I recently wrote about my Wife’s experience while serving at a hospital in Tanzania with a 24 year old New Zealander. The girl was well versed in anti-American propaganda and felt compelled to heap abuse on my Wife. The Wife is quite capable of defending herself, but she lacks my background knowledge of American foreign policy and world history. During our brief phone call, I provided her with some basic facts to combat the Kiwi’s propaganda regurgitations. Afterward I decided to dig deeper into the youngster’s bigotry and did some research into New Zealand’s attitudes towards Americans. What I found changed my mind about wanting to visit the place anytime soon.
Part of New Zealand’s anti-American bigotry is no doubt due to size. New Zealand has four million people – roughly the same number of Americans who eat in their sleep or believe they’ve been abducted by aliens. Living in a tiny nation may make one cheer any victory over comparative giant – even in such a yawner sport as yachting. However New Zealand shares similar history and culture to the United States. It is a former British colony with an established democracy and similar religious background, with more Protestants than Catholics, and more Buddhists than Jews and Muslims. New Zealand has spent most of its time since independence under European-style socialist governments. However over the past decade it has become a strong advocate for free trade, especially in closed agricultural markets.
Yet Only 29% of New Zealanders had a positive view of the United States in 2004. That puts it on par with Pakistan at 30% and below Russia (43%) and China (42%). So much for the idea that shared cultural ties can bind people together.
In 2005, an American working as a high school teacher in rural New Zealand filed a lawsuit in the country’s Human Rights Commission after being verbally abused by his students because of his nationality. Another American, Douglas Sparks, brought his family to the country to oversee the Anglican Church’s Wellington Cathedral. Two years later he left vowing never to return after being the target of anti-US graffiti and his children were taunted in school by classmates telling them they hoped American soldiers would be killed in Iraq.
That same year outgoing US ambassador Charles Swindells in his final speech slammed New Zealanders for indulging in “empty, inaccurate criticism of US ideals or actions that offers no constructive alternatives and gives no credit where credit is due.”
Many are quick to leap to conclusions that the anti-Americanism is a recent phenomenon due primarily to the Iraq War. However anti-Americanism in New Zealand predates the Iraq War by about 40 years, starting with the Vietnam War protests and more importantly for New Zealanders to the country’s refusal to allow port calls by the US Navy starting in 1986, which resulted in a US freeze on high-level political visits there. In 1998, the Clinton Administration tried to warm relations up in one way by approving a deal that gave New Zealand a squadron of F-16 for a pittance to upgrade its obsolete air force. However the following year New Zealand elected an anti-American Labor Prime Minister Helen Clark who refused the offer.
In 2002, New York Times senior staff writer and former Clinton speechwriter James Gibney visited New Zealand to give a speech and was stunned by the level of anti-Americanism he found.
There was a very black and white view of US actions towards Iraq, and what our motivations were in the world. There was a sense that the US was much more of a rogue state than many of the countries that it labelled rogue states and that was kind of surprising to me. The other thing that was surprising was that people talked of US opinion as being monolithic. It was like we were all one and there was no distinction made between Democrats and Republicans or people who might disagree with Bush administration policies. That was unfortunate, because there seemed to be an animus directed towards America as a whole rather than just the administration’s policies [emph add] . That took me aback.”
New Zealand Ambassador to Washington Denis McLean attributes anti-Americanism to the country’s "residual pro-Britishness." "For a long time we were quite happy with the British and I think a lot
of people in New Zealand would still rather prefer the British to be
running the world. We do think like them." McLean also notes New Zealand’s isolation as being partly to blame. It’s nearest neighbor, Australia, is a thousand miles away – greater than the distance between New York City and Bermuda. It’s nearest neighbor to the south is Antarctica at 3,000 miles and to the east is Peru, 6,500 miles away. ”
The World War 2 generation that waited for the arrival of US marines in New Zealand to save them from an expected Japanese invasion is slowly dying off, replaced by generations who have grown up without any direct threat. Like the kiwi which lost its ability to fly in the absence of predators, young New Zealanders have lost the important roles defense and patriotism play in their own nation’s health and security. Writer Joanne Black notes, "the flag-worship of Americans could not be further from the position of many New Zealand schoolchildren who would be unable to differentiate New Zealand’s ensign from Australia’s." Australia, having been attacked by the Japanese during World War 2, tends to take defence issues more seriously than its isolated neighbor. Former Ambassador McLean states "They’re slightly closer to Asia, but the real bottom line is that they know they are vulnerable. We tend not to think in those terms…"
Word is getting around. Travel forums are filled with posts by Americans traveling there who are worried that they will be discriminated against for jobs and housing. Even Left-wing ideology doesn’t protect expatriates like University of Auckland senior lecturer in political studies Dr Paul Buchanan, who visits the US twice a year and is "struck when I get there by how it is Rome before the fall." "I have in the past couple of years, particularly related to some
public commentary I’ve made, had some nasty emails saying, ‘bloody Yank, go back home’."
