from other cultures from other parts of the world.

Just the fact that you call yourselves "Americans" is brash and arrogant, because America isn't a country, it's a continent that goes from the northest reaches of Canada down to the southernmost tip of Chile. Calling US "America" is kind of like imposing to the rest of North and South America your way of life. Everybody in the world doesn't necessarily want all of that. Some of it yes, but not all of it.

Just my opinion, fire away.

[VernorsRush]

Originally posted by Frostbite
Just the fact that you call yourselves "Americans" is brash and arrogant, because America isn't a country, it's a continent that goes from the northest reaches of Canada down to the southernmost tip of Chile. Calling US "America" is kind of like imposing to the rest of North and South America your way of life. Everybody in the world doesn't necessarily want all of that. Some of it yes, but not all of it.

Just my opinion, fire away. The English colonies and their inhabitants were collectively called "America" and "Americans" by England and the other European powers long before there was a United States. The terms were therefor inherited and we accept no responsibility for their current geographic or social accuracy :D

[peptoabysmal]

Originally posted by Frostbite
I think this is the usual "America is better" pretentious crap. The reason why there is so much animosity against the US in the world is because the US always thinks it's better than everyone else and wants to apply its way of living to lesser countries. It's arrogant, pretentious ways are irritating and its economic and cultural dominance are bound to create strong couteracting agents. There is good in the US culture, but there is also some very bad aspects. As a canadian, I take from the US culture what I like, but I also reject many aspects of it, such as materialism. More planes, more money, more food, more everything doesn't necessarily mean more happiness or more influence. There is a lot to learn and to inspire ourselves from other cultures from other parts of the world.

Just the fact that you call yourselves "Americans" is brash and arrogant, because America isn't a country, it's a continent that goes from the northest reaches of Canada down to the southernmost tip of Chile. Calling US "America" is kind of like imposing to the rest of North and South America your way of life. Everybody in the world doesn't necessarily want all of that. Some of it yes, but not all of it.

Just my opinion, fire away.

You know something? Before the internet, I used to always say US or USA or United States. Since meeting many new friends from around the globe, I found that they knew where I came from faster if I said America, rather than US, USA or United States. This may have changed by now, but that's the habit I developed and why.

[a_unique_person]

Many people around the world have become aware of undue US influence in their own countries. If that builds up ill will, is it any surprise.

[athon]

I think the general ill-will, as has been covered, is the arrogance that is implied in many of their actions.

The patriotism extends to an attitude that the American way is the best way, without being honestly critical of the truth. Most countries have a sense of patriotism, but within them it is expressed (generally) with a an air of humility as well.

Athon

[Jon_in_london]

Originally posted by athon
The patriotism extends to an attitude that the American way is the best way, without being honestly critical of the truth. Most countries have a sense of patriotism, but within them it is expressed (generally) with a an air of humility as well.


Yaar! I think this frequently happens when a country attains a level of power that isnt really balanced. Same thing happened in Victorian/Edwardian Britian really, and that won us lots of friends now didnt it?

[BillyTK]

From the article
Michael Mandelbaum, author of "The Ideas That Conquered the World," answers: "[...]because the world basically understands that America is a benign hegemon[...]"
I think this guy needs to get out more...