Why do Europeans have a double standard when evaluating the United States?

[Bismarck]

Why do Europeans so often criticize the United States for things like surveillance yet rarely at all criticize Russia and China who do much worse? There are exceptions to this like the UK and Poland but why do some countries (especially Germany) have such a resentment against the United States? Please don’t say Trump this sort of thing has been happening for decades.

[mileslunn]

Why do Europeans so often criticize the United States for things like surveillance yet rarely at all criticize Russia and China who do much worse? There are exceptions to this like the UK and Poland but why do some countries (especially Germany) have such a resentment against the United States? Please don’t say Trump this sort of thing has been happening for decades.

I am totally sure that is true.  Certainly there is an anti-American element in Europe, but you will also depending on which country you go to find certain people who are quite critical of Russia and China and also not unusual for Europeans to criticize either European countries.  I can say in Canada, the reason for high level of criticism towards the US is due to living next door so the impact of whatever the US does is much greater on us than say Russia or China who are a whole ocean apart and represent a relatively small impact on our economy.

[freefair]

We expect more of you, because you call yourselves the greatest nation on earth?

[Karpatsky]

There are a lot of people who are principally opposed to U.S. hegemony, and so are more than glad to turn a blind eye to the sins of the U.S.'s enemies. See 'leftists' who romanticize Assad and Zacharchenko and 'conservatives' who see Putin's Russia as a model.

[Lechasseur]

Why do Europeans so often criticize the United States for things like surveillance yet rarely at all criticize Russia and China who do much worse? There are exceptions to this like the UK and Poland but why do some countries (especially Germany) have such a resentment against the United States? Please don’t say Trump this sort of thing has been happening for decades.

Absolutely, I totally agree with the last sentence. I can't speak for Germany, but in France Anti-Americanism started in the 1950s over resentment by France of having lost its status as a world power, and due to the US having bullied France into letting Egypt take over the Suez Canal and especially the US forcing France to give up Algeria (which was legally part of France at the time, and not a colony; I know a lot of older French people who were born there). The morality of these actions can be debated, but the fact is it created Anti-Americanism here and it's been present ever since.

[Lechasseur]

There are a lot of people who are principally opposed to U.S. hegemony, and so are more than glad to turn a blind eye to the sins of the U.S.'s enemies. See 'leftists' who romanticize Assad and Zacharchenko and 'conservatives' who see Putin's Russia as a model.

I can't say I know many of the former but I know a lot of people in the latter category. Well, for better or worse, Russian conservatism is more traditional than American conservatism is.

[Karpatsky]

There are a lot of people who are principally opposed to U.S. hegemony, and so are more than glad to turn a blind eye to the sins of the U.S.'s enemies. See 'leftists' who romanticize Assad and Zacharchenko and 'conservatives' who see Putin's Russia as a model.

I can't say I know many of the former but I know a lot of people in the latter category. Well, for better or worse, Russian conservatism is closer to TRADITIONAL European conservatism than American conservatism is.

I would say this is only the case on the very surface. Russian 'conservatives' in that sense are much more authoritarian and much more in favor of state control in the economy than both European and American 'conservatives', but this difference is glossed over because the cultural areas in which there is some similarity is in vogue now.

[Stand With Israel. Crush Hamas]

In the case of Russia, it's largely because they don't think American agents are going to poison them with nuclear waste and create a de facto dirty bomb in the city if they criticize them.

[AtorBoltox]

What world are you living in that you think Europeans don't criticize Russia?

[OSR stands with Israel]

Most annoying part is when Europeans try to lecture us Americans about America's racist history , even though their history was far far more racist. Now did our nation have a terrible history when it came to racism, yes but the fact is they have had an even worse history?

[Former President tack50]

Why do Europeans so often criticize the United States for things like surveillance yet rarely at all criticize Russia and China who do much worse? There are exceptions to this like the UK and Poland but why do some countries (especially Germany) have such a resentment against the United States? Please don’t say Trump this sort of thing has been happening for decades.

Because people expect more from the "land of the free, home of the brave". Though I agree there are some elements of anti-Americanism (often claiming anti-imperialism) in Europe where they are more friendly with Russia or China than with the US even though with all its failures the US are a lot more preferrable as an ally. (they should be the number 1 ally IMO actually)

I imagine some of it might come from the Irak war? (where many European nations opposed it)

[Proto]

Everyone has double standards. Including Americans.