For millions of years the kiwi thrived in its isolation. However today it is endangered by introduced predators including stoats, dogs, cats, weasels - and just about anything else that is fast enough to catch it. Only human intervention has saved the flightless bird from extinction. Likewise New Zealand has thrived under the global security umbrella provided by the United States and its neighbor Australia. While radical Islam hasn’t caught hold in the nation yet, the support of jihadis in Iraq by some in New Zealand along with the nation’s anti-American bigotry should give New Zealanders pause for one important reason:
The weasel is a greater threat to the kiwi than to the eagle.
Years ago a Japanese once told me, "Japan is a small nation, and we Japanese have small hearts. America is a big nation. You Americans have big hearts."
I answered that it didn’t have to be that way, that Japan may be a small nation, but it played an increasingly large role in the world. It was only a matter of time before the Japanese found that they had "big hearts" too.
Since that time Japan has sent peacekeepers to Cambodia, Afghanistan and Iraq. It has provided crucial logistical support in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars as well as for the Tsunami relief effort. It has also backed US policies vis-a-vis North Korea at critical times, thereby helping East Asia – and the world – become a safer place IF Kim Jong-il gives up his nukes (and doesn’t sell them on Ebay to Syria). Have the hearts of Japanese gotten bigger? I’d like to think so.
New Zealand, on the other hand, is a small nation, but its growing anti-Americanism only diminishes it further.
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It’s even stranger when you consider how warm most american opinions are of new zealanders.
That’s too bad. When I visited Australia in 1994, I went scuba diving with a guy from Portland, Oregon. When I mentioned how friendly the Aussies were to Americans, he replied that they seemed grouchy compared to New Zealanders. Apparently his sample was not indicative of the population. Or maybe he only dealt with older people.
I still have photos of the ANZAC Memorial in Brisbane. I wonder if the Kiwis think of that memorial with pride or shame?
Good observation, zach. I can’t think of anyone I know who has a negative opinion of New Zealand: neutral, maybe; never think about it, possibly; but if they have an opinion, it’s positive. As Matthew points out, ANZAC is often cited as an example of New Zealand’s best.
Scott,
one other thing, though. Maybe it’s blindingly obvious CYA, but Swindells made it explicitly clear that he was not accusing New Zealanders of anti-Americanism, merely that he was giving a speech about it.
Keep in mind that in the original piece, I voiced my positive experiences with Kiwis too. But that experience is dated (thru ’97).
We shouldn’t forget that there is still a wide variety of opinion in New Zealand. However that 29% figure taken from the Christian Science Monitor is pretty disheartening. I couldn’t find any more recent surveys, and the more I dug the more I felt that the number was probably too high!
Something else is going on down there, something more than jealousy for us. I think a good part of it is impotence: As the world gets smaller, NZ is feeling more inconsequential.
That’s why I mentioned my point of the Japanese. Japan has much greater clout than its size would suggest: It’s the number 2 economy in the world yet it has less than 1/2 the population of the United States (could be #3 if the EU is taken as a whole – not sure).
Instead of isolating itself in opposition of the United States, it should work with us. If the experience of the UK has taught the world anything, it’s that small “friendly” nations can have a greater impact on US policy than small “unfriendly” nations.
NZ doesn’t get that – and probably won’t as bigots like that 24 year old tart age.
Zach
That’s not how the CS Monitor reported it. Sounds like CYA for his next gig to me.
Been to NZ in 1999, and found them to be quite liberal and socialist. The government is the biggest employer and lots of young kiwis go to Oz (Australia) for work.
I think they need to be invaded, and/or their way of life threatened, before they wake up and realize what kind of world we live in.
They are against nuclear power in a big way, and I’m sure they are quite proud of the tons of pollution they dump into the air with their ‘safe’ form of energy.
