America once symbolised (rightly or wrongly) all that was good about the Enlightenment project of human progress: economic prosperity, political freedom and equality – a refuge from the more repressive European nations. Today however many in America including members of the Bush administration wonder ‘Why do people hate us?’
These days Americans feel that hardly anyone supports them, and public opinion polls in Europe and elsewhere seem to confirm this. Indeed, America is accused of a variety of sins: being a bully in world affairs; the major cause of global warming; the superpower spreading consumerist values and crass mass entertainment around the world, to name just a few.
As the race to the 2008 presidential election gets into full swing the NY Salon asks, what’s new about the anti-American outlook in Europe, the Middle East and elsewhere? Is anti-Americanism in the Middle East different from that emanating from Europe? And why are some Americans themselves anti-American?
 | John Luik senior fellow, Democracy Institute, Washington DC; co-author, Diet Nation |
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 | James Matthews management consultant; founding member, NY Salon; writer on economics and business |
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 | Dr Cheryl Hudson lecturer in American history, University of Liverpool |
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| Chair: | |
 | Jean Smith specialist development consultant; co-founder and director, NY Salon |
| Jean Smith specialist development consultant; co-founder and director, NY Salon | |
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 | recommended by spiked |
