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Don't Hate Me Because I'm Beautiful

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Don't Hate Me Because I'm Beautiful Barry Rubin, Judith Colp Rubin. Hating America: A History. New York: Oxford University Press, 2004. xviii + 307 pp. $21.95, paper, ISBN 978-0-19-530649-1. Reviewed by Timothy Roberts Published on H-USA (September, 2006) This book traces a history of anti-American‐ where democratic processes are producing ism from the founding of the United States to re‐ regimes openly hostile to the United States, stand action to the 2003 invasion of Iraq. The authors to clarify this relationship.) previously have published studies of Arab politics The book's central and most problematic ar‐ and anti-Americanism in the Middle East, includ‐ gument is that anti-Americanism has arisen con‐ ing a biography of Yasir Arafat. Barry Rubin is the sistently out of unwarranted fears among peoples, editor of the Middle East Review of International of different world regions, about American cul‐ Affairs, and Judith Colp Rubin is a journalist with ture and politics over the last two and one-half Middle East experience. centuries. In the eighteenth century Europeans, "Anti-Americanism" here means criticism of especially French intellectuals (France appears the United States by foreigners on the basis that the most persistent haven of anti-Americanism in the United States is inevitably evil; criticism that the world), feared that anyone who lived in the greatly exaggerates the country's shortcomings; United States would degenerate because of the criticism that deliberately misrepresents the Unit‐ natural environment. In the frst part of the nine‐ ed States for self-serving purposes; or criticism teenth century, anti-Americanism shifted to fear that falsely portrays American society, policies, or of American democratic institutions, by which goals as ridiculous or malevolent. The book per‐ elites lost privilege, and high culture allegedly be‐ ceptively shows that anti-Americanism, until re‐ came impossible. In the latter part of the nine‐ cently, has been the vocation of foreign intellectu‐ teenth century, Latin Americans joined Europeans als, rather than a belief shared by "the masses," so in fear of American mass culture and industrial‐ that the direct efect of anti-Americanism on other ization, the impact of which was beginning to ex‐ countries' policies and actions against the United pand far beyond U.S. borders. In the frst part of States is uncertain. (Although current events in the twentieth century, fascists and communists places like Palestine, Lebanon, and Venezuela, made anti-Americanism state policy, as a basis for H-Net Reviews justifying rapid reorganization of their societies in those countries. The interpretation also is a bit along racial collectivized class lines. After World distressing; presumably, the authors, even if inad‐ War II, the Middle East joined Latin America and vertently, do not mean to imply that war serves as Europe in deciding that predictions of American a prescription for solving anti-Americanism. domination had become reality. In its broad time On the other hand, as the authors accurately span and survey of different locations, the book is point out, national leaders in Latin America and more comprehensive than studies focused on spe‐ the Middle East have blamed American domina‐ cific countries or contemporary history.[1] tion for the failure of their regions to develop eco‐ Hating America deserves credit for clarifying nomically, attributing all sorts of domestic or en‐ the fact that recent expressions of hatred for the vironmental problems to American machinations. United States in the Middle East are hardly a new Mexican leaders attributed student revolts to CIA phenomenon. It is strangely reassuring that for‐ manipulation, and drought to the United States eigners, nearly around the world, have both stealing rain (pp. 120-121). Egyptian journalists feared American influence and predicted Ameri‐ blamed the crash of an Egypt Air passenger plane can downfall for over two hundred years now. on an American effort to embarrass Egypt, and ac‐ But the book overly minimizes the role of U.S. ac‐ cused the United States of poisoning food it air- tions, especially beginning in the twentieth centu‐ dropped to Afghan civilians (pp. 171, 180). Many ry, in fostering such anti-Americanism. For exam‐ foreign media sources, not only in developing ple, the book interprets the impact of U.S. military countries, alleged the attacks on September 11 interventions on anti-Americanism by observing were the work of American and Israeli operatives. that anti-Americanism has not taken root strongly Today there may be little difference between anti- in countries that have experienced direct military Americanism and wild conspiracy-mongering. conflict with the United States. Anti-Americanism But, again, in its critique of such scapegoat‐ has been less pronounced, that is, in Britain, Ger‐ ing, Hating America fails to show an understand‐ many, Mexico, Japan, and Vietnam (all of which, ing of the impact in other countries of known U.S. since 1776, have fought with the United