If you want to tear into them, use their treatment of the Mauri (natives) as a liberal excuse to claim they are the devils.
I asked a local the following question “If you’re not a member of ANZUS anymore, what would you do if your country was invaded” and he said with a big smile on his face, and in all seriousness while shrugging his shoulders, “America would save us”… HA, fat chance you pacifist ignorant kiwi fool, because I for one won’t lift a finger to help you…. I thought to myself. I just asked questions but didn’t let on to my political views…
He was a cool guy though, and oh my was the country beautiful. I went to Queenstown, south island, during August to go skiing. Did the largest bungie jump in the world there. Very cool place, if you ever visit, be sure to look both ways before stepping into the street, they drive on the opposite side of the road and americans get ran over all the time because of it.
In 1998, the Clinton Administration tried to warm relations up in one way by approving a deal that gave New Zealand a squadron of F-16 for a pittance to upgrade its obsolete air force.
Hey – anti-war, anti-American Progressives! We’ll give you a whole squadron if war machines – how do y’all feel about us now?
However the following year New Zealand elected an anti-American Labor Prime Minister Helen Clark who refused the offer.
Ah – not so good then.
Ask yourself: Why would an American expect NZ to support our policies more than, say, the Congo or Mexico?
Why expect a given Kiwi (is that a slur?) to be polite when so many people of the world aren’t?
NZ is not like the US. It would be convenient at times if it were. It is not.
The US is foolish sometimes. NZ is too.
Anyone who thinks NZ is a friend of the US hasn’t noticed their behavior for the last thirty years. They have chosed to be neither friend or foe.
One could argue that the shared history and culture might mean something, as it does with Canada and Australia. However I’m not arguing that I expect New Zealand to support our policies more: I’m arguing that it has decided to become antagonistic to Americans e.g. as Gibney of the NYT notes “there seemed to be an animus directed towards America as a whole rather than just the administration’s policies.”
When the Chinese – a direct competitor of the United States – holds America in higher regard than New Zealanders do, I’d say something was up.
Right. They have chosen to be irrelevant.
Honestly, I don’t care about that. But what I do care about as an American who has lived and continues to travel abroad, and whose wife is currently performing mission work in Africa, is rude behavior. New Zealand seems to be full of it right now.
That may or not be true, but the modern Japs are some of the most fearless (as in they will try anything), funny (as in they will try anything), bright, and downright pleasant people I know.
I like em.
Don’t personally know many New Zealanders though.
jack,
Nomenclature error >
japsis out.Domo arigato. (Sometimes you pick up the language if you’ve lived there.)
Scott,
McK is a bit bewildered that you have gotten so much mileage out of a 24 year old kiwi with an attitude.
If one goes to the New Zealand Herald online and place anti-americanism in the search box, there will be 96 hits, the majority of which do not seem to support growing anti-americanism. But I could be wrong. Or maybe you could be as well.
In any event, two of our dear friends emigrated to New Zealand and now hold NZ citizenship. They have lived in Wellington for 15 years. The one is a scotsman (like from there) that lived in USA about 10 years. His spouse is american and still retains her US passport. She was here for a visit this past summer. They love the place. And I am quite confident they do not consider USA hated enemies nor does their adopted country.
From either of them, I have never heard anything suggesting growing anti-americanism or how hated USA is becoming in their country.
It is true they have a different culture and are quite vocal politically. And they will dump on the own political leaders without remorse.And sometimes they aren’t nice about their rugby team.
Pen knives quick to stab the All Blacks. Yes, I know the link refers to the brits reaction to the All Blacks loss, but consider the rugby fan mentality. Its probably worse than the hooligan soccer fans.
(Kindly be advised the All Blacks is a rugby team, not a political group.)
The bottom line is, I don’t think we need to send any peacekeepers to Kiwi-land just yet.
Are you speaking about yourself in the 3rd person? I thought only Bob Dole did that… :P
If you view the original post, you’ll see the evolution from disbelief, to curiosity to discovery. It started with the Christian Science Monitor article, and passed through various sources including the International Herald Tribune, and the Listener – a NZ publication.
What really struck me was the 29% statistic cited by the CSM. As I say, that puts it below Russia, China and even Indonesia (post tsunami aid, not pre, which ran at 20%). That is an aggregate statistic, and one that says more to me than the experiences of individuals. For example, In five years living there I had a few bad experiences in Japan, but I don’t consider the Japanese as particularly anti-American.
