Margaret Drabble: “I loathe America…”
Posted by Pierre Igot in: SocietyMay 11th, 2003 • 6:34 pm
Margaret Drabble speaks eloquently in an opinion piece at telegraph.co.uk:
“I loathe America, and what it has done to the rest of the world” by Margaret Drabble, The Daily Telegraph, May 8, 2003
I hate feeling this hatred. I have to keep reminding myself that if Bush hadn’t been (so narrowly) elected, we wouldn’t be here, and none of this would have happened. There is another America. Long live the other America, and may this one pass away soon.
As Dominique Wolton puts it, no matter how great a nation it is and how great its achievements are, the United States still has to learn at least one major thing: humility. Vietnam has not made it humble. 9/11 has not made it humble. Unfortunately, it might take yet another major disaster — a much bigger one than Vietnam or 9/11 — to finally get there. And I have little doubt that a great number of us non-Americans will be “collateral damage” when that major event happens.
I don’t think the publication date of Margaret Drabble’s piece is a coincidence.
January 10th, 2004 at Jan 10, 04 | 9:07 pm
I stumbled accross this on the internet and wow, how disturbed this poor woman is. Just wanted to send out a hello from the American troops, our British Brothers, the rest of the coalition and the Iraqis, who by mostly support us. I guess it’s easy to spread hatred from a desk in London. If she’d come over here for a week she’d see what a poor victim of the media she is.
January 11th, 2004 at Jan 11, 04 | 2:02 am
Please restrain yourself to constructive comments if you’re going to make any. Surely you are aware that many people around the world strongly disagree with the actions of the current US administration. Criticizing this administration does not qualify as “spreading hatred”, except probably in the eyes of some of the members of the administration itself, who don’t seem to be able to take any kind of criticism.
January 11th, 2004 at Jan 11, 04 | 7:48 am
I’d have ask who exactly here is the ‘poor victim of media’? Having having been subjected to the ridiculous coverage CNN gave of the Irak war (I can’t bring myself to call it journalism). I can’t imagine how any American could get a balanced view of international affiars from the TV..
And I think that everyone who’s been opposed to the Irak war has said time and time again that their ire is directed toward the media circus in the white house – never towards the men and women in Irak. And that includes the millions of civilians who have seen one brutal dictatorship replaced with an apathetic military regime barely able to keep a grip on the reign of terror that has now decended upon there land.
March 19th, 2004 at Mar 19, 04 | 8:11 pm
It is interesting the way Matthew refers to “the reign of terror that has now decended upon there land.” Margaret Drabble wrote this article well after the terror started and Matthew appears to be supporting her article; is that the “other America” reffered to in the article?
Furthermore, it is difficult to not find humor in Drabble’s statement, “I detest Disneyfication, I detest Coca-Cola, I detest burgers, I detest sentimental and violent Hollywood movies that tell lies about history.” Maybe it is not understood. The other America, the America that became so rich and powerful, so quickly, is the America that realized the potential of freedom. It is doubtful that Drabble detests everything about Disney (assuming Disneyfication is reffering to Walt Disney operations) and Coca-Cola. It would be interesting to think of how many people are able to purchase Drabble’s articles because of the pay check they receive from one of these companies, or a company associated with them, OR can simply afford the articles because one of Disney or Coke’s products are produced efficiently enough to maintain a marketable price.
Finally, because this is getting a little long, there is Drabble’s comment about President Bush and Matthew’s comment reffering to the belief of the direction of every opposer’s “ire.” It is pretty simple: there are few, if any, things that EVERYONE agrees upon, that is a large part of the reason the founding fathers of America set our government up the way they did, with THREE branches. These three branches, NOT President Bush ALONE, followed the laws and offered Iraq an option. This was NOT a suprise attack on a “HELPLESS” victim, this WAS following through with what had previously been agreed upn by the United Nations.
As much as people like Margaret Drabble would like to change the previously determined laws and rules to accomplish their objective (Yes, that was reffering to the agreement that was made between Iraq’s dictator and the U.N. about weapons inspections), there are still several people who believe in following rules, no matter how “narrow” the margin of victory may be (And indeed, that was reffering to President Bush’s victory, regardless of how many absentee ballots were thrown out by Al Gore and the democratic party).
May 20th, 2004 at May 20, 04 | 4:09 am
Mrs. Drabble wrote that she detests “American triumphalism about victories it didn’t even win.” I would love to read which ones she had in mind. I am sure she did not mean W.W.I, nor W.W.II, when too many of these loathed Americans saved her butt and her countrymen’s!
