Argentina’s Anti-Americanism: Part 2
This post is a continuation of the previous one dealing with anti-American sentiment in Argentina. In a later post I’ll address the nature and history of anti-American attitudes in Argentina. Here I’ll look at more statistical data related to anti-American views. The data come from the 2007 Pew Global Attitudes Survey. The survey interviewed 45,239 people in 47 nations, including 800 face-to-face interviews with Argentines. The survey was carried out in both rural and urban areas in April of this year.
Argentina, of course, is not alone in its distaste for America. The survey showed the U.S. to be highly unpopular in many parts of the world, with people in many countries voicing high levels of distrust for U.S. President George W. Bush.
“Global distrust of American leadership is reflected in increasing disapproval of the cornerstones of U.S. foreign policy. Not only is there worldwide support for a withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq, but there also is considerable opposition to U.S. and NATO operations in Afghanistan. Western European publics are at best divided about keeping troops there. In nearly every predominantly Muslim country, overwhelming majorities want U.S. and NATO troops withdrawn from Afghanistan as soon as possible. In addition, global support for the U.S.-led war on terrorism ebbs ever lower. And the United States is the nation blamed most often for hurting the world’s environment, at a time of rising global concern about environmental issues.”
Interestingly, however, the survey indicated that distrust runs high for almost all major powers, not just the U.S.
“There is little evidence that discontent with the major nations of the world and their leaders is resulting in greater confidence in those who have challenged the global status quo. Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez inspires little public confidence, even in Latin America, and huge majorities in most countries also say they have little or no confidence in Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to do the right thing regarding world affairs.”
Meanwhile, people in almost all countries are growing increasingly concerned about pollution and environmental degradation. Such concern has grown rapidly in Argentina. In 2002 about 28% of Argentines said environmental problems posed the “top threat” to the world. By 2007 that figure had risen 25 points to 53%, a faster increase than in any other country except Brazil, where it rose 29 points. To the extent that the U.S. is widely seen as the world’s leading polluter, this partly explains why Argentines don’t like U.S. policies, particularly President Bush’s environmental policies.
The survey indicates that while Argentines are vociferously anti-American in many categories, their opposition to the U.S. is surpassed by discontent in Turkey, Pakistan and France in at least some key categories. Around 67% of Argentines said they “most disliked American ideas about democracy” while 81% of Turks, 76% of French and 72% of Pakistanis also said this. Another 67% of Argentines said they “most disliked American ways of doing business” while 83% of Turks and 75% of French agreed.
Latin American anti-Americanism
The U.S. has lost a lot of support in Latin America, not just in Argentina:
“The image of the United States has eroded since 2002 in all six Latin American countries for which trends are available. The decline has been especially steep in Venezuela (26 points), Argentina (18 points), and Bolivia (15 points). Nonetheless, majorities in four of the seven Latin American nations included in the survey – including Venezuela (56%) – have a positive opinion of the U.S. Both Brazilians (44% favorable, 51% unfavorable) and Bolivians (42% favorable, 52% unfavorable) are somewhat more likely to have a negative opinion of the U.S. than a positive one. Five years ago, majorities in both nations felt favorably toward the U.S. Meanwhile, negative views of the U.S. in Argentina, which were clearly evident five years ago, have only intensified. Indeed, the balance of opinion toward the U.S. among Argentines (16% favorable, 72% unfavorable) is worse than in any country surveyed outside the Middle East.” (emphasis my own)
America versus Americans
Do Argentines distinguish between the U.S. government and American people? The answer is yes, but even here the results are not too encouraging. When asked to “rate the U.S. and its people,” only 16% of Argentines said they had a favorable view of the U.S. government. Only slightly more than that, 26%, said they favorably viewed the America people. Ouch! Those percentages are lower than in all countries except Turkey, Pakistan and the Palestinian territories.
Argentine Views on American Exports
In one fascinating aspect of the survey, Argentines revealed themselves to be only moderately positive about American cultural and scientific exports. About 50% said they had positive views of U.S. movies, music and TV shows. Another 51% thought positively about U.S. science and technological developments. I must admit, this latter data has left me a bit dumbfounded.
Finally, only 10% of Argentines said they positively view “the spread of U.S. ideas” in the world. An interesting survey might look at what kind of ideas Argentines find attractive and which – if any – countries they hold in very high esteem. Could it be that the tendency of Argentines to complain – about everything, not just the U.S. – affected the views they expressed in the Pew survey? I’ll take a look at this and other matters in an upcoming post.
Popularity: 1% [?]
another thing is that Argentines sometimes lump Americans together with British because of the language and culture. They treat Americans and British as one and the same. Argentines do have some long-standing issues with British, that are too long to discuss here. Something like what Americans do toward latinamericans, they view them as Mexicans. I am talking about the average American and the average Argentinean. To be sure, there are highly educated individuals in both sides who distinguish among Mexicans/LatinAmericans and Americans/British.
