Originally posted by Jeff in BigD
Does the UK really think we're trying to build an empire? 
I can't speak for all of the UK, but I think there is a growing concern that the USA's national interests (in trade issues, environmental concerns, national security, foreign policy, etc) are beginning to diverge from the interests of countries that traditionally have been allies of the USA. By and large this is not being interpreted in the literal sense of "building an empire", although there are a small number of people (usually with a left-wing bias) who accuse the US of neo-colonisation. However, these people are always ignored, so I don't think they play a major role in world affairs!
I don't know enough about the world to judge if the concerns about the USA's direction are valid or not. It might just be some people in the UK are more anxious because of the rhetoric employed by the current administration, rather than its actual policies. It is also fair to point out that these concerns in the UK did not start when Bush was elected, although they have become more frequently concerned since he became President. Equally, these concerns have not been brought on by the Iraq War debate, but they have been brought into sharper focus by it. I've seen these concerns grow amongst friends and colleagues who are well-educated, level-headed folk who have worked closely with Americans and visited the US on vacation a number of times (in fact I'm heading to California for an Easter vacation). It most certainly is not just the 'anti-globalisation' nutters who are getting worried.
I wouldn't describe any of this as "anti-american feeling", just a growing sense of unease. Whether this is a concern to the US as a whole, or to individual Americans, I suppose is up to you. There are similar feelings to the UK from people in other European countries and I would like to see these addressed. I suppose theerefore that I would like the US to address concerns being expressed here in the UK.
Hope this doesn't sound to negative - I've tried to answer an important question in an honest way.
Regards
Rob
