The root causes of elite anti-Americanism (and, by and large, it is a phenomenon of the elites) in Europe are extremely complex, psychological as much as political, emotional as much as rational, and they would take more than a brief post here to describe. Take a look, however, at what Stephen Pollard has to say on how it manifests itself in the the UK.

“Real anti-Americanism – the sort that lies behind so much of the hostility to President Bush – isn’t about hating burgers and Matt Monro. It is far more subtle. The really damaging anti-Americanism – because it blinds its sufferers to reality – derives from that characteristically British sneering superiority which so permeates metropolitan and media circles. It is the conviction that the arriviste who has moved in next door with his flashy car and his gauche ex-model wife may have more money, own the business and be getting more sex, but he lacks what really matters: class. That Bush fellow is just so typically American: crude and unsophisticated.

“The Sunday after the World Trade Centre attack, John Humphrys [a prominent British journalist] paraded the full scorn of the superior Briton, attacking the likes of George Bush who “damn those who did it as evil, as though there is nothing more to say, as though we still believe in a devil with a forked tail. Perhaps President Bush truly does – his Christianity is of a pretty fundamental variety.”

“It is not just President Bush. His predecessor, Bill Clinton, was equally American; just as fundamentally uncouth and unable to resist his gross appetites. But we humoured him, since he spoke our sort of language. What really offends about George Bush is that what you see is what you get, and what you see is a genuine American who makes no effort to be anything else. We can put up with Americans who seem ashamed to be American. Woe betide them, however, if they are proud of it. They will have to put up with our weapon of choice: the condescending sneer.”

Pollard’s comments are, I regret to say, spot on (except for the rather mysterious reference to Matt Monro). Most Brits who move over here will have the occasional friend amazed that we can bear to live in such a terribly ‘uncouth’ country.

Matt Monro? Stephen, Stephen, Stephen, he’s, ahem, English.