S6 Anti-Americanism and the decline of American SP

Question 1

Anti-Americanism (AA)

Answer 1

• Marie-France Toinet: the feeling of hatred towards the U.S. is permanent, not just about disliking the US but it refers to feeling allergic to what the country represents.
• Paul Hollander: defines AA it as a “bias”, or a “negative disposition” towards the U.S.

Question 2

Brendon O’Connor and Martin Griffiths

Answer 2

AA = « elusive phenomenon » because it is a tendency. Being against American politics is not enough to define this tendency: it entails hatred, anger and resentment. It is a “disposition” or “sensibility” rather than a set of beliefs.
The perfect term for them would be “abhorrence” of everything that has to do with the US

Question 3

The origins of anti-Americanism: Martin O’Connor’s 4 phases

Answer 3

1. “Culturally-oriented criticism” (1619-1945)
2. The Cold War (1945-1989)
3. The world before 9/11
4. The world after 9/11

Question 4

1. “Culturally-oriented criticism” (1619-1945)

Answer 4

• Severely criticize Americans’ lack of manners. 18th & 19th centuries: U.S. criticized by European intellectuals for being too crude and lacking manners and taste.
• Norwegian writer Knut Hamsum: “America is a very backward country culturally.”
• The arrogance that some Americans could show annoyed, not very different from what we hear today.
• U.S. still pitted against Europe for its lack of culture (battle between high brow and low brow cultures) and criticizing the U.S. for imposing its culture (materialism, individuality) on the rest of the world. After WW II, the criticism became more political.

Question 5

2. The Cold War (1945-1989)

Answer 5

• AA during CW fueled by ideology and cultural propaganda : battle VS the Reds), Marshall Plan (moral debt = less friendly to US: France)
• De Gaulle: very keen on opposing American policies, commentators insisted that AA was a French tradition. Ex; DG recognized Communist China in 1964 and opposed American involvement in Vietnam.
• AA softened in the 70s: quotas on American TV shows and films, a few French intellectuals defended the American values over the sympathies for the SU or for China. François Mittérand allowed the US-NATO policy of installing missiles in Western Europe, which both the British and the West German officials refused.

Question 6

1970-1980

Answer 6

• US’ use of its military power = source of much antagonism, even from Western countries.
• The term “blowblack” was coined to refer to the “unintended consequences of covert operations”, especially in the case of Afghanistan and the support of Osama bin Laden, which turned into “the most stunning incident of anti-American blowback”.
• New phase: one in which the Soviet Union no longer existed.

Question 7

3. The world before 9/11

Answer 7

• Ill effects or American capitalism and fears of the consequences of globalization (O’Connor and Griffiths entitled one of their chapters “are we all Americans now?”)
• AA associated to anti-globalization and dominance of Am culture.
• Also US influence on International Monetary Fund and World Bank and its refusal to sign the Kyoto protocol.
• But easy solution: “ ‘America’ has become a code word for all the various ills of the world.”

Question 8

4. The world after 9/11

Answer 8

The terrorists attacks that happened in NY, Virginia and Pennsylvania in 2001 marked a new era of AA. It was not the first time that the U.S. was targeted but the magnitude of the attack was unprecedented.

Question 9

US targeted before 9/11

Answer 9

• murders of Americans in Beirut from the 1970s onwards
• the Iranian hostage crisis of 1979–1980
• the 1993 bomb in the underground car park in the World Trade Center
• the 1998 car bomb attacks on the US embassies in Nairobi
• the 2000 suicide bombing of the USS Cole in Yemen

Question 10

O’Connor about 9/11

Answer 10

• It is the “intersection of religious and territorial concerns” that animated the statements and actions of anti-American terrorists.
• After studying bin Laden’s speeches, he noticed that the US’ aggressive policies of occupation in the Middle East was crucial in the legitimacy they felt to kill Americans, and bring back justice.
• The ultimate goal: removal of the U.S. from the Middle East.
• Contrary to what most people think, al-Quaeda does not attack the AWOL but one can wonder if the portrayal of the U.S. as an evil country is not also a rejection of the core tenets of its society…

