The European Tribune is a forum for thoughtful dialogue of European and international issues. You are invited to post comments and your own articles.
Please REGISTER to post.
I don't like to think in terms of 'hating' countries. What would I hate? The 'nation state'? I certainly have no warm feelings for Bush, most of the American political establishment, with more contempt for Republicans than Democrats, disdain for a system that seems geared towards encouraging extreme rates of incumbency at most levels of government, and detest for the unpleasant collusion of politics and capital interests. I also love my American friends, and the wonderful experiences I was fortunate to have in University there. I would not have such strong thoughts on the issue had I not lived in American society for some time and seen some very ugly sides of it. (I was not so far to the left until I encountered the homeless of Boston, for example. My privileged (small Swedish town) background had not allowed a proximity to such dystopian conditions before.) Does familiarity breed contempt? Yes, sure, it's hard to have strong emotions towards that which one doesn't know well. (Don't worry, I 'hate' things about Sweden as well, and find that 'it' does others quite well. Some of the things I 'hate' about Sweden come from getting more distance from the country, and thinking differently about things that I had never even considered to question while I was still 'embedded' in that society. Conversely, some things I 'like' about 'Sweden' I gained appreciation for after seeing what other options had been actualised in a different society. The door swings both ways, it seems.)
As for the "brown" countries, I am sure that they could be 'hated' as I 'hate' the US, but as I know far less about them, I cannot be as vocal on this topic. A lot is wrong with African nations, a lot which seems rather strongly causally linked to 'western' exploitations. To 'hate' the 'nation state' of a patch of land seems a bit simplistic to me. It's expression is not necessarily 'racist', though.
So, to richardk, I ask: would you please elaborate on what it is that you 'hate' when you provide us this list of 'nation state' names?
by Frank Schnittger - May 27 2 comments
by Frank Schnittger - May 5 22 comments
by Frank Schnittger - May 23 1 comment
by Oui - May 13 65 comments
by Carrie - Apr 30 7 comments
by Frank Schnittger - May 272 comments
by Oui - May 2712 comments
by Oui - May 24
by Frank Schnittger - May 231 comment
by Oui - May 1365 comments
by Oui - May 910 comments
by Frank Schnittger - May 522 comments
by Oui - May 449 comments
by Oui - May 312 comments
by Oui - May 29 comments
by gmoke - May 1
by Oui - Apr 30257 comments
by Carrie - Apr 307 comments
by Oui - Apr 2644 comments
by Oui - Apr 879 comments
by Oui - Mar 19143 comments