The idea started with the girl and led to a broader conclusion.
Is it the wrong one? Perhaps – but then you have that figure from the Christian Science Monitor – not exactly Fox News.
I wish I could get the original data for the Pew Global Survey though. NZ is too small to rate mentioning, but I would love to see where it fits.
Scott, what exactly is your point ?
29 % statistic means the other 71 % of kiwis are not anti-american.
Then you say, New Zealand is too small to mention.
How does that relate to a single 24 year old complaining to a relative in another country ?
McK, maybe you should, y’know, RTFA before commenting.
The poll in NZ shows a 29% postive for the U.S.
Okay John, I got it.
That means 71 % of kiwis are negative on America right ?
McK
John’s right. Here’s the quote:
Opinions of America have tumbled here – to 29 percent of Kiwis feeling positive about the US in 2004, from 54 percent in 2001.
Heh – Am I the first Kiwi to post on this thread?
Much of what I have read is true, much to my own discomfort. My own father, who I respect greatly, has the whole BDS thing going. Although I wouldn’t call him anti-American.
NZ really is isolated geographically. It is at the mercy of a sinister-skewed media, possibly more so than other Western nations, so there is some ignorance about the true nature and state of the world. However, young Kiwis love to travel – Europe, Asia and the US/Canada being favoured destinations. I myself left on a German container ship in 1988, and have only been back for holidays since. I’ve lived in the US, England and Australia (for the last 16 years). I am still a New Zealand citizen, and have no plans to change that.
We’ve had a left-wing Labour-party dominated government for a very long time, although it seems the right wing parties may now be in ascendance. However, they’ll get themselves elected only if they promise to stay out of Iraq. In any case, NZ chose to impose upon itself a Byzantine Euro-electoral system where minor parties have a lot more clout than they should (in my opinion), so even when Labour looked like they might lose the last election they were able to cut deals and form a coalition.
The national mood really can be altered by the result of a rugby match – case in point being the unexpected demise of the All Blacks vs France in the World Cup last weekend. Some say it’s unhealthy for a country to obsess so much over this game (I am not one of those people), but the game really does bring all NZers together – Pakeha(white), Maori, and Islander alike.
Anyway, back to the anti-Americanism – it is there, and it’s fuelled by the same left-wing intellectual elitism that exists in other parts of the world. The lack of threat to NZ means that there is no real need for a counter-ideology at present. However, Kiwis are nothing if not practical – if such a threat should ever eventuate… well I am sure that the ANZAC spirit would resurface.
The big scandal at the moment is that Air NZ contracted with the Australian Defence Forece to fly troops to the Middle-East. Apparently that’s a big deal – like somehow NZ gets its hands dirty in the “illicit” war by helping fly our ANZAC mates in the vague direction of the theatre.
In the meantime, NZ has a couple of C-130s as an airforce, a couple of frigates and a much-reduced army. We do still have decent special forces though, and I believe they had a run in Afghanistan – not sure if they are still there.
I love New Zealand and most things about it. There’s anti-Americanism everywhere, including Aus, but it’s born of ignorance and the soft steady drip of media diarrhoea. One-on-one, most NZers will get on with anyone, but sadly there are exceptions…
I am on my knees apologizing. I just called New Zealand and (quote) they hate us and also the rest of the world because GWB and some asshat noisy americans that come to kiwi-land.
This hot news from McK’s semi-american (kiwi) lady friend. That’s okay, I wont take them off my christmas list.
The euro is doing good, the dollare not so good.
I am humbled.
I bow to higher truth.
Good on you Paul.
Paul &McK
The purpose of this post was not to slam NZ and claim the superiority of the USA. It’s not. In fact, if anything this article has taught me how patriotism is NOT a zero sum game. Just because I love my country doesn’t mean that I hate others, or that they are somehow lesser than my own.
I don’t want New Zealand or any other country to become like the USA; I want them to be different because honestly, if I want American culture I can stay here. When I travel, I like to see different things – not American culture in exotic locales.
I used to drive my Japanese students crazy because I was more interested in their history and culture than they were. They wanted to talk about US movies: I wanted to talk about Oda Nobunaga’s siege of the monks on Hiei mountain – a mountain I actually lived on.