RL
United States is an empire as the roman was. They have all the power, specially the economic power. They control almost everything, since culture to food (just see how many movies are right now in theathers made in USA, or how many chains of american foods we have around the world). To this you should add the poor and detestable foreign policy commanded by Baby Bush and his Eartbreakers. But it’s all economics, the war incentive the guns, arms and missiles factories, logistics, etc. it’s all economics, that’s what I can’t understand of a “sometime” leader of the democracy around the world.
I agree that is not the united states citizens the problem, the problem is the government, but who did chose it? I’m sure I wasn’t….
Most argentines have never met someone from the US! It is their populists leaders who look for a escape goat. Sure the foreign policy of the USA hasn’t helped much.
You were wondering about why the negative view of scientific development. Maybe Monsanto and all the gen activities? Maybe many mean the development of weapons and atomic bombs?
“I agree that is not the united states citizens the problem, the problem is the government, but who did chose it? I’m sure I wasn’t….”
I think that hating an entire nation because of their government is totally irrational. We all know that many americans don’t vote because it is not mandatory. Besides, you seem to forget that almost half of those who did voted for Kerry and not Bush. I’m sorry to say this, but I find your statement to be incredibly ignorant.
Hi Carlos,
What exactly is the “statement” that you are referring to in your comment? Precisely what statement do you find to be incredibly ignorant? Could you please be more specific?
Cheers,
Taos
Carlos,
Sorry. I didn’t realize you were referring to the statement you quoted from “Uncle Remus.” My bad.
Cheers,
Taos
There´s a bunch of Americans in Argentina trying to revert the idea of “Bush=Americans”.
You should check on our efforts and achievements.
And you´ll be wellcomed to join us in doing so.
rl, I think Argentinians secretly looove the British, I don’t think we dislike America because we associate it with Britain. The relationship with the English in particular is a strange one, love- hate is the best way to describe it.
Taos and Carlos, I honestly don’t understand how you can ever separate a democratic government from the people who vote them. Even when you don’t vote you’re making a choice.
And I’m sure Argentinians don’t hate ALL Americans, what they hate is the IDEA of America, a blood and power-thirsty monster, prepared to crush anything that is on its way, no matter what. That’s how latin-americans see the US, unfortunately. Some choose to speak against it and some prefer to wear baseball caps and scoff Mc D’s burgers and fries while they watch “Family Guy”. And some do both. Who knows what they really think.
I am thinking that some people may find scientific contributions as evil because they think of them as purely commercial. If you believe modern drugs hurt more than they cure, if you think that cell phones serve little purpose other than cause brain cancer and iPods simple make you deaf at an early age, then I can see why people would think they are bad. Argentinians love their ipods though, and they seem to be very much promodern medicine, so I also wonder where they get this.
Most people in the world separate the american people from the american government, that is mostly true. The type of american that they have contact with determines a lot. There are some countries where only those serious curious travelers go to and they think well of americans. On the other hand countries like western europe who get the average ignorant and arrogant american kid thinks very low of americans…
to maria and uncle remus,
to say that a nation of people cannot be separated from their government is to say that argentines are to blame for their poor economy, for the military dictatorships that have taken thousands of argentine lives, and for every other negative repercussion argentines have suffered at the hands of its leaders, past and present. After all, you did vote for the people who caused these things to happen, right? And as far as the leaders who seized power, one can argue that voting for a leader who was not strong enough to maintain power is a problem the argentine people brought on themselves.
It is never reasonable to characterize the people of any nation merely by its executive leaders.
Remolacha, please tell me where I say it…sorry but I can’t find it. I just said that Bush was elected by the americans and we all over the world have to suffer him and that I didn’t voted him
.
Most of the americans did choose Bush, like most of the people from Argentina choose Menem last decade. And I’m not saying people from a country is the GOVERNMENT.
Carlos: would tell me where I say I hate american people?
and probably now he is invading my home 
And sorry for being such “an ignorant” for thinking in a different way from you, Bush would be glad of your thoughts
I have had it up to here with anti-Americanism. I consider myself a liberal and yet when I travel to Argentina I am compelled to defend my country from several ignorant haters who have this insane jealousy complex with the United States. I’m also tired of your racism, anti-Semitism and anti-Bolivian sentiment. I work my butt off to take care of myself and my family, like most of my fellow citizens. I do not eat McDonalds or wear baseball caps. I have a university education. I speak 3 languages. My family is made up of immigrants from many parts of the world, just like many Argentines. It is unfortunate that Argentines cannot succeed like their United States counterparts because of a centuries-old culture of corruption and graft (“n~oquis” anyone?), and demagoguery from the Nazi Peron. You are to blame for your situation. Paren de quejarse de Estados Unidos por el exito que ha tenido. Bush hizo bien con ir a Afganistan. Deben de leer algo sobre el islam y acordarse de lo violento que es si se hace como se escribe. Por supuesto Bush estuvo MUY MAL por ir a Iraq cuando no hacia falta. Pero eso no cambia que ustedes nos odian sin justificacion. Eso de imperio es una porqueria comunista. Aqui vivimos tratando de vivir la vida y criar hijos y querer familia como los demas.
