Friday, July 20, 2007

Italians Love Americans, and HATE US Policy and Government

The ANNOTICO Report

 

Italians feeling about Americans, is overwhelmingly positive. As a people, they like us. They remember our time as allies in England, and in Italy they remember our removing the Nazi horror from their country.  In many villages, the older folks still remember the names and faces of those young Americans who fought beside the members of the Italian resistance in World War II. There are many monuments to American who lost his life there while fighting beside young Italian men trying to liberate their villages.

 

And in even tiny villages, there are newer memorials, placed there in memory and honor of those Americans who died in the World Trade Center on Sept. 11, 2001. Here, in the tiny village tears were shed, and the need was felt to place marble statement of solidarity with Americans like you and me.

 

There is still great affection, warmth and love for Americans. The author often finds more open affection and warmth in Italy than he finds most days in his home time.

 

But unless  you get to know Italians very well, however, they will be too polite to ask you why any of us still support the failed leadership of our country.

 

But the Italians know that the US supplied troops and other support for the war in Iraq, only to find out that the basis for that war, given them by America, was not true

The Italian friends also know that America kidnapped a man off of the street of one of their cities, sneaked him out of the country and tortured him in one of the prisons in a third country we use for that purpose.

There have been so many other transgression, too numerous to mention, that have stripped the US of it's God Guy image. There is a sadness and anger for the policies of President George W. Bush and his administration.

Fortunately, however, there was an extensive 47-nation survey released by the Pew Research Center while I was in Italy. It is available online, all 129 pages of it, but let me quote a few of its findings.

Over the last five years, Americas image has plummeted throughout much of the world, including sharp drops in favorability among traditional allies in Western Europe.

It then goes on to explain, Far more people express positive opinions of Americans than they do of the U.S.

 

Americans Are Still Welcome Abroad

 

FayObserver.com - Fayetteville NC,USA

Denny Shaffer
July 20, 2007

I just returned from three weeks in Italy, with a quick visit to London on the way home. If you discount folks asking if I had a good time, and if my family went too (the answer to both being yes), the most-asked question has been, Did you experience any anti-Americanism while in Europe?

The easy answer is no, but it is not a complete one. The question is more complicated than it seems, so permit me if you will, to split the question, give my observations, some authoritative opinion and then my conclusion.

If you are asking about how folks there feel about Americans, it is overwhelmingly positive. As a people, they like us. They remember our time as allies in England, and in Italy they remember our removing the Nazi horror from their country.

In my village atop a mountain in Tuscany, the older folks still remember the names and faces of those young Americans who fought beside the members of the Italian resistance in World War II. There is a monument at the highest elevation of the town, dedicated to Lt. John Fox, an American who lost his life there while fighting beside young Italian men trying to liberate their village on Dec. 26, 1944.

On that same hilltop is a newer memorial, placed there in memory and honor of those Americans who died in the World Trade Center on Sept. 11, 2001. Here, in this tiny village, in the rugged mountains of northern Tuscany, tears were shed, and the need was felt to place this marble statement of solidarity with Americans like you and me.

It is so consistent with the way I am treated in Italy. There are hugs in the restaurant when we return after a years absence. I am given a cup of wine from the local grocer when I finish my purchases, then when I leave given a bottle of wine to take back to the house as a welcome gift.

I mean no offense to my friends here, but that is more open affection and warmth than I find most days in Fayetteville businesses.

But my Italian friends also know that America kidnapped a man off of the street of one of their cities, sneaked him out of the country and tortured him in one of the prisons in a third country we use for that purpose.

They know that they supplied troops and other support for the war in Iraq, only to find out that the basis for that war, given them by America, was not true.

Two questions

So the question becomes two. How do these people feel about you and me, the American people? And, how do they feel about American policy? There is still great affection, warmth and love for Americans. There is a sadness and anger for the policies of President George W. Bush and his administration.

Yes, that is just my opinion. I have been a visitor in Europe more than once a year, for 22 years. I talk to a lot of folks and read as much as possible while there. My qualifications as an expert on the subject, however, are certainly open to question.

Fortunately, however, there was an extensive 47-nation survey released by the Pew Research Center while I was in Italy. It is available online, all 129 pages of it, but let me quote a few of its findings.

Over the last five years, Americas image has plummeted throughout much of the world, including sharp drops in favorability among traditional allies in Western Europe.

It then goes on to explain, Far more people express positive opinions of Americans than they do of the U.S.

In answer to the question, Do you have confidence in President George W. Bush to do what is right in foreign affairs?, 70 percent of those surveyed in England said not much or none, as did 61 percent in Italy. Russian President Vladimir Putin had better ratings in both countries.

Support for U.S.-led efforts to fight terrorism was only 38 percent and 41 percent in England and Italy, respectively. It is viewed that we promote democracy only when it serves our national interest. And 74 percent of those surveyed in England say our government acts unilaterally without consideration of their interests.

The leaders of both countries, Berlusconi in Italy and Blair in England, are now out of office, at least in part because of their association with the Bush administration policies. It is a very public display of the danger, perhaps the folly, of following the current leaders of our country.

My conclusion? You will be welcomed with friendship and warmth in Europe. It will be expensive, as the value of our dollar continues to fall against the Euro and the Pound, but the people will be your friends if given the chance.

Unless you get to know them very well, however, they will be too polite to ask you why any of us still support the failed leadership of our country.

Denny Shaffer has received the Governors Award and the Order of the Long Leaf Pine for public service. He served on the City Council and as national president of the Sierra Club. He is a former member of the Observers Community Advisory Board who contributes occasional op-ed columns

 

 

The ANNOTICO Reports Can be Viewed (and are Archived) on:

Italia USA: http://www.ItaliaUSA.com [Formerly Italy at St Louis] (7 years)

Italia Mia: http://www.ItaliaMia.com (3 years)

Annotico Email: annotico@earthlink.net