Who needs popularity?

"The latest Pew Global Attitudes survey report revealed negative attitudes about the United States are so strong, even among traditional allies such as the French and Canadians, that US aid to tsunami victims or Bush's encouragement of democracy in the Middle East have done little to blunt them." Agence France Presse , June 23, 2005

After the massacre in downtown London, expect anti—Americanism only to rise further. Demagogues on the British Left are already waving the Butler report which warned, prior to the Iraq war, that helping the United States remove Saddam Hussein would increase the risk of a terrorist attack on English soil. Never mind that this report in no way proves that the tragedy of 7/7 would not have happened, since the Islamo—fascists are just as incensed by England's involvement in Afghanistan. 

What we Americans need to brace ourselves for is that, since not even increased foreign aid  and the advancement of consensual  government abroad managed to win us friends, many will now certainly blame us with stronger vehemence for the vile attack on our greatest ally.  

How should we respond? Well, perhaps the first question to ask is this — when it comes to international politics, how relevant is foreign approval?

Certainly it has its advantages. Popularity and esteem feel pleasant, if the numbers of people who pursue those goals are any evidence. And, to be sure, no one seriously denies that we require allies and sober judgment in this dangerous world. Often, too, without a reservoir of international goodwill we may have to expend more blood and wealth in pursuing our foreign policies, as was the unenviable lot of England when it stood alone at the opening shots of World War II, and arguably is our fate today in our struggle for Middle Eastern democracy.

Still, the notion that the United States somehow needs international flattery or the 'positive attitudes' of others is debatable. How so?

Reason One: A Principled Democratic Country Does Not Necessarily Want The Approval Of Everyone

Winning hearts and minds abroad can become maddeningly complicated and frankly impossible to achieve. For example, protecting democratic countries A and B may require making enemies of autocratic countries X and Y, thereby automatically producing a decrease in popularity among those despots and their supporters who are fighting with our democratic cousins. Here the moral issue becomes, whom do you want to like you? And why?

Reason Two: Gaining Approval Has Trade—Offs

Because being liked is such an absorbing activity, requiring us to continually cater to the perceptions of others, the pursuit of the world's 'positive attitudes' may well cost us in other important ways. It may turn out that the experience of approval will be less gratifying than other satisfactions which we could have enjoyed had we not allowed ourselves to be captive to world opinion. For instance, by forgoing an unpopular policy, such as our pre—9/11 decision not to take out bin Laden when we could have, we may leave open the door for a violent attack on the American homeland, or an attack on a great democracy such as England.

Need it really be said that most of us would now have preferred the discomfort of international calumny for having 'illegally' killed this psychopath to the misery of watching our countrymen choose between burning to death or jumping out of skyscrapers, or the horror of seeing our friends in London murdered? 

Reason Three: Seeking The Approval Of Every Powerful Country Is Utopian

Some now imply that countries, such as France or Canada, ought to bestow affections upon the United States and, if they do not flatter our national ego, then surely we must be guilty of some uniquely horrible error that demands immediate correction.

This political opinion is dubious. The evidence adduced in support of anti—Americanism, especially the European and Canadian  varieties, is often contradictory and beyond our control. Out of their own self—interest, other countries are unhappy with American 'isolationism' if not with American 'imperialism'; with American 'materialism' if not with American 'Jesusland'; with 'naïve promotion of democracy' if not with 'cold and selfish realpolitik.'

Go back and read press clippings of the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan and see how we were chastised for not helping the Afghan 'freedom fighters' quickly enough, and then compare those with recent sneering that we 'created' bin Laden and the Taliban. Do the same with the rest of the Cold War, as well as with Bosnia, Somalia, Iraq. How can the United States possibly satisfy so many different malcontents, whose complaints and anger change with the wind?

Indeed if you wish to see anti—American contradictions distilled in a single volume, read this bestselling European hate literature, whose incoherent arguments and stereotypes rank with the ugliest of anti—Semitic and racist tracts. 

After its reading, the real question, you realize, is not so much why do they hate us as why are people abroad so blatantly contrary and hypocritical in their anti—Americanism?

Here is one answer: all nations, by and large, are self—occupied and self—regarding, governed at times by the all too human traits of pride, vanity, resentment, honor, fear and what Freud called 'man's natural aggressive drive.' All of these darker forces of the human psyche frequently influence whom nations like and do not like; they are what loom behind the incessantly altering negative attitudes toward America, toward you and me.

Let's face it. The issues, on which mankind complains, go on and on and on. And so bet your bottom dollar that, so long as the United States is a great power, virtually any American action will be construed negatively by some nation or newspaper or intellectual or artist. America's cultural habits, national myths, its very accents and spiritual traditions will at times foster malevolence and bad press, just as on a personal level one's physical characteristics frequently ensure unrequited love and even sometimes undeserved hostility.

Reason Four: Always Getting Approval Requires Impossible National Perfection

To always get the nod of your neighbor requires that you always be loveable, intelligent and morally flawless.

But let us be realistic. While the United States correctly struggles for moral and intellectual perfection, it is still a nation comprised of human beings and, therefore, subject to the blemishes of human nature. At times Americans are weak in will and limited in insight, like all men. And so even though this country has wonderful human beings — more Nobel Prize winners than any other country on the planet — it cannot display only the best qualities at all times for all nations.