It is interesting to note that when 6 months later Mrs. Drabble came to this very loathed country, she had no loathsome words for America. I guess her sense of gain overcame her disdain and disgust for this country… So much for American imperialism!
Poor bitter middle-aged woman. What a disgruntled human being.
May 20th, 2004 at May 20, 04 | 5:19 am
The argument that the US somehow “saved” Europe in WWI and WWII and is owed something in return is a somewhat tired one. From that point of view, we can go back farther down in history and uncover all kinds of accounts that still need to be settled! Many US lives were sacrificed — but I don’t think there are many countries in this world who haven’t sacrificed many (often innocent) lives in times of war and peace. The point is that many innocent lives are being sacrificed in Iraq right now, and in the name of what? And what about the many innocent lives that are being sacrificed elsewhere in the world because all the money that’s being poured into Iraq is not being used for crucial humanitarian aid elsewhere?
Nobody is perfect. No country has an impeccable record. Every country has innocent blood on its hands. It seems that George W. Bush’s America is covering its hands with more blood these days and is finding it harder and harder to justify it. And, last I checked, there are quite a few Americans that are becoming less and less satisfied with the justifications of this administration.
May 20th, 2004 at May 20, 04 | 6:55 am
Pierrot, you may be tired of the argument, yet it cannot be denied. And today Americans are, again, giving their lives so we can remain free! The innocent giving their lives in Iraq? During Saddam’s terror regime: anybody who did not agree with him. Nowadays: Americans, and Iraqi civilians targeted by terrorists. Quite a change, ain’t it?
Ask France, Germany, Russia, Belgium to send THEIR money to these countries in need of humanitarian aid! Billions of American dollars already help the world mitigate its misery. Why only Americans have to give away their money? Give this country a break and let US decide how and where to spend OUR money. I am tired of people from other countries teaching the Arrogant Americans how to leave the world alone, yet they cannot resist telling us what THEY believe is right! So much for humility…
You are absolutely right: every country has innocent blood on its hands. Millions of innocent people had been brutally murdered and tortured in the name of communism! Americans fight to keep its sovereignty (the same American soldiers gave back to France!) and the right to decide what to do when attacked. This country was malevolently accused of going to war with Iraq for oil. Here is the sound of these accusatory voices of “No War for Oil”: … [complete silence!]
My advise to the world: work hard, take care of YOUR business, give YOUR money to the people in need (instead of demanding that others do it), and look at YOUR own problems and mistakes!
As for the Americans “becoming less and less satisfied with the justification of this administration,” check again after this year’s Presidential election.
September 28th, 2004 at Sep 28, 04 | 8:12 am
I googled to this site after hearing about the drabble. I simply cannot understand this woman, or any of the ‘self-hating american’ left. If you look at the overall picture of the world, very little has gotten worse, since the US started playing a role in the world (around 1940-1945).
There are places in the world where people are starving, poor, angry. Slavery is still occuring in some places in Asia and Africa. Whole groups are committing genocide.
Guess what, these things have been happening since the dawn of man. They happen less now though, partly because of the United States.
The US won’t be the biggest nation on the block forever. I think Dominic Wolton has it wrong. We should use the power to make the rest of the world free (as free as us at least) until we don’t have the power to do so anymore.
September 28th, 2004 at Sep 28, 04 | 8:08 am
If Ms. Drabble loathes us so much, she needs to promote her book elsewhere. The entire continent of Europe owes its very existance to the United States, eleven thousand crosses in Normandy. I am sure they would have preferred to have been left to Hitler.
It isn’t so much about owing, if they don’t want to help us in the war on terror, so be it it. However, Chric, Schroder, and Putin have proven to be backstabbing corrupt leaders with loyalties to whoever can line their pockets. They went out of their way to thwart our efforts, behind our backs. They aren’t worthy of one more effort on our part.
They are upset because we aren’t “humble?” The next time they need help, let them call someone else. I can assure Ms.Drabble that many if not most Americans feel the same way about her. Yes, there is a segment of anti-American Americans, but we have no tolerance for them as well.. She is a disgusting loathing waste of air and space in this arrogant American’s opinion.