States) actions against developing nations or their peo‐ than in France, Russia, Venezuela, Syria, and In‐ ples. The authors, for example, characterize as donesia. (The book does not discuss the existence anti-Americanism a charge by a British newspa‐ or strength of Chinese and Indian anti-American‐ per in 2002 that the United States is imperialistic isms, surely important questions.) By meeting the because it, at the time, was contemplating war United States on the battlefield, the authors argue, with Iraq, and has practiced assassination of cer‐ other countries "learned that conflict with Ameri‐ tain foreign leaders, experimented with biological ca was costly, that conciliation was advantageous, weapons, and tortured captured foreigners (pp. and that a stereotype of U.S. permanent hostility 211-212). All of these charges are valid. But for the was not accurate" (p. 132). The consequences of authors, one or even several examples of distaste‐ this experience were that defeated foreigners ful American behavior do not constitute a basis could better "pick and choose rationally what was for condemnation of American civilization or worth copying, adapting, or rejecting from the lament about American domination. This is fair, United States," thus weakening anti-Americanism but they thus miss the point that, given waxing (pp. 225-226). This interpretation is novel, but a American international power, negative incidents more reasonable explanation is that American in‐ (not terribly significant to U.S. security, much less teraction with certain countries, precipitated by to most American citizens) may have a legitimate‐ military conflict, led to the planting and growth of ly dramatic and memorable impact in weaker American fnancial investment and cultural ways 2 H-Net Reviews countries. The Rubins imply that it is up to others such "exceptionalism"; because the portrayal dis‐ to better understand virtuous American qualities counts evidence that the United States actually so that anti-Americanism may dissipate. Surely conforms to international patterns in some ways; they are at most half right: do we as Americans and because of evidence that the diversity of peo‐ not have a responsibility to understand American ple in the United States, and U.S. foreign relations, strengths as well as the unique harm of which our do not share such a harmonized value system or country is capable, and others' perception of history. Meanwhile, most modern scholarship in American influence, more sophisticatedly as well? U.S. foreign relations has attributed U.S. diplomat‐ Likewise, the authors attribute much of the ic and military actions to service of Americans' sustenance of anti-Americanism to other coun‐ national interests, not primarily fulfillment of tries' jealousy of uniquely favorable American high moral principle. Again, Americans' precon‐ qualities. The book states, but does not demon‐ ceptions of unique American greatness have strate or cite supporting literature, that these probably contributed at least something to the de‐ qualities are frst, "an idealism, bordering on en‐ velopment of anti-Americanism over time, but lightened altruism." Americans believe "that im‐ this is not addressed in Hating America.[2] proving peoples' lives" provides the route to peace The book then ultimately provides only part and success. Second, Americans possess "a power‐ of the story of the historical development of anti- ful optimism" or expectation that "everything will Americanism, because it excessively attributes turn out right in the end." As such, Americans of‐ anti-Americanism to others and their uninformed, ten "brush aside the endless advice that some‐ "irrational" misinterpretations of American thing cannot be done." Third, Americans are char‐ virtue, and minimizes the significance of Ameri‐ acterized by "a pragmatic, problem-solving men‐ cans' actions that may warrant not only criticism tality." Rather than "muddling through" difficul‐ but suspicion of our country's policies or atti‐ ties, Americans wish to resolve them. Finally, tudes. More searching studies, such as those of Ju‐ Americans prefer not to engage in foreign entan‐ lia Sweig and Paul Hollander, are worthwhile to glement. There "is no country in the world less in‐ understand the formation and implications of this terested in empire or world conquest" (pp. important topic.[3] 238-239). For example, foreigners "failed to under‐ Notes stand that American policies in the Civil War, Cold [1]. Alan McPherson, Yankee No! Anti-Ameri‐ War, [and] 2003 Iraq War were motivated in large canism in U.S.-Latin American Relations (Cam‐ part ... by moral considerations beyond realpoli‐ bridge: Harvard University Press, 2006); Philippe tik" (p. 48). Roger, L'Ennemi Américain: Généalogie de The idea that the United States is unique in l'antiaméricanisme français (Paris: Seuil, 2002); world history, of course, is traditional, going back and Andrew Kohut, America against the World: to J. Hector St. John de Crevecoeur's Letters of an How We Are Different and Why We Are Disliked American Farmer (1782), and developed subse‐ (New York: Times Books, 2006).
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