[Del Tachi]

They're just salty we became a global hegemon after World War II, imported Coca-Cola and Levi's, and that our tourism accounts for over 10% of the EU's GDP.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Why do you insist on crass generalisations?

[Omega21]

They're just salty we became a global hegemon after World War II, imported Coca-Cola and Levi's, and that our tourism accounts for over 10% of the EU's GDP.

First things first, the 10% you stated is not correct, so I assume you heard that on TV, but the statistics are pretty easy to find by doing a quick google search.

Second, you were not a hegemon during the cold war, because if you were, there would be no cold war and no constant threat for your country, which most people at that time thought there was and prepared for.
Yes, America was far superior to the USSR in almost every aspect, except the military, and in military terms, it was a deadlock and no country was "by far" superior.

And the question in itself is flawed because Europeans do not "resent" Americans, at least not the ones I know and hang out with.

[Proto]

"Europeans" is an ambiguous term. Are Russians Europeans? Many of them hate the USA and Americans. http://samlib.ru/j/jacko_w_a/ivanhates-4.shtml

[Omega21]

"Europeans" is an ambiguous term. Are Russians Europeans? Many of them hate the USA and Americans. http://samlib.ru/j/jacko_w_a/ivanhates-4.shtml

I assume he means western/central Europe since he said "yet rarely at all criticize Russia and China", so that eliminates Russians.

[Proto]

"Europeans" is an ambiguous term. Are Russians Europeans? Many of them hate the USA and Americans. http://samlib.ru/j/jacko_w_a/ivanhates-4.shtml

I assume he means western/central Europe since he said "yet rarely at all criticize Russia and China", so that eliminates Russians.

I. E. Russians are not Europeans. Mongolian savages. African aborigines.

[Del Tachi]

They're just salty we became a global hegemon after World War II, imported Coca-Cola and Levi's, and that our tourism accounts for over 10% of the EU's GDP.

First things first, the 10% you stated is not correct, so I assume you heard that on TV, but the statistics are pretty easy to find by doing a quick google search.

The total contribution of Travel and Tourism to the EU's economy was $1,786.7 billion (10.3% of GDP) in 2017 and is expected to rise to 11.1% of GDP by 2028.  While not all of that can be directly attributed to Americans, American tourist dollars have undoubtedly been pretty important in the development of Europe's travel and hospitality infrastructure, thus allowing it to become such an important part of Europe's economy.   

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The U.S. definitely was the hegemon in Europe, where the old Western Allies were allowed to huddle under the U.S.-backed security blanket known as NATO.  The USSR's influence outside of its borders was pretty limited to propping up unstable dictatorships in resource-poor regions of Latin America, Africa and Asia. 

You even seem to admit American hegemony when you say:

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[parochial boy]

12 million Americans visit Europe each year; France and Spain alone have about 170 million visitors each year. In fact, outside a small number of larger centres, American tourists are far and few between, especially in comparison to say Australians or the Brits

[Omega21]

They're just salty we became a global hegemon after World War II, imported Coca-Cola and Levi's, and that our tourism accounts for over 10% of the EU's GDP.

First things first, the 10% you stated is not correct, so I assume you heard that on TV, but the statistics are pretty easy to find by doing a quick google search.

The total contribution of Travel and Tourism to the EU's economy was $1,786.7 billion (10.3% of GDP) in 2017 and is expected to rise to 11.1% of GDP by 2028.  While not all of that can be directly attributed to Americans, American tourist dollars have undoubtedly been pretty important in the development of Europe's travel and hospitality infrastructure, thus allowing it to become such an important part of Europe's economy.    

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The U.S. definitely was the hegemon in Europe, where the old Western Allies were allowed to huddle under the U.S.-backed security blanket known as NATO.  The USSR's influence outside of its borders was pretty limited to propping up unstable dictatorships in resource-poor regions of Latin America, Africa and Asia.  

You even seem to admit American hegemony when you say:

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73% of Tourists in Europe originate from other European Union countries.

