Some “anti-Americanism” is needed in political discourse – and it does not mean “support for dictators and despotic regimes…”Last fall, I wanted to do a social constructive study of the label “anti-Americanism” and deconstruct the various and numerous meanings of “anti-Americanism.” As a social constructivist, I saw that the “anti-Americanism” label has many different meanings and most of those meanings were negative connotations in their definitions. In other words, “anti-Americanism is bad” and the use of this label almost always appeared to be malign a speaker with dictators and despotic regimes: Fidel Castro, Saddam Hussein, Osama bin Laden, Hugo Chavez, and the Soviet Union.However, the label of “anti-American” was being defined in very broad ways to include legitimate, necessary and good faith criticisms of its American culture, its foreign policy, its actions both domestically and internationally, its government, and the like. It appears that ANY speech that is critical of America is now labeled “anti-Americanism.”The effects of this broad definition of “anti-Americanism” appeared to not be directed at those that wished America’s destruction, but at speakers that had never demonstrated any love for dictators and despotic regimes, those speakers that expressed legitimate and even needed criticism of American foreign policy, its culture, its foreign policy, and its actions. This use of the “anti-Americanism” label appeared to attempt to malign legitimate speakers with legitimate criticisms against American action in legitimate opposition to American actions with the Soviet Union, Communist Cuba and al-Qaeda.There appears to be yet another use of the “anti-Americanism” label, especially in Europe. This use is similar to the use of the “anti-American” label to beat down speech that is critical of American action, but is use to keep European leaders in line with the American status quo. Those brave and good souls that exposed, investigated, and spoke out against the abductions of people off of European streets by the CIA and “renditions” for torture by agents of the American government were described as “anti-Americans” – which, by default, meant that they were actually “hateful of America” and “supporters of” people like Osama bin Laden. In this instance of the use of the “anti-American” label was intended to be as a potent weapon to shut up people like Dick Marty. We should be thankful that these brave Europeans did not fold in the face of the anti-American weapon.See just what utter nonsense this it…and have you ever wondered why criticism directed at Russia, China, or the European Union do not carry powerful labels like criticism directed at America does?The truth is that there is a needed and necessary place for anti-Americanism in the context of legitimate political discourse. Also, to speak in an anti-American manner does not, in any way, shape or form, mean that you support such despotic regimes as Communist Cuba, nor does it mean that you want the destruction of America. Without anti-Americanism, there would be opposition to torture, the death penalty, “gitmo” and the CIA renditions, or injustices that Americans perpetrate against other Americans. Those that stood up to American policies in Europe, especially with regard to the CIA prisons, are very brave for doing so, and this bravery is apparent in their ability to withstand that attacks on them as “anti-Americans.”Again, not all “anti-Americanism” is bad, but is needed for legitimate political discourse. Labels, like every other meaning in especially political discourse, are not real, and are constructed by people for various reasons. The “anti-Americanism” label is one label that is constructed for the purpose of beating back criticism of ANY American action or policy. Yet, the ability to stand up to America’s bad behavior in Europe and elsewhere in the world it the kind of anti-Americanism that is needed to call American leaders out for their bad behavior. And – it does not make one a supporter of dictators and despotic regimes to be critical of America either– that is just nonsense!