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December 8, 2004
The co-existence of pro-Americanism and anti-Americanism – a paradox?
As an overseas student studying in Berkeley, I make it a point to visit the online version of The Straits Times from time to time to keep myself somewhat updated on local news. This past week, I was unwittingly drawn to the local buzz about the final showdown between two contestants on the show, Singapore Idol (a local adaptation of the widely popular American Idol). At the back of my mind, also, was the nagging concern of coming up with two final pieces of longer blog entries for my journalism class on Elections 2004.
With the theme of anti-Americanism lurking in my head, I suppose I saw this totally apolitical temporary national frenzy over the Singapore Idol contestants in a different light. Although we have frequently been told by informed observers and columnists that ‘anti-Americanism’ is rapidly sweeping across the globe, here I am witnessing an instance of ‘pro-Americanism’, in the form of widespread popularity of American pop culture. And this isn’t an isolated example of the pervasive influence of American culture; reality shows such as The Survivor, The Amazing Race or The Apprentice are but some bits of American pop culture that have shown up in many of my conversations with friends.
This in turn leads me to think more critically about the all-encompassing, undifferentiating notion of ‘anti-Americanism’ that has grabbed the headlines of many publications over the past few years, with increasing voracity ever since the September 11th attacks. First, “anti-Americanism”, in itself, is hardly significant in conveying what the rest of the world opposes about the United States, simply because it can mean so many things. Are people opposed to the United States’ hypocritical attempts to spread democracy? Or are they referring to European leaders’ disgruntlement with Bush’s unilateralist stance in making decisions with global repercussions? “Anti-Americanism” has mutated into this catchphrase for opposition to US foreign policy, resentment against the export of American culture to many parts of the world, or mere opposition to capitalism and multi-national corporations, that it is crucial to examine the respective contexts in which this phrase is used.
Using such a slightly more nuanced approach, we can then proceed to examine the somewhat contradictory co-existence of pro-American and anti-American sentiments. Precisely because different people get mad with or embrace America for a variety of reasons, every country/region can maintain a love-hate relationship with America. Such a phenomenon has interestingly manifested itself in Iran, a place where many would associate with intense anti-American sentiments. In an opinion article that appeared in The Daily Star, a leading Lebanon newspaper, the author observes that,
“Iran itself suffers from internal contradictions that the mullahs wish did not exist. The Iranian people love America, and there is very little the government in Tehran can do to cool pro-Americanism on the streets.”
“Iranians' fondness for America is nearer to that of a secret admirer than what exists between lifelong chums. By distancing itself from the United States, the Islamic regime has allowed many of its citizens to create "America" in their own minds. For the older generations, "America" recalls an era of economic affluence that the mullahs have been unable to reinstate since overthrowing the shah. For the younger ones, "America" evokes a fantasy of liberal social attitudes. Many young Iranians now openly defy the regime's prohibition of alcohol and coed activities.”
Consequently, due to the gap between public opinion and the government’s stand, even in places where intense anti-American sentiments supposedly reign, we see sentiments within a country are far from homogeneous.
Looking from a macro-perspective, it is true that anti-American sentiments can be found all over the world, but so can pro-American sentiments. The latter has been intentionally downplayed by media outlets, which have chosen not to highlight this somewhat less ‘fresh’ phenomenon. It is also important to see that anti-Americanism sentiments are not evenly distributed throughout the world. “Hot spots” of anti-American sentiments exist alongside regions that do not display any clear hatred or affiliation. However, media sensationalization tends to create an inaccurate impression of rampant and widespread anti-Americanism spanning all continents. Furthermore, the intensity of anti-American sentiments among dissenters differ; the “anti-Americanism” among many Arabs in the Middle-East are perhaps many times stronger than, say, in an environmentalist organization disappointed with Bush’s withdrawal from the Kyoto Protocol. Lastly, the views of governments and the people do not always coincide. Even in cases where governments attempt to shape public opinion, by spreading propaganda aimed at fomenting anti-American sentiments; these regimes are not always successful. It is important to distinguish government positions from individuals’ views because usually, they do not necessarily concur. This is re-emphasized by the example quoted above, where the Iranian people embrace the American culture and attitudes despite intense government opposition to US foreign policy.
Perhaps it is not so shocking and unusual to find both pro-American and anti-American sentiments co-existing after all. Nor will I totally discount the possibility of some form of “Iran Idol” taking shape some time in the near future.
Posted by Shi Min Tan at December 8, 2004 8:04 AM