[Moustapha]

What is the level of anti-Americanism in different Latin American societies? And what do you think are basically lying behind this? US policies towards the region? US capitalism? "American way of life"? Any other reasons? Or several factors combined?

[Maas]

What is the level of anti-Americanism in different Latin American societies? And what do you think are basically lying behind this? US political approach towards the region? US capitalism in general? "American way of life"? Any other reasons? Or several factors combined?

Anti-Americanism is probably sky high. And that has to do because the US ran "operation condor" ... a terror campaign that got 10.000's of people tortured and killed on that continent. People who had the balls to run for president with their nations interest first that could be against the American interest.. got exterminated.

And eventhough that operation ran in 1970's and 1980's... it was quiet apperant the US has not given up on their ways. The people who made a coup against Chavez, had frequent contact with US governmental officials and were funded and trained by American NGO's. The US also immediately acknowledged the dictatorship of Venezuela when Chavez was removed ... have a wild guess how that looked when Chavez was back in power after a couple of days... not just Venezuelan government.. but for everybody on that continent.

[Soulflytribe]

We have erected a huge replica of the Statue of Liberty here in Rio. This probably shows how "anti-America" we are.

[Moustapha]

We have erected a huge replica of the Statue of Liberty here in Rio. This probably shows how "anti-America" we are.

maybe the people of Rio do not want it to stand there?

do you think the brazilian people mostly appreciate us policies?

[work-in-progress]

This was an issue I knew nothing about until I got to know some neighbours 15 or so years ago who were originally from Central America, mainly through our children being the same ages and going to the same school. The husband was a Mayan from Guatamala, his wife was from El Salvador and was less political than her husband, but had a few things to say about the assasination of Archbishop Romero and the U.S. role behind the military puppet governments all trained at the School of the Americas. The husband was more personally affected by U.S. foreign policy since he and most of his family had to flee their village in the northwest part of the country from "death squads," who the Reagan Administration and other officials pretended to know nothing about, but with the trial of the CIA-backed dictator - Efraim Rios Montt for war crimes, the full involvement of the U.S. is becoming known through official documents.

Similar stories can be told in Mexico and throughout South America by people who have left countries where banana republic dictators set up regimes where a handful of plutocrats and wealthy landlords own everything. In more recent years, foreign corporations are taking increasingly large bites out of their economies, not only using the land and natural resources, but even privatizing public services like water and sewage, so that poor people have to pay a foreign corporation if they want clean water! The only surprise to me is that Anti-Americanism isn't even greater than it is!

What it mostly boils down to is that the United States decided long ago that they should not only have dominion over all of the territories they seized after independence from England, but should have controlling interest in anything and everything that goes on in the rest of North and South America! Today, America's overpriced and over-extended military works on behalf of corporations and banks, many of whom are not even based in the United States. It looks suspicious to me that "defense" industries seem to be the only manufacturing industries that the corporatocracy doesn't want to outsource to China or elsewhere for cheaper production. Instead, companies like Lockheed Martin make sure they have factories working in all 48 states. America is losing the right to dictate global policy to a cabal of plutocrats that view the U.S. as a tool to enforce their objectives, and not as the controlling force of the empire.

The end result is that average Americans are subjected to the wrath of people who identify them as the source of their suffering, even if they are not even aware of what their governments do (through Democrat and Republican administrations alike) on behalf of a wealthy plutocracy that is becoming increasingly international and less interested in America as the years go by.

[AndresSerrano]

The communist credo has two basic tenets: You must have an external enemy and you must have an internal enemy. Internal is easy, that't
s 'them' the others, the rich, the blue, the whatever color you name. The external, why, who else? who else could possibly be drummed into gullible heads as the devil himself? why, the country that has provided the highest standard of living to the greates number and percentage of its population, ever. That place is called the USA. So is there anti Americanism in Latin America? You bet. Funnily, the place where most Latinos want to emigrate to is ?? You guessed it, the USA.

[Sithsaber]

This is mind numbingly simplistic. Standards of living aren't consulted in geopolitics, see the DR, Honduras, Haiti, Grenada, Mexico, Colombia et cetera. AND OF COURSe people emigrate to america, at least there death squads aren't allowed to openly roam the country side and evict peasants to please the agricultural industry. It's all about the money and the security that comes with it, if Brazil continues to grow more and more Latin Americans will focus on that nation.

[Soulflytribe]

maybe the people of Rio do not want it to stand there?

The commies (teachers, trade union leaders, some lefty politicians etc) would obviously bomb the statue if they could, but they are a minority.
The truth is that most Brazilians like the US and will consume everything that comes from there with a passion. To have a Statue of Liberty inside a mall will attract more customers, not scare them away. And that statue is there since 1999, so it must be bringing positive results to the mall, otherwise, it would have already been removed by now.

do you think the brazilian people mostly appreciate us policies?

There is a good report here that will answer your question.