Question 11

The most anti-American countries according to Matthew Fraser

Answer 11

• Iran
• Venezuela
• China and Hong-Kong
• France

Question 12

Iran

Answer 12

• Iran’s Constitution is based on republican and religious foundations.
• Before 1979: Shah of Iran, Iran and US allies.
• Islamic revo: new leader Ayatollah Ruholla Khomeini called the U.S. the “Great Satan.” & rejected the former ties (cultural & economic)
• Nov 1979: Iranian students occupied US embassy in Tehran and held 50 American hostages for 444 days (released in 1981).
• Iran embargo of oil shipments to the U.S., sent the U.S. into a recession.
• Iran’s AA: more than general feelings of distrust towards the U.S., Iran took punitive measures against it.

Question 13

Iran (suite)

Answer 13

• State Department insists on the people, and on the fact that they have “pro-western” values: Over the past few years, the younger generations have demanded more freedom and access to American popular culture.
• President Mohammad Khatami responded positively to those wishes
• Recently elected president, Massoud Pezeschian (2024–), is for renewed talks and cooperation with Western countries
• Former president, Ebrahim Kaisi (2021-2024), who was ultra-conservative and radical, damaged them

Question 14

Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) – or Iran Nuclear Deal

Answer 14

• Under Obama: U.S., China, France, Germany, Russia, the U.K. and the EU: Iran would discontinue its nuclear program and in exchange, would see its economic sanctions disappear.
• After being elected, Trump decided to withdraw from the deal. Stand-off between the two countries worsened during Trump’s presidency.
• Iranians were banned from entering the country and new economic sanctions were imposed on Iran.
• Joe Biden tried to convince its leaders to renew talks about nuclear power, unsuccessfully, and recent events in the region made the situation even more complicated.
• Since Iran decided to attack Israel, Biden has tried to ease the situation between the two countries.

Question 15

Hugo Chavez

Answer 15

• Venezuela important to US: potential trade partner, can supply US with oil and accept most of its exports, potential key ally geographically.
• Hugo Chavez (president 1999-2013) = champion of the anti-globalization cause.
• 2001: decree-law that limited foreign ownership of the country’s oil companies by nationalizing the production and distribution of oil. Put money into the government’s pockets, but Chavez used it for social programs, to build schools and clinics.
• Chavez resisted American pressure to reduce oil prices and to create a free trade agreement with the countries of Central and South America (CAFTA).
• Fraser argues that he “has become a symbol of the rejection of Western-Style American globalization.”

Question 16

Venezuela since Chavez’s death in 2014

Answer 16

• Nicolas Maduro took over, friend of Chavez, promised to carry on with the policies of his predecessor.
• But political corruption, fraud, and inflation: the country has sunk into chaos.
• Trump supported President Maduro’s opponent, Juan Guaido, parliament’s president and threatened to intervene military speaking under the principles of the Monroe Doctrine.
• U.S. interested in Venezuela because of oil.
• March 2022, after the beginning of the war in Ukraine, Joe Biden renewed talks to enable Chevron to extract oil there, following years of sanctions.
• Venezuela is currently undergoing a political crisis, Maduro refusing to recognize his defeat after the elections.
• U.S. and other Latin American countries (Brazil and Colombia) have voiced their support to the other candidate, Edmundo Gonzales
• U.S. has refused to reimpose sanctions on Venezuela, which would seriously bother the Maduro regime.

Question 17

China and Hong-Kong

Answer 17

• Rivalry but need each other to solve problems (global warming)
• US democracy, China autocracy
• War in Ukraine: Russia asked China for military assistance, China condemned Biden’s threats but never Russia.
• Trump: clear hostility towards the Chinese (tariffs, increase of military forces in Asia)
• Joe Biden usually plays diplomatic card, he imposed a few sanctions (ban on American investment in Chinese companies with ties to the military, sanctions on officials because of what happens in Hong Kong*)

Question 18

The case of HK

Answer 18

• HK former British colony, one of the world’s most powerful capitalist economies.
• Capitalist: free trade and as a port, it could develop and welcome foreign companies on its soil.
• HK considered to be an “Asian Tiger,” like Japan, South Korea and Singapore.
• One of a kind: English-speaking capitalism enclave in Asia, but only lasted until 1997 when HK reverted to Chinese and communist rule.
• Not compatible with what HK had been: democratic and pro-human rights.
  (A few Chinese cities had become so large that capitalist practices had been encouraged in order to help international business develop. There seemed to be no problem for HK to keep on functioning the way it had before)

