January 30, 2008
Dear Mr Ross,
I happen to have read your article recently “Boycott of U.S Brands Affecting Economy.” As an Australian, I'm one of those consumers you cite boycotting everything American, on moral grounds as a form of protest, as like most people here in Australia (contrary to what you may hear) we're quite revulsed by the U.S, the people and its behaviour in the world now and for quite some time, decades indeed.
I myself am a reasonable sort of chap and I work in science and am a keen sporting enthusiast (you would't happen to be a sailor by any chance would you?), but Sir I can honestly say that here in Australia all my life, there has always been a strong undercurrent of anti American feeling here amongst the public.Politicians dislike it, but are powerless to stop it.
However recent years have seen this anti American feeling come to the fore quite openly (much to the chagrin of politicians here) in reponse to the excesses of the U.S which have been to blatant to ignore.So now anti-Americanism is 'de rigeur' here with levels akin to sentiment in western Europe and is now the new standard for the Australian attitude toward the U.S.
The former Howard government paid the price of its hubris and not listening to the public and was voted out for thinking its extremist pro-Americanism was representative of the public mood.Clearly they were wrong and paid the price, for this crude attempt of American dominionisation of Australia, which people here completely reject. Thus to take your point on boycotts, yes I think you're correct in your argument that a growing number of people like myself are alienated from the U.S and have simply altered our lives and choices to bypass the U.S completely. More freedom for starters and the satisfaction of registering a protest too.
Most Australians have completely different sensibilities to the U.S anyway as we retain British and European heritage and outlook based on the continent.Polls consistantly put Britain up in the high 80's percentile compared to the U.S which is about half that and near countries like Malaysia, etc.I'm also sceptical that the trend will reverse as we see the U.S as extremists far removed from the rest of the word and intent on world domination, no matter what their political stripe. Even if the Democrats win the presidency, little will change as all Americans are seen as "extreme right wing nutters" (no offence intended mate) with little different in policy between Mr Bush or Mr Obama for instance.
U.S leadership of the world, etc and other platitudes are so frequently mentioned that the U.S forgets that people in the world resent being bullied, nagged and threatened as part of some self selected American "manifest destiny" fetish. Thus its unlikely things will change and the boycott and opposition to the U.S will continue.
People are already organising to stop the U.S in other ways too. As a scientist I (along with others) have pondered how to stop the U.S as its aggression shows no limits.Once solution is a new defence system I and others have devised that bypasses current designs and renders U.S bombers, ships and aircraft carrier groups as vulnerable and as obsolete as the WW2 battleship.
Entirely new solution and it gives the defender the advantage for even small nations too with the ability to (for instance) sink aircraft carriers far away from their shores at minimal effort or risk.Making U.S war machines more vulnerable so they can't be used, was the aim and has now been achieved here. Just one manifestation of a natural response when a threat emerges, a countermeasure is bound to evolve, be it in nature or in human affairs. Its bound to happen and the U.S only has itself to blame for its behaviour over the decades.
Other nations and scientists have thought of other ways too. Still thats by the by with boycotts you rightfully suggest, definitely in place against the U.S and I predict that will continue too in future.
Thanks for your interesting article Mr. Ross, a good read and quite right in places. Thanks for your time today and I wish you good health.I hope I haven't caused you some dismay, but I mean no offence and my tone is quite measured and matter of fact. Good health, Kevin Lindsay
