Boorish God-bothering American know-nothings with lapel flags? European denunciations of the new yokel hegemon? ’Twas ever thus. Read Simon Schama's history of European resentment of Americans in this week's New Yorker. Highly entertaining, and probably just what you need to confirm your nastiest stereotypes -- whether of sneering Euros or of overly self-satisfied Yanks.

If the citizens of the United States were indeed the devoted patriots they call themselves, they would surely not thus encrust themselves in the hard, dry, stubborn persuasion, that they are the first and best of the human race, that nothing is to be learnt, but what they are able to teach, and that nothing is worth having, which they do not possess.” -- Frances Trollope