However hard it endeavors to be faultless, however often it follows the Noam Chomsky Rule Book of International Relations, America will only be able to exhibit some of its good qualities some of the time. And this is not because it is wicked but because it is human.

For that reason, others will not always approve of the United States of America. Dislike is inevitable.

Reason Five: Wanting Foreign Approval May Lead To National Anxiety

If history is any guide, the loyalty and gratitude of other countries is limited in intensity and duration. Nations will care about the United States only so much and only for so long before they get on with other things, such as looking after their own justifiable welfare.

It follows that, because Americans cannot know how long or how passionate the approval or gratitude of others will be, excessive concern about such things risks scintillating national panic over whether other nations will be affable tomorrow or the year after, or if they will still like America should we do something foolish in our efforts to protect ourselves and our allies from Jihadists.

Hence craving foreign approval may well generate anxiety, an emotion whose unpleasantness is matched only by its uselessness.

Reason Six: Seeking Approval From Others Often Evokes Disdain

A sad but frequent fact of human beings: the greater your need for approval, the less people respect you.

If you are overly anxious to have other countries like you, then they will often quietly despise your 'neediness,' seeing you as feeble and insecure, even as they capitalize on your goodwill toward them. Your exuberance might also end up boring or annoying them. And then, sure enough, they will become haughty and rude, as attested in the way many Europeans — in my experience — frequently and spitefully laugh behind the backs of American tourists and expatriates, who are often intensely eager to be liked and accepted, pace stereotypes of 'rude Americans.' 

So, just as it is advisable from time to time to let others know we can very well manage without them, so it is not always a bad thing that other countries know that we are not a groveling people and that we will happily go our own way if need be. This in fact strengthens friendship, clarifies communication and engenders respect, ironic as that may sound.

Reason Seven: Needing Approval Sometimes Creates Feelings Of Worthlessness And Resentment

When a nation is denied, insulted or ignored from abroad, it will often feel embarrassed, lowly and deprived. A part of the ridiculed population, usually on the Left, may begin to indoctrinate themselves with how outside countries define them — rather than interpreting themselves according to their own confident self—definition. Meanwhile other members of the community, usually on the Right, may suffer feelings of anger toward those nations that have stamped degrading and insulting self—perceptions upon their people.

Thus, after a snub, a sense of gloomy unimportance along with the bitter sting of umbrage could very well take over the national consciousness. And, if the nation becomes vain enough, those emotions could lead to vindictive fury, as in the case of the post—World War I Germans or the current Palestinian grassroots support for racist Hamas, suicide—bombers and anti—Semitic journalism.

Of course the ethnic nationalism of those examples is unlikely in an immigrant society such as our own. Nevertheless, even mild feelings of worthlessness and resentment are unbecoming of the ideals of our country.  

Reason Eight: Seeking Approval Undermines Our Ability To Sympathize With Others

Just as a narcissist never really loves another human being because he cares about no one save himself, so the nation that is concerned primarily with how it is seen, instead of how it can actively help others, is unable to appreciate and learn from the unique, the beautiful and the creative in outside cultures, for its attention is always centered on itself.

True, in a fit of self—absorption, a nation may so deeply want universal affirmation that it is willing to do all sorts of good things to garner praise. Which is not bad. But it will not become a genuinely compassionate nation for that reason. This is because its generosity and forgiveness toward humanity will rest first and foremost on egotism, on always looking in the mirror, on constantly focusing on impressing those who loudly assert their anti—Americanism rather than helping those who quietly and without rancor look toward America for assistance and friendship.

And so, sadly, part of the reason some in our country have become so obsessed with the question 'why do they hate us' is because they have become so utterly unconcerned with those groups who positively like us   — the diverse peoples of India and the Philippines, the Kurds, the Tibetans, the Israelis, the Taiwanese, the South Africans, the Japanese, the Polish anticommunists, the English working class, to say nothing of the millions from around the globe who year after year seek American citizenship. When was the last time we tipped our hats to the 38% of the French, the 34% of Canadians, the 42% of Brazilians, the 27% of Germans, the 40% of Chinese and the many Spaniards who voted for Aznar, all of whom have a kindly view of us? Do they not matter?

A Final Word

Human beings, including ourselves, are frequently disappointing. But I believe in America, and I believe in Americans. We are a far more self—conscious and openhanded people than we are given credit for, and many of our countrymen's insecure hunger for approval is one manifestation of that national decency.

Yet if any of the above reasons are persuasive to you then, when they start blaming us for the London bombing, our response to the world's anti—Americans ought simply to be the following:

'We would certainly prefer positive attitudes from you, but the United States does not need your popularity, thank you.'

The word 'need' derives from the Middle English nede, the Anglo—Saxon neade and the Indo—European nauto, meaning to collapse with weariness. America will not collapse if it goes through a spell of foreign disapproval, especially from the contradictory and resentful.

No way. But it is possible we might falter if instead of following our own organic feelings of morality, if instead of pursuing our own democratic goals, if instead of trusting in the vision and myths of our Founding Fathers, we begin to think that negotiating with other nations' ephemeral perceptions so as to improve our appearance is the best way to steer through this mad world.
 
Jonah Avriel Cohen just finished a PhD in religion and philosophy at the University of London. He now lives in Chicago and can be reached at jac1974@gmail.com