Description
Book SynopsisThis book interrogates the nature of anti-Americanism today and over the last century. It asks several questions: How do we define the phenomenon from different perspectives: political, social, and cultural? What are the historical sources and turning points of anti-Americanism in Europe and elsewhere? What are its links with anti-Semitic sentiment? Has anti-Americanism been beneficial or self-destructive to its "believers"? Finally, how has the United States responded and why? The authors, scholars from a multitude of countries, tackle the potential political consequences of anti-Americanism in Eastern and Central Europe, the region that has been perceived as strongly pro-American.
Trade Review"The essays that Ivan Krastev and Alan McPherson have gathered together in this little book represent a distinctive contribution to the burgeoning literature on ‘anti-Americanism.’ They cover a remarkable amount of ground, from South-East Asia to Central Europe, and offer many original insights into the origins and nature of contemporary anti-American sentiment. Anyone seeking to understand this subject—which means everyone who cares about the current unstable state of the world—should read The Anti-American Century." -- Tony Judt
"Anti-Americanism is a psychologically complex, politically heterogeneous, and kaleidoscopically evolving cultural attitude. Anyone who wants to understand its multiple roots and paradoxical trajectories should read this fascinating book." -- Stephen Holmes
"All too often debates on anti-Americanism disintegrate into simplified black and white slogans of ‘us’ and ‘them.’ In meeting such simple stories, the essays in this volume are a welcome complication and challenge. This volume brings international voices into the dialogue helping us to disentangle the multi-faceted social and political narratives of ‘anti-Americanism’ in this new century." -- Diane Stone
Table of ContentsAcknowledgement; Introduction, Ivan Krastev; The Anti-American Century? Ivan Krastev; "Little America": On the non-European Features of Eastern European Societies, Janos Matyas Kovacs; Anti-Americanism in Latin America and the Caribbean: "False Populism" or Coming Full Circle?, Alan McPherson, Rethinking Young Anti-Americanism in South Korea, Youngshik Bong and Katharine H. S. Moon; How "Big Brother" Became the "Great Satan": Changing Perceptions of the United States among the Muslim Communities of Southeast Asia, Farish Ahmad Noor; A Plea for Distinctions: Disentangling Anti-Americanism from Anti-Semitism, Brian Klug; List of Contributors