This is an old post but I could not resist:
Being Anti-American is far too easy these days. Once in a bar in Buenos Aires I had to admit that I rather have Bush as president that that crazy dude from Iran. After being accused of being a soul-selling, raza-traitor, gringo-lovin’, wetback wannabe, I stood my ground and proudly proclaimed that I prefer to wear Marc Jacobs than a nice silk burka. Oh my, the things you gringos make this poor Mexican say. But I’ll get over it, nothing that screaming a couple of insults to Landon Donovan won’t cure. I was not the only one, mind you. I went to a Café Tacuba concert in BAs also and the lead singer defended your traseros from a screaming crowd. Because we know, believe me, we know, that a government is not the same thing as the pueblo. Besides if anyone south of the border is going to bitch about you people it is us, and all those bros from CA who still remember Reagan fondly. Anyway, we secretly heart you, and even if you plaster Canadian flags in your back-pack when you go to Oaxaca, we know that it is you, no matter how Quebecois you claim to be.
1) another thing is that Argentines sometimes lump Americans together with British because of the language and culture. They treat Americans and British as one and the same.
No way, man, you are too much!!!
2)Un Americain-Quebecois dijo…
I have had it up to here with anti-Americanism. I consider myself a liberal and yet when I travel to Argentina I am compelled to defend my country from several ignorant haters who have this insane jealousy complex with the United States. I’m also tired of your racism, anti-Semitism and anti-Bolivian sentiment.
Oh yea? in wich country muslims and jews live togehter with no problem at all?
Racism? Anti semitism? Anti bolivian?
Dunno, just to use the word “bolita” or some comment? But people here dont have any problem to buy vegetables to the bolivian cholas on the street.
Here we use negro affectionate, in your country is an offense that justifies murder, we call the fatty, the skinny, the boli, the paragua, the russian (to jews), and they are just nicknames, nobody takes offense o that.
Who were those haters? can you tell a little more? Assholes are everywhere, i met some people from NEW YORK (among others, not rednecks) that were exactly as those people that are asked to pinpoint USA in a map and they put the finger in germany, like those videos that you can find on internet (Are american fools?). For that i wouldnt say that average american is homer simpson, but i was leaded to think so very often.
To make it short, Coran doesnt say “The man who saves a life, saves mankind”? I´m Christian by the way.
Perhaps the racism anti this and anti that you mentioned is a cultural difference like many usa people get shocked by here until they trully know how things are.
Anonymous (last person/last post ), you sound and act like a college-age child. And your quote from the Quran, “the man who saves a life, saves mankind” is not part of the canon of Islam, because under the Islamic doctrine of “abrogation” the peaceful verses of Islam written in the earlier part of Mohammed’s life were “abrogated,” or REPLACED, by the extremely violent verses of Mohammed’s later life (“Behead the non-believer (non-muslim)”) in the later part of the Quran (when no one in Arabia would convert to his new made-up, super right-wing intolerant religion). Por favor no me vengas con tus cuentas acerca de la paz que se encuentra en la Argentina entre las gentes. Es pura mentira. Yo vivi alla por muchisimo tiempo y estas hablando una basura de chiquillo. Aca al menos fuimos capaz de poner en poder a un presidente mulato, cosa que NUNCA pasara en la Argentina. Pase lo que pase y venga lo que venga, la Argentina seguira siendo un pais racista, y por supuesto anti-estadounidense por CELOS de mi pais (sin justificacion) y un pais sumamente corrupto guiado por mafiosos descarados como se encuentran es la isla de Sicilia o la ciudad de Chicago. Que madures mas.
american-quebecois, you’re dead on. I too get the feeling that all this hatred of the US boils down to jealousy. I’ve observed that Argentines love to hate anyone they perceive as being ‘better’ than they are, whether it be financially, aesthetically, morally, socially, or what have you.
Anonymous (post preceding this one), I can say with absolute certainty that jealousy is the problem. But it sucks, to be truthful. I have this love/love relationship with Argentina but I cannot stand, rather I cannot tolerate the complex Argentines have with the United States. It is so remarkable because so many Argies are so tremendously anti-American. There is not, nor has there been, a true validating basis for hating another country like that. I am fully aware of the US anti-Soviet policy of the 70s and the junta militar, and let’s not even get into the fact that the Soviets and Cubans were the ones actively trying to spead their idealism in Latina America, but I cannot fathom how people can loathe others so much. I dated one Argie girl a few years ago who said the following after a couple of dates, “Sos bueno, para ser un yanqui de mierda.” The idiocy has no bounds. I suppose we’ll become as loathed as the English with all of those Argentine “los ingleses son piratas” stories and the obsession with the windswept Malvinas/Falklands. What the hell happened? European immigrants go to the US and they are for the most part normal, European immigrants go to Argentina and they become insecure, emotionally bound and volatile. Que clase de inmadurez, madre mia.
Actually people in Argentina hate the USA so much because they were supportive of the Dirty War in Argentina (it claimed 30 000 lives). That kind of thing people don’t forget anytime soon.