I used to walk the sidestreets of Hinooka at night, imagining the fires of his encampment encircled around the mountain. When the monks refused his final offer on a hot August day, Oda ordered his men to set the mountain on fire. The fires were stoked by the dry summer winds and raced up the mountain. The monks tried in vain to put the fires out and by the time it reached their compound at the top, it was a veritable firestorm. The monks died – and Oda ended their power over the imperial capital once and for all.
I want the Japanese to be Japanese, and I want New Zealanders to be New Zealanders. Everyone can do this without putting Americans down; anti-Americanism is an easy way to define yourself when you aren’t sure what you are. It’s tougher to be honest with yourself and be what you are.
What matters to me is that this isn’t a game we are playing in the world right now: there are groups who really want to destroy us. What may have started in NZ as friendly rivalry has mutated into something more sinister, and just plain evil. New Zealand needs to confront it and extirpate it before it gets worse.
So why is it always socially acceptable to hate when the target is America, but socially unacceptable to hate when the target is anyone else? McK, try telling your lady friend that you hate (say) the Chinese, and she’ll call you a bigot. Well, that’s what she is.
Oh yeah, the local Kiwi I spoke to said something like…
Oz has a better economy, more jobs, lower taxes, more land, more respect, but we have a better rugby team!
If any of you have never watched rugby, I highly recommend it. MUCH better than football. They keep going and going, it’s all action.
Martin,
I mis-communicated. Lady friend in NZ doesn’t hate americans–she is one–she is simply telling me what others in NZ currently think politically. Nor, does her husband, a native of Scotland, dislike America. He did choose, however, not to become one for reasons which he found valid with which I cannot disagree. So please don’t tell me she’s a bigot. BTW, have you ever been in a foreign country say other than Canada ?
Calif Josh,
You are implying crapola that isn’t, except in your imagination.
Outta what?
I just saw some on Ninja Warrior the other night, and they looked pretty healthy to me. I suspect they’ll get by okay.
Now that you’ve corrected, no, she’s not. But the people she describes are.
Irrelevant to my point: there are many people who will denounce hatred, but then revel in at as long as it’s directed toward the “proper” targets (i.e., the USA).
A Kiwi once told me that ambition and success is not popular in NZ, which I suppose could affect one’s attitude towards the US.
This makes sense to me. NZ was probably not populated by immigrants searching for money, glory and power.
Also, an island in the middle of nowhere is probably a good breeding place for pacifism.
I stayed in NZ for a while during the 90′s. I hitchhiked all across both islands, was a guest in many homes, made a lot of friends.
No one, not one single time, as much as hinted at anti-Americanism with me. No pro-Americanism either – it just all seemed beside the point, and they were dealing with me, as an individual, and not as some unofficial representative of my country.
If you ever want to visit Middle Earth by the way, go to NZ. It is even more dramatic than you can imagine.
Hey Scott – in case you thought I’d taken offense at your article, nothing could be further from the truth. NZ is what it is… has a lot going for it, as does the US, and Aus, and any number of other countries in their own ways.
I agree with you that there are some serious issues confronting civilisation at the moment. Every free country wants to turn a blind eye – even the US. Odds are that eventually we won’t be able to do this any more – some atrocity will be commited that shocks us all back to attention.
But in the meantime, western society just wants to roll over and go back to sleep. It’s maddening, and to many of us it’s negligence bordering on a death-wish… but that is the nature of our civilisation.
NZ wants to nod off a wee bit more than most (non-European) countries, and it seems those damned Americans are keeping everyone up with their wars.
Incidentally – there’s an unhealthy dose of anti-Americanisnm burgeoning in Australia too. Maybe not quite as advanced a case as NZ, but there are plenty of people who can run you through all the Democrat/Mike Moore talking points…
Dear Scott,
As a 5th generation NZ’er I lament the fact your wife was harangued by a 24 years aged clueless harpy. Sadly she does represent a mindless and ignorant section of our society, but take heart mate. NZ at its core still takes men and women of all nationalities as we find them. Please find it in yourself to not let the callow and churlish opinions of a UN flunkey colour your life. Every nation has its share of ratbags, and some of them get to be opinion makers. We will deal with ours and trust you to deal to yours.
You cannot voice anything resembling criticism of NZ without most of the country going nuts. Kiwis can’t take what they deal out.
See or Google Agness Kaku, Ellie Levenson or Duncan Fallowell and you’ll know what I mean.
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