The Hindu Business Line : How Europe perceives America

Thanks to the availability of opinion polls, it is now possible to know how other countries see us. And, research provides a detailed picture of how Europeans see the US.

Mohan Murti

On a rather empty train out of Cologne to Luxembourg, Friday last week, I struck up a conversation with my co-passenger, a senior American banker. We chatted affably until he worked up the valour to ask what was weighing on his mind: “Why,” he exclaimed, “does everybody in Europe, hate us?”

Robert Burns, the Scottish poet, once wrote “Would some power give us the gift to see ourselves as others see us. It would from many a blunder free us.”

Thanks to the availability of opinion polls, it is now possible to know how other countries see us. And, research provides a detailed picture of how Europeans see the US.

Having lived in Europe for about two decades and silently witnessing the evolution, America dissipated the goodwill out of its arrogance and incompetence. A lot of people in Europe who would never ever have considered themselves anti-American are now very distressed with the US.

The German news magazine Der Spiegel recently reported that less than half (45 per cent) of Germans consider the US a guarantor of peace in the world, compared with 62 per cent who did in 1993. More than half rated Americans as aggressive rather than peaceful (34 per cent). And, 44 per cent called them superficial.

Around mainland Western Europe, many see the US as haughty, duplicitous, egoistic, self-indulgent and condescending of others. Indeed, America is not anymore seen by Europe as giving leadership.

A report from the World Economic Forum says that in a list of countries rated by how well they’ve created the infrastructure that fosters progress, leadership and technological innovation, Denmark is now regarded as the world leader, with its Nordic neighbours — Sweden, Finland and Norway claiming second, fourth and 10th place respectively. US is No. 7.

Modern Asuras

According to ancient texts in Satapathe Brahmana, the devas and asuras both came from Prajapati (Brahma), but the former chose true speech while the latter chose the lie. By the end of the Vedic period, the asuras had attained their more demonic role.

When an incompetent blinkered snob is thrust with power in a well-heeled and prevailing nation, it is everyone’s nastiest nightmare, like an enraged bull in a Swarovski crystal shop.

Breach of International Laws

Five years after the launching of one of the most brazen breaches in international law, the US Government continues to flag up its victory. The bare truth, however, is that five years on, there is no end in sight.

Then Europe and the rest of the world saw a disgrace to the humanitarian image of the US (Abu Ghraib).

That George W. Bush and the members of his regime can look the people of the US and the citizens of the world in the eye and state unflinchingly that this escapade is a victory for America, shocks Europeans.

Global Warming

As floodwaters crested on the Danube and on the Elbe at Dresden, a few years ago, German news commentators and editorial pages focussed on global warming as the direct cause of the worst flooding this country has seen in decades.

Many people in Germany are convinced they know where to put blame for the catastrophe and the ones to come — on President George W. Bush’s refusal to sign the Kyoto climate accords.

The American Way

There is yet another fleeting but probably important forefront tone that coloured Europe’s attitude to America in the immediate past. The unsuccessful impeachment of President Clinton for lying about his sexual trifling with a young assistant, Monica Lewinsky.

The response in Europe, was broadly one of amused bewilderment.

But, the Lewinsky affair did serve to emphasise the profound distinctions between the European and American cultures. A much more pious and church-going country than any in Europe, America likes to hold its presidents to a high and exemplary standard, and takes even a false oath about a sexual indulgence, very acutely.

Blame the sovereign

Then comes the recent American financial industry created virus by gleefully disregarding the latent risks of lopsided lending and instead, aggressively marketed to the public that housing was a safer investment than stocks.

The American financial community transmitted this virus to the rest of the world and the virus has come to be known to have caused as a full-blown global epidemic.

Europe has been hit very hard. Europeans, unfortunately believe that this is only the beginning and there’s no magic wand that will remove the oncoming pain. Repercussions will keep reverberating through the European economy.

When there is catastrophe, there is blame.

In this case, Europeans believe the American sovereign has committed the biggest crime against the rest of the world.

Brand US

The US government is suffering losses not only in Iraq. Cult American brands are currently experiencing a decline on the European market, particularly in Germany in France. Young European ignore and disapprove the American lifestyle, which used to flourish for decades, selling many American products worldwide.

NATO Fiasco

The fall of the ancient Lemurian civilisation occurred because Lemurians ceased to develop themselves spiritually and broke the unity of their planet. This is precisely what Europeans perceive of the US. One petite dispute in hand breeds to seven by Bush (pun intended)

Last Friday, around 40 presidents, prime ministers as well as hordes from foreign and Defence ministries and around 3,000 advisors, secretaries and other officials were all in sneer and snicker leaving home after the three-day NATO summit in Bucharest. Politically, the NATO summit was a fiasco.

The Western alliance remains deeply divided and faces an identity crisis — with Russian relations just one of the alliance’s many points of dispute.

In the face of the newly emerging challenges in global politics as well as the development of India and China, paced to surpass the US in power and dominance in the future, Europe could contribute a better combined memory on global politics, given its tendencies to reflect on history and literature and, obviously, a superior leadership.

(The author is former Europe Director, CII, and lives in Cologne, Germany. Feedback may be sent to mailto: mohan.murti@t-online.de)

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