Anti-Americanism
Appeasement is No Answer to Anti-Americanism
By Daniel G. Jennings
One of the greatest problems facing the United States today is the threat of Anti-Americanism, that is the widespread hatred of America and Americans by people around the world. Fortunately we can overcome Anti-Americanism by holding fast to our values and beliefs and keeping our faith in America.
The worst thing America can do at this time in history is to listen to the Anti-Americans and give into their demands as many American intellectuals would have us do. Our media, the Peace Movement, many intellectuals, university professors, movie stars and others claim that America itself is responsible for Anti-Americanism. They believe the claims of the Anti-Americans who brand America and Americans as greedy, warlike, ignorant, uncouth, barbaric, militaristic, materialistic, shallow and imperialistic. Then they claim that America can only overcome these stereotypes by appeasement that is giving into every demand of the Anti-Americans.
Appeasement won't end Anti-Americanism because Anti-Americanism is a collection of prejudices based upon the beliefs of bigots around the world the rather than a legitimate set of grievances. All Americans who try to appease the Anti-Americans do is to empower and embolden the Anti-Americans by legitimizing their beliefs. When we agree with them, the Anti-Americans will hate us all the more for they'll see that we're weak and easy to manipulate.
The answer to Anti-Americanism is for America to stick to its beliefs and values and above all to remain America. That is we must remain the land of freedom, progress, opportunity, justice and hope rather than let our nation be turned into a cheap copy of a European welfare state.
The world today is in the throes of an incredible technological, political, social and cultural revolution that is transforming all aspects of human life for the better. Tyrannies and oligarchies of all sorts have been replaced by democratic governments, capitalism is replacing socialism, feudalism, communism and other primitive and ineffective economic systems, technology and science are improving the lives of almost everyone on the planet, people are enjoying unprecedented levels of social, political and cultural freedom and economic opportunity, and all of these revolutions began in America. The economic and political systems that are transforming the world began in America, so did the social revolutions, equality and empowerment of women, racial equality, gay rights, all began in the United States.
The hatred of the United States embodied in Anti-Americanism is the hatred of this revolution, the hatred of the modern world. To appease the Anti-Americans is admit that we hate America and we don't want to see the world transformed. To give into Anti-Americans is to say that we want the people of the world to live in a hell of poverty, oppression, ignorance and violence. To appease the Anti-Americans is to turn our back on the modern world and live in fear.
If we keep our faith in America and press on we'll overcome Anti-Americanism just as we overcame Communism and Nazism. Anti-Americanism will collapse like the tissue of lies that is leaving only a bad aftertaste, but only if we Americans resist it by keeping our faith in America.