Yes to American Popular Culture (2012)
Brazil: 69% (equal to Britain)

% Like American ideas about democracy (2012)
48% (more than Britain)

% Who favor U.S.-led efforts to fight terrorism
66% (more than Britain)

How Much Does the U.S. Consider Your Country’s Interests?
Great deal/ Fair amount
55% (more than Britain)

Most Rate U.S. Positively
Favorable
61% (more than Britain)

% It’s good that American ideas and customs are spreading here (2012)
49% (more than Britain)

[Sithsaber]

1. Can anyone really complain about the statue of liberty without looking like a douche?

2. They may like our consumerism and spending their cash in fl but Brazilians for the most part support a political paradigm far different from our own.

[AndresSerrano]

and here we have a shining example of the big lie turned truth. One of these lost souls who apparently blog full time, no doubt due to the enormous free time their wonderful job/profession affords them, actually claims "American NGO's trained" somebody for evil purposes. Do pray tell, do tell the world exactly and precisely whp these famous NGO's are. The world awaits yet another inane theory based by suppositions, bare lies and some obscure web based micro blog, no doubt written by a kindred soul whose main attribute is to be a basher and a hater.
Anit Americanism lives and breathes in Latin America not from the 70's and 80's but from the 10's and 20's when communists, true to their credo, fostered their classic one-two enemis's list. 'Them', 'the rich', 'the jews', the 'anything' were selected as the "internal enemy", priority number one for a successful revolution, whiole priority number two, that of the "external enemy" was easily satisfied by the (still) most successful free society in the history of mankind. Simple people take to big lies. When you have evil people dedicated to the principle of fostering the big lie, there is nothing to prevent large swaths of simple, and often desperate people, swallowing the big lie hook, line and sinker. Voila for anti-americanism early in the last century and early in this century. Funny thing though, the number one destination of migrants (often the most destitute/desperate) from Latin America: You guessed it, the United States of America. because of why?? because it is the one place in the continent where fair treatment, sound economic conditions and personal freedom are assured to the West of the Canary Islands

[Moustapha]

There is a good report here that will answer your question.

Yes to American Popular Culture (2012)
Brazil: 69% (equal to Britain)

% Like American ideas about democracy (2012)
48% (more than Britain)

% Who favor U.S.-led efforts to fight terrorism
66% (more than Britain)

How Much Does the U.S. Consider Your Country’s Interests?
Great deal/ Fair amount
55% (more than Britain)

Most Rate U.S. Positively
Favorable
61% (more than Britain)

% It’s good that American ideas and customs are spreading here (2012)
49% (more than Britain)[/quote]


This is really surprising for me. I thought these rates would be closer to those in Middle East countries.

[Maas]

and here we have a shining example of the big lie turned truth.

Pedro Carmona -the guy who made the coup vs Chavez- was a frequent visitor of the white house, and GWB even admits he met his gang just a couple of weeks before the coup. The US government admits that his gang was trained by (among institutions) The Department of Defense. And after the coup failed, Carmona fled to the US to escape justice.

big lie my ass


Now... how do you think Latin America thinks about the US when the US admits that enemies to their democracy still get trained, funded and find refuge over there?

[Bulaba Khan Jones]

America has been involved in the suppression of democracies and democratically elected leaders throughout Latin America, and in support of fascist coups and subsequent dictators, since the 1800s. I would imagine there is a lot of hostility towards the United States throughout Latin America. Is that so surprising, really?

[Moustapha]

Is that so surprising, really?

no, actually a lack of hostility would be surprising. i am just curious about the views of latin americans about the issue. is it all about the interventions of the US?

[KevlarMind]

They are anti american because their political leaders want them to be so.
Also they haven't gained nothing good from America so it doesen't really matter for them.

[Bulaba Khan Jones]

They are anti american because their political leaders want them to be so.
Also they haven't gained nothing good from America so it doesen't really matter for them.

Rather than a history of American interventionism against democracy throughout Latin America, the source of hostility towards America is because of those rascally politicians? You really think that?

[layman]

Latin America is probably extremely jealous of their northern neighbour which has outperformed them in every area for so long.

[Moustapha]

Latin America is probably extremely jealous of their northern neighbour which has outperformed them in every area for so long.

outperformed? you sound really funny. if we consider it as a marathon, the northern neighbour is an athlete that shoots the legs of the southern athletes. maybe this example is simple enough for you to understand.

[layman]

maybe this example is simple enough for you to understand.

Not really no.

Most of latin America has been poorly managed ever since colonial times. It is this weakness that has made way for exploitation by the north, not the other way around.

[Moustapha]

Not really no.

Most of latin America has been poorly managed ever since colonial times. It is this weakness that has made way for exploitation by the north, not the other way around.

Maybe you should read different sources about the history of your hemisphere. maybe you should read about Monroe doctrine. You can also make some research about the school of americas, establishment of the republic of panama, the banana republics, covert US activities in the region.. oh! i would write many, but the list would be endless. Even Obama apologized for what the US has done in Latin America. CIA has declassified a lot of documents, which are clear proofs of how US intervened in the internal affairs of those countries.

Read about Brother Sam, read about Chilean coup... Read about Friedman model, and how US destroyed a country.