The total amount of nights spent by international tourists is 3,1 Billion, out of which US residents make up only 75 Million, which is less than 2x as much as Switzerland (44 Million nights, from a country smaller than NYC by population).

So no, American tourists are not a huge part of the EU tourism market, since residents of Russia + residents of Switzerland spent 76 Million nights.

Furthermore, the "value" of American tourism is decreasing yearly, since the number of nights by Chinese citizens doubled from 2012 to 2016, while the number of nights by Americans "only" increased by 35% in the same time period.

https://www.e-unwto.org/doi/pdf/10.18111/9789284419470

12 million Americans visit Europe each year; France and Spain alone have about 170 million visitors each year. In fact, outside a small number of larger centres, American tourists are far and few between, especially in comparison to say Australians or the Brits

Yeah, as said, you guys from Switzerland spend 60% as many nights as Americans, even though the country is smaller than NYC in terms of population.

[Kingpoleon]

Hang on, Europeans lecture Americans on monitoring and NSA spying? They invented such tactics and use almost all of the powers enumerated in the Patriot Act, which the U. S. has repealed.

[ag]

Why do Europeans so often criticize the United States for things like surveillance yet rarely at all criticize Russia and China who do much worse? There are exceptions to this like the UK and Poland but why do some countries (especially Germany) have such a resentment against the United States? Please don’t say Trump this sort of thing has been happening for decades.

This reminds me an old Soviet joke about an Armenian guy who "repatriated" from Europe to the Soviet Armenia (this, actually, happened in some non-trivial numbers at one point). So this guy is walking around Yerevan, does not notice an open manhole and falls down. He climbs out and starts yelling at the workers: "This is obscene! You should have put out little flags all around as a warning, so that people would not be falling down the manhole!". To which one of the workers responds: "When you were boarding that ship in Naples to go to the Soviet Union, didn't you see a big red flag on the stern?"

I mean, it makes sense to hold democracies to different standards than dictatorships. I mean, we all know Russia and China are not civilized countries - it goes without saying they do nasty things. It makes no sense to mention this every time.

[Bismarck]

Why do Europeans so often criticize the United States for things like surveillance yet rarely at all criticize Russia and China who do much worse? There are exceptions to this like the UK and Poland but why do some countries (especially Germany) have such a resentment against the United States? Please don’t say Trump this sort of thing has been happening for decades.

This reminds me an old Soviet joke about an Armenian guy who "repatriated" from Europe to the Soviet Armenia (this, actually, happened in some non-trivial numbers at one point). So this guy is walking around Yerevan, does not notice an open manhole and falls down. He climbs out and starts yelling at the workers: "This is obscene! You should have put out little flags all around as a warning, so that people would not be falling down the manhole!". To which one of the workers responds: "When you were boarding that ship in Naples to go to the Soviet Union, didn't you see a big red flag on the stern?"

I mean, it makes sense to hold democracies to different standards than dictatorships. I mean, we all know Russia and China are not civilized countries - it goes without saying they do nasty things. It makes no sense to mention this every time.

Ah but many (of course not all) Europeans, particularly in Germany, treat the US and Russia as morally equivalent.

[ag]

Why do Europeans so often criticize the United States for things like surveillance yet rarely at all criticize Russia and China who do much worse? There are exceptions to this like the UK and Poland but why do some countries (especially Germany) have such a resentment against the United States? Please don’t say Trump this sort of thing has been happening for decades.

This reminds me an old Soviet joke about an Armenian guy who "repatriated" from Europe to the Soviet Armenia (this, actually, happened in some non-trivial numbers at one point). So this guy is walking around Yerevan, does not notice an open manhole and falls down. He climbs out and starts yelling at the workers: "This is obscene! You should have put out little flags all around as a warning, so that people would not be falling down the manhole!". To which one of the workers responds: "When you were boarding that ship in Naples to go to the Soviet Union, didn't you see a big red flag on the stern?"

I mean, it makes sense to hold democracies to different standards than dictatorships. I mean, we all know Russia and China are not civilized countries - it goes without saying they do nasty things. It makes no sense to mention this every time.

Ah but many (of course not all) Europeans, particularly in Germany, treat the US and Russia as morally equivalent.

Well, Europe is large. There are people of sort there. I mean, there are even Nazis and Communists, and in not insignificant numbers.