The American Reputation Abroad
Kelly Chaves, Staff Writer
It is hard being an American today. It is hard to know that you, due to your nationality, are hated around the world for actions taken by your government. And it is especially difficult when you, as an individual, do not like, nor pretend to support the current administration. It need not matter if you protested the war in Iraq or if you think that George Bush is the Nero of modern times. Because of your accent, you are branded around the world.
My sister is currently studying at the University of Abertay Dundee in Scotland, getting her Master’s of Science in Counseling Studies. To graduate from her current program, she must have 90 hours of intern-ship experience. Not only is she experienced in her field, having completed many internships in the United States, but she is a very intelligent and compassionate human being. However, all of the qualifications in the world do not matter. When my sister opens her mouth, she does not sound English, Welsh, Irish or Scottish, she sounds American, and she has been denied many positions because of her accent and nationality.
I do not blame the British or any of the other countries whose populations hate the United States. We have given them every right to hate us. Last year, January 23, 2003, Rumsfeld accused Germany and France of being part of “Old Europe.” In this Mr. Rumsfeld is correct. Germany and France are indeed a part of Europe and yes, Europe has a rich history. Yet, the Secretary of Defense did not mean to compliment Germany and France on their past cultural achievements, but emphasize the new, vogue supremacy of the United States. Europe (paraphrasing Rumsfeld) is a has-been. Mr. Rumsfeld failed to acknowledge the fact that Germany and France influenced American expansion and, yes, nationhood. Without Europe, modern America would not exist.
Since Rumsfeld, Bush and Cheney have continued to make equally disparaging statements about other parts of the world, the U.S. reputation has become very low. The true tragedy of this is not a general hatred of the U.S. government, but a hatred of the country’s citizenry. Americans are seen around the world as a fat, stupid, ill informed, war-mongering people. Nothing could be farther from the truth.
My boyfriend is Australian. Like many people around the world he believes in the American stereotype. However, I am an exception to the rule. I am different. But everyone else fits the American mold. My sister has experienced this same odd form of acceptance. She is different from other Americans. She is smart; she escaped the despotic United States and the tyrannical Bush and is living in Britain.
Fortunately, my sister and I are not exceptions to the “American rule.” Americans have been universally mis-represented by their government. Our global relations are suffering. It has become harder and harder to stand up and say, “I am an American.” Yet, it is not the fault of the inter-national community to treat the United States in this manner (for many reasons, the country does deserve this treatment) though, I implore the global populace to not treat American citizens unjustly. For though we are ruled, temporarily, by an ill informed, war-mongering government, we, as a people, do not always adhere to our government’s ideology.
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