Anti-American Americans

Gerard Baker has written a great piece in the Times about anti-American Americans. It seems there is nothing Europeans love more than Americans who slag off their own country, hence their adoration of Al Gore, Michael Moore and Sean Penn.

But there is one major difference Europeans fail to notice: however much animosity Hollywood celebrities may feel towards Bush or the Republicans, they will still wrap their selves in the American flag and say they're proud to be American.

A little bit like the Muslims who disassociate themselves from suicide bombers and tell you that they're not real Muslims, liberal Americans will tell you that Bush doesn't represent the real America and the United States that you see today isn't the country the founding fathers intended it to be. It's constructive criticism and you have to admire that.

It's one major reason why America has a future whilst Britain has none. Not all Americans like their government but at least they still believe in their country and its values. Contrast that with Britain where self loathing has long been a national sport among our intelligentsia. As Britain comes under increasing attack from home grown Islamists, it needs to defend its values now more than ever, but what's there left to defend?