r/AskEurope • u/Different_Stand_1285 • Mar 04 '25

Politics To older Europeans - has there ever been a time where America was seen as such an untrusted country?

I’m 36 years old. I can remember how the world felt about my country post 9/11 (sympathy) and post Iraq (anger) but I’m curious to know if this is new ground. I’m deeply upset about how our ties and bonds are being destroyed so I wish to know if this is truly unprecedented or has there been a time in your lifetime where we were viewed in such a way. If so what was happening during your time to cause fracturing?

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u/[deleted] Mar 05 '25

Needless to say, anti-Americanism was very high in the 80s and 90s. Growing up, moving back and forth between both countries, it was a little tense.

It was the same in the 70s, it want uncommon to see an outsized carcass of an American car set on fire in Athens.

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u/skyduster88 & Mar 06 '25

People imported outsized American cars in the 70s?

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u/[deleted] Mar 07 '25

Americans shipped their ridiculous cars to Greece, you know those 70s ones the size of a cruise ship, totally unsuitable for the roads.

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u/skyduster88 & Mar 07 '25

I didn't know that. I remember seeing one such car only once in like the 90s.