Freedom and Democracy “Imperialist” to European Ears
by Sean Hackbarth
Anti-Americanism has infiltrated European culture so much that the concepts of freedom and democracy are looked at cynically:
I was getting bombarded with political questions,” says [300 director Zack] Snyder. Some Europeans saw Leonidas’ lone-wolf march against the Persians as an allegorical defense of President Bush’s incursion into Iraq. ”When someone in a movie says, ‘We’re going to fight for freedom,’ that’s now a dirty word,” says Snyder. ”Europeans totally feel that way. If you mention democracy or freedom, you’re an imperialist or a fascist. That’s crazy to me.
It’s crazy and sad that the Old World, the home to freedom and democracy has gone astray because of their insecurities.
[via Hot Air]
It’s not so surprising. It’s just a pushback from how conservatives have appropriated narratives of freedom and democracy for imperialist ends.