September 28th, 2004 at Sep 28, 04 | 12:06 pm
Not sure what’s generated the sudden interest in this page and surge in comments, but suffice to say that I am not particularly interested in continuing this “discussion” that won’t be going anywhere. So I am closing this thread. Blog owner’s prerogative :).
September 28th, 2004 at Sep 28, 04 | 10:25 am
Why do we Americans continuously subject ourselves to people such as Ms. Drabble? Why do we go to her book signings, why do we even discuss her ideas except to bash her for the greedy person that she is. Would she sell books if she said she liked America?…I rest my case. If we want America bashing, we need only to look as far as our own Democratic Party to hear how everything is wrong with America, how imperialistic we have been and even that our elections are rigged.(Former pres. Carter! weighs in too).
If people go out to see this person to praise her for being candid, or for some other foolish nothion, they obviously have never known the sacrifice of Americans, or known someone who paid the ultimate sacrifice for our great country. I do not mind her opinion as long as she is willing to honestly debate the issues……but I just know she is not. It’s always easy to take political shots from afar like a sniper…..but coming on in for some “hand-to-hand” conversation requires a backbone. And she lacks one. Avoid her at all cost.
September 28th, 2004 at Sep 28, 04 | 10:37 am
I am not sure if it is hatred for Americans, or envy that would create such vile spewed by Ms. Drabble, and her supporter?s, but I highly suspect it is both.
Mr. Igot asks we restrain ourselves to constructive comments; that took nerve after defending Ms Drabble?s opinion. Please tell me sir, how you can justify such hatred, warranted or not. This is the same hatred our enemy displays and you see where that has brought us.
You argue many innocent lives are being sacrificed in Iraq; may I remind you the United States lost over three thousand innocent lives on 09-11-01.
Please do not insult my intelligence by arguing no weapons of mass destruction have been found for it is a weak argument. Please do not suggest also that Al-Qaeda was not aligned with, or in Iraq. I find the suggestion Al-Qaeda was in practically every nation on earth, including the United States and Britain, but yet they were not in Iraq, plotting against Americans, to be silly at best.
I will also argue, whether there were WMD?s or not, hundreds of thousands of innocent lives were destroyed by Saddam Hussein and his regime (I find it amazing you did not mention this in your rhetoric) and the slaughter of these innocent people needed to stop.
Once again it is the arrogant Americans who came to their aid. Whether you like it or not, if the good and decent people of this world do not come to the aid of those in need, who else is left to do it?
Fortunately for the Iraqi people the arrogant Americans once again lived up to their responsibility.
Your true colors showed in your statement, ?And what about the many innocent lives that are being sacrificed elsewhere in the world because all the money that?s being poured into Iraq is not being used for crucial humanitarian aid elsewhere.?
This statement has left me almost speechless. You sir, are the epitome of hypocrisy.
The world has forgotten which country pours in billions of dollars and sends men and women to help and rebuild whenever there is a disaster anywhere in the world.
Whether its famine, earthquakes or floods, the United States is always the country that races to help. It is America that feeds the hungry of the world, rebuilds nations and it is America who sends her sons and daughters to die so others may live in freedom.
America has hundreds of communities destroyed by hurricanes, tornadoes and floods this summer and no other country has offered us aid.
Germany, Japan and to a lesser extent Britain and Italy were lifted out of the debris of war by the Americans who poured in billions of dollars and forgave other billions in debts. None of these countries today is paying even the interest on its remaining debts to the United States.
The Marshal Plan and the Truman policy also poured billions upon billions into discouraged countries, now newspapers in these countries are writing about the decadent war mongering Americans.
If history has taught America anything, it is we will always be hated until needed. But I will not let Ms. Dabbles opinion bother me, although she hates Americans and what we stand for she does not hate us enough to cancel her book tour to America to promote her vile. She loves our money and she must also know there are enough Bush haters out there who are stupid enough to believe anything in print, (look at Dan Rather) she knows she will make a fortune off of the liberals here.
No Ms. Dabble we are not Arrogant, we are Proud and Confident. Aren’t you happy were here?
September 28th, 2004 at Sep 28, 04 | 9:14 am
Does Margaret realize that all these “detestations” of hers can be traced right back to Merry Olde England? Remember those folks that landed on Plymouth Rock in 1620? They were pushed out of their home country by HATRED. I am disappointed in this writer, whom I have admired. She has bought into the latest trend – “Hate America, and Give Your Life Meaning.” She might want to try Diet Coke – I find that taste more palatable than the straight stuff.