"Anti-Americanism"
Mahmood Elahi, Ottawa, Canada
I am writing with reference to the letter "Anti-Americanism," by S Khan (May 30). Mr. Khan is right to express his displeasure at the spate of anti-American letters published by The Daily Star. Most of the letters and articles published by The Daily Star are highly contrived and biased. Most letter writers rail against America for leading a war to oust Saddam. They fail to mention that Iraq has been brutalised by an odious dictator for the last two decades and the U.S. military intervention was actually late in coming. To such critics, Americans, apparently do nothing about the world's problems, in which case they are selfish and isolationist, or they try to do something about the world's problems, in which case they are arrogant and imperialist. Many of these letter writers seem to be either students or settled in the United States. Anti-American diatribes are also common here in Canada, even though the United States remains Canada's biggest trading partner. Most of the anti-American diatribes stem from a deep-rooted inferiority complex. The US is the world's unmatched economic, political and military power. It is for all intents and purposes the world's greatest democracy where the citizens enjoy a very high standard of living and freedom which others can only dream of. In Canada, anti-Americanism is also a part of the political culture of liberal/left elite. But look around at the rest of the country, and you will see a different Canada, celebrating with its American cousin America's mode and culture, its music and movies, its accents and idioms and its "pursuit of happiness."
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