Does the U.K. Hate the U.S.?

In the month of August, I visited London. Getting out of the airport, major differences between the U.S. and the U.K. were apparent. Cars in the U.K. are driven on the opposite side of the road than they are here. It wasn’t a shock though; I knew that already. What I wanted to know is what the diametrical Londoners think about America. Lucky for me, I bumped into Shonem Sediqi, a Londoner, and she said, “America is portrayed as a country that sticks its nose into other people’s business and creates destruction as far as international relations is concerned.” After September 11, 2001, European countries sympathized greatly with America, but now the country has lost the continent’s grace. The Iraq war, Guantanamo, Abu Ghraib, the country’s stance on global warming, and more has corrupted the nation’s image. Sediqi said, however, that when the media portrays America, “it’s not the people but the administration.” Perhaps it is the current administration, but most of the people I spoke with in the city thought the Americans are idiots for electing the same administration, and twice. George Bernard Shaw’s quote, “The 100% American is 99% idiot,” seemed to sum up the general attitude towards Americans in the city. With these discrepancies, I wonder how the 2008 presidential election will change the people of U.K.’s view of Americans. Naisham Jamshidi, a resident of the D.C. Metropolitan Area said that the U.K.’s attitude towards Americans will change negatively or positively according to which presidential candidate is elected. “Right now,” she said, “Europeans have a negative view of the U.S., but with the president’s change in message, Europe will change its attitude.” She went on to say, “If McCain is elected, I don’t think the European attitude will change. They’ll see him as another George Bush. If Obama is elected, they’ll see the government will not invade countries under false pretenses.” The U.K. may have a change of heart. We’ll have to wait and see if America’s foreign policies change or stay the same following November 4, 2008.

Sohayl Vafai

Associate Editor