Effort to Promote U.S. Falls Short, Critics Say
Christopher Marquis, New York Times
Comments by site visitors
If you care about the future of U.S. public diplomacy, join us at the USIA Alumni Association
For the latest developments in public diplomacy see the Public Diplomacy NewsWire
A story about U.S. public diplomacy appeared in the New York Times on 29 December 2003, and generated a number of comments by PublicDiplomacy.Org site visitors. We reprinted two of those comments below, one from Belgium and the other from Canada, with the permission of the writers.
29 December 2003
Dear Sir,
After reading “Effort to promote U.S. falls short…” I would like to tell you how I feel and how many Europeans feel about the USA.
First of all, I love the USA and the Americans in general, I lived in the States during 6 years and returned several times, since I left in 1964 . I love the Americans because they are very generous and once you have lived there you feel American. (I still do after so many years) Now the critics which are more against the government than against the Americans.
- When one says: "The president knows what’s good for the American people", this means and that is what we feel, the others I don’t care about.
- Looking at the decisions taken , one could wonder if he means all the Americans or only the ones who think like him, the sponsors.
Everybody or almost in the world, thinks Sadam is a criminal and everybody is happy he was ousted, but why Sadam only? Who helped him when he was useful against the Ayatolas. What about the other dictators such as Pinochet, Mobutu and others?
Another question which bothers the Europeans, is of course the attitude of the USA in the Middle East. I don't approve the terrorists killing so many innocent people in Israel and Palestine, but I can understand that the Palestinians want to defend their country.
Saying this , I guess I will be called anti-semitic, which I am not (During the 2d world war several Jews were hidden and helped by my family). What I mean here is: The USA being the most powerful nation in the world, don't you think they could force both Jews and Palestinians to live in "peace"? I don't say to like or love each other? (We Belgians still don't like the Germans very much!)
I am happy Sadam is gone, but was there no other way to get rid of him? Was a war necessary? What was the real excuse to go to war? President Clinton lied, but nobody died because of it! All those millions spent to find WMD. Couldn’t they have been used for better education and welfare?
I am not a fan of Mr Chirac or Villepin. What about our minister of foreign affairs, who put his foot in his mouth. That is the way he gets attention and sometimes one listens to him.
After having said this: I still feel American and I love your wonderful country. God Bless America!
Jean van de Kerckhof (vdkerckhof@skynet.be)
(We in our country, Belgium and the USA, are lucky to have the right to say what we think )
29 December 2003
Dear Mr. Kotok,
I was very happy to read that story in the NYT about promoting the US. But I would like to let you know that Muslim nations are NOT the only ones to hate you.
I live in Québec and believe me, it is as bad as in any Muslim nation here. The only difference is... we don't shoot Americans. But we rejoice when something bad happens to you. Can you imagine? Across the border, people are happy when your soldiers die in Iraq. And Canada is not an exception.
Let me tell you about myself... because I have a say: I am NEVER the only one to do what I am doing.
I have been boycotting your country since October 2001. That means: no more holiday in the States (the last one I took there being a great stay at The Venetian hotel in Las Vegas, a different show every night, and all; I chose Cuba this year, to make sure not to see a lot of you), no more products from the States (no fruits from Florida, for example, no wine from California... and I CHECK!), no more American airline (I am going to China in May, a special trip... believe it or not, I am going through an AUSTRALIAN travel agency, because I do not want to deal with Americans).
You should read the newspapers here: there is no respect for you people, anymore. The day before yesterday, I watched the television: the guy was laughing his head off, talking about your accusations about the mad cow coming from Canada: "As usual, they prefer to blame somebody else, he said. But there is no proof." Mr. Bush is the laughing stock of the country. When Mr. Bush went to England, our newspapers reported that the boats carrying refuse were not the only garbage heading toward England... Can you imagine! They were writing about YOUR PRESIDENT! Can you imagine newspapers writing that way about Mr. Putin or Mr. Chirac?
How do you explain that now, when Mr. Bush says something (or Tom Ridge, or Donald Rumsfeld or Condoleeza Rice), we just brush it off and laugh? We do not believe a word about the threats, your color code (yellow, orange, red). We laugh: HIS score is down, we say. He needs a new stunt to brainwash his fat people. Or, "How come they do not know? Oh well... they'll never learn."
I used to LOVE your country. I used to LOVE New York, I used to LOVE to take a day off in Burlington (Vermont).
This is all over for good. As I said, I am NOT the only one to react this way. Lots of my friends have crossed your country out of their plans.
I am really sorry this has happened, so fast. To tell the truth, I really miss New York. But I won't go.
Thanks you for reading this mail.
Johanne Bélanger (compote4@yahoo.com)
We welcome comments on the Public Diplomacy Web site; send to admin@publicdiplomacy.org
This page:
http://www.publicdiplomacy.org/25.htm
Updated: 1 January 2004.
Copyright © 2004. USIA Alumni Association