The Arrogance of American Power

We hear "anti-American" on a daily basis, it seems. When does it indicate a serious threat to security? When is it merely a label that the Bush administration slaps on anyone who dares to disagree with its foreign policy? Nancy Snow tackles not only the government's manipulation of the term, but also the broader use of U.S. propaganda for public relations. She further connects these to the tendency of U.S. administrations and media—past and present—to focus on projecting a better U.S. image rather than addressing the issues behind why the country's image is so poor, both at home and abroad. Snow is an American propaganda expert and a former U.S. Information Agency and State Department official. If America truly cares what others think, she argues, it needs to get over itself as the "number-one country." The government needs to spend less time diverting public attention and more time enlisting the public to help improve foreign relations. It needs to involve all citizens, not just government-approved lackeys, "journalists" paid to talk nice, or the predictable influentials and elites typically involved in foreign affairs. And the public needs to exercise its right to dissent—a critical power at the heart of democracy—rather than letting the government or the media halt foreign policy debates with labels, propaganda, and arrogant rhetoric.