So You Think 7/7 Has Brought Britain and America Together? Think Again

Gerard Baker, a British ex-pat living in the US, monitors the increasingly negative views of his countrymen towards the US. The British not only strongly dislike the Bush administration and its policies, but also target American society with their criticism. The British do not see President Bush as an aberration, but a symbol of American swagger. Since a lack of nuance is one of the characteristics often foisted upon Americans, Baker cautions, the British should for their part rely on nuance when criticizing their counterparts across the Atlantic. He questions whether the bulk of criticism is driven by resentment at the world’s sole superpower and whether a multifaceted society can be pigeonholed into a single identity. The US, more open than most societies, is vulnerable to such criticism, and Baker reminds critics to look deeper before resorting to stereotypes. – YaleGlobal