Question 19

HK (suite)

Answer 19

• Fraser: “many advocates of globalization insist that capitalism and democracy are inextricably intertwined” = by adopting capitalist practices, even isolated, China was letting democracy spread into the country. China wanted to find a way to let people be capitalist but not democratic.
• Fraser’s example: there is a Disneyland in HK but the Chinese authorities have refused the construction of another park in Shanghai (Disney Company would have requested the implementation of the Disney Channel = so that Chinese people could be more familiar with the characters)
• To Chinese authorities, dangerous move that would have slowly introduced the population to American culture, capitalist practices and therefore, democratic principles.
• Chinese authorities also regulate the Internet: Microsoft and Google have complied with Chinese rules so that people cannot search for anything they want and get access to content that would be linked to democracy or human rights. Many protests in Hong Kong against Chinese rule.

Question 20

Professor Michael Beckley

Answer 20

• To be considered a superpower you need wealth and a powerful military, but you also need a “global narrative.”
• A country is better off if it offers an ideology that can win over other nations.
• Therefore, he argues that even though China is an important country, it is not (yet) a superpower.
• The U.S. is way ahead when it comes to wealth and military force, and has 70 allies whereas China mainly has North Korea.
• Interestingly, he mentions soft power and explains that even though the U.S. is becoming less popular, China does not measure up.

Question 21

France

Answer 21

• Fears generated by liberal capitalism
• Long-term allies, love-hate relationship: “frenemies” but both champion human rights and democracy.
• Presence of American products in the French market. Movies = 1980: 50% French, 31% American. 1990: 31% French and 59% American, regulations followed to protect French culture.
• Box-office successes from France but French cinema now depends on public money and without public money, French cinema would collapse (500m€ subsidies from the state)
• Debate about cultural products being special or not (UNESCO’s Declaration) and if a culture has to be saved from exterior influences.
• 1994 Jacques Toubon, the minister of culture, passed a law that regulated the use of French. Foreign businesses who have branches in France have to use French in their official papers. Debates about the obsolescence of this law.
• 2021: submarine crisis endangered France/US relations. Deal that France lost and that would have allowed it to sell 12 submarines to Australia. “French anger” was much talked about in the American media but in the end, their relations are described as “active and friendly” by the State Department.

Question 22

Britain, the United States’ special relationship

Answer 22

• 70-80s: Americanization = invasion of Am TV programs (Dynasty, Dallas) seen as threats to British cultural identities.
• Thatcher’s relations with US administration encouraged it.
• Critics: Mel van Elteren: “the special relationship between Britain and America had been replaced by one that resembled colonization rather than partnership; in their eyes Britain had become a U.S. client state or even worse: America’s 51st state”
• 1990s “BritPop”: musicians didn’t hesitate to engage in AA gestures (Oasis)
• Competition US/UK: in terms of SP, UK ranks fairly high. The Soft Power 30, 2019: the U.K. was 2nd, ahead of the US.

Question 23

What if: the World Without the U.S.

Answer 23

• Without the U.S., WW 2 would have ended on a stalemate as the British would not have the necessary supplies to fight the Axis. (US supplied goods, food, clothing, tanks and ammunition (gunpowder) to the allies)
• Truman’s influence over the European powers (France and Britain) prevented them from going back to their “old ways” (colonialism): pressure on them so that they would liberate their colonies.
• Middle East: Iran, in the 1950s, would have kept its leader, Mossadeh (democratically elected) because GB alone (without American help) would have been unable to overthrow the man who wanted to privatize the oil industry they benefited from.
• Had Eisenhower not yielded to the fears linked to the spread of communism and to British pressure, the video argues that Iran would have become a democracy (and paradoxically, a US partner).

Question 24

The US and Donald Trump

Answer 24

• Isolationism and motto “America First” (1910s Woodrow Wilson)
• Message sent: self-centered policy that created trade wars with its usual partners and jeopardized long-standing security alliances. American SP was said to be declining.
• SP30: US ranked 5th in 2019