Posners Politics - Time to stop anti-American hysteria
4:14pm Thursday 4th October 2001
THE atrocities against America have made everyone think hard.
One thing I have realised is that I always acted like a sheep when the subject of the Unites States came up.
Whether it was gun laws, McDonald's culture, or another bad sitcom, I enjoyed going along with an anti-American feeling without too much thought.
But what happened on September 11 and the reaction of some people to it, has clarified how I feel about the United States.
It's sickening to hear that some people believe that the US had it coming, and the loss of thousands of innocent lives was just a consequence of being the 'world's number one terrorists.'
There is no denying that America is not perfect, but without the world's policeman would we even be able to enjoy the freedoms of democracy?
It doesn't take an expert historian to realise that without their help in the Second World War we wouldn't have won against Nazi Germany.
For that alone, we owe them a great deal of gratitude and support in their suffering now.
And would our standard of living in this country be anywhere near as good as it is without America's contribution to globalisation?
The Prime Minister in his speech this week was spot-on in his praise of American values, when he talked of a classless society that judged the worth of an individual on merit and not background.
When you speak to Americans you really can see this inner belief that there will be no barriers to success if they are prepared to put in the hard work.
That may be seen as arrogance to some but is it not just a reflection of a go-getting society?
Whatever you say about America, it is a country based on freedom and individual worth – where talented people rise to the top.
It is responsible for the success of globalisation that has done more than anything to improve lives and will help many more in the future.
But there are still people willing to argue that the US is somehow an evil country that seeks to destroy every culture in its way.
Compare America to the repressive leadership of the Taliban who deny even the most basic human rights to women.
A leadership where women are reported to have been beaten with sticks for wearing make-up in the streets, or that tortures opponents by beating them until their backs break. Which country would you prefer to live in?
The history of the United States is not all glorious; think of Vietnam or Cambodia. And no-one would argue there are not things they could improve on. You might think of their rejection of world environmental treaties.
But the anti-American hysteria that is going on has to stop.