If the Europeans had the courage of their anti-American convictions then they could get off of their butts and provide for their own common defense. How ridiculous is it that we provide their protection.

In their utter arrogance, they aren't getting that most Americans are simply sick of their whining and constant groveling to the world's thugs.

First, a polity in trouble will always look for scapegoats.   Don't be surprised.  

And, other than we've gone to war there twice in the last century, what, exactly, was special about Europe, aside from the Anglosphere?   We are a nation of refugees from their brutal tribalism, every tin-pot kingdom a would-be empire (see Belgium and Portugal).  If they want to paddle out and sink their boat in a swamp of Islamo-socialism, there is nothing that can be done, other than take in even more refugees.

As one of millions of Americans, I first visited Europe as part of the American contribution to Nato. This was during the middle of the cold war and we were told if the ‘Soviets’ invaded Germany, we would be pushed back to the French coast. I made practice runs of leading convoy’s of cars with ‘dependants’ across France toward the coast.

Being interested in history, I wanted to take the famous cold war train ride across the 119 miles of East Germany to West Berlin. I was quickly told that it would be better to fly and avoid any possible ‘problems’ on the train.  They worried that we would meet a Soviet ‘swallow’ [sexy spy] on the train who would get us romantically involved and drain us of military secrets.

My small corner of Germany had 18,000 members of a US armored division there.  Our garrison had been used by the larger WW II German army and it had a highway leading around it, but inside it.  This highway provided legal access to our garrison by hundreds of ‘freelance’ German spies.  They would take a few photos and maybe sell them for a small payment.

Our presence there was strictly to control the Russians.  My duty was not difficult and I managed to see most of ‘non- Soviet’ Europe.  Later I returned to see other parts of Europe and part of Russia.

For the moment, the Russians are less worrisome, only because they have allowed their once powerful army to rust away.  The higher price of oil allows them to flex their muscles again.  When they begin to worry the French, they will maybe have fewer complaints about us.    

Isn't this the first time that NATO has invoked the self-defense article which obligates NATO members to actually fight? So maybe it has something to do with the fact that for the first time Europeans are being asked (or really obligated) to fight for the US.

I have to admit, it's very odd to see many of the same Europeans who predicted that putting missiles into Europe to stand down the Soviets in the 1980s was going to inevitably lead to nuclear war still being listened to today in their neverending criticisms of the US, and how Bush is going to destroy the world and plunge us all into fascism, etc.

As a Brit of older years I look at Americans with some suspicion and may have made the odd comment , but woe betide any other nationality calling you Yanks and I will beat the cr-p out of them .

Connection issues...

I. Though comparable to anti-capitalism and anti-communism, comparing international anti-Americanism to national anti-minority prejudices is not only fallacious, but disgraceful. Anti-Americanism is not about to develop genocidal tendencies; nor do anti-Americans - for the purposes of this discussion, those in the West - possess the capacity to significantly damage the United States. Furthermore, the Hungarian example is debatable and should not be placed in the same category as those of the Jews, Koreans or Armenians.

II. American self-criticism is a virtue as opposed to a failing. I am not advocating this to the extent that a nation loathes itself, if this is possible, and I contend that patriotism entails placing one's own nation above all others. However, blind patriotism and lack of self-criticism can damage a nation when it commits excessively heinous acts e.g. Japanese, German, Soviet, Yugoslav, Rwandan, etc. conduct towards POWs and occupied civilians. I omit mass murder from "excessively heinous" only to avoid self-contradiction re: patriotism, but include torture, cruel and unusual punishment, etc.

Handlery: It is difficult to distinguish between a legitimately critical attitude towards the US and anti-Americanism. We could rate critique that extrapolates from facts to fit legitimate discourse. Irrational accusations, rooted in sentiment and devoid of a rational basis, signal prejudice. Therefore a working definition of bias might be an attitude divorced from rational, that is fact-dependent proof.

Agreed. However, should pro-Americanism be distinguished between rational and irrational support for the United States?

Handlery: Even outside of mad-houses the thesis can be voiced here that 9/11 was a CIA plot. It is also is common knowledge that the Jews were told not to go to the WTC that day.

This is nothing new nor unique to the September 11th, 2001 events. Successive British governments of all ideologies were accused of detonating the so-called IRA bombs in Britain in order to garner public support for the military and paramilitary occupation of Northern Ireland, which was regarded by some as tyrannical. Furthermore, it was even argued that agents of the CIA and Mossad detonated nuclear devices in London without the knowledge of MI5 or MI6, which later obfuscated the events.

Handlery: Public opinion asserts that Bush is worse than bin Laden.

Perhaps because Bush is the democratically elected leader of an advanced society bin Laden is a crazed revolutionary hiding in a cave. Though Usama must be captured or assassinated, or both, Bush is accountable for the foreign policy of the United States in the same manner that the Capetians of the ancien regime were for the souls of their subjects and the CEOs of Wall Street for the ABCP credit "crunch". This responsibility comes with the territory of leadership, even if a rogue officer, soldier or unit committed the war crime(s) for which he is being blamed, or an entire team actually concoted Operation Iraqi Freedom, which it did.

If organisations did not require an individual to take responsibility for the organisation's successes and failures nor represent it to other organisations and the rank and file members, there would be no need for Chairmen, CEOs, heads of state or heads of government.

@ Coletta

...it is as bad and, yes, you are "part of the problem" (from the US perspective) for not knowing that it is.

As a Florida resident you could watch the BBC (on cable), and you surely could read the NY Times, to ascertain that it is "as bad".  And much of the 'Continental' media is worse.  Also, do not think that most European visitors to Florida are 'typical' Europeans.  Their visit, in and of itself, shows deviation from the 'norm'.  And, in cases of 'young' visitors, it might even reflect (not necessarily admitted) early exploratory attempts to seek a safe-haven from the coming Eurabia. 

Is it really as bad as you
say it is? 

Which is the bigger
issue?  Ignorant Europeans who think all
the world’s ills are caused by America?  Or, the
ignorant American who knows not of this Anti-American movement you describe?

I’m blessed to be living in
the great State of Florida and we get many European visitors.  In the last two years the real-estate bust
along with the Euro appreciation has brought many German, Dutch and British
residents to my neighborhood.  I try to
meet everybody in my small community and don’t detect this rabid
Anti-Americanism you describe. 

I guess from my small view of
the world, I don’t believe it is as bad as you describe.   Then again I could be part of the problem.