On Sunday, my Italian teacher (who is half Italian, half French and raised in the UK) told the class that the “World loves America!”

I disagreed.

I said I considered it a huge mistake to assume that, just because American pop culture is widespread and people happen to love the music and movies coming out of this country, it means they love America. We’re not exactly the popular kids on the playground these days. There’s that tiny little issue of the war in Iraq, after all. Notably, when I was in Napoli, I was advised to keep my American heritage under wraps, as there was a surge of anti-US sentimentality in the region.

What do you think? Is America beloved, or is it not so simple?

Friday, February 1, 2008 | general