Uncouth Nation

Why Europe Dislikes America

Nonfiction, Social & Cultural Studies, Political Science, International, International Relations, History
Cover of the book Uncouth Nation by Andrei S. Markovits, Princeton University Press
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Andrei S. Markovits ISBN: 9781400827299
Publisher: Princeton University Press Publication: January 10, 2009
Imprint: Princeton University Press Language: English
Author: Andrei S. Markovits
ISBN: 9781400827299
Publisher: Princeton University Press
Publication: January 10, 2009
Imprint: Princeton University Press
Language: English

No survey can capture the breadth and depth of the anti-Americanism that has swept Europe in recent years. From ultraconservative Bavarian grandmothers to thirty-year-old socialist activists in Greece, from globalization opponents to corporate executives--Europeans are joining in an ever louder chorus of disdain for America. For the first time, anti-Americanism has become a European lingua franca.

In this sweeping and provocative look at the history of European aversion to America, Andrei Markovits argues that understanding the ubiquity of anti-Americanism since September 11, 2001, requires an appreciation of such sentiments among European elites going back at least to July 4, 1776.

While George W. Bush's policies have catapulted anti-Americanism into overdrive, particularly in Western Europe, Markovits argues that this loathing has long been driven not by what America does, but by what it is. Focusing on seven Western European countries big and small, he shows how antipathies toward things American embrace aspects of everyday life--such as sports, language, work, education, media, health, and law--that remain far from the purview of the Bush administration's policies. Aggravating Europeans' antipathies toward America is their alleged helplessness in the face of an Americanization that they view as inexorably befalling them.

More troubling, Markovits argues, is that this anti-Americanism has cultivated a new strain of anti-Semitism. Above all, he shows that while Europeans are far apart in terms of their everyday lives and shared experiences, their not being American provides them with a powerful common identity--one that elites have already begun to harness in their quest to construct a unified Europe to rival America.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

No survey can capture the breadth and depth of the anti-Americanism that has swept Europe in recent years. From ultraconservative Bavarian grandmothers to thirty-year-old socialist activists in Greece, from globalization opponents to corporate executives--Europeans are joining in an ever louder chorus of disdain for America. For the first time, anti-Americanism has become a European lingua franca.

In this sweeping and provocative look at the history of European aversion to America, Andrei Markovits argues that understanding the ubiquity of anti-Americanism since September 11, 2001, requires an appreciation of such sentiments among European elites going back at least to July 4, 1776.

While George W. Bush's policies have catapulted anti-Americanism into overdrive, particularly in Western Europe, Markovits argues that this loathing has long been driven not by what America does, but by what it is. Focusing on seven Western European countries big and small, he shows how antipathies toward things American embrace aspects of everyday life--such as sports, language, work, education, media, health, and law--that remain far from the purview of the Bush administration's policies. Aggravating Europeans' antipathies toward America is their alleged helplessness in the face of an Americanization that they view as inexorably befalling them.

More troubling, Markovits argues, is that this anti-Americanism has cultivated a new strain of anti-Semitism. Above all, he shows that while Europeans are far apart in terms of their everyday lives and shared experiences, their not being American provides them with a powerful common identity--one that elites have already begun to harness in their quest to construct a unified Europe to rival America.

More books from Princeton University Press

Cover of the book The Wheel of Law by Andrei S. Markovits
Cover of the book Reflections on the Musical Mind by Andrei S. Markovits
Cover of the book Poverty Traps by Andrei S. Markovits
Cover of the book Rhetoric and Reality in Air Warfare by Andrei S. Markovits
Cover of the book Is Democracy Possible Here? by Andrei S. Markovits
Cover of the book On War and Democracy by Andrei S. Markovits
Cover of the book Dividing Lines by Andrei S. Markovits
Cover of the book Flatland by Andrei S. Markovits
Cover of the book When Is True Belief Knowledge? by Andrei S. Markovits
Cover of the book The I Ching by Andrei S. Markovits
Cover of the book Building the Land of Dreams by Andrei S. Markovits
Cover of the book The Monotheists: Jews, Christians, and Muslims in Conflict and Competition, Volume I by Andrei S. Markovits
Cover of the book Why Everyone (Else) Is a Hypocrite by Andrei S. Markovits
Cover of the book Physicalism, or Something Near Enough by Andrei S. Markovits
Cover of the book The Gamble by Andrei S. Markovits
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy